Agriculture Commons^™

Mathematical Model Of The Efficiency Of Investments Aimed In The Implementation Of Water-Saving Technologies

Irrigation and Melioration

In Uzbekistan, research work is being carried out aimed at improving the economic mechanisms for the introduction of water-saving technologies for irrigating agricultural crops. At the same time, the issues related to the analysis of the effectiveness of the use of water-saving technologies when irrigating cotton, the development of mathematical methods for assessing the effectiveness of investments, as well as their introduction into practice have not been sufficiently studied. This article provides a mathematical model of the efficiency of investments aimed at introducing water-saving technologies. The results of a numerical experiment of a mathematical model show that the introduction of …

Determining The Accuracy Of Holstein Bull Semen Prices With A Two-Tier Efficiency Model, Loren W. Tauer

Journal of Applied Farm Economics

The pricing accuracy of dairy bull semen available for artificial insemination is investigated using a price model cast in terms of a two-tier efficiency model, which allows estimating an overprice and underprice given the net return the bull’s daughter is expected to contribute to the farm based upon the transmittable trait characteristics of a bull. The estimation produces statistically significant coefficients, including the coefficients for the overpricing and underpricing of the semen. The average estimate of overpricing is around 25%, and the average estimate of underpricing is around 33%. As expected, low semen prices tend to be underpriced and high …

Empirical Assessment Of Climate Change Impacts On Agriculture In Samarkand Region, Sh.B. Babakholov

Irrigation and Melioration

Agricultural production is highly sensitive to climate factors like other endogenous factors, and the expected climate change projections may have a negative impact on the efficiency and income of agricultural producers. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the impact of changes in climatic factors (average air temperature and precipitation) on the technical efficiency of cotton growing farmers as its determinants in Samarkand region. Empirical analyzes were performed on the cases of 1141 cotton-growing farms using panel-based Time-Invariant Inefficiency model. According to the results of the analysis, cotton farms in the region have an average technical efficiency of 76%, which in …

Efficiency Studies Of The Us Transportation Sector, A. Latif Patwary

Masters Theses

Transportation builds the economy by moving people and goods. The transportation systems and their networks are growing very rapidly to smoothen the overall traffic flow. It also has resulted in increased energy use, traffic congestion, pollutions, and land-use change. US airports play an important role in the nation’s economic growth. The deregulation process of US aviation in 1978 has led airlines and airports to be more dynamic and competitive through economies of scale and rapid adaption to technological changes. However, in recent years, many airports lack dedicated infrastructure investment. They are experiencing outdated facilities and crowded terminals. They are operating …

Las Compras Públicas Locales Como Estrategia Para La Comercialización E Integración De Las Organizaciones De Productores Agroalimentarios En El Departamento Del Meta, David Orlando Cabra Ramírez

Maestría en Agronegocios

La presente investigación además de proyectarse como requisito para la obtención del título de postgrado correspondiente se concibió a partir de la oportunidad de generar una propuesta concreta que aportará a las líneas estratégicas de trabajo identificadas por la Gobernación del departamento del Meta, para sus próximas administraciones. En este sentido, se identificó la problemática existente en el sector agropecuario departamental y las dificultades habituales que enfrentan las organizaciones de productores agropecuarios formalizados para comercializar sus productos y como tal obtener la retribución correspondiente. A partir de esto, el documento se centra en analizar el contexto departamental buscando identificar los …

Distribution Of The Aquaponics Microbiome And Their Division Of Labor, Nathan Melo, Jacob Corney

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Farming practices have always been labor intensive and required a great deal of resources including space, nutrients, heavy equipment, and a great deal care. Hydroponics sought to remedy this with its space saving, small scale-high yield strategy. However, this brought problems of a more sensitive system that requires constant testing and regulation of chemicals and minerals. The addition of an organic fertilizer from fish and filtration system comprised of a community of microbes reduces the taxing rituals of aquaponics and recategorizes the system as Aquaponics. In aquaponics, the plants receive their nitrogen from a the ammonia produced by fish in …

Approaches To Evaluating Grower Irrigation And Fertilizer Nitrogen Amount And Timing, Tsz Him Lo, Daran Rudnick, Charles Burr, Matt Stockton, Rodrigo Werle

