Measurement of the Spin Structure Function GD1 of the Deuteron and Its Moments at Low Q2

Double polarization cross section differences (Δσ ||) for proton and deuteron targets have been measured in the EG4 experiment using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. Longitudinally polarized electron beams at relatively low energies of 1.056, 1.337, 1.989, 2.256 and 3.0 GeV from the CEBAF accelerator were scattered off longitudinally polarized NH3 and ND3 targets. Scattered electrons were recorded at very low scattering angles (down to θ= 6°) with the help of a new dedicated Cherenkov counter and a special magnetic field setting of the CLAS detector in order to measure the cross section differences in the resonance region (1.08 GeV \u3c W \u3c 2.0 GeV) at very low momentum transfers (Q2 for the deuteron was as low as 0.02 GeV2). These measurements on the deuteron were used to extract the deuteron\u27s spin structure function g1 as well as the product A1F1 of the virtual photon asymmetry A1 and the unpolarized structure function F1. These extracted quantities, in turn, were used to evaluate three important integrals for the deuteron - the first moment (Γ 1 of g1, the extended Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn (GDH) integral (ĪTT), and the generalized forward spin polarizability (γ0). These measurements extend and improve the world deuteron data on g1 to the previously unmeasured low Q2 region. The data, in combination with the corresponding proton data from the same experiment, will be valuable to extract g1 on the neutron in the same kinematics. They will shed more light on the nucleon spin structure in the region of quark-confinement as well in the transition region between hadronic and partonic degrees of freedom. In addition, the three integrals evaluated from the measured data are compared to predictions from different Chiral Perturbation Theory (χPT) calculations and phenomenological models. Extrapolations of the integrals (especially the GDH sum and the polarizability) to the real photon point (Q2=0) enable us to test the validity of the predictions for their real photon counterparts. The new results have extended and improved the very low Q2 data on g1 and the corresponding results on moments compare very well with the latest χPT and phenomenological calculations (especially near the photon point)

AN EVALUATION OF AN ECONOMIC STRATEGY FOR PREVENTING WATER POLLUTION USING A PHOSPHORUS CONSISTENT TRANSPORTATION MODEL: A CASE OF BROILER LITTER MANAGEMENT

We calculated the profitability of using broiler litter as a source of plant nutrient using a phosphorus consistent litter application rule. We found that each ton of litter can be transferred cost effectively up to 164 miles from the production facilities. The minimum cost phosphorus consistent transportation model developed to meet the nutrient needs of 29 counties in North Alabama revealed that not all the litter can be utilized in the region. The total cost for nutrient supply increased when transportation of litter from heavily surplus counties were prioritized. The effect of chemical fertilizer price change minimally affected the total litter use.Environmental Economics and Policy,

AN APPLICATION OF THE PHOSPHORUS CONSISTENT RULE FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE COST-EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF BROILER LITTER IN CROP PRODUCTION

We calculated the profitability of using broiler litter as a source of plant nutrients using the phosphorus consistent litter application rule. The cost saving by using litter is 37% over the use of chemical fertilizer alone to meet the nutrient needs of major crops grown in Alabama. In the optimal solution, only a few routes of all the possible routes developed were used for inter- and intra- county litter hauling. If litter is not adopted as the sole source of crop nutrients, the best environmental policy may be to pair the phosphorus consistent rule with taxes, marketable permits, and subsidies.Environmental Economics and Policy, Production Economics,

Maize in Nepal: Production Systems, Constraints, and Priorities for Research

Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Technical efficiency of hybrid maize production in eastern terai of Nepal: A stochastic frontier approach

Maize is the second most important crop after rice in terms of area and production in Nepal. This article analyzes the technical efficiency and its determinants of hybrid maize production in eastern Nepal. Using a randomly selected data from 98 farmers (41 from Morang and 57 from Sunsari) in eastern Nepal, the study employed a stochastic frontier production model to find the production elasticity coefficients of inputs, determinants of efficiency and technical efficiency of hybrid maize farmers. The results showed that maize production responds positively to increase in amount of urea, DAP and the area planted, where as it is negative to seed quantity. The study indicate that farmers are not technically efficient with a mean technical efficiency 79 %. Socioeconomic variable age had a negative and significant while the household size had a positive and significant related to maize output. The younger farmers were observed more technically efficient than older farmers. Larger the members in the household higher the maize production. It is recommended that farmers should increase their fertilizer dose and farm size while they should decrease their seed rate for efficient production

