An Analysis of the Link between Ethanol, Energy, and Crop Markets, November 2006

This study analyzes the impact of price shocks in three input and output markets critical to ethanol: gasoline, corn, and sugar. We investigate the impact of these shocks on ethanol and related agricultural markets in the United States and Brazil. We find that the composition of a country’s vehicle fleet determines the direction of the response of ethanol consumption to changes in the gasoline price. We also find that a change in feedstock costs affects the profitability of ethanol producers and the domestic ethanol price. In Brazil, where two commodities compete for sugarcane, changes in the sugar market affect the competing ethanol market.

The Long-Run Impact of Corn-Based Ethanol on the Grain, Oilseed, and Livestock Sectors: A Preliminary Assessment, November 2006

The ongoing growth of corn-based ethanol production raises some fundamental questions about what impact continued growth will have on U.S. and world agriculture. Estimates of the long-run potential for ethanol production can be made by calculating the corn price at which the incentive to expand ethanol production disappears. Under current ethanol tax policy, if the prices of crude oil, natural gas, and distillers grains stay at current levels, then the break-even corn price is $4.05 per bushel. A multi-commodity, multi country system of integrated commodity models is used to estimate the impacts if we ever get to $4.05 corn. At this price, corn-based ethanol production would reach 31.5 billion gallons per year, or about 20% of projected U.S. fuel consumption in 2015. Supporting this level of production would require 95.6 million acres of corn to be planted. Total corn production would be approximately 15.6 billion bushels, compared to 11.0 billion bushels today. Most of the additional corn acres come from reduced soybean acreage. Wheat markets would adjust to fulfill increased demand for feed wheat. Corn exports and production of pork and poultry would all be reduced in response to higher corn prices and increased utilization of corn by ethanol plants. These results should not be viewed as a prediction of what will eventually materialize. Rather, they indicate a logical end point to the current incentives to invest in corn-based ethanol plants.

Economic Aspects of Agricultural and Food Biosecurity in the United States, March 2007

Concerns about biosecurity in the food system raise a variety of issues about how the system is presently organized, why it might be vulnerable, what one could reasonably do to better secure it, and the costs of doing so. After presenting some facts about US agriculture and food, this paper considers three economic aspects of the general problem. One is the global problem, or the way biosecurity measures can affect how countries relate to each other and the global consequences that result. Another is how to best manage the immediate aftermath of a realized threat in order to minimize damage. The third is how to seek to prevent realization of the threat. Some policy alternatives are also presented.

Emerging Biofuels: Outlook of Effects on U.S. Grain, Oilseed, and Livestock Markets, 2007

Projections of U.S. ethanol production and its impacts on planted acreage, crop prices, livestock production and prices, trade, and retail food costs are presented under the assumption that current tax credits and trade policies are maintained. The projections were made using a multi-product, multi-country deterministic partial equilibrium model. The impacts of higher oil prices, a drought combined with an ethanol mandate, and removal of land from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) relative to baseline projections are also presented. The results indicate that expanded U.S. ethanol production will cause long-run crop prices to increase. In response to higher feed costs, livestock farmgate prices will increase enough to cover the feed cost increases. Retail meat, egg, and dairy prices will also increase. If oil prices are permanently $10-per-barrel higher than assumed in the baseline projections, U.S. ethanol will expand significantly. The magnitude of the expansion will depend on the future makeup of the U.S. automobile fleet. If sufficient demand for E-85 from flex-fuel vehicles is available, corn-based ethanol production is projected to increase to over 30 billion gallons per year with the higher oil prices. The direct effect of higher feed costs is that U.S. food prices would increase by a minimum of 1.1% over baseline levels. Results of a model of a 1988-type drought combined with a large mandate for continued ethanol production show sharply higher crop prices, a drop in livestock production, and higher food prices. Corn exports would drop significantly, and feed costs would rise. Wheat feed use would rise sharply. Taking additional land out of the CRP would lower crop prices in the short run. But because long-run corn prices are determined by ethanol prices and not by corn acreage, the long-run impacts on commodity prices and food prices of a smaller CRP are modest. Cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass and biodiesel from soybeans do not become economically viable in the Corn Belt under any of the scenarios. This is so because high energy costs that increase the prices of biodiesel and switchgrass ethanol also increase the price of cornbased ethanol. So long as producers can choose between soybeans for biodiesel, switchgrass for ethanol, and corn for ethanol, they will choose to grow corn. Cellulosic ethanol from corn stover does not enter into any scenario because of the high cost of collecting and transporting corn stover over the large distances required to supply a commercial-sized ethanol facility.

