Integrated assessment of yield,nitrogen use efficiency and ecosystem economic benefits of use of controlled-release and common urea in ratoon rice production

Controlled-release urea(CRU)is commonly used to improve the crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency(NUE).However,few studies have investigated the effects of CRU in the ratoon rice system.Ratoon rice is the practice of obtaining a second harvest from tillers originating from the stubble of the previously harvested main crop.In this study,a 2-year field experiment using a randomized complete block design was conducted to determine the effects of CRU on the yield,NUE,and economic benefits of ratoon rice,including the main crop,to provide a theoretical basis for fertilization of ratoon rice.The experiment included four treatments:(i)no N fertilizer(CK);(ii)traditional practice with 5 applications of urea applied at different crop growth stages by surface broadcasting(FFP);(iii)one-time basal application of CRU(BF1);and(iv)one-time basal application of CRU combined with common urea(BF2).The BF1 and BF2 treatments significantly increased the main crop yield by 17.47 and 15.99%in 2019,and by 17.91 and 16.44%in 2020,respectively,compared with FFP treatment.The BF2 treatment achieved similar yield of the ratoon crop to the FFP treatment,whereas the BF1 treatment significantly increased the yield of the ratoon crop by 14.81%in 2019 and 12.21%in 2020 compared with the FFP treatment.The BF1 and BF2 treatments significantly improved the 2-year apparent N recovery efficiency,agronomic NUE,and partial factor productivity of applied N by 11.47-16.66,27.31-44.49,and 9.23-15.60%,respectively,compared with FFP treatment.The BF1 and BF2 treatments reduced the chalky rice rate and chalkiness of main and ratoon crops relative to the FFP treatment.Furthermore,emergy analysis showed that the production efficiency of the BF treatments was higher than that of the FFP treatment.The BF treatments reduced labor input due to reduced fertilization times and improved the economic benefits of ratoon rice.Compared with the FFP treatment,the BF1 and BF2 treatments increased the net income by 14.21-16.87 and 23.76-25.96%,respectively.Overall,the one-time blending use of CRU and common urea should be encouraged to achieve high yield,high nitrogen use efficiency,and good quality of ratoon rice,which has low labor input and low apparent N loss.

Measurement of Technical, AIIocative and Economic Efficiency of Tomato Farms in Northern Pakistan

The study measures productive efficiency of tomato growers in village Akbarpura of Disctrict Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa （KPK） province of Northern Pakistan. The study uses household level data collected in summer 2010 from sample farmers selected by multi-staged sampling. The study uses a theoretical framework to measure productive efficiency and estimates the Cobb-Douglas frontier production and cost models. The study found that technical efficiency indices varied significantly, with technical efficiency index averaging at 65%. The indices of allocative efficiency also varied widely, with an average of 56%. There was a wide gap between the highest and lowest economic efficiency indices, with a mean economic efficiency of 35%. The study concluded that farmer education, extension visits, age and access to credit contributed significantly and positively to productive efficiencies. A policy implication of this study is that there is enough potential for farmers to increase tomato production and net profits. The study recommends that the government should further invest in public education and strengthen extension services farmer education and because extension visits constituted important determinants of productive efficiencies.

Energy efficiency and economic growth of China:1953-2006

Energy plays an important role in the economic life. With the rapid development of economy, the constraint of energy on the sustainable development of economy is becoming more and more obvious. This paper just Studies the factors influencing energy efficiency of China and the relationship between energy efficiency and China＇s economic： growth. By using time series multivariable linear regression methods with China＇s relevant data from 1953 to 2006, this paper constructs the regression model to analyze the factors that would impact energy, efficiency. After that, a regression model of China＇s real output to capital, labor and energy e lficiency is conducted to estimate the marginal contribution of every factor to the real output to prove the fundamental influence of energy efficiency to the economic growth. In the end, some policies and recommendations are also put forward in order to improve the energy efficiency; of China.

