This study determines which factors are associated with the use of rotational grazing and the frequency with which Tennessee producers rotate cattle during the summer months. Survey data were used to estimate an ordered response model with sample selection. Most respondents used rotational grazing, and the most frequent rotational schedule was rotating cattle one to two times per month. Factors including labor, capital, knowledge, and water availability influenced the use of rotational grazing and the frequency of rotating cattle. The insights from this study can inform the development of incentives to promote more intensive use of rotational grazing.

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) in grow-finishing pigs is one of the most important determinants of pig farm profitability and production efficiency. In its simplest form, FCR represents the amount of feed used per unit weight gain of the pig. Yet, this approach entails various limitations hampering its practical applicability such as availability of accurate data and large variation in ways to adapt FCR values for different starting and end weight as well as mortality rates. Various stakeholders are using their own formulas to determine FCR creating a ‘definition nonconformity’ when comparing FCRs among farms. This study aimed to optimize the calculation of FCR through the use of participatory qualitative research. A multidisciplinary research group of 9 persons (animal scientists, veterinarians and agricultural economists) and a consulting group of 31 stakeholders (representing the Flemish primary sector, feed industry, pharma, genetic companies, large retailers, academia and policy institutions) were involved. The decision problem analysis started with a literature review, followed by 25 in-depth interviews and their analyses (NVivo 11™). This led to an additional literature review and the formation of focus (expert) groups that helped to formulate preliminary FCR formulas. Revision rounds between the research team and the stakeholders further fine-tuned the formulas with the final result being two distinct complimentary formulas that are fit for purpose. Both refer to carcass gain per kg feed intake (plain (CGF) and standardized (CGFstandardized)). The first formula (CGF), namely ${{{\it{number \, delivered \, pigs}} \times {\it{average \, warm \, carcass \, weight}} - {\it{number \, stocked \, piglets}} \times {\it{average \, piglet \, weight}} \times {\it{piglet \, carcass \, yield}}} \over {{\it{feed \, consumption}}}}$ is an objective representation of the animals’ performance. The second formula (CGFstandardized) was developed for farm benchmarking, incorporating a seven-step standardization process that corrects for mortality and ‘standardizes’ for a fixed (yet fictive) live weight trajectory of 25 to 115 kg. This second formula allows to compare farms (or batches of fattening pigs) with different weight trajectories and different mortality rates. A webtool was designed to ease this standardization process (https://varkensloket.be/tools/CGF).

This paper examines the prioritization of management factors by farmers that lead to the success of their farm business. The research also examines the heterogeneity of producer prioritization of different success strategies. Using a hierarchical clustering approach, we found that each farmer group prioritizes either managing costs, managing output prices, managing people, managing production, or managing assets. The results indicate that the farmer groups are heterogeneous in their prioritization of five strategic management factors. These results provide useful insights for farmers, farm input providers, and farm service providers.

This study, based on vegetable production fields, combined soil quality assessed by three approaches (qualitatively by farmers, semi-quantitatively by a researcher and quantitatively by laboratory analyses) with the aim of improving the integration of the different approaches. We interviewed 79 peri-urban vegetable growers in two communities within the Sunyani Municipality, Ghana. Eight of the farmers were selected to participate in the farmer-based assessment of soil quality. Further, visual evaluation of soil quality was conducted by the researcher, followed by laboratory analyses of soil properties to corroborate the farmers’ assessment of good and poor soils in their fields. Results showed that the farmers used locally-defined characteristics to describe the physical, biological and crop performance indicators of soil quality. There was, in general, limited use and understanding of soil chemical properties as indicators of soil quality. The farmers’ perception on soil quality of their fields largely influenced their decision on the type of crops they cultivate, and application regimes of mineral fertilizers. Results from the visual evaluation by the researcher agreed in some respects with the farmers’ assessment of soil quality of the good and poor soils in their respective farms. Laboratory analyses did not show specific trends for the content of chemical properties for neither good nor poor soils. The study highlighted that none of the approaches of soil quality assessment is necessarily superior in and of itself. We emphasized the need for integration to capitalize on the strengths of each approach, enhance mutual learning between farmers and soil scientists, build the capacity of farmers, and improve their decision on soil use for agricultural production.

