Given its importance as an urban staple and growing importance in the consumption basket of rural people, rice has become a key part of Mali’s food strategy. Despite considerable increases in production since the 1990s, Mali still relies on imports for about a quarter of its rice needs. Following the 2007/08 commodity price crisis, Malian authorities affirmed the political will for substituting rice imports by domestic production. To date, major increases in production have mainly come from public-led investments in large-scale gravity fed irrigation infrastructure in the Office du Niger (ON). However, given the high costs of maintaining and expanding this irrigation scheme, Mali is now considering strategies to boost domestic production outside the ON zone in more marginal lands such as inland valley swamps (bas-fonds). This study uses both standard budgeting techniques and domestic resource cost analysis to assess the competitiveness and the comparative advantage of bas-fonds and ON rice in selected domestic and West-African markets with the aim to provide empirical analysis for supporting further investment decisions in the rice subsector in Mali. The results show that Mali has a very pronounced comparative advantage in the production and marketing of rice on its national territory, with ON rice being more competitive than bas-fonds rice in most markets. Despite numerous constraints that hinder the comparative advantage of Malian rice in subregional markets (e.g., apparent overvaluation of the currency and high transport costs), the prospects for Malian rice exports seem encouraging, given the high likely payoffs for improving the productivity and post-harvest handling of rice.

This study examined the impact of corn-based ethanol production in the United States on land use in other countries (Indirect Land Use). Indirect land use is a change from non-cropland to cropland (e.g. deforestation) that may occur in response to increasing scarcity of cropland. As farmers worldwide respond to higher crop prices in order to maintain the global food supply and demand balance, pristine lands are cleared and converted to new cropland to replace the crops for feed and food that were diverted elsewhere to biofuel production. The results show that increasing ethanol production in the U.S. has a positive and significant relation to the U.S. corn price. The U.S. corn price does not have a significant impact on changes in corn acreage in Brazil and other countries such as Canada, Japan and China. Results suggest a minimal change in acreage in contrast to what is written in most research work, that ethanol production in the U.S. will bring about an increase in corn prices which will result in change in land use in other countries. This is important as ethanol as a fuel is often criticized as having a net adverse impact on the environment because of indirect land use. Our study was unable to prove the existence of indirect land use.

This research estimates the direct financial costs and the changes in economic welfare associated with bird and rodent damage to 15 different crop markets in eight agricultural regions in California. Three different models are used to quantify this impact: a meta-analysis to aggregate and analysis a large database of 206 damage estimates from 43 studies related to 15 crops across 6 of regions of California, a direct financial cost model to identify changes in profits and costs from an individual producers perspective, and a combination of an equilibrium displacement model EDM) and an economic surplus model to estimate changes to producer and consumer surpluses. Using a range of damage estimates calculated from the meta-analysis, results from the direct financial analysis indicate that birds and rodents have a direct financial impact in reducing income from lower production and increasing production costs and was calculated as a range from $1,153 m to $1,726 m. Results from the EDM and economic surplus model are the estimated gain in consumer surplus resulting from an absence of bird and rodent damage and a reduction is between $689.6 m and $$1,148.5 m and the estimated gain in producer surplus is between $396.0 m and $658.8 m. Understanding the aggregate impact of damage caused by birds and rodents to multiple economically important crops in California agriculture is crucial. The results of this study indicate that bird and rodent have caused negative impacts on California producers and consumers. Through the inclusion of a more complete damage data set, the impact of this damage on profits and consumer and producer surpluses was estimated with greater accuracy and yielded predictive and interpretive value to the profession. All candidates for advanced degrees who are required to submit theses must submit abstracts. ProQuest Information and Learning, Ann Arbor, Michigan, offers microfilming, publication of abstracts, and copyright registration services. Upon request, ProQuest will furnish reprints.

This work highlights the institutional nature of spatial relationships that restricted cropping choices and patterned both the landscape and work behaviors of farm families in the late nineteenth-century Illinois corn-belt. It accomplishes this through a intra regional comparison of agricultural production statistics among native-stock and German-American farmers and a study of their varied cultural approaches to gendered labor and the built environment.

Technological progress is associated with both excessive depletion and improved conservation of environmental resources. This dissertation explores the role of technological progress under different regulatory and producing institutions. The first chapter, “Firm Boundaries and Impure Public Goods”, establishes a relationship between property rights, firm structure, and productivity. I adapt the theory of the firm to show that reducing common-pool externalities can lead to mergers distinct from permit consolidation among low cost firms) and greater human capital investments. These predictions are supported by data from the New England groundfish industry where some groups called “sectors” were exempted from input controls and given a collective output quota. Sectors exhibited better managerial performance i.e., higher productivity) relative to non-sector firms following the change, but the species composition of their harvest shifted considerably. The following two chapters investigate technology adoption and productivity in common-pool resource industries. The second chapter, “Technological Change and Managerial Ability: Evidence from a Malaysian Artisanal Fishery”, uses stochastic frontier analysis to compare the productivity of technology adopters in the gillnet fishery on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Technologies include cell phones, GPS, sonar, and mechanical winches for hauling nets. Electronics adopters were more productive than non-adopters on average but difficult to distinguish from efficient non-adopters, while adopters of mechanical net haulers had low technical efficiency, low labor productivity and high labor use. Our results suggest capital investments in new technology may tie the least successful participants to the fishery despite most respondents self-reported desire to exit. The dynamic implications of these findings are explored in the third chapter, “Exogenous Productivity Shocks and Capital Investment in Common-pool Resources”. We develop a compound Poisson process to model rapid adoption of technologies in common-pool industries. Technology shocks lower the equilibrium resource stock while causing capital buildup based on transitory quasi-rents. The steady state changes from a stable node to a shifting focus with boom and bust cycles, even if only technology is uncertain.

Oilseed crops have potential to replace a portion of the on-farm energy demand currently satisfied by fossil fuel. This dissertation allies mechanical engineering, field testing, and molecular breeding research into an integrated approach to solve problems associated with straight vegetable oil SVO) production and use on Colorado farms. Four related topics of investigation and activity are reported. To identify an adapted, short-season oilseed crop that could fit into the current High Plains dryland cropping system, a genetic diversity study was conducted on three potential oilseed species: Brassica juncea, Brassica carinata, and Camelina sativa. To illuminate the genetic basis of camelina response to drought stress, a two-year study of quantitative trait loci QTLs) was implemented under dry and irrigated conditions using 181 recombinant inbred lines RILS) developed from European cultivars. To understand and eventually manage camelina production, a multi-environmental regional trial of camelina seed yield, oil content, and oil quality was conducted with eight American and European varieties. Extension activities introduced SVO information and technology to farmers in Colorado. Camelina sativa showed better adaptation to semi-arid environments than B. juncea and B. carinata, outyielding them due to camelinas shorter stature, higher harvest index, and greater resistance to flea beetle. Camelina yield, oil content, and linolenic fatty acid FA) content were higher in cool, wet environments than in warm, dry environments. iii Linolenic FA content and seed size were negatively correlated p&lt；0.05) with early flowering time. Earlier flowering was associated with increased seed yield p&lt；0.01) under dry and hot environments, but with decreased seed yield under irrigation. Environment was a larger source of variation than genotype for all the traits measured in this study. Twenty-nine QTLs were found in camelina for seed yield, oil quality, and drought-tolerance-related traits such as leaf water content and leaf nitrogen content, which could lead to breeding for improvement of camelina performance in semi-arid environments. Some QTLs were shared by multiple traits, suggesting either pleiotropic effects or proximity of genes. The cumulative effect of stable, favorable alleles for seed yield was a 16% increase in yield. Trait responses to moisture varied widely, both in the multi-environmental regional trial using cultivars and in the single-location trial using RILs. The range of trait response reflects variation in plasticity in camelina germplasm. Two analysis methods, namely, additive main effects and multiplicative interaction AMMI) and the moisture difference value method, were used to detect false positive QTLs and to predict QTL effect in specific environments. AMMI was used successfully to delineate mega-environments within the study region and to identify the best-adapted varieties for these mega-environments. With the QTL data developed in this study, marker-assisted selection could be used to identify camelina varieties adapted to specific environments or to a broad range of environments. Five lines possessing three favorable yield QTLs expressed under drought conditions are undergoing seed increase and additional multi-locational testing for potential release. Oilseed-for-biofuel workshops, crusher demonstrations, and oilseed field days were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of potential advantages of SVO for farmers wanting an alternative energy source to reduce their use of fossil fuel. A limited number of early adopters are beginning to integrate camelina into their crop rotation. Three small oilseed crushing and processing facilities have been established from collaboration with farmers and other agencies, and another is in the design stage. Two extension fact sheets will be published on camelina production and on biofuel production at a farm scale.