Economic Benefits of Energy Efficiency to the Petroleum Refineries in Ghana: A Case of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR)

<span style="font-family:Verdana;">This study investigates the economic benefits of energy efficiency to petroleum refineries regarding Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Ghana. The study explores lessons relating to the cost of production, energy recovery levels and economic fortunes of the refinery activities and designs a conceptual framework for improving the energy efficiency of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). The study adopted a descriptive design using a quantitative approach to provide a statistical background to investigate the economic benefits of energy efficiency. A sample of 84 was adopted for study from a staff population of 520 working at Tema Oil refinery. In addition to primary data, secondary data on energy supply and consumption values from 2008 to 2019 was gathered. For the primary survey, 84 respondents were sampled from TOR and a structured questionnaire was used to retrieve information. A correlation analysis at P < 0.05 was conducted to test the relationship and significance of energy efficiency and economic benefits to the refinery. The study concludes that there is a linear trend between energy production (supply) and energy consumption. The energy generated in the entire economy of Ghana far exceeds the amount of energy consumed thus raising issues of waste or excesses that calls for better policies and management plan to improve EE. The study also identified that issues of lost energy are critical to the operations of the petroleum industry as the situation is compounded by the inability of the refineries to explore better ways to reduce and manage the waste. The study concludes that a significant and positive correlation between energy efficiency and the economic fortunes of Tema Oil Refinery is necessary for its economic fortunes. The supply of energy should have equivalence to the public consumption of energy.

Economic efficiency of radiology wards using data envelopment analysis: Case study of Iran

Background: In evaluating the activities and performance of radiology units, the main aim of applying feasible scientific methods is to use technological and human resources optimally. One of the suitable scientific methods in this field is determining the technical, economic, and allocative efficacy of these centers. We aimed to assess the economic efficiency of radiology units of hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, southern Iran. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, the technical, economical, and allocative efficiency of 27 radiology units of public hospitals was assessed using data envelopment analysis. The input oriented envelopment form with the assumption of the varied outputs with respect to the scale was used. Related forms were filled using the existing information in the archives of radiology centers. Input variables in this study were the number of radiology devices, the number of expert personnel, the number of technicians, equipment maintenance and depreciation costs, and the salaries of the experts and technician. Output variables included the number of admitted patients and the number of photographic film. Then, data were analyzed using the DEAP software for calculating the various forms of efficiency. Results: The mean scores of economic, technical, and allocative efficiencies of radiology units were 0.749, 0.880, and 0.852, respectively. The final score of economical efficiency was lower than the technical and allocative efficiency scores. Only 15% of radiology units were economically efficient. Conclusion: Economical efficiency can be attained when resources are used in the best possible way and not wasted. Therefore, a combination of inputs that comprise the lowest costs should be selected.

Inter-Basin Water Transfer Projects and Climate Change: The Role of Allocation Protocols in Economic Efficiency of the Project. Case Study: Dez to Qomrood Inter-Basin Water Transmission Project (Iran)

Nowadays, there is a growing emphasis on Inter-basin water transfer projects as costly activities with ambiguous effects on environment, society and economy. Since the concept of climate change was in its embryonic phase before 1990’s, the majority of these projects planned before that period have not considered the effect of long term variation of water resources. In all of these numerous operational and under-construction projects, an intelligent selection of the best water transmission protocol, can help the governments to optimize their expenditures on these projects ,and also can help water resources managers to face climate change effects wisely. In this paper as a case study, Dez to Qomrood inter-basin water transfer project is considered to evaluate the efficiency of three different protocols in long term. The effect of climate change has been forecasted via a wide range of GCMs (Global Circulation Model) in order to calculate the change of flow in the basin's area with different climate scenarios. After these calculation, a water allocation model has been used to evaluate which of these three water transmission protocols (Proportional Allocation (PA), Fix Upstream allocation (FU), and Fix Downstream allocation (FD)) is the most efficient logic switch economically in a framework including both upstream and downstream stakeholders. As the final result, it can be inferred that Fix Downstream allocation (FD) protocol can supply more population especially with urban water for a fix expense and also is the most adapted protocol with future global change, at least in the first round of sustainability assessment.

