A field experiment on farmers responses to various appeals

Last registered on August 24, 2023
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
A field experiment on farmers responses to various appeals
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0011963
Initial registration date
August 21, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
August 24, 2023, 6:24 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Canada
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Tongzhe Li
Affiliation
University of Guelph
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Siyu Wang
PI Affiliation
Wichita State University
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-09-12
End date
2024-09-20
Keywords
Agriculture, Behavior, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We will conduct a lab-in-the-field experiment at the 2023 Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show (COFS) in Ontario, Canada. The products being tested will be nitrogen stabilizers and fertilizer metering systems accustomed to each participant’s farm via a cost-share Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) mechanism. The outcome variable of interest will be farmers’ bids on the examined products under various between-subjects treatments.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Li, Tongzhe and Siyu Wang. 2023. "A field experiment on farmers responses to various appeals." AEA RCT Registry. August 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.11963-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Farmers will be recruited at COFS in Woodstock (Ontario) between September 12-14, 2023 to participate in an experimental auction in the format of cost-share BDM mechanism. Each participant will bid on a nitrogen stabilizer and a fertilizer metering system, which are two types of popular products used for the 4R (Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place) fertilizer management. Various information appeals will be shown to participants via a between-subjects design.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2023-09-12
Intervention End Date
2023-09-15

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Agricultural producers' bidding behaviour on various fertilizer management products.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Various appeals will be shown to agricultural producers when they bid on nitrogen stabilizers and fertilizer metering systems. Via a between-subjects design, 5 different appeals plus control will be implemented.
Experimental Design Details
Control
In the control group, participants will be presented with general description about the products and no additional information will be presented before placing their bid.
[General description with no additional appeal]

Treatment 1
In this treatment, participants will be presented with private appeal highlighting farm profit.
[Ever thought about how {nitrogen stabilizers, fertilizer metering systems} can beef up your farm profit by reducing fertilizer costs while improving yields?]
[Insert image]

Treatment 2
In this treatment, participants will be presented with public appeal highlighting local community benefits.
[Ever thought about how {nitrogen stabilizers, fertilizer metering systems} can lend a hand to your local community by reducing nutrient pollution?]
[Insert image]

Treatment 3
In this treatment, participants will be presented with public appeal highlighting global benefits.
[Ever thought about how {nitrogen stabilizers, fertilizer metering systems} can give a boost to the health of our global environment by reducing nutrient pollution?]
[Insert image]

Treatment 4
In this treatment, participants will be presented with Private appeal highlighting farm profit + Public appeal highlighting local community benefits.
[Ever thought about how {nitrogen stabilizers, fertilizer metering systems} can beef up your farm profit by reducing fertilizer costs while improving yields and lend a hand to your local community by reducing nutrient pollution?]
[Insert images]

Treatment 5
In this treatment, participants will be presented with Private appeal highlighting farm profit + Public appeal highlighting global benefits.
[Ever thought about how {nitrogen stabilizers, fertilizer metering systems} can beef up your farm profit by reducing fertilizer costs while improving yields and give a boost to the health of our global environment by reducing nutrient pollution?]
[Insert images]
Randomization Method
Python-based language will be used for the experimental interface. Randomization will be done by a computer at the individual participant level.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
A minimum of 384 individuals.
Sample size: planned number of observations
A minimum of 384 individuals, each with 2 bids.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
A minimum of 64 per treatment arm.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
5 percentage points in farmers' cost-share bid differences.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Guelph's Research Ethics Boards
IRB Approval Date
2023-08-11
IRB Approval Number
22-02-009
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials