Mark J. Cochran

A GENERALIZED STOCHASTIC DOMINANCE PROGRAM FOR THE IBM PC

A microcomputer program to perform Generalized Stochastic Dominance (GSD), Quasi-Second Degree Dominance (SSD), and Quasi-First Degree Stochastic Dominance (FSD) is described. The program is designed to run on IBM-compatible personal computers with a Hercules or CGA graphics adapter. It is menu-driven and has options for GSD, quasi-FSD, quasi-SSD, graphics, and calculations of premiums associated with use of dominant distributions.

Improving the Efficiency of Stochastic Dominance Techniques Using Convex Set Stochastic Dominance

The advantages of convex set stochastic dominance (CSD) are discussed in terms of extending other stochastic dominance criteria in a way which will decrease Type II errors (large efficient sets) without increasing the Type I errors (inaccurate rankings). An empirical example ranking pest management strategies demonstrates the potential of CSD by reducing the efficiency set by almost 60% without imposing additional constraints on the preference set. It is suggested that CSD may permit more imprecise representations of risk preferences, avoiding utility measurement problems, and still identify efficient sets of acceptable sizes.

THE FEASIBILITY OF POULTRY LITTER TRANSPORTATION FROM ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS TO DELTA ROW CROP PRODUCTION

Arkansas ranks first in broiler production in the USA with more than a billion broiler and 1.5 million tons of litter produced in 1993. Transporting litter from western to eastern Arkansas can accomplish two goals: 1) avoid potential threat to clean water in western Arkansas and 2) can increase productivity of graded lands in the Delta. This paper examines the feasibility of litter transport from areas of high poultry concentrations to the Delta for use as a soil amendment. We establish the conditions for economical litter transport from source to destinations and determine the optimal rates of litter applications. The results suggest that it is economical to transport significant portions of litter.

Implications of alternative environmental policies on phosphorus loading from poultry litter

Degraded groundwater, impaired swimming, fishing, algae and weed problem are often associated with eutrophication from phosphorus (P) loadings in surface and groundwater. The concentrated growth of poultry industry and over application of litter on pasture lands may lead to excessive nutrient loadings in surface and groundwater. The Cooperative Extension Service recommendation suggests that no poultry litter should be applied if the soil test P exceeds 300 pounds per acre, irrespective of the marginal costs and benefits associated with one more unit of litter application on that piece of land. The objective of this paper is to model the economics of P loadings from poultry litter and analyze the policy implications of Cooperative Extension Services recommendation on quantity restriction on litter applications with empirical evidence. The results indicate that there exists significant difference in the marginal values of soil between different soil series, indicating that the permit system can achieve the target at a lesser cost. In particular, the society as a whole can gain

IMPLICATIONS OF POLICY REGULATIONS ON LAND APPLICATIONS OF POULTRY LITTER

2.7 per acre by allocating the litter to soil series 16 instead of soil series 20, provided that the contribution towards groundwater contamination from these two acres are the same.

Inclusion of plant structure and fiber quality into a distributed delay cotton model to improve management and optimize profit

The growth of the poultry industry in Arkansas has exploded in the past decade. As a result, approximately 1.5 million tons of litter are produced every year. Concerns about possible contamination of ground and surface water from land applications of poultry litter have been raised. This paper compares four policy scenarios in terms of their efficiency and practicality to manage land applications of poultry litter. The results indicate that a litter tax per ton of litter applied could achieve the same level of litter control as that of a land tax on litter applications, but at a lower tax rate.

The Conservation Compliance Program and Best Management Practices: An Integrated Approach for Economic Analysis

Abstract This research introduces a simple variation of distributed delay algorithms to solve some relevant problems in simulation of plant development. Cotton was used as a case study. An energy-based model of cotton plant growth was expanded to account for production of fruit at different main-stem nodes and fruiting branch positions. The inclusion of plant structure in a simulation model permitted more accurate estimation of projected harvest value. The implications to crop and pest management are two-fold. Higher levels of resolution in the plant structure can result in improved estimates of crop value and insect economic injury levels. More explicit representation of plant structure provides a more natural framework for integrated insect models based on organism behavior such as location and fruit size preference. An algorithm is presented to enhance the resolution of ecological applications that include developmental variability. The effects of cotton plant structure on cotton lint yield and fiber quality were determined for a short-season cultivar, TAMCOT CD3H. An existing cotton plant model, COTSIM, was used and adapted to short-season production. The cotton plant model was modified to include plant architecture. Fiber quality parameters and yield of fruit at different branch positions were determined for the test cultivar. Arrays corresponding to different fruiting branch positions and fiber property trends were constructed to better corresponde with patterns observed in field data. These patterns showed that fiber properties are closely associated with the positions on a fruiting branch. The development of fruit position-cohorts was modeled using an algorithm that simulates the distribution of growth rates with a time-distributed delay. This algorithm was extended to include arrays to represent fruit produced at different fruiting branch positions on the plant. The model predicted observed fruiting data from non-stressed plants well. The inclusion of the effects of plant structure on cotton yield and fiber quality permitted a more accurate determination of cotton prices. In addition, when linked to insect pest models, this model will simulate a dynamic, position-dependent effect of insect damage on fruiting structures and economic loss.

Economics of Trade-off Between Urea Nitrogen and Poultry Litter for Rice Production

(Crosson and Miranowski; Govindasamy and Duffy; Govindasamy and Huffman;). About 44 percent of the cropland is eroding at levels greater than soil-loss tolerance levels (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology 1988). This positive net erosion has led the U.S. government to formulate measures such as the Conservation Compliance Program (CCP) in an effort to curtail farmland soil erosion. The CCP

The Effect of Self-Help Community Development Programs on Rural County Development in Arkansas

This paper identifies optimal combinations of nitrogen in the form of urea, fresh litter and composted litter for rice production. Traditional cost minimization techniques using data from experimental results conducted at three sites in Arkansas during 1991 have been employed. Comparisons between different scenarios indicate that the trade-off between the use of poultry litter and urea nitrogen depends on such factors as soil fertility, the yield response to litter application and the relative prices of nitrogen and litter. The use of litter is more economical at high target yields than at low target yields.

FUNCTIONAL FORMS AND FARM-LEVEL DEMAND FOR PECANS BY VARIETY

In spite of the fact that extensive resources were committed to community resource development programs during the late 1950s and through the 1960s, virtually no evaluative information exists about the accomplishments of community development programs. Major commitments were made to community resource development in Arkansas. Using secondary data derived from administrative reports and from various census sources, an evaluation of these programs was performed for the periods from 1960 to 1970 and 1970 to 1980. The 73 nonmetropolitan counties of Arkansas were the units of analysis, and the evaluation focused upon the impacts that the programs had upon net migration of youth, unemployment, employment in retail and wholesale trade and in manufacturing. Regression analysis was used and two basic analytic models were employed. The results showed either that community resource development inputs had no positive impacts upon the selected output variables, or that their impacts were opposite of what local leaders...