scholarly journals Comparison of Three Production Scenarios for Buxus microphylla var. japonica ‘Green Beauty’ Marketed in a No. 3 Container on the West Coast Using Life Cycle Assessment

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewayne L. Ingram ◽  
Charles R. Hall ◽  
Joshua Knight
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
West Coast ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
The West ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Buxus Microphylla ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Equivalents

Three scenarios for production of Buxus microphylla var. japonica [(Mull. Arg.) Rehder & E.H. Wilson] ‘Green Beauty’ marketed in a no. 3 container on the west coast of the United States were modeled based on grower interviews and best management practices. Life cycle inventories (LCIs) of input products, equipment use, and labor were developed from the protocols for those scenarios and a life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to determine impact of individual components on the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and the subsequent carbon footprint (CF) of the product at the nursery gate and in the landscape. CF is expressed in global warming potential (GWP) for a 100-year period in units of kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (kg CO2e). The GWP of the plant from Scenario A (propagation to no. 1 to 3 container) was 2.198 kg CO2e with variable costs of $4.043. Scenario B (propagation to field to no. 3 container) would result in a GWP of 1.717 kg CO2e with variable costs of $2.880 and take a year longer in production than the other two models. The GWP of Scenario C (propagation to no. 1 to no. 2 to no. 3 containers) would be 3.364 kg CO2e with variable costs of $5.733. Containers, transplants/transplanting, irrigation, and fertilization input products and associated activities accounted for the greatest portion of GHG and variable costs in each scenario. Pruning, assembling/load trucks, pesticides, and chlorination were other important components to variable costs of each scenario but had little impact on GWP. Otherwise, the major contributors to GWP are also major contributors to cost.

scholarly journals Modeling Container-grown Euphorbia pulcherrima Production System Components: Impacts on Carbon Footprint and Variable Costs Using a Life Cycle Assessment

HortScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewayne L. Ingram ◽  
Charles R. Hall ◽  
Joshua Knight
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Production System ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Model System ◽  
Euphorbia Pulcherrima

A model production system for a 15.2-cm poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) in the north Atlantic region of the United States was developed through grower interviews and best management practices and analyzed using a life cycle assessment (LCA). The model system involved direct sticking of unrooted cuttings. The propagation phase was 4 weeks, followed by 9 weeks of irrigation using a boom system and 4 weeks of flood-floor irrigation. The carbon footprint, or global warming potential (GWP), for the plant was calculated as 0.474 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (kg CO2e), with a variable cost of $1.030. Major contributors to the GWP were the substrate and filling pots, fertilization, the container, irrigation, and overhead electricity. The major contributors to variable costs were the unrooted cuttings and labor to prepare and stick ($0.471). Furthermore, the substrate and filling containers and irrigation were notable contributors. Material inputs accounted for 0.304 kg CO2e, whereas equipment use was estimated to be 0.163 kg CO2e, which comprised 64.2% and 35.8% of total GWP, respectively. Material inputs accounted for $0.665 (64.6%) of variable costs, whereas labor accounted for 19.6% of variable costs for this model. Water use per plant was 77.2 L with boom irrigation for the 9 weeks during production spacing (32.8 plant/m2) and represented 64% of the total water use. LCA was an effective tool for analyzing the components of a model system of greenhouse-grown, flowering, potted plants. Information gained from this study can be used by growers considering system alterations to improve efficiency.

scholarly journals Global Warming Potential, Variable Costs, and Water Use of a Model Greenhouse Production System for 11.4-cm Annual Plants Using Life Cycle Assessment

HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewayne L. Ingram ◽  
Charles R. Hall ◽  
Joshua Knight
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Global Warming Potential ◽  
Production System ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Environmental Controls

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to analyze the global warming potential (GWP) and variable costs of production system components for an 11.4-cm container of wax begonia (Begonia ×semperflorens-cultorum Hort) modeled in a gutter-connected, Dutch-style greenhouse with natural ventilation in the northeastern United States. A life cycle inventory of the model system was developed based on grower interviews and published best management practices. In this model, the GWP of input products, equipment use, and environmental controls for an individual plant would be 0.140 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (kg CO2e) and the variable costs would total $0.666. Fifty-seven percent of the GWP and 43% of the variable costs would be due to the container and the portion of a 12-plant shuttle tray assigned to a plant. Electricity for irrigation and general overhead would be only 13% of GWP and 2% of variable costs. Natural gas use for heating would be 0.01% of GWP and less of the variable costs, even at a northeastern U.S. location. This was because of the rapid crop turnover and only heated for 3 months of a 50-week production year. Life cycle GWP contributions through carbon sequestration of flowering annuals after being transplanted in the landscape would be minor compared with woody plants; however, others have documented numerous benefits that enhance the human environment.

scholarly journals Rewarding Best Pest Management Practices via Reduced Crop Insurance Premiums

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh J. Beckie ◽  
Stuart J. Smyth ◽  
Micheal D. K. Owen ◽  
Savannah Gleim
Keyword(s):  
Pest Management ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Insurance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
Sites Of Action ◽  
Industry Sectors

Despite decades of research, development, and extension on the mitigation and management of pesticide resistance, the global agricultural situation is becoming increasingly dire. Pest populations with evolved resistance to multiple pesticide sites of action are becoming the norm, with fewer remaining effective xenobiotics for control. We argue that financial incentives and not regulations are needed to encourage farmers or land managers to use best management practices recommended by academia. Although some incentives are offered by pesticide manufacturers or distributors, there is a paucity of incentives by other industry sectors and all levels of government (federal or state/provincial). Crop insurance can be important to facilitate and reward best pest management practices and address other important agricultural policy objectives. Herein, we describe possible changes to crop insurance programs in the United States and Canada through premium rate changes to incentivise clients to adopt best management practices.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of forestry best management practices in the United States: Literature review

2016 ◽  
Vol 360 ◽  
pp. 133-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Cristan ◽  
W. Michael Aust ◽  
M. Chad Bolding ◽  
Scott M. Barrett ◽  
John F. Munsell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Best Management ◽  
United States Literature

Welfare effects of forestry best management practices in the United States

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 1674-1683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changyou Sun
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Welfare Loss ◽  
Equilibrium Displacement Model ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Welfare Losses ◽  
State Forestry

State forestry best management practice (BMP) programs have been widely developed and implemented to prevent nonpoint source water pollution in the past three decades. The unanswered question is how forestry BMPs have affected the welfare positions of consumers, mills, loggers, and forest landowners. A Muth-type equilibrium displacement model was constructed to examine welfare changes of these stakeholders. The model considered a two-stage vertical production system with variable proportion production technology and imperfect market structure. Industrial mills experienced little welfare loss from forestry BMP regulation. Consumers had the largest absolute welfare loss, and loggers had the largest relative welfare loss in the base scenario. The supply elasticity of harvesting services had the greatest impact on the relative incidence of welfare losses between landowners and loggers, and in the long run their welfare losses were comparable. These results may help to improve future state forestry BMP guidelines and design incentive systems for increasing implementation rates.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Louisiana Master Gardener Program on the Perceived and Actual Horticultural Knowledge of Program Participants

HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 968E-969
Author(s):  
Bobby H. Fletcher ◽  
Michael F. Burnett ◽  
Krisanna L. Machtmes ◽  
Jeff S. Kuehny
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Master Gardener ◽  
Perceived Knowledge ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Knowledge And Practice ◽  
The Impact

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the impact of participation in the Master Gardener program on horticultural knowledge and practice. In 1972, the “Master Gardener” concept was initiated in Washington State due to the high demand to answer consumer horticultural questions. The main objective of this program is to increase horticultural knowledge of program participants so they can transfer this information to consumer horticultural clientele. The program quickly spread throughout the United States. It reached Louisiana in 1994 and was expanded throughout most metropolitan areas by 1997. No formal evaluation has been conducted to determine the horticultural knowledge impacts of this program. All 257 participants in the 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener (LMG) program were surveyed before and after participation in this program. The survey used was a researcher-developed instrument designed to measure self-perceived knowledge, tested knowledge, and Best Management Practices (BMPs) used. Data were collected by master gardener coordinators and submitted to the researcher after each phase of data collection (pre and post). Results of the study revealed that the LMG participants were highly educated, mostly Caucasian, and mostly female. Significant improvements were identified in all of the knowledge and practice measurements included in the study. These included self-perceived knowledge, tested knowledge, and use of BMPs. It was concluded that the 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener program was effective in increasing the self-perceived horticultural knowledge and tested horticultural knowledge of program participants. In addition, the study concluded that the 2004 Louisiana Master Gardener program improved the use of BMPs among the participants.

scholarly journals Improving Best Management Practice Decisions in Mixed Land Use and/or Municipal Watersheds: Should Approaches Be Standardized?

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1402
Author(s):  
Jason A. Hubbart
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Monitoring Methods ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Mixed Use ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Best management practices (BMP) are defined in the United States Clean Water Act (CWA) as practices or measures that have been demonstrated to be successful in protecting a given water resource from nonpoint source pollution. Unfortunately, the greatest majority of BMPs remain unvalidated in terms of demonstrations of success. Further, there is not a broadly accepted or standardized process of BMP implementation and monitoring methods. Conceivably, if standardized BMP validations were a possibility, practices would be much more transferrable, comparable, and prescriptive. The purpose of this brief communication is to present a generalized yet integrated and customizable BMP decision-making process to encourage decision makers to more deliberately work towards the establishment of standardized approaches to BMP monitoring and validation in mixed-use and/or municipal watersheds. Decision-making processes and challenges to BMP implementation and monitoring are presented that should be considered to advance the practice(s) of BMP implementation. Acceptance of standard approaches may result in more organized and transferrable BMP implementation policies and increased confidence in the responsible use of taxpayer dollars through broad acceptance of methods that yield predictable and replicable results.

Occupant noise exposure in a fitness classroom setting

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (2) ◽  
pp. 4070-4078
Author(s):  
Madeline Didier ◽  
Gina Jarta
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Classroom Setting ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Group Fitness ◽  
Fitness Programs

Fitness facilities characteristically place an emphasis on the health and wellness of their occupants. Very loud amplified speech and music in group fitness rooms creates energetic spaces at the expense of the health and wellness of participants' hearing. The authors measured spectral sound pressure levels from fitness programs and occupants in over 20 group fitness classes (cycling, dance, strength training, and yoga) at facilities throughout the United States. Measurements occurred over durations varying from 10 minutes to a full hour. Variables considered include class type and the athletic club where the classroom is located. This paper discusses the overall findings from these noise surveys with an emphasis on noise exposure and statistical levels. This paper also includes a discussion of noise management and recommendations for best management practices to help achieve energetic spaces that are protective of hearing health and wellness.

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