Detrimental Input Research Articles

Does awareness and concern for the environment influence the use of detrimental inputs? A study of maize farmers in Ghana

Sustainable food systems are necessary not only as a channel for addressing the food security needs of the world’s growing population, but are also crucial in ensuring that the needs of future generations are not compromised. This study examined the influence of environmental awareness and concern about the use of detrimental inputs in crop production. The study involved 400 maize farmers from the Northern Region of Ghana, and made use of multivariate multiple linear regression and the translog profit function for the data analysis. The results show that farmers with characteristics including being male, the head of the household, the decision maker on the farm, receiving frequent extension visits and being the owner of the farm, along with the nature of the farm plot, significantly determine the level of farmers’ environmental awareness and concern. Moreover, environmental awareness and concern have a significant effect on the use of detrimental inputs in production. The results contribute to an understanding of the importance of knowledge in facilitating actions towards environmental conservation. Environmental awareness campaigns are thus relevant to the promotion of sustainable agricultural production and should be championed by governments, development agencies and NGOs.

Observation of non-reciprocal harmonic conversion in real sounds

Reciprocity guarantees that in most media, sound transmission is symmetric between two points of space when the location of the source and receiver are interchanged. This fundamental law can be broken in non-linear media, often at the cost of detrimental input power levels, large insertion losses, and ideally prepared single-frequency input signals. Thus, previous observations of non-reciprocal sound transmission have focused on pure tones, and cannot handle real sounds composed of various harmonics of a low-frequency fundamental note, as generated for example by musical instruments. Here, we extend the reach of non-reciprocal acoustics by achieving large, tunable, and timbre-preserved non-reciprocal transmission of sound notes composed of several harmonics, originating from musical instruments. This is achieved in a non-linear, actively reconfigurable, and non-Hermitian isolator that can handle arbitrarily low input power at any audible frequency, while providing isolation levels up to 30dB and a tunable level of non-reciprocal gain. Our findings may find applications in sound isolation, noise control, non-reciprocal and non-Hermitian metamaterials, and analog audio processing.

Assessment of digital light processing (DLP) projector stimulators for visual electrophysiology

IntroductionVisual electrophysiology tests require the use of precise and calibrated visual display units (VDUs). Existing VDUs for presenting structured stimuli are now mostly obsolete, with modern solutions limited or unsuitable for clinical testing. Digital light processing (DLP) laser projectors have recently become commercially available and this study aimed to assess their suitability as VDUs for visual electrophysiology testing.MethodsThis study consisted of two sections. The first was a photometric study of two DLP laser projectors (Viewsonic LS831WU and HiSense 100L5FTUK) to assess luminance, contrast, spectral and temporal characteristics of the stimulus. The second was a physiological study comparing pattern electroretinograms (PERG) and visual evoked potentials (PVEPs) amplitudes and peak-times recorded using a DLP laser projector, photometrically and spatially matched to existing plasma VDUs at our institution (Pioneer Electronics Corporation, PDP422MXE).ResultsThe Viewsonic DLP laser projector was capable of high luminance levels (0–587.5 cd/m2) whilst maintaining contrast above 93%. The temporal properties showed fast rise and fall times of 0.5–1 ms and 0.5–1 ms, respectively, without any transient luminance change with reversals. The device required a warm-up time of at least 2 min until reaching near maximal luminance. The second (Hisense) device was observed to have a detrimental input lag jitter so was not used for any further analysis. PERGs and PVEPs showed high agreement and correlation (r = 0.766–0.905) between the Viewsonic DLP device and existing plasma VDUs. No significant differences were observed for P50 and P100 peak-time (p = > 0.05), however P50, N95 and P100 amplitudes were all significantly larger for the DLP device (p = < 0.05).DiscussionThe DLP laser projector tested in this study is a viable and practical replacement VDU for clinical electrophysiology tests of vision. The device is easily capable of meeting ISCEV standards, and showed PERG and PVEP amplitudes larger than existing systems despite photometric and spatial matching. The DLP laser projectors are capable of very large field sizes so are beneficial for paediatric testing or those wishing to examine large field responses. Importantly, it was observed that some devices may suffer input lag jitter, therefore, individual calibration and assessment of DLP projection systems is an important consideration before clinical implementation.

