The Ogallala Aquifer is the primary source of water for irrigation in the Texas High Plains. Depletion of the aquifer concerns stakeholders as agriculture is a major driver in the regional economy. This study examines the contribution of irrigation to income, economic output, and employment in...

Production budgets for dryland crop and crop/livestock systems are developed to estimate yields, costs and returns for dryland wheat and sorghum and for alternative dryland crop/livestock systems. A crop simulation model aids yield estimation. The yield and return distributions are used to...

The reduction in the availability of irrigation water and the increase in pumping costs resulting from the decline in the Ogallala Aquifer make good management decisions more critical for the survival of the farm firm and the success of the agricultural sector in the Texas Panhandle. Response...

Impacts of alternative agricultural water conservation strategies are being evaluated in the Texas Panhandle. Stakeholders have expressed concern that all effects need to be accounted for including the regional economy. A methodology was developed to evaluate the effects on the backward and...

An economic optimization model was developed using available groundwater resources in the Oklahoma Panhandle to estimate value of water for irrigated agriculture in the area. The model will serve as policy tool to analyze alternative water management strategies and conservation programs to...

Due to declining water availability from the Ogallala Aquifer and increasing pumping costs, irrigation management options for cotton are analyzed. The study concludes that supplemental irrigation while meeting crop ET requirements is the most profitable option. Switching from corn to cotton...

Due to declining water availability from the Ogallala Aquifer, management policy alternatives for extending the life of the aquifer to sustain rural economies in the Texas Panhandle are evaluated. The study concludes that water conservation policies for the region significantly impact crop mix,...

The Texas Panhandle relies largely on the Ogallala Aquifer for access to water for irrigated agricultural production. With current pumping rates and slow recharge rates, the aquifer will at some point in the future no longer be an economically viable source of water for agriculture. The...

The recent/current recession provides the opportunity to study the effects of the macroeconomic changes on the agricultural production systems in the Great Plains and trace some of its impacts through the system to changes in primary inputs such water resource use. Therefore, the objective of...

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...