bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Implication of Improved Irrigation Pumping Efficiency for Farmer Profit and Energy Use
Authors: Hardin Daniel C. , Lacewell Ronald D. 
Published: July 2016

Irrigated crop production on the Texas High Plains accounts for more than 80 percent of the value of total crop production in the region. Total economic activity associated with crop production was estimated to be $2.18 billion in 1967 [11]. Because of the importance and contribution of irrigation to the regional economy, any significant adjustments in irrigation create repercussions throughout the region.The price of natural gas within Texas is not subject to interstate regulations. Since 1973, dramatic increases in natural gas price (from $0.50 to more than $2.00/mcf) in the state have caused considerable concern about the economic feasibility of continued irrigation. Research was conducted to estimate the effect of continuing natural gas price increases on irrigation [8].
The Determinants of Food Stamp Program Participation
Authors: Epperson J. E. , Huang C. L. , Fletcher S. M. , Scearce W. K. 
Published: July 2016

The Food Stamp Act of 1964 (with subsequent amendments) charges the U.S. Department of Agriculture with extending the benefits of the program to all households willing and eligible to participate. This duty was reinforced by a federal court ruling in 1975 (Beckel and MacDonald; Bennett et al. vs. Butz et al.).Because of the importance of the Food Stamp Program (FSP), numerous studies have been conducted to gauge its intended effectiveness. Areas of study have included nutritional benefits of the program, impact on food expenditures, identification of ways to improve the rate of program participation, and identification of socioeconomic characteristics that may be important indicators of participation or nonparticipation in the program (for example, see Davis and Neenan; Lane; Neenan and Davis 1977, 1978; Salathe; Scearce et al.; Smith and Rowe; West; USDA, 1976, 1978).
A Model of Weekly Price Discovery for Florida Celery: Reply
Authors: Shonkwiler J. Scott , Pagoulatos Emilio 
Published: July 2016

Nelson Updaw raises several issues concerning our study of weekly price discovery for Florida celery. His comments require some clarification and correction so that his criticisms can be allayed.First, there appears to be some confusion surrounding the intraseasonal (semiweekly) operation of the Florida Celery Exchange and interseasonal acreage allotments. During the time period of our analysis (the 1972–1977 seasons) no marketing allotments were imposed by the Exchange as Updaw suggests; rather, the Exchange practiced only semiweekly price-setting activities, and acreage allotments were applicable on an annual basis only.
Granger Causality and U.S. Crop and Livestock Prices
Authors: Ziemer Rod F. , Collins Glenn S. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractAgricultural economists have recently been attracted to procedures suggested by Granger and others which allow observed data to reveal causal relationships. Results of this study indicate that “causality” tests can be ambiguous in identifying behavioral relationships between agricultural price variables. Caution is suggested when using such procedures for model choice.
Public Environmental Amenity Benefits of Private Land: The Case of Prime Agricultural Land
Authors: Bergstrom John C. , Dillman B. L. , Stoll John R. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractFailure of land markets to account for environmental amenity benefits may lend support to public policies to protect agricultural land. The contingent valuation method is employed to estimate willingness to pay for such amenities in Greenville County, South Carolina. Marginal household amenity benefits were estimated at $.06 per thousand acres using a payment card in a mail survey with 53 percent response. Bid payment vehicle was found not to significantly influence bids received. The informational structure of the contingent market was found to influence valuation responses, reinforcing the hypothesis that respondents react to alternative contingent market structures. The relationship between contingent market structure and directional effects upon responses is an important area for future research.
An Analysis of Market Structure and Pricing in the Florida Celery Industry
Authors: Taylor Timothy G. , Kilmer Richard L. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe pricing behavior of the Florida celery industry under the current federal marketing order was examined by analyzing the implied market structure of the industry using a model proposed by Appelbaum. Point estimates of the oligopoly power index suggest that some degree of price enhancement above that which would be characterized by a perfectly competitive market may have occurred. However, the bulk of statistical evidence suggests that the departure from marginal cost pricing implied by the industry's pricing behavior is not statistically significant.
A Markov Chain Analysis of Pork Farm Size Distributions in the South
Authors: Disney W. Terry , Duffy Patricia A. , Hardy William E. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractConcerns over declining farm numbers, shifts in farm size distribution, and associated infrastructural problems have led to a heightened awareness of structural considerations within policy making circles. Future policy decisions will have substantial structural consequences for the agricultural industry. Often, however, the indirect effects of grain pricing policies on the livestock sector have been overlooked in these policy decisions. The incorporation of price effects into a Markov chain analysis of pork farm size distributions and the simulation of those projections to the year 2000 under various price scenarios should provide some insight into the future structure of livestock farming in the South.
Processor Demand and Price-Markup Functions for Catfish: A Disaggregated Analysis with Implications for the Off-Flavor Problem
Authors: Kinnucan Henry , Sindelar Scott , Wineholt David , Hatch Upton 
Published: July 2016

