Fertilizer production functions for corn and oats; Including an analysis of irrigated and residual response

This study includes predictions of fertilizer production functions for four experiments. The experiments on Clarion and McPaul soils contain predictions of total and marginal yields, isoquants and marginal rates of substitution, isoclines and economic optima. Similar analyses for the other two experiments, conducted on Carrington soil during successive growing seasons, were not warranted because insufficient rainfall limited yield responses. The experiments included in this study were based on partially replicated factorial designs. The experiment with corn on Clarion silt loam in 1954 included nitrogen, phosphorus and potash as variable nutrients. The production function, isoquants and isoclines are represented by equations a, b, c, d, e, f and g. In these equations (and equations listed below), N, P and K denote the pounds per acre of nitrogen, P2O5 and K20, respectively. Isoquant and isocline equations were derived for each pair of nutrients. Hence, there are three of each of these equations. The α in the isocline equations represents a constant price or substitution ratio

Production surfaces and economic optima for corn yields with respect to stand and nitrogen levels

This study presents production functions for three experiments on corn in Iowa. It is fourth in a series of studies designed to derive corn response surfaces, yield isoquants and economic optima in fertilizer use.:! It differs from previous studies in that, for the first time, stand (plant population) is included as a variable input along with a plant nutrient (nitrogen). The analysis permits estimation of yield response to stand and to nitrogen as well as to the interaction between stand and nitrogen. Knowledge of this type is relevant, not only for farm recommendations, but also for improved planning of fertilization experiments. The first experiment reported involved stand levels on Shelby loam and was conducted in Ringgold County in 1956. The other two experiments reported were conducted in 1953, with variable stand and nitrogen levels on Marshall and Seymour silt loams, respectively, and were located in Fremont and Wayne counties.3 Each of these experiments included an early and an adapted variety of corn (Iowa 4297 or Iowa 4397 and A.E.S. 801, respectively)

Beef-cattle production functions in forage utilization

Little information has existed on substitution rates between pasture forages and corn in a beef-fattening enterprise. Without this knowledge it is difficult to determine which combinations of pasture forage and com would maximize profits. Profits in feeding depend not only on the cost of feed but also on the time of marketing. The pasture forage-corn ration that minimizes costs may not necessarily be the ration that maximizes profits, since profits are affected by the time of marketing. Both the quality and the price of beef are subject to change during the beef-fattening period. Consequently, the beef-cattle feeder is confronted with the problem of selecting (a) the least-cost pasture forage-corn ration (b) that will place the beef cattle on the market finished to a grade (c) at the time when the expected market price will maximize profits. A beef-feeding experiment was designed to determine the feed relationships between soilage (fresh-chopped pasture forage) and com. It was conducted at two locations over a period of 3 years -1957, 1958 and 1959. Six different soilage-corn rations, ranging from all soilage to 2 parts soilage and 1 part corn, were fed to different lots of feeder steers at each location. The rations at each location were also fortified with a feed supplement. Stilbestrol was included in the rations at one of the locations. The results of this feeding experiment are based on the performance of 336 head of good-to-choice feeder steers

Critical Casimir effect and wetting by helium mixtures

We have measured the contact angle of the interface of phase-separated $^{3}$He-$^{4}$He mixtures against a sapphire window. We have found that this angle is finite and does not tend to zero when the temperature approaches $T_t$, the temperature of the tri-critical point. On the contrary, it increases with temperature. This behavior is a remarkable exception to what is generally observed near critical points, i.e. "critical point wetting''. We propose that it is a consequence of the "critical Casimir effect'' which leads to an effective attraction of the $^{3}$He-$^{4}$He interface by the sapphire near $T_{t}$.Comment: submitted july 13 (2002), published march 20 (2003

Estimating Small Area Income Deprivation: An Iterative Proportional Fitting Approach

Small area estimation and in particular the estimation of small area income deprivation has potential value in the development of new or alternative components of multiple deprivation indices. These new approaches enable the development of income distribution threshold based as opposed to benefit count based measures of income deprivation and so enable the alignment of regional and national measures such as the Households Below Average Income with small area measures. This paper briefly reviews a number of approaches to small area estimation before describing in some detail an iterative proportional fitting based spatial microsimulation approach. This approach is then applied to the estimation of small area HBAI rates at the small area level in Wales in 2003-5. The paper discusses the results of this approach, contrasts them with contemporary ‘official’ income deprivation measures for the same areas and describes a range of ways to assess the robustness of the results

Economics of some soil conservation practices

In applying conservation and fertility improvement plans, farmers have a choice between alternative combinations of land use, fertilizer applications and erosion control practices. Within limits, they may choose between different rotations and different fertilizer applications combined with different erosion control practices and still farm the land in accordance with the soil capabilities. While land use in accordance with soil capabilities and appropriate fertilization is basic to soil conservation, these measures need to be supplemented by supporting conservation practices such as contouring, sod waterways, mulching, drainage, flumes, etc., if soil is to be conserved and improved most efficiently. Successful conservation farming (that system which will increase total farm production, build up soil fertility, control erosion and maximize earnings) cannot be tailor-made to fit all farms but involves consideration of each individual\u27s situation. The farmer (and those working with him) must analyze his problem to determine his costs and returns for the farm as a whole under alternative combinations of crops, fertilization and supporting conservation measures to determine which system will best fit his capital position and abilities and still do the conservation job