Soil sampling can help producers gain more accurate knowledge about soil nutrient properties and field-level characteristics. This information aids in the placement and timing of fertilizer application. Optimal input application may lower variable costs, increase economic returns, and moderate off-site environmental impacts of farming. Yet producer decisions to incorporate soil information into management practices and perceptions about the value of soil test information over time depends on a wide range of economic, social, and producer characteristics. Studies examining the value of soil information for optimal nutrient management may help inform producers considering adopting these technologies about the potential benefits of soil testing. This thesis provides two studies examining (1) the factors associated with the adoption of precision soil sampling and the length of time this information is perceived useful by cotton producers, and (2) the value of soil test information with regards to optimal potassium fertilizer management in cotton production over multiple growing seasons. Perceptions about the usefulness of soil test information over time depend on a variety of factors directly or indirectly related to input management. In the first study, the adoption and frequency of soil testing is examined as a function of off-farm, farm business, information sources, and operator characteristics using a Poisson hurdle regression model. Analyzing data from a survey of cotton farmers in 12 Southern states, the length of time producers perceived soil test information to be useful were influenced by farmer experience, land tenure, and the use of other information gathering technologies such as Greenseeker® and electro conductivity. In the second study, optimal potassium (K) management with information about fertilizer carryover was analyzed using a dynamic programming model. Monte Carlo simulation results suggest the information site-specific technologies provides with respect to residual fertilizer carryover effects of K are greatest when a producer is able to identify the magnitude of soil carryover capacity and incorporate this information to manage K. The information obtained from this research may provide insight for cotton producers, agribusiness firms, and agricultural service providers about the perception and potential benefits of soil sampling information to manage inputs in cotton production.

Biofuels have been widely recognized as a potential renewable energy source that can lessen the United States’ dependence on imported petroleum and enhance the domestic economy. Particularly, biofuels derived from lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) have been the focus in the development of a sustainable biofuels industry. However, technical barriers in the LCB feedstock supply chain have been one of the major challenges impeding the economic viability of this industry. To expedite the commercialization process of LCB-based biofuels production, this paper employed a spatial mixed-integer mathematical model to explore the optimal biomass logistic system for a switchgrass-based biofuels biorefinery in East Tennessee. The evaluated logistic systems in this study included five conventional systems (one round bale system, one square bale system, and three mixed bale systems) in the baseline scenario and one stretch-wrap bale system in the preprocessing scenario. Results showed that the stretch-wrap bale system could potentially reduce total logistic cost of switchgrass by 12 to 21% compared that of the conventional systems. Also, the result of the optimal case in the conventional systems suggested that the mixed bale system without storage protection is most economical after taking into account the dry matter loss during storage. This study also provided information regarding the optimal location of a biorefinery, a switchgrass production plan, monthly harvested and delivered tonnage, and the draw area of switchgrass under each logistic system. The optimal location of a commercial-scale biorefinery was identified to be located in the northwest of Monroe County, a location close to the demonstration plant in Venore, Tennessee. Additionally, this study showed that the percentage of available hay land used for switchgrass production, the switchgrass-ethanol conversion rate, the energy prices, and the storage dry matter loss of compact switchgrass bale produce significant impacts on the total logistic cost of switchgrass for the biorefinery.

Industry clusters can be important components of regional development. The effects of industry clusters on growth typically vary across geography, which has implications for targeted development strategies. Employment and business establishment growth in the Appalachian region (2000 – 2008) was regressed on industry cluster concentration indexes controlling for local determinants. The hypothesis that local response to growth determinants is geographically heterogeneous was tested using Smooth Transition spatial process models. This class of models exhibiting regime switching behavior is useful for identifying regional clusters, providing another tool for exploring relationships between geographical determinants and economic growth.

Demand for domestic tobacco has decreased over the past two decades. In 2004, the tobacco buyout program terminated marketing quotas and price support established under the federal tobacco program in 1938. Additionally, in 2003, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WTO FCTC) acknowledged the importance of supply control in conjunction with demand control strategies to eliminate or reduce the consumption of tobacco products. According to the Census of Agriculture, the number of tobacco farms in the US fell by 40 percent between 2002 and 2007. Tobacco farmers are looking for alternative on-farm and off-farm sources of income. This study uses a rank-ordered logit model (ROLM) to explore factors affecting farmers’ perceptions about the potential for grain crops, cotton, peanuts, hay, fruits and vegetables, cow/calf, dairy, beef cattle and, other crops/livestock to replace tobacco production. Results suggest that hay is one of the on-farm enterprises perceived as having the highest potential to replace tobacco among burley tobacco farmers. Age, education, farm size and farm cash receipts were found to affect farmers’ perceptions about the potential for different alternative enterprises to replace tobacco. Additionally, results suggest that researchers should be careful when designing ranking questions in order to maximize rate of response and quality of the data obtained from this type of questions.

Before leaving to study abroad in Kathmandu, I was excited to learn about Nepal’s agriculture industry. As one who focuses her studies on food politics, learning that Nepal is an agrarian country was very intriguing; Nepal is agrarian to such as extent that about 80% of its citizens gain their livelihood from farming, over 30% of the GDP derives from agriculture, and most people grow their own food. I expected to learn about the culture and strategy surrounding producing food in a different yet effective way. For my final research project while in Nepal, I chose to investigate Nepal’s potato industry and how concurrent government agricultural policies play out in the field - literally. After months of gaining experience and research, my previous vision of sustainable agriculture and happy valleys was turned upside down.

LEVELS OF BURNOUT AND JOB SATISFACTION IN LARGE-SCALE AGRIBUSINESS Hugh Patrick Bosley August, 2004 39 pages Directed by: Richard Miller, Reagan Brown, and Steve Haggbloom Department of Psychology Western Kentucky University Abstract This research examined organizational sources and levels of Burnout and Job Satisfaction of a large scale agribusiness (n=300) by administering the Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey, the Hoppock Job Satisfaction Blank, the Areas of Work Life Survey, and demographic questions. This study provided normative sample data for the agribusiness sector, found a good degree of fit between the agribusiness sample data and existing industry norms, and determined the relationships between burnout and job satisfaction for the agribusiness sector followed known patterns of other industries. Recommendations are made for future normative research to be conducted on a larger and more diverse sample size, in order to better draw conclusions for the industry as a whole.

This study examines the underutilization of rural hospitals in Kentucky. The authors study hospital and patient characteristics to determine why and how rural patients bypass local rural hospitals and how they make their decision in the hospital choice. A Health Care Service Survey conducted in rural Kentucky and hospital data drew from American Hospital Directory are used. A binary probit model and a conditional logit model are applied. The results suggest that the hospital quality, prior experiences and the satisfaction of the local hospital, along with patients’ value of hospital size, reputation and patients’ insurance coverage influence rural patients’ hospital choice. The study offers seven policy implications to better utilize rural health care institutions.

The aim of the thesis is to investigate the barriers to, and the driver of, the adoption of organic agriculture, especially from the point of view of agricultural professionals (scientists, researchers, academics and extension officers). The thesis also summarises the economics of organic agriculture, and provides a unique case study on organic viticulture in Foster's Clare Valley Estare from the 1980s to mid 2000. / PhD Doctorate

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This thesis addresses the legal and policy issues relating to what may be the most exciting prospect in the history of the human civilisation: the commercial exploitation of natural resources in outer space. The thesis is based on the hypothesis that such ventures are inhibited not by physical, technological and economic factors, but by the inadequacies and uncertainties present in the current body of space law and policy. Consequently, a new international legal framework and a policy consensus are required to provide a legal environment favourable for such a valuable and necessary development. To substantiate this hypothesis, the thesis begins by establishing the economic necessity and technical feasibility of space mining today, an estimate of the financial commitments required. This is followed by a risk analysis of a typical commercial mining venture in space, identifying the economic and legal risks. This leads to the recognition that the legal risks must be minimised to enable such enormous financial commitments to be made. What then follows is a detailed analysis of the legal framework for such activities as well as identifying the inadequacies of space law for the commercial exploitation of celestial resources. This is achieved through a discussion of the general principles of international space law, particularly dealing with state responsibility and international liability, as well as some of the issues arising from space mining activities. Much detail is devoted to the analysis of the content of the “common heritage of mankind” doctrine in international law and the effect of international disagreement over its application to celestial bodies. Having established the relevant legal issues, the thesis then turns to consider the past failures in reach similar agreements and the competing policy interests that have prevented the success of such agreements. It attempts to balance such interests in creating a legal and policy compromise that may be acceptable to a majority of the international community and provide some practical proposals on the structural, procedural, administrative and judicial aspects of creating and implementing a new legal framework.