Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Socioeconomic Characteristics Of Farmers Who Choose To Adopt A New Type Of Cropand Factors That Influence The Decision To Adopt Switchgrass For Energy Production, Pamela C. Ellis

Masters Theses

Evaluating farmers’ perceptions and obtaining feedback about the adoption of a new crop is necessary for improving the efficiency of research, technology exchange, and information flow to policymakers. New technology has created new uses for non- traditional crops (such as switchgrass) as a sustainable source of energy. With new technology utilizing non-traditional crop uses, it is important to discern and understand the determinants of farmers’ behavior and attitudes toward new crop adoption rather than new technology adoption. Farmers must analyze financial and social costs and benefits of new crops, farming practices, and economic activities. Better understanding of the factors farmers …

The Changing Structure Of Arkansas' Economy: A Shift-Share Analysis, Biswaranjan Das, Daniel V. Rainey

Research Reports and Research Bulletins

The state of Arkansas enjoys the advantages of its unique central location in the nation, excellent natural surroundings, low cost of living, and one of the best business climates in the southern United States. It is home to several of the largest corporations in the world. Over the period 1980-2000, there was tremendous growth in the state’s economy. However, the growth was confined to specific regions that led to several socio-economic issues adversely affecting the state. To better understand the components and variations in economic growth, a county-wise shift-share analysis was conducted. Employment, a good indicator of economic growth, was …

Ua66/5 Newsletter, Vol. I, Issue 1, Wku Agriculture

WKU Archives Records

Newsletter created by WKU Agriculture Department re: faculty/staff, students/alumni, student organizations and clubs and donors.

Agricultural Situation And Outlook Fall 2006, James Mansfield, Timothy A. Woods

Agricultural Situation and Outlook

No abstract provided.

Intsormil Crsp: Sorghum, Millet And Other Grains Collaborative Research Support Program: Leader With Associates Cooperative Agreement No. Eep-A-00-06-0016-00; Award From The U.S. Agency For International Development To The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Joseph Schmidt

INTSORMIL Scientific Publications

Pursuant to the authority contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) hereby awards to University of Nebraska - Lincoln (hereinafter referred to as the "Recipient"), the sum of $9,000,000.00 to provide support for a program in Sorghum, Millet, and Other Grains Collaborative Research Support Program as described in the Schedule of this award and in Attachment B, entitled "Program Description."

This Leader with Associates Cooperative Agreement is effective and obligation is made as of 09-30-2006 and shall apply to expenditures made by the Recipient in furtherance of program objectives during …

Tb193: The Cost Of Producing Milk In Maine: Results From The 2005 Dairy Cost Of Production Survey, Lisa A. Bragg, Timothy J. Dalton

Technical Bulletins

This report summarizes the results of the 2005 Dairy Cost of Production survey implemented by The University of Maine and the Maine Milk Commission. This study summarizes data collected over the 2004 production year. Funding for this report was provided by the Maine Milk Commission. Analysis and discussion of the data in this report centers on an industry-wide group and three smaller sets called clusters. Cluster analysis attempts to identify groups of farms from within the sample of survey respondents that have relatively homogenous characteristics.

The Growing Together Guide: A Companion Resource To The New England Environmental Finance Center/Melissa Paly Film, New England Environmental Finance Center

Smart Growth

What local leader or public official wants to be faced with an SOS the “same old story” of public discord and confrontation over growth and development in one’s community? That situation has become a problem for efforts to promote smart growth. Investments are needed in the walkable, compact, traditional‐streetscape and mixed use neighborhoods and developments that are more sustainable and healthy than sprawl, for both people and the landscape. Yet attempts at such change all too often end up mired in costly public controversy and stalemate.

The Viability Of The Economy Of Oromia: A Point Of Departure, Harwood David Schaffer

Masters Theses

The Oromo, an oppressed, colonized, ethno-national group within Ethiopia, are engaged in a struggle to achieve full political and economic participation within a national entity. Given an undernourishment rate approaching 50 percent and an agriculture which provides a means of livelihood for 80 percent of the labor force, any future leadership will have to address the interrelated issues of agriculture and economy. An examination of production numbers indicates that an independent Oromia would not be at an agricultural disadvantage when compared with remaining as a participating entity within the present boundaries of Ethiopia.

