Agriculture Commons^™

Profitability At Eldon Farms: Guiding Principles, John Genho

Forage Symposium at the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Convention

Eldon Farms is a 7,000-acre farm in the Northern Piedmont of Virginia. Over the past 15 years, we have adopted a grazing program based on three principles. While the specifics of each operation are different, I believe these principles can be applied across a host of situations.

Forages At Kca Foreword [2019], Christopher D. Teutsch, Christi L. Forsythe, Rehanon Pampell

Forage Symposium at the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Convention

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Water Management Policy In Saudi Arabia Using A Bilevel, Multi-Objective, Multi-Follower Programming Approach, Jawad Alhashim

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Over the past five decades, the Saudi government has adopted many agricultural policies aimed to: achieve self-sufficiency of food, increase the participation of the agricultural sector in the economy, and reduce the consumption of irrigation water. Due to conflicts among government objectives and the incompatibility of farmers' objectives with those of some agricultural policies, the government has not been able to fully achieve its objectives.

To accomplish its goals the government, or decision maker needs to understand the farmer, or follower, reaction when s/he adopts a new decision. The dissertation aims to build a model that achieves government goals of …

Two Essays On Input Substitution And Optimal Decision Making In Crop And Livestock Production Systems, John T. Allison Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

The thesis presented consists of two essays that analyze input substitution and decision making in crop and livestock production systems. The first essay consists of a whole-farm analysis that sought to optimize feed mixes and enterprise combinations for an organic dairy operation in the Southeastern United States. This was accomplished through mathematical programming where whole-farm net returns were maximized, and total feed costs were minimized simultaneously for four milk production level cases. Additionally, the sensitivity of the system and break-even milk price were explored. Results suggest substitutability in ration components where an increase in supplemental feeds is justified by additional …

Forage News [2019-01], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Get NAFA's 2019 Alfalfa Variety Ratings
• Evaluation of the Efficacy of Various Herbicides for the Control of Broadleaf and Buckhorn Plantain in Alfalfa
• Save Hay by Reducing Feeding Waste
• Don't Miss "The Dollars and Sense of Grazing", Forages at KCA, January 18th in Owensboro
• Taking Stock
• Winter Meeting Rundown

Three Essays On Saudi Arabia Agricultural Markets, Yosef Abdulrahman Alamri

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

The first essay compares six common models, linear, quadratic, Cobb-Douglas, translog, logarithmic, and transcendental, to estimate wheat yield and area functions for Saudi Arabia. Data cover 1990-2016 for all the variables that affect wheat supply. After testing the models using Box-Cox, multicollinearity, and autocorrelation tests, we decide that the Cobb-Douglas models provide the best fit for both yield and area. We find the price elasticity of wheat is inelastic. Yield price elasticities are more inelastic than area elasticities. The impact of government policy number 335 has a larger effect on area than yield. The cultivated area of wheat, the one-year …

Host Restriction Factors In The Replication Of Tombusviruses: From Rna Helicases To Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling, Cheng-Yu Wu

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Positive-stranded (+)RNA viruses replicate inside cells and depend on many cellular factors to complete their infection cycle. In the meanwhile, (+)RNA viruses face the host innate immunity, such as cell-intrinsic restriction factors that could block virus replication.

Firstly, I have established that the plant DDX17-like RH30 DEAD-box helicase conducts strong inhibitory function on tombusvirus replication when expressed in plants and yeast surrogate host. This study demonstrates that RH30 blocks the assembly of viral replicase complex, the activation of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase function of p92pol and viral RNA template recruitment.

In addition, the features rendering the abundant plant DEAD-box helicases either …

Microalgae And Zinc Source Supplementation Of Broiler Breeder Diets Affects Broiler Breeder Skeletal Development And Reproduction With Transgenerational Impacts On Offspring Performance And Skeletal Characteristics, Marquisha A. Paul

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Leg problems and disorders are of major concern for the poultry industry and animal welfare. Previous studies suggest that it may be possible to improve skeletal characteristics through nutrition. Omega-3 fatty acids, including Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are essential nutrients and are known to play an important role in bone tissue development. FORPLUS™ (Alltech, Inc.) is an unextracted, whole-cell microalgae (Aurantiochytrium limacinum CCAP 4087/2) that contains 64% fat and 16% DHA. Zinc (Zn) is a trace element and essential nutrient for growth and skeletal development. Bioplex^® Zn (Alltech, Inc.) is a Zn proteinate that has been shown to be …

