scholarly journals Response of Small Farmers in Missouri to a Specialty Crop Survey

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 844A-844
Author(s):  
Wesseh J. Wollo* ◽  
Lurline Marsh ◽  
Rufus Jones
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Return Rate ◽  
Small Farmers ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
Crop Agriculture ◽  
Traditional Crops

Specialty crop production has the potential to diversify traditional crop agriculture and improve profits. The primary purpose of this research was to determine the number of small farmers in Missouri who grow crops other than the traditional crops (soybeans, corn, wheat, cotton), and to identify issues they face in their production. A survey questionnaire consisting of fifteen questions was sent to 401 small farmers in Missouri in Fall 2002. The response was a 27% return rate. Most (77%) of the respondents grew tomato and many (50%) used irrigations. Among those who did not grow the nontraditional crops, 46% cited lack of interest as the reason while 32% cited lack of labor. The reasons given by 80% of respondents who at one time grew nontraditional crops but stopped, were lost interest, profit, and insufficient labor. Many respondents also grew herbs and other specialty vegetables in addition to the nontraditional crops. Garlic and chives were grown by 19% of respondents. Most (80%) respondents who grew specialty crops were interested in seminars, workshops or field days on their production, marketing or financing. Among respondents who grew nontraditional crops but stopped, 39% cited drought as the reason while 25% cited insects. These results indicate that small farmers of specialty crops in Missouri need training and information, to profitably produce the nontraditional crops.

scholarly journals Beyond Scale and Scope: Exploring Economic Drivers of U.S. Specialty Crop Production With an Application to Edamame

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton L. Neill ◽  
Kimberly L. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Row Crops ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
Alternative Crop ◽  
High Reward

Specialty crops are considered high-risk, high-reward, yet growers face differing, and relatively larger risk exposure when compared to traditional row crops. With traditional row crops, economies of scale and scope are key factors to increasing economic profitability. However, increasing economic profit for specialty crop operations present challenges which limit grower ability to easily take advantage of scale and scope economies. The authors discuss production, finance, regulatory, price, and human resource risks unique to U.S.-grown specialty crops. We apply our economic risk assessment framework to analyze U.S. edamame and present strategies to manage and mitigate risks faced by growers. We conclude that edamame may represent a profitable alternative crop in the U.S., and suggest future research topics are needed to optimize yields and meet market demand.

scholarly journals Soil Management Practices to Mitigate Nitrous Oxide Emissions and Inform Emission Factors in Arid Irrigated Specialty Crop Systems

Soil Systems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Xia Zhu-Barker ◽  
Mark Easter ◽  
Amy Swan ◽  
Mary Carlson ◽  
Lucas Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Nitrous Oxide Emissions ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
The Impact

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from arid irrigated agricultural soil in California have been predicted to represent 8% of the state’s total GHG emissions. Although specialty crops compose the majority of the state’s crops in both economic value and land area, the portion of GHG emissions contributed by them is still highly uncertain. Current and emerging soil management practices affect the mitigation of those emissions. Herein, we review the scientific literature on the impact of soil management practices in California specialty crop systems on GHG nitrous oxide emissions. As such studies from most major specialty crop systems in California are limited, we focus on two annual and two perennial crops with the most data from the state: tomato, lettuce, wine grapes and almond. Nitrous oxide emission factors were developed and compared to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission factors, and state-wide emissions for these four crops were calculated for specific soil management practices. Dependent on crop systems and specific management practices, the emission factors developed in this study were either higher, lower or comparable to IPCC emission factors. Uncertainties caused by low gas sampling frequency in these studies were identified and discussed. These uncertainties can be remediated by robust and standardized estimates of nitrous oxide emissions from changes in soil management practices in California specialty crop systems. Promising practices to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and meet crop production goals, pertinent gaps in knowledge on this topic and limitations of this approach are discussed.

Hop Fever

Hoptopia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Kopp
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Cash Income ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Willamette Valley ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Crop Agriculture

Following increased settlement of the Far West and the completion of transcontinental railroads by the 1870s, farmers expanded specialty crop agriculture. This chapter provides context for the movement to hops and other specialty crops in diversified farming to provide cash income, not only in the Willamette Valley but elsewhere across the Pacific Coast. The chapter is framed by the story of Ezra Meeker, of Puyallup, Washington, who, from the 1860s to the 1890s, was the largest producer and promoter of hops in the Pacific Northwest. His story and others show how hop growing was an intensely global enterprise, from the importation of hop roots to the Far West to the transfer of knowledge that included multiple trips back and forth across the country and across the Atlantic to establish markets and acquire information.

scholarly journals History of Controlled Environment Horticulture: Indoor Farming and Its Key Technologies

HortScience ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-256
Author(s):  
Cary A. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Controlled Environment ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
History Of ◽  
Controlled Environments ◽  
Basic And Applied Research ◽  
Experimental Findings

The most recent platform for protected horticultural crop production, with the shortest history to date, is located entirely indoors, lacking even the benefit of free, natural sunlight. Although this may not sound offhand like a good idea for commercial specialty-crop production, the concept of indoor controlled-environment plant growth started originally for the benefit of researchers—to systematically investigate effects of specific environmental factors on plant growth and development in isolation from environmental factors varying in uncontrolled ways that would confound or change experimental findings. In addition to its value for basic and applied research, it soon was discovered that providing nonlimiting plant-growth environments greatly enhanced crop yield and enabled manipulation of plant development in ways that were never previously possible. As supporting technology for indoor crop production has improved in capability and efficiency, energy requirements have declined substantially for growing crops through entire production cycles in completely controlled environments, and this combination has spawned a new sector of the controlled-environment crop-production industry. This article chronicles the evolution of events, enabling technologies, and entrepreneurial efforts that have brought local, year-round indoor crop production to the forefront of public visibility and the threshold of profitability for a growing number of specialty crops in locations with seasonal climates.

scholarly journals Economic Studies Reinforce Efforts to Safeguard Specialty Crops in the United States

Plant Disease ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26
Author(s):  
M. Fuchs ◽  
C. V. Almeyda ◽  
M. Al Rwahnih ◽  
S. S. Atallah ◽  
E. J. Cieniewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Extension Educators ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
Planting Material ◽  
Planting Materials ◽  
Economic Studies

Pathogen-tested foundation plant stocks are the cornerstone of sustainable specialty crop production. They provide the propagative units that are used to produce clean planting materials, which are essential as the first-line management option of diseases caused by graft-transmissible pathogens such as viruses, viroids, bacteria, and phytoplasmas. In the United States, efforts to produce, maintain, and distribute pathogen-tested propagative material of specialty crops are spearheaded by centers of the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN). Agricultural economists collaborated with plant pathologists, extension educators, specialty crop growers, and regulators to investigate the impacts of select diseases caused by graft-transmissible pathogens and to estimate the return on investments in NCPN centers. Economic studies have proven valuable to the NCPN in (i) incentivizing the use of clean planting material derived from pathogen-tested foundation plant stocks; (ii) documenting benefits of clean plant centers, which can outweigh operating costs by 10:1 to 150:1; (iii) aiding the development of disease management solutions that are not only ecologically driven but also profit maximizing; and (iv) disseminating integrated disease management recommendations that resonate with growers. Together, economic studies have reinforced efforts to safeguard specialty crops in the United States through the production and use of clean planting material.

scholarly journals Economics of autonomous equipment for arable farms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Lowenberg-DeBoer ◽  
Kit Franklin ◽  
Karl Behrendt ◽  
Richard Godwin
Keyword(s):  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Crop Agriculture

AbstractBy collecting more data at a higher resolution and by creating the capacity to implement detailed crop management, autonomous crop equipment has the potential to revolutionise precision agriculture (PA), but unless farmers find autonomous equipment profitable it is unlikely to be widely adopted. The objective of this study was to identify the potential economic implications of autonomous crop equipment for arable agriculture using a grain-oilseed farm in the United Kingdom as an example. The study is possible because the Hands Free Hectare (HFH) demonstration project at Harper Adams University has produced grain with autonomous equipment since 2017. That practical experience showed the technical feasibility of autonomous grain production and provides parameters for farm-level linear programming (LP) to estimate farm management opportunities when autonomous equipment is available. The study shows that arable crop production with autonomous equipment is technically and economically feasible, allowing medium size farms to approach minimum per unit production cost levels. The ability to achieve minimum production costs at relatively modest farm size means that the pressure to “get big or get out” will diminish. Costs of production that are internationally competitive will mean reduced need for government subsidies and greater independence for farmers. The ability of autonomous equipment to achieve minimum production costs even on small, irregularly shaped fields will improve environmental performance of crop agriculture by reducing pressure to remove hedges, fell infield trees and enlarge fields.

