CONFINED ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND MANURE NUTRIENTS

Using data from the Census of Agriculture on animal inventory and sales, we estimate manure nutrient production on farms with confined livestock. Using reported on-farm production of crops on these same farms, we estimate the nutrient uptake for major field crops and pastureland. This enables us to examine the balance between manure nutrient production and nutrient need measured by crop uptake at a farm level. Examination at alternative spatial scales, shows that 75 percent of counties in the U.S. have farms that produce more manure nutrients than can be assimilated on the farm of production (excess nitrogen).The vast majority of the counties that produce excess nitrogen have adequate land in the county to spread the manure at agronomic rates. Thus, proposed policies that focus on land application have the potential to limit manure nutrient movement to waterways in most areas, if properly managed. However, moving manure to crop farms that formerly had not used manure will increase costs. There were about 5 percent of counties where the manure nitrogen production levels from confined animal production exceeded half the nitrogen assimilative capacity of all the cropland and pastureland in the county. These areas have the greatest need for mechanisms to encourage off-farm solutions to utilize manure as a feedstock for commercial enterprises or central processing.Livestock Production/Industries,

CONFINED ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND MANURE NUTRIENTS

Census of agriculture data were used to estimate manure nutrient production and the capacity of cropland and pastureland to assimilate nutrients. Most farms (78 percent for nitrogen and 69 percent for phosphorus) have adequate land on which it is physically feasible to apply the manure produced onfarm at agronomic rates. (The costs of applying manure at these rates have not been assessed). Even so, manure that is produced on operations that cannot fully apply it to their own land at agronomic rates accounts for 60 percent of the Nation's manure nitrogen and 70 percent of the manure phosphorus. In these cases, most counties with farms that produce "excess" nutrients have adequate crop acres not associated with animal operations, but within the county, on which it is feasible to spread the manure at agronomic rates. However, barriers to moving manure to other farms need to be studied. About 20 percent of the Nation's onfarm excess manure nitrogen is produced in counties that have insufficient cropland for its application at agronomic rates (23 percent for phosphorus). For areas without adequate land, alternatives to local land application-such as energy production-will need to be developed.Manure, nutrients, manure nutrients, animal waste, confined livestock, confined animal feeding operation, CAFO, feedlot beef, dairy cows, swine, poultry, animal unit, manure nitrogen, manure phosphorus, water quality, Livestock Production/Industries,

CO-DEVELOPMENT OF COASTAL RESOURCES: OIL vs. MARICULTURE

Leasing coastal areas so as to develop a single resource is wasteful and often leads to conflicts. Some uses impose negative externalities on other resource-dependent uses, but such externalities should not preclude co-development a priori. This paper describes a theoretical economic model of joint development for energy resources and mariculture showing the scientific data necessary so as to determine the optimal output for each activity in every location and to choose the optimal lease boundaries. Copyright 1991 Western Economic Association International.

The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the USA

Ten years after the first generation of genetically engineered (GE) varieties became commercially available, adoption of these varieties by U.S. farmers is widespread for major crops. Driven by farmers' expectations of higher yields, savings in management time, and lower pesticide costs, the adoption of corn, soybean, and cotton GE varieties has increased rapidly. Despite the benefits, however, environmental and consumer concerns may have limited acceptance of GE crops, particularly in Europe. This report focuses on GE crops and their adoption in the United States over the past 10 years. It examines the three major stakeholders of agricultural biotechnology and finds that (1) the pace of R&D activity by producers of GE seed (the seed firms and technology providers) has been rapid, (2) farmers have adopted some GE varieties widely and at a rapid rate and benefited from such adoption, and (3) the level of consumer concerns about foods that contain GE ingredients varies by country, with European consumers being most concerned

The First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops in the USA

Ten years after the first generation of genetically engineered (GE) varieties became commercially available, adoption of these varieties by U.S. farmers is widespread for major crops. Driven by farmers' expectations of higher yields, savings in management time, and lower pesticide costs, the adoption of corn, soybean, and cotton GE varieties has increased rapidly. Despite the benefits, however, environmental and consumer concerns may have limited acceptance of GE crops, particularly in Europe. This report focuses on GE crops and their adoption in the United States over the past 10 years. It examines the three major stakeholders of agricultural biotechnology and finds that (1) the pace of R&D activity by producers of GE seed (the seed firms and technology providers) has been rapid, (2) farmers have adopted some GE varieties widely and at a rapid rate and benefited from such adoption, and (3) the level of consumer concerns about foods that contain GE ingredients varies by country, with European consumers being most concerned.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Transboundary water management Game-theoretic lessons for projects on the US-Mexico border*

Of the twelve million people who live within 100 km of the US-Mexico border, 90 percent are clustered in trans boundary sister cities that share common water sources and pollution problems. New institutions created to address environmental concerns over NAFTA offer the promise of greater financial and technical assistance for water management in border cities. This paper reviews US-Mexico border water issues and institutions. Using insights from game theory, it draws policy lessons for institutions funding border water projects. We examine how the design of assistance programs, technical support, and pre-existing water rights and regulations affect project outcomes. The diversity and geographic dispersion of water conflicts suggests potential for applying the interconnected game approach to US-Mexico water negotiations. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved