The Impact of Digital Technology Application on Agricultural Low-Carbon Transformation—A Case Study of the Pesticide Reduction Effect of Plant Protection Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Qian Deng, Yuhan Zhang, Zhuyu Lin, Xueping Gao () and Zhenlin Weng
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Qian Deng: School of Economics and Management, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Yuhan Zhang: School of Economics and Management, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Zhuyu Lin: School of Economics and Management, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Xueping Gao: School of Economics and Management, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Zhenlin Weng: School of Economics and Management, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-16

Abstract: Reducing pesticide use is a crucial step toward achieving the green and low-carbon transformation of agriculture. Analyzing the role and mechanisms of agricultural digital technologies—particularly plant protection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for aerial spraying—is essential for identifying viable strategies to reduce pesticide application intensity among farming households. This analysis is critical for facilitating the low-carbon transformation of rice production and advancing sustainable agricultural development. This study, using survey data from 455 farming households in Jiangxi Province, China, employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methods to investigate the relationship between plant protection UAVs and pesticide application intensity. The findings reveal that adopting plant protection UAVs significantly reduces pesticide application intensity in rice production by 24.9%. Further analysis indicates that the reduction effect is more pronounced among non-aged, large-scale, and part-time farming households. To achieve the low-carbon transformation of rice production, it is vital to enhance agricultural support policies and develop effective market promotion and application mechanisms to encourage the adoption of UAV-based aerial spraying and other digital agricultural technologies.

Keywords: digital technology application; agricultural low-carbon transformation; plant protection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); pesticide application intensity; agricultural sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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