Abstract
Purpose The negative externalities of pesticide overuse increasingly concern the public. However, little empirical evidence has been provided for pesticide overuse and the relationship between the governmental agricultural extension system reforms and pesticide use in grain production from a nationwide perspective. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the productive effect and overuse of pesticides, and it also investigates the effect of the governmental agricultural extension system reforms on pesticide expenditure in rice, maize and wheat production in China. Design/methodology/approach A two-equation system model consisting of an exponential-specific damage-control production function and a pesticide use function is applied to the provincial-level data during the period 1985–2016. Findings While pesticide expenditure significantly increases grain productivity, the actual pesticide expenditure exceeds the economically optimal level. The commercialization reform of the governmental agricultural extension system contributed to the increase in pesticide expenditure. Moreover, the de-commercialization reform of the governmental agricultural extension system plays a limited role in pesticide reduction. Price fluctuations for grain and pesticide also impose significant effects on pesticide expenditure. Originality/value This study has two important policy implications for pesticide reduction in China. It is urgent to specify the functions of the governmental agricultural extension system, and encourage the development of the socialized agricultural technology service. More efforts should also be made to remove the bureaucratic intervention on the pricing mechanism of grain product and pesticide.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Pesticide expenditure significantly increases grain productivity in rice, maize and wheat production in China.
- Taxon
- rice, maize and wheat
Oryza sativa
Triticum aestivum
Zea mayse1 - Treatment
- pesticide expendituree2
- Outcome
- grain productivitye2
- Direction
- increasese2
- Setting
- Chinae1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“in rice, maize and wheat production in China”
e2“While pesticide expenditure significantly increases grain productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
Actual pesticide expenditure exceeds the economically optimal level.
- Taxon
- rice, maize and wheatOryza sativaTriticum aestivumZea mayse1
- Outcome
- pesticide expendituree3
- Direction
- exceedse3
- Comparator
- economically optimal levele3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“in rice, maize and wheat production in China”
e3“the actual pesticide expenditure exceeds the economically optimal level”
Claim · model-written summary
The commercialization reform of the agricultural extension system contributed to an increase in pesticide expenditure.
- Taxon
- rice, maize and wheatOryza sativaTriticum aestivumZea mayse1
- Treatment
- commercialization reform of the governmental agricultural extension systeme4
- Outcome
- pesticide expendituree4
- Direction
- increasee4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“in rice, maize and wheat production in China”
e4“The commercialization reform of the governmental agricultural extension system contributed to the increase in pesticide expenditure”
Claim · model-written summary
The de-commercialization reform of the extension system plays a limited role in reducing pesticide use.
- Taxon
- rice, maize and wheatOryza sativaTriticum aestivumZea mayse1
- Treatment
- de-commercialization reform of the governmental agricultural extension systeme5
- Outcome
- pesticide reductione5
- Qualifier
- limited rolee5
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“in rice, maize and wheat production in China”
e5“the de-commercialization reform of the governmental agricultural extension system plays a limited role in pesticide reduction”
Claim · model-written summary
Price fluctuations for grain and pesticide have significant effects on pesticide expenditure.
- Taxon
- rice, maize and wheatOryza sativaTriticum aestivumZea mayse1
- Treatment
- Price fluctuations for grain and pesticidee6
- Outcome
- pesticide expendituree6
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“in rice, maize and wheat production in China”
e6“Price fluctuations for grain and pesticide also impose significant effects on pesticide expenditure”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors recommend specifying the functions of the agricultural extension system and encouraging socialized technology services.
- Taxon
- rice, maize and wheatOryza sativaTriticum aestivumZea mayse1
- Outcome
- specify the functions of the governmental agricultural extension systeme7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“in rice, maize and wheat production in China”
e7“It is urgent to specify the functions of the governmental agricultural extension system, and encourage the development of the socialized agricultural technology service”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors recommend removing bureaucratic intervention in grain and pesticide pricing.
- Taxon
- rice, maize and wheatOryza sativaTriticum aestivumZea mayse1
- Outcome
- remove the bureaucratic intervention on the pricing mechanism of grain product and pesticidee2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“in rice, maize and wheat production in China”
e2“More efforts should also be made to remove the bureaucratic intervention on the pricing mechanism of grain product and pesticide”
The same questions in other papers
insecticide · yield · Oryza sativa (rice)Results differ
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- no effect
- no effect
- negative
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See all 60 papers →insecticide · yield · Zea mays (maize)Results differ
49 papers in the same direction as this paper · 16 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
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See all 66 papers →insecticide · yield · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Results differ
50 papers in the same direction as this paper · 16 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- negative
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See all 69 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.