Factors Contributing to the Perceived Usefulness of Soil Test Information

Anecdotal evidence suggests that soil test information has a useful life of 3–4 years. However, usefulness of information may depend on a variety of factors, including field variability, farmer experience and education, farm size, Extension, and possibly remote factors indirectly related to farming. The 2009 cotton survey provides Extension and industry with information regarding the length of time cotton producers perceive soil sampling information to be useful. In this analysis, we test this hypothesis, conditional on adoption of the technology, and operator personal and farm business characteristics. Using a hurdle model, we regress farm household, operator, and business characteristics on the number of years producers perceive soil test information useful. Thus, the first stage (the “hurdle”) estimates the likelihood that cotton producers adopted some type of soil sampling. The second stage analyzes the personal and farm business characteristics related to perceptions of the length of time soil test information is thought to be useful by adopters using a negative binomial regression. Understanding the factors contributing to the perceived usefulness of soil test information may provide guidance to industry with respect to product and service marketing, and help Extension tailor informational efforts regarding the benefits and costs of soil sampling.