Agricultural Economics Commons^™

Effect Of Implementing Best Management Practices (Bmps) On Productivity, Water Quality, Soil Health And Economic Return On Louisiana’S Sugarcane Production System, Krizzia L. Guardado

LSU Master's Theses

The constant soil cultivation alongside adverse weather in Louisiana has declined soil and water quality in sugarcane fields. Therefore, the integration of an effective conservation program must be assessed to sustain crop production. Best management practices (BMPs) promote soil health and improve water quality while achieving optimal crop development and cost-effective production system. A study was conducted at two different locations to document the benefits of BMPs (sweeping residue, variable N rate, and cover cropping) implemented collectively and individually compared to the standard farmer’s practices (FP) on sugarcane productivity, nutrient cycling, soil and water quality, and economic return . At …

Economic And Environmental Performance Of Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems: Resilience To Uncertainties And An Opportunity For Sustainable Intensification, Maroua Afi

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Integrated crop-livestock systems are promoted as an alternative for sustainable intensification of food production. They have the potential to offer enhanced input efficiency and maintain a diversified livelihood which plays an important role in building resilience of agricultural systems. This work aims to evaluate the technical efficiency of “Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems” (ICLS), “Specialized Livestock Systems” (SLS) and “Specialized Cropping Systems” (SCS) and to identify the determinants behind inefficiencies in these systems. It also aims to assess the resilience against climate variability and market fluctuations. The first chapter provides a comparative analysis and an overview of technical efficiency assessment of farming …

Nutrient Optimization For Vegetable Production Under Decoupled Aquaponics Using Brackish Water, Salma Walid Hany Ahmed Abdelfattah

Theses and Dissertations

As the world moves to more sustainable agriculture methods in the agribusiness industry, decoupled aquaponics is recognized as one of the newest techniques currently being utilized to achieve more local food security. As the topic is still freshly new within the industry, a finite number of publications and studies have been made that address the topic hands-on with its many variables. Subsequently, in this paper, an experiment was conducted to assess the most optimized production conditions of both lacinato kale (Brassica oleracea var.palmifolia) and Swiss chard Bright Light (Beta vulgaris ssp. Cicla var. flavescens) plants through the utilization of a …

Reintroducing Hemp (Rongony) In The Material Palette Of Madagascar: A Study On The Potential Of Hemp Clay Components And Its Impact On Social And Ecological Communities., Henintsoa Thierry Andrianambinina

Masters Theses

When mentioning the word hemp, especially in the local language of Madagascar, the literal translation does not set it apart from marijuana, as they are both called “rongony” - creating the stigma around hemp as the negative stereotype of marijuana. However, the material has been used by the ancestors of Madagascar, as well as across cultures, in its fibrous form to produce fabrication like textile goods and packaging. During colonization, the prohibition of hemp intensified, and since then, any activity related to either of these plants is prohibited and will end in severe punitive measures. This thesis explores the strengths …

Producer Long-Term Marketing Opportunities With Ethanol Plants, Austin Harthoorn, Logan Lloyd, Cory Walters, Kate Brooks

Cornhusker Economics

Commodity marketing operates in a complex decision environment with constant information flow, which can conceal long-run financially profitable marketing opportunities for producers. In the corn marketing space, the competitive role of ethanol plants throughout the state may provide producers with long-run financial gains by strategically approaching marketing decisions. In this article, we characterize whether producers can gain financially from strategically marketing corn to ethanol plants. For example, do ethanol plants provide a better long-run return from pre-harvest hedging, spring sale, or harvest sale?

