A BIOECONOMIC SHEEP–VEGETATION TRADE‐OFF MODEL: AN ANALYSIS OF THE NORDIC SHEEP FARMING SYSTEM

Abstract. The paper studies the economy and ecology of sheep farming at the farm level and includes 2 different categories of the animals, ewes (adult females) and lambs. The model is analyzed in a Nordic economic and biological setting. During the outdoor grazing season, animals face limited grazing resources so that the weight gain of lambs is determined by the per‐animal vegetation consumption. On the other hand, the number of grazing animals, lambs as well as ewes, determines the grazing pressure. This problem is studied under the assumption of a rational and well‐informed farmer who aims to maximize profit in ecological equilibrium with zero animal and vegetation growth. We find that lamb‐only slaughtering is optimal and that it is never beneficial for the farmer to keep livestock that overgraze pasture. It is also shown that higher meat prices and more profitable slaughtering make it economically rewarding for the farmer to keep more animals. A numerical illustration indicates that the optimal sheep farming decision may be more sensitive to changes in pasture quality and productivity than changes in economic conditions.     

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography-electrosprayionization mass spectrometric method for the determination of dexamethasone in sheep plasma

A quantitative liquid chromatographic-electrospray ionization mass spectrometric method for the determination of dexamethasone in sheep plasma has been developed and validated. The samples were extracted using solid-phase extraction cartridges with mixed reversed-phase materials (oasis-HLB). The chromatographic separation was performed on a reversed-phase XTerrra MS C₁₈ column ( mm; 5 μm) using a mobile phase consisting of 65% methanol in water containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid, pumped at a flow rate of 0.30 ml min⁻¹. The analyte was detected after positive electrospray ionization using selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The probe heater temperature was set at 260 °C, the capillary voltage was set at 3.5 kV and the source block voltage (AQA_max) was set at 30 V. The method was fully validated. Calibration graphs were linear (r better than 0.998, n=11), in concentration ranges 6-1000 ng ml⁻¹ for dexamethasone. The intra- and inter-day RSD values were less than 24.1% (n=6). The limits of detection and quantitation for dexamethasone were found to be 1 and 6 ng ml⁻¹, respectively. The efficiency of the solid phase extraction procedure was found to be 92.4% for dexamethasone. The method was further applied to a pilot kinetic study in order to assess the main pharmacokinetic parameters of dexamethasone in sheep.     

Trace level determination of cadmium in wine by on-line preconcentration in a 5-Br-PADAP functionalized wool-packed microcolumn coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometry

An on-line retention and preconcentration system based on a sheep wool-packed microcolumn combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry is proposed for trace level determination of Cd in wine. A chelating reagent 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol was immobilized onto the wool before retention of the analyte. Several factors influencing the preconcentration efficiency of Cd and his subsequent determination, such as pH, eluent type, sample and eluent flow rates, interfering effects, were studied. A preconcentration factor of 39 was obtained with only 20 mL of sample. The relative standard deviation for five determinations of 1 μg L⁻¹ Cd was 3.4%. The calibration graph was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.998 at levels near the detection limit and up to at least 25 μg L⁻¹. The limit of detection was 37 ng L⁻¹. The accuracy of the proposed methodology was tested by comparison of the results with those obtained by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry analysis along with a recovery study. Finally, the method was employed for evaluating Cd levels in different wines including, blank, rose, and red.     

Pesticide use,environmental spillovers and efficiency: A DEA risk-adjusted efficiency approach applied to Dutch arable farming

Pesticides are widely used by crop producers in developed countries to combat risk associated with pests and diseases. However, their indiscriminate use can lead to various environmental spillovers that may alter the agricultural production environment thus contributing to production risk. This study utilises a data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach to measure performance of arable farms, incorporating pesticides’ environmental spillovers and output variance as undesirable outputs in the efficiency analysis and taking explicitly into account the effect of pesticides and other inputs on production risk. The application focuses on panel data from Dutch arable farms over the period 2003–2007. A moment approach is used to compute output variance, providing empirical representations of the risk-increasing or -decreasing nature of the used inputs. Finally, shadow values of risk-adjusted inputs are computed. We find that pesticides are overused in Dutch arable farming and there is a considerable evidence of the need for decreasing pesticides’ environmental spillovers.     

Stochastic utility-efficient programming of organic dairy farms

Opportunities to make sequential decisions and adjust activities as a season progresses and more information becomes available characterise the farm management process. In this paper, we present a discrete stochastic two-stage utility-efficient programming model of organic dairy farms, which includes risk aversion in the decision maker’s objective function as well as both embedded risk (stochastic programming with recourse) and non-embedded risk (stochastic programming without recourse). Historical farm accountancy data and subjective judgements were combined to assess the nature of the uncertainty that affects the possible consequences of the decisions. The programming model was used within a stochastic dominance framework to examine optimal strategies in organic dairy systems in Norway.     

