While grain crops are meeting much of the initial need for biofuels in the US, cellulosic or second generation (2G) materials are mandated to provide a growing portion of biofuel feedstocks. We ...sought to inform development of a 2G crop portfolio by assessing the profitability of novel cropping systems that potentially mitigate the negative effects of grain-based biofuel crops on food supply and environmental quality. We analyzed farm-gate costs and returns of five systems from an ongoing experiment in central Iowa, USA. The continuous corn cropping system was most profitable under current market conditions, followed by a corn-soybean rotation that incorporated triticale as a 2G cover crop every third year, and a corn-switchgrass system. A novel triticale-hybrid aspen intercropping system had the highest yields over the long term, but could only surpass the profitability of the continuous corn system when biomass prices exceeded foreseeable market values. A triticale/sorghum double cropping system was deemed unviable. We perceive three ways 2G crops could become more cost competitive with grain crops: by (1) boosting yields through substantially greater investment in research and development, (2) increasing demand through substantially greater and sustained investment in new markets, and (3) developing new schemes to compensate farmers for environmental benefits associated with 2G crops.
Importance of size and structure in U.S. agriculture --Farm structure -- Structure of agriculture in an historical context -- Changes in farm size and structure in American agriculture in the ...twentieth century -- Recent changes in size and structure of agriculture -- Production cost-size relationship -- Economies of size -- Empirical studies of size, structure, and efficiency in agriculture -- Why are some farms more successful than others? -- Use of firm-level agricultural data collected and managed at the state level for studying farm size issues -- Micro-level agricultural data collected and managed by the Federal Government -- Technology and its impact on American agriculture -- Government commodity program impacts on farm numbers -- Implications of tax policy for farm structure --Structural implications of agricultural -- Changing food and agribusiness sector -- Structural diversity under risk -- Empirical analysis of tenure patterns and farm structure -- Structure of families and changes in farm organization and structure -- Structural change in farming and its relationship to rural communities
While grain crops are meeting much of the initial need for biofuels in the US, cellulosic or second generation (2G) materials are mandated to provide a growing portion of biofuel feedstocks. We ...sought to inform development of a 2G crop portfolio by assessing the profitability of novel cropping systems that potentially mitigate the negative effects of grain-based biofuel crops on food supply and environmental quality. We analyzed farm-gate costs and returns of five systems from an ongoing experiment in central Iowa, USA. The continuous corn cropping system was most profitable under current market conditions, followed by a corn–soybean rotation that incorporated triticale as a 2G cover crop every third year, and a corn–switchgrass system. A novel triticale–hybrid aspen intercropping system had the highest yields over the long term, but could only surpass the profitability of the continuous corn system when biomass prices exceeded foreseeable market values. A triticale/sorghum double cropping system was deemed unviable. We perceive three ways 2G crops could become more cost competitive with grain crops: by (1) boosting yields through substantially greater investment in research and development, (2) increasing demand through substantially greater and sustained investment in new markets, and (3) developing new schemes to compensate farmers for environmental benefits associated with 2G crops.
Hallam offers his views on graduate education in economics. He examines the structure of graduate programs and offers some suggestions on improving graudate training.
Double-cropping sorghum Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench with winter rye (Secale cereale L.) could increase annual dry matter production in the North-Central region of the USA and reduce soil erosion and ...other environmental concerns. We conducted this study to compare yield, chemical composition, erosion potential, and economics of sorghum grown continuously (sole crop), in a 3-yr rotation with maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr., or double-cropped with winter rye (rye-sorghum). The experiment was on a Typic Calciaquoll soil in central Iowa with a slope of less than 1% and on mixed Vertic Argiaquoll, Typic Hapludoll, and Aquertic Argiudoll soils in southern Iowa with 2 to 7% slope. Applied N moderately affected sole-cropped sorghum, with yields of 13.5, 16.1, 16.9. and 15.9 t ha-1 when fertilized with 0, 70, 140, and 280 kg ha-1 N, respectively. Rye-sorghum was highly responsive to N, with combined yields at 72, 84, 95, and 110% of sole-cropped sorghum fertilized with the same annual rate of N. Drought dramatically reduced rye-sorghum yields. Sole-cropped sweet sorghum had yields similar to sweet sorghum grown in the 3-yr rotation. Environmental conditions associated with years and locations affected fiber components, N, and total nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations of sorghum. Use of the Universal Soil Loss Equation revealed that planting rye before sorghum would reduce estimated soil loss at both locations, but the loss was still unacceptably high on the sloping soil in southern Iowa (22 t ha-1). An economic partial budget showed that rye-sorghum cost $147 ha-1 more to produce than sole-cropped sorghum. We conclude that, if winter rye is to be grown as a double crop with sorghum in the North-Central region, it will likely be because of its positive influence on the environment and not because of potential for improved yield.
Empirical studies of economies of size in agriculture have generally found the cost curve to be “L”-shaped. Changes in the structure of agriculture over time are not necessarily consistent with this ...cost structure. These differences can be reconciled by appeal to external, non-size factors, and to difficulties in correctly measuring size economies. In addition to size economies, important factors affecting the size structure of agriculture include pecuniary economies at the firm and industry level, technical change, management and information, values and goals, and opportunity costs outside the agricultural sector. Size economies may be incorrectly measured due to poor data, misspecified technologies, unrealistic assumptions, and aggregation error.
Human toxoplasmosis is an infection that has multiple sources: consumption of pork and lamb, water, and handling cat litter and garden soil. While some are, many are not related to livestock ...production methods. Therefore, there are weak market signals to farmers to change pig production systems, even when there are clear data indicating that pig confinement systems significantly lower the probability of pork being contaminated with the parasite,
Toxoplasma gondii. We investigated cost differences for pig production systems. While confinement buildings are more expensive, these costs are offset by the greater feed and bedding costs in non-confinement production. There is a “slight cost advantage” of $0.31 per hundred weight for pigs produced in a confinement system.
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