We investigate three important contracting times--forward contract for harvest delivery (called pre-harvest hereafter), harvest delivery, and spring …

Consumer Valuation And Preferences For Sustainably Produced Rice In Ghana, Vera Adabrah-Danquah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sustainable agricultural production is a systematic concept that integrates environmental health, economic profitability, and social/economic equity goals. Improving the sustainability of food production is of utmost importance to the human race, given the growing population and the increased depletion of natural resources. Improving sustainability is particularly important for rice, a global food staple with a significant environmental footprint. Rice accounts for 10% of global methane emissions. The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard is the first globally recognized certified sustainable production standard for rice. This study focuses on consumers' preferences for sustainable rice in Ghana, including consumers’ perceptions of different SRP's …

Understanding The Operations And Decision-Making Of Cow-Calf Farmers In Northwest Arkansas, Clayton Weyl

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Societal pressure on farmers has become a more central part of the rhetoric surrounding livestock production. This study includes farmers in the discourse on the rhetoric surrounding climate change via interviews and simulations tailored to their operation. Previous research has addressed regenerative agricultural practices and conditions that influence farmer decision-making, but little research has analyzed decision-making in tandem with environmental practices. The literature reveals that cow-calf producer decision-making is influenced by their reliance on cattle as an income source, and farmers overall choose climate-friendly practices based on their perceptions about climate change. The goal of this research was to gather …

Balancing Interests In Forest Governance In Brazil And Indonesia, Annabel Mccormick Baldy

Environment and Sustainability Honors Papers

Forests play a major role in reducing levels of Greenhouse gasses which are a major contributor to global warming. Conversely, deforestation is a major contributor to climate change. This study examines the concept of good forest governance, dispelling notions that resource use needs to be a zero-sum game. Rather, it identifies local collective agreements as espoused by Elinor Ostrom in Governing the Commons as the best means of balancing the undeniable economic potential of converting forests to other uses (grazing, farming, and mining) with the more sustainable approach of protecting forests for their environmental benefit. For Ostrom, these collective agreements …

Deficit Irrigation Management For Irrigated Corn In Nebraska: Economically Viable?, Lia Nogueira, Cory Walters, Emily O'Donnell, E. Wesley F. Peterson, Suat Irmak

Cornhusker Economics

In this study we determine the economic value of deficit irrigation management using both technological and methodological advancements. The use of soil moisture probes represents the technological improvement. We provide improvements in the methodology as follows. Regarding data, we employ a field-size study, instead of plots, where the irrigation decision is determined by the moisture level in the soil measured through a soil moisture probe. Regarding the understanding of the yield response to water, although we examine the commonly used quadratic function, we improve upon this specification by also examining an alternative response function, the linear response stochastic plateau. Our …

Carbon Farming: A Preliminary Economic Analysis Of Carbon Credits For No-Till And Cover Crops, Drew Havens, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti

Cornhusker Economics

Summary Based on experimental data about the amount of carbon sequestered and estimated implementation costs, our preliminary results show that the average cost of sequestering carbon via no-till (about $22 per ton of CO₂e) appears to be much lower than the $51 per ton social value of sequestering that ton. In contrast, our preliminary results show that the average costs of sequestration via adoption of cover crops is much higher, about $60 per ton. Depending on how accurate soil carbon models are in predicting sequestration on individual fields to qualify them for enrollment, reimbursement costs for planting cover …

Economics Of Maple Syrup Production In Kentucky, Bobby Thapa

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

Maple syrup production is traditionally associated with New England regions in the United States, but there is growing interest in expanding it to other regions with suitable environmental conditions, including Kentucky. This study presents an in-depth analysis of the potential production and economic impacts of maple syrup in Kentucky using a multi-method approach. First, the study applies a stochastic production model to assess the effects of climatic and tree variables on maple syrup yield. The results reveal that several variables, including the number of maple trees, taps, temperatures, tapping season length, and time, significantly affect maple syrup yield. Second, input-output …

How Do Cooperatives Enable Empowerment Among Rural Women? Evidence From The Municipality Of Cavinti, Laguna, Maria Theresa M. Castro-Bernardo, Liezel S. Cruz

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

The persistent gender issues and their implications for sustainable development have led to several strategic yet collective schemes, such as the cooperatives, promising to contribute to (women) empowerment and social equality. Guided by Kabeer’s conceptual framework, this study analyzes the role of cooperative membership in promoting empowerment among its female coop-members in Cavinti, Laguna. Primary and secondary sources of data were used and analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The result indicates that cooperatives play a critical role in empowering women by providing new and/or improved knowledge and skills through capacity-building training necessary to make informed decisions, thus strengthening …