The TOPSIS Evaluation on Carbon Emission Economic Efficiency

Based on carbon emission data of 17 cities in Shandong Province in 2005-2009,this paper analyzes carbon emission economic efficiency. It conducts weight distribution by the Ordered Weighted Averaging ( OWA) method,and takes systematic evaluation on carbon emission economic efficiency using TOPSIS method. In eastern coastal regions,including Dongying,Yantai,Weihai and Qingdao,the carbon emission economic efficiency is generally higher than inland regions of Shandong Province. The conclusion reached after correction of time weight is basically consistent with traditional TOPSIS overall evaluation,further proves validity of the evaluation. Finally,it gives recommendations for improving carbon emission economic efficiency in Shandong Province.

Rural Financial Development and Rural Economic Efficiency Improvement Based on Granger Causality Test

Based on the co-integration test theory,Financial Interrelation Ratio(FIR),level of financial efficiency(LFE),level of financial development(LFD) and other indices evaluating the rural financial development are selected by Granger Causality Test.The rural loan balance(RLB),rural deposit balance(RDB),total rural output(TRO),fixed assets investment(FAI),Financial Interrelation Ratio(FIR),economic efficiency(EE),level of financial efficiency(LFE),and level of financial development(LFD) in the years 1979-2007 are collected.Graphical method intuitively reflects the development trend and historical track of relevant indices;and Granger Causality Test verifies the relationship between rural financial development level and rural economic efficiency in the years 1979-2007.Result shows that rural financial development level has significant impact on rural economic growth,but rural economic growth has no significant impact on rural financial development;and rural financial development also has insignificant promotion impact on rural economic efficiency.Thus,conclusions are obtained.Although rural financial development has made certain contribution to the development of rural economy,this kind of contribution is only reflected in total quantity,but not efficiency.Therefore,government should further strengthen the promotion function of financial development for economic efficiency,and gradually establish a virtuous circle system for rural finance and economic development.

Economically Optimal Rates and Nutrients Use Efficiency Indices of Maize to the Application of Different Rates of Nutrients in Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

The use of balanced fertilizers in adequate amount is very important to increase crop productivity and production in Ethiopia. The study was executed to quantify maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield response to different rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulfur (S) under balanced fertilization of other nutrients. On farm trials were conducted at seven sites on 8 farmers’ fields in Negele Arsi districts, west Arsi zone of Oromia region for three consecutive cropping seasons (2014-2016). Six rates of N, P, S and eight rates of K treatments established separately for each nutrient were laid out in randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replicates per farm. Nutrient response function modelling showed that 184, 20 and 80 kg•ha−1 were the agronomic optimum rate for N, P, and K, respectively. Mean agronomic efficiency (AE) of N, P and K were recorded at the lower rates of these nutrients, application of 46, 10 and 20 kg•ha−1 N, P and K resulted in 19.1, 61.0, and 24 kg additional grain yield•kg−1 N, P and K, respectively. Also, the mean partial factor productivity (PFP) of N, P and K were 77.6, 370 and 158 kg additional grain•kg−1 applied N, P and K respectively. Economically optimal rate (EOR) of N, P and K were 48 - 114 kg•ha−1 N with CP 8 - 3.5, 12 - 20 kg•ha−1 P with CP 18 - 4.5 and 32 - 53 kg•ha−1 K with CP 8-4, from these rates net returns of US$487.23 - 143.30, US$698.16 - 498.3 and US$359.31 - 193.63 could be obtained respectively. To conclude, application of 84, 12 and 40 kg•ha−1 N, P and K could be recommended for the production of maize.

