Replication Data for: Fertilizer Recommendations and In-Kind Subsidies Increase Uptake and Yields among Maize Farmers in Mexico

Agricultural productivity remains low among small-scale farmers in developing economies, and this may be due in part to the appropriateness of productive inputs for individual farms’ local conditions. In a new randomized controlled trial (RCT) we examined whether providing small-scale Mexican maize farmers with input recommendations tailored to their local conditions can improve yields. We found considerable variation in soil characteristics across plots, and correspondingly in the tailored recommendations. The experimental treatments improved yields despite adverse climactic conditions, particularly for farmers who were more productive before the study began. Some of the practices and input adoption also persisted in the subsequent, unsubsidized year. Our results suggest that localized recommendations offer yield benefits but that the returns are likely to vary across farmers.