Research On The Use Of Shennongshi App By Apple Growers And Its Impact On Their Apple Total Factor Productivity

In recent years,with the high integration of information and communication technology and agriculture industry,apple growers are no longer satisfied with the existing mature production technology system.They are turning their attention to expanding information channels,obtaining timely,accurate,and efficient production technology information,improving their own knowledge level,and further improving productivity.However,apple planting management has certain complexity and particularity.Scientific production technology needs to combine many factors such as land quality,local climate,etc.,and whether the mobile phone application of pest control based on information and communication technology can be recognized by apple growers,play a role,improve apple total factor productivity,and promote the sustainable development of apple industry still needs further research.Based on the theories of network communication,structure behavior performance,small-scale farmer economy and theory of agricultural technology innovation diffusion,this article conducts research on the relationship between Shennongshi App,pesticide utilization efficiency,time utilization efficiency,and apple total nutrient productivity based on survey data from 284 apple growers in Shandong,Shaanxi,and Gansu in 2019 and 2020.Firstly,this article provides a detailed theoretical analysis of the mechanism of the use of the Shennongshi App on total factor productivity,and elaborates on its mechanism of promoting the improvement of total factor productivity.Secondly,based on the analysis of the current usage status,the influencing factors of apple growers using the Shennongshi App were empirically tested;Once again,a fixed effects model was used to measure apple total factor productivity.Subsequently,pesticide utilization efficiency and time utilization efficiency were selected as mediating variables to empirically test the overall effect and mechanism of Shennongshi App on apple total factor productivity;Finally,based on the conclusion,propose countermeasures and suggestions.The research conclusions of this article are as follows:(1)Apple growers have a relatively low level of use of the Shennongshi App,with a large proportion of apple growers using it for less than 20 minutes per week;(2)The usage time of smartphones and the proportion of disaster reduction have a significant positive impact on the usage time of the Shennongshi App;(3)The installation of the Shennongshi App and the usage time of the Shennongshi App have a significant positive impact on the total factor productivity of apple growers;(4)In the individual and family characteristics of apple growers,the larger the family population,the poorer the quality of orchard land,and the higher the proportion of disaster reduction,the lower the total factor productivity of apples;(5)Although the total factor productivity has been improved,the promotion effect of the Shennongshi App on apple growers with higher education years is significantly higher than that of apple growers with lower education years;(6)Pesticide use efficiency and time use efficiency have some mesomeric effect in the effect of Shennongzhi App on apple growers’ total factor productivity.Based on this,the following three policy suggestions are proposed: firstly,to develop agricultural informatization and innovate the forms of agricultural technology promotion;Secondly,strengthen training on the use of rural information technology and develop sustainable agricultural information services;Third,promote scientific pest control technology with the help of information and communication technology.