Can digital literacy reduce the intensity of pesticide application by farmers in the context of labor aging?

Paying attention to pesticide application is of great practical significance for ensuring food security while achieving a green transition in agriculture. Therefore, based on cross-sectional data from 10 provinces in China in 2020, this study uses the OLS method to analyze the impact of digital literacy on the intensity of pesticide application by farmers in the context of an aging workforce and its mechanism of action, and draws the following conclusions: First, digital literacy reduces the intensity of pesticide application by farmers, and population aging has a negative regulatory effect. Second, digital literacy reduces the intensity of pesticide application by promoting the purchase of agricultural insurance. Finally, the “pesticide reduction” effect of digital literacy is higher in high-income areas than in low-income areas. The inhibitory effect of digital literacy on the intensity of pesticide application by farmers is only significant in large sample groups and western regions. Digital literacy has the greatest inhibitory effect on disease prevention drugs, followed by insecticides, and the least inhibitory effect on herbicides. Based on the above conclusions, in order to achieve efficient pesticide application, policymakers should focus on improving the digital literacy of farmers, paying particular attention to elderly farmers and formulating differentiated training policies.