Question: A farmer must decide whether to take protective action to limit damage to his grapefruit crop in the event that the overnight temperature falls to
A farmer must decide whether to take protective action to limit damage to his grapefruit crop in the event that the overnight temperature falls to a level well below freezing. If the temperature drops too low he runs the risk of losing his entire crop, valued at $75,000. Based on the National Weather Service, the probability of such a temperature drop is 60%. He can insulate his crop by spraying water on all the trees, which will cost $20,000. This action might succeed in protecting the crop, with the following possible outcomes:
| Probability | Damage |
| 0.30 | $0 |
| 0.15 | $5,000 |
| 0.10 | $10,000 |
| 0.15 | $15,000 |
| 0.30 | $20,000 |
- (15 points) Construct a decision tree to help the farmer make his decision. What should he do? Explain your answer.
- (5 points) Find the highest cost of insulating the grapefruits for which the farmer prefers to insulate his crop.
- (5 points) Suppose the farmer is uncertain about the reliability of the National Weather Service forecast. If he thinks the probability of a freeze occurring could be anywhere between 40% and 80%, would that change his decision?
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