This dissertation consists of three papers which address separate but related issues in recreational fisheries management. Paper one estimates the economic contribution of the private, recreation-based aquaculture industry in the Western United States. Paper two presents a method for combining models of site selection with input-output models in order to better estimate the true economic impacts of augmentation or deterioration of recreational sites. Finally, paper three presents a dynamic, bioeconomic model of a recreational fishery and uses that model to simulate what would happen over time to anglers and fish populations as well as value to anglers) if fish stocking were to be halted at a single recreational fishery. All three papers are policy relevant today given the increased pressure from and litigation filed by) environmental groups to reduce fish stocking due to conflicts with native and endangered species. Paper one explores the economic contribution of the private, recreation-based aquaculture industry in the Western United States. New sectors are constructed in IMPLAN input-output software using data gathered between 2007 and 2010 from producers and their direct customers stocked fisheries). Information from a third survey of anglers in Colorado and California is integrated to predict the short-term shocks that would occur to various industries if anglers at privately stocked fisheries were to discontinue fishing simulating a hypothetical collapse of the industry). Accounting for both the backward and forward linkages of the private, recreation-based aquaculture industrys production, model results indicate that for every dollar of fish stocking, $36 dollars of recreational angler-related expenditures are supported, and that the total economic contribution of this industry in the Western United States is roughly $2 billion annually. This is the first study addressing the forward linkages and total economic contribution of this industry in the Western United States. Paper two addresses a similar issue as paper one, but goes further to account for substitution patterns among anglers. Using information from a survey of anglers in 2009, a repeated nested logit RNL) model of angler spatial substitution behavior is estimated. Then, the RNL is used to predict changes in angler days associated with changes in fishery attributes. By linking the RNL and input-output model, better insight is gained into the economic losses associated with augmentation or deterioration of stocked fishing sites. Results indicate that if a single site is closed within the region of analysis, of the 29,500 anglers that will no longer fish at that site, only 6,500 anglers will leave the region of analysis the rest substituting to other in-region sites). Standard impact analysis would therefore overestimate the economic impacts of such a policy by 450%. Results are similar when catch rates are reduced by 50% at one site, with 14,000 anglers leaving that site but only 3,000 leaving the region. The third and final paper of this dissertation presents a means by which managers may manage inland recreational fisheries from a dynamic bioeconomic perspective. A discrete-time, discrete-space, infinite time horizon numerical model of a fishery is built in GAMS software to reflect responses of anglers to the fishery and responses of the fishery to anglers over time. A data-driven random utility model is used to inform angler response and value functions in this dynamic bioeconomic model. Results from one region in California indicate that a) current fish stocking levels may be inefficiently high, and b) elimination of fish stocking programs at popular lakes may not lead to a crash in fishery populations, since anglers will simply substitute to other nearby fisheries rather than “fish-out” the lake). Managers who can predict the intertemporal effects of fishery management alternatives in this way will be able to better meet the demands of recreational anglers.

