Life Sciences Commons^™

Bridging The Gap Between Research And Smallholder Farmers Through Community-Based Development Organizations, Nathan D. Fortner

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Food demand is expected to increase 30% to 62% by 2050 according to recent estimates. Yet, annual increases in agricultural productivity have slowed and plateaued since the green revolution increases of the 1960’s. Two strategies to help address future food demand are reducing post-harvest loss and consumer waste, and closing the yield gap between potential and farmer realized yields. Some of the largest yield gaps are those of smallholder farmers. While solutions may exist to close these gaps, delivering and integrating solutions into smallholder production systems is a complex process involving research, extension, cultural factors, government policy, NGOs, private industry, …

A Vision For Extension: Case Studies On Managing Extreme Weather Challenges In Corn, Anthony J. Mcmechan

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Global demand for corn is projected to rise in the coming decades to meet the food and fuel requirements of an increasing human population. Technological innovations have significantly improved corn yields over the past few decades; however, corn production is continually limited by unfavorable weather conditions. Extreme weather events put pressure on producers, adjustors, and consultants to make quick management decisions to maintain the highest return on their investment. Proper management decisions require an understanding of plant response and practical ways of applying this knowledge under real world conditions.

The following document was written after completing a six-month internship at …

Plant Production Cost-Accounting/ Management System, Kevin C. Power, Jay Fitzgerald, George Meyer, Dennis D. Schulte

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A microcomputer program has been developed to keep records on energy, labor costs, product pricing, and revenue predictions for greenhouse and nursery production. The program manages plant production data, potentially enabling the grower to improve production and profits. The grower can use the program to determine how much it costs to produce individual plants, to ascertain labor costs and where to reallocate employees. Advertising and other indirect costs can be included to determine cost of production on a per-plant or per-square-foot basis.