AbstractOff-flavor in catfish restricts farm marketings 10 to 45% depending on the season. The economic impact on society of this imposed supply restriction depends, in part, on the elasticity of demand for catfish. Econometric estimates based on disaggregated processing plant data indicate an elastic demand at the processor level but an inelastic demand at the farm level. Short-run social welfare gains from the elimination of off-flavor are estimated to equal 12.0% of farm revenues ($10.0 million in 1983). The inelastic demand for catfish at the farm level, however, means that most of the societal gains will accrue to individuals beyond the farm gate. Thus, an economic justification exists for public sector funding of off-flavor research.
The Farm Level Effects of Better Access to Information: The Case of Dart
Authors: Bosch Darrell J. , Lee Katherine L. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractIn this study, two methods of entering and accessing dairy herd records are compared: the traditional mail-in Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) system and the Direct Access to Records by Telephone (DART) system, which provides more timely and convenient access to records. An evaluation of DART was carried out using mail survey responses from 117 DART users and telephone surveys of 40 randomly selected users. Results indicate that DART users are generally satisfied with the system and feel that it improves their herd management. Variations in use of the DART system by DART users are explained by herd, cost, and management variables. DART users and comparable non-DART, DHI users are compared with respect to gains in herd production efficiency. Results indicate that DART users made somewhat better gains in most efficiency measures but that the differences were generally not statistically significant.
Forecasting Cattle Prices in the Presence of Structural Change
Authors: Goodwin Barry K. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractRecent empirical research and developments in the cattle industry suggest several reasons to suspect structural change in economic relationships determining cattle prices. Standard forecasting models may ignore structural change and may produce biased and misleading forecasts. Vector autoregressive (VAR) models that allow parameters to vary with time are used to forecast quarterly cattle prices. The VAR procedures are flexible in that they allow the identification of structural change that begins at ana prioriunknown point and occurs gradually. The results indicate that the lowest RMSE for out-of-sample forecasts of cattle prices is obtained using a gradually switching VAR model. However, differences between the gradually switching VAR model and a univariate ARIMA model are not strongly significant. Impulse response functions indicate that adjustments of cattle prices to new information have become faster in recent years.
An Economic Evaluation of Soybean Stink Bug Control Alternatives for the Southeastern United States
Authors: Chyen David , Wetzstein Michael E. , McPherson Robert M. , Givan William D. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractMethyl parathion or Penncap M (an encapsulated methyl parathion) are used extensively throughout the United States for controlling stink bug pests in soybeans,Glycine Max(L.) Merrill. However, this insecticide is highly toxic to mammals, birds, and non-target arthropods, and thus is less environmentally sound than other insecticides. For environmental and human health considerations, investigating alternative insecticides for control is desired. For this investigation, research based on field experimental data from Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana during the 1988 and 1989 growing seasons were employed. Results indicate that alternative, currently available, and less toxic insecticides may reduce producer costs, increase yield, and improve soybean quality. These alternative insecticides include Scout (tralomethrin), Karate (lambda-cyhalothrin), Orthene (acephate), and Baythroid (cyfluthrin). In terms of improved profits these alternative insecticides may dominate methyl parathion or encapsulated methyl parathion.
Production Relationships in South Central Agriculture
Authors: Poison Rudolph A. , Shumway C. Richard 
Published: July 2016

AbstractOutput supplies and input demands were estimated for each of five South Central states. The model structure in each state was based on prior parametric tests of homothetic separability, and estimates were generally consistent with a competitive, profit-maximizing industry. Considerable diversity among states was evident in selected production relationships. These results further document the non-uniform ways in which producers respond to government farm programs and market information.
The Impacts of Quality on Cash Fed Cattle Prices
Authors: Jones Rodney , Schroeder Ted , Mintert James , Brazle Frank 
Published: July 2016

AbstractQuality factors affecting fed cattle prices were examined during a six-month period in southwestern Kansas. Transaction prices were significantly affected by the percentage of cattle expected to grade choice times the choice-to-select carcass price spread, finish uniformity, average weight, dressing percentage, breed, number of cattle purchased by a single packer on a given day, the packer, the feedyard, the day-of-the-week the cattle were sold, and the number of bids received. Asking prices were significantly affected by many of the same factors. Asking and transaction prices reflected approximately 25 percent of the packer value differentials for expected carcass quality grades.
The Relationship Between Managerial Heuristics and Economics in Pricing Retail Meats
Authors: Reed Michael R. , Robbins Lynn W. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThis study develops a theoretical model of the multiproduct firm which allows for imperfect competition in the output market. Hypotheses are tested for retail meat prices concerning the degree and speed of price transmission, the effects of interfirm competition, and the interrelationship between prices within the store. Empirical results indicated that meat prices within a store were highly interrelated. Further, the firm was found to be very responsive to prices of competitors in the short run, but more responsive to wholesale price changes in the long run.
Southern Farms and Rural Communities: Developing Directions for Economic Development Research and Policy
Authors: Henry Mark S. 
Published: July 2016

