ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF VARIABLE RATE APPLICATION OF NITROGEN TO CORN FIELDS: ROLE OF VARIABILITY AND WEATHER

The use of meta-response functions based on EPIC-generated data resulted in comparisons between variable (VRAT) and uniform rate application technologies for 36 simulated fields. VRAT was more profitable and less nitrogen was lost to the environment in most cases. When spatial variability was small, uniform rate application techniques were adopted. However, when nitrogen use is restricted, VRAT is used on all simulated fields.Precision farming, site-specific farming, spatial variability, nitrogen restriction, rainfall, EPIC, crop growth simulation model, meta-response functions, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

ASSESSING SPATIAL BREAK-EVEN VARIABILITY IN FIELDS WITH TWO OR MORE MANAGEMENT ZONES

Farmers are interested in knowing whether applying inputs at variable rates across a field is economically viable. The answer depends on the crop, the input, their prices, the cost of variable rate technology (VRT) versus uninform rate technology (URT), and the spatial and yield response variability within each field. Methods were investigated for determining the range of spatial variability over which the return to VRT covers its additional cost compared with URT in fields with multiple management zones. Models developed in this article, or variants thereof, could be used to help farmers make the VRT adoption decision.management zones, nitrogen, precision farming, site-specific management, spatial break-even variability proportions, spatial variability, variable rate technology, yield response variability, Farm Management,

EVALUATING THE RETURNS TO VARIABLE RATE NITROGEN APPLICATION

Potential benefits of variable rate nitrogen application are illustrated and information needs identified. Lower costs of precision farming services, higher crop prices, and greater divergence in yield response potentials across management zones reduce the spatial variability required for profitable variable rate application. Information needs include identification and measurement of management zones within a field and estimation of management zone yield response functions, crop and input prices, and the cost of precision farming services.production economics, management zones, nitrogen, precision farming, spatial break-even variability proportions, variable rate applications, yield response variability, Crop Production/Industries,

Computer-aided display control Final report

Human composition and modification of computer driven cathode ray tube displa

Liability for Post-Transfusion AIDS: An Analysis and Proposal

The nature of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic and the methods used to protect the blood supply from contamination by the AIDS virus indicate that an increasing number of actions seeking recovery for post-transfusion infection may reach the courts in the next decade. The theories under which plaintiffs usually seek relief for transfusion-related infection - e.g., negligence or strict liability - lead to complex factual, procedural, and public policy problems which do not readily lend themselves to consistent, just adjudication

Animate the Assembly

Architects rely on drawings. We learn, teach, and communicate through drawing. We use them to tell the story that they are trying to tell. Over the history of architectural drawings, their definition encompasses a wide variety of approaches. As architects and educators, it is essential to draw from this variety of approaches to develop drawings that communicate as we want them to. My research of technical drawings is shared with students in both building technology and studio classes to show them that their drawing explorations are rooted in a long history of creating drawings that illustrate technical and tactile information. Teaching a lecture course is a design exercise. I teach Materials and Methods of Construction. I approach each class as if I am telling the students a story. I select two buildings that can be part of a story because of their similarities or differences, and I describe the projects in a wholistic way. Part of the story is the construction of the building, the construction assemblies and details. There is a way to make the construction drawings even more engaging and accessible and that is through the use of animation. I use a combination of standard animation and stop-frame animation to describe building assemblies and details. The other way that I use animation to teach the students about building assemblies is to have them create animations, the assignment is called Animate the Assembly. Rather than draw detailed plans and sections the students use detailed plans and sections to build a model that they use to create the animation

A Description of the Influence of NCLB Accountability Mandates on Administrator Job Satisfaction of a Combined Middle-High Principal in Rural Georgia

The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of No Child Left Behind accountability mandates on administrator job satisfaction of a rural combined middle-high principal. The researcher identified a gap in research associated with the influence of accountability mandates on the job satisfaction of a combined middle-high principal. Therefore, the focus on a combined middle-high principal in rural Georgia allowed the researcher to conduct a qualitative case study to address the gap in current educational research. The overarching question and sub-questions guided the case study and provided the necessary framework essential in describing the influence of accountability on job satisfaction of a combination school principal in rural Georgia. Components of job satisfaction included stress, workload, and burnout. Findings had a direct impact on the leadership roles and strategies adopted by the researcher to comply with current accountability mandates. From the onset, prescribed steps ensured a quality study. The case study provided the following findings contributing to the wealth of knowledge in the realm of educational leadership: 1) Overview of No Child Left Behind; 2) Review of Literature; 3) Methodology; 4) Data Reporting; and 5) Findings and Recommendations. The initial research provided an overview of No Child Left Behind. The review of literature represented an examination of accountability mandates and a synopsis of federal involvement in public education. The researcher described research methods utilized in the study providing triangulation to increase trustworthiness. The first three phases created the necessary framework for the researcher to conduct a qualitative study that described the perspectives of a combined middle- high principal. The researcher reported data from multiple methods used in the case study. Needs assessment surveys, school council minutes, and in-depth interviews provided rich data for the researcher. Data supported findings reported that accountability mandates influence the focus and leadership strategies of the principal at a combined middle-high school in Georgia. Results also supported findings that recognized a significant increase in workload of the principal of a combined middle-high school as a result of accountability mandates. Additionally, data supported the finding that principals at combination schools encounter unique challenges that contrast sharply with principals of traditional public schools. The implications and recommendations from the case study provide future researchers with the framework needed to develop quantitative and qualitative research proposals to understand the influence of federal education legislation on educational leaders in Georgia public schools

Economic Feasibility of Kenaf Production in Three Tennessee Counties

Since the 1940s, kenaf has been viewed as a potential source of fiber, mainly for newsprint and high quality paper. Kenaf research has once again risen to the forefront due to the recent USDA tobacco buyout. Many states and farmers dependent upon tobacco revenues have been seeking alternative crops for a number of years. This study seeks to expand the current literature by examining the economic feasibility of growing kenaf within three counties in Tennessee. Nitrogen meta-yield response functions for kenaf and four traditional crops were developed for 30 soils through crop growth simulation modeling and used to compare optimal crop budgets for each soil. Results reveal that kenaf would not compete favorably with traditional crops on any soil at prices below $49/ton, while profit-maximizing farmers could supply as much as 1,385,700 tons of kenaf if the price were$55/ton.alternative crop, economic feasibility, enterprise budgeting, kenaf, plant growth modeling, yield response functions, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries,