The impact of water conservation and intensification technologies: empirical evidence for rice farmers in Ghana
使用倾向得分匹配模型，研究加纳北部小规模低地稻农采用节水集约化技术对产量和收入的影响，发现筑埂技术增加投入但产出和净收益不显著，点播技术提高产量但收入无显著差异，点播结合强化除草则显著提升产出和净收益。
Abstract This study employs the propensity score matching model to examine the impact of the adoption of water conservation and intensification technologies on farm output and income among small‐scale lowland rice farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana. The matching was conducted based on the Mahalanobis distance combined with the propensity score. Balancing tests by checking the mean standardized absolute bias in the matched sample were conducted as well as a sensitivity analysis was conducted to check for hidden bias due to unobservable selection. The empirical results show a positive and significant impact of the adoption of bunds technology on input demand as well as a positive but insignificant impact on output supply and net returns. Adopters of the dibbling technology were found to have higher output supply, whereas no statistically significant difference was found between the incomes of adopters and nonadopters of dibbling seed method. The results, however, reveal a positive and significant effect on output and net returns when the dibbling method is combined with intensified weeding. The estimates were found to be relatively insensitive to hidden bias.