Within-Season Producer Response to Warmer Temperatures: Defensive Investments by Kenyan Farmers
利用肯尼亚玉米种植户的面板数据，研究发现农民在生长季内会因气温升高而增加农药和除草投入，减少化肥使用，以应对病虫害和杂草增加带来的不利影响。
Abstract We present evidence that farmers adjust agricultural inputs in response to within-season temperature variation, undertaking defensive investments to reduce the adverse agro-ecological impacts of warmer temperatures. Using panel data from Kenyan maize-growing households, we find that higher temperatures early in the growing season increase the use of pesticides, while reducing fertiliser use. Warmer temperatures throughout the season increase weeding effort. These adjustments arise because greater heat increases the incidence of pests, crop diseases and weeds, compelling farmers to divert investment from productivity-enhancing technologies such as fertiliser to adaptive, loss-reducing, defensive inputs such as pesticides and weeding labour.