Pollution Emissions And Economic Growth In Asia Through The Lens Of The Environmental Kuznets Curve, Brian Jason H. Ponce, Yolanda T. Garcia, Gideon P. Carnaje, Agham C. Cuevas

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

The nonlinear relationship of pollution emissions with economic growth alongside energy consumption variables was examined to test the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis using a panel sample comprising 34 Asian economies from 2001 to 2013. Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag models in the forms of Pooled Mean Group and Mean Group models were estimated and tested against one another using the Hausman test. For robustness checks, the same econometric techniques were applied to disaggregated panel groups based on income classifications. The study reveals that, while the EKC hypothesis holds in Asia, the findings were not robust across the disaggregated panel groups. …

Preferences Of Coffee Farmers For Attributes Of Selected Coffee Technologies In The Philippines, Jayson S. Cabral, Dia Noelle F. Velasco, Mar B. Cruz, Nohreen Ethel P. Manipol, Hannah D. Miranda-Quibot

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

This paper looked into the preferences of 151 coffee farmers for the attributes of selected coffee technologies. The study was done to help guide technology developers in crafting post harvest processing facilities for coffee which their target market will need which can lead to a higher probability of commercialization of new coffee technologies. The study examined the preferences for attributes for coffee dryers, moisture meters, coffee depulpers, and coffee sorters using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) framework. The results revealed that the quality of the final product is the top priority for coffee farmers when choosing a coffee dryer. Non-destructiveness …

Market Analysis And Positioning Of Processed Halal Chevon Food Products, Jalaloden B. Marohom, Ivy Mar B. Cabornida

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Halal has gained popularity as a result of consumer concerns about food safety and ethical issues. Chevon is an important source of protein. However, no halal chevon products are commercially produced. Hence, the study aimed to develop positioning strategies to commercialize the products. A survey was undertaken of 400 potential consumers in the Philippines. The majority of the respondents were willing to buy halal food products. Descriptive statistics were applied, and findings revealed that products were generally acceptable. Potential consumers prefer it in wide assortment, in proper packaging, has informative labels, and easy to locate. However, their preference is significantly …

Ex-Ante Cost-Benefit Analysis Of High-End And Low-Cost Wireless Sensor Network (Wsn) Technology Packages For Efficient Irrigation Water Management In The Philippines, Marielle Q. Aringo, Victor B. Ella, Camille G. Martinez, Gamiello S. Pereira

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Four wireless sensor network (WSN) technology packages developed for efficient irrigation water management in the Philippines were subjected to ex-ante cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to assess their financial viability. The WSN technologies include high-end and low-cost wireless sensors for upland crop production with drip irrigation system and lowland crop production with alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Results showed that the high-end WSN technology packages are only viable for high-value crops such as red onion, bell pepper, and hot pepper. The low-cost WSN technology packages are viable for all selected crops except sweet corn. Minimum areas were also generated for each crop …

The Impact Of Policy Design On Willingness To Pay For Ecosystem Services From Prairie Strips, Karina Schoengold, Badri Khanal, Taro Mieno, Lisa Schulte Moore

Cornhusker Economics

Ecosystem services from farmland conservation are public good benefits. The value of these benefits is primarily measured using methods that determine the willingness to pay (WTP) for those benefits. Prairie strips, a farmland conservation practice, provide ecosystem services such as improved water quality, soil health, and biodiversity (Schulte et al., 2017). The state of Iowa is a major corn producer and contributes significant amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous to the Gulf of Mexico (Alexander et al., 2008). The development of conventional agricultural systems has also resulted in a significant loss of biodiversity, including a dominant land cover of tallgrass prairie. …

Evaluating The Effect Of Woodchips On Soil Matric Potential, Temperature, Weed Biomass, And Yield Of Selected Crops, Leonard Githinji, Patrick Johnson

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Organic mulches are very popular for weed control in sustainable agricultural systems where the application of synthetic herbicides is restricted. A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of organic mulch in controlling weeds, enhancing soil matric potential, and soil temperature. Blended hardwood mulch was applied to the soil surface at a thickness of 10 cm. The experimental design was laid out as a completely randomized design with two treatments, viz., mulch and no-mulch, replicated 5 times. Data were collected during the growing period for weed biomass, soil matric potential, soil temperature, and yield of selected crops. Results from a …

Flint, Michigan Drinking Water Crisis, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

Briefly covers the Flint, Michigan drinking water crisis including providing some background, a timeline of events, and key takeaways from the perspective of public policy.

