Multiplier effects of some complementary agricultural practices: Evidence from rice in Ecuador

Rice is a crop that contributes significantly both to food security and to ensure adequate income levels for farmers. This motivates efforts in many countries to disseminate techniques that increase production while being environmentally friendly and affordable to small farmers. The objective of this article is to study the process of adoption of innovations in rice cultivation in Ecuador. Four practices that increase yields and improve natural resource management have been selected: land leveling, certified seed, widely spaced transplanting, and the use of harvesting machinery. The factors that most influence their adoption are studied for each of them: human and social capital, and institutional support for agriculture. In addition, the interrelations of some practices with others are analyzed. Multivariate probit estimation shows that education is the main factor that increases the probability of adopting these practices. And with unequal incidence are associationism, access to credit and insurance. The complementarities found between different practices point to the convenience of promoting them jointly to take advantage of their synergies.