Environmental Efficiency Analysis of Basmati Rice Production in Punjab, Pakistan: Implications for Sustainable Agricultural Development

The intensive use of chemicals worked as a catalyst to shift the production frontier but the most critical factor of maintaining a clean environment was totally ignored. The present study attempts to estimate the environmental efficiency of rice production by employing the translog stochastic production frontier approach. The data are collected from five major Basmati rice growing districts (Gujranwala, Sheikupura, Sialkot, Hafizabad, and Jhang) of Punjab in 2006. Chemical weedicides and nitrogen are treated as environmentally detrimental inputs. The mean technical efficiency index is sufficiently high (89 percent) but the environmental efficiency index of chemical weedicides alone is 14 percent while the joint environmental efficiency index of chemical weedicides and nitrogen is 24 percent implying that joint environmental efficiency is higher than chemical weedicide alone. It indicates that substantial reduction (86 percent) in chemical weedicide use is possible with higher level of productivity. Moreover, it is likely to contribute a considerable decrease in environmental pollution which is expected to enhance the performance of agriculture labour. The reduction in chemical weedicides will save Rs 297 per acre and Rs 1307.3 million over all from the rice crop in Punjab, improving the profitability of rice growing farmers by the same proportion. Empirical analysis indicates that reduction in environmental pollution together with higher level of profitability in rice production is achievable. JEL classification: N5, O13 Keywords: Rice Production, Environmental Efficiency, Weedicide, Fertiliser (NPK), Stochastic Translog Frontier

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS IN RICE PRODUCTION: A CASE STUDY IN TRA VINH PROVINCE OF VIETNAM

Rice farmers do not recognize the negative impacts of overusing agricultural chemicals in farming activities on the environment. Hence, this study aimed to estimate technical and environmental efficiency for the rice producers in Tra Vinh province of Vietnam using the translog stochastic production frontier approach. Nutrients of NPK and pesticide cost were assumed to be environmentally detrimental inputs for environmental efficiency estimation. Empirical results indicated that the mean technical efficiency score was 0.74 showing technical inefficiency in the sample farms. The average environmental efficiency indexes were 0.55 for two detrimental inputs, 0.51 for nutrients of NPK, and only 0.10 for pesticide alone, indicating that the rice farms have huge potential to decrease the use of these inputs. The reduction in fertilizer, especially pesticide use, will help the rice farmers achieve higher profitability and be more sustainable. Regarding determinants of farms’ efficiencies, the regression analysis revealed that participating in agricultural cooperatives has emerged to be a favorable factor associated with technical and environmental efficiency, suggesting that the development of agricultural cooperative models should be prioritized to promote and encourage farmers’ participation. The present study results could be seen as key points for farmers' adjustment in rice production, leading to a safer environment and a driving force in the sustainable agriculture development in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.

Environmental Efficiency of Apple Production in China: A Translog Stochastic Frontier Analysis

This article estimates technical and environmental efficiencies using the stochastic frontier analysis with panel data of twenty-two main apple production provinces in China during 1992–2014. Results show that the environmental efficiency for pesticide input alone has lower mean value of 0.337 than environmental efficiency for the two environmentally detrimental inputs, pesticide and chemical fertilizer, which is 0.782. Furthermore, all efficiency scores have decreasing trends over time. Loess Plateau is more environmentally efficient than the Bohai bay region. Results of output elasticities show that chemical fertilizer has a mean value of 0.225, which is higher than for material, labor, and pesticide input. Also, apple production in China experiences decreasing returns to scale. Finally, it is also discovered that labor and chemical fertilizer have a substitute relationship, while material and labor have a complementary relationship, as do chemical fertilizer and pesticide. The results from the study should prove useful for reallocating input resources and improving environmental efficiency.

Environmental efficiency of small-scale tea processors in Kenya: an inverse data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach

Vision 2030, Kenya’s development blueprint for the period 2008–2030, envisions transforming the country into middle-income status where citizens enjoy a high quality of life. The blueprint has three pillars: economic, political and social. The thread that binds the three pillars is the natural environment, which supplies both renewable and non-renewable resources. Unfortunately, development in the other sectors may easily compromise the conditions of the natural environment and put the supply of clean water, food and fiber in jeopardy. For example, processing of agricultural products may increase gains from agriculture and lead to rapid expansion of the sector. If this is not carefully done, it may be characterized by wastage of resources, cutting down of forests to provide fuel and more land for cultivation, disposal of raw wastes into water bodies and over-exploitation of the soils. Using the example of small-scale tea processors in the country, this study sought to understand the environmental efficiency of the small-scale agro-processors. Small-scale tea processors were chosen because they have been implementing environmental efficiency-enhancing techniques in their production, yet no study had endeavored to test whether their initiatives were yielding positive results. The study adopted the innovative inverse data envelopment analysis approach on panel data to generate environmental efficiency scores, in the first step. In the second step, it analyzed the predictors of environmental efficiency using Tobit regression. Overall, the results showed that small-scale tea processors in Kenya were still environmentally inefficient, recording a mean efficiency index of only 49%, despite previous initiatives to improve efficiency. Thus, the processors could reduce 51% of the environmentally detrimental inputs without compromising output. Environmental inefficiency could be attributed to pursuit for higher profits and higher cost of investible funds. This shows that investment in environmental conservation is expensive and eats into the profits of the processors. Therefore, the small-scale processors may lack the incentives, in the short term, to invest in environment-friendly technologies. This may be compounded by the high cost of finance to be invested in such initiatives. Policy implication is that government should intervene in terms of tax concessions for firms that invest in environmental conservation, subsidies on technologies that guarantee environmental efficiency and access to cheaper funds for purchase and maintenance of environment-friendly technologies.

Dampak Kepemilikan Lahan Padi Sawah Terhadap Efisiensi Teknis dan Efisiensi Lingkungan di Kabupaten Rokan Hulu

Land ownership, technical and environmental efficiency are interrelated aspects one another which influences the sustainability of farming. This study aims to estimate the impact of land ownership on the technical and environmental efficiency of wetland rice farming in the Rokan Hulu Regency. Data obtained from interviews with 100 farm households, and analyzed using the translog stochastic frontier production function estimated by the maximum likelihood method. This production function includes conventional and detrimental input (Nitrogen). The results showed that the average technical efficiency of farming was 84.8%. Meaning that farmers can increase their technical efficiency by 15.2%. While the average of environmental efficiency is 23.7%. It is recommended to farmers to reduce their detrimental inputs by 76.3%. The technical efficiency of landowners was lower than the tenant or sharing farmers. Otherwise, the environmental efficiency of landowners higher than tenant or sharing farmers.

Environmental Efficiency Analysis with one Detrimental Input Variable through A Stochastic Frontier Analysis Approach (A Case Study of Shallot Farming System)

Sustainable agriculture having high complexity, especially related to the choice of using inputs that could potentially harm the environment or often called a detrimental input. In order to realize sustainable agriculture, the level of efficiency of the use of these inputs must be able to measure, especially from the aspect of environmental efficiency. The objective of this research in to analyze the environmental efficiency (EEnv) with a detrimental input variable namely the Nitrogen surplus in shallot farming through approach Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). At the initial stage has been built translog stochastic frontier regression model consisting of the response variable namely the production of onion, five independent variables, namely land, seed, Phospor fertilizer, Kalium fertilizer, labor and pesticides, as well as one independent variable is a surplus of nitrogen as a detrimental input. Stochastic frontier translog regression models were built to explain some of the interactions between several independent variables affect the production of shallot. Some interactions are significant, namely seeds and pesticides, fertilizer P with a surplus of nitrogen, and the interaction between K fertilizer with nitrogen surplus. From the regression model can also be calculated value of elasticity, where the elasticity of independent variables namely seed is the highest, equal to 0.1687. Furthermore stochastic frontier translog model can be calculated value EEnv, the results show the value of EEnv still low at only at 0.2765. This may imply inefficient shallot farmers from the aspects of the environment, especially if associated with the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Although technically shallot farmers have achieved a level of technical efficiency (ET), which is indicated on the ET value of 0.9475.

Sand dredging and environmental efficiency of artisanal fishermen in Lagos state, Nigeria.

Environmentally detrimental input (water turbidity) and conventional production inputs were considered within the framework of stochastic frontier analysis to estimate technical and environmental efficiencies of fishermen in sand dredging and non-dredging areas. Environmental efficiency was low among fishermen in the sand dredging areas. Educational status and experience in fishing and sand dredging were the factors influencing environmental efficiency in the sand dredging areas. Average quantity of fish caught per labour- hour was higher among fishermen in the non-dredging areas. Fishermen in the fishing community around the dredging areas travelled long distance in order to reduce the negative effect of sand dredging on their fishing activity. The study affirmed large household size among fishermen. The need to regulate the activities of sand dredgers by restricting license for sand dredging to non-fishing communities as well as intensifying family planning campaign in fishing communities to reduce the negative effect of high household size on fishing is imperative for the sustainability of artisanal fishing.

