The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control Costs

The pest control behaviors of agricultural producers are crucial not only for effectively managing pests and diseases but also for ensuring the sustainable development of agricultural production and the environment. Regional specialization in agriculture, as a typical method to optimize planting str...

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Main Authors: Xin Tan, Guanghua Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Agriculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/11/2045
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author Xin Tan
Guanghua Lin
author_facet Xin Tan
Guanghua Lin
author_sort Xin Tan
collection DOAJ
description The pest control behaviors of agricultural producers are crucial not only for effectively managing pests and diseases but also for ensuring the sustainable development of agricultural production and the environment. Regional specialization in agriculture, as a typical method to optimize planting structure, influences farmers’ control behaviors through dual mechanisms. However, existing research has largely overlooked this issue. This paper systematically examines the influence and mechanisms of agricultural regional specialization on farmers’ pest control strategies and costs. Using village tracking research data and farmer data from the Jiangsu, Sichuan, and Jilin provinces of China over 15 years, the study employs fixed-effects models and the instrumental variable method to provide empirical evidence. The research results indicate that by reducing biological diversity, which exacerbates the occurrence and damage of pests and diseases, and increasing the homogeneity of planting structures, the development of regional specialization in agriculture prompts farmers to shift their control strategy from “ex post treatment” to “ex ante prevention” and has increased the control costs. The policy implication is that farmers should be encouraged to practice moderate crop rotation in rapidly increasing regional specialization. Additionally, strengthening real-time monitoring of pest and disease dynamics is essential to guide farmers in early prevention and timely control.
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spelling doaj-art-d42a92643f5341c09317e4d69170afeb2024-11-26T17:43:50ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722024-11-011411204510.3390/agriculture14112045The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control CostsXin Tan0Guanghua Lin1College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaCollege of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, ChinaThe pest control behaviors of agricultural producers are crucial not only for effectively managing pests and diseases but also for ensuring the sustainable development of agricultural production and the environment. Regional specialization in agriculture, as a typical method to optimize planting structure, influences farmers’ control behaviors through dual mechanisms. However, existing research has largely overlooked this issue. This paper systematically examines the influence and mechanisms of agricultural regional specialization on farmers’ pest control strategies and costs. Using village tracking research data and farmer data from the Jiangsu, Sichuan, and Jilin provinces of China over 15 years, the study employs fixed-effects models and the instrumental variable method to provide empirical evidence. The research results indicate that by reducing biological diversity, which exacerbates the occurrence and damage of pests and diseases, and increasing the homogeneity of planting structures, the development of regional specialization in agriculture prompts farmers to shift their control strategy from “ex post treatment” to “ex ante prevention” and has increased the control costs. The policy implication is that farmers should be encouraged to practice moderate crop rotation in rapidly increasing regional specialization. Additionally, strengthening real-time monitoring of pest and disease dynamics is essential to guide farmers in early prevention and timely control.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/11/2045regional specialization in agriculturepests and diseasescontrol behaviors of farmerscontrol strategycontrol cost
spellingShingle Xin Tan
Guanghua Lin
The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control Costs
Agriculture
regional specialization in agriculture
pests and diseases
control behaviors of farmers
control strategy
control cost
title The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control Costs
title_full The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control Costs
title_fullStr The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control Costs
title_full_unstemmed The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control Costs
title_short The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control Costs
title_sort influence of regional specialization in agriculture on farmers pest control behaviors based on a dual examination of control strategies and control costs
topic regional specialization in agriculture
pests and diseases
control behaviors of farmers
control strategy
control cost
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/11/2045
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