Best pasture management practice adoption and sediment abatement

Abstract

Research on producer willingness to adopt individual best pasture management practices (BMPs) is extensive, but less attention has been paid to producers simultaneously adopting multiple, complementary BMPs. Applications linking primary survey data on BMP adoption to water quality biophysical models are also limited. A choice-experiment survey of livestock producers is analyzed to determine willingness to adopt pasture BMPs. Sediment abatement curves are derived by linking estimates of producer responsiveness to incentives to adopt rotational grazing with a biophysical simulation model. Current cost share rates of $24/acre should yield a 12% decrease in sediment loading from pastures.

Factors Influencing Use and Frequency of Rotational Grazing for Beef Cattle in Tennessee

“…Gillespie et al ( 2008) reported higher stocking rates with rotational grazing would decrease net returns relative to higher stocking rates with continuous grazing. Following the findings form Lambert et al (2020), we anticipate the stocking rate parameter estimate to be negative. An increase in the total acres operated is expected to positively influence the likelihood of producers using rotational grazing (Kim, Gillespie, and Paudel, 2008;Lambert et al, 2020).…”

“…Adoption Equation Lambert et al (2020) found that willingness to adopt rotational grazing was inversely correlated with stocking density. Gillespie et al ( 2008) reported higher stocking rates with rotational grazing would decrease net returns relative to higher stocking rates with continuous grazing.…”

“…However, higher-frequency rotational grazing requires a greater investment in labor, capital, and management (Smith et al, 2011;Rayburn, 2014). 1 Researchers have investigated cattle producer use of rotational grazing across various regions of the US (Kim, Gillespie, and Paudel, 2008;Mooney, Bolinson, and Barham, 2019;Lambert et al, 2014Lambert et al, , 2020Wang et al, 2020). Kim, Gillespie, and Paudel (2008) found that 48% of Louisiana beef cattle producers adopted rotational grazing.…”

“…The next three largest impedances to rotational grazing adoption were increased labor requirements, producer unfamiliarity with rotational grazing systems, and limited access to water. Thus, studies have commonly shown a USDA National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) cost-share payment to cover these expenses associated with rotational grazing such as fencing and waterers to be necessary to encourage adoption (Kim, Gillespie, and Paudel, 2008;Lambert et al, 2020). While rotational grazing is being used, there is a lack of knowledge on what factors impact the use of higher-frequency rotational grazing.…”

Public Willingness to Pay for Farmer Adoption of Best Management Practices

“…Research on BMP adoption from the producer's perspective is extensive (Adusumilli et al, 2020;Baumgart-Getz, Prokopy, and Floress, 2012;Boyer, Tong, and Sanders, 2018;Claytor et al, 2018;Gillespie, Kim, and Paudel, 2007;Ren et al, 2021;Jensen et al, 2015;Kim, Ferrin, and Rao, 2008;Lambert et al, 2020;Liu, Bruins, and Heberling, 2018;Mishra et al, 2018;Prokopy et al, 2019Prokopy et al, , 2008Roberts et al, 2004, Tong, Boyer, andSanders, 2017). Less frequent are survey studies on the nonagricultural public's willingness to pay (WTP) for programs that provide financial support to farmers for adopting BMPs.…”