Profitability of farm-scale management strategies against the boll weevil in the tropics: case study from the Colombian Caribbean

Decision making in pest management is a challenging task. While pest dynamics are often quite uncertain, such decisions are often based on tenuous assumptions of certainty (economic injury levels and marginal utility approximations). To overcome such assumptions and adequately consider uncertainty, we apply decision analysis to evaluate management strategies used by farmers in the Colombian Caribbean against the boll weevil (BW). We represent the decision to protect the crop using partial budget analysis. This allows us to capture key properties of BW control strategies, while accounting for uncertainty about pest infestation pressure, control effectiveness and cotton yield and price. Our results indicate that proactive pest management is more efficient than reactive control given the current BW infestation pressure. However, farmers may prefer the reactive strategy, since they have experienced seasons with low infestation pressure where no insecticide applications were required. The proactive strategy, in contrast, requires scheduled pesticide applications in all years. Results show that in seasons with high infestation pressure the expected revenues of the reactive strategy tend to decrease, mainly because more spray applications are required when fields are heavily infested by the weevil. Value of information analysis revealed that uncertainties related to the start of the infestation, loss damage rate and attainable yield have the greatest influence on the decision recommendation for crop protection. Narrowing these key knowledge gaps may offer additional clarity on the performance of the current management strategies and provide guidance for the development of strategies to reduce insecticide use. This is particularly important for the promotion of the proactive strategy, which, under the current infestation pressure, has potential to reduce insecticide use. While economic injury levels can only be applied to responsive measures, our approach of partial budget analysis under uncertainty allows us to assess and compare both responsive and preventive measures in the same methodological framework. This framework can be extended to non-pesticide control measures.

Pre-Extension Demonstration of Improved Bread Wheat Varieties with Their Production Packages in High land Area of Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

The study was basically focused on demonstration of bread wheat technologies for wider demand-driven technology diffusion in major wheat growing area in high land of eastern Amhara. The objectives were in order to evaluate and demonstrate improved bread wheat variety with their production package to the farming community and assess farmers and extension workers reaction towards improved bread wheat technology. The activity was conducted in main season 2019/2020 at Jama and Meket districts. The fact that wheat production and productivity in the region as well as in the particular study area low because farmers are using low yielding, disease and pest resistant local varieties. The improved bread wheat variety was demonstrated along with the local variety at 12 farmers' fields. Yield data, economic data, farmers’ perception and preferences were collected throughout the demonstration stages and data were analyzed by using ANOVA, partial budget analysis and preference ranking. The results of ANOVA showed that yield and yield related parameters statistically significant at the probability level of 0.01% and 0.05% among treatments. The highest mean yield was recorded from "Hibist" with improved management 2.49 ton/ha and 1.42 ton/ha at Jama and Meket districts respectively followed by local with improved management and the lowest was from local with farmers practices. Furthermore, the result of partial budget analysis show that the use of improved and local variety with recommended package more profitable with the MRR of 1.96 and 0.81 than farmer practices at Jama district and 74.26 and 9.26 at Meket district respectively. Farmer preference analysis improved & local variety with improved management ranks 1st and 2nd at Jama respectively while reverse at Meket and lastly ranks farmer practices at both districts. Generally, improved bread wheat with recommended package has higher yield advantage, financial feasibility and social acceptance than control and farmer practices, it is recommended to be scale out for further dissemination.

Economic Impact of Digital Dermatitis, Footrot and Bovine Respiratory Disease in Feedlot Cattle

Digital dermatitis has emerged in North American feedlots, although production and economic impacts are not fully understood. Objectives of this study were to: 1) estimate economic impact of a single case of digital dermatitis (DD), foot rot (FR) and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in feedlot cattle; and 2) determine its impact on average daily gain (ADG). Feedlot cattle health and production records were available from 2 feedlots for a 3-year interval. The dataset consisted of 77,115 animal records, with 19.3% (14,900) diagnosed with a disease. Diseased animals were categorized in 5 groups: DD, FR, BRD, other diseases (OT) and 2 or more diseases (TM), with a treatment cumulative incidence of 6.0, 59.1, 10.7, 12.7 and 11.5%, respectively. Foot rot was the disease with the highest cumulative incidence in both heifers and steers (58.8 and 59.6%, respectively). Of all fall placed cattle diagnosed with any disease, 48.1% of cases were FR. Digital dermatitis affected the partial budget in 5 out of the 8 groups of cattle, with the highest impact of DD seen in grass yearling heifers (GYH) and grass yearling steers (GYS): $-98 and $-96 CAD, respectively relative to their healthier counterparts. Healthy cattle had a significantly higher ADG compared to DD cattle in 5 of 8 categories, ranging from 0.11 kg/d in winter placed heifers to 0.17 kg/d in fall placed steers. In the economic analysis it was concluded that on an individual animal basis BRD was the most impactful of all analyzed diseases, where DD was second, marking the importance of controlling and mitigating this foot condition. Identifying differential effects of diseases on a partial budget analysis and ADG of the types of cattle stratified by sex, enables feedlot producers to focus control and mitigation strategies on specific groups.

