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The
Value of Plant Disease Early Warning Systems: A Case
Study of USDA's Soybean Rust Coordinated Framework examines USDA's system to provide real-time, county-level
forecasts of soybean rust in the United States. The study
estimates that the information provided by federal, state,
industry and academic partners increased U.S. soybean
producers' profits by between $11 million and $299 million
in 2005, or between 16 cents and $4.12 per acre depending
on assumptions, especially those particularly concerning
the accuracy of rust infection forecasts.
The First Decade of Genetically Engineered
Crops in the United States—Over the past ten years, farmers
have adopted genetically engineered (GE) varieties
of corn, soybeans, and cotton
widely and at rapid rate
and benefited from such adoption. While the level of
consumer concerns about foods that contain GE ingredients
varies by country, with European
consumers being most concerned, these concerns have
not had a large impact on the market for these foods
in the United States.
Economic and Policy
Implications of Wind-Borne Entry of Asian Soybean Rust into the
United States—American soybean producers and
the research, regulatory, and extension institutions
supporting
them are
preparing for the potential wind-borne entry of Asian
soybean rust into
the United States. This report examines how the economic
impacts of
soybean rust establishment will depend on the timing,
location, spread, and severity of rust infestation and
on how soybean
and other crop producers, livestock producers, and consumers
of agricultural
commodities respond to this new pathogen.
U.S.
Agriculture
Depends Increasingly on Imported Fertilizer—U.S. farmers
use about 21 million tons of the nutrients nitrogen, phosphate,
and potash each year in the form of chemical fertilizers, helping
to sustain high U.S. crop yields. But the sources of these nutrients
have changed markedly in recent years from domestic to foreign
suppliers, making the U.S. increasingly dependent on fertilizer
imports. Increasingly depending on the import would result in changing
of the current fertilizer distribution and storage system, which
was constructed around the U.S. supply base, to supply fertilizers
to meet farmer demand.
Managing
Manure:New Clean Water Act Regulations Create Imperative
for Livestock Producers—New Clean Water Act
Regulations Create Imperative for Livestock Producers-Nutrients
from livestock and poultry manure are key sources of
water pollution. Ever-growing numbers of livestock and
poultry per farm and per acre have increased the risk
of water pollution, with manure being disposed of in
ways not adequately addressed in the original 1972 regulations.
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA signed new regulations on December 15, 2002 that
would compel operations with the largest number of animals
to manage their manure according to a nutrient management
plan.
ARMS
Data Highlight Trends in Cropping Practices—Since 1996,
U.S. farmers have responded to a number of industry-altering changes,
including lower crop prices, the availability of genetically engineered
seed, and environmental incentives embodied in farm legislation.
How have these shocks affected farming and conservation practices
used by farmers?
Adoption of Biogenetically Engineered Crops—This
report uses USDA survey data to examine the extent to which US farmers
have adopted bio engineered crops, factors affecting adoption of
these crops, and the impacts of bio engineered crops on input use
and farm-level net returns.
Pest Management in U.S. Agriculture—Describes
the use of pest management practices, including integrated pest
management (IPM), for major field crops and selected fruits and
vegetables.
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