Kenyan Vegetable Farmers' IPM adoption: barriers and impacts

This thesis analyzes factors affecting adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) techniques by Kenyan vegetable farmers, including the role of their risk preferences. It also analyzes factors affecting their pesticide applications and expenditures. A survey was administered to 450 Kenyan vegetable growers to identify their pest management practices, and a behavioral experiment was run to elicit their risk preferences utilizing. Cumulative Prospect Theory. Loss aversion was found to be correlated with higher likelihood of IPM adoption while risk aversion was associated with higher pesticide application rates and expenditures. The influence of IPM adoption on pesticide use differed by IPM technique.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural and Applied Economics

Department dc:contributor.department

Agricultural and Applied Economics

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• O'Reilly, Ryan Keefe

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Norton, George W.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Alwang, Jeffrey R.
• Mills, Bradford F.

• agricultural development
• technology adoption
• Kenyan agriculture
• Kenyan horticulture
• Integrated Pest Management
• Cumulative Prospect Theory
• poverty traps

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:27085

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/99453