Financial Efficiency and Economic Growth in Thailand

This paper investigates the relationship between financial efficiency and economic growth in Thailand with annual time series during 1991-2015. Financial efficiency measures:(i) bank efficiency in intermediating savings to investment, as measured by the net interest margin (the accounting value of bank’s net interest revenue as a share of its average interest-bearing assets)(IMARGIN) and lending-deposit spread (ISPREAD);and (ii) operational efficiency measures, such as overhead costs to total assets;NONILIA while the percentage change of real GDP per capita (real gross domestic product [RGDP]) represents economic growth. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller Test (ADF) of the stationary test shows that all data are stationary at the first difference except ISPREAD is stationary at the second difference. Since all variables are not integrated at the same order, there are no short run and long run relationship between financial efficiency variables and economic growth. The pairwise Granger causality result with 1 lagged length selected by Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), shows that no causality between financial efficiency variables and economic growth and vice versa;and supports the “neutral hypothesis”. However, there is a one-way causality linkage between twofinancial efficiency indicators, lending and deposit interest rate spread, and the ratio of overhead costs to total assets. In other words, the banks’ profit from interest spread is used to improve bank efficiency, such as hiring more staff, increase number of branches, and automatic teller machines (ATMs) to improve bank services. Therefore, financial institutions should provide financial services to response customers’ needs as the commercialization and modernization of the economy.

Eco-Efficiency： Environmental Performance vs Economic Performance

The second half of the 20th century was characterized by an increasing interest in the pace of economic growth and its impact on the environment. As a result, the concept of eco-efficiency as a philosophy of management has arisen, which combines the excellence of the environment and business. This paper uses the distribution-free approach to provide empirical evidence in relation to the eco-efficiency paradigm by studying the relation between environmental performance （measured by the level of emissions of air-contaminating substances） and economic performance （approximated by economic efficiency）, in 199 companies from mineral manufacturing industry in Spain between 2004 and 2007. The empirical analysis shows that the results are consistent with the paradigm of eco-efficiency and therefore it can be concluded that being responsible for the environment is positively related to economic efficiency.

Calculation of Agricultural Production Efficiency Based on a Three-stage Data Envelopment Analysis Model and Analysis of the Spatial-temporal Characteristics: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Economic Belt

In response to the strategic call for the " Great Protection" of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and to fulfill the important historical tasks assigned by the state to the provinces and cities of the area,the Yangtze River Economic Belt is adjusting the agricultural industry structure,optimizing the input-output ratio,and ensuring stable and sustainable agricultural production. Based on the combination of the three-stage Data Envelopment Analysis( DEA) model and cluster analysis,this study examined the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2008 to 2018 to measure its agricultural production efficiency and to analyze its temporal and spatial characteristics. Studies showed that exogenous environmental factors significantly( P < 5%) impacted agricultural production efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Zone,and there were temporal and spatial differences. These included:(1) after excluding environmental factors,the overall agricultural production efficiency of the Yangtze River Economic Zone had improved. Sichuan Province and Jiangsu Province were at the forefront of efficiency,whereas the agricultural production efficiency of Shanghai had declined obviously.(2) The agricultural production efficiency of the Yangtze River Economic Belt varied year by year,with fluctuating development. The middle reaches of the Yangtze River had advanced agricultural production efficiency more than the upstream and downstream regions,and the agricultural production efficiency of the individual provinces did not match their economic and social development.(3) Increases in labor,land,irrigation,and other input factors increased agriculture production efficiency,and there was no correlation between fiscal investment,per capita gross domestic product( GDP) and agricultural production efficiency,while the disaster-affected area had a significantly negative impact on agricultural production efficiency.

