Life Sciences Commons^™

Getting To Know Your Yield Response Better Through Whole-Field Randomized Experiments, Taro Mieno, David Bullock

Cornhusker Economics

Six researchers at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln are working on the USDA-NIFA-funded Data Intensive Farm Management (DIFM) project. DIFM is based at the University of Illinois, and also involves the Universities of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Illinois State. The overarching goal of the project is to collect production data after conducting large-scale, on-farm randomized input use field trials, and then using the information to inform growers of optimal input use practices to enhance their profits. DIFM researchers hope to find a win-win situation in which more efficient crop nutrient management both increases farm profits and water quality in the …

Restoring And Sustaining Smallholder Kappaphycus Alvarezii Farming Post-Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda In Molocaboc, Central Philippines, David C. Fenlon

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The farming of marine seaweed has the potential to provide both nutritional and financial resources to developing communities such as the Molocaboc Islands in the Philippines. To foster this mariculture development approximately $1,000 USD in grant funds received from the US-Philippines Society was used to purchase materials needed to replace seaweed production infrastructure lost to Typhoon Haiyan (known as Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines). The goal was to restore and expand smallholder farming of the seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii (locally known as ‘guso’ in the Visayan dialect) in the Molocaboc Islands, thereby increasing harvest yields as compared to those …

The History Of The Federal Milk Marketing System And An Analytical View Of Unique Qualities Effects On Milk Prices In The Southeast, Owen Townsend

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

The Southeast Order has been milk deficit for over ten years and because of this milk has to be brought in from other orders to meet processor’s demand. Transportation credits provide processors with help to cover transportation costs to bring outside milk into the order. To help keep Class I utilization and support milk prices, relative to orders in the North, Order 7 has low diversion limits. As milk produced within Order 7 has been on a downward trend, milk brought into the order has not increased as consistently. In 2000 milk pooled from farms within the order made up …

An Analysis Of Factors Impacting Hay Auction Prices And The Potential For Nap To Reduce Alfalfa Revenue Risk, Madeline L. Dant

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Hay auctions have generally been understudied due to their unique market structure. Therefore, the factors that influence the price of hay at auction markets are not well-known. The price of hay at auction markets reflects the various characteristics that differentiate each lot of hay sold. This study is aimed at analyzing the determinants of Central Kentucky hay prices. A hedonic price model is estimated using data collected from a Central Kentucky hay auction. Known hay attributes include forage species, form, bale weight, and nutritive value. An important aspect of this analysis is to determine whether the quality measures of the …

Three Essays On Food Safety Regulations And International Trade Of Agricultural Products, Jun Ho Seok

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This dissertation investigates food safety regulations and international trade of agricultural products dividing into three aspects: the signalling effect from U.S. strict food safety regulations on U.S. vegetable exports, political determinants of sanitary and photosanitary non-tariff barriers, and the impact of trade barriers on employment in developing countries. In chapter 2, we investigate the impact of high U.S. maximum residue limit (MRL) standards on U.S vegetable exports to 102 countries utilizing the hierarchical model. MRL, which is one of non-tariff barriers with respect to food safety, is applied to home and foreign countries at the same time. Thus, firms in …

An Examination Of Milk Quality Effects On Milk Yield And Dairy Production Economics In The Southeastern United States, Derek T. Nolan

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Mastitis is one of the most costly diseases to dairy producers around the world with milk yield loss being the biggest contributor to economic losses. The objective of first study of this thesis was to determine the impacts of high somatic cell counts on milk yield loss. To accomplish this, over one million cow data records were collected from Southeastern US dairy herds. The objective of the second study was to determine optimum treatment cost of clinical mastitis by combining two economic modeling approaches used in animal health economics. The last objective of this thesis was to determine how much …

Factors Affecting Feedlots' Decisions On Cattle Marketing Options: A National Study, Charlotte Owusu-Smart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the economic implication of changing slaughter volume patterns across the cash and contract markets in the US cattle industry. Weekly time series data that spans from November 2002 to December 2015 was used in the analysis. Empirical evidence suggests that Mandatory Price Reporting (MPR) played an important role in changing slaughter volumes across the cash and contract markets. Additionally, price of feeder cattle, cattle quality characteristics (Choice-Select spread and the percentage of animals grading choice or better) among others influence feedlots’ decision to use a particular marketing arrangement.

Benefits Of An Animal Traceability System For A Foot-And-Mouth Disease Outbreak: A Supply-Driven Social Accounting Matrix Approach, Man-Keun Kim, C. Michael Ukkestad, Hernan A. Tejeda, Deevon Bailey

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

This study reports the findings for an analysis using the computer program NAADSM (North American Animal Disease Spread Model) and a supply-driven social accounting matrix to examine the impact of a hypothetical foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in a relatively isolated part of the United States, Utah, under various levels of livestock traceability. The analysis demonstrates that a significant regional economic impact in Utah would result from an FMD outbreak but that improved levels of traceability would be very important in helping to reduce the negative economic consequences of the outbreak.

