Agribusiness Commons^™

Miscellaneous Publication 28/91 - Midas (Model Of An Integrated Dryland Agricultural System), David J. Pannell, Andrew Bathgate

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

MIDAS is a bioeconomic model of mixed crop/livestock farms in Western Australia. It selects farm management strategies which maximise profit subject to resource, technical and environmental constraints using the linear programming technique. This document provides a thorough documentation of the version of MIDAS developed for the "eastern wheatbelt" region. If you are learning to use MIDAS with the MARG menu driven system, you need to read the MARG manual as well as this documentation.

From early in the life of MIDAS, we gave a high priority to making the data and assumptions readily accessible in documentation and in microcomputer spreadsheet …

Bulletin No 4189 - Training And Care Of The Sheep-Dog, John Charlick, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

A well trained sheep-dog is a considerable asset to a farmer — in a recent Queensland Department of Primary Industries study, participating graziers estimated the value of a good working dog to be up to $20,000 a year.

Despite their value, dogs can be maintained cheaply. The Queensland study quoted $130 a year as the most any grazier spent on an individual dog — for dry food, vaccine and treatments for internal and external parasites.

This Bulletin aims to show how to train a sheep-dog from a raw pup to a highly useful and well trained, mature dog. The methods …

Bulletin No 4176 - Agroforestry With Widely Spaced Pine Trees, Richard Moore, Peter Jenkins, Geoff Anderson, Phil Scott

Bulletins 4000 -

Combining a softwood timber crop with other forms of agriculture on the same land can make better use of available space, soil and water, and lead to higher productivity from farms.

This Bulletin outlines the potential benefits of, and a programme for, the growing of pine on farmland in Western Australia in conjunction with either pasture or another crop. The agroforestry system described has been well researched in Westem Australia.

The main objectives of agroforestry are to produce high quality timber while maintaining adequate pasture for either grazing or fodder cropping until the timber is harvested.

An Investigation Into The Government Extension Services Operating In South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, North And South Island, New Zealand : June 1 To July 7, 1991, Philip Hawker

All other publications

Brian Carlin Memorial Award Study Tour Report

Farm Management Memo - Advice To Help Farming Through The Rural Downturn, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Historically, commodity prices cycle between a "boom and a bust" every few years. Farmers are often able to adjust their operations to reduce the impact of a downturn in commodity prices by:

• Increasing efficiency through reducing or maintaining input costs while maintaining or increasing production levels.

• Maximising returns through seeking price premiums on commodities (protein, noodle quality, finer wool, increased clean wool yield).

• Reducing overhead costs

• Seeking cheaper finance or refinancing costly loans

• Careful planning and management with a high degree of attention to detail.

• Seeking advice

Economic Characteristics Of The Nursery-Greenhouse Sector In Connecticut, Wayne Gineo, Manda Rao

Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station

No abstract provided.

Bulletin No 4187 - Choosing Commercial Beef Bulls, David Barker

Bulletins 4000 -

This bulletin provides a method of placing realistic differences in value on young bulls offered for sale.

The prices paid for young bulls are often based on superficial appearance alone, and this has important financial implications for the purchaser. Different characteristics have either large or small effects on the net value of progeny produced. They are dependent on such factors as: the variability of different characteristics in cattle; differences in reliability of the assessment; the extent to which the characteristic is passed on to the progeny; the effect of the characteristic on realized net value of the progeny; the effect …

Bulletin No 4158 - Western Australian Beef Industry - Economic Constraints And Future Market Outlook, Alan Peggs

Bulletins 4000 -

Since the mid 1970s there has been a substantial decline in cattle numbers in Western Australia. Most of this decline has occurred in the agricultural areas.

Much of the decline in cattle numbers can be attributed to low real cattle prices.

As a result of the fall in cattle numbers beef production has also fallen. However, the percentage fall in production has been somewhat less than the percentage decline in numbers due to a rise in the average carcass weight of animals slaughtered.

