Alejandro Plastina · Associate Professor of Economics

Alejandro Plastina
Iowa State University
478E Heady Hall
518 Farm House Lane
Ames, IA 50011-1054
515-294-6160
plastina@iastate.edu
- Select a category to view below:
- Biography
- CARD Series Papers
- APR Articles
- Media Contacts
- Presentations
Alejandro Plastina is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and an Extension economist at Iowa State University. His area of specialization is agricultural production and technology, with an emphasis on farm business and financial management.
Dr. Plastina graduated with a BA in economics from the University of La Plata (Argentina) in 2000, and completed an MS in statistics and a PhD in agricultural economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2005 and 2007, respectively.
Prior to joining Iowa State University in 2014, Dr. Plastina was a senior economist at the International Cotton Advisory Committee in Washington, DC.
Dr. Plastina’s work has been recognized through the 2019 Agricultural and Applied Economics Association’s Distinguished Extension Program Individual: Less Than 10 Years Award, the 2018 Iowa State University ANR Programming Innovation Award, and the 2015 Impacting Iowa Award from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Dr. Plastina is responsible for teaching ECON 330: Advanced Farm Business Management.
Alejandro Plastina, Jyotsna Acharya, Fernando Mauri Marcos, Md. Rasel Parvej, Mark Licht, Alison E. Robertson
[22-WP 641]
(Revised)
Oranuch Wongpiyabovorn, Alejandro Plastina, John M. Crespi
[21-WP 627]
Wendiam Sawadgo, Wendong Zhang, Alejandro Plastina
[20-WP 610]
Wendong Zhang, Alejandro Plastina, Wendiam Sawadgo
[18-WP 580]
Alejandro Plastina and Terry Townsend
Alejandro Plastina, Oranuch Wongpiyabovorn, John M. Crespi
Oranuch Wongpiyabovorn, Alejandro Plastina, and Sergio H. Lence
Alejandro Plastina and Wendiam Sawadgo
Wendiam Sawadgo and Alejandro Plastina
Alejandro Plastina and Chad Hart
Alejandro Plastina and Chad Hart
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed about carbon markets for an episode of the Future of Agriculture podcast.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Successful Farming about agricultural carbon market "buzzwords" and what they really mean.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Successful Farming about how farmers can profit from agricultural carbon markets.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Ag Web about voluntary carbon markets.
Also appears in:
- https://www.thedailyscoop.com/news/retail-industry/carbon-markets-low-hanging-fruit-or-next-cash-crop
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Morning Ag Clips about cash rental rates in Iowa, which a recent survey show have risen again.
Also appears in:
- https://stormlakeradio.com/news/2022/05/25/iowa-farmland-cash-rental-rates-up-ten-percent
- https://kiwaradio.com/ag-news/cash-rental-rates-rise-significantly-across-iowa/
- https://www.kgloam.com/cash-rent-values-go-up-in-isu-extension-survey/
- https://brownfieldagnews.com/news/cash-rental-rates-continue-to-rise/
- https://1430wcmy.com/2022/05/31/cash-rental-rates-continue-to-rise/
- https://www.hpj.com/ag_news/cash-rental-rates-rise-significantly-across-iowa/article_2f257880-e372-11ec-b515-5b906ec78fac.html
- https://www.maqnews.com/news/local/farm-cash-rental-rates-rise-significantly-in-iowa/article_39f96638-f702-11ec-a38e-2ba57443b698.html
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Iowa Farmer Today about Iowa's emerging carbon markets.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Capital Press about challenges facing Iowa's carbon market.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by The Neighbor about carbon markets.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Reuters about agricultural carbon offset programs.
Also appears in:
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dollars-dirt-big-ag-pays-101341622.html
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/focus-dollars-in-the-dirt%3A-big-ag-pays-farmers-for-control-of-their-soil-bound-carbon-2021
- https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/BAYER-AG-436063/news/Dollars-in-the-dirt-Big-Ag-pays-farmers-for-control-of-their-soil-bound-carbon-36770818/
- https://businesshala.com/dollars-in-the-dirt-big-ag-pays-farmers-for-control-of-their-soil-bound-carbon/
- https://spotonillinois.com/il-non-local-sources/2066941/focus-dollars-in-the-dirt-big-ag-pays.html
- https://alilapee.com/dollars-in-the-dirt-big-ag-pays-farmers-for-control-of-their-soil-bound-carbon/
- https://kfgo.com/2021/10/25/dollars-in-the-dirt-big-ag-pays-farmers-for-control-of-their-soil-bound-carbon/
- https://www.startribune.com/dollars-in-the-dirt-big-ag-pays-farmers-for-control-of-their-soil-bound-carbon/600111434/?refresh=true
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Farm World about farming input costs.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Tri-State Neighbor about the possibility of dicamba drifting from corn fields to soybean fields.
Alejandro Plastina's research on carbon credit programs was utilized in a Minnesota Ag Connection article.
Also appears in:
- https://www.agweb.com/news/business/conservation/clarity-carbon-marketplace-needed-say-iowa-state-and-edf-reports
- https://www.farmprogress.com/carbon/economist-compares-carbon-credit-ecosystem-service-programs
- https://www.farmforum.net/story/news/2021/08/05/comparing-carbon-credit-programs-focus-new-report/5430937001/
- https://businessrecord.com/Content/Default/All-Latest-News/Article/Momentum-favors-standardization-of-carbon-credit-markets-as-more-companies-offer-programs-to-farmers/-3/248/94139
- http://www.anamosa247.com/anamosa-iowa-news-story-2021-08-18-2.html
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by KMCH about the Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2021 Survey, which showed a 4.5% increase in annual cash rental rates.
Also appears in:
- https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_3f673857-2286-5218-8648-5691de2c86d5.html
- https://www.hpj.com/ag_news/survey-shows-iowa-land-rents-up-significantly-in-2021/article_57e41d80-c348-11eb-bb3f-23f79ddc2da8.html
- https://600wmtradio.iheart.com/featured/the-big-show/content/2021-06-04-cash-rental-rates-in-iowa-are-already-rising/
- https://wnax.com/news/180081-isu-survey-shows-iowa-farmland-rental-rates-rising/
- https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/isu-survey-shows-land-rent-bounced-4-5-this-year/
- https://www.radioiowa.com/2021/06/10/isu-survey-shows-biggest-land-rent-boost-since-2013/
Alejandro Plastina was selected as Farm Foundations first Agricultural Economics Fellow.
Also appears in:
- https://www.farmprogress.com/marketing/isu-economist-1st-farm-foundation-agricultural-economics-fellow
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Wallaces Farmer about the effectiveness of cover crops.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Brownfield Ag News about the annual custom rate survey including cover crops for the first time.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by The Academic Times about the role unusual weather activity is playing in crop yields.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by KMCH about the results of the Custom Rate Survey.
Also appears in:
- https://www.clarionnewsonline.com/content/custom-rate-survey-shows-costs-iowa-farming
- http://www.communitynewspapergroup.com/independence_bulletin_journal/news/local/custom-rate-survey-shows-costs-for-iowa-farming/article_58c00cb3-3292-5cce-b773-b169f8ae568f.html
- https://www.newsbreak.com/contents/2188726999736/custom-rate-survey-shows-costs-for-iowa-farming
- https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/custom-rate-survey-shows-costs-iowa-farming
- https://www.agrimarketing.com/s/135604
- https://mms.tveyes.com/transcript.asp?StationID=1640&DateTime=3%2f31%2f2021+12%3a55%3a07+PM&PlayClip=true
- https://www.agupdate.com/iowafarmertoday/business/custom-rate-survey-shows-costs-for-iowa-farming/article_944080f8-92f0-11eb-9627-2b8c92837842.html
- https://ravallirepublic.com/agriculture/custom-rate-survey-shows-costs-for-iowa-farming/article_ceaf11a1-4ad7-5bae-8dcc-2d9f8a3a2053.html
- https://www.dailyadvent.com/news/d810a0bd234d6220f86124a774026322-Custom-Rate-Survey-Shows-Costs-for-Iowa-Farming
- https://brownfieldagnews.com/news/2021-iowa-custom-rates-decline-but-theres-a-caveat/
Alejandro Plastina provides Wallaces Farmer readers Timely Tips about using crop insurance to lock in profits from the futures market.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Iowa Farmer Today about changes to farm program payments in 2021.
