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Tree-based intercropping (TBI) integrates tree production within annual grain cropping. The system is widely used in tropical regions, but is not common in temperate regions. This study evaluates the annualized return from TBI systems in southern Ontario, Canada against annual grain crop production. The TBI systems include hybrid poplar, Norway spruce, and red oak. The annualized return for all TBI systems is less than for annual cropping using the base prices; however, when tree prices are high and grain prices low the hybrid poplar TBI system has a higher return than annual cropping. Grants for planting trees, technologies to reduce the cost of establishing and maintaining trees, and improving the returns from tree production will be required for producers in temperate regions to adopt TBI systems. Un systeme de cultures intercalaires (SCI) integre la production d’arbres dans la culture annuelle de cereales. Ce systeme est largement utilise dans les regions tropicales, mais peu courant dans les regions temperees. La presente etude evalue le rendement annualise des SCI dans le sud de l’Ontario, au Canada, par rapport a celui de la production annuelle de cereales. Les SCI integrent le peuplier hybride, l’epinette de Norvege et le chene rouge. Le rendement annualise des SCI est inferieur a celui des cultures annuelles si l’on utilise les prix de reference. Toutefois, lorsque les prix des arbres sont eleves et que les prix des cereales sont faibles, le SCI qui integre le peuplier hybride obtient un rendement superieur a celui des cultures annuelles. Pour que les agriculteurs des regions temperees adoptent les SCI, il faudra offrir des subventions a la plantation d’arbres, offrir des technologies qui permettront de reduire les couts de plantation et d’entretien des arbres et ameliorer les rendements/revenus de la production d’arbres.

A spatial model of intensive livestock production for a region in southern Alberta was used to evaluate the impact of economic factors and regulation on regional returns and optimal manure management. Under current conditions, profit maximizing application of manure met nitrogen requirements but phosphorus application was about three times the crop requirements. Higher commercial nitrogen prices did not significantly alter the optimal manure application, but reduced regional returns. With a phosphorus limit regulation, it was less costly to compost about half of the beef cattle manure to remove it from the region than to truck manure long distances to meet the regulation. A $0.91/t reduction in the costs of composting, or a subsidy to reduce costs, was required to meet the phosphorus regulation. The net costs of the subsidy were slightly less than that ofphosphorus regulation. Future research needs to explore the economic market and limitations of composting for manure management before any composting policy is initiated. Nous avons utilise un modele spatial de la production animale intensive dans une region du sud de l'Alberta pour evaluer l'impact de la reglementation et de facteurs economiques sur les rendements economiques regionaux et la gestion optimale du fumier. Dans les conditions actuelles, l'epandage de fumier effectue en vue de maximiser les profits a respecte les exigences en azote, tandis que la quantite de phosphore etait trois fois superieure aux besoins des cultures. Le prix eleve de l'azote commercial n'a pas modifie de maniere significative l'epandage optimal de fumier, mais a diminue les rendements economiques dans la region. En raison de la reglementation sur le taux d'application limite du phosphore, il a ete moins couteux de composter environ la moitie du fumier de bovins pour l'eliminer de la region que de le transporter par camion sur de longues distances. Pour respecter la reglementation sur le phosphore, il faudrait diminuer le cout du compostage de 0,91 $/tonne ou offrir une subvention equivalente pour diminuer les couts. Les couts nets de la subvention etaient legerement inferieurs a ceux de la reglementation sur le phosphore. Des recherches ulterieures devront etre effectuees pour explorer le marcheeconomique et les limites du compostage dans le cadre de la gestion du fumier avant d'elaborer toute politique sur le compostage.

