The USDA is attempting to shift more research funds into competitive grants involving collaborationacross disciplines on large projects. This type of research structure raises a host of information andincentive issues. The objective of this paper is to shed new light on principal-agent problems...

The objective of this paper is to examine the status of labor-saving mechanization in U.S. fruitand vegetable harvesting. Fruit and vegetable harvest mechanization has several potentialadvantages: reduced harvest costs, eliminate problems associated with finding good qualityharvest labor, permit...

A methodology for measuring public agricultural research capital is developed anddescribed for the first time, new public agricultural research capital measures for each of the 48contiguous US states, 1970-1999, are presented, and a new econometric analysis of the contributionof public...

The objective of this paper is to assess prospects for increasing agricultural productivitythrough advances in technology and innovation in farming techniques for developed and selectivedeveloping and transition countries over 2010-2019. Over this period of time, the net impact ofclimate change...

The objective of this paper is to examine how the likely growth in the ethanol industryover the next decade will impact U.S. labor markets, especially migrant crop labor, which is largelyimmigrant labor. To build the background for making projections for 2008-2010 and beyond, thepaper reviews...

This paper describes major external changes to the U.S. public agricultural researchsystem over 1988-1999; describes the reactions of the public agricultural research system to theexternal changes, specifying the innovations that have occurred over the last decade; and drawsconclusions about the present...