The objective of this paper is to give an overview of research policy issues and conceptual analyses for the South for the following economic development questions:1. What are the relationships of southern agriculture to rural areas and communities?2. What trends and adjustments are underway and having an impact on economic development in the region?3. What directions should economic development research take to analyze and understand the current situation?
The Effect of Spatial Variability of Irrigation Applications on Risk-Efficient Strategies
Authors: Bernardo Daniel J. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe effect of irrigation system uniformity on the selection of risk-efficient irrigation strategies is evaluated using crop simulation and stochastic dominance procedures. Alternative strategies are evaluated under assumptions of both uniform and non-uniform application. Results indicate that the variability of net returns resulting from the employment of a specified schedule increases when irrigation uniformity is explicitly represented. Solutions derived using economic efficiency and stochastic dominance criteria indicate that the uniformity with which irrigations are applied contributes to the application of water-intensive irrigation schedules.
Travel Cost Methods for Estimating the Recreational Use Benefits of Artificial Marine Habitat
Authors: Milon J. Walter 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe growing popularity of marine recreational fishing has created considerable interest in artificial marine habitat development to maintain and enhance coastal fishery stocks. This paper provides a comparative evaluation of travel cost methods to estimate recreational use benefits for new habitat site planning. Theoretical concerns about price and quality effects of substitute sites, corner solutions in site choice, and econometric estimation are considered. Results from a case study indicate that benefit estimates are influenced by the way these concerns are addressed, but relatively simple single site models can provide defensible estimates. Practical limitations on data collection and model estimation are also considered.
A Method For Estimating the Value of Water Among Sectors of A Regional Economy
Authors: Henry Mark S. , Bowen Ernie 
Published: July 2016

Recent trends in the southeastern states toward increased use of irrigation in agriculture may be attributed to risk aversion management by farmers in response to recent drought periods. Despite ample annual average rainfall in the Southeast during the growing season, the vicissitudes of rainfall patterns provide sufficient reason to consider irrigation for field crops as well as for vegetables and fruit (Ganguly). Increased use of irrigation additionally results in new demands for water in rural areas.It is also well documented that nonmetropolitan areas are experiencing substantial rates of positive net immigration (Wardell and Gilchrist). In the Southeast, there is a trend for new manufacturing plants to locate in rural areas where wages, taxes, and union activity are at low levels. As growth occurs in these nonmetropolitan regions, industrial, residential, and commercial activities require additional supplies of water.
Economic Homogeneity of Grade Classifications Under the New and Old Feeder Cattle Grading Systems
Authors: Trapp James N. 
Published: July 2016

In 1979, the USDA implemented a new feeder cattle grading system that is distinctly different from the old, both in concept and terminology. Under the old grading system, the traditional grade categories of Prime, Choice, Good, and so on were used. Animals were graded according to their ability to satisfy a number of qualitative characteristics. The new system is based upon a dual criterion of framesize and muscling. Cattle are graded as either having large, medium, or small framesizes and No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3 muscling (thickness).Casual observation of the two grading systems indicates that cattle graded as Choice under the old system will in most cases be classified as Medium Frame, No. 1 Muscled cattle under the new system. Likewise, cattle previously graded as Good will in most cases likely be graded as Medium Frame, No. 2 Muscled animals.
Nutrition and the Economics of Swine Management
Authors: Boland Michael A. , Foster Kenneth A. , Preckel Paul V. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractCurrent methods of formulating animal rations lead to excess nutrient excretion which can potentially lead to excess manure nutrients and an increase in economic costs. These methods do not recognize the impact of diminishing returns. The objective is to simultaneously optimize feed ration composition and replacement. The results, when compared against results from a survey of feed companies, indicate that using a profit maximization rather than live weight growth maximization criterion targets nutrients to an animal's actual needs and, hence, fewer nutrients are excreted and higher returns for producers are obtained.
Models for fossil concentrations: paleobiologic implications
Authors: Kidwell Susan M. 
Published: July 2016

