Date of Award

Fall 2021

Project Type

Dissertation

Program or Major

Economics

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

First Advisor

Shadi SA Atallah

Second Advisor

Dana DB Bauer

Third Advisor

Stephanie SB Brockmann

Abstract

The first chapter focuses on the need to reduce pollinator exposure to harmful pesticides has led to calls to expedite theadoption of integrated pest management (IPM). We make the case that IPM is not explicitly 'pollinator friendly', but rather must be adapted to reduce impacts on pollinators and to facilitate synergies between crop pollination and pest control practices and ecosystem services. To reconcile these diverse needs, we introduce a systematic framework for 'integrated pest and pollinator management' (IPPM). We also highlight novel tools to unify monitoring and economic decision-making processes for IPPM and outline key policy actions and knowledge gaps. We propose that IPPM is needed to promote more coordinated, ecosystem-based strategies for sustainable food production, against the backdrop of increasing pesticide regulation and pollinator dependency in agriculture.

The growers of pollinator-dependent crops face trade-offsbetween pest and pollinator management. This trade-off is most pronounced for highly pollinator-dependent crops such as cucurbits-a crop family including squash, pumpkins, watermelons, and cucumbers. In the second chapter, we designed a choice experiment survey asking cucurbit growers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio about their perceptions and preferences for different sets of pollinator and pest management options which include insecticide sprays at different effectiveness levels, renting honey bee colonies, and setting aside habitat for wild pollinators. Overall, we find that cucurbit growers in our sample have a clear preference for two attributes: high pest control effectiveness and maintained managed beehives strength. We find that respondents who believe wild pollinators are in decline prefer options that protect them by reducing pesticide leaching rather than by options that provide them with habitat.

Download

Share

COinS