Alejandro Plastina and Wendong Zhang provided responses to readers about derecho damage on farms and finding a suitable land rental price in Timely Tips from Wallaces Farmer.
Research by Alejandro Plastina was utilized in a Wallaces Farmer article about resources available to farmers with derecho damaged crops.
Alejandro Plastina wrote an article for Wallaces Farmer about filing crop insurance claims for damage from Iowa's recent derecho.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Gizmodo Australia about the recent derecho in Iowa and the damage it inflicted on farmers.
Alejandro Plastina addresses a question about including cover crops in farmland leases in the most recent Timely Tips from Wallaces Farmer.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed about about the current status of farm capital and farm liquidity.
Also appears in:
- https://www.bdemo.com/news/liquidity-remains-a-concern-on-iowa-farms/article_78cb39fa-bb17-11ea-a402-1765792f3464.html
- https://agfax.com/2020/06/29/iowa-farm-business-liquidity-remains-a-concern/
Alejandro Plastina and Wendong Zhang answer reader questions about buying farmland and forward-pricing grain.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by the Daily Iowan about farm income in 2020.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Brownfield Ag News about the recent Iowa Cash Rents Survey.
Also appears in:
- https://www.agupdate.com/tristateneighbor/news/state-and-regional/iowa-cash-rents-increase-slightly-due-to-optimism-over-china-trade/article_329c4fe4-9b61-11ea-81be-13e40421b0b9.html
- https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-policy/7-ag-stories-you-might-have-missed-week-may-22-2020
- https://www.farmforum.net/farm_forum/iowa-cash-rents-show-slight-increase/article_79e2bb3a-4b5a-530b-a7c8-a7e37b21ddf8.html
- https://www.agupdate.com/iowafarmertoday/news/state-and-regional/iowa-cash-rent-rates-continue-stable-trend/article_12a996e4-a0e6-11ea-b915-7b34b820047e.html
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by CropLife about farm finances in 2020/21.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by USAgNet about the results of the 2020 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey.
Also appears in:
- https://bit.ly/2UGweUI
Alejandro Plastina's Ag Decision Maker article "Estimating costs of crop production vital for 2020 farm businesses" was featured on the Iowa Farmer Today website.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Radio Iowa about the possibility it will cost less to plant some crops this spring.
Also appears in:
- http://bit.ly/2UUtwv1
- http://bit.ly/38sWRAZ
Alejandro Plastina's research on cover crops was utilized in KMA Land Radio story about cover crops.
Alejandro Plastina's report on the costs of crop production in Iowa was featured on Morning Ag Clips.
Also appears in:
- http://bit.ly/2H59czi
- http://bit.ly/2uwlFJk
Research by Alejandro Plastina was utilized in a US Agnet article.
Alejandro Plastina and Wendong Zhang answer reader questions in the latest Timely Tips from Wallaces Farmer.
Alejandro Plastina and Wendong Zhang's study on Iowa farmland ownership and tenure was used in a Morning Ag Clips story.
Also appears in:
- http://bit.ly/2GhIGlE
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Daily Stock Dish about the increasing number of farm bankruptcies.
Alejandro Plastina's research on water quality issues in Iowa was utilized in a Successful Farming article.
