Estimation of Technical Efficiency on Wheat Farms in Northern India - A Panel Data Analysis

In this paper an attempt has been made to estimate farm level technical inefficiency on wheat farms in Haryana State, India. This paper applies stochastic frontier production function for wheat farmers using unbalanced panel data for three years from 1996-97 to 1998-99. The farm level panel data was collected from 200 farmers spread over in each year forming 592 total observations. The frontier function involves inputs such as human labour, fertilizers, irrigation expenditure, seeds, land area and capital expenditure. All the estimates have expected signs. The results showed that the null hypothesis of absence of technical inefficiency effects was rejected indicating that the traditional average response function was not an adequate representation of the data given the specification of stochastic frontier model. The farm specific technical efficiencies estimated were observed to be time varying. The technical efficiency showed wide variation across sample farms ranging from 0.4346 to 0.9598 in the 3rd year of the study period. The mean technical efficiency was found to deteriorate through the years in wheat production. It declined from 0.9172 in 1st year to 0.9025 in 3rd year. The mean technical efficiency indicates that the realized output could be increased by about 10 percent without any additional resources. More than 2/3rd of total sample farmers had technical efficiency above 0.90. Various socioeconomic and technological factors may be responsible for the observed inefficiency and further rise in inefficiency in wheat production. Because of lack of information/data on these factors, this aspect has not been studied in the present paper, which could have provided an insight into the factors for policy framework.Crop Production/Industries,

Demand Versus Supply of Foodgrains in India: Implications to Food Security

The present paper addresses the issues namely (i) the present food supply and the trend for future, (ii) shift in food consumption pattern over years and (iii) food demand projection for the next three decades in the context of food security. The analysis reveals that increase in cereal production (mainly rice and wheat) but decline in the percentage share of coarse grains and pulses in total foodgrains production is witnessed since 1960s. India’s total foodgrain production has increased at an annual growth rate of 2.68 per cent since 1960-61. The increase in foodgrain production is mainly due to increase in yield (growth rate being 2.44 per cent as against growth rate of area being 0.17 per cent per annum during 1960-61 to 1998-99). To project the future foodgrains supply, past growth trend has been extrapolated. Based on this assumption, the foodgrain supply is expected to be about 245, 291 and 342 million tonnes by 2010, 2020 and 2030 AD, respectively. Shift in consumption pattern and future demand for food is analyzed for both rural and urban India. Per capita cereal consumption exhibited a declining trend over years in both rural and urban India. This decline is larger in rural India (12.19 %) than in urban India (5.43%) during the period under study. Increase in per capita income and urbanization has led to changes in the composition of the food basket, with consumers moving from coarse cereals to superior cereals (rice and wheat). The allocation of monthly per capita expenditure on food items showed structural shift in dietary pattern in favour of non-cereal food items such as fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, eggs and fish in both the areas. Future food demand is also projected which is based on factors such as growth in population, growth in per capita income, urbanization and consumption behaviour. For projecting population, it is assumed that the growth in population will decline by 0.05 per cent per year in future and urbanization will increase by 0.3 per cent per annum. However, production at the assumed growth rate may not increase in future because the past production growth factors in future may not work well in future also. Hence, in the absence of favorable past growth factors, the food supply to match the demand in future may be a matter of great concern for food security. To meet the demand, the increased production will have to be brought about mainly through increases in productivity as the possibility of area expansion is very minimal.Food Security and Poverty, Productivity Analysis,

Optical Coefficients and PL Spectra with Variation in Ga-content in GaSeTe Thin Films: Visible Spectrum

The optical properties (transmission and emission) for Ga[x]Se[85 – x]Te[15](x = 0, 2, 6, 10, 15) semiconductor were studied using UV Visible spectra and PL Spectra of thermally evaporated thin films. Optical band gap is found to be decreasing with increased Ga-content in the compositions. Increase in refractive index, dielectric constants and absorption coefficient is observed in the wavelength region 550-850 nm.The fall in the optical band gap is explained with chemical bond approach and electro negativity. The increase in refractive index (n) is interpreted in association to the mean coordination number and cohesive energy. Direct band gap is found to be allowed in these thin films

