AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF PESTICIDE USE IN U.S. AGRICULTURE: A METAPRODUCTION FUNCTION APPROACH

A metaproduction function for U.S. agriculture was estimated for two census years. The equation contained traditional (labor and land) and modern (fertilizer, machinery, and pesticides) inputs as well as investments in education and agricultural research. The estimated marginal value products for pesticides were $1.19 in 1969 and $4.47 in 1974