Thesis (M. Sc. (Hons.)--University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, 1996. / "A thesis submitted to the School of Agriculture and Rural Development, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury for the degree of Master of Science (Honours) -- T.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-183).

Thesis (M.Ag.Bus.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Agronomy and Farming Systems, 2002. / "November 2002." Bibliography: leaves 73-80.

Thesis (M.Sc.). / Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/01/30). Written for the Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Macdonald College of McGill University. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Agricultural Economics, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 20, 2009) Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1962. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-209).

Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-84). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Toledo, 2005. / Typescript. "A thesis [submitted] as partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Science degree in Biology." Bibliography: leaves 45-50.

The objective of this study was to examine the farm organization and management of the University Research Farm at Oyster River. Its present resource use and a normative analysis postulating a more desirable organization of enterprises is presented. The method for the positive analysis was to prepare inventories, net worth statements and operating statements for the fiscal years 1962-63, 1963-64, and for the calendar year 1964. From this data, measures of performance were calculated and compared with similar data from regional studies of dairy farming on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley. In addition, comparisons were made with budget studies in Washington State. The University Farm operated at a loss in each of the three periods, although the results for the 1964 calendar year showed considerable improvement. Costs at Oyster River farm were higher than in the studies used for comparison, due to higher overhead costs and higher wage rates. However, measures of physical performance were generally equal to regional averages. In making this evaluation, consideration was given to the development and expansion programs undertaken in recent years. The record keeping system was reviewed, and an alternative method proposed which will facilitate the evaluation of factor use. Linear programming was chosen for the normative analysis, because it had the advantage of being able to recommend optimal enterprise combinations after considering a relatively large number of alternative activities and resource constraints. Although more activities could have been considered in the programmes, it was decided a priori to limit the number to those which could reasonably be established immediately, or in a period of a few years. Included in this study were 15 dairy activities, two for beef, one for sheep, and one for potatoes. It was necessary to consider the purchase of hay and the employment of additional labour. Resource constraints were included for land, nine labour periods, operating capital and building space. Of the five analyses undertaken, one included as a prerequisite 30 Ayrshire cows and permitted labour purchases for all periods. This particular analysis is of interest in view of the necessity for maintaining the Ayrshire herd for experimental purposes. With this initial herd requirement the optimum plan also introduced 56 Holstein cattle and 40 acres of potatoes. The return to fixed factors of production was maximized at $29,324.51, representing a rate of return on investment of 5.8%. The stability of the optimum plans with respect to price changes was determined. The normative analysis specifies a higher level of production per cow than is presently being achieved, but the level is within the reach of a commercial operation. A more serious limitation lies in the establishment of a shipping quota for potatoes. It would take a number of years to establish an adequate quota and the initial acreage would have to be on a smaller scale. However, in principle the situation is no different from that encountered in building up a milk quota, and therefore the establishment of a potato enterprise may be regarded as a desirable long-run objective. The remaining four analyses define optimal programmes for recommended activities under varying conditions of enter; prise combination and resource availability. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

This study analyses the adoption and rejection of some dairy farm innovations by Lower Fraser Valley dairymen. It also analyses use of information sources, length of time spent in the adoption process, reasons for delay in proceeding through the adoption process, reasons for rejection and discontinuance of innovations, and dairyman-district agriculturist contact. Data for the analysis were collected by interviewing a representative sample of the Lower Fraser Valley dairymen. There was a distinct tendency for the earlier adopters to have large farms, a high production per cow, less than 20 years farming experience, a high farm plus off-farm employment income, large numbers of dairy young stock, office visits with the district agriculturist, agriculture courses at vocational schools, and enjoyment from dairying. There were no significant differences between the earlier and later adopters regarding age, years of school completed, social participation, tenure, specialization, use of hired labour and place of birth. A number of the respondents had had no contact of any type with the district agriculturist in the year previous to the interview but on the average each respondent used 2.53 types of contact. When classified by the nature of the activity, the most used sources of information were personal, followed by individual instructional, mass and instructional group. When classified by origin, the most to least used sources were personal, commercial, government and farm organization. The proportions in which the information sources were used for the two groups of innovations differed. On the average each respondent was unaware of 2.19 of the 10 innovations and continuing in the adoption process for 1.57. Rejection had occurred for an average of 4.38, adoption for 1.66 and discontinuance for 0.20 of the 10 innovations. Almost half the decisions to reject innovations were made at the awareness stage in the adoption process. From the laggard to the early adopter-innovator category, unawareness and rejection decreased while continuation in the adoption process, adoption and discontinuance increased. Situational factors made up more than two-thirds the reasons for delay in proceeding through the adoption process but characteristics of the innovations made up more than two-thirds the reasons for rejection and discontinuance of innovations. The rate of rejection and discontinuance was higher and adoption lower when less than one year was spent than when one or more years was spent in the adoption process. An adoption tendency score was derived and compared with the adoption score but it could not be determined that use of one or the other was a more useful way of identifying differences among the respondents. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

