This paper develops a dynamic model of crop production under uncertainty with intraseasonal input choices. Crop production involves multiple stages, including at least seeding, post emergence fertilizer/pesticide application and harvesting. If the farmer receives new information about the output...

The identification of optimal management zones, including optimal uniform grid size, is a complex issue central to the successful implementation of variable rate input application. A novel economic optimization model is developed and applied that identifies the economically optimal management...

A farmer's decision to contract or produce independently depends on the distribution of income under both arrangements, and on attributes associated with both business arrangements. Risk-averse farmers should be willing to pay a risk premium for the reduction in price risk provided by a...

This paper examines factors affecting the role of individual, farm production, family finance, and regional characteristics in affecting labor force decisions by farm households. Young, more educated households are much more likely to work off-farm, suggesting that off-farm labor has become an...

A time-series cross-sectional model of irrigation technology choice is developed for an irrigation district in California's Central Valley to show how changes in the relative price of irrigation water and variations in water supply over time influence the choice of irrigation system. Results...

Different resources are necessary in the new, product-oriented agricultural environment. This article explores the question of what information is best suited for strategic analysis and strategy formulation for firms involved in product-oriented agriculture. A new framework for inventorying...

Although rice accounts for approximately forty-four percent of land under cultivation and forty-six percent of caloric intake in Madagascar, most farmers cannot produce enough rice to feed their families. Total rice production increased little in the country during the 1990s, and yields were...

The present paper describes the assumptions and modeling structure behind the SRA simulator, a user-friendly computer program developed in cooperation with RMA as a tool to assist policymakers in assessing the economic impact of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement. The simulator uses the...