{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/107814"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/107814","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Adoption Determinants and Economic Benefits of Integrated Pest Management for Nepali Vegetable Farmers","abstract":"The majority of Nepal's population relies on agriculture, so invasive and native pests' ability to reduce farmers' crop yields is a significant concern. To protect farm households' food security and livelihoods, it is imperative to find effective pest management products and practices. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an arguably cheaper and less harmful alternative to conventional synthetic pesticides and is a way of managing and preventing agricultural pests using different levels of control methods (e.g., biological, cultural, and chemical) that have minimal adverse environmental and human health impacts. This study provides information on the extent of IPM practices by Nepali vegetable farmers, adds to the understanding of factors that influence the IPM adoption decision, and compares the economic benefits and performance of IPM to other conventional pest management practices. Our survey of 346 vegetable farmers in four districts throughout Nepal provides the primary data we use in our analysis. We distinguish practices into two categories: simple IPM practices that are commonly used and require limited knowledge and complex practices that typically require more knowledge and conscious use of IPM itself. We use a probit model to determine the factors that significantly affect the decision to adopt complex IPM practices. Our results find two explanatory variables that consistently affect complex IPM adoption: gender and IPM training. We compare the costs and benefits of using IPM to other conventional pest management practices by analyzing results from experimental field trials conducted in Nepal's Banke and Surkhet districts. Using an economic surplus approach, we estimate the market-level benefits of using IPM practices for three vegetables in Banke and four vegetables in Surkhet. The results predict cumulative IPM benefits of $1.06 to $1.44 million across the two districts.","abstract_html":"The majority of Nepal's population relies on agriculture, so invasive and native pests' ability to reduce farmers' crop yields is a significant concern. To protect farm households' food security and livelihoods, it is imperative to find effective pest management products and practices. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an arguably cheaper and less harmful alternative to conventional synthetic pesticides and is a way of managing and preventing agricultural pests using different levels of control methods (e.g., biological, cultural, and chemical) that have minimal adverse environmental and human health impacts. This study provides information on the extent of IPM practices by Nepali vegetable farmers, adds to the understanding of factors that influence the IPM adoption decision, and compares the economic benefits and performance of IPM to other conventional pest management practices. Our survey of 346 vegetable farmers in four districts throughout Nepal provides the primary data we use in our analysis. We distinguish practices into two categories: simple IPM practices that are commonly used and require limited knowledge and complex practices that typically require more knowledge and conscious use of IPM itself. We use a probit model to determine the factors that significantly affect the decision to adopt complex IPM practices. Our results find two explanatory variables that consistently affect complex IPM adoption: gender and IPM training. We compare the costs and benefits of using IPM to other conventional pest management practices by analyzing results from experimental field trials conducted in Nepal's Banke and Surkhet districts. Using an economic surplus approach, we estimate the market-level benefits of using IPM practices for three vegetables in Banke and four vegetables in Surkhet. The results predict cumulative IPM benefits of $1.06 to $1.44 million across the two districts.","abstract_has_math":true,"creators":["McGowan, Amanda Leigh"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Agricultural and Applied Economics","degree_department":"Agricultural and Applied Economics","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Norton, George W.","Mills, Bradford F."],"committee_members":["Larochelle, Catherine"],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-01-19","date_published":"2022-01-19","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:18Z","subjects":["Nepal","integrated pest management","vegetables","adoption","economic impact"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:32961"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:32961","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/107814","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Norton, George W.","Mills, Bradford F."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Larochelle, Catherine"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Agricultural and Applied Economics"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["McGowan, Amanda Leigh"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2022-01-20T09:01:20Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2022-01-20T09:01:20Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2022-01-19"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Agricultural and Applied Economics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Nepal","integrated pest management","vegetables","adoption","economic impact"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:32961"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/107814"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The majority of Nepal's population relies on agriculture, so invasive and native pests' ability to reduce farmers' crop yields is a significant concern. To protect farm households' food security and livelihoods, it is imperative to find effective pest management products and practices. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an arguably cheaper and less harmful alternative to conventional synthetic pesticides and is a way of managing and preventing agricultural pests using different levels of control methods (e.g., biological, cultural, and chemical) that have minimal adverse environmental and human health impacts. This study provides information on the extent of IPM practices by Nepali vegetable farmers, adds to the understanding of factors that influence the IPM adoption decision, and compares the economic benefits and performance of IPM to other conventional pest management practices. Our survey of 346 vegetable farmers in four districts throughout Nepal provides the primary data we use in our analysis. We distinguish practices into two categories: simple IPM practices that are commonly used and require limited knowledge and complex practices that typically require more knowledge and conscious use of IPM itself. We use a probit model to determine the factors that significantly affect the decision to adopt complex IPM practices. Our results find two explanatory variables that consistently affect complex IPM adoption: gender and IPM training. We compare the costs and benefits of using IPM to other conventional pest management practices by analyzing results from experimental field trials conducted in Nepal's Banke and Surkhet districts. Using an economic surplus approach, we estimate the market-level benefits of using IPM practices for three vegetables in Banke and four vegetables in Surkhet. The results predict cumulative IPM benefits of $1.06 to $1.44 million across the two districts."