Field Specific Nutrient Management Profitability and Production Risk Analysis: The Case of Cotton Production in Benin
Dr. Jean-Marc Gandonou, Dr. Carl Dillon

Abstract
Cotton production is a key export crop factor for the Benin economy. Over the last two decades, the government policies designed to encourage cotton production have resulted in unsustainable agricultural production practices. Properly introduced, field specific nutrition management (FSNM) production techniques could help change current rotation practices that contribute to soil degradation. This paper proposes a method for FSNM adoption for cotton production in Benin. Banikoara, the largest cotton producing county in Northern Benin was chosen for the study. EPIC, a crop growth simulation model was used to estimate crop yield with two levels of fertilizer application. Two mathematical programming models were developed to reproduce the production conditions of a typical cotton farmer using FSNM or conventional production practices. Results show that FSNM is less profitable for the risk neutral farmer but more profitable for the risk averse one when compared to conventional production practices.

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