Economic Viability Of Direct Drilling In Ireland Compared To Conventional Drilling, Angus Griffith

Theses

With the price of fuel rising and the need for farmers to try and cut costs, and not just variable and the input cost of producing the crop need to be reduced too. It is for this reason that this project is going to focus on direct drilling (DD) vs. conventional tillage (CT) which is the most common system of production in Ireland while also looking into the difference in the costs of establishing each of the two methods. In addition, this project will determine whether or not there are any differences in soil quality and conditions as well as …

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

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

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 18 2017, Several Authors

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

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Economic Considerations For Industrial Hemp Production, Luke Lane, Jennie S. Popp, Michael P. Popp, Harrison M. Pittman

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

United States farm policy and programs are governed by the Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill allows for the legal production and research of industrial hemp as long as it meets the standards outlined in the Farm Bill. Although it has a wide range of uses (upwards of 25,000 products use hemp), there is a lack of recent information regarding the economic feasibility of hemp production for the private agricultural sector. Through an extensive search of existing literature, information was gathered to construct an enterprise budget for industrial hemp. Data from the enterprise budget were used in a constrained linear …

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

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

No abstract provided.

Impact Of The Zambian Agricultural Policy On Grain Trade, Onesphore Karuho

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The agricultural sector in Zambia is supported through the government use of public expenditure programs to spur the production and subsidize the consumption of key grains to stabilize prices. Previous research has documented the effects of public spending on agriculture in terms of food prices and food security. The effects of government spending on the trade of key grains, however, is not well understood. As such, there is a gap in knowledge regarding the impact of agricultural policy on the agricultural trade. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of Zambian agricultural policy on grain trade. A …

Performance Of The Producer Accumulator In Corn And Soybean Commodity Markets, Chad Te Slaa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research quantifies risk reduction and performance of the producer accumulator contract in corn and soybean markets. To quantify performance, we use three alternative theoretical pricing models to estimate historical producer accumulator contract specifications in corn and soybean markets. We then compare the performance of the producer accumulator to eight alternative agricultural marketing strategy portfolios that are also used in new generation grain contracts. The performance measures we compare are: average bushel price that would be received by the producer, daily portfolio risk, and the Sharpe ratio. The period we examine performance was between 2008 and 2017. We investigate performance …

Encouraging Organic Agriculture: The Effects Of Conversion Subsidies, Sarah Adams Inkoom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the importance of conversional subsidies in accounting for an increase in organic acreage in the 12 North-Central States in the United States. Monthly time series data that spans from January 2002 to December 2014 was used in the analysis. Empirical evidence suggests that increase in organic acreage is due in part to the availability of conversion subsidies. Without government assistance, most small-scale farmers are not sufficiently motivated to switch to organic production due to the high initial costs involved in transitioning. Further, increased institutional support could facilitate organic adoption and its absence is detrimental to increasing the …

Strategies For Preventing And Mitigating The Effects Of Agro-Food Supply Chain Disruptions, Everjoyce Muzvondiwa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain disruptions are detrimental to the performance of companies due to the associated loss of profitability and reduced sustainability. In 2016, organizations lost at least $1.2 million in a single supply chain disruption. Guided by the contingency theory of fit, the purpose of this exploratory multiple case study was to explore the strategies agribusiness managers use to prevent and mitigate the effects of disruptions in the agro-food supply chains. A total of 5 purposefully-selected agribusiness managers from Harare, Zimbabwe participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were senior agribusiness managers who implemented successful strategies for preventing and mitigating the effects of …

Evaluation Of The Brazilian Agrarian Reform Objective: Agricultural Production Yield Change, Tiffany Kwader Harbour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Brazil has an active agrarian reform policy program, publicly organized by the federal government and publicly administered at the state level by the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform. The objective of the agrarian reform policy program is to retitle unproductive and underproductive rural lands to increase agricultural production and land use. Previous agrarian reform researchers have examined quantities of land redistributed, rural technology developments, and the impact of social movements on land redistribution, but a knowledge gap remains regarding the correlation of agricultural production yields in rural municipalities before and after policy program participation. The State of Ceará …

Three Essays In Food Consumption And Health Related Issues, Fuad Mohammed Alagsam

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This dissertation consists of three essays that make contributions to the research on food consumption and health-related issues. Essay I elaborates on how the interactions of consumers’ beliefs and actions influence Food-Away-From-Home (FAFH) consumption and tests whether consumers compensate for the high caloric intake typically associated with FAFH by changing their behaviors during other meals. Essay II studies consumers’ choices related to time allocations for food consumption and tests how consumers’ lifestyles moderate the effect of secondary eating (eating while doing other activities) on obesity. Lastly, Essay III examines intertemporal choices, through which individuals make trade-offs between immediate gratifications and …

Heterogeneous Nitrogen Losses: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Changes In Management Across South Dakota, Archibold Quaye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The loss of nitrogen fertilizer into the atmosphere and waterways is of increasing concern for citizens and policy makers. This is particularly relevant for hypoxia in rivers, lakes, and oceans, but also relevant for policy makers in reducing the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. GHGs trap heat in the atmosphere and include: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. Overall, the estimated contribution from the agricultural sector to GHG emissions was 9% in 2013 (EPA, 2013). Further, the addition of nitrogen to the soil through the use of synthetic fertilizers is a main contributor to …

Three Essays On Consumption Behavior, Credit, And Labor Supply Of Farm Households In Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence From Uganda, Seydina Ousmane Sene

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Consumption patterns, credit, and labor supply are determinants of human welfare, and also indicators of a country's economic progress, poverty, and inequalities. In this study, I review many of the stylized facts regarding consumption behaviors, credit, and the decision to engage in off-farm labor supply. I also put the life cycle model into an empirical model and perform testing. This is done in a three-essay format with a focus on the country of Uganda. In the first essay, I test whether farm households’ consumption behavior is consistent with an optimization process predicted by economic theory. In essay II, I evaluate …

Preferences And Values For The Gulf Coast Ocean Observing System, Cody Lynn Plummer

LSU Master's Theses

Integrated Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS) provide real time oceanic data and sea state forecasting information that is utilized by numerous public and private sectors engaging in maritime activities. The U.S. Gulf Coast constituent of this system (GCOOS) consists of 321 platforms, buoys, and sensors that provide measurements of wind speed, wave height, water quality, and other parameters. Government entities have proposed an expansion of this infrastructure by 40% at an estimated cost of $35 million for installation and $33 million annually for maintenance. As part of a larger project commissioned to estimate monetized benefits of this expansion, this study applied …

Descriptive Aanalysis Of Agritourism In Louisiana: Motivation. Marketing. Limitations., Denys Maksymov

LSU Master's Theses

This study aims to present information on the existing Louisiana agritourism industry and create a descriptive profile of agritourism operators, addressing specifically what motivates people to engage in agritourism. A subsequent focus of the study is to document marketing approaches used in promoting agritourism operations and concerns and limitations faced by Louisiana agritourism operators. These will be achieved through the following objectives: 1. Use a survey instrument to collect information on the demographics of farmers interested and/or engaged in agritourism, farm characteristics, types of activities offered in the agritourism operations, as well as motivators for engaging in agritourism. 2. Analyze …

Dynamic Modelling Of Local Government Wealth When Shocked By Natural Disasters, Alejandra Brevé Ferrari

LSU Master's Theses

Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm on August 29th of 2005. It is the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Communities across the country are increasingly at risk of being affected by natural and environmental disasters. The Public Assistance Grant Program (PA Program) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is available for states and communities that have received a major or emergency disaster declaration. Most of Emergency Management (EM) research has focused on preparedness and mitigation activities; considerably less research has studied post disaster response. Two of the initial and most important aspects …

Nebraska Grazing Conference Proceedings, 2017, Center For Grassland Studies, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Nebraska Grazing Conference Proceedings

Fences and Water Points: Where They Should Go by Jim Gerrish

Beef Systems Initiative by Archie Clutter

Grass-based Health and the Ruminant Revolution by Peter Ballerstedt

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Weedy Plants by Chris Helzer

2016 Leopold Conservation Award Winner by Nancy Peterson

Managing Grassland Vegetation to Benefit Livestock and Wildlife by Patricia Johnson

What is Plant Cover, and How Can We Manage it for Wildlife Needs? by Dwayne Elmore

Producer Panel: Annual Forages vs Row Crops Under Irrigation moderated by John Maddux

Producer Panel: Economics of Grazing Strategies moderated by Jim Jankins

It Costs How Much!? by …

More Than Food: An Analysis Of Multidimensional Relationships In Our Food System, Jessica Erin Newnan

Honors Theses and Capstones

Food is an integral part of everyday life for human beings, thus meriting particular attention from research and education. Looking further in depth at the factors that influence food, it becomes apparent that this is a complex topic that is related to several systems within the constructs of society. Here, the food system is approached with the understanding that several systems influence food consumption options and decisions including the agricultural, economic, education, energy, health, and political systems. To identify the relationships more closely, a three-dimensional model was built to represent the food system and depict several key factors, their relationships, …

Technical Assistance And Farming At The Rural-Urban Interface: A Study Of Farmer Utilization And Related Attitudes, Elijah Massey

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The rural-urban interface (RUI) is a complex landscape impacted by a variety of social and economic processes. Substantial U.S. agricultural production occurs at the RUI despite non-farm development pressure. Notably, at a time when U.S. farming is increasingly dominated by a shrinking number of large scale operations, RUI agricultural production occurs primarily on small and medium farms. Importantly, RUI farms exhibit greater diversity in terms of operator demographics, production type, and marketing channels, than their large-scale counterparts.

A critical resource in the persistence of diverse RUI farms is Technical Assistance (TA). While TA is provided by a number of different …