This article was originally prepared for distribution to students in Aiken's AECN 357 environmental and natural resources law course.

Assessing Consumer Demand, Producer Profitability, And The Environmental Impacts Of Conservation Agriculture Adoption In Sub-Saharan Africa, Willy Byamungu Mulimbi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores three aspects of conservation agriculture (CA) in the Sub-Saharan African region (SSA). The first article examines the demand side of CA and explores whether urban maize (Zea mays L.) consumers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) would be willing to pay a premium for CA-produced maize flour. The second article estimates the effects CA provides to adopters and their farms in smallholder farming systems in the DRC, focusing on changes in soil properties and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) yields. The final article uses a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to monetize the environmental impacts of adopting …

Societal Sustainability: Projects To Address The Three Dimensions Of A Sustainable Future, Braden K. Bateman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability is an important, commonly discussed societal goal regarding assurance of resources for the world to be able to enjoy a prosperous future. Three primary dimensions of sustainability include environmental, economic, and social sustainability, and objectives for various projects can be aimed at any of the three dimensions to pursue societal sustainability. Solar installations, which can be used to pursue environmental and economic sustainability, convert abundant sunlight to electricity, displacing fossil fuel use that contributes harmful greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The regulatory environment at the state level has a significant impact on the feasibility of solar projects. At present, …

Causal Forest Approach For Site-Specific Input Management Via On-Farm Precision Experimentation, Shunkei Kakimoto

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Estimating site-specific crop yield response to changes to input (e.g., seed, fertilizer) management is a critical step in making economically optimal site-specific input management recommendations. Past studies have attempted to estimate yield response functions using various Machine Learning (ML) methods, including the Random Forest (RF), Boosted Random Forest (BRF), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) methods. This study proposes use of the Causal Forest (CF) model, which is one of the emerging ML methods that comprise “Causal Machine Learning.” Unlike previous yield-prediction-oriented ML methods, CF focuses strictly on estimating heterogeneous treatment effects (changes in yields that result from changes in input …

The 30x30 Program: A Federal Land Grab?, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

In January 2021, the Biden Administration issued a climate policy executive order.[2] [or EO].[3] Section 216 of the Biden climate EO, Conserving & Protecting our Nation’s Lands & Waters, directed the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Commerce (which includes NOAA, the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) to prepare a report “recommending steps that the United States should take, working with state, local, tribal and territorial governments, agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen and other key stakeholders to achieve the goal of conserving at least 30% of our lands and waters …

Commodity Prices, Climate And The High Plains Aquifer, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Felipe Silva, Karina A. Schoengold

Cornhusker Economics

Crop prices and energy prices can affect the water level in an aquifer? Absolutely, yes, because over time, they affect the amount withdrawn for irrigation. Our recent research confirms that effect and provides estimates of the size of the effect on the High Plains Aquifer (HPA). The HPA underlies parts of eight states and 208 counties in the west-central United States (see Figure 1). This region produces more than 9% of US crop sales and relies on the aquifer for irrigation. These withdrawals for irrigation have contributed to a diminished stock of water in the aquifer that varies considerably across …

Effects Of Foliar Application Of Zno Nanoparticles On Lentil Production, Stress Level And Nutritional Seed Quality Under Field Conditions, Marek Kolenčík, Dávid Ernst, Matej Komár, Martin Urík, Martin Šebesta, Ľuba Ďurišová, Marek Bujdoš, Ivan Černý, Juraj Chlpík, Martin Juriga, Ramakanth Illa, Yu Qian, Huan Feng, Gabriela Kratošová, Karla Čech Barabaszová, Ladislav Ducsay, Elena Aydın

