scholarly journals Is nitrogen fertiliser an economic option in tussock hill country?

2014 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 149-154
Author(s):  
D.R. Stevens ◽  
B.R. Thompson ◽  
W.D. Catto ◽  
K.D. Trainor

Abstract Tussock hill and high country is a finite resource. Farmers are developing these areas to increase production but often at the expense of tussock which provides shelter for stock, increases biodiversity and captures moisture in dry environments. An experiment at a single hill country site near Roxburgh, Otago was established on oversown tussock with soil of low pH (5.1) and high soluble aluminium (15 ppm) to compare the use of capital lime (0-5 t/ha), annual and capital superphosphate (0-1000 kg/ha) and annual nitrogen (N) fertiliser inputs (0-150 kg/ha) over 4 years to investigate the potential of different fertiliser strategies to increase economic returns. Annual yield of the Control without fertiliser was approximately 3200 kg DM/ha/annum, which may support an estimated stocking rate of 6 ewes/ha during the growing season. Using lime did not increase the pasture production or stocking rate, though even small amounts increased pasture quality. Use of phosphate and sulphur increased the stocking rate to approximately 9 ewes/ha, while adding N fertiliser increased potential stocking rate to approximately 12 ewes/ha. These increases were a combination of increased pasture production and increased pasture quality. A combination of phosphate, sulphur, lime and nitrogen provided a potential net increase in gross margin of $200/ha. This cost benefit analysis suggests that regular use of N fertiliser along with other known fertiliser requirements may be a very cost effective way of increasing hill country production without resorting to full scale tussock development. Keywords: gross margin, hill country, fertiliser, quality, sheep stocking rate, yield.

2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 123-130
Author(s):  
N. Jardin ◽  
L. Rath ◽  
A. Sabin ◽  
F. Schmitt ◽  
D. Thöle ◽  
...  

On the basis of a cost-benefit analysis it was decided to expand the Arnsberg WWTP by a multistage biological process which allows for cost-effective integration of the existing facilities. Carbon removal will then be accomplished in a high-loaded activated sludge stage for which the existing primary clarifier is to be reconstructed. The existing trickling filters will be used for nitrification during a midterm period and will be replaced later on either by a moving bed system or by new trickling filters. Line 3 of the existing secondary clarifiers will be reconstructed and used for post denitrification in a moving bed system. The carbon needed for denitrification will be provided by means of sludge hydrolysis and the use of an external carbon source.


2013 ◽  
Vol 787 ◽  
pp. 471-477
Author(s):  
Kyung Won Park ◽  
Sung Han Lim

This study is intended to evaluate the feasibility of introducing a single loop-based vehicle detector in preparation for installing the device for permanent traffic volume counts by segment. Existing AVC comprises two loop sensors and one piezo sensor which are costly for installation. Should the vehicle classifications be similar within the section, reliable traffic data collection would be possible using a single-loop alone, which needs to be evaluated. For this, traffic volume and vehicle classifications collected by two AVCs within a section were analyzed with cost-benefit analysis for analyzing the feasibility of applying a single loop-based vehicle detector . As a result of comparing and analyzing the vehicle type ratio in 36 sections where two AVCs are installed respectively, 90% of the total showed the error rate 15% or less, and according to T-test and correlation analysis result, no statistical significance between two locations in vehicle type ratio was found. According to economical feasibility analysis, B/C 12.19, NPV 474.0 bil and IRR 196%. Thus, collection of vehicle type ratio from one AVC in the section and installation of a singl loop-based vehicle detector in a single section would produce more efficient and cost effective count. Further study on cost and benefit through more intensive statistical analysis would be necessary in the coming days.


2014 ◽  
Vol 663 ◽  
pp. 596-603
Author(s):  
Zulhaidi Mohd Jawi ◽  
Aqbal Hafeez Ariffin ◽  
Yahaya Ahmad ◽  
Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim ◽  
Norlen Mohamed ◽  
...  

The newly established New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) has incorporated Safety Assist Technologies (SATs) in its automobile safety rating scheme. In order for any assessed car to be eligible for the maximum 5-star rating, it should first be equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and fitted with seatbelt reminder (SBR). However, since these SATs are not being evaluated in their performance by the means of field testing, this paper explains the benefit of having these SATs through Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) which help to rationalize the importance of SATs in preventing road accidents or mitigating severity of injuries. Due to data limitation, this preliminary CBA assessment will only be focusing on Malaysia’s situation and is based on published sources and the authors’ best estimates. This study also includes the Cost-Benefit Analysis on Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), which is the basis for ESC technology, in preparation for its inclusion in the future rating scheme to expedite the vision of making ABS as standard fit in all ASEAN’s passenger cars. The preliminary result shows that all technologies – ESC, SBR and ABS – appear to be cost-effective (benefit/cost-ratio > 3) or most likely cost effective (1 < benefit/cost-ratio < 3) in Malaysia’s road safety situation per se.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 2953-2963
Author(s):  
SLAĐANA SAVIĆ ◽  
◽  
BORISZ CZEKUS ◽  
ENIKE GREGORIĆ ◽  
SONJA ĐURIČIN ◽  
...  

The aim of the paper is to test the effect of climatic conditions and management practices on the yield of two quinoa cultivars (Puno and Titicaca) and to analyze the economic benefits of quinoa productivity. The experiments were carried out during the 2017 and 2019 growing seasons in rain-fed conditions on a Serbian farm. The results of the two-year long experiments proved that the growing of the quinoa cultivar Puno and particularly the cultivar Titicaca in the agro-ecological conditions of Serbia would be remarkably successful from the aspect of agronomy (with the obtained average yield of 2.5 t ha-1 ) as well as from the aspect of economy (with the achieved average profit of 9,411 € ha-1 ). The obtained profit values indicate that the quinoa production in the Republic of Serbia would be more cost-effective than the production of the field crops which are already produced, particularly in the increasingly present arid conditions.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Collins Wakholi ◽  
Shona Nabwire ◽  
Juntae Kim ◽  
Jeong Hwan Bae ◽  
Moon Sung Kim ◽  
...  

To minimize production costs, reduce mistakes, and improve consistency, modern-day slaughterhouses have turned to automated technologies for operations such as cutting, deboning, etc. One of the most vital operations in the slaughterhouse is carcass grading, usually performed manually by grading staff, which creates a bottleneck in terms of production speed and consistency. To speed up the carcass grading process, we developed an online system that uses image analysis and statistical tools to estimate up to 23 key yield parameters. A thorough economic analysis is required to aid slaughterhouses in making informed decisions about the risks and benefits of investing in the system. We therefore conducted an economic analysis of the system using a cost-benefit analysis (the methods considered were net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and benefit/cost ratio (BCR)) and sensitivity analysis. The benefits considered for analysis include labor cost reduction and gross margin improvement arising from optimizing breeding practices with the use of the data obtained from the system. The cost-benefit analysis of the system resulted in an NPV of approximately 310.9 million Korean Won (KRW), a BCR of 1.72, and an IRR of 22.28%, which means the benefits outweigh the costs in the long term.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088740342199843
Author(s):  
Grant Duwe ◽  
Susan McNeeley

In July 2018, the Minnesota Department of Corrections revised the criteria it uses to place soon-to-be-released prisoners on intensive supervision by shifting from mostly offense-based conditions to those based exclusively on risk. In doing so, this policy change provided a unique opportunity to evaluate not only the impact of intensive supervision on recidivism but also whether risk-based policies lead to better outcomes. Using Cox regression and negative binomial regression on a sample of 1,818 persons released in 2018, we found that intensive supervised release (ISR) significantly reduced the hazard for general, felony, and violent reoffending. We also found, however, that ISR significantly increased the risk of a technical violation revocation. The findings from our cost–benefit analysis showed that, despite the relatively high costs it incurred, ISR was a cost-effective intervention because it reduced reoffending for those with a higher risk of committing serious, violent crimes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Vicarelli ◽  
Karen Sudmeier-Rieux ◽  
Dhiroj Koirala ◽  
Sanjay Devkota

&lt;p&gt;This article describes research undertaken in the Panchase Region of Western Nepal as part of the &amp;#8220;Ecosystems Protecting Infrastructure and Communities&amp;#8221; (EPIC) project 2012-2017, where three community-led bio-engineering demonstration sites were established along roadsides. &amp;#160;The topic of Nature Based Solutions (NBS) and Eco-DRR/CCA is explored adopting interdisciplinary research methods, spanning both social and physical sciences, and citizen science alongside state-of-the art high resolution erosion monitoring and remote sensing. We examine the nexus between infrastructure design (traditional roads vs green roads) and landslides. Investigations included a watershed study of land use changes over time and erosion rates associated with road construction in the Phewa Lake Watershed (Kaski district, Western Nepal), an analysis of the effectiveness of vegetation in reducing erosion rates using LIDAR and drone measurements, and a cost-benefit analysis of conventional &amp;#8220;grey&amp;#8221; versus bio-engineered roads, or &amp;#8220;eco-safe roads&amp;#8221;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Results of the watershed study indicate a trend from erosion due to open grazing thirty years ago to increased erosion by new roads; Land IDAR measurements show that vegetation has been effective in reducing erosion rates. The cost benefit analysis (CBA) explores the net benefit of grey vs eco-safe roads using different time horizons and precipitation distributions associated to monsoonal activity and climate change trends. The CBA results demonstrate that initial costs in installing the bio-engineered eco-safe road are higher than for the &amp;#8220;grey&amp;#8221; road, however the bio-engineered road rapidly becomes more cost-effective, especially when factoring in avoided damages and multiple co-benefits to the population. Findings from this work have led to policy recommendations promoting and upscaling a more sustainable approach to bio-engineering for rural road construction in Nepal as well as methodological recommendations for replicating and up-scaling similar studies elsewhere.&lt;/p&gt;


2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Phillips ◽  
Romana Pospisil ◽  
Jennifer L. Richardson

The result of the project described in this paper is an innovative use of Quicktime Virtual Reality (QTVR) for display and manipulation of veterinary radiographs and ultrasound images, within a database developed for use in the Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging unit of the Master of Veterinary Studies at Murdoch University. One of the aims of this project was to find an alternative for the bulky sets of radiographs used by external students for their case based coursework and assessment activities. The QTVR solution provides a means by which students can move and zoom within images, resize images and compare images side by side. QTVR also allows important areas of images to be highlighted by hotspots, allowing annotation of images, which is helpful for assisting external students. Some of the priorities of this project were to maintain the detail and the depth of the hard copy radiographs in the QTVR images, to simulate the problem solving process used in reading radiographs, and to improve the learning outcomes by highlighting and annotating important areas of images. It was hoped that this solution would provide a more cost effective and convenient method of delivery of large numbers of images to external students. In the subsequent cost benefit analysis, it was found that the innovation described here offers many economic advantages to the School of Veterinary Clinical Science.


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