scholarly journals Barriers and bridges to the adoption of biodegradable plastic mulches for US specialty crop production

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Goldberger ◽  
Robert Emmet Jones ◽  
Carol A. Miles ◽  
Russell W. Wallace ◽  
Debra A. Inglis
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Biodegradable Plastic ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Specialty Crop ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Polyethylene Mulch

AbstractCommercial farmers have been using polyethylene plastic mulch since the 1950s. Despite the affordability and effectiveness of polyethylene mulch, the disposal process is financially and environmentally costly. Biodegradable plastic mulches, an ecologically sustainable alternative to polyethylene mulch films, were introduced in the 1980s. Biodegradable plastic mulches can be tilled into the soil or composted at the end of the season, reducing the labor and environmental costs associated with plastic removal and disposal. However, research results are mixed as to the effectiveness, degradability and ease-of-use of biodegradable plastic mulches. In 2008–2012, researchers, funded by a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant, conducted surveys and focus groups in three different agricultural regions of the USA to better understand the barriers and bridges to the adoption of biodegradable plastic mulches for specialty crop production systems. Data on the experiences and views of specialty crop growers, agricultural extension agents, agricultural input suppliers, mulch manufacturers and other stakeholders showed that the major adoption barriers were insufficient knowledge, high cost and unpredictable breakdown. The major bridges to adoption were reduced waste, environmental benefits and interest in further learning. These findings are discussed with reference to the classic innovation diffusion model, specifically work on the innovation–decision process and the attributes of innovations. The study results can be used to guide the activities of those involved in the design, development and promotion of biodegradable plastic mulches for US specialty crop production systems.

scholarly journals Growing climatic sensitivity of U.S. agriculture linked to technological change and regional specialization

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
pp. eaat4343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Ortiz-Bobea ◽  
Erwin Knippenberg ◽  
Robert G. Chambers
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Specialty Crops ◽  
Regional Specialization ◽  
Vulnerability To Climate Change ◽  
Climatic Sensitivity

A pressing question for climate change adaptation is whether ongoing transformations of the agricultural sector affect its ability to cope with climatic variations. We examine this question in the United States, where major increases in productivity have fueled most of agricultural production growth over the past half-century. To quantify the evolving climate sensitivity of the sector and identify its sources, we combine state-level measures of agricultural productivity with detailed climate data for 1960–2004. We find that agriculture is growing more sensitive to climate in Midwestern states for two distinct but compounding reasons: a rising climatic sensitivity of nonirrigated cereal and oilseed crops and a growing specialization in crop production. In contrast, other regions specialize in less climate-sensitive production such as irrigated specialty crops or livestock. Results suggest that reducing vulnerability to climate change should consider the role of policies in inducing regional specialization.

scholarly journals Factors Impeding Effective Crop Production in Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bulti Merga ◽  
Jema Haji
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Cultural Challenges ◽  
Food Grains ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Crop Agriculture

In the Ethiopia crop agriculture, pillar in balancing the food diet of the majority people, as a whole and the cereals specifically is facing serious and vast challenges which in turn affect the supply of food grains. Various research institutes in Ethiopia have revealed several factors which affect crop production over the past three decades, but their findings are not synthesized into a whole and difficult to access as such. This study attempts to review various existing research findings and present them holistically. The most common factors are lack of more recently introduced improved seeds, initial capital for investment, loss of cropland, labor, pesticides, invasive alien species, farm storage techniques, methods of small scale irrigation, and religious and cultural challenges. Thorough understanding these constraints, researchers and policy makers can make useful recommendations to crop growers’ on farm improvement system and not on how to devastate well designed sustainable crop production systems. Succinct and collated scientific information would help to shade light on the best standards to overcome most factors affecting crop production and enhance the productivity and quality of crops. Moreover, this paper offers more implications and recommendations for various stakeholders in Ethiopian and similar contexts.

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