ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INTRODUCING ROTATIONS ON LONG ISLAND POTATO FARMS

Potatoes have been grown continuously on many Long Island (New York) fields. Environmental concerns have raised questions about the continued usage of this practice. A farm-level linear programming model was used to investigate the economic impacts of crop rotations which result in reduced potato acreage. Crop rotations (an Integrated Pest Management tactic) reduced total pesticide use, but also reduced returns above variable costs as successively stringent rotation requirements were forced into the solution. The crop rotations which caused the least effect on income were identified.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

THE WELFARE REFORM BILL AND ITS EFFECTS IN THE SOUTH

Political Economy,

An Economic Analysis of New York Greenhouse Enterprises

A.E. Res. 81-2

Lake Erie Grape Farm Cost Survey, 2001-2005

E.B. 2006-19This report is a summary of five years of grape costs and returns data collected from Lake Erie Region grape growers for the 2001-2005 seasons. “Concord” and “Niagara” grapes utilized for juice and generic wine accounted for over 90 percent of the survey acreage. About two-thirds of the acreage surveyed was in New York and one-third from Pennsylvania. In recent years, 42 to 49 growers participated, with total vineyard acreage ranging from about 4,400 to 5,200 acres. Average costs per acre over the entire five year period were $1,663, including an imputed value for the operator’s labor. Major cost categories were paid labor ($380 per acre), depreciation ($213), interest ($114), operator labor ($116) and chemicals ($117). Average yield per farm was 6.4 tons per acre with a range of 2.8 to 8.6 tons per acre. Growers suffered through some difficult circumstances (poor weather, declining prices) over the past five years. Juice grape cash market prices tended to drift down over the course of the five years. National Grape members’ returns moved upward through 2004 and then suffered a severe drop in 2005. Some growers had custom harvesting or other farm income not tied to grape prices. Some growers collected income from crop insurance, disaster payments, and/or Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) that helped to buoy income in the face of disappointing yields and unharvested grapes in 2003. However, almost half of the farms who were in the survey for all five years had yields of 7 tons or better. These growers are able to compete with other growing regions such as Washington State. Lake Erie Grape Belt farm managers are responding to lower prices in a variety of ways, including becoming more labor efficient, dropping some poor vineyards (especially leased ones), increasing wine grape production, and increasing farm size

Economics of Integrated Pest Management Practices for Insects in Grape Production

A.E. Ext. 92-1The purpose of this report is to summarize and analyze the economics of the use of three approaches to insect control in grape production in New York state

Economics of Drip Irrigation for Juice Grape Vineyards in New York State

R.B. 99-01Grape growers need investment and cost guidelines for drip irrigation to evaluate the economics of getting vines into production as quickly as possible and to avoid periods of drought during the productive life of the vineyard. The benefits of irrigation may include: better vine survival, earlier fruit production, greater yields, more efficient distribution of nutrients, less plant stress, reduced yield variability and improved fruit quality. Research was undertaken to determine drip irrigation investment and annual costs. This project was designed to assist growers in determining the investment, fixed and variable annual costs and expected returns from drip irrigation. Irrigation suppliers provided typical equipment needs and investment costs for various drip irrigation designs. Economic worksheets are provided to assist growers in estimating fixed and variable costs of drip irrigation. The economics of yield data were applied to replicated multiyear irrigation studies to assist growers in determining yield response from drip irrigation. Net present value (NPV) methodology was used to determine the discounted break-even investment results from published responses to drip irrigation. Growers with typical drip irrigation systems and various water sources can expect investments in drip irrigation of $550 to$1,150 per acre with 10 acre blocks of vines. Based upon eight years of data from trials in Fredonia, NY, in the Lake Erie grape belt, average yield increases due to irrigation on establishment and growing of Niagara grapes were 2.8 ton per production year per acre, resulting in a break-even investment of approximately $1,600 per acre. But on established minimal pruned Concord grapes, seven years of data showed a 1.1 ton increase due to irrigation and a break-even investment of only$200 per acre which was well below the total cost of a complete microirrigation drip system. On a new planting of Concords, with droughty soils, the analysis may very well show cost effectiveness. Growers who were interviewed were unable to quantify the benefits and costs of drip irrigation but were pleased with their irrigated yields and brix responses from drip irrigation. This analysis has provided the economic rationale for the investment in microirrigation with some varieties and under certain soil types

Course-based Science Research Promotes Learning in Diverse Students at Diverse Institutions

Course-based research experiences (CREs) are powerful strategies for spreading learning and improving persistence for all students, both science majors and nonscience majors. Here we address the crucial components of CREs (context, discovery, ownership, iteration, communication, presentation) found across a broad range of such courses at a variety of academic institutions. We also address how the design of a CRE should vary according to the background of student participants; no single CRE format is perfect. We provide a framework for implementing CREs across multiple institutional types and several disciplines throughout the typical four years of undergraduate work, designed to a variety of student backgrounds. Our experiences implementing CREs also provide guidance on overcoming barriers to their implementation