Alejandro Plastina's research on Iowa farm debt was used in a Politico article.
Also appears in:
- https://on.mktw.net/2QJ9AcM
- http://bit.ly/2OeszKC
- http://bit.ly/2QGRAQ8
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Radio Iowa about his research on Iowa farm income and equity.
Also appears in:
- http://bit.ly/36K9yGY
- http://bit.ly/33rpkEC
- http://bit.ly/2CtomvC
- http://bit.ly/36IkBjT
Alejandro Plastina's work on the Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey was utilized in a Progressive Farmer article about farmland sales.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed about his research on farm worth and net income.
Also appears in:
- http://bit.ly/2nfFFvY
- http://bit.ly/2nTS2Ox
- http://bit.ly/2nkqcKW
- http://bit.ly/31LFEPD
- http://bit.ly/350uMiW
- http://bit.ly/2nh6eRJ
- http://bit.ly/2Ip7MRf
Alejandro Plastina offers Timely Tips about renegotiating cash rents to Wallaces Farmer readers.
Alejandro Plastina provides tips on flooding on cash-rented farmland in Wallaces Farmer's Timely Tips.
Alejandro Plastina's cash rental rate survey was utilized in an article about the decrease in Iowa's rental rates.
Alejandro Plastina's work on the insurance provisions of cover crops was utilized in a Wallaces Farmer article.
Alejandro Plastina's research was utilized in an AgriNews article about custom farm rates.
Alejandro Plastina provided AgFax with a story about an expected increase in custom work rates in Iowa.
Also appears in:
- http://bit.ly/2JPimUG
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by AgriMarketing about the Iowa State University Custom Rates Survey.
Alejandro Plastina and Wendong Zhang offer Timely Tips for Wallaces Farmer.
A recent presentation by Alejandro Plastina was featured in an article by the Spencer Daily Reporter.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Wallaces Farmer about the 2019 ISU crop production cost estimates.
Alejandro Plastina contributed to Wallaces Farmer Timely Tips concerning operating notes and gross income.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Farm Journal's Ag Pro about his cover crop ROI tool on the CARD website.
Also appears in:
- http://bit.ly/2v6GFTR
Alejandro Plastina and Wendong Zhang were interviewed by Wallaces Farmer about the results of the Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey.
Alejandro Plastina and Wendong Zhang were interviewed for a Morning Ag Clips article about Iowa State's Farmland Ownership and Tenure survey.
Also appears in:
- https://wcfcourier.com/exclusive/businessmonthly/changing-landscape-of-farmland-owners-can-benefit-owners-community/article_c5126e1a-5bbd-555c-b8e2-37a9ac530937.html
- https://www.kttn.com/iowa-program-aims-to-usher-in-next-generation-of-farmers/
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Wallaces Farmer about his new cover crop calculator on the CARD website.
Alejandro Plastina provides farmers timely advice about 2019 profit outlooks and finding the best possible plan in Wallaces Farmer.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed for a Successful Farming story about the economics of cover crops.
Alejandro Plastina was interviewed by Wallaces Farmer about the new Iowa Concern Hotline for farmers.
Alejandro Plastina and Wendiam Sawadgo wrote an article about cost-share programs for cover crops for Wallaces Farmer.
Alejandro Plastina contributes to Wallaces Farmers Timely Tips about production costs.
Alejandro Plastina and Chad Hart authored a Wallaces Farmer article about the type and amount of USDA farmer assistance that can be expected in 2018.
Alejandro Plastina provides economic advice in Wallaces Farmer's Timely Tips column.
Alejandro Plastina provides tips and insights to readers of Wallaces Farmer.
Ownership research by Alejandro Plastina and Wendong Zhang is utilized in a story about Iowa farmland.
Iowa Public Radio discusses the results of Plastina and Zhang's farmland ownership survey.
Wendong Zhang and Alejandro Plastina contribute to Wallaces Farmer’s Timely Tips.
