IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/huaedp/164510.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Economic Efficiency of Agricultural Rodent Control Using

Author

Listed:
  • Kan, Iddo
  • Motro, Yoav
  • Horvitz, Nir
  • Kimhi, Ayal
  • Leshem, Yossi
  • Yom-Tov, Yoram
  • Nathan, Ran

Abstract

Abstract We develop an empirical framework for evaluating the profitability of the use of barn owls to control rodent populations by locating nesting boxes in agricultural areas. Barn owls’ behavior is incorporated into the analysis by estimated functions that relate agricultural production to the birds’ spatial patterns of hunting and nesting choices. The model was developed based on agricultural and zoological data collected in a kibbutz in northern Israel. Focusing on alfalfa, the presence of barn owls was found to increase profits by about $50 / hectare-year. Moreover, production exhibited increasing return to scale with barn owls’ predation pressures. Accordingly, simulations show that redistributing boxes can considerably increase barn owls’ contribution to alfalfa production’s profit. These findings indicate that environmental policies aimed at encouraging the adoption of this biological control method are redundant; at the same time, they provide support for stricter regulations on rodent control using poisons.

Suggested Citation

  • Kan, Iddo & Motro, Yoav & Horvitz, Nir & Kimhi, Ayal & Leshem, Yossi & Yom-Tov, Yoram & Nathan, Ran, 2012. "Economic Efficiency of Agricultural Rodent Control Using," Discussion Papers 164510, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Agricultural Economics and Management.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:huaedp:164510
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.164510
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/164510/files/Economic%20Efficiency%20of%20Agricultural%20Rodent%20Control.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.164510?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Skonhoft, Anders & Leirs, Herwig & Andreassen, Harry P. & Mulungu, Loth S.A. & Stenseth, Nils Chr., 2006. "The bioeconomics of controlling an African rodent pest species," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(4), pages 453-475, August.
    2. Singleton, Grant R. & Hinds, Lyn A. & Krebs, Charles J. & Spratt, Dave M. (ed.), 2003. "Rats, Mice, and People: Rodent Biology and Management," Monographs, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, number 119367.
    3. Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2005. "Simple solutions to the initial conditions problem in dynamic, nonlinear panel data models with unobserved heterogeneity," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(1), pages 39-54, January.
    4. Carolyn R. Harper & David Zilberman, 1989. "Pest Externalities from Agricultural Inputs," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 71(3), pages 692-702.
    5. Clem Tisdell, 2003. "Economics and Ecology in Agriculture and Marine Production," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 2754.
    6. Uri Regev & Andrew P. Gutierrez & Gershon Feder, 1976. "Pests as a Common Property Resource: A Case Study of Alfalfa Weevil Control," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 58(2), pages 186-197.
    7. Singleton, Grant, 2003. "Impacts of Rodents on Rice Production in Asia," IRRI Discussion Papers 287607, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
    8. D. Hueth & U. Regev, 1974. "Optimal Agricultural Pest Management with Increasing Pest Resistance," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 56(3), pages 543-552.
    9. Feder, G. & Regev, U., 1975. "Biological interactions and environmental effects in the economics of pest control," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 75-91, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lichtenberg, Erik & Zilberman, David & Archibald, Sandra O., 1990. "Economics and Pesticides," Working Papers 197750, University of Maryland, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    2. Marsh, Thomas L. & Huffaker, Ray G. & Folwell, Raymond J. & Long, Gary, 1998. "An Intraseasonal Bioeconomic Model Of Plrv Net Necrosis," 1998 Annual meeting, August 2-5, Salt Lake City, UT 20935, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    3. Mitchell, Paul D., 2001. "Additive Versus Proportional Pest Damage Functions: Why Ecology Matters," 2001 Annual meeting, August 5-8, Chicago, IL 20775, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    4. Theodoros Skevas & Spiro E. Stefanou & Alfons Oude Lansink, 2013. "Do Farmers Internalise Environmental Spillovers of Pesticides in Production?," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 624-640, September.
    5. Richard Cornes & Ngo Van Long & Koji Shimomura, 2000. "Strategic Behavior under Intertemporal Production Externalities," CIRANO Working Papers 2000s-07, CIRANO.
    6. Olson, Lars J., 2006. "The Economics of Terrestrial Invasive Species: A Review of the Literature," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 35(1), pages 178-194, April.
    7. Just, David R. & Wang, Shenghui & Pinstrup-Andersen, Per, 2006. "Tarnishing Silver Bullets: Bt Technology Adoption, Bounded Rationality and the Outbreak of Secondary Pest Infestations in China," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21230, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    8. Secchi, Silvia, 2000. "Economic issues in resistance management," ISU General Staff Papers 2000010108000013359, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    9. Silvia Secchi & Terrance M. Hurley & Bruce A. Babcock & Richard L. Hellmich, 2006. "Managing European Corn Borer Resistance to Bt Corn with Dynamic Refuges," Natural Resource Management and Policy, in: Richard E. Just & Julian M. Alston & David Zilberman (ed.), Regulating Agricultural Biotechnology: Economics and Policy, chapter 0, pages 559-577, Springer.
    10. Cheryl Brown & Lori Lynch & David Zilberman, 2002. "The Economics of Controlling Insect-Transmitted Plant Diseases," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 84(2), pages 279-291.
    11. Archibald, Sandra O. & McCorkle, Chester O. Jr & Howitt, Richard E., 1986. "A Dynamic Analysis Of Production Externalities : Pesticide Resistance In California Cotton," Working Papers 225802, University of California, Davis, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    12. Cobourn, Kelly M. & Goodhue, Rachael E. & Williams, Jeffrey C., 2009. "The Role of Harvest Timing in Pest Management: Grower Response to Infestation by the California Olive Fruit Fly," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49475, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Terrance Hurley & Silvia Secchi & Bruce Babcock & Richard Hellmich, 2002. "Managing the Risk of European Corn Borer Resistance to Bt Corn," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 22(4), pages 537-558, August.
    14. Regev, Uri, 1990. "The Impact of Risk on Pest Management Strategies," 1990 Annual meeting, August 5-8, Vancouver, Canada 270735, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    15. Terrance M. Hurley & Bruce A. Babcock & Richard L. Hellmich, 1997. "Biotechnology and Pest Resistance: An Economic Assessment of Refuges," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 97-wp183, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    16. Schumacher, Sara K. & Marsh, Thomas L. & Williams, Kimberly A., 2003. "Optimal Pest Control In Floriculture Production Of Ornamental Crops," 2003 Annual Meeting, February 1-5, 2003, Mobile, Alabama 35025, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    17. Schumacher, Sara K. & Marsh, Thomas L. & Williams, Kimberly A., 2000. "Economic Thresholds: An Application To Floriculture," 2000 Annual meeting, July 30-August 2, Tampa, FL 21790, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    18. Harper, Carolyn R., 1990. "Predator-Prey Systems In Pest Management," Northeastern Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 20(01), pages 1-9, April.
    19. Wetzstein, Michael E., 1981. "Pest Information Markets And Integrated Pest Management," Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 13(2), pages 1-5, December.
    20. Mathews, Kenneth H., Jr., 2001. "Antimicrobial Drug Use And Veterinary Costs In U.S. Livestock Production," Agricultural Information Bulletins 33695, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:huaedp:164510. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/agrhuil.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.