Farmers' precision pesticide technology adoption and its influencing factors: Evidence from apple production areas in China

The research aimed to understand farmers' willingness to adopt (WTA) and willingness to pay (WTP) for precision pesticide technologies and analyzed the determinants of farmers' decision-making. We used a two-stage approach to consider farmers' WTA and WTP for precision pesticide technologies. A survey of 545 apple farmers was administered in Bohai Bay and the Loess Plateau in China. The data were analyzed using the double-hurdle model. The results indicated that 78.72% of respondents were willing to apply precision pesticide technologies provided by service organizations such as cooperatives and dedicated enterprises, and 69.72% were willing to buy the equipment for using precision pesticide technologies. The results of the determinant analysis indicated that farmers' perceived perceptions, farm scale, cooperative membership, access to digital information, and availability of financial services had significant and positive impacts on farmers' WTA precision pesticide technologies. Cooperative membership, technical training, and adherence to environmental regulations increased farmers' WTP for precision pesticide technologies. Moreover, nonlinear relationships between age, agricultural experience, and farmers' WTA and WTP for precision pesticide technology services were found.

Automated summary

The research explores farmers' willingness to adopt (WTA) and willingness to pay (WTP) for precision pesticide technologies and examines factors influencing their decision-making. A survey of 545 apple farmers in Bohai Bay and the Loess Plateau in China was conducted using a double-hurdle model. The findings reveal that a significant majority of respondents showed WTA for precision pesticide technologies provided by service organizations and had WTP to purchase the corresponding equipment. Factors such as perceived perceptions, farm scale, cooperative membership, access to digital information, and availability of financial services were identified to positively impact farmers' WTA, while membership in cooperatives, technical training, and compliance with environmental regulations influenced farmers' WTP. Nonlinear relationships were also discovered between age, agricultural experience, and farmers' WTA and WTP for precision pesticide technology services.