Mitchell describes a maximum likelihood method using historical weather data to estimate a parametric model of daily precipitation and maximum and minimum air temperatures. Historical weather data from Brookings, SD, and Boone, IA, are used to create the model. Mitchell describes the process of...

The Resource and Environmental Policy (REP) Division of CARD needed accurate cost of production system (COPS) budgets to integrate into its existing environmental modeling system. Cost and Returns Estimator (CARE) crop budgets were reorganized and modified to create a unique COPS budget for each...

The Central Nebraska Basin (CNB) is the site of intensive agricultural activity, in part because of the good irrigation supplies provided by the Middle Platte alluvial aquifer system. In this paper, the authors describe the integrated modeling system that addresses the economic and environmental...

The 2008 Farm Bill created the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program as a new commodity support program. Using a multinomial logit model to analyze a mail survey administered before the ACRE sign-up deadline, we identify factors driving farmer intentions regarding ACRE participation....

A conceptual model is developed to evaluate the effect of Bt corn on risk. Results highlight the importance of distinguishing between marginal and aggregate risk effects and demonstrate that the effect of Bt corn on risk depends crucially on the price paid for the technology. Empirical results...

This technical report describes a method to use the AGSIM policy model to estimate changes in soil erosion and diesel fuel consumption for tillage that result from agricultural policy changes. This report uses triazine herbicides as a case study to explain the development of the method and...

U.S. crop producers derive substantial economic benefits from the chloro-s-triazine herbicides atrazine, simazine and propazine. These triazine herbicides generate yield gains for U.S. crop farmers, and in many cases, also reduce total costs for herbicides. Atrazine, the most widely used...

Researchers evaluate the profitability of planting flood-tolerant crops in flood plains relative to traditional row crops under different assumptions concerning flood frequency and the level of government crop subsidy. Short rotation woody crops and herbaceous energy crops are evaluated for two...

Transgenic plants producing insecticidal protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been widely adopted since their commercial introduction in 1996. The widespread adoption of such plants has reduced use of conventional insecticides while attaining yield gains, thus providing...