‘Mobile’izing Agricultural Advice Technology Adoption Diffusion and Sustainability

Author(s):  
Shawn A Cole ◽  
A Nilesh Fernando

Abstract Mobile phones promise to bring the ICT revolution to previously unconnected populations. A two-year study evaluates an innovative voice-based ICT advisory service for smallholder cotton farmers in India, demonstrating significant demand for, and trust in, new information. Farmers substantially alter their sources of information and consistently adopt inputs for cotton farming recommended by the service. Willingness to pay is, on average, less than the per-farmer cost of operating the service for our study, but likely exceeds the cost at scale. We do not find systematic evidence of gains in yields or profitability, suggesting the need for further research.

2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 617-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina Oliva ◽  
B. Kelsey Jack ◽  
Samuel Bell ◽  
Elizabeth Mettetal ◽  
Christopher Severen

Technology adoption often requires multiple stages of investment. As new information emerges, agents may abandon a technology that was profitable in expectation. We use a field experiment to vary the payoffs at two stages of investment in a new technology: a tree species that provides on-farm fertilizer benefits. Farmer decisions identify the information about profitability that arrives between the take-up and follow-through stages. Results show that this form of uncertainty increases take-up but lowers average tree survival, decreasing the cost-effectiveness of take-up subsidies. Thus, uncertainty offers another explanation for why even costly technologies may go unused or be abandoned.


Author(s):  
Pham Thi Thu Ha ◽  
Phan Dieu Huong

Underground power grid projects in Hanoi is so urgent that it requires immediate implementation. To synchronously and quickly implement the underground power grid projects, people in charge should not follow the outdated perspectives of just including the power industry, but also need to call for the support and cost sharing responsibility from consumers. This paper aims at approaching the subject both from the producers and consumers’ perspectives to together sharing the cost of putting the power grid underground not only in Hanoi but other metropolitans in Vietnam as well. Field studies (including 104 families) at Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi and CBA method were applied to investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) level of consumers to share the cost with the power industry for the underground power grid projects in Hanoi. The overview of the results shows that cost for the underground power grid in Hoan Kiem District ranging from 30,000 VND/household/month to 46,000VND/household/month. On the other hand, the willingness to pay of a typical household of four people within Hoan Kiem District ranges from 17,000VND/month to 24,000VND/month, with the most favorable method of annual payment within a detailed timeline.


SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A177-A177
Author(s):  
Jaejin An ◽  
Dennis Hwang ◽  
Jiaxiao Shi ◽  
Amy Sawyer ◽  
Aiyu Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Trial-based tele-obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) cost-effectiveness analyses have often been inconclusive due to small sample sizes and short follow-up. In this study, we report the cost-effectiveness of Tele-OSA using a larger sample from a 3-month trial that was augmented with 2.75 additional years of epidemiologic follow-up. Methods The Tele-OSA study was a 3-month randomized trial conducted in Kaiser Permanente Southern California that demonstrated improved adherence in patients receiving automated feedback messaging regarding their positive airway pressure (PAP) use when compared to usual care. At the end of the 3 months, participants in the intervention group pseudo-randomly either stopped or continued receiving messaging. This analysis included those participants who had moderate-severe OSA (Apnea Hypopnea Index >=15) and compared the cost-effectiveness of 3 groups: 1) no messaging, 2) messaging for 3 months only, and 3) messaging for 3 years. Costs were derived by multiplying medical service use from electronic medical records times costs from Federal fee schedules. Effects were average nightly hours of PAP use. We report the incremental cost per incremental hour of PAP use as well as the fraction acceptable. Results We included 256 patients with moderate-severe OSA (Group 1, n=132; Group 2, n=79; Group 3, n=45). Group 2, which received the intervention for 3 months only, had the highest costs and fewest hours of use and was dominated by the other two groups. Average 1-year costs for groups 1 and 3 were $6035 (SE, $477) and $6154 (SE, $575), respectively; average nightly hours of PAP use were 3.07 (SE, 0.23) and 4.09 (SE, 0.42). Compared to no messaging, messaging for 3 years had an incremental cost ($119, p=0.86) per incremental hour of use (1.02, p=0.03) of $117. For a willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $500 per year ($1.37/night), 3-year messaging has a 70% chance of being acceptable. Conclusion Long-term Tele-OSA messaging was more effective than no messaging for PAP use outcomes but also highly likely cost-effective with an acceptable willingness-to-pay threshold. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that this greater use will yield both clinical and additional economic benefits. Support (if any) Tele-OSA study was supported by the AASM Foundation SRA Grant #: 104-SR-13


