| A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MAXIMIZING YIELD POTENTIAL
Fight Rising Input Costs
with Smart Fertilizer,
Equipment, and Tillage
Choices
In 2008, the old economic principle
of supply and demand is certainly proving itself
to be true for the agriculture industry. An increased
demand for grain is good, yes. But the demand is
also a contributing factor to the escalation of
the key input costs associated with raising grain,
like fertilizer expense.
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Ultra Narrow Titan™ Floating Residue
Manager
planting corn into soybean
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Rising fuel costs, increased rent, and laborers asking
for higher wages are also sources of concern for farmers
as the 2008 planting season reaches its height.
According to Steve Johnson, an Iowa State University
Extension farm management specialist, direct input
costs for an acre of corn will increase anywhere from
$30 to $50, and will jump $10 to $15 per acre of soybeans.
Johnson also believes that fertilizer costs will be
up as much as 35 percent.1
Getting the Most of Your Fertilizer Investment
Six years ago, anhydrous ammonia cost about $250 per
ton in the Corn Belt, and it was common for producers
to over-apply slightly to ensure nitrogen was available
for crops when they needed it. Today, a ton of anhydrous
ammonia sets farmers back more than $700.
No one is considering over-applying.
Instead, producers are turning to advances in equipment
and technology, and even some old standbys, to make
sure nitrogen is used as sparingly as possible.
Manure
is an organic
source of nitrogen that
can save on fertilizer
costs when fully
utilized. Incorporate
manure as soon as it is
applied to conserve
available nitrogen.
For more information
on using manure as a
fertilizer, read Issue
56
of The Leading Edge. |
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New technology like remote aerial imagery
and remote sensing can enhance yield history,
soil fertility, drainage, and latespring soil
test data to help determine the minimum amount
of nitrogen necessary to achieve maximum yields.
Combining
this new technology with an older fertilizer
application practice—side-dressing—may
help producers get the most out of their fertilizer
dollars. |
Liberal fall applications result in the loss of significant
portions of the nitrogen by the spring planting season.
When the side-dressing technique is properly executed,
it encourages more even corn growth and increases the
potential for better yields. Nitrogen tends to leach
down through the soil and away from the roots. Application
after the plant has emerged puts the nutrients where
crops—corn in particular—need it most.
Placing fertilizer beside the row where roots can grow
into the band allows plants to feed throughout the
growing season and ensures producers get the most out
of their fertilizer investment.
Side-dressing comes
with a unique set of concerns. Many producers
wonder whether application can be completed in
the window between emergence and the time when
the corn is too tall. One option to get into
the field early is to apply nitrogen using a
simple coulter and liquid injection system. This
avoids flipping small chunks of soil onto vulnerable
small plants as an applicator knife setup might.
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Another
strategy to reduce fertilizer costs is
to analyze your crop mix. Corn and wheat
need more nitrogen than soybeans. Of course,
many other factors need to be considered
in determining crop mixes than fertilizer
cost. Using spreadsheets to break down
the costs associated with different crop
mixes can help track the expense and potential
profits associated with various scenarios. |
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Mounting a toolbar equipped with an injection system
a to high-clearance sprayer will also buy some time to
side-dress later in the growing season.
Conservation Tillage Means Big Fuel and Equipment
Savings
T.O.W.™ placing liquid
fertilizer
at planting
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Conservation tillage producers have
the luxury of a little peace of mind as fuel costs
rise—they know their operations are saving them
money over conventional tillage systems.
Conservation tillage systems like strip-till and no-till
do not necessarily increase yields, and so the perception
has been that they do not increase profitability. |
However,
because they require less fuel, less equipment, and less
labor to execute properly, they save money. And that is where
conservation tillage gets the profitability advantage.
A
typical conventional tillage system requires five passes
through the field for plowing, disking, cultivating, and
planting, and fertilizing or cultivating again. In an operation
requiring so many trips through the field, more tractors
and more tillage tools are used, adding expense in terms
of equipment, part-repair, labor, and fuel. Equipment also
depreciates quickly with so much use.
| |
Producers switching to strip-tillage
can save money on equipment by repurposing old toolbars
and adding a few carefully chosen opening and residue-clearing
attachments that will effectively prepare a seedbed. |
Although purchasing these attachments is an investment,
other large equipment can be sold. A farmer in the Texas
Blacklands reports selling several larger tractors and plows
after switching to strip-tillage.
Strip-tillage also means
fewer passages through the fields. It is feasible to
more than double the acreage farmed without significantly
increasing fuel costs when strip-till is the primary
tillage method. And fewer passes through the field
mean less laborers are needed to get the crop in the
ground.
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A
farmer in central Illinois
planting 300 acres of corn
will save 44% in fuel costs
by switching from
conventional tillage to notill.
Visit the Energy
Estimator
online to make your own
comparison. |
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No-till producers experience similar equipment, labor, and
fuel savings. Only basic equipment—a tractor, combine,
and planter—is required.
Another savings for no-till farmers comes through the availability
of multipurpose equipment. Planters that can switch between
15- and 30-inch rows can be used for soybeans and corn and
eliminate the need for a drill to plant soybeans. The only
necessary addition may be tough residue managers.
Making the Adjustment
These new economic circumstances are here to stay,
at least for a while. There is no better time to try
a conservation tillage method and carefully monitor
the fertilizer requirements of crops. Savings resulting
from changes in these areas could increase profitability
against some strong odds. |
Maverick™ making strips while
applying NH3.
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1 Agriculture Online, a publication
of Meredith Corporation,
(May
5, 2008).
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Visit www.yetterco.com to review past issues of The Leading Edge
and Yetter products that maximize your yield potential. |
Notice – The information contained in this guide is offered in good faith by Yetter Mfg. Co., Inc. to further the understanding of no-till farming. However, the use of the information provided is beyond the control of Yetter Mfg. Co., Inc. and in no case shall Yetter Mfg. Co., Inc. or any seller of its products be responsible for any damages which may occur from the use of this information. All such risks shall be assumed by the user.
Yetter Manufacturing Co., Inc.
109 S. McDonough
Colchester, Illinois 62326
Phone:800-447-5777
FAX: 309-776-3222
www.yetterco.com
E-mail:info@yetterco.com |
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