Do institutional arrangements influence the speed of adoption of
laser-land leveller technology in the irrigated farmlands of Punjab,
Pakistan? A discrete-time duration analysis
Abstract
Governments and international donors are actively promoting laser-land
leveller (LLL) technology to produce environmental benefits (i.e., avoid
soil salinity, minimize soil erosion risk, and groundwater security)
that could lead to sustainable agricultural production and averting land
degradation. We investigate the adoption process of laser-land leveller
(LLL) technology in Punjab, Pakistan during the period 1985–2018 using
survey data from 504 farming households. A discrete-time duration model
is used to investigate factors that could influence the speed of
adoption of LLL technology and an endogenous switching regression (ESR)
model to evaluate its impact on groundwater usage. It is found that
about 70% of the surveyed households had adopted the technology. The
key determinants of the speed of adoption include strong legal land
entitlements, farm size, and farm location along the watercourse.
Information acquired through formal and informal sources and exposure to
the technology potentially reduce adoption time. The adoption of LLL
reduces groundwater use by about 23% in wheat crop. These results
highlight the need for improved institutional arrangements such as
extension services, technology exposure, and establishing legal property
rights over land to enhance uptake of LLL technology.