The Performance of Agricultural Market Advisory Services in Corn and Soybeans

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of market advisory services for the 1995–2003 corn and soybean crops. A new database from the Agricultural Market Advisory Services (AgMAS) Project is used in the evaluation. This database should not be subject to survivorship and hindsight biases. Overall, the results provide little evidence that advisory services as a group outperform market benchmarks, particularly after considering risk. The evidence is more positive versus the farmer benchmarks, even after taking risk into account. Results also suggest that it is difficult to predict the pricing performance of advisory services across crop-years. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.

Targeted yield concept and a framework of fertilizer recommendation in irrigated rice domains of subtropical India

Soil test crop response (STCR) correlation studies were carried out in Vindhyan alluvial plain during 2001 to 2004 taking IR-36 as test crop to quantify rice production in the context of the variability of soil properties and use of balanced fertilizers based on targeted yield concept. The soils were developed on gently sloping alluvial plain with different physiographic settings and notable variation in drainage condition. Soil properties show moderate variation in texture (loamy to clay), organic carbon content (4.4 to 9.8 g/kg), cation exchange capacity (10.2 to 22.4 cmol (p+)/kg) and pH (5.3 to 6.4). Soil fertility status for N is low to medium (224 to 348 kg/ha), P is medium to high (87 to 320 kg/ha) and K ranges from medium to high (158 to 678 kg/ha). Database regarding nutrient requirement in kg/t of grain produce (NR), the percent contribution from the soil available nutrients [CS (%)] and the percent contribution from the applied fertilizer nutrients [CF (%)] were computed for calibrating and formulating fertilizer recommendations. Validity of the yield target for 7 and 8 t/ha was tested in farmers’ fields and yields targets varied at less than 10%. The percent achievement of targets aimed at different level was more than 90%, indicating soil test based fertilizer recommendation approach was economically viable within the agro-ecological zone with relatively uniform cropping practices and socio-economic conditions

Sustainability, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the Education of Future Teachers

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize how human activities affect the Earth and how Earth processes impact humans, placing the concept of sustainability within the Earth and Space Sciences. We ask: how prepared are future teachers to address sustainability and systems thinking as encoded in the NGSS? And how can geoscientists support them? Most future teachers receive their Earth Science preparation in a single introductory geoscience course, but the content and delivery methods of these courses are not well matched to the NGSS knowledge and skills they will teach. We implemented a nationwide survey in undergraduate courses that addressed sustainability to some extent in order to assess career interests, behaviors, and motivations. Matched pre- and postdata (n = 1,125) respondents were divided into three groups: those very likely (22%), those somewhat likely (22%), and those not likely (56%) to become teachers. The very likely group resembles the current STEM teacher workforce in gender but is more diverse than the current workforce and the population currently enrolled in teacher preparation programs. The very likely group has higher rates of sustainable behaviors, is motivated by family and friends more than other groups, and is more likely to envision using their knowledge about sustainability in their careers. However, their understanding of key concepts, such as systems thinking, is limited. We suggest that curricular materials that address sustainability through concepts in introductory geoscience courses, such as those presented here, provide a means of reaching this group and better preparing future teachers to teach the NGSS