A COMPARISON OF SUBJECTIVE AND HISTORICAL CROP YIELD PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS

Forecast distributions based on historical yields and subjective expectations for 1987 expected crop yields were compared for 90 Western Kentucky grain farms. Different subjective probability elicitation techniques were also compared. In many individual cases, results indicate large differences between subjective and empirical moments. Overall, farmer expectations for 1987 corn yields were below those predicted from their past yields, while soybean expectations were above the historical forecast. Geographical location plays a larger role than crop in comparisons of relative variability of yield. Neither elicitation technique nor manager characteristics have significant effects on the comparisons of the forecasts.Crop Production/Industries,

PROPOSED END OF PEANUT QUOTA PROGRAM: ECONOMIC EFFECTS ON VIRGINIA PRODUCERS

Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,

Iowa Master Conservationist Program

A county-level Master Conservationist Program educated many Iowans about conservation and sustainability in exchange for the participants volunteering both time and expertise to their communities

Attitudes and behaviors of Iowa farmers toward wildlife

This research examines the attitudes and behaviors of Iowa farmers toward wildlife. Based on a 1991 statewide mailed survey of 822 farmers, it divides Iowa farmers into wildlife-oriented and non-wildlife-oriented groups for sampling and analysis. It identifies demographic and personal factors that are correlated with a wildlife orientation. Wildlife-oriented farmers in Iowa tend to be farmers with smaller acreages overall, with smaller gross farm incomes, with fewer acres devoted to row-crops, and with more diverse landscapes that more often include trees, streams, Conservation Reserve Program acres or other non-agricultural land than farmers who are not wildlife-oriented. Wildlife-oriented farmers also engage in more wildlife-related activities, seek wildlife information from locally-available sources, and are significantly more likely to seek assistance of conservation professionals than are their non-wildlife-oriented counterparts. Wildlife-oriented farmers also hold opinions and have attitudes that accord more value to wildlife for aesthetic and recreational purposes. Regression analysis reveals the association of these variables with management practices the farmers use on their land;Since both wildlife-oriented and non-wildlife-oriented farmer groups had substantial portions (65% and 44%, respectively) of hunters, another analysis was conducted, dividing farmers by whether or not they hunted;Farmer-hunters farm smaller acreages, engage more in other wildlife-associated activities, and are more likely to have hunted as children than non-hunting farmers. Their hunting activity is correlated with practices on their farms that are specifically favorable to wildlife. Farmer-hunters accord significantly higher value to wildlife for both aesthetic and recreational purposes. Non-hunting farmers are more likely than farmer-hunters to favor lease-hunting, though farmer-hunters are evenly split on the issue. Regression analyses reveals that hunting, some attitudinal variables, youth activity variables, and contact with conservation professionals are significantly related to farmers\u27 attitudes toward hunting and to the wildlife habitat practices they put on their land;The implications of these findings for wildlife management are discussed

Rotationally Grazed Pastures as Bird Habitat

Little is known about the use of rotationally grazed pastures by wild bird species, particularly in Midwestern landscapes. What is known is that continuously grazed pastures tend to have low bird production and use due to the lack of sufficient vegetative structure and to trampling of ground nests by cattle. Long-term rotational grazing (where livestock are shifted between several pastures every few days or weeks, as opposed to intensive rotational grazing where they are shifted every day) has the potential to produce high-quality cattle grazing and grasslands for wildlife. Early in the grazing season, farmers could use cool-season grass and forb (CSG) pastures for rotational grazing, leaving warm-season grass and forb (WSG) pastures to produce wildlife, especially birds. At the end of June or early July, cattle could be shifted to the WSG pastures for rotational grazing. Not only does this allow the WSG to grow to excellent grazing height, it also allows ground-nesting birds to potentially complete a nesting cycle. Further, as CSG are left to grow (although slowly) until fall, late-nesting birds and re-nesters may utilize the CSG, as well. Depending on the length of time between rotations, early nesters may also use the CSG early in the nesting season

Reducing Crop Nutrient Applications: The Yield Reserve Program

A proposed Yield Reserve Program designed to compensate farmers for any reduced yields resulting from reduced nitrogen (N) application rates below recommended rates is evaluated. Assuming that farmers currently follow extension recommendations for applying N, Yield Reserve Program participation reduces expected net revenue by $10 to$13/ha. The Yield Reserve Program reduces expected net revenue by $17 to$20/ha for farmers who apply N to maximize expected net revenue. Farmers costs of participation increase with lower probabilities of inadequate rainfall and higher corn prices and decline with higher N prices. The Yield Reserve Program can significantly reduce N applications to cropland, which may reduce N content of surface waters, but the costs to taxpayers and farmers will depend on how the program is implemented.compliance cost, nitrogen fertilizer, nonpoint source pollution, policy, yield response function, Crop Production/Industries,

Conservation Provisions of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008: Evolutionary Changes and Challenges

Farm Bill, Conservation, Agricultural land retirement, Agricultural land preservation, Working lands, Agricultural and Food Policy, H59, Q58, Policy,

ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTIONS ON DAIRY AND DAIRY/POULTRY FARMS

Livestock Production/Industries,

COST EFFECTIVENESS OF NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT AND BUFFERS: COMPARISONS OF FOUR SPATIAL SCENARIOS

Policymakers are seeking cost effective methods to reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture. Predicted costs and pollution reductions from nutrient management and buffers are evaluated under four spatial scenarios describing a watershed. Results will help policymakers evaluate alternative Best Management Practices (BMPs) for water quality protection in agriculture.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Everything you wanted to know about wildlife and fisheries: A field day for agriculturists

Previous wildlife-related field days sponsored by the Leopold Center and ISU Extension in 1989 and 1992 were successful, but mainly attracted traditional members of the sustain­ able agriculture and wildlife interest groups. This project sought to move beyond the con­ ventional, environmentally conscious bound­ aries to reach agribusiness and commodity groups that might not ordinarily be the recipi­ ents of an environmentally focused message