Laserfiche WebLink
<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />"" -~ ". <br /> <br />. "/'!."1., co fl 0 <br />uJ~a'J' <br /> <br />growth was completely exploited and productivity leveled off about the time <br />of World War 1. But non-mechanical technologies such as chemical fertil iz- <br />ers and hybrid plant varieties are very complementary with mechanization. <br />Thus, despite the nearly complete substitution of mechanical power for ani- <br />mal traction by the close of World War II, productivity did not level off <br />but continued to accelerate. And in addition to this synergistic effect, <br />modern technologies, unlike the power sources of previous epochs, are man <br />made resources which can be continually increased through research and <br />development. Knowledge is becoming an increasingly important resource in <br />agricultural produc tion. Sc ience power can loosen the constrai nts imposed <br />by finite resources and thus further reduce the probabil ity of a 1 imit to <br />agricul tural productivity growth. <br /> <br />Quantitative Estimates <br /> <br />USDA research by Lu, Cline, and Quance relates productivity growth to <br />real publ ic expenditures for production oriented agricultural research and <br />extension programs (R&E), the educational level of farmers, and weather. <br />There are other important determinants such as input and product price <br />ratios, the agricultural transportation, processing, and distribution <br />infrastructure, and government policies and programs. But because of data <br />and other limitations, the quantitative model included only the impact of <br />the variables cited above. According to research, a 1 percent increase in <br />R&E in a specific year will increase productivity over a 13-year period by <br /> <br />II-12 <br />