USDA report on water and related land resources, Powder Drainage Basin, Oregon : based on a cooperative survey by the State Water Resources Board of Oregon and the United States Department of Agriculture : report

This report presents information concerning the water and related land resources of the Powder Drainage Basin. Its purpose is (1) to provide information on the past and present uses of water and related land resources; (2) to supply the production data from the use of these resources; (3) to assess the magnitude of water-related problems such as erosion, flooding, and drainage; (4) to indicate the probable direction of future use of water and land for agriculture and forestry in comparison to competing uses; and (5) to outline a general program for water and land resource management as a background for future detailed study and planning

Energy and Climate Implications for Agricultural Nutrient Use Efficiency

Energy and climate change are beginning to dominate the global political agenda and will drive policy formation that will shape the future of agriculture. Energy issues threaten national security and economic stability, as well as access to low-cost nutrient inputs for agriculture. Climate change has the potential to cause serious disruption to agricultural productivity. Paradoxically, nutrient use in agriculture to increase crop yields has the potential to negatively impact climate. This chapter will discuss recent and future energy and climate trends, the relationships between agricultural nutrient use efficiency and biofuels, and how global land limitations will shape agriculture in the future. Comparative gross energy yield and nitrogen use efficiency for ethanol production from crop residue, switchgrass, grain sorghum, sweet sorghum, and corn grain is presented, showing small differences in nitrogen use efficiency, but large differences in gross energy yields. In addition to considering the need to increase crop productivity to meet the demands of a growing population and bioenergy, agricultural nutrient use efficiency must be reconsidered with respect to the important energy and climate challenges shaping agriculture today

Patent characteristics and patent ownership change in agricultural biotechnology

We examine the effect of various patent characteristics on changes in patent ownership that occurred due to mergers, acquisitions, and spin-offs in the agricultural biotechnology industry in the 1980s and 1990s. Our goal is to shed light on the role that certain patent qualities may play in the transfer of knowledge and technology that takes place through merger and acquisition activity. Specifically, we empirically measure the effect of patent value, scope/breadth, strength, and the nationality of the patent owner on the occurrence and frequency of patent ownership change in the agricultural biotechnology sector during the 1980s and 1990s. We find that the greater is the patent breadth and the less valuable and 'weaker' is the patent, the greater is the likelihood and the frequency of patent ownership change. Also, the nature of patent ownership affects patent ownership change, with patents owned by multiple owners of different nationalities most likely to change hands

Impacts of Declining U.S. Retail Beef Demand on Farm-Level Beef Prices and Production

A systems model was estimated to determine the effects of declining U.S. retail beef demand on farm-level beef prices and production. Retail beef demand declined by nearly 66% from 1976 to 1999. Results indicate autonomous shifts in retail demand significantly impacted farm-level demands and production. Based on equilibrium multipliers, the 1976–99 reduction in beef demand decreased real slaughter cattle prices and production by 32.1% and 11.2%, respectively. Real feeder cattle prices and production decreased by 8.0% and 22.6%, respectively. Combining the decreases in farm prices and production, slaughter and feeder cattle producers experienced a real revenue reduction of $13.3 billion (61%) due to the long-term decline in demand. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.

Water and Related Land Resources, Humboldt River Basin, Nevada

Excerpts from the report: The Humboldt River Basin is situated in north-central Nevada, in the Great Basin section of the Basin and Range physiographic province. The basin comprises an area of about 17,000 square miles, or about 15 percent of the State. About two-thirds of the Humboldt Basin are in Federal ownership, and one-third in private. The Bureau of Land Management administers 6,405,000 acres, or 59 percent of the land within the basin. The Forest Service administers 701,000 acres, or about 6.4 percent. Responsibility for the remainder of the Federal land is lodged with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Bureau of Reclamation controls 102,900 acres, and approximately 21,600 acres are held in trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for various Indian tribes and colonies. Historically and currently, the use of water in the Humboldt Basin is for agricultural purposes, and the outlook at this time is for agriculture and recreation to share dominance as the principal water-using industries. Development in most of the basin has reached a stage where further expansion and stabilization of the agricultural industry is dependent upon more efficient utilization of water, and the development of salvaged or new water supplies. The State of Nevada recognized the need for a systematic survey of water and related land resource conditions and problems in the Humboldt River Basin. It was felt that such a survey would develop information for the coordination of programs and projects in the basin. This report is a basinwide summary of information from a cooperative survey of the Humboldt River Basin by the Nevada State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The summary is based on 11 sub-basin reports which were prepared concerning water and related land resources for the people of Nevada, and particularly for the people of the Humboldt River Basin