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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Role Of Carbon Credits On Farmers’ Adoption Of Climate-Smart Practices In South Dakota, Stephen Cheye Jan 2023

The Role Of Carbon Credits On Farmers’ Adoption Of Climate-Smart Practices In South Dakota, Stephen Cheye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Net-zero pledges and carbon credit systems have gained momentum due to the growing urgency to address climate change and limit global warming to below 2°C above preindustrial levels. Agricultural carbon credits can be a potentially win-win mechanism by providing extra income for farmers while helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of understanding about farmers’ willingness to accept carbon credit incentives and adopt climate-smart practices that sequester carbon. To address this, we analyzed 309 responses from a South Dakota producer survey conducted in 2021. We estimated probit and interval regression models to ascertain the level of …


Factors Affecting The Farmers’ Adoption Decision And Usage Intensity Of Conservation Tillage In Eastern South Dakota, Sarmila Belbase Jan 2022

Factors Affecting The Farmers’ Adoption Decision And Usage Intensity Of Conservation Tillage In Eastern South Dakota, Sarmila Belbase

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many farmers are continuously looking for new ways to protect soil and increase yields and returns on investment. No-tillage and reduced-tillage farming may provide ways to achieve these goals. Such practices have been found as the alternative to overcoming the environmental challenge posed by conventional tillage practice and providing significant economic returns. However, a comprehensive study of the factors affecting the adoption and adoption intensity of these practices is lacking. This paper intends to fill this gap by utilizing a double hurdle model to analyze farmer survey data. The data used in this study were obtained from a survey of …


Genetically Modified Corn Diffusion And Biofuel Usage: Impacts On Corn Belt Cropping Systems Changes, Kenneth Annan Jan 2021

Genetically Modified Corn Diffusion And Biofuel Usage: Impacts On Corn Belt Cropping Systems Changes, Kenneth Annan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops, the rise of ethanol production that produced an additional derived demand for corn, and the increasingly prominent position of corn and soybeans in crop rotations embody major changes in U.S. agriculture during the past decades. This study investigates the linkages among these developments in two ways. First, we look at how biotechnology and biofuels have influenced cropping system changes in the Corn Belt region of the United States, using state-level data from 2000 to 2019. Second, we investigate the determinants of corn acreage intensification levels and heterogeneity at the state level using data …


Interrogating The Socio-Ethical Dilemmas Of Precision Agriculture Technologies, Ayorinde Ogunyiola Jan 2021

Interrogating The Socio-Ethical Dilemmas Of Precision Agriculture Technologies, Ayorinde Ogunyiola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Farming has moved into a digital age where data and information are available to farmers to make informed agronomic and financial on-farm decisions. The development of precision agriculture (PA), such as big data technologies and machine learning algorithms is transforming the agricultural food production system in diverse ways, economically, environmentally, and socially. Despite benefits afforded by PA to agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability, these technologies can raise unintended societal challenges that can also limit their adoption among farmers. PA is changing how farming is done, reconstructing farmers’ social identities, and influencing relationships between farmers, agronomists, and technology developers. This dissertation …


Exploring The Determinants Of Aspects Of Rotational Grazing In The U.S. Great Plains, Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury Jan 2021

Exploring The Determinants Of Aspects Of Rotational Grazing In The U.S. Great Plains, Iftekhar Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pasture and rangeland make up about 45 percent of the agricultural land in the U.S. Great Plains and one of the most common form of mismanagement of this pasture is overgrazing. Which results in many detrimental effects on environment. Many practitioners endorsed Rotational grazing (RG) as an improved grazing management practice over season-long continuous grazing. The overall goal of the current study is to assess the certain aspects of using RG in the U.S. Great Plains. Using mail survey data of the of 874 beef cattle producers of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas, the study found that neighborhood practice, …


A Joint Estimation Of Pheasant Hunting Parameters, Rama Khadka Jan 2021

A Joint Estimation Of Pheasant Hunting Parameters, Rama Khadka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The decreasing pheasant population from 2008 to 2019 across South Dakota is a concern as it may lead to decreased hunting activity and consequently reduced economic activity. Past studies have shown that changes in the landscape (e.g., from changing agricultural practices) is a major factor responsible for decreasing the bird population. However, these studies lack a clear understanding of how the fluctuating crop mixes impact the pheasant population together with harvest volume. The goal of this study was to analyze the pheasant population and the quantity of harvested birds during 2008 to 2019 in South Dakota to understand how variations …


Factors Influencing Adoption And Adoption Intensity Of Precision Agriculture Technologies In South Dakota, Md Mahi Uddin Jan 2020

Factors Influencing Adoption And Adoption Intensity Of Precision Agriculture Technologies In South Dakota, Md Mahi Uddin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Precision agriculture can play an important role in preserving the environment and improving the economic conditions of agricultural producers. This thesis analyzes the determinants of adoption and adoption intensity of precision agriculture technologies in South Dakota. This analysis uses survey data collected from 199 farms distributed over 28 different counties in South Dakota, accounting for approximately 500,000 acres of tillable agricultural land, to (1) discover the factors impacting precision technology adoption; (2) compare and contrast several characteristics among adopters and non-adopters; and (3) develop probit, count, and negative binomial models to determine the significance of explanatory variables impacting precision technology …


Consumer Perceptions And Demand For Locally-Grown Vegetables In South Dakota, Richard Mulder Jan 2019

Consumer Perceptions And Demand For Locally-Grown Vegetables In South Dakota, Richard Mulder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasingly popular topic in the food labeling field over the last 15 years has been the increasing body of research for food that is locally produced. Consumers’ definition of, attitudes toward, and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for local food have been areas of interest for researchers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that contributes to the current body of local foods’ research for vegetables by providing information on these areas of interest for the state of South Dakota. This study acquires data through a consumer-intercept survey conducted in grocery stores throughout South Dakota with a sample …


Urban Gardens And Nutrition In Sioux Falls, Sd, Austin Brynjulson Jan 2018

Urban Gardens And Nutrition In Sioux Falls, Sd, Austin Brynjulson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the global population recently surpassing seven and a half billion, questions about feeding the population have emerged. In the past, increased demand for food was addressed through increasing intensification of land use and increasing the area of land under cultivation. Despite these efforts, food insecurity has increased for much of the population over this period, where, according to the USDA, in the U.S. 49.1 million people were food insecure in 2013. Food insecurity in this regard is the lack of access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food at all times. While the complex global food system may be difficult …


Heterogeneous Nitrogen Losses: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Of Changes In Management Across South Dakota, Archibold Quaye Jan 2017

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 …


Performance Of The Producer Accumulator In Corn And Soybean Commodity Markets, Chad Te Slaa Jan 2017

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 …


Investigating Grassland And Cropland Conversion Decisions In The Dakotas, 2015 Producers Survey And Analysis, Md Niaz Murshed Chowdhury Jan 2016

Investigating Grassland And Cropland Conversion Decisions In The Dakotas, 2015 Producers Survey And Analysis, Md Niaz Murshed Chowdhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates grassland and cropland conversion decisions in the Dakotas. Data from a 2015 survey completed by 1,026 producers located in 57 counties of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) were used to evaluate land conversions. This thesis attempts to identify the land use conversion incidence and rate (grass to crop and crop to grass); the link between past and projected land use conversion decisions in the Dakotas, and determinants of land use conversion using different statistical tools, including logistic regression methods. A regional analysis of converted acres reveals that the grass to crop conversion rates (as percent of 2014 …


Temporal And Spatial Influences On South Dakota Farm Economies Of Size, Henry Brown Jan 2016

Temporal And Spatial Influences On South Dakota Farm Economies Of Size, Henry Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Census of Agriculture data are evaluated to test for economies of size of South Dakota farms. Economies of size occur when per-unit costs decrease as the size of a firm increases. This research measures technical economies of size, which assume that all firms pay identical input prices and receive identical output prices. The dependent variable of the model is expenses per dollar of sales. This is a typical measure of efficiency in agricultural statistics. The data come from the four prior Census of Agriculture years, 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012. A state-wide model and a county-wide model were developed to …


Relationship Of Grain Stocks And Farmer Marketings, Tyler Holmquist Jan 2016

Relationship Of Grain Stocks And Farmer Marketings, Tyler Holmquist

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the relationship between quarterly grain stocks and monthly grain marketings. Reviewing when, how, and why stocks move from on-farm and off-farm inventories, an interpretation of quarterly commodity disappearance and crop marketings is formed. An explanatory model is first developed for farmer marketings, where price expectations are used to assess market signals to change ownership of crops. The model is applied to South Dakota corn, soybeans, and wheat from 1985 through 2015. The subsequent analysis contributes to a model that explains quarterly changes in stocks in terms of supply levels and the expected effect from marketings on disappearance. …


Energy In The Corn Belt: Is Maize Production Sustainable?, Matthew Bernau Jan 2013

Energy In The Corn Belt: Is Maize Production Sustainable?, Matthew Bernau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Technological and scientific innovation has transformed agricultural production. Corn production methods changed from a sustainable, nutrient recycling production system to one reliant on imported fossil energy inputs. Located in the Western Corn Belt, Union County, South Dakota was chosen as the study area. Changes in production methods are represented by four technological epochs: 1) The Draft Horse Epoch, 1890-1920; 2) The Tractor Epoch, 1920-1950; 3) The Fertilizer Epoch, 1950-1980; and 4) The Biotechnology and Precision Agriculture Epoch, 1980-2010. The energy budget method was used to measure the energy sustainability of corn production. The findings show that the volume of corn …