Two studies were conducted. First study is pre-harvest forecasting of county wheat yield and wheat quality conditional on weather information and second study is improved methods of estimating construction costs of agricultural facilities. The first study estimated wheat regression models to account for the effect of weather on wheat yield, protein, and test weight and to forecast wheat yield and the two wheat quality measures. The explanatory variables included precipitation and temperature for growing periods that correspond to biological wheat development stages. The models included county fixed effects, crop year random effects, and a spatial lag effect. The second study developed and evaluated `Economic Engineering Construction cost templates model for estimating construction costs of storage facilities. To verify model performance, the regression statistical inferences were used and the predicted costs of the developed cost templates model were benchmarked against previous two projects for grain bin and one example of RSMeans estimating costs for warehouse building. The results of first study indicated that wheat yield, protein, and test weight level are strongly influenced by weather variables. Study also found that the forecasting power of the yield and protein models was enhanced by adding the spatial lag effect. Out of sample forecasting tests confirm the models usefulness in accounting for the variations in average wheat yield and qualities. The first study results or prediction information could be widely used and could be particularly important to producers optimizing late season agronomic and marketing decisions and to grain elevators and agribusiness for contracts or purchasing decisions. The results of second study represented the fitting ability of the model is very well and provide information which help to illustrate and quantify the project to project variation in construction costs. It allows producers and agribusiness managers to examine a wide variety of configurations and options and to update their estimates as current RSMeans data becomes available. So, a major contribution of the study is that it develops a method of estimation that can be continuously updated as new RSMeans data is published.

Quantification and efficient irrigation application of crop water requirements are potential ways for water resources conservation and sustainability. Reference evapotranspiration ETref) is a very important variable in the quantification of crop water requirement. The ASCE standardized ETref equation has been recommended recently for calculating ETref. However it has not been tested under Colorado conditions. In addition, crop coefficients Kc) for use with the ASCE standardized reference ET equation have not been developed in Colorado. Crop coefficients that have been used by the Colorado Division of Water Resources were estimated from Kimberly, Idaho and Bushland, Texas even though the growing conditions such as soil, elevation, climate and environmental factors in Colorado are different than in Kimberly and Bushland. They were developed using reference ET equations other than the ASCE standardized PM ETref equation and later they were adapted for use with the ASCE standardized PM ETref equation Allen et al., 2007). The objectives of this study were to test the performance of the ASCE standardized ETref equation for calculating alfalfa reference ET under southeast Colorado conditions and to develop compatible crop coefficients of alfalfa that apply to the region. A corollary objective was to determine if the full version of the Penman-Monteith equation could better match measured alfalfa ET from the lysimeter when reference conditions were satisfied. A precise weighing lysimeter was used to measure alfalfa ET and to develop crop coefficients of alfalfa at Rocky Ford in Southeast Colorado. The lysimeter was filled with a 3 m x 3 m x 2.4 m undisturbed soil monolith and alfalfa Genoa variety) was planted in the lysimeter and in 4 ha of surrounding field in August 2007. Alfalfa was harvested four times in each of the 2008, 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. ETref was calculated using the hourly ASCE standardized PM ETrs standardized reference evapotranspiration for tall reference crop) and full version Penman-Monteith equations using climate data from an automatic weather station installed at the lysimeter site. Crop coefficients of alfalfa were calculated by dividing daily measured ET from the lysimeter by the corresponding daily ASCE standardized reference ET. Season total alfalfa ET from the lysimeter ranged from 1179 mm to 1455 mm. Maximum daily water use of alfalfa was around 14.4 mm/day in 2010 season due to relatively high maximum temperature, high solar radiation and high wind speed. Average daily ET for 2008, 2009 and 2010 was 5.7 mm/day, 6.0 mm/day and 6.9 mm/day, respectively. Hourly calculated ETrs values agreed well with measured ET from the lysimeter whenever alfalfa was under reference conditions height of at least 50 cm and no soil water stress). Residuals between calculated ETrs and measured lysimeter ET increased as air temperature increased and as relative humidity decreased. Greater residuals were obtained when 80 % of the footprint length was not in the field. During some periods, there was lack of adequate fetch and this contributed to greater differences between the ASCE standardized ETrs and lysimeter ET. Good agreement between ASCE standardized ETrs and lysimeter ET was obtained when at least 80% of the ET flux footprint was inside the alfalfa field. The alfalfa growth stage, climate, precipitation and soil water content were major factors that shaped the crop coefficient curves. The first cutting cycle, which had slower growth due to cooler weather, had smaller crop coefficients, whereas later cutting cycles with rapid growth had larger crop coefficients. The maximum crop coefficients were below 1.2 in 2008 water stressed) and at or slightly above 1.2 in 2009 and 2010. The Kcr values greater than 1.0 were due to ETc from the lysimeter being greater than ETrs from ASCE standardized PM. Periods when alfalfa in the lysimeter was taller than alfalfa in the immediate surroundings and when the canopy extended outside the lysimeter boundary 3 m x 3 m) contributed to Kcr values greater than 1.0. Precipitation interception by the alfalfa canopy increased evaporation and caused outliers in the crop coefficient values. Crop coefficients were greatly affected by soil water content. A reduction in the alfalfa crop coefficients was observed at the end of some cutting cycles that coincided with reductions in soil water content. The average leaf area index LAI) at a height of 50 cm was 4.34 m 2/m2 and there was a high correlation between LAI and alfalfa height with R2 of 0.94, but the relationships were not the same as suggested by Allen et al. 1994). ETref values calculated by the full version of the Penman-Monteith equation deviated more from the lysimeter ET compared to the ASCE standardized ETref equation. Full version of Penman Monteith showed very good agreement with ASCE standardized ET. Using the full version of the Penman-Monteith equation did not improve agreement with lysimeter ET at reference conditions.