Resource use efficiency and economic losses: implications for sustainable rice production in Vietnam

The study aimed to estimate resource use efficiency and economic losses by using stochastic frontier analysis. The data set were collected in An Giang Province of Vietnam through personal interviews with 199 rice farmers. The results revealed that returns to scale are decreasing. Rice farmers had high levels of output-oriented and input-oriented technical efficiency with the means of 91.92 and 85.39 %, respectively. The mean environmental efficiency was 82.03 %. The mean efficiency of normal inputs was 61.20 %. Among the bad inputs, pesticide and energy were the least efficient ones with the mean values of 51.39 and 45.53 %, respectively, indicating serious overuses of these inputs. As regards normal inputs, capital had the lowest efficiency score at 21.08 %, followed by seed quantity at 26.4 %. Further, the total economic losses were estimated at 8261 thousand VND (380 USD) per hectare, which is equal to the sales of about 1600 kg of rice per hectare or the efforts to increase by 20 % of output level. This study suggests that rice farmers need to contract inputs, particularly environmentally detrimental inputs to improve profits. To improve the productive efficiency, the use of ecological engineering, collective pump and cultivation of three rice crops per year are possible options.

Green revolution- and wetland-linked technological change of rice agriculture in Indonesia

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyse aspects of technological change in rice agriculture, related to adoption of the Green Revolution (GR) in Indonesia. Rice production is selected in this study because it plays an important role in the development of Indonesian economy. Particular attention is paid to the use of agrochemicals that has potentials of contaminating the environment.Design/methodology/approach– The paper uses an econometric model to investigate the impact of different technologies and policies related to rice production. Production function technology that enables non-neutrality of input use is the underlying concept of this paper. Types of land and transformation in policies related to rice production were accounted for to determine biased technological change. National-wide data were compiled from the Indonesian Bureau of Statistics.Findings– The results show that rice agriculture underwent technological progress with biased technological change. The technological change was capital- and labour-saving, and agrochemical-augmenting. Production system in wetland led to technological change less capital- and labour-intensive, whilst the GR led to technological change more labour-saving and more agrochemical-augmenting.Research limitations/implications– This study only pays attention to environmentally detrimental inputs as a cause of externalities. This is a not full representation of real environmental consequences. In some studies on environmental degradation associated with intensive agricultural practices, however, there are other factors that can degrade the environment, such as soil erosion and soil compaction resulting from certain agricultural practices, and deforestation resulting from agricultural expansion. These are also important environmental impacts. The author expects that these factors are interesting and challenging subjects to be modelled in future research on sustainability of agricultural productivity growth, both theoretically and empirically.Practical implications– Increase in use of agrochemicals was strongly GR linked. Moving from the GR towards more environmentally friendly policy was a wise step to reach sustainable rice production. After the GR, an act that removed pesticide subsidies and disseminated environmentally friendly technology, called integrated pest management was able to reduce the intensity of agrochemical use in rice agriculture. Further actions to support environmentally friendly policy could be the use of bio-agents such as bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides. Enhancing farmers’ knowledge on the environmental issues and engaging farmers as a part of agro-ecosystem would synergise the actions.Originality/value– This study uses the concept of biased technological change, estimated econometrically using national-level data. The production function used in this analysis enables non-neutrality of agrochemical use. When the result significantly shows the agrochemical-augmenting technological change, it is a convincing evidence, not just by accident, that the GR really led to environmental problem.

The environmental efficiency of non-certified organic farming in China: A case study of paddy rice production

This case study compares the environmental efficiency of non-certified organic and conventional rice production in southern China. Using plot-season level survey data, we test the existence of a “technology gap” between the two types of production, and calculate their environmental efficiency scores based on the level of pure nitrogen use, which is considered as an environmentally detrimental input within the framework of the stochastic frontier analysis. Our analysis reveals that organic farming loses its environmental performance at high nitrogen levels and that during the initial conversion period to organic farming newly converted organic farmers increase the use of external nutrients such as nitrogen to compensate for potential yield losses. These results highlight the uncertainty with which conventional farmers initially tend to view organic farming. However, we find that the experience gained by organic farmers over time helps them increase and maintain the environmental efficiency. We warn against the rapid expansion of organic farming and recommend more technical support and strict nutrient regulation to foster the environmental efficiency of organic farming.

