Wang, Tong

May, 2023

Effect of Conservation Practice Adoption on Perceived Changes in Farm Outcomes in South Dakota

By: Obembe, Oladipo S.; Wang, Tong; Shew, Aaron M.
This paper uses farm survey data from the western margin of the Corn Belt to estimate the causal effects of adopting different conservation practices---conservation tillage (CT), cover cropping (CC), and diversified crop rotation (DCR)---on perceived changes in yield, production cost, and profit among farmers in South Dakota. We use propensity score kernel matching to correct the sample selection bias induced by nonrandom adoption of different conservation practices. We find that compared with non-adopters, farmers who adopt CT and DCR are more likely to perceive an increase in profit and yield and CC adopters are less likely to perceive a production cost increase.
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May, 2021

Cover Crops Usage in South Dakota: Farmer Perceived Profitability and Future Adoption Decisions

By: Wang, Tong ; Xu, Zheng ; Kolady, Deepthi ; Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D. ; Clay, David
Using bivariate ordered logit models, we investigate factors that determine farmersÕ perceptions of cover-crop profitability and likelihood of future usage in the climate transition zone of the Northern Great Plains. Our results indicate that approximately 40% of long-term (10+ years) users perceived a profit increase of more than 5%. Additionally, future adoption decisions are positively affected by environment-oriented attitudes and negatively affected by prioritizing short-term profitability. More efforts can be directed toward educational programs that enhance understanding of the short- versus long-term economic benefits of cover crops.
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May, 2019

Soil Conservation Practice Adoption in the Northern Great Plains: Economic versus Stewardship Motivations

By: Wang, Tong; Jim, Hailong; Kasu, Bishal B.; Jacquet, Jeffrey; Kumar, Sandeep
By making adoption decisions on soil conservation practices, agricultural producers play a key role in reversing unintended consequences caused by soil degradation. This paper studies two soil conservation practices—diversified crop rotation (DCR) and integrated cropping and livestock system (ICLS)—using survey data collected from Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota producers. We estimate a bivariate probit model to identify factors affecting adoption decisions. Farmers’ requirements for monetary incentives and values on soil health were found to be important determinants of adoption behavior. Geographic location matters, as North Dakota had the highest DCR adoption rate yet the lowest ICLS adoption rate.
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December, 2013

Factors Affecting Cow-Calf Herd Performance and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

By: Wang, Tong; Park, Seong C.; Bevers, Stan; Teague, Richard; Cho, Jaesung
A Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier function is estimated for the cow-calf enterprises in the Texas Rolling Plains using Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) data. We find that factors promoting higher herd productivity include machinery investment, pasture-quality improvement, and protein supplement. In contrast, herd productivity is compromised by a longer breeding season, percentage of hired labor, and deviation from mean annual rainfall. Interestingly, more technically efficient farms tend to emit fewer greenhouse gas units per unit of output. For example, net greenhouse gas emissions are 6.12 and -8.70 pounds of carbon equivalent, respectively, for farms with technical efficiency below 0.8 and above 0.96.
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