This paper reports a study aiming to ascertain how farmers may be encouraged to use more non-chemical methods of pest management. A randomly selected sample of 600 small-scale farmers on the Loess Plateau of China was investigated in 2016. We analysed the farmers' choice of non-chemical pest management by using a Poisson regression model. The results showed that subsidies for the use of non-chemical pest management methods play a key positive role in farmers' choices of these methods. Certification of green or organic agricultural products, signed sales contracts and years of formal education also have a positive role in relation to farmers' choices of non-chemical pest management. However, an increase in agricultural land has a negative impact on farmers' choices of non-chemical pest management. These results will be helpful for the improvement of related policies on the reduction in chemical pesticide use and the encouragement of non-chemical pest management in fruit-growing areas. •Subsidies for the use of non-chemical pest management methods play a key positive role in farmers' choices of these methods.•Certification of agricultural products has a positive role on farmer's use of non-chemical pest management.•Signed sales contract has a positive role on farmer's use of non-chemical pest management.•Education years have a positive role on farmer's use of non-chemical pest management.•An increase in agricultural land has a negative impact on farmers' choices of non-chemical pest management.