MOVING FROM UNIFORM TO VARIABLE FERTILIZER RATES ON IOWA CORN: EFFECTS ON RATES AND RETURNS

This study develops a model based on the yield potential of various soil types in 12 Iowa counties to estimate the potential value of switching from uniform to variable fertilizer rates. Results indicate modest increases in the gross returns over fertilizer costs, ranging from $7.43 to$1.52 per acre. The net profitability of variable-rate technology (VRT) is sensitive to the per acre costs of moving to a VRT program. Under the assumptions of the model, applying variable rates would increase yield by 0.05 to 0.5 bushels per acre, and would reduce fertilizer costs by $1.19 to$6.83 per acre.Crop Production/Industries,

Documentation of Knox County school system end-of-course test development for automated accounting/spreadsheets

The purpose of this study was to document the development of a system-wide end-of-course test for Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets in Knox County, Tennessee. The high school end-of-course test is a 90-minute, written assessment that evaluates the desired course objectives. The Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets end-of-course test was developed by a team of local business education teachers who have the responsibility of teaching this course within their respective high schools. The major findings of the study were as follows: (a) system-wide end-of-course testing in the Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets course targets providing teachers, students, and the public with timely, valid, and reliable information regarding student mastery of the curriculum; (b) the federal, state, and local guidelines, procedures, and timelines direct the collaborative efforts of the Test Development Team responsible for the design and creation of an evaluation tool congruent with national and state standards; ( c) the Tennessee standards and competencies addressed in the teaching of the Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets course included seven standards with a range of 2 to 7 sub-standards each for Automated Accounting and six standards with a range of 1 to 7 sub-standards each for Spreadsheet Applications. One standard appears redundantly in both the Automated Accounting and in the Spreadsheet Applications portions of the composite course; standard seven of Automated Accounting and standard six of Spreadsheet Applications pertains to student demonstration of organizational and professional leadership skills; ( d) six major procedural steps comprise competency test development, namely, (Step 1) Determine Competency Test Objectives; (Step 2) Choose Format of the Test Questions; (Step 3) Devise Test and Item Specifications; (Step 4) Write the Test Questions; (Step 5) Review, Evaluate, and Amend the Test Questions; and (Step 6) Conduct Pilot Testing Sessions; (e) the 10 local school system teacher practitioners/subject matter experts responsible for Knox County\u27s Automated Accounting/Spreadsheets course competency test development were chosen because of their knowledge in teaching this course within their respective high schools. A by-product of this study is the aforementioned six procedural steps that make-up competency test development. The six steps represent a systems approach reflective of the input, process, output, feedback, and control processes that are conducive to replication

Integrating spirituality into the counseling session : facilitating positive changes

Spirituality and religion can be very important and influential aspects of an individual\u27s life, however the counseling process seems to lack a framework that addresses these two important areas. Although the literature continues to grow, this topic seems to lack a sense of congruence between therapeutic approaches and integrating spirituality and religion into this approach. This paper briefly examines some of the existing literature on this integration and also incorporates some personal view points. It is hoped that the reader will, at the very least, begin to get a sense of importance in regards to his/her own spirituality and religion and also get a sense of the importance it can play in the lives of those who seek counseling. Ultimately, this awareness will further motivate current and future counselors to further investigate and develop ways to integrate spirituality and religion into his/her own style of the counseling process

The Economics of Spruce Budworm Outbreaks in the Lake States: An Overview

Economic effects of spruce budworm outbreaks in the Lake States were examined. The recent outbreak caused spruce and fir mortality on 420 thousand ha (I.OS million acres) of commercial forest land in the Lake States. Two models of Lake States spruce-fir markets were developed. A Static Economic Model established the nature of the Lake States spruce-fir market and a Comparative Static Model examined changes brought about by spruce budworm outbreaks. Outbreaks result in short-run supply shifts which probably decrease total revenue to stumpage owners but do not affect demand. The magnitude of long-run impacts were dependent on developing Lake States markets and forest management techniques. Further research is necessary on the value of short-run losses to stumpage owners so that the costs of forest management can be compared with outbreak losses. Long-run shifts in demand can be facilitated by attracting new industry to the area, developing new markets for the spruce-fir resource, and demonstrating that the spruce-fir resource can provide a continuous fiber source in the future. These shifts would provide the price incentives that land managers require to undertake intensive forest management. Research on the development of new markets for the spruce-fir resource is needed. As markets develop, the long-run impacts become less severe. Technology transfer programs already exist to aid land managers in developing management strategies to increase yields of spruce-fir and minimize outbreak impact

Plant chlorophyll content meter

A plant chlorophyll content meter is described which collects light reflected from a target plant and separates the collected light into two different wavelength bands. These wavelength bands, or channels, are described as having center wavelengths of 700 nm and 840 nm. The light collected in these two channels are processed using photo detectors and amplifiers. An analog to digital converter is described which provides a digital representation of the level of light collected by the lens and falling within the two channels. A controller provided in the meter device compares the level of light reflected from a target plant with a level of light detected from a light source, such as light reflected by a target having 100% reflectance, or transmitted through a diffusion receptor. The percent of reflection in the two separate wavelength bands from a target plant are compared to provide a ratio which indicates a relative level of plant physiological stress. A method of compensating for electronic drift is described where a sample is taken when a collection lens is covered to prevent light from entering the device. This compensation method allows for a more accurate reading by reducing error contributions due to electronic drift from environmental conditions at the location where a hand-held unit is used

Efficiency of Sequestering Carbon in Agricultural Soils (The)

Agricultural tillage practices are important human-induced activities that can alter carbon emissions from agricultural soils and have the potential to contribute significantly to reductions in greenhouse gas emission (Lal et al., 1998). This research investigates the expected costs of sequestering carbon in agricultural soils under different subsidy and market-based policies. Using detailed National Resources Inventory data, we estimate the probability that farmers adopt conservation tillage practices based on a variety of exogenous characteristics and profit from conventional practices. These estimates are used with physical models of carbon sequestration to estimate the subsidy costs of achieving increased carbon sequestration with alternative subsidy schemes.

Relative efficiency of sequestering carbon in agricultural soils through second best instruments

The total expected cost of sequestering carbon in agricultural soils is estimated under different government-based and market-based policies. A possible government-based EQIP programme offering a per-acre subsidy to adopt conservation tillage and a market-based carbon credit programme where producers are given carbon credits to sell in an external market are examined. It was shown that by varying the distribution of carbon credits given to producers, a market-based carbon credit programme can be equivalent to any type of government-based EQIP subsidy programme. The relative efficiency of programmes consisting of a single subsidy or carbon credit is then discussed

Disciplinary Links Between Scientific Management and Strategy Development

We investigate the incidence of links between the historical discipline of scientific management and the modern study of strategy development. Despite a century’s separation, these two disciplines share noticeable commonality in their trajectories and their approach to management. We conducted a forward search of the impact of scientific management, finding influences on accounting, human resource management, and the creation of the modern MBA. We then conducted a backward search of the roots of strategy development, including a novel directed reference tree search by citation count. We find overlap between these two searches in organization theory, operations research, and industrial psychology. Further, we identify disciplinary oscillation between quantitative process studies and context-based ethnographic research in the study of management questions

RELATIVE EFFICIENCY OF SEQUESTERING CARBON IN AGRICULTURAL SOILS THROUGH SECOND BEST MARKET-BASED INSTRUMENTS

The total expected cost of sequestering carbon in agricultural soils is estimated under a possible EQIP program offering a per-acre subsidy to adopt conservation tillage and a carbon credit program where producers can sell their carbon credit in an external market. Both programs are compared to the minimum cost solution.Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Bottom water variability in the Samoa Passage

The Samoa Passage (near 10S, 170W) is the channel through which the coldest, saltiest, densest bottom water approaches the North Pacific Ocean from its southern source. Over the past 25 years, three hydrographic sections have been made across the passage. A section occupied in 1968 shows little sign of modified North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) within the northward flowing Lower Circumpolar Water (LCPW). In contrast, a section occupied in 1987 shows a strong negative curvature in -S (potential temperature-salinity) and a local maximum in salinity characteristic of NADW. A third section occupied in 1992 reveals a marginal NADW signature. The three sections are objectively mapped and very fine-scale bivariate areal -S censuses are made for a quantitative comparison of differences in water-mass structure. The strength of the NADW signature could fluctuate over a wide range of time-scales. However, these data are consistent with decadal variability, with no NADW signal in the passage in 1968, a strong signal in 1987, and a weak one in 1992. The geostrophic volume transport through the passage is 1.0 ± 0.2, 5.6 ± 1.3, and 4.8 ± 0.6 × 106 m3•s−1 below a zero-velocity surface (ZVS) of = 1.2°C for the 1968, 1987, and 1992 sections respectively. The transport estimates, made for comparison with those from velocity data presently being collected by a current meter array in the passage, are sensitive to variations in the choice of ZVS