Agricultural Economics Department
First Advisor
Taro Mieno
Date of this Version
8-2019
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science
Major: Agricultural Economics
Under the supervision of Professor Taro Mieno
Lincoln, Nebraska, August 2019
Abstract
Variable Rate Prescriptions used by farmers to apply agricultural inputs are largely privatized and are normally seen only by the farmer that applies the prescription and the consultants whom create the prescription maps. Farmers need a way to evaluate the prescriptions that are being applied to fields. This paper explores modeling techniques which could be applied by farmers to determine the profitability of a particular consultant. Regression modeling is used on field trials which have been divided into site-specific management zones (SSMZ) based on a consultant’s variable rate prescriptions. Production functions are created for each management zone. The production functions are used to find the economically optimum rates or the rates which maximize profit. The consultant’s rates are also explored to determine how close this particular consultant is to the economically optimum rates. The consultant that is evaluated in this paper produces a profit that is $11 less than the economically optimum rates.
Advisor: Taro Mieno
Comments
Copyright 2019, Grant Edward Gardner