FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – John Leander Turner V, a graduate student in agricultural economics and agribusiness in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, successfully defended his thesis titled "Risk and Return Comparisons of Pre-harvest Marketing Strategies."

Under the guidance of his adviser, Andrew McKenzie, he researched the different risk-return profiles of 13 preharvest marketing strategies for Arkansas corn grain, compared to the Memphis cash bid at harvest.

By integrating price, yield and production cost risk for the state of Arkansas during the 2001­­-2017 sample period, his thesis studies the inherent risk that has characterized grain markets in the last 17 years. The results reveal significant non-normality in profit per acre and profit per bushel, which prompted the use of nonparametric statistical testing to complement parametric tests. This finding pointed to significant differences in certain preharvest marketing strategies when compared to selling at a benchmark harvest time postharvest.

Turner, originally from Greenville, Mississippi, moved to Fayetteville to study international business in 2011 and continued his education in the dual master's degree Atlantis program, allowing him to pursue a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics and a joint degree in rural development, after receiving his B.S.I.B. from the Walton College.

Upon graduation, Turner hopes to pursue employment in international trade and commerce along with creating a sustainable, integrated farm operation south of Prairie Grove.