Intellectual Property Rights and Crop-Improving R&D under Adaptive Destruction, June 2007

This paper studies how the strength of intellectual property rights (IPRs) affects investments in biological innovations when the value of an innovation is stochastically reduced to zero because of the evolution of pest resistance. We frame the problem as a research and development (R&D) investment game in a duopoly model of sequential innovation. We characterize the incentives to invest in R&D under two competing IPR regimes, which differ in their treatment of the follow-on innovations that become necessary because of pest adaptation. Depending on the magnitude of the R&D cost, ex ante firms might prefer an intellectual property regime with or without a “research exemption” provision. The study of the welfare function that also accounts for benefit spillovers to consumers—which is possible analytically under some parametric conditions, and numerically otherwise—shows that the ranking of the two IPR regimes depends critically on the extent of the R&D cost.

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool:Historical Development, Applications, and Future Research Directions, 2007

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is a continuation of nearly 30 years of modeling efforts conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service. SWAT has gained international acceptance as a robust interdisciplinary watershed modeling tool, as evidenced by international SWAT conferences, hundreds of SWAT-related papers presented at numerous scientific meetings, and dozens of articles published in peer-reviewed journals. The model has also been adopted as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s BASINS (Better Assessment Science Integrating Point & Nonpoint Sources) software package and is being used by many U.S. federal and state agencies, including the USDA within the Conservation Effects Assessment Project. At present, over 250 peer-reviewed, published articles have been identified that report SWAT applications, reviews of SWAT components, or other research that includes SWAT. Many of these peer-reviewed articles are summarized here according to relevant application categories such as streamflow calibration and related hydrologic analyses, climate change impacts on hydrology, pollutant load assessments, comparisons with other models, and sensitivity analyses and calibration techniques. Strengths and weaknesses of the model are presented, and recommended research needs for SWAT are provided.

Soil and Water Conservation Quality Review, 2007

A newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The DSC is responsible for state leadership in the protection and management of soil, water and mineral resources, assisting soil and water conservation districts and private landowners to meet their agricultural and environmental protection needs.

State power and protected areas: Dynamics and contradictions of forest conservation in Madhya Pradesh, India

The traditionally coercive and state-controlled governance of protected areas for nature conservation in developing countries has in many cases undergone change in the context of widespread decentralization and liberalization. This article examines an emerging "mixed" (coercive, community- and market-oriented) conservation approach in managed-resource protected areas and its effects on state power through a case study on forest protection in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The findings suggest that imperfect decentralization and partial liberalization resulted in changed forms, rather than uniform loss, of state power. A forest co-management program paradoxically strengthened local capacity and influence of the Forest Department, which generally maintained its territorial and knowledge-based control over forests and timber management. Furthermore, deregulation and reregulation enabled the state to withdraw from uneconomic activities but also implied reduced place-based control of non-timber forest products. Generally, the new policies and programs contributed to the separation of livelihoods and forests in Madhya Pradesh. The article concludes that regulatory, community- and market-based initiatives would need to be better coordinated to lead to more effective nature conservation and positive livelihood outcomes.

Annual Report of the Iowa Grape and Wine Development Commission for Fiscal Year, 2007

FY2007 was a productive year for the Iowa Grape and Wine Development Commission. Fourteen proposals were recommended for funding totaling over $390,000 in outlays. Included in the approved proposals were funds for the establishment and staffing of a Midwest Grape and Wine Institute at Iowa State University, a newly created viticulturist position at Des Moines Area Community College, funding for the first annual Mid-American Wine Competition, and marketing and promotion of four regional cooperative wine events and one wine trail. Commission funding supported a survey of commercial wine producers and grape growers and a new brochure on Iowa’s vineyards. A committee was formed to provide details for a Scholarship Program to aid vineyard and winery staff with the expenses of accredited coursework. Based on the survey conducted and from other governmental and industry sources, the Iowa grape and wine industry appears to continue to be very viable and growth continues at a strong pace. Wine produced in the state for 2007 was estimated at a market value in excess of $12.3 million. A tabulation of the budget revealed that just over $800,000 in wine gallonage tax appropriations have been received into the Grape and Wine Development Fund from 15 FY2003 through FY2007. Expenditures have totaled just over $607,000 during that same time. Just over 80% of expenditures have gone to “Technical” spending. Over time, funds invested in “Technical” programs will translate into an increasingly educated and institutionally-supported industry. Local, regional, and statewide events also appear to be increasing in popularity and the Commission plans to continue and increase support for these events. It is hoped the Scholarship Program will be up and running and funding will need to be appropriated for that project. The Commission also believes many projects and events will become more and more self sustaining as they develop and mature. As they continue to support Iowa’s grape and wine industry, the members of the Commission look forward to working with individuals, commercial enterprises, state and federal agencies, and industry-sponsored institutions in the upcoming year and in years to come.

Annual Report of the Iowa Grape and Wine Development Commission for Fiscal Year, 2008

FY2008 was a productive year for the Iowa Grape and Wine Development Commission. Sixteen proposals were recommended for funding from FY2008 funds and carryover totaling just over $396,000 in outlays. Included in the approved proposals were staffing and equipment for the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute’s wine diagnostics laboratory at Iowa State University, continued support for the viticulturist position at Des Moines Area Community College, funding for the second annual Mid-American Wine Competition, and assistance for marketing and promotion of Ice coats an Iowa vineyard after a February 2008 ice storm. Photo by Mike White and courtesy of Iowa State University. 16 two wine trail associations and seven festivals and events. Commission funding supported a salaried position within IDALS to manage the Iowa Grape and Wine Development Fund and to serve as the Director of the Iowa Grape and Wine Development Commission. The Commission approved funding for a Scholarship Program. The formally created Scholarship Committee met twice in FY2008 to finalize details for the Program and to approve scholarships to twenty-six applicants to aid with the expenses of accredited coursework. Based on data collected by IDALS, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, and Iowa State University the Iowa grape and wine industry appears to continue to be very viable and growth continues at a strong pace. Presently, Iowa ranks 14th in the nation for the number of wineries, and wine produced in the state for 2008 was estimated at a market value in excess of $14.0 million. A tabulation of the budget revealed that just over $1,080,000 in wine gallonage tax appropriations and legislative appropriations have been deposited into the Grape and Wine Development Fund from FY2003 through FY2008. Removing encumbered funds, expenditures have totaled just over $942,500 during that same time. “Financial” funding – used for fostering public awareness and participation of industry events - increased from 6% of expenditures in FY2007 to 9% in FY2008. Used for support of research, education, and outreach, a little over 80% of expenditures and encumbered funds were earmarked for “Technical” spending. Over time, funds invested in “Technical” programs will translate into an increasingly educated and institutionally-supported industry. Local, regional, and statewide events also appeared to be increasing in popularity. The Commission was encouraged to see increased support for these events. It is hoped, too, that the Scholarship Program will provide needed funding to help meet the educational goals of the industry’s workforce. As they continue to support Iowa’s grape and wine industry, the Commissioners look forward to working with individuals, commercial enterprises, state and federal agencies, and industry-sponsored institutions in FY2009 and in years to come.

Division of Soil Conservation Soil and Water Quality Review, 2009

Special Points of Interest: • The Division of Soil Conservation celebrated its 70th anniversary July 1, 2009. The Iowa Soil Conservation: Laws were enacted in 1939 creating the state soil conservation agency and governing committee and providing for the creation of Iowa’s 100 soil and water conservation districts. • The Mines & Minerals Bureau, through the federal Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program, worked with various watershed groups to again secure an additional $1 million dollars in funding for the construction on projects in Marion, Mahaska and Monroe Counties. • Iowa hosted the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force tour and meeting in September 2009.

European Corn Borer: Development and Management, 1989

Contains information on the European Corn Borer, an introduced species that came to North America during the early 1900's from central Europe. The insect damages corn plants, as well as peppers, beans, potatoes and other plants, by feeding on leaves, stalk tunneling and ear damage. This brochure gives summaries of management tactics. This is North central regional extension publication no. 327 sponsored by Iowa State University Extension.

Quality of surface water related to land use: a case study in a catchment with small farms and intensive vegetable crop production in southern Brazil

Water degradation is strongly related to agricultural activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of land use and some environmental components on surface water quality in the Campestre catchment, located in Colombo, state of Parana, Brazil. Physical and chemical attributes were analyzed (total nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, total phosphorus, electrical conductivity, pH, temperature, turbidity, total solids, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and dissolved oxygen). Monthly samples of the river water were taken over one year at eight monitoring sites, distributed over three sub-basins. Overall, water quality was worse in the sub-basin with a higher percentage of agriculture, and was also affected by a lower percentage of native forest and permanent preservation area, and a larger drainage area. Water quality was also negatively affected by the presence of agriculture in the riparian zone. In the summer season, probably due to higher rainfall and intensive soil use, a higher concentration of total nitrogen and particulate nitrogen was observed, as well as higher electrical conductivity, pH and turbidity. All attributes, except for total phosphorus, were in compliance with Brazilian Conama Resolution Nº 357/2005 for freshwater class 1. However, it should be noted that these results referred to the base flow and did not represent a discharge condition since most of the water samples were not collected at or near the rainfall event.

Division of Soil Conservation Soil and Water Quality Review, January 2010

Special Points of Interest: • The Division of Soil Conservation celebrated its 70th anniversary July 1, 2009. The Iowa Soil Conservation Laws were enacted in 1939 creating the state soil conservation agency and governing committee and providing for the creation of Iowa’s 100 soil and water conservation districts. • The Mines & Minerals Bureau, through the federal Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program, worked with various watershed groups to again secure an additional $1 million dollars in funding for the construction on projects in Marion, Mahaska and Monroe Counties. • Iowa hosted the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force tour and meeting in September 2009.

Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant State Narrative for Iowa Application for 2013 Annual Report for 2011

Key factors that provide context for the state's Maternal and Child Health (MCH) annual report and state plan are highlighted in this overview. This section briefly outlines Iowa's demographics, population changes, economic indicators and significant public initiatives. Major strategic planning efforts affecting development of program activities are also identified.