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Diversity in the knowledge, mindset, strategies, and tools that growers use to manage irrigation and fertilizer nitrogen culminates in diversity in profitability and environmental impact among farms. As growers, academia, and industry strive together to tackle the technological and non-technological challenges impeding better irrigation and fertilizer nitrogen management, a science-based evaluation of grower input amount and timing becomes an important initial step in the process. Providing such valuable feedback to growers is a high-priority objective for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Testing Ag Performance Solutions (UNL-TAPS) farm management competition. In this competition, each team of mostly growers made management decisions for …

The Evolution Of Rural Farming In The Scottish Highlands And The Arkansas Delta: Investments And Inequalities, Madalyn Watkins, Lanier Nalley

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

The development and evolution of an agricultural system is influenced by many factors including binding constraints (limiting factors), choice of investments, and historic presence of land and income inequality. In this study, we analyzed the development of two farming systems: expansive, mechanized farming in the Arkansas Delta and crofting in the Scottish Highlands. We hypothesized that the current farm size in each region can be partially attributed to the binding constraints of either land or labor. The Induced Innovation Model and the Gini coefficient were employed in the analysis of data pertaining to the respective regions’ agricultural constraints, investments, and …

Three Essays On The Efficiency Of Rural Hospitals In The United States, Iustin Cristian Nedelea

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Program was created in response to the dramatic deterioration of financial conditions and the potential threat of closure of small rural hospitals under the Prospective Payment System (PPS). CAHs receive cost-based reimbursement for services provided to Medicare patients in exchange for accepting a number of restrictions. The PPS, which pays a fixed price per case, provides an incentive for hospitals to reduce costs and increase efficiency. In the first essay, I examine the impact of conversion to CAH status on hospital efficiency. The estimated results show that CAHs are less cost and allocatively efficient than …

Evaluation And Adjustment Of Usda Wasde Cotton Forecasts, David Tysinger

All Theses

The dynamic and volatile nature of agricultural markets causes individuals to rely on forecasts in their decision-making. WASDE cotton forecasts are shown to be especially volatile as cotton is one of the most trade dependent commodities in the world. Therefore, its evaluation requires us to look beyond U.S. WASDE categories and evaluate forecasts for China and the World.
This study will use data from monthly WASDE balance sheets for upland cotton for the U.S, China and World over 1985/1986 through 2008/2009 including unpublished price forecasts. The results of this study will provide information that can be used to improve the …

Farm Gate Nutrient Balances In South West Western Australia – An Overview, Rebecca Ovens, David Weaver, Nardia Keipert, Simon Neville, Robert Summers, Martin Clarke

Conference papers and presentations

Farm-gate nutrient budgets can be used to identify the efficiency of nutrient use within and between individual enterprises and catchments, and may be used to represent a component of the risk that particular landuses represent to water quality. Over the past 5 years, more than 400 farm-gate nutrient balance audits have been conducted across a range of catchments and landuses in southwest Western Australia (WA). Values for nutrient use efficiency and surpluses across landuses and catchments are reported. Patterns of nitrogen and phosphorus signatures closely reflect one another across landuses, though nitrogen input, output and surplus values are consistently higher …

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 …

Herd Efficiency And Profitability, Jesse Russell, D. R. Zobell

All Current Publications

Raising beef cattle can be very rewarding. First, if you like raising cattle, maintaining your tie to the land, and seeing the product of your labors, it can truly be satisfying to see young calves in the spring, watch them grow and progress. Second, here can also be a financial reward when the calves are weaned and sold. However, the satisfaction of these two aspects may all depend on your herd’s efficiency and profitability.

G02-1465 Crop Water Use In Western Nebraska, C. Dean Yonts

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Whether your water originates from the ground or the river, water for irrigation is becoming limited due to diminishing supplies and increasing environmental needs. In many areas of the Nebraska Panhandle, groundwater levels are dropping due to over development of the aquifers. In river valleys, water shortages occur during periods of drought.

This NebGuide provides information on average weekly crop water use values for the major crops grown in western Nebraska. The information is best used for planning decisions before the season begins or for long term irrigation system planning.

Nf97-341 A Profit Sharing Approach To Pricing 50 Pound Feeder Pigs, Larry L. Bitney

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact contains a feeder pig pricing scheme which adjusts for profit and loss.

