The declining availability of irrigation water from the Ogallala aquifer combined with increasing energy costs make irrigation strategies much more critical. Maximizing yield reduces profit by between $22 and $158 per acre depending on the combination of corn and natural gas prices.

Optimization models are developed to determine grazing alternatives for individual dryland producers. Models alternatives include wheat, sorghum-sudan, summer perennial grass, and native range. Precipitation risk and price risk are estimated for seasonal production alternatives, and options that...

The continued decline in the availability of water from the Ogallala Aquifer has led to an increased interest in conservation policies designed to extend the life of the aquifer to sustain rural economies in the Texas Panhandle. This study evaluates the effectiveness of five policies in terms of...

High natural gas prices have agricultural producers searching for alternative energy sources for irrigation. The economic feasibility of electric and hybrid (electric/wind) systems are evaluated as alternatives to natural gas powered irrigation. Texas Panhandle and Southern Kansas farms are...

The sustainable water use especially for irrigated agriculture in the Texas Panhandle Region is a major concern. A semi-arid climate and average low rainfalls results in little surface water being available year-round. The Ogallala Aquifer is the primary source of irrigation water in this...

Nonagricultural factors impact land values to cause a divergence of discounted cash rents for agricultural land and land values. Focus is given to the portion of land values attributable to discounted cash rents. Unique characteristics for cropland and pasture lead to differences in...

According to the Executive Order 12866, a qualitative and quantitative assessment for any Federal mandate resulting in annual expenditures of $100 million or more is required. This study determines how many of the approximately 34.5 million acres of CRP land is brought back in economic use, how...

Natural amenities like green open space are a valuable resource to support quality of life and public health. However, limited studies have analyzed the relationship between such resources and specific indicators of public health. We investigate the relationship between natural green space and...

We seek to determine if the tax-based payment approach is a valid alternative to existing incentive payment approaches for forest carbon sequestration. To achieve the objective, we test a hypothesis that waiving the property tax rate on forestland provides incentives to landowners for...

Playas are small wetlands, averaging 14 acres in area, which periodically fill with rainwater and evaporate, and are not connected to any other body of surface water. On the Texas High Plains, the roughly 17,000 existing playas are a source of recharge for the Ogallala aquifer and the greatest...