Optimal Sizing of Waste Heat Recovery Systems for Dynamic Engine Conditions

In this study, a methodology for optimal sizing of waste heat recovery (WHR) systems is presented. It deals with dynamic engine conditions. This study focuses on Euro-VI truck applications with a mechanically coupled Organic Rankine Cycle-based WHR system. An alternating optimization architecture is developed for optimal system sizing and control of the WHR system. The sizing problem is formulated as a fuel consumption and system cost optimization problem using a newly developed, scalable WHR system model. Constraints related to safe WHR operation and system mass are included in this methodology. The components scaled in this study are the expander and the EGR and exhaust gas evaporators. The WHR system size is optimized over a hot World Harmonized Transient Cycle (WHTC), which consists of urban, rural and highway driving conditions. The optimal component sizes are found to vary for these different driving conditions. By implementing a switching model predictive control (MPC) strategy on the optimally sized WHR system, its performance is validated. The net fuel consumption is found to be reduced by 1.1% as compared to the originally sized WHR system over the total WHTC

Analysis of Hysteresis Loops of 316L(N) Stainless Steel under Low Cycle Fatigue Loading Conditions

AbstractLow cycle fatigue tests were carried out on 316 L(N) stainless steel at room temperature employing strain amplitudes ranging from ± 0.3 to ±1.0% and a strain rate of 3×10−3s−1. The material showed initial hardening for a few cycles followed by prolonged softening, saturation and final failure. The fatigue life was found to decrease with increase in strain amplitude. The analysis of stable hysteresis loops showed non-Masing behaviour for this material. The elasto-plastic response of the material under cyclic loading was characterized taking into account isotropic and kinematic hardening occurring during cycling. The material parameters were obtained from the experimental hysteresis loops and cyclic stress response of the material. Finite element analysis of elasto-plastic deformation was carried out to obtain the stabilized hysteresis loop and cyclic stress response of the material. The predicted hysteresis loops showed good agreement with experimental results. The low cycle fatigue life prediction was carried out based on plastic strain energy dissipation with cycling

Quantum walk on distinguishable non-interacting many-particles and indistinguishable two-particle

We present an investigation of many-particle quantum walks in systems of non-interacting distinguishable particles. Along with a redistribution of the many-particle density profile we show that the collective evolution of the many-particle system resembles the single-particle quantum walk evolution when the number of steps is greater than the number of particles in the system. For non-uniform initial states we show that the quantum walks can be effectively used to separate the basis states of the particle in position space and grouping like state together. We also discuss a two-particle quantum walk on a two- dimensional lattice and demonstrate an evolution leading to the localization of both particles at the center of the lattice. Finally we discuss the outcome of a quantum walk of two indistinguishable particles interacting at some point during the evolution.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, To appear in special issue: "quantum walks" to be published in Quantum Information Processin

Seller’s optimal credit period and replenishment time in a supply chain with up-stream and down-stream trade credits

[[abstract]]In practice, a supplier often offers its retailers a permissible delay period M to settle their unpaid accounts. Likewise, a retailer in turn offers another trade credit period N to its customers. The benefits of trade credit are not only to attract new buyers who consider it a type of price reduction, but also to provide a competitive strategy other than introduce permanent price reductions. On the other hand, the policy of granting credit terms adds an additional cost to the seller as well as an additional dimension of default risk. In this paper, we first incorporate the fact that trade credit has a positive impact on demand but negative impacts on costs and default risks to establish an economic order quantity model for the seller in a supply chain with up-stream and down-stream trade credits. Then we derive the necessary and sufficient conditions to obtain the optimal replenishment time and credit period for the seller. Finally, we use some numerical examples to illustrate the theoretical results.[[incitationindex]]SCI[[booktype]]電子