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Information sources, farmer characteristics and pest management decisions
Farmers' pest management decisions can be influenced by the information sources used. Therefore, understanding what affects the choice of information source and how sources affect pest management decisions is important. Using data from Swiss grapevine growers this thesis investigates what influences the choice of information source and how information sources affect pest management.
Keywords: Agricultural economics, information sources, pest management
Many sources of information are available to farmers for example from extension services, other farmers and agricultural organisations. Farmer’s pest management decisions may differ depending on the information sources they use. For example, extension service provider affects pesticide decisions (Wuepper et al. 2021). As information sources can affect farmers decisions, it is important to understand what influences farmers’ choice of information sources. It may be influenced by their sociodemographic characteristics and the farm characteristics (Mittal and Mehar, 2016; Diekmann et al. 2009). The specific scope of this thesis can be chosen by the student (e.g. how different farm/farmer characteristics influence information source choice or how the use of different sources of information affects their pest management decisions).
Many sources of information are available to farmers for example from extension services, other farmers and agricultural organisations. Farmer’s pest management decisions may differ depending on the information sources they use. For example, extension service provider affects pesticide decisions (Wuepper et al. 2021). As information sources can affect farmers decisions, it is important to understand what influences farmers’ choice of information sources. It may be influenced by their sociodemographic characteristics and the farm characteristics (Mittal and Mehar, 2016; Diekmann et al. 2009). The specific scope of this thesis can be chosen by the student (e.g. how different farm/farmer characteristics influence information source choice or how the use of different sources of information affects their pest management decisions).
To investigate the influence of farmer characteristics on choice of information sources and how different information sources affect pest management decisions.
This research will involve a literature review and econometric analysis of recently collected survey data from 436 Swiss grapevine growers in 2022.
**Literature**
Diekmann, F., Loibl, C. and Batte, M. T. (2009). The economics of agricultural information: Factors affecting commercial farmers’ information strategies in Ohio, Applied Economic Perspective and Policy, 31, 853-872.
Mittal, S. and Mehar, M. (2016). Socioeconomic factors affecting adoption of modern information and communication technology by farmers in India: Analysis using multivariate Probit model, Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 22(2), 199-212.
Wuepper, D., Roleff, N. and Finger, R. (2021). Does it matter who advises farmers? Pest management choices with public and private extensions, Food Policy, 99 (1).
To investigate the influence of farmer characteristics on choice of information sources and how different information sources affect pest management decisions. This research will involve a literature review and econometric analysis of recently collected survey data from 436 Swiss grapevine growers in 2022.
**Literature**
Diekmann, F., Loibl, C. and Batte, M. T. (2009). The economics of agricultural information: Factors affecting commercial farmers’ information strategies in Ohio, Applied Economic Perspective and Policy, 31, 853-872. Mittal, S. and Mehar, M. (2016). Socioeconomic factors affecting adoption of modern information and communication technology by farmers in India: Analysis using multivariate Probit model, Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 22(2), 199-212. Wuepper, D., Roleff, N. and Finger, R. (2021). Does it matter who advises farmers? Pest management choices with public and private extensions, Food Policy, 99 (1).
Chloe McCallum: cmccallum@ethz.ch Robert Finger: rofinger@ethz.ch
Chloe McCallum: cmccallum@ethz.ch Robert Finger: rofinger@ethz.ch