The number of canola varieties released, since the enactment of Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR) legislation in Canada in 1990, has increased substantively. The effect of genetic enhancements, including PBR, on canola yield and its variance is estimated for canola production regions of Manitoba using the Just-Pope production function. Diagnostic tests reveal the presence of heteroscedasticity in the data. The percentage of varieties seeded with PBR has a negligible effect on canola yield. Hybrid and herbicide tolerant varieties (HY/HT) seeded on over 90% of canola production area increases average yield by about 6.8%. Increased spatial diversity (more varieties planted on fewer acres) has reduced canola yield by up to 1.7%. Temporal diversity (turnover of varieties) has no significant impact on yield. Nitrogen and sulphur fertilizers are yield increasing. The variance of yield is not impacted by PBR, HY/HT, other technology measures, or by fertilizer other than potassium. Canola breeding programs have not compromised canola yield stability. Depuis l'adoption de la Loi sur la protection des obtentions vegetales (LPOV) au Canada en 1990, le nombre de varietes de canola mises au point a augmente considerablement. L'effet des ameliorations genetiques, y compris l'effet de la LPOV, sur le rendement du canola et sa variance a ete estime dans les regions du Manitoba productrices de canola a l'aide de la fonction de production Just-Pope. Des tests de diagnostic ont revele la presence d'heteroscedasticite dans les donnees. Le pourcentage de varietes ensemencees depuis la LPOV a un effet negligeable sur le rendement de canola. Les varietes hybrides et les varietes tolerantes aux herbicides (HY-HT) ensemencees sur plus de 90% des superficies cultivees en canola ont augmente le rendement moyen d'environ 6.8%. L'accroissement de la diversite spatiale (plus de varietes sur moins de superficies) a diminue le rendement du canola jusqu'a 1.7%. La diversite temporelle (rotation des varietes) n'a aucun impact significatif sur le rendement. Les engrais azotes et soufres augmentent les rendements. La variance du rendement n'est pas influencee par la LPOV, ni les HY-HT, ni les autres mesures technologiques ni les engrais autres que le potassium. Les programmes de selection du canola n'ont pas compromis la stabilite du rendement du canola.

Input use has been shown to impact the variance of output and therefore risk. When inputs affect both output level and the price of the output, the variance of revenue and profit depend on each effect and their interactions. We analyze the effect of nitrogen (N) use rate applied to wheat on the variance of yield, revenue, and the price of wheat, when protein premiums (discounts) are applied. We find that N use rate increases the variance of yield, but reduces the variance of price. The net effect of N use rate on revenue and profit is variance increasing, but the variance effect is less than for yield alone. Optimal rates of N are about 60% higher with protein payments compared with a constant wheat price over all protein levels. Risk-averse producers apply less N than risk-neutral producers but, because revenue and profit risk is lower with protein payments, the reduction in N is less than if based on a constant price over all protein levels.

The opinions expressed in this paper reflect the views of the authors and not Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada or the Canadian International Development Agency.

The activities and accomplishments of agricultural economists conducting interdisciplinary research in association with other agricultural scientists in Canada are reviewed and evaluated. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada instituted an interdisciplinary research program with the placement of agricultural economists at Research Centres in the early 1970s. University- and government-employed agricultural economists have produced a large number of important studies for the benefit of the agricultural industry in Canada. However, less than 3% of the articles published in this journal since its inception in 1952 report on interdisciplinary research. Interdisciplinary research in agriculture has been hampered by organizational weaknesses and inherent difficulties associated with conducting this type of research. Les auteurs font un survol critique des activites et des realisations des recherches interdisciplinaires conduites au Canada par les economistes agricoles en collaboration avec les autres chercheurs agricoles. Au debut des annees 70, le ministere federal de l'Agriculture et de l'Agroalimentaire instituait un programme de recherche multidisciplinaire dans le cadre duquel des agro-economistes etaient postes dans divers centres de recherches agronomiques. Les agro-economistes a l'emploi des universites et de l'Etat ont produit un grand nombre de travaux importants pour l'avancement du secteur agricole canadien. Malheureusement moins de 3 % des articles publices dans notre Revue depuis son lancement en 1952 font etat de recherches multidisciplinaires. Les recherches multidisciplinaires en agriculture se heurtent au Canada a des lacunes organisationnelles et aux difficultes inherentes a la conduite de ce type de recherche.

Fababeans have recently been promoted as an alternative crop of western Canadian agriculture. They contain relatively high amounts of protein and metabolizable energy and they offer potential as a substitute for imported soybean meal in animal diets. In this study, the economic competitiveness of fababeans in broiler chick diets is determined. The linear optimizing results of three feeding experiments involving different fababean cultivars and different protein and energy levels at a range of relative prices indicate that fababeans are not competitive with soybean meal at any reasonable price ratio in the diets of young broiler chicks. La feverole a recemment ete proposee comme culture de remplacement dans ľouest du Canada. Elle contient des teneurs relativement elevees de proteines et ďenergie metabolisable, et s'avere prometteuse pour remplacer le tourteau de soja importe dans les rations des animaux. Dans la presente etude, les auteurs ont determine la competitivite economique de la feverole dans des rations pour poulets a griller. Les resultats ďoptimisation lineaire de trois experiences ďalimentation comprenant divers cultivars de feverole et differentes concentrations de proteines et ďenergie pour un ecart de prix relatifs revelent que la feverole ne peut concurrencer le tourteau de soja a n'importe quel rapport de prix raisonnable dans des rations pour jeunes poulets a griller.