Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1983

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural Economics

Major Professor

Thomas H. Klindt

Committee Members

William Park, Glen Whipple

Abstract

The objective of this thesis was to determine the social and economic characteristics of farmers and the physical characteristics of the farm associated with the use of no-till. Data for this research were obtained from a 1981 random survey of row crop farmers in Henry county, Tennessee. A logit model was used to analyze the data. The dependent variable in the model was a (0,1) binary variable indicating whether or not the farmer used no-till. Twelve explanatory variables were included in the logit model, five of which were statistically significant. The results of this analysis indicated that the probability of adoption of no-till by farmers in Henry county, Tennessee increases with: (1) increasing age of the farmer, (2) greater number of acres operated by the farmer, (3) farmers whose primary occupation is not farming, (4) greater proportion of land experiencing erosion problems and, (5) increasing use of other conservation practices. This study concluded that the use of no-till is influenced by both economic and environmental factors. The ability to finance farm operations increases with the age of the farmer (since older farmers generally carry less debt) and generally increases with the size of farm operation. Part-time farmers who have an outside source of income may be willing to take on more risk than farmers whose primary occupation is farming. If these are the reasons that these variables behaved as they did, then policies which subsidize the use of no-till among farmers who do not have the above characteristics may promote the use of no-till among farmers in Henry county. The environmental factors which influence the use of no-till are the greater proportion of land experiencing erosion problems and increasing use of other conservation practices. These factors suggest that farmers who have a perception of the erosion problem and who show an inclination, through the use of other conservation practices, to minimize erosion are most likely to use no-till than farmers without these characteristics. Thus policies such as information and education which increase the perception of the erosion problem and give technical assistence in conservation practices may help promote the use of no-till in Henry county.

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