Browsing by Author "Kennedy, Nathan"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Building resilience in cropping systems of the Central Plateau of Haiti
    Thompson, Thomas L.; Kennedy, Nathan; Thomason, Wade E.; Amacher, Gregory S.; Hodges, Steven C. (2013)
    This presentation provides information on a project intended to improve resilience through conservation agriculture production systems in the Central Plateau of Haiti. It discusses results from a baseline survey and from agronomic experiments. Analysis includes derivation of Cobb-Douglass production functions based on results from the household survey.
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    LTRA-6 update 2014
    Thompson, Thomas L.; Kennedy, Nathan; Thomason, Wade E.; Amacher, Gregory S.; Hodges, Steven C. (2014)
    This PowerPoint summarizes the research and training activities of SANREM’s regional project in the Central Plateau Haiti. The presentation describes a baseline survey conducted at the beginning of the project that discerns smallholder characteristics which drive adoption and reveals existing soil conservation practices. It describes findings from from bean cultivar evaluations, maize cultivar evaluations, studies of maize yields under conservation agriculture, and weed populations under different cover crops. The author concludes that conservation agriculture can be an improved production system in the Central Plateau of Haiti.
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    Reservation Prices and Willingness to Accept Price Offers for Nonindustrial Forest Landowners in Western Virginia
    Kennedy, Nathan (Virginia Tech, 2001-06-08)
    The purpose of this thesis is to examine what motivates nonindustrial private forest landowners to accept bids of various levels for harvesting. Through the use of a survey we specifically consider what preferences and landowner characteristics effect these decisions. Landowners were randomly selected from counties in Southwest Virginia. The participants were presented a payment table in which they were asked to indicate the level of certainty with which they would accept bids of various levels for their timber. The information obtained for the survey was used in a LOGIT model to examine which variables were most important both in determining the certainty respondents attached to different bid levels, and the likelihood of accepting a bid of any size. Our most important results show that factors such as bequest motives, tract size, absentee status, and environmental preferences influence the bid acceptance decision for landowners in the sample.
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    Utilization of soil conservation practices in Central Haiti
    Kennedy, Nathan; Amacher, Gregory S. (2013)
    This presentation describes research conducted as part of SANREM's work in the Central Plateau of Haiti. A household survey was conducted, and the data was used to determine the drivers, intensity, and value of adoption. Probit models examine plot-level adoption, Tobit models explore adoption intensity, and a Cobb-Douglass production function is used to show value.
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    The utilization of soil conservation practices in central Haiti
    Kennedy, Nathan; Amacher, Gregory S. (2012)
    High rates of soil erosion are a well documented problem in Haiti. However, relatively few studies have attempted to measure the effects of erosion and its mitigation on farm productivity. In this study we will attempt to measure changes in efficiency and ultimately smallholder income due to the use of common soil conservation practices. The basis of this study is household survey of 600 households on in Central Haiti that was completed in May, 2012. A household production function will be developed using these data to study the efficiency implications of conservation practices in the region.