Economic evaluation of integrated pest management programs

Abstract

This paper makes an attempt to highlight important methods of economic evaluation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs. The farm level decision making process in pest management can be evaluated by using the economic threshold model, the marginal analysis model, the decision theory model and the behavioral decision model. Economic evaluation of the IPM programs, at the farm level/aggregate levels, can be carried out using cost-benefit approach, economic surplus model and econometric model. The paper further makes an attempt for micro level investigation of the impact of IPM program for cotton in Indian Punjab by using the data pertaining to 210 cotton farmers comprising 150 IPM farmers and 60 non-IPM farmers spread over 21 villages in three districts. The difference of difference technique was used to measure the impact of adoption of IPM program on extent of pesticide use and productivity of cotton.