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-163
Author(s):  
Rio Gusma Hendra ◽  
Wenny Dastina ◽  
Muhammad Rum

This study aims to determine how the ability of Jambi Friends of the Community of Friends in accessing, evaluating and using information. This study uses a qualitative research method with a descriptive approach and data collection through observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis techniques used: data reduction, data presentation, drawing conclusions and data triangulation. Based on the results of the analysis and research findings, the ability of the Jambi Sahabat Community Community Managers to access information based on the IFLA standard is said to be Expert, because it is seen from the manager’s ability to define information needs and to trace information through various sources, such as people who are experts in their fields, from print media: books and newspapers, electronic media: television and mobile phones. The ability of the Friends of the Jambi Friends of the Community in evaluating information based on the IFLA standard is said to be Expert, because it is seen from the ability of the manager to assess information and manage information obtained through clear sources of information, such as books, and internet media, as well as sources from internal community discussions. The ability of the Jambi Friends of the Sahabat Community Community to use information based on the IFLA standard can be said to be Expert, seen from the manager’s ability to use information and communicate information directly in the form of discussion, and indirectly as well as convey information with a simpler and easier to understand delivery


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-64
Author(s):  
Afroza Chowdhury ◽  
Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
Niaz Md. Farhat Rahman

Good crop yield entirely depends on good management practice and quality management of crops allied with authentic weather forecasting can reduce risk, crop damage, cost of production and increase the yield as well. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) had aimed this study for quantifying the financial benefit of forecasting and validating micro climatological factors and their impacts on paddy production through experimentation and arranging for weather based agro meteorological advisory service delivery to the farmers applying the tools of ICT. A next-generation meso-scale numerical weather prediction system, WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model was used for generating atmospheric simulations based on real data (observations, analyses or idealized conditions). Field experiment was conducted in the areas of five different agro microclimatological conditions for Boro rice production, namely; Gazipur, Habiganj, Rajshahi, Barishal and Satkhira. Then the experimental fields were managed according to the weekly management advisory based on weather forecasts. Results obtained suggest that the application of weather predictability accrued a comparative rice yield benefit of 9-12% and a 3–5% reduction in the cost of cultivation. Countrywide application of agro-meteorological advisory service may pave the way for averting adverse climatic effects on agriculture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-55
Author(s):  
Uttam Laudari ◽  
Deepak Mahat ◽  
Rosi Pradhan ◽  
Suyog Bhandari ◽  
Deepak Raj Singh

Introduction: Laparoscopic surgery is an established treatment modality worldwide. Opportunities to acquire this skill using expensive simulation at workplace are not always feasible due to cost, time and accessibility constraints. Nep-Endotrainer is a cost effective homemade laparoscopic simulation tool built in Nepal. Methods: Nep-Endotrainer was built using plastic manikins easily available in market. Nine apertures were created with a drilling machine, four on each side of umbilicus and one at the epigastric region. These apertures were covered by thick piece of rubber of vehicle tire with apertures in them. Logitech® C270 HD webcam was fixed interiorly with metal screws. The base of the manikin was fixed to a wooden board with hinge joint. Five different interchangeable training modules were assembled in 10×10 cm2 size wooden boards. The LED light was fixed interiorly near the web camera. The camera USB can be easily connected with laptops, tablets and mobile phones. We used discarded hand instruments from laparoscopic centers to reduce the cost of the endotrainer. Conclusion: Nep-Endotrainer is accessible to any personal budget and can be readily constructed. It allows more frequent practice at home, outside the venue and hours of surgical departments.