Economic Benefit Estimating of Polydimensional Efficiency Measurement Model Implementation

This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled “The static and dynamic criteria of building an investment asset portfolio” presented at International Conference on Applied Economics (ICOAE, 2014), Chania, 3-5 July 2014 and published at Procedia Economics and Finance, Volume 14, Pages 575-584 (2014) [1]. At the previous research, it showed the significance to go beyond the scope of selecting one or another metric of static efficiency. And the attention was paid to the dynamic efficiency criteria. The ICOAE 2015 research gives brief results of that work, which is only one of applied areas of polydimensional efficiency measurement model (PEMM). Research work on PEMM conceptual and methodical elaboration has been started in the author’s dissertation study [2] and continued in the practical activity and materialized in Innovative LLC (limited liability company) creating project. The research is concentrating on the real economic benefit of 3D PEMM (thee criterial PEMM version) implementation. In the first part of ICOAE 2015 empirical study, the dynamic component of 3D PEMM on the industrial level was tested. Next, the company economic profit changes and dynamic-market 3D PEMM components correlation was estimated. Finally, the economic benefit of 3D PEMM functional operationalization in the framework of management systems development was calculated.

Governance Quality,Public Expenditure Efficiency,and Economic Growth

In this paper,we first examine the impact of governance quality on public expenditure efficiency.Then,we try to determine the effect of these expenditures on economic growth.Our starting point is the idea that public expenditure efficiency of a government program is significantly affected by the country’s governance quality.In other words,changes in government expenditure and the returns they generate on a government program depend on governance quality.Our sample consists of 36 countries observed over the 1996 to 2020 period.This period is known by a significant transition of political regimes.Our research model links government expenditure with the returns generated in a country in a given sector.In this model,we introduce the governance variable to examine the impact of government expenditure on returns on a government program in terms of schooling rates and life expectancy.The results indicate that governance quality affects expenditure structure and that efficiency of this expenditure positively correlates with a better governance quality as measured by corruption control and government efficiency.We also found that efficient expenditure has a positive impact on economic growth.

A Homeowner-Based Methodology for Economic Analysis of Energy-Efficiency Measures in Residences

Residential energy-efficiency measures, besides energy savings, provide opportunities for improvement of thermal comfort, air quality, lighting quality, and operation. However, all these benefits sometimes are not enough to convince a homeowner to pay the incremental cost associated with the energy-efficiency measure. The objective of this work is to develop a methodology for the economic evaluation of residential energy-efficiency measures that can simplify the economic analysis for the homeowner while taking into consideration all factors associated with the purchase, ownership, and selling of the house with the energy-efficiency measure. The methodology accounts for direct and indirect economic parameters associated to an energy-efficiency measure;direct parameters such as the mortgage interest and fuel price escalation rate, and indirect parameters such as savings account interest and marginal income tax rate. The methodology also considers different cases based on the service life of the energy-efficiency measure and loss of efficiency through a derating factor. To estimate the market value, the methodology uses the future energy cost savings instead of the cost of the EEM. Results from the methodology offer to homeowner annual net savings and net assets. The annual net savings gives the homeowner a measure of the annual positive cash flow that can be obtained from an energy-efficiency project;but more important, the net assets offer a measure of the added net wealth. To simplify and increase the use of the methodology by homeowners, the methodology has been implemented in an Excel tool that can be downloaded from the TxAIRE’s website.

Subsurface irrigation with ceramic emitters improves wolfberry yield and economic benefits on the Tibetan Plateau, China

Climate warming has led to the expansion of arable land at high altitudes,but it has also increased the demand for water use efficiency(WUE).To address this issue,the development of water-saving irrigation technology has become crucial in improving water productivity and economic returns.This study aimed to assess the impacts of three irrigation methods on water productivity and economic returns in wolfberry(Lycium barbarum L.)cultivation on the Tibetan Plateau,China during a two-year field trial.Results showed that subsurface irrigation with ceramic emitters(SICE)outperformed surface drip irrigation(DI)and subsurface drip irrigation(SDI)in terms of wolfberry yield.Over the two-year period,the average yield with SICE increased by 8.0%and 2.3%compared with DI and SDI,respectively.This improvement can be attributed to the stable soil moisture and higher temperature accumulation achieved with SICE.Furthermore,SICE exhibited higher WUE,with 14.6%and 4.5%increases compared with DI and SDI,respectively.In addition to the agronomic benefits,SICE also proved advantageous in terms of economic returns.Total average annual input costs of SICE were lower than the other two methods starting from the 8th year.Moreover,the benefit-cost ratio of SICE surpassed the other methods in the 4th year and continued to widen the gap with subsequent year.These findings highlight SICE as an economically viable water-saving irrigation strategy for wolfberry cultivation on the Tibetan Plateau.Thus,this research not only provides an effective water-saving irrigation strategy for wolfberry cultivation but also offers insights into addressing irrigation-related energy challenges in other crop production systems.

