Financial Analysis of Water Management Practices in Cranberry Production in Quebec, Canada

At a global scale, Canada is the second largest cranberry producer, with Quebec being the largest producing region within Canada. Efficient water use in agricultural production has long been a topic of outmost importance to agricultural producers, and governing bodies. The immediacy of climate change effects sped up the need to find solutions that conserve water. One such promising technology is irrigation using real-time tensiometers, which provides rapidly critical irrigation needs information to producers. Adoption of improved technologies by farmers is dependent on the effect it has on the farms’ bottom line. In this study, we examine the financial performance of real-time tensiometer based irrigation, and compare it to evaporation needs based irrigation (baseline), in the context of a Quebec-based cranberry farm. Our findings show that irrigating using real-time tensiometers technology generated higher economic returns. With a net present value of $96,847, this technology increased returns by nearly 53% compared to the baseline technology. Subsequent sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, even when changing important farming parameters.

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Weed Control Increases Yield and Economic Returns from Young `Desirable' Pecan Trees

Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science ◽

10.21273/jashs.122.4.588 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 122 (4) ◽

pp. 588-593 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Wheeler G. Foshee ◽

Robert W. Goodman ◽

Michael G. Patterson ◽

William D. Goff ◽

W. Alfred Dozier

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Management Practices ◽

Net Present Value ◽

Management Practice ◽

Growing Season ◽

Economic Returns ◽

Cumulative Yield ◽

Treatment Variable ◽

Orchard Floor Management ◽

Humid Environment

Yields and economic returns above treatment variable costs were determined for young `Desirable' pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] trees grown for nine seasons under ten combinations of orchard floor management practice and irrigation. Orchard floor management practices were 1) no weed control, 2) mowed, 3) total weed control with herbicides, 4) grass control only with herbicides, or 5) disking, and trees were either irrigated or nonirrigated. Total weed control with herbicides increased cumulative yield through the ninth growing season by 358% compared to no weed control. In the humid environment where this experiment was conducted, irrigation did not increase crop value obtained from the young trees, except for 1 year. At the end of the ninth season, total weed control with herbicides was the only treatment to have a positive net present value. These data indicate that establishment costs for young `Desirable' pecan trees can be recovered as early as the eighth growing season if competition from weeds is totally eliminated.

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Perbandingan Finansial Usaha Budidaya Bambu dan Sengon

Jurnal Ilmu Kehutanan ◽

10.22146/jik.v15i1.1502 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 89-101

Author(s):

Haris Prasetyo ◽

Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat ◽

Leti Sundawati

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Net Present Value ◽

Financial Analysis ◽

Social Aspect ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Fixed Costs ◽

Fixed Income ◽

Internal Rate Of Return ◽

Benefit Cost Ratio ◽

Benefit Cost

Bamboo is proven to provide multi-benefits from the aspects of production, ecology and socio-economic. However, bamboo is still not fully developed. People tend to replace bamboo with wood species which are considered to be more profitable, one of them is sengon. The purpose of this study was to analyze bamboo management practices carried out by farmers and compare between sengon and bamboo cultivation which is more financially profitable. Financial analysis conducted includes: Net Present Value (NPV), Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Analysis of market aspect and social aspect using the Market Analysis and Development (MA&D) method. The sensitivity analysis is carried out on the condition of fixed income while costs increase by 10% and 30% and fixed costs while income rises by 10% and 30%. The analysis included the analysis of market aspect and social aspect. The results of the financial analysis showed that the cultivation of petung bamboo with a spacing of 6x6 meters gave the highest yield with NPV value of IDR330.329.538, BCR 29.10 and IRR of 25.18%. Nevertheless; looking at market and social aspects, bamboo and sengon can be developed in agroforestry to ensure sustainability and continuity of income for farmers. Bamboo and sengon cultivation business is feasible to be conducted because the high demand which cannot be met from the existing sources.

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Economic-financial analysis of the use of biscuit bran as an energy alternative in diets for confined lambs

Semina Ciências Agrárias ◽

10.5433/1679-0359.2021v42n2p781 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 781-794

Author(s):

Luiza de Nazaré Carneiro Silva ◽

◽

Aline Vieira Landim ◽

Hélio Henrique Araújo Costa ◽

Wilder Hernando Ortiz Vega ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Net Present Value ◽

Financial Analysis ◽

Market Price ◽

Production Costs ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Net Income ◽

Labor Costs ◽

Rates Of Return ◽

Total Productivity ◽

Sheep Production

The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic and financial viability of replacing corn with biscuit bran (BB) in diets for Morada Nova lambs in feedlot. Twenty lambs confined with initial body weight of 17.00 ± 3.74 kg were used, arranged in four treatments, diet without biscuit bran (BB) and diets containing 15, 30 or 45% of biscuit bran in place of corn in the diet. Data, expenses and revenues of the activity were obtained during the period of January 2020 in the municipality of Sobral, Ceará. The economic and financial evaluation was carried out descriptively, using Excel® spreadsheets. In the scenarios evaluated, feeding, animal acquisition and labor costs were the items that most contributed to production costs. The highest food costs were observed in the system that used 15% of BB, representing about 32.86% of the total costs. The simulation for sheep production provided revenue higher than the production costs in all diets tested, resulting in positive economic indicators. On the other hand, although the system that uses diet without biscuit bran provides positive revenue, net income was the lowest (R$ 12,117.15 year-1). It was observed that all scenarios had a leveling point higher than 5,000 kg of meat year-1. The total productivity of the factors of all treatments evaluated was higher than 1, which indicates that the activity is stable, presenting high internal rates of return. Similarly, profitability rates are attractive, especially for diets containing BB, where the net present value is higher (R$ 362,143.26). Sensitivity analyses showed that even in the most unfavorable situations, such as a 30% reduction in production and market price, indicators are economically viable. The use of BB does not compromise the economic viability of the diet compared to the diet without BB, they present higher profitability, especially at the level of 15% in the diet.

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A Guide to Planting Wildflower Enhancements in Florida

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis0in1180-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Mary C. Bammer ◽

Josh Campbell ◽

Chase B. Kimmel ◽

James D.. Ellis ◽

Jaret C. Daniels

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Insect Pests ◽

Native Plant ◽

Agricultural Producers ◽

Native Plant Species ◽

Control Techniques ◽

Wild Bee ◽

Pollinator Species ◽

Nesting Sites ◽

The Right

The establishment of native wildflower plantings in Florida can benefit agricultural producers as well as native pollinators and other beneficial insects (predators and parasitoids). The plantings do this by: providing forage and nesting sites for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, increasing wild bee numbers possibly across the farm, and increasing natural enemies of insect pests (that also depend on forage and nesting sites). This document discusses choosing the right mix of native plant species to benefit many pollinator species, as well as proper site selection, planting practices, and weed control techniques. Wildflower plots should be practical to manage, maximize benefits to wildlife, and fit into the overall management practices of the property.

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Increasing the Productivity and Profitability of Paddy through Front Line Demonstrations in Irrigated Agro Ecosystem of Kaymore Platue and Satpura Hills

Journal of AgriSearch ◽

10.21921/jas.v3i3.11377 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

Author(s):

DHANANJAI SINGH ◽

A.K. PATEL ◽

S.K. SINGH ◽

M.S. BAGHEL

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Scientific Practices ◽

Economic Returns ◽

Front Line ◽

Yield Increase ◽

Benefit Cost Ratio ◽

Sustainable Agricultural Practices ◽

Improved Technology

Krishi Vigyan Kendra laid down Front Line Demonstration in the year 2010-11 and 2011-12 introducing new, high yielding and scented variety “Pusa Sugandha-3” and applying scientific practices in their cultivation. The FLDs were carried out in village “Dainiha” of Sidhi district in supervision of KVK scientist. The productivity and economic returns of paddy in improved technologies were calculated and compared with the corresponding farmer's practices (local check). Improved practices recorded higher yield as compared to farmer's practices. The improved technology recorded higher yield of 30.83 q/ha and 32.65 q/ha in the year 2010-11 and 2011-12, respectively than 22.13 and 24.21 q/ha. The average yield increase was observed 37.15 per cent. In spite of increase in yield of paddy, technology gap, extension gap and technology index existed. The improved technology gave higher gross return (37020 and 39180 Rs./ha), net return (16820 and 18920 Rs./ha) with higher benefit cost ratio (1.83 and 1.93) as compared to farmer's practices. The variation in per cent increase in the yield was found due to the poor management practices, lack of knowledge and poor socio economic condition. Under sustainable agricultural practices, with this study it is concluded that the FLDs programmes were effective in changing attitude, skill and knowledge of improved package and practices of HYV of paddy adoption.

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Comparison of Forecasting Models for Real-Time Monitoring of Water Quality Parameters Based on Hybrid Deep Learning Neural Networks

Water ◽

10.3390/w13111547 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 1547

Author(s):

Jian Sha ◽

Xue Li ◽

Man Zhang ◽

Zhong-Liang Wang

Keyword(s):

Neural Network ◽

Water Quality ◽

Deep Learning ◽

Real Time ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Input Data ◽

Management Practices ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Water Quality Parameters ◽

Real Time Monitoring

Accurate real-time water quality prediction is of great significance for local environmental managers to deal with upcoming events and emergencies to develop best management practices. In this study, the performances in real-time water quality forecasting based on different deep learning (DL) models with different input data pre-processing methods were compared. There were three popular DL models concerned, including the convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory neural network (LSTM), and hybrid CNN–LSTM. Two types of input data were applied, including the original one-dimensional time series and the two-dimensional grey image based on the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition algorithm with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) decomposition. Each type of input data was used in each DL model to forecast the real-time monitoring water quality parameters of dissolved oxygen (DO) and total nitrogen (TN). The results showed that (1) the performances of CNN–LSTM were superior to the standalone model CNN and LSTM; (2) the models used CEEMDAN-based input data performed much better than the models used the original input data, while the improvements for non-periodic parameter TN were much greater than that for periodic parameter DO; and (3) the model accuracies gradually decreased with the increase of prediction steps, while the original input data decayed faster than the CEEMDAN-based input data and the non-periodic parameter TN decayed faster than the periodic parameter DO. Overall, the input data preprocessed by the CEEMDAN method could effectively improve the forecasting performances of deep learning models, and this improvement was especially significant for non-periodic parameters of TN.

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Techno-economic feasibility analysis of a 3-kW PV system installation in Nepal

Renewables Wind Water and Solar ◽

10.1186/s40807-021-00068-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ramhari Poudyal ◽

Pavel Loskot ◽

Ranjan Parajuli

Keyword(s):

Net Present Value ◽

Meteorological Data ◽

Electric Energy ◽

Simulation Software ◽

Economic Feasibility ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Energy Output ◽

Solar Pv ◽

Economic Returns ◽

Pv System

AbstractThis study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of installing a 3-kilowatt-peak (kWp) photovoltaic (PV) system in Kathmandu, Nepal. The study also analyses the importance of scaling up the share of solar energy to contribute to the country's overall energy generation mix. The technical viability of the designed PV system is assessed using PVsyst and Meteonorm simulation software. The performance indicators adopted in our study are the electric energy output, performance ratio, and the economic returns including the levelised cost and the net present value of energy production. The key parameters used in simulations are site-specific meteorological data, solar irradiance, PV capacity factor, and the price of electricity. The achieved PV system efficiency and the performance ratio are 17% and 84%, respectively. The demand–supply gap has been estimated assuming the load profile of a typical household in Kathmandu under the enhanced use of electric appliances. Our results show that the 3-kWp PV system can generate 100% of electricity consumed by a typical residential household in Kathmandu. The calculated levelised cost of energy for the PV system considered is 0.06 $/kWh, and the corresponding rate of investment is 87%. The payback period is estimated to be 8.6 years. The installation of the designed solar PV system could save 10.33 tons of CO2 emission over its lifetime. Overall, the PV systems with 3 kWp capacity appear to be a viable solution to secure a sufficient amount of electricity for most households in Kathmandu city.

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Harvester Evaluation Using Real-Time Kinematic GNSS and Hiring Service Model

AgriEngineering ◽

10.3390/agriengineering3020024 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 363-382

Author(s):

Md. Kamrul Hasan ◽

Takashi S. T. Tanaka ◽

Md. Rostom Ali ◽

Chayan Kumer Saha ◽

Md. Monjurul Alam

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Real Time ◽

Economic Performance ◽

Net Present Value ◽

Satellite System ◽

Cost Ratio ◽

Great Opportunity ◽

Real Time Kinematic ◽

Combine Harvesters ◽

Asian Developing Countries

To reduce human drudgery and the risk of labor shortages in the Asian developing countries, the appropriate introduction of agricultural machinery, especially combine harvesters, is an urgent task. Custom hiring services (CHSs) are expected to contribute to making paddy harvesters prevalent in developing countries; however, the economic performance has been rarely quantified. The study was carried out to precisely evaluate the machine performance attributes of medium and large combine harvesters using the real-time kinematic (RTK) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and to estimate the economic performance of CHSs of paddy harvesters in Japan, as a typical case of Asian countries. The financial profitability was evaluated by four major indicators: net present value, benefit–cost ratio, internal rate of return, and payback period. The financial indicators showed that both types of harvester could be considered financially viable. Thus, the investment in combine harvesters can be highly profitable for CHS business by a local service provider and custom-hire entrepreneur, providing a great opportunity to use a combine harvester without initial investment by general farmers. The findings demonstrated the high feasibility of CHSs of paddy harvesters in Japan, while they highlighted that further study is needed to estimate the feasibility of CHS in the other Asian developing countries.

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Enhanced Neural Network Model for Worldwide Estimation of Weighted Mean Temperature

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13122405 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 2405

Author(s):

Fengyang Long ◽

Chengfa Gao ◽

Yuxiang Yan ◽

Jinling Wang

Keyword(s):

Neural Network ◽

Real Time ◽

Model Performance ◽

Global Scale ◽

Radiosonde Data ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Measured Temperature ◽

Weighted Mean ◽

Weighted Mean Temperature ◽

Application Scope

Precise modeling of weighted mean temperature (Tm) is critical for realizing real-time conversion from zenith wet delay (ZWD) to precipitation water vapor (PWV) in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) meteorology applications. The empirical Tm models developed by neural network techniques have been proved to have better performances on the global scale; they also have fewer model parameters and are thus easy to operate. This paper aims to further deepen the research of Tm modeling with the neural network, and expand the application scope of Tm models and provide global users with more solutions for the real-time acquisition of Tm. An enhanced neural network Tm model (ENNTm) has been developed with the radiosonde data distributed globally. Compared with other empirical models, the ENNTm has some advanced features in both model design and model performance, Firstly, the data for modeling cover the whole troposphere rather than just near the Earth’s surface; secondly, the ensemble learning was employed to weaken the impact of sample disturbance on model performance and elaborate data preprocessing, including up-sampling and down-sampling, which was adopted to achieve better model performance on the global scale; furthermore, the ENNTm was designed to meet the requirements of three different application conditions by providing three sets of model parameters, i.e., Tm estimating without measured meteorological elements, Tm estimating with only measured temperature and Tm estimating with both measured temperature and water vapor pressure. The validation work is carried out by using the radiosonde data of global distribution, and results show that the ENNTm has better performance compared with other competing models from different perspectives under the same application conditions, the proposed model expanded the application scope of Tm estimation and provided the global users with more choices in the applications of real-time GNSS-PWV retrival.

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Mistletoes in a changing world: a premonition of a non-analog future?

Botany ◽

10.1139/cjb-2019-0195 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (9) ◽

pp. 479-488

Author(s):

Francisco E. Fontúrbel

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Global Scale ◽

Ecological Interactions ◽

Human Disturbances ◽

Climate Change Effects ◽

Long Run ◽

Plant Animal Interactions ◽

Changing World

Mistletoes are a group of flowering plants that have developed a parasitic lifeform through complex eco-evolutionary processes. Despite being considered a pest, mistletoes represent a keystone forest resource and are involved in complex plant–plant and plant–animal interactions. Their parasitic lifeform and specialized ecological interactions make mistletoes an ideal model with which to understand the effects of anthropogenic disturbances in a changing world. The accelerated growth of the human population has altered all ecosystems on Earth, leading to biodiversity loss. Land-use changes (involving habitat loss, fragmentation, degradation, and transformation processes) can alter the ecological scenario for mistletoe by altering hosts, mutualists, and nutrient cycling. Those changes may have large consequences at the community level, changing the spatial structure of mistletoes, as well as interaction effectiveness, facilitation process, interaction disruption, and novel interactions with invasive species, leading to non-analog communities in the long run. Furthermore, climate change effects operate on a global scale, enhancing the effects of land-use changes. As temperatures increase, many species would alter their distribution and phenology, potentially causing spatial and temporal mismatches. But more critical is the fact that water stress is likely to disrupt key ecological interactions. Thus, mistletoes can provide valuable insights for what we can expect in the future, as a result of human disturbances.

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