The continued decline in the availability of water from the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas Panhandle has led to an increased interest in conservation policies designed to extend the life of the aquifer and sustain rura...The continued decline in the availability of water from the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas Panhandle has led to an increased interest in conservation policies designed to extend the life of the aquifer and sustain rural economies. Four counties were chosen for evaluation. This study evaluates the effectiveness of five policies in terms of changes in the saturated thickness, crop mix, water use per acre, and the net present value of farm profits over a 60-year planning horizon. The dynamic optimization models were developed using GAMS for the baseline as well as one for all five of the policy alternatives for each county. Results indicate that the policy scenarios of biotechnology adoption and a water use restriction will conserve the most water among the policies analyzed. In terms of economic returns, the biotechnology adoption policy by far provides the greatest benefit to producers due to yield increases that are estimated with current annual growth rates in new seed varieties. The water use restriction policy, on the other hand, has the lowest net present value of returns, indicating that conservation is accompanied with significant costs to producers. The irrigation adoption technology scenario is the next best policy in terms of net present value of returns (following biotechnology);however, it ranks last in terms of reducing aquifer depletion. It is important to note that while the models do not perfectly predict the factors being evaluated, it is the basis for comparison between the policy scenarios which are important. These comparisons will aid policy makers in determining the most effective strategy to conserve water while simultaneously considering the economic costs to producers. In addition, the results of this study can be applied to other areas facing similar conditions, either currently or in the future, throughout the Texas Panhandle.展开更多
Netizens launch an Internet campaign helping authorities save children forced into begging for money On February 8, Peng Gaofeng reunited with his son who had been
In the Southern High Plains, dairies are expanding to take advantage of favorable climatic conditions. Currently, corn (Zea mays L.) and forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] are the two major crops grown in th...In the Southern High Plains, dairies are expanding to take advantage of favorable climatic conditions. Currently, corn (Zea mays L.) and forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] are the two major crops grown in the region to meet silage demands for the expanding dairy industry, but they have relatively large water requirements of about 840 and 690 mm, respectively, to achieve desirable results. With rising energy costs and declining water levels in the underlying Ogallala Aquifer, crops that use less water, like finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) could become alternate forage crops for dairies to corn or forage silage. In this study, we evaluated the adaptability of five finger millet accessions to the Southern High Plains and compared nutritional quality of their forage to that of corn and sorghum. Results indicated that finger millet can be grown in the Southern High Plains. Comparison of nutrient composition has shown that the quality of finger millet is relatively higher than that of corn and sorghum in terms of calcium, potassium, and phosphorus levels in their forage. However, potential forage yield of most commonly grown corn and sorghum in the region is higher than that of finger millet. Therefore, finger millet may provide a unique opportunity to improve the dairy-fed silage quality by mixing it with corn or sorghum silage while meeting the growing regional forage demand. Further field research is needed to measure its water requirements in the Southern High Plains.展开更多
文摘The continued decline in the availability of water from the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas Panhandle has led to an increased interest in conservation policies designed to extend the life of the aquifer and sustain rural economies. Four counties were chosen for evaluation. This study evaluates the effectiveness of five policies in terms of changes in the saturated thickness, crop mix, water use per acre, and the net present value of farm profits over a 60-year planning horizon. The dynamic optimization models were developed using GAMS for the baseline as well as one for all five of the policy alternatives for each county. Results indicate that the policy scenarios of biotechnology adoption and a water use restriction will conserve the most water among the policies analyzed. In terms of economic returns, the biotechnology adoption policy by far provides the greatest benefit to producers due to yield increases that are estimated with current annual growth rates in new seed varieties. The water use restriction policy, on the other hand, has the lowest net present value of returns, indicating that conservation is accompanied with significant costs to producers. The irrigation adoption technology scenario is the next best policy in terms of net present value of returns (following biotechnology);however, it ranks last in terms of reducing aquifer depletion. It is important to note that while the models do not perfectly predict the factors being evaluated, it is the basis for comparison between the policy scenarios which are important. These comparisons will aid policy makers in determining the most effective strategy to conserve water while simultaneously considering the economic costs to producers. In addition, the results of this study can be applied to other areas facing similar conditions, either currently or in the future, throughout the Texas Panhandle.
文摘Netizens launch an Internet campaign helping authorities save children forced into begging for money On February 8, Peng Gaofeng reunited with his son who had been
文摘In the Southern High Plains, dairies are expanding to take advantage of favorable climatic conditions. Currently, corn (Zea mays L.) and forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] are the two major crops grown in the region to meet silage demands for the expanding dairy industry, but they have relatively large water requirements of about 840 and 690 mm, respectively, to achieve desirable results. With rising energy costs and declining water levels in the underlying Ogallala Aquifer, crops that use less water, like finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) could become alternate forage crops for dairies to corn or forage silage. In this study, we evaluated the adaptability of five finger millet accessions to the Southern High Plains and compared nutritional quality of their forage to that of corn and sorghum. Results indicated that finger millet can be grown in the Southern High Plains. Comparison of nutrient composition has shown that the quality of finger millet is relatively higher than that of corn and sorghum in terms of calcium, potassium, and phosphorus levels in their forage. However, potential forage yield of most commonly grown corn and sorghum in the region is higher than that of finger millet. Therefore, finger millet may provide a unique opportunity to improve the dairy-fed silage quality by mixing it with corn or sorghum silage while meeting the growing regional forage demand. Further field research is needed to measure its water requirements in the Southern High Plains.