Effects Of Agricultural Loans In Developing Countries – Benin Case Study, Nicaise S. M. Sagbo

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

Limited access to financial services is known as a major constraint to agricultural development (FAO, 2002). Farmers need liquidity to face agricultural expenses throughout the production cycle but mainly at the beginning. Mainstream financial institutions are reluctant to serve the agricultural sector for several reasons. First, they consider the sector to be highly risky with low performance. Also, agricultural activities depend on the weather, they take place in remote rural areas, and commodities prices are volatile. All these aspects make it hard for standard banks to reach their profit goals when lending to farmers. Since microfinance was conceived, it has …

Utilizing Large Scale Datasets To Evaluate Aspects Of A Sustainable Bioeconomy, Gwanseon Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This dissertation combines large scale datasets to evaluate crop prediction, land values, and consumption of a crop being considered to advance a sustainable bioeconomy. In chapter 2, we propose a novel application of the multinomial logit (MNL) model to estimate the conditional transition probabilities of crop choice for the state of Kentucky. Utilizing the recovered transition probabilities the forecast distributions of total acreages for alfalfa, corn, soybeans, tobacco, and wheat produced in the state from 2010 to 2015 can be recovered. The Cropland Data Layer is merged with the Common Land Unit dataset to allow for the identification of crop …

Agricultural Livelihoods In Harlan County: A Case Study Approach Of Two Farms, Heather Kinney

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

This thesis explores agricultural livelihoods in Harlan County with two case studies in order to challenge dominant narratives about Eastern Kentucky. Harlan County, and Appalachia more broadly, is often written about in terms of its relationship to extractive industries. Absentee landownership in Appalachia has been well documented, especially in the case of coal counties. However, the relationship between extraction and agricultural livelihoods in Appalachia warrants more attention. The story of agricultural livelihoods in the region is often pushed to the periphery much like the practices of “hillside” farming. While geography makes much of the land unsuitable for farming in Harlan …

Evaluation Of Air Movement In Equestrian Facilities And On Equine Athletes, Staci Elaine Mcgill

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Ventilation and air movement are important aspects of animal agriculture and is frequently neglected in equine facilities. This paper discusses three different studies that examine different components of ventilation and air movement. One is a fan orientation study which examines how fans impact the stall environment, the second is a cooling study questioning whether forced air speed across a horse increases the rate of cool out after intense exercise, and the last is a survey examining ventilation, air quality, and health concerns in indoor arenas.

The stall fan study took place over two summers with the goal of determining how …

A Gis Model For Apiary Site Selection Based On Proximity To Nectar Sources Utilized In Varietal Honey Production On Former Mine Sites In Appalachia, Douglass W. Potter

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Beekeepers in Appalachia market varietal honeys derived from particular species of deciduous trees; however, finding places in a mountainous landscape to locate new beeyards is difficult. Site selection is hindered by the high up-front costs of negotiating access to remote areas with limited knowledge of the available forage. Remotely sensed data and species distribution modeling (SDM) of trees important to beekeepers could aid in locating apiary sites at the landscape scale. The objectives of this study are i) using publicly available forest inventory data, to model the spatial distribution of three native tree species that are important to honey producers …

Quantifying White-Tailed Deer Density And Its Impacts On Agricultural Systems, Jonathan A. Matthews

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) commonly consume row crops, with yield losses often attributed to their browsing. Deer density and field morphology may predict yield losses within local areas. We sought to 1) determine the effects of deer browsing on corn and soybean yields and investigate if deer density or field morphology correlated to yield loss in western Kentucky, and 2) compare pellet-based distance sampling to game camera surveys to determine if a distance sampling technique could accurately estimate deer density during the growing season. Overall, deer reduced corn and soybean yields on one-half of surveyed properties. Deer density …

Biology And Management Of The Soybean Stem Borer, Dectes Texanus Leconte, In Kentucky, Izabela Gomes

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Dectes texanus LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a longhorn beetle species endemic to eastern United States. Originally described as a pest of weeds from the family Asteraceae, D. texanus has expanded its host range and is found infesting the stems of soybeans, Glycine max (L.) through the southwestern and middle United States. Female D. texanus chews a hole in the epidermis of a petiole and oviposits on it. Then, the D. texanus larva depletes all the pith of the stem making a tunnel down to the base of the plant and girdle the stem about 5 cm above the …

