A variant of the western corn rootworm (CRW) has adapted to the widely used cultural practice of crop rotation. This study analyzed the economic value of control options controlling the western CRW variant across Indiana. The options analyzed are soil insecticides, seed-applied insecticides, the...

Accurately estimating consumer demand for new products is an arduous task made even more difficult by the fact that individuals tend to overstate the amount they are willing to pay for new goods when asked hypothetical questions. Despite their appeal in eliminating hypothetical bias, marketers...

Farmers now choose production systems rather than individual inputs. This change may limit biotechnology innovation rents. We model a corn farmer's production choice among four systems: traditional, herbicide-resistant, insect resistant, and high-oil. We compare actual seed and chemical prices...

Cluster analysis was used to identify five distinct buyer segments for expendable input purchases for U.S. crop and livestock commercial producers. A multinomial logit model was used to predict segment membership based on demographic, behavioral, and business management factors. Results provide...

We present designs for optimal contracts to solve the investment hold-up problem for perennial crops for the biofuel industry. A fixed-price contract is ex-ante efficient but renegotiation-proof for a limited range of discount parameters. A perfectly- indexed contract is both renegotiation-proof...

To date there is extremely limited knowledge of the economic consequences of post-harvest losses for smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa. Major contributors to economic losses are price penalties for poor quality marketed grain. This study investigates farm-gate level discounts demanded by rural...

We examine the role of information in farmers' decisions to adopt GM corn, and find that the set of influential information sources is substantially different in 1997 and 1998. Further, our results suggest that one high quality information source is more influential than the quantity of information.

This paper suggests a new approach to econometrically estimate parameters of multi-level Constant Elasticity of Transformation (CET) functional forms which are widely used in developing Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models. An illustrative CET functional form is estimated using the...

Bt corn offers a powerful tool to control European corn borers and some other pests. Because pest infestations and farming practices differ across the Corn Belt, economic benefits also differ. This research estimates the value of Bt corn across the Corn Belt. Results identify areas where Bt...