Palmer amaranth is the most troublesome weed problem in mid-southern US crop production. Herbicides continue to be the most commonly employed method for managing Palmer amaranth, despite the weed’s widespread resistance to them. Therefore, farmers need research and extension efforts that promote the adoption of integrated weed management (IWM) techniques. Producers, crop consultants, educators, and researchers would be more likely to deploy diversified chemical and nonchemical weed management options if they are more informed about long-term biological and economic implications via user-friendly decision-support software. Described within is a recently developed software that demonstrates the effects of Palmer amaranth management practices on soil seedbank, risk of resistance evolution, and economics over a 10-year planning horizon. Aiding this objective is a point-and-click interface that provides feedback on resistance risk, yield potential, profitability, soil seedbank dynamics, and error checking of management options.

Costs and returns of pasture-based dairy production are compared with those of conventional production using matching samples. Both whole-farm and dairy enterprise-level estimates are made using the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Resource Management Survey data. Conventional farms are matched to pasture-based farms on the basis of operation scale, scope, region, and farmer demographics and adoption of technology. Results show for pasture-based production lower net farm income on per-cow, per-hundredweight milk produced, and total bases. On an enterprise basis, results show for pasture-based production, higher net return over operating cost and lower net return over total cost per hundredweight milk produced.

Farm equipment, including sensors and mobile machinery, create increasing amounts of data, and data can also be gained from third-party services. In order to be able to fully take advantage of this a farmer needs to be able to gather, store, process, and share the data as needed. In this work we describe a prototype for open environment that can gather, combine, store, select, and share data from arbitrary sources and with external partners, as well as use the data in decision making and provide it as input for various services. The environment is built using the Service Oriented Architecture paradigm and is therefore not tied to any specific operating system or software framework. We have tested the environment on the farm scale in Finland. The system was found suitable to improve the work in all tested tasks.

A whole farm economic analysis was performed to maximize net returns utilizing variable maturity groups of corn and soybeans over different soil types. Demand for drying and storage equipment throughout harvest was generated based on profit-maximizing combinations of grain types, their respective maturity groups, and yield potential over different topsoil depths. Two marketing strategies were considered: cash and futures contract sales. It was found that drying equipment became a limiting factor in the proposed system. This prevented storage facilities from reaching full capacity and additional grain from capturing value in the futures market.

Economic analysis was conducted on hypothetical agronomic research on new crop cultivars for Arkansas dryland soybean and wheat producers. In relation to farmers' attitudes toward risk, the microeconomic effects and level of adoption of yield variability reducing cultivars were analyzed utilizing a production management decision-making model formulated with mathematical programming techniques. The study indicated that negative covariance between crops continues to be an effective means of reducing production risk associated with yield variability. However, under varying circumstances, agronomic research on the breeding of new soybean and wheat cultivars with reduced yield variability is worthwhile if there is only slight concurrent reduction in expected yields.

Contract grazing feeder cattle is an arrangement where cattle owned by one party graze forage produced on land owned by another party. The forage producer is paid a fixed price per pound gained. Stochastic dominance analysis is used to compare contract grazing and the more traditional system in which the same individual owns both the cattle and land.

The expertise and knowledge of veterinary advisors on improving animal health management is key towards a better herd health status. However, veterinary advisors are not always aware of the goals and priorities of dairy farmers. To dairy farmers animal health is only one aspect of farm management and resources may be allocated to other more preferred areas. Veterinary advisors may experience this as non-compliant with their advice. To explore the preferences of European Union (EU) organic dairy farmers for improved animal health management relative to other farm management areas an adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA) was performed. A total of 215 farmers participated originating from organic dairy farms in France (n=70), Germany (n=60), Spain (n=28) and Sweden (n=57). The management areas udder health and claw health represented animal health management whereas barn, calf and pasture management represented potential conflicting management areas. Results indicate that EU organic dairy farmers differ in their preferences for improved animal health management within the farming system. In general, improved calf management was the most preferred area and improved claw health management was found to be least preferred, the remaining areas were of intermediate interest. Cluster analyses on claw health measures and udder health measures resulted in respectively seven and nine distinct preference profiles. The results indicate a high degree of variation in farmers’ preference, which cannot be explained by the typical herd characteristics. With the individual preferences revealed by ACA, a veterinary advisor can now find out whether his intended advice is directed at a favourable or unfavourable management area of the farmer. If the latter is the case the veterinarian should first create awareness of the problem to the farmer. Insights in individual farmers preferences will allow veterinary advisors to better understand why farmers were incompliant with their advice and improve their advice by showing, for example, the potential benefits of their advice.

