Agronomic research on crop response to nitrogen fertilizer suggests that a plateau function may be appropriate, but the plateau varies across fields and years. Available models that treat the plateau as a stochastic variable are not readily extendable to handle field or year random effects as...

A method of estimating a linear response stochastic plateau function is developed and used to determine optimal levels of nitrogen fertilization for wheat. Under the stochastic plateau model, optimizing behavior implies different nitrogen levels than the linear plateau model, depending on the...

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,...

This study was conducted to determine risk efficient production strategies for crop and livestock producers who have the opportunity to produce wheat as a dual-purpose forage and grain crop. Empirical data obtained from field trials were incorporated into an integrated crop and livestock...

Recent research has found that men trade stocks more frequently than women and receive a lower price as a result. The behavioral finance literature attributes this greater trading activity to men's overconfidence. Women's lack of overconfidence and past agricultural economics research suggest...

Maize ("Zea mays") shortages and maize price instability continue to occur in Mozambique in spite of policy reforms and great capacity for increased production in northern Mozambique. This study measured the efficiency of spatial maize price arbitrage in Mozambique's post-reform period. Spatial...

Many recent studies have evaluated potential market power in the U.S. cattle procurement market using either new empirical industrial organization (NEIO) models or auction models. The model derived here shows the NEIO model holds in some cases, while the auction theory can fully describe market...

Research is ongoing to develop sensor-based systems to determine crop nitrogen needs. The objective is to determine the expected maximum value of an in season precision nitrogen application system for winter wheat. Farmers could not afford to pay much more than $9 per acre for a precision system.

This study uses a Cox parametric bootstrap test to select between two specifications of the von Liebig hypothesis, a switching regression model and a non-linear mixed stochastic plateau function. The selected production function was used to determine optimal stocking density for dual-purpose...

If switchgrass harvest is delayed until after senescence, some nutrients will translocate to the plant’s crown and roots. Biomass yield and fertilizer requirements depend on harvest date. The objective is to determine switchgrass biomass yield, nutrient concentration in biomass, fertilizer...