With declining beef production the amount of beef available for export has also declined. Similarly domestic consumption …

The Benefits Of Weaning Cattle In The Kimberley, David Pratchett, Stuart Young

Animal production and livestock research reports

The Kimberley region was populated with Shorthorn cattle from Queensland and New Sonth Wales in the 1880's. The descendants of these cattle known as Kimberley Shorthorn are still the predominant breed in the region. The relatively poor performance of these cattle under the harsh Kimberley conditions and the fact that changing the genotype can improve productivity was recently published (Pratchett D. WADA Journal No. 4 1988)

While the adoption of Bos indicus breeds is the correct move, improved husbandry can also increase the productivity of the Kimberley Shorthorn cow. The majority of cattle in the Kimberley are not weaned. Sometimes …

Miscellaneous Production 23/87 - Animal Production In The Spinifex And Shrubland Regions Of Western Australia, D. Burnside

Animal production and livestock published reports

The role of the Rangeland Management Branch is to promote the sustained economic use of the rangeland resource. It provides research and extension services to the pastoral industry, provides advice on the condition of the range resource to Government and provides technical information on rangelands to other rangeland managers. A principal objective to be met in fulfilling that role is the development and promotion of economically efficient place systems that conserve the rangeland resource. At the inaugural Pastoral Soil Conservation Districts Conference in Meekatharra in May 1987, pastoralist delegates emphasized the importance of achieving that objective within the various soil …

Miscellaneous Publication 11/88 - Manjimup Horticultural Research Centre - A Guide To Activites, David Johnston

Horticulture published reports

Within the south-west of Western Australia, in the area encompassed by Bunbury, Margaret River, Albany and Manjimup, the horticultural industries have become of major importance to economic viability and employment opportunities.

The Manjimup Shire grows45 percent of the State's potatoes, 50 per cent profits cauliflowers and 32 per cent profits apples. Other important crops are onions, beans and peas for processing and Chinese cabbage. A range of other horticultural crops are produced on a small scale.

The recent establishment of an Edgell-Birds Eye processing plant at Manjimup will provide a further significant boost to the region. By 1992 this plant …

Australian Co-Operation With The National Agricultural Research Project Thailand Farming Systems Research - Future Directions, B J. Gorddard

All other publications

CONTENTS

Farming Systems Research - Future Directions - Introduction by Mr B. Gorddard

The CIMMYT Approach to Farming Systems Research Dr L. Harrington

The Relationship of FSR to Discipline and Component Technology Research: Dr D. Ivory

A Cropping Systems Technology Development Process: The Basis for Improving Links Between Research and Extension Through FSR. : Mr Iain A. Craig

Extension - Research : A Natural Linkage Mr B. Gorddard

Follow-up Discussion with FSRI: - Dr L. Harrington - Mr B. Gorddard - Dr D. Ivory

Vegetable Budgeting Handbook Manjimup Region 1986-87, Peter Eckersley

Horticulture published reports

This handbook is designed as a guide

i) to help growers cost out or budget for their own or alternative enterprises, and use correct methods for calculating benefits and costs of alternative actions. production, and

ii) to help advisers and lending agencies prepare and review budgets.

WARNING - The budgets herein do not purport to represent the average profitability of each crop. It is the reader's responsibility to use the information in them correctly.

The Manjimup region here includes Pemberton, Nannup, Bridgetown and Donnybrook.

Unit production costs vary widely within any farming district. Low-cost production requires the right levels and …

Documentation Of Whole-Farm Model For The Eastern Wheatbelt Of Western Australia, Ross S. Kingwell, David J. Pannell, David. A. Morrison

Grain and other field crops published reports

The Eastern Wheatbelt Model (EwM) is a hypothetical farm model, intended to be representative of farms in the eastern wheatbelt region. It is a model of an 'average' farm in an 'average' season. Nevertheless it is possible to substitute the resource mix of a 'real' farm for the •average' and to substitute various types of season for the 'average'.

Assumptions of 'average' farm resources and •average' season are based on opinions by WADA researchers and advisers. For the EWM, researchers and advisers at Merredin prescribed average resources for an eastern wheatbelt farm receiving a 300 mm average rainfall including 210 …

Introducing The Western Australian Department Of Agriculture, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

District offices and Research stations

Any big organisation, Government or private, needs an effective Directorate and 'back-up' staff to make full use of its potential. In the Department of Agriculture, the organisational structure has been up-dated to cope with the changing and increasing demands of the State's growing agricultural industries.

