This collection features six peer-reviewed reviews on the economics of
key agricultural practices.
The first chapter assesses the economic impact of horticultural crops
and integrated pest management programmes. The chapter highlights the
importance of considering agricultural system design and the utilisation
of novel control tactics.
The second chapter considers the economic consequences of novel
integrated weed management (IWM) strategies, as well as the different
approaches used to assess the economics of IWM strategies.
The third chapter reviews developments in methods to assess the economic
value of agricultural biodiversity. The chapter also outlines the
limitations of these methods and proposes a possible, novel way forward.
The fourth chapter provides an overview of the economic barriers faced
by smallholder farmers, including land, labour, capital and inputs, and
their impact on farm profitability.
The fifth chapter reviews the economics of soil health, focussing on the
adoption of soil health management practices by farmers and the
effectiveness of incentives.
The final chapter examines the use of economic research as a tool to
determine the profitability and adoption potential for a number of
precision agriculture technologies.