Voluntary versus mandatory agricultural policies to protect water quality: adoption of nitrogen testing in Nebraska
1995
Bosch, D.J. | Cook, Z.L. | Fuglie, K.O.
Agriculture is an important source of nonpoint source pollution and potential damage to water quality. Voluntary incentives and regulatory policies are followed by both the states and the federal government to reduce water quality damage from agricultural practices. Policy makers are concerned about the relative effectiveness of each approach for protecting water quality. The effectiveness of regulation versus a combination of voluntary incentive approaches are evaluated for an area in central Nebraska. Policy effectiveness is measured in two parts: (1) whether farmers receiving incentives are more likely to conduct soil or tissue nitrogen (N) tests; and (2) whether farmers use the test results as the most important factor in N management decisions. Personal interview surveys of Nebraska farmers were analyzed to determine farmers' use of soil and/or tissue testing to help make N fertilizer decisions on fields planted to corn. The effects of regulation and voluntary programs on the use of N testing were evaluated. The effects on adoption of farmers' education and experience; type, size, and tenure status of the farm; irrigation; and soil characteristics of the sample field were also considered. The results show that while regulation leads to higher levels of N test adoption, it does not have an "educational" effect on adopters. Voluntary incentive policies appear to be more effective in encouraging farmers to use information from N tests. Regulation to enforce adoption of practices to protect water quality may not induce the desired behavioral changes. Educational programs may be needed to complement regulations to insure that farmers change their behavior to achieve the goals of water quality protection programs.
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