Four basic types of skeletal concentrations are modeled in terms of changes in sedimentation rate alone. The model categorizes fossil concentrations on the relatively objective basis of their bed contacts, and uses this criterion to infer directional shifts in net sedimentation. This radical simplification of accumulation histories, in which hardpart input is held constant, yields a surprisingly powerful model capable of predicting a broad spectrum of taphonomic and paleobiologic phenomena.Type Iconcentrations grade from less fossiliferous sediments and terminate in omission surfaces; if hardpart supply is held constant, they record a slowdown from positive to zero net sedimentation.Type IIconcentrations are the same as Type I but terminate in erosion surfaces (slowdown to negative net sedimentation), andType IIIandIVconcentrations are characterized by basal erosion or omission surfaces, respectively, grade upward into less fossiliferous sediments, and record increases in net sedimentation from negative or zero rates to positive rates. According to the model, samples collected from successive horizons within any of these shell beds will differ in the degree and type of post-mortem bias owing to differing histories of hardpart exposure at the depositional interface. Moreover, because rates of sediment accumulation govern the abundance of hardparts at the depositional interface and thus many of the physical characteristics of the benthic habitat, the dynamics of fossil accumulation have direct consequences for the structure of benthic communities (taphonomic feedback) and for ecologically controlled species morphometry.The model is highly robust to fluctuations in hardpart input, as judged by its ability to correctly infer modes of formation of concentrations in synthetic stratigraphic sections. In addition, field examples of Type I–IV concentrations show independent evidence of formation during intervals of reduced net sedimentation, and many exhibit trends in taphonomic and paleobiologic features expected from the postulated changes in net sedimentation. The model thus provides a testable working hypothesis for the accumulation of fossil material in a wide range of environments, and should be applicable to concentrations of any taxonomic composition, state of preservation, or geologic age. The power and robustness of this heuristic model in fact argue that fossil-rich and fossil-poor strata provide fundamentally different records of past conditions, and that sedimentation rather than hardpart input is the primary control on the nature of the fossil record.
Burrowing sculptures and life habits in Paleozoic lingulacean brachiopods
Authors: Savazzi Enrico 
Published: July 2016

A range of specialized burrowing sculptures evolved convergently in at least one lingulid and in several obolid and lingulasmatid genera. The sculptures inLingula punctata(Ordovician) indicate a burrowing process with the pedicle trailing behind the shell, similar to that of Recent Lingulidae. In the Obolidae and Lingulasmatidae, the orientation of the sculptures indicates a burrowing process with the pedicle oriented downward in the sediment. A burrowing mechanism in which the valves alternated in functioning as anchors, without active participation of the pedicle, is proposed for these forms. Infaunal life habits for several obolid genera are further indicated by the shell morphology and by the distribution of repaired shell damage.The burrowing Obolidae are likely to have been adapted to relatively high-energy environments, which required frequent reburrowing in addition to escape (upward) burrowing. The increase in bioturbation in these environments in the Middle Paleozoic may have contributed to their extinction. The Lingulidae, instead, being mostly adapted to extreme environmental conditions, could survive in marginal niches which were not intensively exploited by actively burrowing organisms.
The origin and early diversification of birds
Authors: Cracraft Joel 
Published: July 2016

Numerical cladistic analysis of 73 cranial and postcranial characters has resulted in a highly corroborated hypothesis describing the phylogenetic pattern of early avian evolution. Using “non-avian theropod” dinosaurs as a comparative outgroup and root for the tree, the analysis confirmedArchaeopteryxto be the sister-group of all remaining avian taxa, or Ornithurae. This latter taxon is subdivided into two lineages, the Hesperornithiformes and the Carinatae. The carinates, in turn, were also resolved into two sister-groups, the Ichthyornithiformes and the modern birds, or Neornithes. This paper provides morphological data corroborating the divergence of the two basal clades of the Neornithes: the Palaeognathae (tinamous and ratites) and Neognathae (all other modern birds). The phylogenetic relationships of four important Cretaceous taxa were also investigated, but these fossil taxa were too fragmentary to determine their phylogenetic position unambiguously.AlexornisandAmbiortusare both carinates, but their relationships cannot be resolved in greater detail. The relationships of the Enantiornithes may lie within the Carinatae or these two taxa may be sister-groups.Gobipteryxis a neornithine and possibly the sister-group of the Palaeognathae.This analysis indicates that major patterns of morphological change took place at the time of origin of the ancestors of the Ornithurae and the Carinatae. Ornithurine innovations included major changes throughout the skeleton, whereas those of the carinates, while substantial, were primarily restricted to the pectoral girdle and forelimb. The phylogenetic results, in conjunction with the known ages of fossil taxa, indicate that the early lineages of birds very likely arose in the Jurassic. The early cladistic events within the neornithine lineage are also more ancient than generally recognized, and may well extend back to the early Cretaceous.