Adoption of conservation tillage can lead to substantial environmental benefits from reduced soil erosion. But benefits may be partially offset if adoption increases reliance on agricultural chemicals. Using area study data from the Cornbelt, this study examines factors affecting adoption of...

The number of insecticide applications made by an apple grower to control an insect infestation is modeled as a geometric random variable. Insecticide efficacy, rate per application, month of treatment, and method of application all have significant impacts on the expected number of...

Livestock producers can respond to increasing consumer demand for certain production process attributes by providing verifiable information on the practices used. Consumer willingness to pay data were used to inform producer decision-making regarding selection of verification entities for four...

A multinomial logit is utilized to model the choice of whether to purchase yield or revenue insurance using subjectively elicited survey data. Our results indicate that the demand for crop insurance is inelastic (-0.40), consistent with most earlier yield elasticity estimates, but the elasticity...

A dynamic econometric model of the U.S. kiwifruit industry provides a framework for empirical analysis of small-scale commodities, particularly those used by producers for diversification. Production and marketing processes are explained by annual and monthly components, respectively. Results...

The behavior of agricultural commodity markets can arguably result in markedly asymmetric price cycles, that is, downward cycles of substantially different length and breadth than upward cycles. This study assesses whether asymmetric-cycle models can enhance the understanding of the dynamics and...

Per capita rice consumption in the U.S. has doubled over the past decade. The effects of social and demographic variables on the household's rice consumption decisions are analyzed along with income and price variables. A double-hurdle model is used to solve simultaneously the consumer decisions...

Counter-seasonal imports of fresh produce facilitate year-round availability in the U.S. and may impact the seasonal structure of market price relationships. Vector autoregression analysis is used to determine the nature and extent of spatial price relationships among four geographically...