Policies directed toward overcoming undernutrition cannot be …

Tennessee's Kenaf Market Potential As A Feedstock In The Production Of Paper, Gerry Solano Avila

Masters Theses

The goal of this study was to assess the production feasibility and market potential of using kenaf as a feedstock for paper production in Tennessee. This thesis 1) evaluates the potential for growing this crop in Tennessee by comparing the cost and return and the break-even price for kenaf with soybean, corn, cotton and wheat, 2) identifies potential suitable production areas in the state of Tennessee, 3) analyzes the marketing opportunities that could have developed for kenaf at a price that growers would be willing to produce it, 4) identifies potential kenaf marketing structure and marketing channels, and 5) identifies …

Measuring Effects Of Housing Densities On Property Values Using Locally Weighted Regression, Alexander Webber Young

Masters Theses

The objective of this study is to determine spatial differences in the marginal values of housing density and their implications for housing development projects. In order to achieve this objective, the values households place on neighborhood density were measured using locally weighted regression in a hedonic housing-price framework. The neighborhood housing density coefficient in the global model confirms the positive and significant value of lower neighborhood density. The spatial distribution of the housing density marginal effects from the local model shows the variation of site-specific values of neighborhood housing density. The marginal effects of lower neighborhood density gradually increase closer …

An Examination Of Relationships Between Direct Government Payments In Agriculture And Farm Vulnerability In Iowa And Tennessee, Brad Christopher Robbins

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine farms’ dependence on federal United States agricultural subsidies in Iowa and Tennessee. As subsidies and their distribution are continually debated, this research considers the effects on farm enterprises if subsidies had not been distributed in 1996, 2000, and 2003. This is achieved by first developing a classification system for farm enterprises in the two states. The classification system that is used segregates farms into modal groups based on land ownership arrangement and solvency class. Quartiles are used to differentiate land ownership arrangement (i.e. the percentage of operated land owned.) Four solvency classes …

Potential Use Of The Conservation Security Program To Encourage Diverse Crop Rotations In Eastern South Dakota, Thomas Dobbs, Nicholas J. Streff

Economics Research Reports

A central concern in many discussions of ecological sustainability in agricultural regions of the U.S. Midwest and Great Plains is that of crop system diversity. Many factors have contributed to the loss of crop system diversity over that last half-century (Dumke and Dobbs), one of which is public policy. The U.S. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 ('2002 Farm Bill') provided for a new agri-environmental program that could have potential to help restore some of the crop system diversity that has been lost. The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is that program. This report, drawn from a Master of …

Sheep Updates 2006 - Part 4, K. G. Geenty, A. A. Swan, A. J. Smith, J. L. Smith, Chris Oldham, R. G. Woodgate, R. A. Love, E. Dobbe, H. M. Hoult, J. Pearson, S. Hill, A. Van Burgel, R. B. Besier, R. Warburton, L. Mathwin, D. Rogers, E. Crossley, Allan Herbert, P. Nichols, Tony Albertsen, Darryl Mcclements, Graeme Martin, Penny Hawken, Caroline Vinoles, Beth Paganoni, Dominique Blanche

Sheep Updates

This session covers seven papers from different authors:

MANAGEMENT

1. Wool and meat traits in Merino flocks in different regions, K.G. Geenty, A.A. Swan, A.J. Smith, J.L. Smith, Sheep CRC and CSIRO Livestock Industries, Armidale

2. Fat score or Condition score? - It all depends on what you want to do! Chris Oldham, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia

3. Sheep worm control - the latest for Western Australia, RG Woodgate, RA Love, E Dobbe, HM Hoult, J Pearson, S Hill, A van Burgel and RB Besier, Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia

PASTURES

4. Rethinking pasture production …

Sheep Updates 2006 -Part 1, David Sackett, Kevin Foster, Ron Yates, Phil Nichols, Graeme Martin, John Milton, Scott Williams, Garry Mcalister, Mark Suttie, Peter Fennessy, Jack Cocks

Sheep Updates

This session covers seven papers from different authors: PLENARY 1. Making Dollars from Merinos, David Sackett, Holmes Sackett & Associates Pty Limited, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2. A new variety of sulla (Hedysarun coronarium)for forage production in southern Australia, Kevin Foster, Ron Yates, Phil Nichols, Department of Agriculture and Food, WA and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, UWA 3. Mating - Short and fast is better, Graeme Martin, John Milton, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia 4. Breech strike protection in sheep post 2010, Scott Williams, Program Manager Animal Health and Welfare, Australian Wool Innovation …

Factors Influencing Louisiana Consumers' Awareness Of Diet And Health Related Issues, Marcus A. Coleman

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

The accumulation of too much fat in the body is the leading cause of being overweight and obese, and it can lead to more complicated health problems. Studies show that individuals who are overweight or obese bear a greater risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and some forms of cancer. Louisiana ranks fourth in the number of its citizens who are either overweight or obese. Additionally, the state spends almost $11 billion annually treating diet-related health problems. The study's objectives are as follows: (1) to assess the extent to which food label use, awareness of health …

Perceived Importance Of Precision Farming Technologies In Improving The Efficiency Of Phosphorus, Potassium, And Nitrogen In Southeastern Cotton Production, John Colby Torbett

Masters Theses

Understanding the factors that influence cotton farmers; perceptions about the importance of precision farming (PF) technologies in improving the efficiency of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and nitrogen (N) fertilization is important because PF technologies have the potential to reduce costs, increase profit, and reduce negative environmental impacts. In the Southeastern United States, crops are generally produced in fields that have a high degree of variability in the availability of soil nutrients. The fertility level and amount removed by a crop at the end of the growing cycle are usually not uniform over an entire field. Because of high variability of …

Dietary Inequality Among The Elderly In The United States: Decomposing Inequality In The Healthy Eating Index, Yuling Lin

Masters Theses

This study uses the concentration index methodology to investigate the inequality in nutritional intake among American elderly. The concentration index provides a summary measure of socioeconomic inequality of the variables in question. Its decomposition enables comparisons across individuals with different characteristics such as gender, age, households income levels, and government program participation. Data are drawn from the 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals collected by the U.S Department of Agriculture. Analysis is carried out for the Health Eating Index and one of its components, namely intake of fruits. Results suggest that high education level, receiving the food stamps, …

Identifying And Analyzing Potential Watershed-Based Water Quality Trading Programs, David Carlos Roberts

Masters Theses

Over thirty years since the passage of the Clean Water Act, much of the nation’s rivers and streams fail to meet water quality standards. Pollution from nonpoint sources is increasingly responsible for these failures. Existing regulatory approaches may not be capable of meaningfully reducing water quality impairments due to their inability to control emissions from nonpoint sources. Water quality trading may provide a cost-effective solution to many of the persistent water quality impairments caused by nutrients and other oxygen demanding pollutants. However, trading will require the presences of market participants-both buyers and sellers of pollution reduction credits-in order to be …

Regional Analysis Of Trade Flows And Marketing Practice Trends In The United States Nursery Industry, Bryan Frank Combs

Masters Theses

The rapidly growing nursery and greenhouse industry comprises an important part of the agricultural sector of the United States with sales growing at nearly 8.0 percent annually from 1966 to 2004. Aggregate information about the U.S nursery industry is readily available, however little information is available on trade flows and marketing practices of the industry.