Author(s):  
Julius Juma Okello ◽  
Ruth M. Okello ◽  
Edith Ofwona-Adera

In many developing countries smallholder farmer participation in agricultural input and output markets continues to be constrained by lack of market information. Actors in most developing country markets operate under conditions of information asymmetry which increases the costs of doing business and locks out smallholder farmers. Attempts to address this problem are currently focusing on the use of ICT technologies to provide market information and link farmers to markets. This study examines the awareness and use of one such technology – mobile phones. It finds for male and female smallholder farmers in Kenya a high level of awareness and widespread use of mobile phones, mainly for social purposes. This study further finds that a low level of education, the cost of mobile phone airtime recharge vouchers and the lack of electricity for recharging phone batteries are the major impediments to the ownership and use of mobile phones, with female farmers more constrained than males. A high awareness of mobile phones among smallholder farmers presents an opportunity to strengthen smallholder farmers’ market linkage. However constraints to the usage of mobile phones will need to be addressed. The study findings indicate priorities for policymakers dealing with the specifics of ICT adoption as a tool to promote rural viability via rationalization of Kenyan agricultural markets.


Author(s):  
Richard Bradley ◽  
Colin Haselgrove ◽  
Marc Vander Linden ◽  
Leo Webley

In some respects this project was the successor to the research published in 2007 as The Prehistory of Britain and Ireland, but there are significant contrasts between the books. The results of development-led archaeology have played a central role in both, but they have influenced their contents in different ways. When the earlier book was published it was among the first to draw extensively on fieldwork undertaken as part of the planning process. To some extent the course of that research was unpredictable, for it was not clear how far the results of the new excavations and surveys would diverge from what was already known. All that was certain from the outset was that a large amount of new information had been collected and that very little of it had entered the public domain. There was a disparity between the conventional archaeological literature—journal articles, monographs, and regional syntheses—and the great majority of reports, which were prepared for planning authorities and commercial clients. Those documents were difficult to trace and sometimes difficult to access. What the project showed was that such sources were vital to any understanding of the past. It also demonstrated that at least some of the orthodoxies on which public policy depended were inconsistent with the results of work that had already taken place. The same problem affected teaching and research, for they rarely took account of the new sources of information. In retrospect, the earlier project may have influenced later research in a way that had not been foreseen. It did not, and could not, offer a completely new version of British and Irish prehistory, as it was written at a time when many excavations were still in progress—the fieldwork associated with road-building in Ireland is a good example. In any case the dissemination of information in the archaeology of these islands was so inefficient that particularly in England it was difficult to find out what had been done. Tracing the results was an even harder task, and it was not completely successful.


Author(s):  
Renatus Mushi ◽  
Said Jafari

Voluntariness in technology adoption and use is vital in promoting technology diffusion and use in organisations. Various technology adoption models have been proposed to explain the adoption of technologies in different settings, such as organizational and individual, as well as in the voluntary and mandatory contexts. Recently, uptake of mobile phones in achieving organisational targets has been increased in developing countries and Tanzania in particular. This is due to the notable improvements in both hardware performance and sophistications. In organisation context, not all users are willing to use technology as required. In such circumstances, they are mandated to use it in order to fulfil their working duties. This leads to poor uptake of technology and results to unclear understanding regarding to their attitudes towards using it. While some studies have discussed the impact of voluntariness in using traditional desktop computer systems and thin client computing, mobile phone technology has not received the deserved attention. Discussing voluntariness in using mobile phone technology in organisations in relation to other technologies is essential especially due to its usage in both working and private purposes. This paper describes the voluntary aspects of using mobile phones in performing activities of the firms in Tanzania and compares it with desktop and thin client technologies. Also, it proposes possible ways of handling such situation in order to improve its use. Among others, the paper has analysed mandotoriness on usage of mobile technology. Further, it highlights key areas which should be addressed in order to improve the usage of mobiletechnology in organisations and eventually cover the gap caused by such mandatory situations.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apoorv Gupta ◽  
Jacopo Ponticelli ◽  
Andrea Tesei

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