Impacts of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale on Consumers and the Horticulture Industry

Pulkit Marwah, Yu Yvette Zhang and Mengmeng Gu
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Pulkit Marwah: Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Yu Yvette Zhang: Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Mengmeng Gu: Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, College Station, TX 77843, USA

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: In this study, we conducted a nationwide online survey, including discrete choice scenarios, to understand consumers’ purchasing behavior for flowering trees and shrubs for home landscapes in the US. In particular, we studied crapemyrtle, which is the most popular summer flowering tree in the US. This research evaluates the change in consumer willingness to pay for crapemyrtle plants due to pest infestation damage. Our study showed that the consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for crapemyrtles will decrease, due to the changes in their attributes, such as flower density and bark color, if infested by crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS). We also analyzed the effect of consumers’ personal characteristics, including their risk attitude, on their willingness to pay for crapemyrtle plants.

Keywords: flowering trees and shrubs; landscape; pest management; choice experiments; crapemyrtle; Lagerstroemia; willingness to pay (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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