Reproductive Performance and Partial Budget Analysis of a Prostaglandin or a Modified Ovsyn3ch Protocol in Autumn Calving Dairy Herds

In autumn calving dairy herds, treatment of cattle not observed in estrus prior to the breeding season is common. Routinely, a single prostaglandin or a modified Ovsynch (MOFT) protocol are used—without evidence of their relative effectiveness. This study compares the effects on conception, associated timing, and profitability of administering cows with prostaglandin or MOFT treatment. A hundred and ninety-two Holstein-Friesian cows from three herds without an observed estrus within 28-days before mating start date were randomly treated with d-cloprostenol (PGOD) or an 8-day MOFT protocol. The association of treatment and calving-breeding start-date interval (CBSI) on the risk of conception were investigated. Partial budget, sensitivity analysis, and Monte Carlo simulation was used to assess economic performance, identify critical input variables, and explore the effects of input uncertainties on model output. There was a significant association between MOFT treatment and conception during 21 and 84 days after mating start date, compared to PGOD. MOFT treatment was associated with a mean net benefit of £58.21 (sd £19.42) and £27.29 (sd £17.75) per cow for herds with a fixed or variable dry-off date, respectively. The relative profitability of an MOFT protocol is dependent on its effects on barren rate and herd dry-off strategy.

The impact of the fipronil crisis on the financial performance of Dutch laying hen farms

Background Illegal use of fipronil as an insecticide in 2017 has caused substantial damage to Dutch laying hen farms. We assessed how the fipronil crisis has affected the financial performance of affected farms as well as unaffected farms. While affected farms faced culling their flocks and lost revenue, unaffected farms benefitted from temporary high egg prices. Methods A three-step normative modelling approach is taken using financial statements and a partial budget. The estimations are for a 50,000 laying hen farm facing the fipronil crisis for 5 months. First, a baseline is created by generating an income statement of this laying hen farm representing a ‘normal year’. Second, incremental costs and revenue as a result of the fipronil crisis are estimated. Third, the baseline income statement is updated with the outcomes of the partial budget. This results in two additional income statements that report the net operating result of this farm being unaffected and affected by the fipronil crisis. Results While in a normal year this average-sized farm has a net operating result of around 18,000 euros, profitability was estimated to be − 369,000 euros and + 169,000 euros for the affected and unaffected farm due to the crisis respectively. For affected farms, impacts were especially high as there was no government compensation or insurance. Conclusions As Dutch farms typically operate as independent family farms, there was also no compensation from other chain actors. The affected farms therefore likely have faced financial distress and have had to increase debt or use their financial reserves for household consumption and restarting the business. Outcomes contribute to discussions around liability claims and cost-benefit assessments of measures to improve the chain food safety and rapid alert systems.

The impact of the fipronil crisis on the financial performance of Dutch laying hen farms

Background: Illegal use of fipronil as an insecticide in 2017 has caused substantial damage to Dutch laying hen farms. We assessed how the fipronil crisis has affected the financial performance of affected farms as well as unaffected farms. While affected farms faced culling their flocks and lost revenue, unaffected farms benefitted from temporary high egg prices.Methods: A three-step normative modelling approach is taken using financial statements and a partial budget. The estimations are for a 50 000 laying hen farm facing the fipronil crisis for five months. First, a baseline is created by generating an income statement of this laying hen farm representing a ‘normal year’. Second, incremental costs and revenue as a result of the fipronil crisis are estimated. Third, the baseline income statement is updated with the outcomes of the partial budget. This result in two additional income statements that report the net operating result of this farm being unaffected and affected by the fipronil crisis. Results: While in a normal year this average-sized farm has a net operating result of around 18k euro, profitability was estimated to be -369k euro and +169k euro for the affected and unaffected farm due to the crisis respectively. For affected farms, impacts were especially high as there was no government compensation or insurance. Conclusions: As Dutch farms typically operate as independent family farms, there was also no compensation from other chain actors. The affected farms therefore likely have faced financial distress and have had to increase debt or use their financial reserves for household consumption and restarting the business. Outcomes contribute to discussions around liability claims and cost-benefit assessments of measures to improve chain food safety and rapid alert systems.

Effects of Chlorsulfuron 75% WDG Herbicide and Varieties on Striga Control and Sorghum Yield in Tigray, Ethiopia

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.)Moench] is widely cultivated but the productivity is very low due to different factors such as Striga hermonthica. Field trails were carried out at Humera location to determine the management of striga to different rates of herbicide application to increase sorghum yield during 2017 cropping season. The trail consisted of eight treatments; 0 (control), 10, 15 and 20gha-1 rates of Chlorsulfron. The herbicide rates were assigned to the main plot while sorghum varieties were assigned to subplots, replicated three times in a split plot design. The data of days to 50%emergence, 50%flowering, plant height at maturity, Panicle length, panicle weight (g), yield per panicle (g), 1000 seed weight (g), grain yield (kg ha-1), above ground dry biomass (kg ha-1) and striga data days to first striga emergence, days to first flowering, number of striga count, branch number per striga plant, striga count per sorghum plant, striga height and biomass (kg/m2 respectively. Partial budget analysis was computed to assess the economic visibility of herbicide application where recorded. Result showed that application of herbicide rates and varieties increased plant height, panicle length, number of heads harvested per plot, panicle weight, yield per panicle, 1000 seed weight and grain yield over the control. Maximum grain yield (3725kg ha-1) was obtained from application of 15 g ha-1 Chlorsulfron with variety Deber. Days to first flowering, striga count per sorghum plant, stand counts of striga at 45DAP, 65 DAP and 85DAP M-2, branch number per plant, plant height and biomass of striga were significantly (P<0.01) affected with the application of herbicide rates and varieties. The partial budget showed that an investing of 1.0 birr on application of herbicide with varieties earn 2.34 birr. Generally, application of Chlorsulfuron75% WDG and use local variety with high yielder could be an advantage to obtain highest yield and profit for the farmers in striga infestation areas.