Weather Risk And Size Economies Of Large Machinery In Wheat Production, Glenn A. Helmers, Romanus Monji

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Major objectives of this study were to determine the existence of economies or diseconomies of size for large farms and to determine the impact of farmers' risk aversion level on the size of farm machinery selected.

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

IANR Conservation Efforts........................... 2

Energy, Soil, Water-Program Stresses Conservation ............................. 3

Producers 'Break Tradition' .......................... 5

Soil Erosion: Mechanisms and Control ......................... 6

Can We Measure the Economics of Erosion? ....................... 9

Weed Control Essential in Reduced Tillage ......................... 11

Herbicides Important in Eco-farming ........................... 14

Conservation Tillage Aids Wildlife ............................ 16

Nebraska Erosion Magnitude Seen .......................... 17

Conservation TiIlage Effective, Inexpensive Erosion Control ...................... 18

Conservation TiIlage: Fertilizer Programs Should Match System ........................ 21

PUMP Improves Irrigation ........................... 23

Scheduling Key to Efficient Irrigation .................... 26

About The Authors ................................... 28

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

2001 Assesses Needs..................... 2

Fats In your Diet-What Role Do They Play?...................... 3

Energy-Integrated Farming- Research and Demonstration For Energy Self-Sufficiency....................6

Consider Plant Disease in Row Crop Conservation Tillage ...............................14

Increase Production From Dry-land Pastures on Sandy Soil ..............................18

The COMPUTER-Its Time Is Now .................. 20

The Status of Family Farming in Nebraska................... 22

Price, Yield And Net Income Variability For Selected Field Crops And Counties In Nebraska, Boris E. Bravo-Ureta, Glenn A. Helmers

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The primary objective of this study was to establish an empirical estimate of the riskiness of various crops in different regions of Nebraska. For this purpose the variate difference method was used to estimate random variability indexes of prices, yields, and net returns for six Nebraska crops (wheat, soybeans, alfalfa, oats, grain sorghum, corn). The period of analysis included 1957-1976 and one county in each of the eight crop reporting districts was analyzed. Where relevant, both dryland and irrigated alternatives were examined. Most business decision-makers accept more risk only under the conditions that the probability of higher returns accompany risky …

Ord River Irrigation Area Of Western Australia - Background Information For Prospective Farmers, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The Ord Irrigation Project is located in the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley in the far north of the State of Western Australia.

The potential for harnessing northern rivers was realised many years ago. In 1941, a small experimental farm was established on the Ord, and possible dam sites were investigated upstream.

In 1945, this small experimental farm was relocated and the Kimberley Research Station was established on Ivanhoe Plain, part of the 12,000 hectare area now irrigated from Lake Kununurra above the Diversion Dam.

By 1958, the Western Australian Government was convinced of the viability of an irrigation scheme on …

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

An Investment Returned ....................... 2

The Northeast Station- 25 years of Research, Extension and Service......... 3

Opportunities and Obstacles- Women Choose Agricultural Careers.............. 11

The Animal Welfare Movement- Where did it come from and where is it going?.............. 14

Center Pivot Irrigation- Runoff Analyzed on Sloping, Clayey Soil .................. 16

Nitrogen Management- Soils Change in Nutrient Content......................... 18

New Directions in Research ................................ 20

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

IANR Budget Reductions Met With Least Program Change................. 2

Appreciating Nebraska's Ag Landscape..................... 3

Plant Pathology- Fighting $150 Million in Crop Losses.................... 7

Wheat Pathology- Wheat Diseases Associated With Crop Residues...............9

Chinese Turn Backs on Cultural Revolution, Study NU Ag Engineering.................12

SOLAR ENERGY For Home Heating................ 14

PREPARING NEBRASKA'S YOUTH For a Changing World..................... 18

Irrigated Corn Production- Interdependence of Water and Nitrogen Management.............. 20

MEAD SOYBEAN- A New Variety....................22

NEW DIRECTIONS IN RESEARCH..................24

Ord River Irrigation Area Of Western Australia, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The Ord Irrigation Project is located in the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley in the far north of the State of Western Australia.

The potential for harnessing northern rivers was realised many years ago. In 1941, a small experimental farm was established on the Ord, and possible dam sites were investigated upstream.

