Research Reports from the Department of Operations
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
1-1-1976
Abstract
The epidemiologic aspects of field crop infestation and disease spread have been the subject of scientific inquiry across the globe for a number of decades. Scientific researches into the agrotechnic aspects of plant protection have been equally extensive and productive of pragmatic results. Hard data are available for each of a number of crops regarding the economic impact of yield and quality reductions attributable to specific diseases and their level of progress at harvesting time. Clearly the costs of spraying are easily obtainable. This paper develops a decision-tree model to help farmers evaluate the expected net benefits that will accrue from participation in a regional plant-disease infestation and spread data-bank and spraying recommendation service. Similarly the model can be used to evaluate the expected costs to those farmers who choose not to participate. The model is tested using the "Leaf Rust" disease spread and corresponding yield-loss data collected for a particular wheat (Variety 2152) in the Beit Shean area of Israel.
Keywords
Leaf rust of wheat, Wheat--Diseases and pests--Israel, Bet She'an (Israel), Spraying and dusting in agriculture--Economic aspects, Field crops--Diseases and pests, Plant diseases--Economic aspects, Operations research
Publication Title
Technical Memorandums from the Department of Operations, School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
Issue
Technical memorandum no. 375
Rights
This work is in the public domain and may be freely downloaded for personal or academic use
Recommended Citation
Gelb, Ehud; Pollak, David; Schpar, Amit; Dinur, Amos; and Reisman, Arnold, "Agricultural Plant Protection: A Study of the Economics of Information" (1976). Research Reports from the Department of Operations. 9.
https://commons.case.edu/wsom-ops-reports/9