Technical Efficiency of Hybrid Maize Production in Eastern Terai of Nepal: a Stochastic Frontier Approach

Maize is the second most important crop after rice in terms of area and production in Nepal. This article analyzes the technical efficiency and its determinants of hybrid maize production in eastern Nepal. Using a randomly selected data from 98 farmers (41 from Morang and 57 from Sunsari) in eastern Nepal, the study employed a stochastic frontier production model to find the production elasticity coefficients of inputs, determinants of efficiency and technical efficiency of hybrid maize farmers. The results showed that maize production responds positively to increase in amount of urea, DAP and the area planted, where as it is negative to seed quantity. The study indicate that farmers are not technically efficient with a mean technical efficiency 79 %. Socioeconomic variable age had a negative and significant while the household size had a positive and significant related to maize output. The younger farmers were observed more technically efficient than older farmers. Larger the members in the household higher the maize production. It is recommended that farmers should increase their fertilizer dose and farm size while they should decrease their seed rate for efficient production

Returns to Potato Research Investment in Nepal

Agricultural research plays a significant role in increment in productivity and contributes to food security. Very few studies on the impact of public research spending on different sectors and commodities in Nepal has been documented. This study was designed to estimate the adoption lags of improved potato varieties and benefits generated by potato improvement research in Nepal. More specifically, the study answers two basic questions: (i) whether investment in potato research is justifiable? and (ii) how long is it taking to replace old improved varieties? We took public annual potato research investments of Nepal from the Fiscal year 2001 to 2017 from Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC). The household survey was carried out to estimate the potato varieties coverage in Nepal in 2017. Other secondary data were sourced from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agricultural and Livestock Development, FAO stat, Nepal Rastra Bank and NARC to complement the analysis. We have used a simple economic framework to estimate the benefits generated from agricultural research. The estimated benefit and cost streams were used to calculate Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) and Net Present Value (NPV).  Results showed that the majority of the potato researchers had done research related to crop husbandry (seed production and crop managements); while the limited number of researchers had specialized in breeding activities. The annual growth rate of potato productivity was 214.49 kg per annum per ha which had increased at the rate of 1.76 percent per annum compound growth rate. The results revealed that the average weighted age of improved potato varieties was 21.83 years and each NPR. investment on potato research has given 508 NPR. and NPR. 13760 million NPV at a 12 percent discount factor during the last 17 years. Similarly, the contribution of potato research to GDP and AGDP was found 0.323% and 0.989% respectively. Therefore, future investment and focus should be concentrated on potato research and scaling up activities, and reducing variety adoption lag to obtain additional benefits from potato research investment

Photoproduction of the f₂(1270) Meson Using the CLAS Detector

The quark structure of the f2(1270) meson has, for many years, been assumed to be a pure quark-antiquark (qq⁻) resonance with quantum numbers JPC = 2++. Recently, it was proposed that the f2(1270) is a molecular state made from the attractive interaction of two mesons. Such a state would be expected to decay strongly to final states with charged pions due to the dominant decay → π+π-, whereas decay to two neutral pions would likely be suppressed. Here, we measure for the first time the reaction p -\u3e π0π0p, using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer detector at Jefferson Lab for incident beam energies between 3.6 and 5.4 GeV. Differential cross sections, dσ/dt, for f2(1270) photoproduction are extracted with good precision due to low backgrounds and are compared to theoretical calculations

Behavioural science principles for scaling-up zero tillage wheat and maize in the Eastern Terai region of Nepal

Farmers have a set of convictions and tend to do what their forefathers had practiced. By identifying their beliefs and designing appropriate ways of upscaling to convince them of new and improved practices, we can improve the adoption of zero tillage technology for maize and wheat. Small and fragmented landholdings that resulted from the cultural system of distributing land to heirs are diverse in their cropping requirements. Moreover, farmers are risk-averse and do not believe easily in new technologies. Traditional extension approaches have not been effective in upscaling these technologies. A new way of thinking based on behavioural science can provide some insights and guidelines for improving the effectiveness of technology adoption. Understanding farmers' socioeconomic circumstances and their decision-making system at the household and society level can help in designing upscaling approaches. Approaches such as capitalising on social bonding, use of established technology leaders, and use of farmers' organizations can improve adoption. Recommended strategies include encouraging a comprehensive contracting system of service provision, using active community influential local leaders in technology expansion, taking group and social identity approaches in technology extension, and capacity building programs for service providers/operators and farmers to help raise confidence and to remove perceived barriers to technology adoption. &nbsp