Farmers use pesticides to reduce yield losses. The efficacies of pesticide treatments are often evaluated by analyzing the average treatment effects and risks. The stochastic efficiency with respect to a function is often employed in such evaluations through ranking the certainty equivalents of each treatment. The main challenge of using this method is gathering an adequate number of observations to produce results with statistical power. However, in many cases, only a limited number of trials are replicated in field experiments, leaving an inadequate number of observations. In addition, this method focuses only on the farmer’s profit without incorporating the impact of disease pressure on yield and profit. The objective of our study is to propose a methodology to address the issue of an insufficient number of observations using simulations and take into account the effect of disease pressure on yield through a quantile regression model. We apply this method to the case of strawberry disease management in Florida.

Rodrigo Fuentes Solís, Universidad de Talca. Chile.

Ariel Soto Caro, Escuela de Administración y Negocios, Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, Chillán. Chile

Dusan Paredes, Departamento de Economía, Universidad Católica del Norte. Chile

ABSTRACT:

There is abundant empirical evidence supporting the relationship between cooperation and innovative entrepreneurial activity, but the conversation continues to be limited to the context of developing countries. This study contributes to the academic debate on this topic with an empirical evaluation of the effect of cooperation networks on innovation, using Chile in Latin America as a case study. Furthermore, while previous studies mainly refer to technological innovations in a particular industrial sector, in this paper we will build an innovation measurement system that incorporates both technological and non-technological activities among diverse industrial sectors. Upon applying cross-sectional data from a national survey on innovation in a developing firm from two different years to a zero-inflated negative binomial regression, we found that a business that reports on cooperation conducts more innovative activities per year compared to one that does not. The type of agent that a business cooperates with is also relevant in this context; other businesses, clients, and consultants showed stronger and more stable results than other types of agents. This evidence is relevant as it presents new information about the importance of the type of agent that a business cooperates with in the context of developing countries.

César Salazara, Marcela Jaimeb, Yanina Figueroac, and Rodrigo Fuentesd aDepartment of Economics and Finance and Applied Sectorial Economics Research Group, University of Bio-Bio, Concepción, Chile; bSchool of Business and Management and Research Nucleus on Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (NENRE), University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile; cInterdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile; dSchool of Business and Management, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile

Abstract:

In light of the current depletion of extractive marine resources and the sustainability issues that have arisen in the aquaculture industry, the small-scale aquaculture sector has emerged as a viable and sustainable alternative for generating income. To integrate the small-scale aquaculture sector into the food value chain, understanding the decision-making process to innovate becomes essential. This paper explores the factors underlying both innovation choices and intensity among small-scale aquaculture producers by utilizing exclusive census data from the small-scale aquaculture sector in Chile. The results indicate that education, secure property rights, internet access, participation in organizations, commercialization methods, government instruments, understanding of credit, and social learning promote innovation decisions. We also find that largest producers innovate in more areas, suggesting a role of size for both technological and non-technological innovations.

BELLO-ESCAMILLA, Natalia et al. Family Quality of Life Scale (FQLS): validation and analysis in a Chilean population. Univ. Psychol. [online]. 2017, vol.16, n.4, pp.20-29. ISSN 1657-9267.

ABSTRACT:

The aim of this research is to validate the Family Quality of Life Scale (FQLS) in a Chilean population and to analyze the factor structure (scope) of this research tool through the critical area map. Cross-sectional, correlational, and causal study was carry on 316 families. The Spanish version of the FQSL was used. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Results showed Cronbach´s alpha for the FQLS subscales on Importance rate was 0.884 and on Satisfaction 0.891. The exploratory factor analysis found five dimensions for both categories, and the confirmatory factor analysis showed factor loadings greater than 0.5 for each dimension. Regarding discriminant validity, the cross-loadings varied between 0.64 to 0.97 on Importance and 0.62 to 0.98 on Satisfaction. In relation to convergent validity, each dimension reached a variance above 0.5. Conclusions of the study proved a reliable and valid tool to measure features of family quality of life in a Chilean population. The instrument has high levels of internal consistency and suitable discriminant and convergent validity.

ABSTRACT:

In this study, a method will be developed and applied for estimating biological migration parameters of the biomass of a fishery resource by means of a decision analysis of the spatial behavior of the fleet. First, a model of discrete selection is estimated, together with patch capture function. This will allow estimating the biomass availability on each patch. In the second regression, values of biomass are used in order to estimate a model of biological migration between patches. This method is proven in the Chilean jack mackerel fishery. This will allow estimating statistically significant migration parameters, identifying migration patterns.