In 1945, this small experimental farm was relocated and the Kimberley Research Station was established on Ivanhoe Plain, part of the 12,000 hectare area now irrigated from Lake Kununurra above the Diversion Dam.

By 1958, the Western Australian Government was convinced of the viability of an irrigation scheme on …

A Forecasting-Programming Method For Swine Production-Marketing Decisions, Larry Janssen, James B. Hassler

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This study reports on the development and progress of a forecasting-programming model for swine inventory management and marketing decisions. This model considers interrelationships between breeding herd, feeder pig and finishing hog activities. Objectives were: 1. To structure a dynamic operational decision model for a modern farrow-to-finish swine confinement unit which conforms with economic theory, uses price and cost forecast information and is as consistent as possible with current production scheduling practices. 2. To use and test this model during a combined production and marketing decision process and to compare economic results with results of a standard strategy.

Feasibility Study For A Beaver Reservoir Agricultural Water Supply Volume I, James Ferguson, Robert Shulstad, William Bateman

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

An irrigation district of approximately 30,000 acres has been proposed to be located in Washington and Benton Counties in Northwest Arkansas utilizing water from Beaver Reservior. This report on the economic benefits of such a district is done under contract No. DACW03-81-C for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arkansas.

Feasibility Study For A Beaver Reservoir Agricultural Water Supply Volume Ii, James Ferguson, Robert Shulstad, William Bateman

Arkansas Water Resources Center Technical Reports

An irrigation district of approximately 30,000 acres has been proposed to be located in Washington and Benton Counties in Northwest Arkansas utilizing water from Beaver Reservior. This report on the economic benefits of such a district is done under contr

Ord River Irrigation Area - Potential For A Sugar Cane Industry In Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

The Ord River Irrigation Area is in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, 3,200 kms from Perth, the State’s Capital City.

The area is located in the arid tropics with a climate suitable for high plant growth rates provided water supply is adequate.

With only 12,000 ha of land developed out of a potential 72,000 ha of clay soils the area has the potential for further development of a major irrigated agricultural enterprise.

The Ord River Irrigation Project has been developed for commercial agriculture following the construction of a diversion dam in 1963, and a major dam in 1974, The …

Growth And Survival Of Nebraska Panhandle Wheat Farms Under Selected Financial Conditions, Larry J. Held, Glenn A. Helmers

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Simulation was used to analyze impact of land expansion alternatives, self-imposed borrowing limits, starting equity conditions, and land appreciation upon a firm concurrently seeking growth and survival over a projected 15-year period (1976-1990). An average-sized 960-acre (389 ha) Nebraska Panhandle wheat-fallow farm served as the representative firm. Standard production practices and technologies were used for computing costs. Machinery and operating costs were assumed to inflate five percent annually. Dryland wheat acreage was valued at $375 per acre ($926.63 per ha) in 1976 and was allowed to appreciate at an annual rate of four percent. A hypothetical series of three cyclical …

The Beef Delivery System: Optimal Plant Sizes, Locations And Product Flows, J. C. Hafer, J. G. Kendrick

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The United States beef delivery system is composed of three stages: procurement, processing, and distribution. Minimization of costs associated with these stages can be accomplished best by identification of optimal plant sizes and locations. Research was directed toward an analytical approach that could be used to minimize total costs of the U.S. beef delivery system. This report will discuss the grid system used to divide the · United States into study units, describe features of the model used, discuss research results, and offer conclusions.

Farm, Ranch And Home Quarterly Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources, University Of Nebraska- Lincoln

Farm, Ranch and Home Quarterly

In this issue:

Facilities, Staff Benefit State......................... 2

Questions and Answers On Divorce....................... 3

Hassle-Free Guide to a Better Diet-Five Groups Aid in Wise Food Choices....................... 7

Enders Reservoir-Inflow Decline Poses Problem................ 8

Research Digest............................. 10

WEEDS-Identification Aids in Control ................... 12

1920-1980-60 Years of Tractor Testing ................... 14

Waste Recycling-A' Mountain' of Resources for Soil Improvement...................................... 18

Curriculum-Decision Making in Education........................ 22

New Directions in Research .............................. 24