Using Satellites and Phones to Evaluate and Promote Agricultural Technology Adoption: Evidence from Smallholder Farms in India

This paper assesses the effectiveness of a low-cost, customized soil nutrient management advisory service delivered via mobile phones to smallholder farmers in India. It also explores using satellite imagery to measure agricultural yields and estimate treatment effects. While the intervention improved fertilizer management practices, it did not produce measurable yield gains. Satellite data calibrated with ordinary least squares provided more precise estimates than farmer-reported data, though common linear models may bias results; the authors propose using two-stage least squares to improve measurement efficiency and power.