This study investigates the impact of organic milk introduction on consumer benefits employing two different demand approaches； multistage demand system approach and discrete choice approach. These two approaches with A.C. Nielsen Homescan data allow analyzing the dairy market at the various levels of the economy. In the first essay, the aggregate demands for milk products at both brand level and commodity group level are analyzed adopting the multistage demand system approach. Expenditure functions are derived from the estimated demand equations to quantify the welfare changes. The welfare effect is decomposed into the variety effect and the price effect, where the former is the willingness-to-pay changes for having more options to choose and the latter is the amount of price changes in existing products due to enhanced competition. Unlike the previous demand studies on milk market, the elasticity results indicate that there is no evidence of substitutability between organic and conventional milk products when milk is categorized by both fat contents and organic claims. Rather, this study shows that milk products with similar fat content are substitutable to each other. The estimated variety effects indicate that consumers benefit significantly from the organic option as much as 8% of milk expenditure. The price effects show some evidence of cannibalization in this market over the period of analysis. In the second essay, the same economic questions are answered in the discrete choice approach. Employing a mixed logit model and individual household level data, this essay considers not only the observed characteristics of product and household but also unobserved characteristics and tastes in the analysis. The variety effect is estimated for each individual household and, as a result, the entire distribution of the variety effects that can answer the question of which type of households benefit the most from the introduction of organic milk is presented. Both utility parameter estimates and the distribution of variety effects indicate that households with younger head, higher income and higher education benefit more from organic milk introduction than ones with older head and lower income and education. The third essay extends the second essay with supply side study to analyze the price effect in a partial equilibrium framework. Counterfactual prices in the absence of organic milk are predicted by solving the first order conditions of firms. profit maximization under the assumption of Bertrand-Nash competition. The mean values of counterfactual prices based on the mixed logit analysis imply that firms decreased the prices of existing prices due to the enhanced competition in the market.