Kelly A. Grogan

Socioeconomic Factors and Water Quality in California

We investigate the relationships between water quality and socioeconomic factors in California at the county level for the years 1993 to 2006 using 24 water quality indicators coming from seven different types of water bodies. We estimate these relationships using three classes of models: the traditional per capita income-pollution level - Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) - specifications, a more inclusive model containing main socioeconomic variables such as agricultural intensity, land use, ethnic composition, population density and educational attainment, and a model that includes the socioeconomic variables while accounting for spatial correlations too. For most water quality indicators, we do not find support for EKC specifications. For pollutants like phosphorus and total suspended solids, the level of agricultural activity is a significant determinant of water quality in California, but for other surface water pollutants commonly considered agricultural pollutants, such as ammonia and nitrate, the level of agricultural activity is not statistically significant. We find that education, ethnic composition, age structure, land use, population density, and water area are all significantly correlated with various indicators of water quality.

Comparison of Organic and Conventional Pest Management Practices Among California Citrus Growers

This article compares the pest management practices of organic and conventional citrus growers in California, using a 2010 survey of growers. The survey results indicate that, on average, organic growers make less use of biological and cultural controls than conventional growers. This result is surprising because organic growers often rely heavily on these types of controls due to organic restrictions on chemical control. For some organic growers, a lack of farming experience, the smaller scale of their operations, and less financial reliance on citrus production may explain these results.

The Effects and Value of a Resistant Perennial Variety: An Application to Pudrición del Cogollo Disease

This article develops a forestry model to obtain the optimal control strategy and optimal rotation length after a disease attacks in a perennial variety. Three cases are considered: a benchmark consisting of a disease-free field, an identical field with the disease present but no resistant variety with which to replant, and an identical field with the disease present and a resistant variety with which to replant. We determine general decision rules and then apply the model to the case of PudriciA³n del Cogollo, a major disease threat to the Colombian oil palm industry. In the application, we compare the optimal rotation length between the three scenarios and determine the optimal level of control in each period for the disease scenarios. The singular solution involves complete control of the disease, and in the absence of a resistant variety, the presence of the disease increases the rotation length. With these solutions, we then determine the value of developing a resistant variety. This value depends heavily on the age distribution of the current trees and decreases as the average tree age decreases. The value further declines when the resistance variety has negative attributes such as higher replanting and maintenance costs than the original variety.

The great American health care debate: A classroom game to explore risk and insurance

Abstract Health insurance policy is a current topic of concern for the United States. The classroom game discussed here provides students with a thorough understanding of some of the policy options under debate, in addition to demonstrating the classic problem of adverse selection. Students received probabilities of encountering a variety of medical expenses, based on their randomly assigned fictitious person’s age and health status. In each round, students made insurance decisions and then rolled dice to determine outcomes for each possible medical expense. The experiment considered insurance with an individual mandate, insurance without an individual mandate, insurance where students could purchase à la carte coverage mimicking proposed insurance riders for certain coverage, and insurance where pre-existing conditions were not covered.

Do Elementary Students Substitute Ice Cream and Baked Goods for Healthier National School Lunch Program Meal Items

Abstract We use variation in à la carte dessert availability to determine its impact on elementary school students’ selection of reimbursable meals and healthful meal components. On days when desserts (ice cream and baked goods) were offered, students were less likely to select a reimbursable meal, and students who purchased a dessert selected fruit significantly less often. Data were collected in the Alachua County School District (Florida) for three weeks in May of 2013. These findings suggest that students substitute desserts for reimbursable meals and the healthier fruit component. Policies, such as Smart Snacks in Schools, that regulate the nutritional content of a la carte items, but do not remove a la carte items from school lunchrooms, may be less effective than intended if such substitution occurs.

Integrated Pest Management: Fruit Production in the Western United States

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has a long history in the western United States. Among fruit producers, IPM adoption has been uneven. In cases such as codling moth control on apple and pear crops and wine grape production in general, IPM adoption has occurred on a large scale. In cases such as stone fruits and citrus, while some growers have adopted IPM, adoption is not as widespread as it could be. Research and extension play crucial roles in the development and implementation of IPM since individual growers do not have the time, resources, or risk-absorbing ability to experiment with and develop such complex management programs. Additionally, successful implementation often requires cooperation across states and crops. Perhaps most importantly, IPM implementation requires a large impetus to motivate adoption. Such an impetus could include legislation, pest resistance to the currently used pesticide, or public pressure.