ENVIRONMENTALLY ADJUSTED PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH OF INDONESIAN RICE PRODUCTION

Productivity of Indonesian rice agriculture needs to grow substantially to ensure national food security. However, the environmental cost should be taken into account. This study aims to analyse productivity growth of rice by decomposing it into technological change, scale effects, allocative efficiency and technical efficiency. Environmental cost associated with the use of environmentally detrimental inputs is internalised to obtain environmentally adjusted productivity growth. The result indicates that total factor productivity growth is driven by technological change and social efficiency effects. Environmentally adjusted productivity growth is less than conventional productivity growth. Some policies to increase the environmentally adjusted productivity growth are proposed.

Environmental efficiency with multiple environmentally detrimental variables; estimated with SFA and DEA

The objective of this paper is to estimate comprehensive environmental efficiency measures for Dutch dairy farms. The environmental efficiency scores are based on the nitrogen surplus, phosphate surplus and the total (direct and indirect) energy use of an unbalanced panel of dairy farms. We define environmental efficiency as the ratio of minimum feasible to observed use of multiple environmentally detrimental inputs, conditional on observed levels of output and the conventional inputs. We compare two methods for the calculation of efficiency; namely Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This paper reveals the strengths and weaknesses for estimating environmental efficiency of the methods applied. Both SFA and DEA can estimate environmental efficiency scores. The mean technical efficiency scores (output-oriented, SFA 89%, DEA 78%) and the mean comprehensive environmental efficiency scores (SFA 80%, DEA 52%) differ between the two methods. SFA allows hypothesis testing, and the monotonicity hypothesis is rejected for the specification including phosphate surplus. DEA can calculate environmental efficiency scores for all specifications, because regularity is imposed in this method.

Econometric Estimation of Technical and Environmental Efficiency: An Application to Dutch Dairy Farms

AbstractIn this article we estimate the technical and environmental efficiency of a panel of Dutch dairy farms. Nitrogen surplus, arising from the application of excessive amounts of manure and chemical fertilizer, is treated as an environmentally detrimental input. A stochastic translog production frontier is specified to estimate the output‐oriented technical efficiency. Environmental efficiency is estimated as the input‐oriented technical efficiency of a single input, the nitrogen surplus of each farm. The mean output‐oriented technical efficiency is rather high, 0.894, but the mean input‐oriented environmental efficiency is only 0.441. Intensive dairy farms are both technically and environmentally more efficient than extensive farms.

Does (K+Mg+Ca+P) fertilization lead to recovery of tree health in a nitrogen stressed Quercus rubra L. stand?

In The Netherlands atmospheric deposition of nitrogen compounds to forest ecosystems has been very high for some decades and has led to severe nutritional imbalances in soils as well as in trees. At this moment legislation is not fully in effect with respect to lowering emission/deposition fluxes, particularly of nitrogen. The trees suffer mainly from severe magnesium, potassium and calcium and sometimes phosphorus deficiencies. In this study it was investigated whether fertilization with potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus could prevent a Quercus rubra stand from further decline by restoring the nutritional balance, though the detrimental input of nitrogen compounds still continues. Three fertilization treatments were applied: (i) a standard dose of 1250 kg.ha −1 containing 60 kg P.ha −1 (as P 2O 5), 100 kg K.ha −1 (as K 2O), 80 kg Mg.ha −1 (as MgO) and 340 kg Ca.ha −1 (as CaCO 3); (ii) two times the standard dose; and (iii) three times the standard dose. Soil solution chemistry showed that the highest dose led to the most significant results: an improved nutrient balance and an increased availability of nutrients. After one growing season following fertilization, the trees looked much healthier and crown density had increased. This revitalization lasted for at least four years. For tree health the mid dose seemed appropriate. After the first growing season potassium is the most mobile nutrient, in the soil and also in the trees, but tended to decrease in the fourth year after fertilization. Magnesium and calcium reached normal values in the leaves after four growing seasons. No obvious effects of phosphorus were found.