Alejandro Plastina contributes to Wallaces Farmer Timely Tips on cash rent farms.
Cash rental rates have increased for the first time since 2013.
“An overall decrease of 5.6% for custom work can be expected in 2018, according to a survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension.”
“A new Land Stewardship Project study says crop insurance needs to change to help preserve what’s left of the nation’s family farm tradition.”
An ISU study recently revealed that using cover crops for feed or forage may help cover crops provide a return on investment.
“Soybeans, Grains Lower Overnight; Iowa State Has Mixed News on Costs.”
Having a rye cover crop may increase soybean yields for some farmers.
Alejandro Plastina answers questions about calculating ARC-CO and PLC payments.
ARC and PLC payment amounts have been announced by the Farm Service Agency.
Largely driven by farm income, Iowa and Nebraska’s income growth are the lowest in the nation.
CARD economist Alejandro Plastina answers Iowa Farmer Today reader questions.
Alejandro Plastina helps answer reader’s questions in the most recent Timely Tips from Wallaces Farmer.
Alejandro Plastina offers some advice about farm expansion in Wallaces Farmer Timely Tips.
Alejandro Plastina
International Soil Carbon Network, American Geophysical Union, and USDA Climate Hubs Webinar
Alejandro Plastina
Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Webinar Series
Alejandro Plastina
A Virtual Workshop from the Environmental Health Matters Initiative
Alejandro Plastina
Invited Flash Talk at the Workshop on Reducing the Health Impacts of the Nitrogen Problem organized by the Environmental Health Matters Initiative, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Alejandro Plastina
Webinar and Panel Discussion organized by the Iowa Farm Bureau
Alejandro Plastina
Invited Presentation at the 2020 Soil Management Summit, University of Minnesota Extension
Alejandro Plastina
Pro-Ag Outlook and Management, ISUEO Ag Decision Maker Webinar Series
Alejandro Plastina
Ag Outlook for College Students, ISUEO Ag Decision Maker Webinar Series
Alejandro Plastina
ISUEO Ag Decision Maker Webinar: 2020 Government Payments and USDA FSA Programs
Alejandro Plastina
Invited Presentation at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Des Moines Office
Alejandro Plastina
Issues Impacting Iowa Farmland Owners and Tenants for 2021, ISU Center for Ag Law and Taxation Webinar
Alejandro Plastina
Invited Presentation at the Ag Forum on Agriculture and the Economy, Successful Communities Speaker Series. Greenfield, IA
Wendiam Sawadgo and Alejandro Plastina
Annual Agriculture Conference, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Alejandro Plastina
North Raccoon River Wathershed Management Coalition, Lake City, IA
Alejandro Plastina
Invited Presentation to the 76th Annual Professional Agriculture Workers Conference organized by Tuskegee University. Opelika, Alabama.
Alejandro Plastina
2018 Integrated Crop Management Conference, Ames, IA
Wendong Zhang and Alejandro Plastina
ISU Alumni Center
Alejandro Plastina
Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference, Ames, Iowa
Alejandro Plastina
Conservation Infrastructure (CI) - Cover Crops Working Group, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation - West Des Moines, Iowa
Alejandro Plastina
2017 AAEA Extension Track Session on Financial Conditions of Midwestern Farms. Chicago, Illinois
Alejandro Plastina
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraiser – Iowa Chapter. Spring Seminar. March 22. Ames, Iowa
Alejandro Plastina
NACM Heartland - National Agriculture Retail. Credit Exchange Group. Ankeny, Iowa
Alejandro Plastina
12th Farming for the Future Conference, Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, Qualtiy Inn Hotel, Ames, Iowa
Alejandro Plastina
Presented at the Pro-Ag Meetings, Spencer and Le Mars, Iowa
Alejandro Plastina and Sergio H. Lence
Presented at the NC-1034 Annual Meeting, Tampa, Florida