An Introduction to Economic Analysis of Pest Management: A Case Study of Nematode Management

By Yi Li, Yetian Cai, Weizhe Weng, Johan Desaeger, and Zhengfei Guan

Release Date: 2/16/2025

DOI: 10.32473/edis-fe1161-2024

Agriculture

Abstract

The economic performance of pest management practices is a critical factor when farmers make adoption decisions. Partial budget analysis is a widely used tool to evaluate the financial effects of different management practices in agricultural production. It provides an economic rationale for selecting the optimal treatment by evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the treatment. This publication explains how to employ partial budget analysis using a real-world example. It provides a step-by-step guide examining the costs and benefits of two different approaches, fumigation and nematicides, to manage nematodes on Florida's tomato farms.

About this Publication

This document is FE1161, a publication of the Department of Food and Resource Economics, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date December 2024. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. © 2024 UF/IFAS. This publication is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

About the Authors

Yi Li, PhD student; Yetian Cai, PhD student; Weizhe Weng assistant professor; Department of Food and Resource Economics; Johan Desaeger, associate professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center; and Zhengfei Guan, associate professor, Department of Food and Resource Economics, UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, Florida 32611.

How to Cite

Li, Y., Cai, Y., Weng, W., DeSaeger, J., & Guan, Z. (2025). An Introduction to Economic Analysis of Pest Management: A Case Study of Nematode Management. EDIS, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-fe1161-2024

Authors

Weizhe Weng

former assistant professor, environmental and natural resource economics, Department of Food and Resource Economics; assistant professor, University of Guelph Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Yi Li

Ph.D. student, UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department, Gainesville, FL

Yetian Cai

Ph.D. student, UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics, Gainesville, FL