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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2012, Vol. 12 Issue (12): 2107-2115    DOI: 10.1016/S1671-2927(00)8749
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Farmer’s Knowledge on GM Technology and Pesticide Use: Evidence from Papaya Production in China
 HOU Lin-ke, HUANG Ji-kun, WANG Xiao-bing, HU Rui-fa, XUE Chun-ling
1.Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101, P.R.China
2.School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P.R.China
3.College of Economic and Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, P.R.China
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摘要  Genetically modified (GM) technology can significantly reduce pesticide use and increase yield in crop production. However, the benefit from reducing pesticide use varies substantially among farmers. The overall goal of this paper is to understand the relationship between farmers’ knowledge of GM technology and pesticide use in genetically modified papaya (GMP) production. Based on a survey of 223 farms in three main papaya production provinces in 2010, the data show that almost all papaya planted in 2009 was genetically modified. However, only 28% of papaya farmers knew that they planted GMP, and 55% of them did not know GMP is resistant to papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). Further analyses using the general least squares (GLS) method show that farmers’ knowledge of GMP significantly affects their pesticide use, and potential gain from GM technology is far below its full potential. The paper concludes with policy implications.

Abstract  Genetically modified (GM) technology can significantly reduce pesticide use and increase yield in crop production. However, the benefit from reducing pesticide use varies substantially among farmers. The overall goal of this paper is to understand the relationship between farmers’ knowledge of GM technology and pesticide use in genetically modified papaya (GMP) production. Based on a survey of 223 farms in three main papaya production provinces in 2010, the data show that almost all papaya planted in 2009 was genetically modified. However, only 28% of papaya farmers knew that they planted GMP, and 55% of them did not know GMP is resistant to papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). Further analyses using the general least squares (GLS) method show that farmers’ knowledge of GMP significantly affects their pesticide use, and potential gain from GM technology is far below its full potential. The paper concludes with policy implications.
Keywords:  genetically modified papaya       knowledge       pesticide use  
Received: 08 November 2011   Accepted:
Fund: 

This work was supported by the the National Key Program on Genetically Modi f ied New Varie t ies , China (2011ZX08015-002) and the International Development Research Center (106100-001).

Corresponding Authors:  Correspondence HUANG Ji-kun, Tel: +86-10-64889440, Fax: +86-10-64856533, E-mail: jkhuang.ccap@igsnrr.ac.cn     E-mail:  jkhuang.ccap@igsnrr.ac.cn

Cite this article: 

HOU Lin-ke, HUANG Ji-kun, WANG Xiao-bing, HU Rui-fa, XUE Chun-ling. 2012. Farmer’s Knowledge on GM Technology and Pesticide Use: Evidence from Papaya Production in China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 12(12): 2107-2115.

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