Restrictions on the hyperbolic trigonometric (HT) transformation are imposed to guarantee that a probability density function is obtained from maximum likelihood estimation. Performance of the restricted HT transformation using data generated from normal, beta, gamma, logistic, log-normal, Pareto, Weibull, order statistic, and bimodal populations is investigated via sampling experiments. Results suggest that the restricted HT transformation is sufficiently flexible to compete with the actual population distributions in most cases. Application of the restricted HT transformation is illustrated by characterizing uncertain net income per acre for community-supported agriculture farms in the northeastern United States.

Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify approaches to farm management based on a list of management questions posed to a sample of U.S. cash-grain farmers. Three approaches were identified by the factor analysis: price negotiation, long-term cost control, and input adjustment. Estimated factor scores regressed against farm and operator characteristics indicate a profile of producers using each approach that is closely related to stage-of-life of the farm operator and farm business. In addition to operator age and planning horizon, operator risk preference and farm organization and location were other important determinants of the approach to management.

The extent of information use by farmers for farm management is tracked in terms of computer adoption and usefulness, and the use of professional providers of information services. The study is based on a survey conducted in 1991, on North Carolina, as part of a regional project involving about fourteen states. The results revealed a low rate of computer adoption by the farmers surveyed. However, computer adoption and usefulness were explained by farm size, educational attainment and farm income. Also farmers' use of professional services, such as that provided by tax preparers and extension agents were positively influenced by farm size, age and education level.

In production agriculture, good management is demonstrated by profits that are persistently greater than those of similar neighboring farms. This research examined the effects of management practices on risk-adjusted profit per acre for Kansas farms over 1990-1999. The management practices were price, cost, yield, planting intensity, and technology adoption (less-tillage). Cost management, planting intensity, and technology adoption had the greatest effect on profit per acre, and cash price management was found to have the smallest impact. If producers wish to have continuously high profits, their efforts are best spent in management practices over which they have the most control.

Production timing is an essential element in fresh vegetable growers'efforts to maximize profitability and reduce income risks. The present studyuses biophysical simulation modeling coupled with a dual crop (tomatoes,sweet corn) whole-farm economic formulation to analyze the effects ofgrowers' risk aversion levels and price consideration (seasonal or annualprice consideration) in expected net returns and production practices. Thefindings indicate that consideration of seasonal price trends results inhigher expected net returns and greater opportunities to mitigate risk.Furthermore, risk aversion levels substantially influence production timingwhen seasonal price trends are considered.

A whole farm economic analysis was conducted to provide a detailed assessment into the economic, risk, and production implications due to the adoption of auto-steer navigation. It was determined that auto-steer navigation was profitable for a grain farmer in Kentucky with net returns increasing up to 0.90% ($3.35/acre). Additionally, the technology could be used in reducing production risk. Adoption of the technology also alters production practices for optimal use.

The previous articles have shown that preoccupations concerning discharge of nitrate emissions are not recent, even if they have not yet resulted in expected reductions. The Water Framework Directive, which aims at a ‘good’ ecological state of all aquatic environments in 2015, enlarges the objectives of the Nitrates Directive. We are currently witnessing the broadening of objectives for reducing emissions of all forms of nitrogen from livestock farming systems to other compartments, in particular the atmosphere. The reduction of ammonia emissions, which was a little concerned by the French context until now, is a priority for animal systems in several northern European countries. It is a subject of intense efforts of international regulations.