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A Biotic Control Perspective on Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater from Agricultural Production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

Felix Schläpfer  and
Jon D. Erickson
Felix Schläpfer
Affiliation:
Institut für Umweltwis-senschaften, University of Zurich, Switzerland and is presently a post-doctoral fellow with the Department of Economics at the University of Glasgow, UK
Jon D. Erickson
Affiliation:
Department of Economics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Abstract

Agronomists consider the continuity and nutrient capturing properties of cover crops as important determinants of nutrient cycling in agricultural systems. Managing for these biotic control functions can help limit nutrient loss and groundwater contamination between main crop harvests. This simulation study highlights the potential role of cover crop management in a welfare economics framework. The objective is to find the optimal combination of nutrient input to the main crop, the extent of off-season cover crops, and crop functional diversity to maximize the sum of benefits from agricultural production and groundwater protection.

Type
Articles
Information
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , October 2001 , pp. 113 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © 2001 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

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