Little is known about producers’ willingness to use manure. Past studies have focused on substitutability for fertilizers. We surveyed crop producers in a cattle-dense region of the Colorado Plains about whether and why they apply manure, focusing on how pressures (like owning cattle) or preferences (pros and cons) affect their adoption.

Results:

• Statistical findings show that pressure and preference significantly affect adoption of manure application.
• A producer with high pressure vs. preference was 10 times more liketly to use manure than one with low pressure vs. preference.
• Policy and decision makers can use such findings to inform education and policy aimed at increasing the land application of manure.

Reference:

Hoag, D., M. Lacy, and J. Davis. 2004. Pressures and preferences affecting willingness to apply beef manure on crops in the Colorado high plains. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. 29:461-480.

Cooperators include Dr. Dana Hoag, Colorado State University Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Dr. Susan Hine, Colorado State University Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Dr. Michael Lacy, Colorado State University Department of Sociology, and Dr. Jessica Davis, Colorado State University Department of Soil & Crop.

Funding for this project was provided by the USDA-Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE) and the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station.

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