G979-1337 Application Uniformity Of In-Canopy Sprinklers (Revised November 1999), C. Dean Yonts, William L. Kranz, Derrel L. Martin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes water management and system design considerations when using in-canopy sprinklers for center pivot irrigation systems. The goal, when using center pivot irrigation, is to uniformly distribute water on the soil surface. Uniform application of water combined with uniform infiltration of water into the soil gives plants equal access to water. As a method to reduce energy costs, many producers are converting their center pivot systems from high to medium or low pressure sprinkler packages. In response, sprinkler manufacturers have developed new devices for use above and below the center pivot pipeline to uniformly apply water at lower …

G96-1296 Gear Up And Throttle Down -- Saving Fuel, Robert Grisso, David P. Shelton, Kenneth Von Bargen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

"Gear Up and Throttle Down" is a fuel-saving practice suitable for light drawbar loads (less than 65 percent of full power) when reduced PTO speed is not a problem.

For the most efficient operation, a tractor's engine should be operated near its rated capacity. However, there are many field operations (such as light tillage, planting, cultivating, and hay raking) that do not require full tractor power. This is especially true when older implements, which were sized for a smaller tractor, are used with higher horsepower tractors. Also, many operations should be performed at a fixed field speed.

For these lighter …

G95-1273 Radial Tractor Tires -- Performance That Counts!, Robert Grisso

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Radial tractor tires offer advantages over bias-ply tires that usually result in increased productivity and reduced fuel consumption.

The axle power developed by a tractor is distributed four ways: overcoming rolling resistance, wheel slip losses, tire-soil action and useful drawbar work. The most efficient use of tractor power occurs when the drawbar power is maximized and the first three items are minimized.

Radial tractor tires can improve tractive efficiency and extend tire wear. There are benefits and disadvantages of radial tractor tires compared to bias-ply tires. Radial tractor tires should be considered as original equipment on new tractors and as …

G95-1244 Ventilation Fans: Efficiency And Maintenance, David P. Shelton, Gerald R. Bodman

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication describes efficiency and design factors to consider when selecting a ventilation fan. Basic maintenance procedures needed for efficient operation are also discussed.

An energy efficient ventilation system requires good design and good equipment. Selecting efficient ventilation fans and keeping them in good working condition will keep operating costs down.

Designing Alfalfa Yield Trials For Comparing Long-Term Yields, G. B. Schaalje, S. N. Acharya

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture

An aspect of experimental design that must be taken into consideration for variety trials of perennial crops is the number of years to continue the trial. By tradition, alfalfa forage yield trials are harvested for three or four production years, but the consumers of information from these trials, the producers, often keep their stands in production for more than four years. This study developed a statistical efficiency measure for evaluating the adequacy of forage trial designs with specified numbers of years and replicates, based on a multivariate linear model. The measure was applied to data from four long-term trials grown …

Ec88-729 Irrigation Pumping Plant Alternatives, Richard T. Clark, Norman L. Klocke

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Irrigation pumping costs depend on the requirements of the individual pumping plant. Energy use is the major component of pump operating costs. Pumping efficiency, pumping lift, water pressure and the amount of water delivered all influence the energy required to operate the pumping plant.

This extension circular contains information for irrigators on how to use a computerized spreadsheet developed in 1988 to calculate irrigation pumping costs and savings.

Ec81-760 How To Adjust Vertical Turbine Pumps For Maximum Efficiency, Thomas W. Dorn, Mark A. Schroeder, Paul E. Fischbach

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The Agricultural Engineering Department has tested more than 500 pumping plants in the past 25 years. The average performance indicates that about 30 percent of the energy used for irrigation could be saved if all pumping plants operated at the Nebraska Performance Criteria.

There were many causes for poor pumping plant performance. Major causes were poor power unit performance, and poor pump performance often caused by improper pump adjustment.

This circular discusses proper pump adjustment to attain maximum efficiency.

Ec27-811 Harvesting Wheat In Nebraska With The Combined Harvester Thresher 1926, Arthur G. George

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Frequent inquiry from wheat growers in Nebraska and others as to the relative merits of the combined harvester-thresher as an efficienct and economical harvesting machine led the Nebraska Agricultural College to make a study of this problem in the summer of 1926. The work was carried on by the Departments of Rural Economics and Agricultural Engineering, cooperating with the United States Department of Agriculture which was conducting a similar survey in different parts of the United States. Perkins county, Nebraska, was the area selected for study as it is more or less typical of those parts of the state where …