OPTIMAL HARVESTING TIME OF FARMED AQUATIC POPULATIONS WITH NONLINEAR SIZE‐HETEROGENEOUS GROWTH

Abstract This paper examines the question of optimal harvesting time in a size‐heterogeneous farmed aquatic population, using a model reflecting the effect of population density on both overall mortality rate and individual growth. This analysis enables an optimal harvesting rule to be deduced. The results obtained are applied to shrimp culture in recirculation systems in Mexico. Numerical solutions are derived for different production scenarios. Assuming identical culture conditions, results are also obtained under the hypothesis of homogeneous population growth, the view traditionally taken in the relevant economic literature. The optimal harvesting times calculated tend to decrease with higher densities, although this rule fails under the size‐heterogeneous population model. In general, optimal harvesting times are overestimated when size‐homogeneity in the culture is assumed. Our analysis reveals that management predictions are significantly mistaken if the size‐heterogeneity phenomenon is not taken into account.     

分数阶微分技术在机载高光谱数据估算土壤含水量中的应用

无人机高光谱遥感为精准农业和农业信息化监测提供崭新视角。高光谱传感器具有厘米级空间分辨率和精细的光谱分辨率,可获取高质量的高光谱数据。然而,高光谱数据通常伴随噪声和数据冗余,高光谱信息利用效率低,常规预处理难以满足精准估算的需求。因此,为解决上述现实问题,针对机载高光谱影像的数据挖掘必不可少。利用分数阶微分(FOD)技术逐像元处理机载高光谱数据(步长为0.1)。通过对比FOD技术与整数阶技术对高光谱数据的改善能力,从光谱层面探寻最佳FOD阶数。在梯度提升回归树(GBRT)算法下构建土壤含水量(SMC)估算模型,最终在最佳模型下评估SMC的空间分布。结果表明：FOD技术提高光谱与SMC的相关系数(r_max=0.768),与原始光谱、一阶微分和二阶微分处理后的光谱同SMC相关系数相比,分别提升0.168,0.157和0.158。FOD技术提升模型估算精度的主因是突出有效光谱信息的作用,特别是与水分胁迫密切敏感的叶绿素、植物结构和水分响应波段(430,460,640,660和970nm)。即使FOD技术取得理想的结果,不同阶数的效果仍有差异。高阶FOD对影像增加了一定噪...     

Effect of exposure of sturgeon roe to low-intensity laser radiation on the hardiness of juvenile sturgeon

We present data on the effect of polarized laser radiation in the near IR region of the spectrum with wavelength 808 nm on the resistance of juvenile sturgeon to oxygen deficiency in the habitat when the fertilized roe are briefly exposed to radiation in the organogenesis stage. The magnitude of the stimulating effect depends on the exposure time (t) and power density (P) of the radiation and also on its modulation frequency (F). For optimal irradiation parameters (cw mode, P = 2.9 mW/cm², t = 60 sec), the hardiness of the juveniles increases by a factor of ∼1.5 compared with the control group. The maximum differences in the sensitivity of embryos to cw and pulsed radiation are observed for F = 1 Hz; as the modulation frequency increases up to F = 50 Hz, the magnitude of the photobiological effect approaches a level typical for cw exposure. We show that the duration of the dark period (pause time) between pulses is the critical parameter determining the dependence of the stimulating effect on the modulation frequency. We discuss questions concerning use of the indicated physical factor in the technology for raising sturgeon under industrial fish farming conditions. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 2, pp. 233–241, March–April, 2008.     

具有价格参照效应的订单农业供应链决策模型

构建了具有损失规避特性和价格参照效应的农户与风险中性的公司组成的两级订单农业供应链的基本模型,引入经济理论价格参照效应,深入研究了收购价格随机以及受价格影响的市场需求随机的双重不确定情形下,公司的成本分担因子以及农户的价格参照点、损失规避度、收购价格的波动对公司与农户决策的影响.研究结果发现,农户的价格参照点、损失规避度以及收购价格的波动的增加均会降低公司与农户的收益;公司在随行就市、保底收购的收购策略下的收益高于随行就市、成本分担下的收益,对于农户则刚好相反.     

Comparison of different methods for the determination of several quinolonic and cinolonic antibiotics in trout muscle tissue by HPLC with fluorescence detection

Summary Quinolonic and cinolonic derivatives are mainly used as antibacterials in fish-farms. In this paper we describe a careful revision of the treatment procedures of samples and a prodedure for the determination of residues of these compounds. Because of the complexity and duration of these procedures, several studies have been carried out and these have lead to a simpler and shorter method. Three approaches have been examined: lyophilization followed by extraction with chloroform, solid-liquid extraction with chloroform and solid-liquid extraction with sodium hydroxide solution, followed by liquid-liquid partition in chloroform. Some previous studies into the partition equilibrium are also included. As a result of our studies we propose a procedure with a lower number of steps than those previously described in the literature. This method has been applied to the analysis of nalidixic, 7-hydroxymethylnalidixic and oxolinic acids and cinoxacin in trout muscle. These analysis have been carried out using an HPLC system equipped with a C₁₈ column and fluorimetric detection. The mobile phase was acetonitrile:oxalic acid. The recoveries obtained were: 70–97% for 7-hydroxymethylnalidixic acid, 75–78% for nalidixic acid, 71–95% for oxolinic acid and 72–85% for cinoxacin.