Comprehensive Assessment of Regional Circular Economy Development Based on Efficiency of Resource&Environment:A Case Study of Jiangsu Province

In the first,the paper gave a retrospective analysis on the comprehensive assessment of circular economic development.According to the requirement of improving resource&environment efficiency,the paper designed an analytical framework for a comprehensive assessment of regional circular economic growth,which consists of the goal,object and technical line of the comprehensive assessment of regional circular economic development.Given that,the paper discussed the criterion for choosing the assessment index,the approaches of index's weighing determination,the means of data standardization,and the reference system of assessment index value and so on.According to the framework of regional circular economic development evaluation,the paper made a comprehensive evaluation of Jiangsu Province's circular economic development.The result shows that from temporal change,Jiangsu Province's circular economic development had different stages;from the spatial comparison,there is variance among different regions,which could be divided into different types according to the spatial variance and the relation between the development of circular economy and the aggregative index number.There was a remarkable correlation between circular economic development level and GDP or the 2nd industry GDP.Finally,the?aper gives some suggestions on how to promote the development of drcular economy in Jiangsu Province.

Economic Load Dispatch Based on Efficient Population Utilization Strategy for Particle Swarm Optimization

In this paper, the efficient population utilization strategy for particle swarm optimization (EPUSPSO) is proposed to solve the economic load dispatch (ELD) problem of power system. This algorithm improves the accuracy and the speed of its convergence by changing the number of particles effectively, and improving the velocity equation and position equation. In order to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm, this algorithm is tested in three different ELD cases of power system include IEEE 3-unit case, 13-unit case, and 40-unit case, and the obtained results are compared with those obtained from other algorithms using the same system parameters. The compared results show that the algorithm can find the optimal solution effectively and accurately, and avoid falling into the local optimal problem;meanwhile, faster speed can be ensured in the case.

Efficient Resource Allocation to Take Center Stage in China's Economic Development

China has basically succeeded in its quantitative catch-up with advanced economies and has now entered into a new stage of economic development focused on the greater efficiency of resource allocation. In order to achieve the objectives of the 13th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, efforts must be made to reform the ＂petty-farmer＂ economic mode of production while promoting specialization, modernization, and economies of scale. The restructuring and upgrade of the manufacturing sector should be focused on existing industries and the development of high-end industries while maintaining China＇s comparative advantage in narrowing technology gaps with advanced economies. The goal should be to transform China from a large industrial manufacturer into a competitive one. Technological innovation should be based on demand, supported by projects, carried out by firms through the social division of labor, and work to increase the capacity of la^e enterprises to integrate the results of innovation. Materialized labor consumption and logistical costs must be reduced, and the quality and level of urbanization must be increased. To assist productivity development, urban citizenship should be granted to rural migrant workers. In addition, the urbanization of those who remain in the countryside should be promoted in order for rural populations to enjoy the benefits of industrially robust, technologically modern and ecologically sound civilization.

On College English Reform from the Perspective of Language Economics

From the perspective of Language Economics,language education(including second language or foreign language education)is an economically valuable investment that has the function of promoting social development.However,there is an imbalance in the input and output of China’s college English education.From the perspective of language economics,this article focuses on the reform of College English courses in order to improve the efficiency of English teaching in common universities.