Effects of ICT-based extension service use on fertilizer knowledge and use efficiency: Evidence from litchi farmers in rural China

Abstract

This study evaluates the treatment effects of ICT-based extension service (IES) use on fertilizer knowledge and use efficiency by employing survey data from 828 litchi farm households in southern China. An inverse probability weighted adjusted regression (IPWRA) model is applied to reduce potential selection bias. IPWRA model results indicate that IES use improves fertilizer effectiveness, procedural and declarative knowledge by 7.22%, 6.91%, and 4.95%, respectively. Moreover, IES users’ fertilizer use efficiency is increased by 4.15%.