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["The majority of Nepal's population relies on agriculture, so invasive and native pests' ability to reduce farmers' crop yields is a significant concern. To protect farm households' food security and livelihoods, it is imperative to find effective pest management products and practices. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an arguably cheaper and less harmful alternative to conventional synthetic pesticides and is a way of managing and preventing agricultural pests using different levels of control methods (e.g., crop rotation, weeding, pheromones to disrupt mating) that have minimal adverse environmental and human health impacts. This study provides information on the extent of IPM practices by Nepali vegetable farmers, adds to the understanding of factors that influence the IPM adoption decision, and compares the economic benefits and performance of IPM to conventional synthetic pesticides. Our survey of 346 vegetable farmers in four districts throughout Nepal provides the primary data we use in our analysis. We distinguish practices into two categories: simple IPM practices that are commonly used and require limited knowledge and complex practices that typically require more knowledge and conscious use of IPM itself. Various statistical methods are used and find that gender and IPM training consistently affect the decision to adopt complex IPM practices. Compared to female Nepali vegetable farmers, males are more likely to adopt complex practices. In addition, attending an IPM training event increases the likelihood of farmers using complex IPM practices. We use data from field trials of farmers in Surkhet and Banke, IPM adoption rates from the survey, and information on Nepal's vegetable market to calculate the economic benefits of farmers using complex IPM practices for tomato, cauliflower, onion, and cucumber production. The results predict cumulative IPM benefits of $1.06 to $1.44 million to vegetable consumers and producers across the two districts."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Adoption Determinants and Economic Benefits of Integrated Pest Management for Nepali Vegetable Farmers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Norton, George W.","Mills, Bradford F."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Larochelle, Catherine"],"dc:contributor.department":["Agricultural and Applied Economics"],"dc:creator":["McGowan, Amanda Leigh"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2022-01-20T09:01:20Z"],"dc:date.available":["2022-01-20T09:01:20Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2022-01-19"],"dc:description.abstract":["The majority of Nepal's population relies on agriculture, so invasive and native pests' ability to reduce farmers' crop yields is a significant concern. To protect farm households' food security and livelihoods, it is imperative to find effective pest management products and practices. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an arguably cheaper and less harmful alternative to conventional synthetic pesticides and is a way of managing and preventing agricultural pests using different levels of control methods (e.g., biological, cultural, and chemical) that have minimal adverse environmental and human health impacts. This study provides information on the extent of IPM practices by Nepali vegetable farmers, adds to the understanding of factors that influence the IPM adoption decision, and compares the economic benefits and performance of IPM to other conventional pest management practices. Our survey of 346 vegetable farmers in four districts throughout Nepal provides the primary data we use in our analysis. We distinguish practices into two categories: simple IPM practices that are commonly used and require limited knowledge and complex practices that typically require more knowledge and conscious use of IPM itself. We use a probit model to determine the factors that significantly affect the decision to adopt complex IPM practices. Our results find two explanatory variables that consistently affect complex IPM adoption: gender and IPM training. We compare the costs and benefits of using IPM to other conventional pest management practices by analyzing results from experimental field trials conducted in Nepal's Banke and Surkhet districts. Using an economic surplus approach, we estimate the market-level benefits of using IPM practices for three vegetables in Banke and four vegetables in Surkhet. The results predict cumulative IPM benefits of $1.06 to $1.44 million across the two districts."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["The majority of Nepal's population relies on agriculture, so invasive and native pests' ability to reduce farmers' crop yields is a significant concern. To protect farm households' food security and livelihoods, it is imperative to find effective pest management products and practices. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an arguably cheaper and less harmful alternative to conventional synthetic pesticides and is a way of managing and preventing agricultural pests using different levels of control methods (e.g., crop rotation, weeding, pheromones to disrupt mating) that have minimal adverse environmental and human health impacts. This study provides information on the extent of IPM practices by Nepali vegetable farmers, adds to the understanding of factors that influence the IPM adoption decision, and compares the economic benefits and performance of IPM to conventional synthetic pesticides. Our survey of 346 vegetable farmers in four districts throughout Nepal provides the primary data we use in our analysis. We distinguish practices into two categories: simple IPM practices that are commonly used and require limited knowledge and complex practices that typically require more knowledge and conscious use of IPM itself. Various statistical methods are used and find that gender and IPM training consistently affect the decision to adopt complex IPM practices. Compared to female Nepali vegetable farmers, males are more likely to adopt complex practices. In addition, attending an IPM training event increases the likelihood of farmers using complex IPM practices. We use data from field trials of farmers in Surkhet and Banke, IPM adoption rates from the survey, and information on Nepal's vegetable market to calculate the economic benefits of farmers using complex IPM practices for tomato, cauliflower, onion, and cucumber production. The results predict cumulative IPM benefits of $1.06 to $1.44 million to vegetable consumers and producers across the two districts."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:32961"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/107814"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Nepal","integrated pest management","vegetables","adoption","economic impact"],"dc:title":["Adoption Determinants and Economic Benefits of Integrated Pest Management for Nepali Vegetable Farmers"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Agricultural and Applied Economics"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:18Z"}