Perennial crop production is inherently dynamic due to several salient physical characteristics including an establishment period of several years with low or no yields, long lives in commercial production (40 years or more), and path-dependence of yields on input use and other exogenous...

This research identifies and quantifies the impact of biophysical and economic variables on Kansas grain supply for the period 1977- 2007. This research estimates total supply response by aggregating yield and acreage responses. Previous methods have effectively analyzed the response of crop...

Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association's 2012 AAEA Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, August 12-14, 2012. This research was supported by a cooperative agreement with U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Economic Research Service. We thank...

The emergence of markets for cellulosic biofuel feedstocks may lead to substantive tradeoffs between economic and environmental goals in agricultural regions, and will raise environmental and energy policy concerns. This paper examines the potential tradeoffs between cellulosic feedstock...

This paper analyzes forest carbon offset credits arising under a possible cap-and-trade system in the United States and its effect on net revenue and commodity prices. A real option model determines the optimal switching from agriculture to forestry under uncertainty in both activities. The key...

The paper estimates the impacts of risk reducing government programs on the use of conservation practices in agriculture. Specifically, conservation tillage or no-till agriculture can be used to reduce risk from weather shocks while subsidized crop insurance and disaster payments also reduce...

Conventional analytical methods used to determine the most economical farmer-based harvest system and corresponding nutrient management strategy for producing switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) feedstock do not consider agronomic and subsequent economic problems associated with soil nutrient...

Animal waste from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) is a significant contributor to the nitrate contamination of groundwater. Some manures also contain heavy metals and salts that may build up either in cropland or groundwater. To find cost-effective policies for pollution reduction...

The levels of cellulosic biofuel feedstocks that are being produced continue to fall short of standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Technical feasibility studies have been conducted to determine if the levels of production the EPA has mandated are obtainable; and breakeven...