Effects Of Abiotic Stresses On Sorbitol And Ribitol Accumulation And Sorbitol Biosynthesis And Metabolism In Tomato [Solanum Lycopersicum L.], Afaf Almaghamsi

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Abiotic stresses are responsible for limiting crop production worldwide. Among diverse abiotic stresses, drought and salinity are the most challenging. Plants under these conditions have diverse strategies for tolerating stress. Osmotic adjustment and osmoprotection occur in plants during salinity and drought stress through accumulation of compatible solutes to a high level without interfering with cellular metabolism. Polyols (sugar alcohols) including sorbitol and ribitol are one such class of compatible solutes. Using plants of wild-type (WT) and three genetically-modified lines of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. ‘Ailsa Craig’), an empty vector line ‘TR22’, and 2 sdh anti-sense lines ‘TR45’, and ‘TR49’ …

Effects Of Potassium Source And Rate On Yield, Quality, And Leaf Chemistry Of Dark And Burley Tobacco, And Residual Effects Of Soil K Levels, Andrea Brooke Keeney

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Field trials were conducted in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with dark fire-cured, dark air-cured, and burley tobacco at Princeton, Murray and Lexington Kentucky. Tobacco variety used in 2016 was a low converter (LC) variety, varieties used in 2017 and 2018 were LC and higher converter (HC) varieties. Potassium sources used at all locations and in all years were potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄) and potassium chloride (KCl). Application rates used at all locations and in all years were 93, 186, 279 kg K ha^-1along with an untreated control that received no potassium. In all trials, tobacco …

Integrating Cover Crops And Herbicides For Horseweed [Conyza Canadensis (L.) Cronq.] Management Prior To Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merr.], Austin Sherman

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Horseweed (Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.) is prevalent in Kentucky and can be difficult to control. Research has shown multiple weed control methods to be more sustainable than relying on chemical control alone, so the use of multiple methods for horseweed management was examined in this study. The main objective was to determine best practice(s) to reduce horseweed prior to soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Treatments included: fall-planted cover crop [CC; cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) or none], fall-applied herbicide (saflufenacil or none), and spring-applied herbicides (dicamba, 2,4-D ester, or none). We hypothesized horseweed densities would be reduced …

Forage News [2018-12], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Feeding Your 2018 Hay
• Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forages Conference Program Set
• Jan. 28 Equine Pasture Program
• Silage/Forage Sample Collection Method
• Heart of America Grazing Conference, Jan 22-23

The Local Food System Vitality Index: A Pilot Analysis To Demonstrate A Process For Measuring System Performance And Development, Jairus J. Rossi, Timothy A. Woods, Alison F. Davis

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Identifying successful development priorities for local food systems (LFSs) is a challenge for pro­ducers, LFS advocates, Extension agents, and policymakers. Consumer perceptions and prefer­ences regarding what constitutes an active, healthy, and vibrant LFS often differ within and between diverse communities. Producers, development entities, and others would benefit from rapid assessment processes that provide detailed information on consumer preferences and potential market opportunities within their LFS.

In this paper, we introduce the analytic possi­bilities of our Local Food System Vitality Index (LFSVI). Using data collected from a pilot survey in Lexington, Kentucky, we rapidly assess the per­formance of 20 different components …

Forage News [2018-11], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Heart of America Conference - Jan. 22-23, 2019
• USDA Hay Markets - October 30, 2018
• Grazing Too Short in Fall and Winter Can Mean More Weeds in the Spring
• Forage Identification Book Now Available
• Utilizing Cost Share for Farm Improvements
• Late Fall Nitrogen Benefits Horse and Cattle Pastures

2018 – 2019 Kentucky Agricultural Economic Situation And Outlook, Kenneth H. Burdine, Todd D. Davis, Jerry Pierce, William M. Snell, Timothy A. Woods, Jeffrey W. Stringer

Agricultural Situation and Outlook

This publication covers the situation and outlook for 2018-2019 in the following areas:

• U.S. Agricultural Economy;
• Kentucky’s Agricultural Economy;
• Selected Commodity Profiles - Cattle; Poultry; Hogs; Equine; Dairy; Corn; Soybeans; Wheat; Tobacco; Fruits, Vegetables and Greenhouse; and
• Forestry.

Growth, Yield Performance And Quality Parameters Of Three Early Flowering Chia (Salvia Hispanica L.) Genotypes Cultivated In Southwestern Germany, Samantha J. Grimes, Timothy D. Phillips, Volker Hahn, Filippo Capezzone, Simone Graeff-Hönninger

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The combination of consumer’s ongoing demand for chia (Salvia hispanica L.) alongside the increased demand for regionally produced food products provided the impetus for this study. Its aim was to test if a regional cultivation of new chia genotypes, which were adapted to day lengths greater than 12 h, is feasible under Central European conditions. Therefore, three early flowering chia genotypes (Sahi Alba 914, W13.1, G8) were cultivated in a randomized block design at two experimental stations in Southwestern Germany (Ihinger Hof, Eckartsweier) over the course of two years (2015, 2016). Mean yields ranged from 100 to 1290 kg …

Forage News [2018-10], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Profitability is focus of Kentucky Grazing Conference
• Bale Grazing: A Solution to the Mud in 2018?
• Poison Hemlock – Be Aware

New Market Opportunities And Consumer Heterogeneity In The U.S. Organic Food Market, Gwanseon Kim, Jun Ho Seok, Tyler B. Mark

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

This paper investigates what factors and characteristics of organic consumers affect annual organic food expenditure by using Nielsen’s consumer panel dataset from 2010 to 2014. To be specific, this paper explores new marketing opportunities by investigating organic consumer heterogeneity in different household income levels by utilizing the multilevel model. Findings in this study will contribute to the previous and existing literature in three-folds. First, we find that the organic consumers are more heterogeneous in the high-level of income groups (approximately above $60,000), as well as the low-income households between $35,000 and $45,000. This finding demonstrates that the income levels above …

Forage News [2018-09], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Dealing with high nitrates in forage
• New crimson clover, Kentucky Pride, available
• Horse farm sees success from pasture renovations

Forage News [2018-08], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

• Plan your fall seeding now
• Submitting plant samples for diagnosis
• Minimize alfalfa crown rot with potassium

Point-Of-Sale Specific Willingness To Pay For Quality-Differentiated Beef, Kar Ho Lim, Michael Vassalos, Michael R. Reed

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Despite the growing interest of producers and consumers toward grass-fed, local, and organic beef, the supply chain for these products to reach consumers is not always clear-cut. Among the available options are direct-to-consumers and the conventional food supply chain. Although consumers may pay a premium for beef differentiated by quality attributes, the willingness to pay (WTP) difference across point-of-sales is unclear. In this study, we contrast the WTPs for conventional, grass-fed, local, and organic beef by brick-and-mortar supermarkets (B&Ms), farmers’ markets, and via online stores. We conduct a choice experiment with a nationwide online sample of American consumers. The findings …

Is Aging The Important Factor For Sustainable Agricultural Development In Korea? Evidence From The Relationship Between Aging And Farm Technical Efficiency, Jun Ho Seok, Hanpil Moon, Gwanseon Kim, Michael R. Reed

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

This paper examines the effects of aging and income subsidies on farm efficiency in Korea by utilizing the Korean Farm Household Economic Survey from 2008 to 2015. A stochastic frontier model with a non-monotonic assumption on the effect of efficiency factors is implemented to reflect a super aging and less developed production structure in Korean agriculture. This study finds continuously decreasing farm efficiency with age, which contradicts the commonly assumed inverted-U relationship between age and productivity. Especially, we find that labor is the most important factor to explain recent farm efficiency losses in Korea. Furthermore, this paper finds that the …

A Systematic Review Of Consumer Preference For E-Cigarette Attributes: Flavor, Nicotine Strength, And Type, Samane Zare, Mehdi Nemati, Yuqing Zheng

Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Objective

Systematic review of research examining consumer preference for the main electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) attributes namely flavor, nicotine strength, and type.

Method

A systematic search of peer-reviewed articles resulted in a pool of 12,933 articles. We included only articles that meet all the selection criteria: (1) peer-reviewed, (2) written in English, and (3) addressed consumer preference for one or more of the e-cigarette attributes including flavor, strength, and type.

Results

66 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Consumers preferred flavored e-cigarettes, and such preference varied with age groups and smoking status. We also found that several flavors were …