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Nanotechnology offers new opportunities for the development of novel materials and strategies that improve technology and industry. This applies especially to agriculture, and our previous field studies have indicated that zinc oxide nanoparticles provide promising nano-fertilizer dispersion in sustainable agriculture. However, little is known about the precise ZnO-NP effects on legumes. Herein, 1 mg·L⁻¹ ZnO-NP spray was dispersed on lentil plants to establish the direct NP effects on lentil production, seed nutritional quality, and stress response under field conditions. Although ZnO-NP exposure positively affected yield, thousand-seed weight and the number of pods per plant, there was no statistically significant …

Cooperative-Led Green Value Chain Development For Selected Highland Vegetables In Buguias, Benguet, Paul Kenneth B. Maghirang

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

This study proposes a cooperative-led green value chain model for selected highland vegetables in Buguias, Benguet. Primary and secondary data were used in the study. Primary data were gathered through KII, FGD, and survey interviews among 30 farmer-members of LIFMPC. Descriptive, cost and returns, and value chain analysis were conducted. The proposed model of cooperative-led green value chain for selected highland vegetables was developed based on current practices of the farmer respondents. The greening opportunities were identified in different segments of the chain, from input sourcing to consumption, as well as the actors and their activities. Performing these green practices …

Forecasting Locational Marginal Prices In Electricity Markets By Using Artificial Neural Networks, Kim Jay R. Rosano, Allan C. Nerves

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Electricity price forecasting is an important tool used by market players in decision-making and strategizing their participation in the electricity market. In most studies, market-clearing price is forecasted as it gives an aggregated overview of system price. However, locational marginal price (LMP) gives better outlook of the price particular to the customer location in the electrical power grid. This study utilizes Artificial Neural Networks to forecast weekday LMP of generator and load nodes. Various inputs such as historical prices and demand, and temporal indices were used. Using data for selected nodes of the Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, forecast Mean …

Use Patterns And Influencing Factors Of Irrigation Best Management Practices In The Lower Mississippi River Basin, Merri E. Day

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study uses the 2016 Irrigation Survey from Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi to document the use of irrigation best management practices (IBMPs), analyze use patterns, and use quantitative methods to determine factors that influence producers’ decisions regarding IBMPs. IBMPs included in the survey can be grouped as: field management practices (zero-grade leveling, precision-grade leveling, end blocking, warped surface, and deep tillage), water flow control practices (computerized pipe-hole selection, multiple-inlet irrigation, surge irrigation, alternate wetting and drying, cutback irrigation, flow meters, and pump timers), water recovery/storage practices (tail-water recovery system and on-farm storage reservoir), and advanced irrigation scheduling practices (soil moisture …

How Are Agricultural Research Projects Conceiving Innovation? An Assessment Of The European Union Multi-Actor Projects, Samuel Brea Martinez-Collado

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Horizon research programs are the European Union’s lighthouse for innovation and research concerning the agri-food chain, the management of natural resources, and the bioeconomy. Their innovation strategy approach is one that pursues the practical application of the research via the collaboration of all actors involved. Such strategy is the reflection of a Multi-Actor Approach as their procedure to enhance innovation. This paper presents the main trends and directions 101 Multi-Actor Projects (MAPs) are following on said approach towards innovation. The analysis is based on the use of well-defined “pathways” and “measures” proposed in the Guidelines for Evaluation of Innovation in …

Data Analytics For Sustainable Food And Agriculture Systems, Megan Lord Reavis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing concentration of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is altering the climate, posing a serious threat to global agriculture and food security. Agriculture and food production contribute a quarter of all GHG emissions produced, so there is a critical need to limit emissions in this area while increasing food production to feed the anticipated 10 billion people by 2050. To address the needs of the future, data-driven solutions are needed to guide decision-making and provide support for actionable climate mitigation and survival strategies. Research efforts must be focused on analyzing problems on multiple scales, identifying new ways to …