Impacts of alternative agricultural water conservation strategies are being evaluated in the Texas Panhandle. Stakeholders have expressed concern that all effects need to be accounted for including the regional economy. A methodology was developed to evaluate the effects on the backward and...

Selecting the best wheat varieties affects producers’ profit and financial risk. This study identifies the optimal wheat variety selection using the portfolio approach at various risk aversion levels. Results showed that the optimal wheat variety selection was significantly affected by changes...

Six irrigation systems are analyzed considering cost and potential water savings. The investment cost of furrow and drip is $115,800 and $260,120, respectively. The cost of quarter mile pivot ranges from $59,000 to $64,000. Per ac-in variable pumping cost ranges $9.96 to $14.86 assuming natural...

The Texas Panhandle relies largely on the Ogallala Aquifer for access to water for irrigated agricultural production. With current pumping rates and slow recharge rates, the aquifer will at some point in the future no longer be an economically viable source of water for agriculture. The...

Playa lakes are very important to the Texas High Plains. They provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, and are the Ogallala Aquifer’s primary recharge source. Plowing and sedimentation have caused substantial damage to the overall health of many playas. A need exists to protect this...

This study concentrated on one method of dust control which is harvesting manure with equipment. An economic analysis including hourly fixed and operational costs were performed on the following: tractor-pulled box scraper, front-end loader, dump truck, spreader truck, elevating scraper and...

Witnessing a rapid surge in irrigation requirements as well as the pressure on natural resources to augment production for satisfying grain demand for the growing human and livestock population, ground water supply in the Texas Panhandle reflects itself as a limiting yet indispensable factor....

Agricultural producers have used futures markets to manage price risk, confident that 1) cash and futures prices move together over time, 2) cash and futures prices converge as the contract approaches expiration, and 3) funds held in margin accounts as a performance bond were secure in...

The Ogallala Aquifer is the primary source of water for irrigation in the Texas High Plains. Depletion of the aquifer concerns stakeholders as agriculture is a major driver in the regional economy. This study examines the contribution of irrigation to income, economic output, and employment in...

Feedlot dust control is an important issue in the Texas High Plains. Water application, with either a solid-set or a water truck sprinkler system, is the most common method of dust control. An analysis conducted suggests the economically optimal system depends on length of ownership, inflation,...