2,196 research outputs found
Measuring the Stochastic Monetary Benefits of Multiple Inlet Irrigation in Arkansas Rice Production
Irrigation fuel costs represent a significant portion of rice production expenses. Multiple inlet (MI) irrigation represents a water saving alternative to conventional flood irrigation. This study uses simulation to calculate the range of monetary benefits to MI in rice production. Water savings from MI relative to conventional flood irrigation along with rice yields, rice prices, and prices for key production inputs (diesel and fertilizer) are simulated, and stochastic rice net returns above variable and fixed expenses are calculated for different pump lifts with and without MI. Monetary benefits to MI are measured as the difference in net returns with and without MI. The results indicate MI monetary benefits depend greatly on pump lift and the presence or absence of a yield increase. Monetary benefits to MI increase as pump lifts become larger, and relatively small increases in yield resulting from MI irrigation can greatly enhance its payoff.cost, cumulative distribution functions, multiple inlet irrigation, net return, rice, stochastic, Farm Management,
An Economic Risk Analysis of No-till Management for the Rice-Soybean Rotation System used in Arkansas
Arkansas is the top domestic rice producer, representing nearly half of total U.S. rice production. Sediment is one of the major pollutants in rice producing areas of Arkansas. In order to mitigate this problem no-tillage management is often recommended. No-tillage is not well understood by farmers who believe that no-till is less profitable due to lower yields offsetting cost savings. This study evaluates the profitability and variability of no-till in the typical rice-soybean rotation used in Arkansas rice production. Crop yields, prices and prices for key production inputs (fuel and fertilizer) are simulated for the rotation, and net return distributions for rice, soybean and the two-year rotation are evaluated for no-till and conventional till using stochastic efficiency with respect to a function (SERF) analysis. The results indicate that both risk neutral and risk-averse rice producers would prefer no-till over conventional till management in the two year rice-soybean rotation, and that no-till soybeans contribute greatly to the overall profitability of the rotation.simulation, rice-soybean, no tillage-profitability, risk analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
An Economic Risk Analysis of Tillage and Cropping Systems on the Arkansas Grand Prairie
No-till (NT) has been shown to reduce fuel, labor, and machinery costs compared to conventional-till (CT) but very few rice producers in Arkansas practice NT. The low adoption rate is most likely due to difficulties in management but also limited information on the profitability and risk of NT. Most rice producers are knowledgeable on NT costs savings but consider it less profitable due to yield reductions offsetting costs savings. This study evaluates production costs, crop yields, and economic risk of both NT and CT in five rice-based cropping systems (continuous rice, rice-soybean, rice-corn, rice-wheat, and rice-wheat-soybean-wheat). Yields, crop prices, and key input prices are simulated to create net return distributions. Stochastic efficiency with respect to a function (SERF) is used to evaluate profitability and risk efficiency. Results indicate that a risk-neutral and risk-averse producer in either NT or CT would prefer a rice-soybean rotation. NT would be preferred over CT in the rice-soybean rotation across all risk preferences. Overall, risk-neutral producers would prefer NT in four of five cropping systems while risk-averse producers would prefer NT in three of five cropping systems.cropping systems, rice, no-till, certainty equivalent, risk premium, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Financial Economics, Land Economics/Use, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty,
Assessing the Impacts of Soil Carbon Credits and Risk on No-Till Rice Profitability
Rice is a major cash crop in eastern Arkansas, but most rice acres are intensively cultivated and grown on rented land. No-till is an effective means of sequestering soil carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and economic incentives exist for no-till in the form of carbon credits. Studies evaluating the economic potential of carbon credits focus on producers only and do not take into consideration the landlord’s perspective. This analysis evaluates the profitability and risk efficiency of no-till management and carbon credits in Arkansas rice production from the prospective if the landlord using simulation and stochastic efficiency with respect to a function (SERF). The results indicate carbon credits may have potential to enhance preference for no-till in rice production by risk-averse landlords.certainty equivalent, landlord, no-till, rice, risk premium, Farm Management, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty,
The Impacts of Farm Size and Economic Risk on No-Till Rice Whole-Farm Profitability
This study evaluated the impacts of farm size and stochastic return variability on no-till (NT) rice profitability at the whole-farm level. Mixed integer programming was used to determine optimal machinery complements, fuel consumption, and machinery labor requirements for conventional till (CT) and NT rice-soybean farms of 1200, 2400, and 3600 acres in size. Crop yields, market prices, and prices for key production inputs were simulated to construct stochastic whole-farm net returns for each farm size under CT and NT management, and both first and second degree stochastic dominance analysis were used to rank cumulative distribution functions of whole-farm returns according to specified risk preferences. The results indicate NT farms exhibit second degree stochastic dominance over CT farms regardless of farm size, and high input prices have less downward effect on the profitability of NT farms relative to CT farms.mixed integer programming, no-till, profitability, rice, risk, simulation, stochastic dominance, whole-farm, Farm Management, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty,
An Economic Risk Analysis of No-Till Rice Management from the Landlord’s Perspective
Rice production generally involves intensive cultivation. The profitability of no-till rice has been investigated but solely from the producer’s perspective. Most farmed cropland is owned by someone else. This study evaluates the risk efficiency of no-till rice from the landlord’s perspective using stochastic efficiency with respect to a function (SERF).Crop Production/Industries,
Tomography of the red supergiant star {\mu} Cep
A tomographic method, aiming at probing velocity fields at depth in stellar
atmospheres, is applied to the red supergiant star {\mu} Cep and to snapshots
of 3D radiative-hydrodynamics simulation in order to constrain atmospheric
motions and relate them to photometric variability.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures, accepted as Proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 343,
201
Whole Farm Economic Evaluation of No-Till Rice Production in Arkansas
Rice in Arkansas is typically produced using intensive tillage. No-till rice has been studied, but the research focus has been limited to impacts on yields and per acre net returns. This analysis evaluates the profitability of no-till rice at the whole-farm level using both enterprise budget analysis and linear programming.Crop Production/Industries,
Mālama nā makua i nā keiki me ka hānō: Native Hawaiian parents caring for their children with asthma
Native Hawaiian children have the highest prevalence rate of asthma among all ethnicities in the State of Hawai‘i. Literature is limited regarding native Hawaiian parents’ perception and experience caring for their children with asthma. The purpose of this study is to explore contemporary native Hawaiian parents’ perspective and experience of caring for their children with asthma in the context of uncertainty. We applied a descriptive qualitative approach by means of directed content analysis using focus groups. Directed content analysis applied Mishel’s Uncertainty in Illness Theory to guide data collection, organization, and analysis. We found that parents’ personal stories about their children to be rich and enlightening. Findings verified that native Hawaiian parents experience uncertainty regarding asthma care as commonly described in the literature. Contextual influences including indigenous worldview and cultural values affected native Hawaiian parents’ perceptions and experiences with conventional asthma care. Unique findings involved the etiology of asthma, features of social support (‘ohana), and differentiation between Western medicine and traditional healing practices. As nurses focus on supporting the family’s cultural values and preferences related to asthma care and alternative remedies, native Hawaiian parents’ care of their children with asthma will be strengthened
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