An old problem revisited - and solved: Upton and Dalton's linear production response: A note

Holloway, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2058-4504 (2003) An old problem revisited - and solved: Upton and Dalton's linear production response: A note. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 54 (3). pp. 487-497. ISSN 0021-857X

Abstract/Summary

This note presents a robust method for estimating response surfaces that consist of linear response regimes and a linear plateau. The linear response-and-plateau model has fascinated production scientists since von Liebig (1855) and, as Upton and Dalton indicated, some years ago in this Journal, the response-and-plateau model seems to fit the data in many empirical studies. The estimation algorithm evolves from Bayesian implementation of a switching-regression (finite mixtures) model and demonstrates routine application of Gibbs sampling and data augmentation-techniques that are now in widespread application in other disciplines.