Analysis And Forecasting Of Seasonal Changes In Cash Prices For Corn, Wheat, And Oats Grown In South Dakota, Prashobh Karunakaran Jan 1993

Analysis And Forecasting Of Seasonal Changes In Cash Prices For Corn, Wheat, And Oats Grown In South Dakota, Prashobh Karunakaran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall objective of this study is to identify the seasonal patterns in S.D. cash prices (received by farmers) for corn, wheat, and oats. Seasonality in S.D. cash prices may be different from the seasonality in the U.S. cash prices for a commodity. The reasons for this may be differences in the seasonal supply and demand for the commodity and the supply and demand for substitutes. The availability and price of storage and transportation can also have substantial impact on regional commodity price seasonality. Therefore, it is important that the relationship between the seasonal fluctuations in S.D. cash prices and …


A Computerized Planning Model For Small Farms In Southeastern South Dakota, Rodney Gene De Smet Jan 1980

A Computerized Planning Model For Small Farms In Southeastern South Dakota, Rodney Gene De Smet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Structural changes in agriculture resulting in fewer and larger farms carries strong implications for smaller farms. Included in the small farm group are small, low-resource, and part-time farmers, some of which are unable to generate an adequate income due to limited resources. This research study has developed a managerial tool for assisting low-resource farmers in developing optimal farm plans. The planning model is an interaction of familiar components (budgets) with a complex mathematical model (linear progra111T1ing) to provide an efficient analytical tool for use by farmers to aid in their managerial process. This study has placed emphasis upon the development …


An Econometric Analysis Of The Cash Receipts From Crops In South Dakota, Dennis James Senger Jan 1979

An Econometric Analysis Of The Cash Receipts From Crops In South Dakota, Dennis James Senger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is the intent of this research effort to fill a void left in the previous research efforts. This study will not be concerned with how farmers adjust production in response to price or government policies. The attempt will be made to adept single equation regression models to the examination of how the level of prices and supplies affect a major portion of the income farming sector receives, specifically the cash crop receipts. The specific objectives of this study are as follows: 1. To construct an economet5ric model of South Dakota crop receipts. 2. To demonstrate the model’s use as …


Index Numbers Of South Dakota Farm Prices, Leslie Max Brown Jan 1936

Index Numbers Of South Dakota Farm Prices, Leslie Max Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the last generation, index numbers have gradually gone into general use among economists, statisticians, and business men. Because a farmer is a business man, it is important that he know what the trend of farm prices have been in the past and what the current trend is, so that he may anticipate changes which statistical analysis show are taking place in his particular phase of business.The Main objective of this study is to revise the existing South Dakota Farm Price Index. In order to furnish a comparable background for the presentation of these results it was found desirable (1) …


An Analysis Of Crop Production In South Dakota By Types Of Farming Areas, Warren Richards Bailey Jan 1936

An Analysis Of Crop Production In South Dakota By Types Of Farming Areas, Warren Richards Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Farmers choose the crops they grow for two principal users; namely, for feed production or for cash income, or for both feed and cash income. It is true that some crops are grown for cover-crops, soil building, weed competition and a multitude of other miscellaneous purposes, many of them of equal or greater importance in the individual case than the two uses of crops which are the basis for this analysis. Crop production in South Dakota has been discussed since the first records of yields were available. the usual unit for production was the legal bushel of a specified weight.


A Study Of Inequalities In Farm Real Estate Assessment In South Dakota, Norman Victor Strand Jan 1935

A Study Of Inequalities In Farm Real Estate Assessment In South Dakota, Norman Victor Strand

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the few beneficial effects of the recent business depression has been the focusing of an increased amount of attention on taxes and tax systems. Research agencies, tax commissions and citizens tax organizations have given the matter thorough study. As a result of increased knowledge of the widespread havoc caused by excessive taxation of general property, many states which formerly obtained most of their revenue from general property taxes, have resorted to supplementary forms of taxation, such as income taxes, sales taxes, corporation taxes, and others. It is beyond the scope of this paper to consider these sources of …


Reaction To Price Change By South Dakota Farmers, John Gordon Mcneely Jan 1934

Reaction To Price Change By South Dakota Farmers, John Gordon Mcneely

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

South Dakota is one of the newest of the important agricultural states. In 1900, many parts of South Dakota were still in the process of being settled. The increase in the amount of land in crops continued without interruption until the time of the World War. We then find a greater demand for farm products than ever before. Inspired by the double incentive of high prices and helping to win the war, South Dakota and United States agriculture had expanded to unprecedented levels by 1920.