A survey of the localised distribution of Culicoides obsoletus and Culicoides pulicaris was performed on a dairy and sheep farm in south-west England. Culicoides obsoletus and C. pulicaris have both been confirmed as vector species for the transmission of bluetongue virus in Europe. Sampling was done using motorised black-light suction insect traps. Seventeen traps were set around the farmyard and animal housing and five traps were set in varying pasture locations. Sampling was carried out on eight occasions between mid-September and mid-October 2008. The trapped Culicoides were counted, speciated, sexed and the reproductive stages of the females were recorded. Culicoides obsoletus, C. chiopterus, C. scoticus, C. dewulfi and C. pulicaris (group) were identified during the study. The trap sites were selected to examine the Culicoides populations associated with a wide range of microclimates. The selected sites included manure stores; forage feed stores; yard areas and sites surrounding as well as inside the animal housing. Comparisons were made between Culicoides numbers trapped from different directional sides of the animal buildings and the numbers found inside compared to numbers found outside the buildings. Culicoides numbers collected from the animal areas were compared to the non-animal areas and to the manure and forage sites. The field sites consisted of a marsh area; stream; water trough; open field site and a group of trees in a hedge field boundary. Culiccompared catch sizes from the field trap sites were compared to each other and to the farm holding sites. The highest number of Culicoides trapped were at the farm holding sites, apart from one catch on one occasion from a single field site. Weather changes, particularly high wind speeds with direction changes appeared to reduce the catch sizes during some of the trapping occasions. A greater number of C. obsoletus were collected from both the farm and field sites although a higher relative proportion of C. pulicaris was collected from the field sites. Of the C. obsoletus group, C. dewulfi was only found in farm holding catches, not at any of the field sites. The remaining three sibling species were found in both the farm and field catches. Relatively high numbers of Culicoides were found within the animal housing, with external numbers apparently influencing those found within the housing. An increase in numbers of Culicoides trapped inside the buildings may have been associated with a small shed size and possibly with straw bedding. A relative shift in the Culicoides population into the buildings appeared associated with prolonged high wind speeds. Widely varying female life stages found at all of the farm trap sites suggested possible dispersal of the Culicoides populations between these sites. Populations appeared to remain localised around the farm holding, but possibly dispersed over greater distances from the pasture locations. A wide distribution of breeding sites was suspected around the farm holding. A ranking system was used to identify specific areas associated with increased numbers of female Culicoides collected from these sites. Three sites surrounding a straw bedded cow shed were highlighted as higher risk Culicoides exposure sites; two sites adjacent to a cubicle shed; inside the calf housing; the manure store area and the silage store area. A field site with trees in a hedge boundary was the only high-risk field site identified. Multilevel modelling was used to examine for possible factors influencing Culicoides numbers. Factors examined included wind, temperature and humidity variables; distance from manure, forage, water and trees and livestock variables such as: time of contact, time since contact and distance from sheep and cattle. The model suggested wind speed at light trap setting and an increased time since contact with cattle both appeared significantly associated with reduced Culicoides numbers. Culicoides obsoletus numbers also appeared significantly reduced with increasing distance from manure. From an on-farm risk assessment point of view the farm holding area of a dairy farm as a whole should generally be considered a high-risk site for Culicoides exposure and specific pasture sites can periodically become high exposure sites. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted