Shashanka Bhide

Empirical Investigation of Beef Gain Roughage-Concentrate Substitution

The shape of the beef gain roughage-concentrate isoquant is examined. Data from two beef-feeding experiments designed to investigate response from alternative combinations of roughage and concentrate are utilized. Isoquants derived from estimated production functions are compared with directly estimated isoquants. The estimates indicate that the isoquant is not strictly convex to the origin. The nonconvex region is more pronounced in estimates obtained from data of steers fed diethylstilbestrol.

Potential impacts of alternative energy situations on land use and values

Abstract Dramatic changes in the energy sector during the 1970s with respect to energy price have required adjustments in all other sectors of the economy. The agricultural sector has experienced direct as well as indirect effects of increased energy prices. In this study, the potential impacts of increased energy prices and reduced supply of energy in the farm sector, on farm land use, and its shadow prices are analyzed. The impacts on dryland use and irrigated land use are compared, as irrigated farming is more energy intensive compared to dryland farming.