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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Farmers’ Adoption And Perceived Benefits Of Diversified Crop Rotations In The Margins Of U.S. Corn Belt, Tong Wang, Jin Hailong, Yubing Fan, Oladipo Obembe, Dapeng Li Sep 2021

Farmers’ Adoption And Perceived Benefits Of Diversified Crop Rotations In The Margins Of U.S. Corn Belt, Tong Wang, Jin Hailong, Yubing Fan, Oladipo Obembe, Dapeng Li

Economics Faculty Publications

Monoculture and simplified two-crop rotation systems compromise the ecosystem services essential to crop production, diminish agricultural productivity, and cause detrimental effects on the environment. In contrast to the simplified two-crop rotation, diversified crop rotation (DCR) refers to rotation systems that contain three or more crops. Despite multiple benefits generated by DCR, its usage has dwindled over the past several decades. This paper examined determinants of farmers' adoption decisions and perceived benefits of DCR in the west margins of the U.S. Corn Belt where crop diversity has declined. We analyzed 708 farmer responses from a farmer survey conducted in the eastern …


Yield And Economic Performance Of Crop Rotation Systems In South Dakota, Hanxiao Feng, Tong Wang, Shannon L. Osborne, Sandeep Kumar Aug 2021

Yield And Economic Performance Of Crop Rotation Systems In South Dakota, Hanxiao Feng, Tong Wang, Shannon L. Osborne, Sandeep Kumar

Economics Faculty Publications

Crop yield and economic profitability, both highly dependent on local crop management, soil characteristics, and weather conditions, are among the most influential factors to consider when considering a cropping system. The objective of this study was to compare the economic returns of three different 4-yr diverse crop rotations with that of a 2-yr traditional crop rotation in eastern South Dakota. The rotations included were (a) corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]–spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–pea (Pisum sativum L.) (CSSwP), (b) corn–pea–winter wheat–soybean (CPWwS), (c) corn–oat (Avena sativa L.)–winter wheat–soybean (COWwS), and (d) corn–soybean …


Crop Yield And Economics Of Cropping Systems Involving Different Rotations, Tillage, And Cover Crops, J. Singh, T. Wang, S. Kumar, Pete Sexton, J. Davis, A. Bly Jul 2021

Crop Yield And Economics Of Cropping Systems Involving Different Rotations, Tillage, And Cover Crops, J. Singh, T. Wang, S. Kumar, Pete Sexton, J. Davis, A. Bly

Economics Faculty Publications

Diversified cropping systems integrated with winter cover crops (CCs) and no-till (NT) systems can provide substantial soil conservation benefits in the midwestern Corn Belt of the United States, but there is uncertainty on how these practices affect producer profits. This study compared crop yield and economic performance from cropping systems that featured three crop rotations: corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.; two-year), corn–soybean–oat (Avena sativa L.; three-year), and corn–soybean–oat–winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; four-year); two tillage systems: NT and conventional-till (CT); and two cover cropping managements: CC and no-cover crop. Tillage and rotation treatments …


Expanding Grass-Based Agriculture On Marginal Land In The U.S. Great Plains: The Role Of Management Intensive Grazing, Tong Wang, Hailong Jin, Urs Kreuter, Richard Teague May 2021

Expanding Grass-Based Agriculture On Marginal Land In The U.S. Great Plains: The Role Of Management Intensive Grazing, Tong Wang, Hailong Jin, Urs Kreuter, Richard Teague

Economics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Cover-Crop Usage In South Dakota: Farmer Perceived Profitability And Future Adoption Decisions, Tong Wang, Zheng Xu, Deepthi Kolady, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, David Clay May 2021

Cover-Crop Usage In South Dakota: Farmer Perceived Profitability And Future Adoption Decisions, Tong Wang, Zheng Xu, Deepthi Kolady, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, David Clay

Economics Faculty Publications

Using bivariate ordered logit models, we investigate factors that determine farmers’ perceptions of cover-crop profitability and likelihood of future usage in the climate transition zone of the Northern Great Plains. Our results indicate that approximately 40% of long-term (10+ years) users perceived a profit increase of more than 5%. Additionally, future adoption decisions are positively affected by environment-oriented attitudes and negatively affected by prioritizing short-term profitability. More efforts can be directed toward educational programs that enhance understanding of the short- versus long-term economic benefits of cover crops.