The goal of this study was to identify structural adjustments in the nursery industry as indicated by regional trade-flow trends, production practices, and marketing practices in the nursery and greenhouse industry from 1988 to 2003. This was accomplished through a comparison of responses to two …

Driving And Motivational Factors For Producing Wool : Views From Western Australian Wool Producers, Nazrul Islam, Mohammed Quaddus, John Stanton A/Prof

Bulletins 4000 -

The aims of this study are: (i) to explore and identify the driving and motivational factors to produce wool; and (ii) to model and test for the significant driving and motivational factors to produce wool.

The Cattle Industry's Guidelines For The Care And Handling Of Cattle

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program

Cattlemen have long recognized the need to properly care for livestock. Sound animal husbandry practices, based on decades of practical experience and research, are known to impact the wellbeing of cattle, individual animal health and herd productivity. Cattle are produced in very diverse environments and geographic locations in the United States. There is not one specific set of production practices that can be recommended for all cattle producers. Personal experience, training and professional judgment can serve as a valuable resource for providing proper animal care.

Wood Measurement Rules, Maine Department Of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources

Maine Collection

Wood Measurement Rules

Maine Department of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources, Division of Quality Assurance & Regulations, Augusta, Maine, 2006.

Contents: Chapter 380: General Provisions / Chapter 381: General Requirements for Wood Transactions / Chapter 382: Measurement of Wood and Declaration of Quantity / Chapter 383: Measurement and Prompt Furnishing of Measurement Tally Sheets / Chapter 384: Complaints and Investigations / Chapter 385: Licensing of Wood Scalers / Appendix

Measuring The Degree Of Market Power In The Export Demand For Soybean Complex, Dwi Susanto

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Previous studies on market power hypothesis strictly assumed that the data used in the analysis were a stationary process. This assumption has been argued that not all time series exhibit a stationary process such that conventional asymptotic theory cannot be applied. This study adopts the “New Empirical Industrial Organization” (NEIO) approach developed by Bresnahan (1982) and Lau (1982) to measure the degree of market power in the export market for soybean complex. The non-stationary properties of the data were accommodated by formulating the model in an error correction framework (ECM) developed by Bårdsen (1989) and applied by Steen and Salvanes …

Econometric Essays On Specification And Estimation Of Demand Systems, Anil Kumar Sulgham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on two research themes related to econometric estimation of linear almost ideal demand systems (LAIDS) for U.S. meats. The first theme addresses whether nonstationarity (unit-roots and cointegration) contributes to a dynamic specification of LAIDS models. The results of the effect of nonstationarity are reported in two case studies. The second theme explores the relationship between age and household size with budget shares to specify semiparametric LAIDS model. The results are reported in a third case study that compares parametric and semiparametric models estimates of price and expenditure elasticities. The first case study conducts a comparative analysis of …

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Gregory J. Weidemann

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of U.S. Aquacultural Producer Preferences For Genetic Improvement And Cryopreservation, Brian Paul Boever

LSU Master's Theses

Aquaculture industries in the U.S. generate $1 billion in farm-level sales. Genetic improvement of fish stocks may be a way to increase the market share of aquaculture within the U.S. seafood market as well as the market share within the world market. This study evaluates the preferences, beliefs, and opinions of aquaculture producers across the U.S. about topics such as cryopreservation, genetic improvement, and the future of the aquaculture industry. Willingness-to-pay values for specific genetic improvements by aquaculture grow-out producers were elicited. A national survey of aquaculture producers was used to elicit the information used in the analysis. The survey …

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 7 2006, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Semiparametric Assessment Of Export-Led Growth In The Philippines, Lorna E. Amrinto

LSU Master's Theses

This study contributes to the literature on the export-led growth (ELG) hypothesis by adopting a semiparametric approach under two levels of temporal aggregation to investigate the ELG hypothesis in the Philippines. To assess the impact of model specification on the ELG hypothesis, parametric and semiparametric ECMs are estimated using Philippine annual and quarterly data on GDP, exports, exchange rates and gross fixed-capital formation, focusing on the role of exchange rates. The causal relationship between exports and economic growth is examined using the Granger-causality procedure. It can be concluded that for the Philippines, the ELG hypothesis is (a) sensitive to model …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.