WHEAT YIELD RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN PRODUCTION PRACTICES INDUCED BY PROGRAM PROVISION

From 1986 to 1995 the Oklahoma five-year moving average wheat grain yield declined from 32.6 to 26.7 bu./ac. This study was conducted to determine why the state average wheat yield declined. Changes in government program provisions and changes in production practices were investigated. Changes in acreage base and changes in program diversion requirements were associated with changes in planting date and changes in the proportion harvested for grain that had been fall/winter grazed. Yield responded to these induced changes in production practices. Yield was inversely related to the proportion of the state'Â’s wheat acres planted prior to 1 October and inversely related to the proportion of acres harvested for grain that had been winter grazed.Agricultural and Food Policy, Production Economics,

Policies to Facilitate Conversion of Millions of Acres to the Production of Biofuel Feedstock

First-generation grain ethanol biofuel has affected the historical excess capacity problem in U.S. agriculture. Second-generation cellulosic ethanol biofuel has had difficulty achieving cost-competitiveness. Third-generation drop-in biofuels are under development. If lignocellulosic biomass from perennial grasses becomes the feedstock of choice for second- and third-generation biorefineries, an integrated system could evolve in which a biorefinery directly manages feedstock production, harvest, storage, and delivery. Modeling was conducted to determine the potential economic benefits from an integrated system. Relatively low-cost public policies that could be implemented to facilitate economic efficiency are proposed.biomass, bio-oil, cellulosic, drop-in fuels, ethanol, land-lease contract, lignocellulosic, pyrolysis, switchgrass, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q16, Q18, Q15, Q42,

Days Available for Harvesting Lignocellulosic Biomass

A reasonably precise estimate of the number of harvest days is necessary to determine the investment in harvest machines required to support a lignocellulosic biorefinery. This study was undertaken to determine probability distributions for the number of suitable field work days per month for harvesting perennial grasses such as switchgrass.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

VALUE OF SOIL TEST INFORMATION FOR CROP PRODUCTION

This study was conducted to determine the value of independent and joint nitrogen and phosphorus soil tests. Generalized stochastic dominance was used to estimate the value of information. Combined information from both the nitrogen and phosphorus tests was substantially more valuable than the knowledge of only one of the tests.Crop Production/Industries, Land Economics/Use,

Switchgrass to Ethanol: A Field to Fuel Approach

The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates the production of 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels by 2022. Desirable feedstock properties, biomass to biofuel conversion rate, and investment required in plant and equipment differs depending on which of several competing technologies is used. The objective is to determine the breakeven ethanol price for a cellulosic biorefinery. A comprehensive mathematical programming model that encompasses the chain from land acquisition to ethanol production was constructed and solved. For a capital requirement of $400 million for a 100 million gallons per year plant and a conversion rate of 100 gallons of ethanol per dry ton, the breakeven ethanol price is$1.91 per gallon: $0.20 for land rental and switchgrass production;$0.14 for feedstock harvest; $0.18 for feedstock storage and transportation;$0.75 for biorefinery operation and maintenance; and $0.64 for biorefinery investment. Biomass to ethanol conversion rate and the cost of biorefinery construction, operation, and maintenance are critical issues.biorefinery, breakeven price, cellulosic ethanol, mathematical programming, switchgrass, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics, Q42, Q48,

Use of a Producer Survey to Reconcile Differences in Experiment Station Yield Estimates

Average producer practice reveals that the expected returns are greater from dual-purpose wheat grown for both forage and grain than for grain-only wheat. Variety trials report an 11 bushel per acre yield advantage and hence economic advantage for grain-only. Research was conducted to reconcile the inconsistency.direct elicitation method, dual-purpose, simulation, stocker steers, survey, triangular distribution, wheat, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries, Q10, Q12,

USE OF CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM LAND FOR BIOREFINERY FEEDSTOCK PRODUCTION

Legislation passed in 2002 enables managed harvesting and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land, including harvesting of biomass. The objective of the research is to determine the cost to acquire, harvest, store, and deliver a steady flow of biomass from CRP grasslands to a biorefinery.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Optimizing Dual Interdependent Products from a Single Crop

The objective of the research is to determine the optimal grazing termination date that maximizes expected net returns from dual-purpose winter wheat production. Preliminary results indicate that grazing should be terminated at or before first hollow stem to generate the highest expected net returns in a dual-purpose winter wheat production enterprise.Crop Production/Industries,

Integrative Investment Appraisal of a Lignocellulosic Biomass-to-Ethanol Industry

While theoretically more efficient than starch-based ethanol production systems, conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol is not without major challenges. A multi-region, multi-period, mixed integer mathematical programming model encompassing alternative feedstocks, feedstock production, delivery, and processing is developed. The model is used to identify key cost components and potential bottlenecks, and to reveal opportunities for reducing costs and prioritizing research. The research objective was to determine for specific regions in Oklahoma the most economical source of lignocellulosic biomass, timing of harvest and storage, inventory management, biorefinery size, and biorefinery location, as well as the breakeven price of ethanol, for a gasification-fermentation process. Given base assumptions, gasification-fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol may be more economical than fermentation of corn grain. However, relative to conventional fermentation processes, gasification-fermentation technology is in its infancy. It remains to be seen if the technology will be technically feasible on a commercial scale.biomass, biorefinery location, ethanol, integrative investment appraisal, logistics, mixed integer programming, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

ECONOMIES OF SIZE OF A COORDINATED BIOREFINERY FEEDSTOCK HARVEST SYSTEM

The objective of this research is to determine the cost to harvest lignocellulosic biomass, such as crop residue and perennial grasses, for use as biorefinery feedstock, and to determine the potential economies of size that might result from a coordinated structure. The estimates show that substantial size economies are possible.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,