Browsing by Subject "Agricultural biotechnology"
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Item Agricultural sustainabiltiy in the Texas High Plains: the role of advanced irrigation systems and biotechnology(Texas Tech University, 1998-12) Arabiyat, Talah S.The cunent state of ground water utilization in the Texas High Plains area is a reflection of the combined resuh of cunent economic, social and polkical factors. The main reason why ground water resources in the Texas High Plains are being used at a rate higher than the natural rate of recharge, is because of the revenues stemming from their cunent use being higher than the associated cost of extraction. However, water use in the Texas High Plains, given the critical dependence of the regional economy on this resource, is an inter-generational issue that must be evaluated in terms of the sustainability of agriculmral activities in the long-mn. For this reason, given the cunent state of economic, social and polkical factors, the sustainability of this resource needs to be better understood, given cunent and expected technological advances ki agriculmral production. In particular, advanced irrigation system technology can increase the efficiency of water utilization, and thus decrease the amount of water resources needed to produce a crop. However, these advanced irrigation system technologies can also induce the transition of previously irrigated cropland which is cunently under dryland production practices to revert back into krigation (Feng, 1992).Item Contesting the transgenic landscape : networks, narratives and policy action in agrarian struggles in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 1998-2003(2006-08) McKinney, Kacy; Davis, Diane K.The widespread dissemination of agricultural biotechnology has been marked by heated and constant debate, and has proven to be more problematic than promising. Responses from alternative agrarian actors (including farmers, rural activists, small farmer cooperatives and landless workers) have been a mixture of acceptance, adaptation and contestation to this technology, and more significantly, to the accompanying economic, political and social processes. In the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, legalization of commercial production of transgenic crops appeared on the policy agenda in 1998. In this state, where movements for agrarian reform and alternative agriculture have been thriving since the late 1970's, alongside large agro-cooperatives and a handful of powerful landowners, the battle over biotechnology has been extensive and has gained international attention. The contestation of the transgenic landscape has been incorporated into the agendas of these actors and has come to represent the entire range of dynamics involved in the struggle for rural livelihood security. This thesis suggests that the response to agricultural biotechnology by alternative agrarian actors reflects the threat of deepening rural inequality and complication of already precarious agrarian struggles, but that it has also led to the creation of new spaces and new strategies for contestation. Historical legacies, local experiences and the problematic nature of biotechnology itself are key underlying components in this case. This study examines policy action, the formation of new networks and the use of a common narrative in order to analyze the development and significance of the contestation of the transgenic landscape.Item Evaluation of the impact of technological progress on cropland values(Texas Tech University, 2000-12) Wei, JingweiIn the 20th century, U.S. agriculture became increasingly dependent upon science for technological advances to increase productivity and ensure a safe and competitive food supply. Until the close of the land frontier in the early part of the 1900s, most agricultural production increases came from expanding the area devoted to crops. Today, growth in U.S. agricultural production comes almost entirely fi'om increases in crop yields. The basis of this growth has been the application of modern science and technology to agricultural production. Technological innovation in production agriculture has caused far-reaching changes in the techniques farmers use to produce agricultural commodities in the U.S. The transition fi-om horsepower to mechanical power, the widespread use of chemicals, and the development of new and improved seed varieties have resulted in substantial and continuing increases in agricultural productivity. Innovations in agricultural production such as these have significantly increased the quantities of many agricultural commodities produced in the U.S. and around the world. These increased quantities have generally led to significant shifts in total supplies of many commodities. Because of the impact on prices and availability of consumer products derived from agricultural commodities, shifting supplies have had meaningful social and economic impacts. Common in most American industries, widespread expectations for technological progress are to continue to play a fundamental role in the production of agricultural commodities.Item Farm profitability and financial viability in the Texas High Plains: the impact of biotechnology and plant stress(Texas Tech University, 1996-12) Haynes, Aubrey PaulPlant stress is a problem which affects all crop producers. Plant stress physically damages the structure of crop plants affecting their ability to adequateiy deveiop. Plant stress leads to a reduction in crop yields, which results in a loss of potential income and increased rislc position for crop producers. Therefore, plant stress has a direct affect on the producer's profitability and financial viability. The general objective of this study was to evaluate the economic impact of plant stress on crops grown in the Texas High Plains Region (THPR) and the impact of biotechnology advances relating to plant stress reduction on the profitability and financial viability of farms in the THPR. The study area was divided into four distinct sub-regions: Transition Area; Southern High Plains; Northern High Plains; and Northern Low Plains.