Wheat Yield Contest

Agriculture.com noticed a new wheat yield contest will help identify the nation's top wheat growers, drive innovation and urge experimentation with new production technologies, the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) announced during the Commodity Classic in Phoenix, Arizona Feb. 26. 

Yield contest participants will compete by wheat class (there are six different classes), by dryland or irrigated practices, and by state and region to ensure the competition is between peers. Contest parameters include class, geography, quality and yield. The contest rules are still being developed and will be announced prior to the entry date, according to NWF.

The NWF is launching the National Wheat Yield Contest in conjunction with BASF, says Dusty Tallman, wheat grower from Brandon Colorado and NWF chairman.  

“We appreciate the generous support of our primary industry partner, BASF, to assist in the creation of this program. We are looking forward to this contest increasing grower productivity, helping build a stronger U.S. wheat industry and increasing knowledge transfer between growers,” Tallman says. 

The contest will ensure that U.S. wheat producers continue to provide an ample supply of high-quality wheat to its domestic and foreign customers. 

BASF has partnered with the NWF to help growers maximize inputs to get the most of every acre, said Neil Bentley, Director of Marketing, BASF. “Initiatives such as the National Wheat Yield Contest give growers an opportunity to work with innovations that help them break yield barriers, and allows farmers to grow and learn from one another.”

Save Billions of Gallons of Water

Farmers who use polytubing for irrigation often don’t get the most efficient use of their water resources, says Chris DeClerk, irrigation specialist with Delta Plastics, Little Rock, Ark., who spoke at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association which was covered by Delta Farm Press.

For more information, watch the video here.

Farm Bill Deadline Nears

Deadlines are nearing for decisions farmers need to make to comply with provisions of the new farm legislation, Keith Coble reminded peanut producers at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association in a recent interview with Delta Farm Press.

“You have until Feb. 27 to update yield history and/or reallocate base acres,” he said. “You have until March 31 to make a one-time choice between ARC (Agricultural Risk Coverage) and PLC (Price Loss Coverage) for crop years 2014 through 2018. From mid-April through summer 2015, you can sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop years.”

Coble, who is Giles Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University, served as chief economist for the minority staff of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee during the 2013/14 farm bill debate.

He notes that help is available to producers from MSU’s Agricultural Economics Department in the form of spreadsheets that can be used in making the calculations (http://bit.ly/1tW5dLl). “You can plug in your own circumstances and figure out how it will work for you.”

Coble says also  that the Mississippi Farm Service Agency has been “very cooperative in providing knowledgeable people to go to meetings and bring farmers up to speed on these provisions.” And he and other Mississippi Extension specialists have been on the meetings trail for the past few months.

Among the things farmers need to keep in mind about the new legislation, he says:

• “You can’t build base. If you have 200 acres of base on a farm serial number for a particular set of crops, when you get done you’re still going to have 200 acres of base. You can’t build it, but you can reallocate it.

• “Yield updating is probably one of the big no-brainers. Because of past programs and the inability to update base yields, we have a lot of farmers who have relatively low base yields. You now have the opportunity to take 90 percent of the 2008-2012 average, and in a lot of instances that will be a higher number. I would suggest you take a look at that.”

• PLC program: “The peanut industry and rice industry wanted a traditional price-triggered program however a price-triggered program was created for all program commodities. The corn reference price is $3.70, and the Congressional Budget Office said that would cost almost nothing — now look where corn prices are.”

In terms of ARC versus PLC, Coble says, “for rice and peanut farmers most analyses suggest PLC. I’d think really hard before I chose ARC on either of these crops. But for beans, corn, and wheat, it depends on what you think the price path is.

Decisions on ARC/PLC

Beans still look pretty favorable toward ARC; for corn, it’s more of a toss-up with an slight edge to ARC in most cases. In Mississippi, we have some counties that have a pretty good history with ARC, and others that don’t, so look at your own county.”

Farmers also need to keep in mind, he says, that “you can be in the PLC program and SCO (Supplemental Coverage Option), but if you’re in the ARC program you can’t purchase SCO insurance.

“The two versions of the ARC program are a shallow loss revenue program. The county-triggered program is commodity specific and pays on 85 percent of base acres. The area-triggered program is paid on 65 percent of base acres, and it is going to lump your farm serial numbers together and it’s going to be across all your commodities.”

While the farm level ARC program was designed for wheat farmers in Montana, Coble says, “I could envision a few cases in Mississippi where someone has one farm serial number and is only growing one crop. This is a scenario where individual ARC might work.”

It’s also important to understand, he says, that with ARC, “rather than a fixed legislative target, it uses an olympic average on yield and price. Take the last five years, drop the high and the low, and average the other three.

We were at pretty high commodity price levels when this bill was written; now we’re at lower price levels for several crops. What we’re going to see is that ARC will likely ride these price levels down.  We’ve got a lot of upward-trending yields, so it’s going to move in the opposite direction.”

SCO is very similar to ARC, he notes. “It’s a shallow loss insurance product, delivered by RMA (Risk Management Agency), with a premium subsidy of 65 percent of the total. The top coverage level is 86 percent, the same as ARC. For these products, RMA is moving toward using their own data rather than NASS county data for these yield series. It will be interesting to see how it works.

“You may purchase either STAX (Stacked Income Protection Plan) or SCO on cotton. STAX is just for cotton and is very similar to SCO, but has a higher premium subsidy — an 80 percent subsidy and a 90 percent guarantee. I think a lot of cotton producers will prefer STAX to SCO.”

Crop insurance coverage levels in Mississippi “have been going up fairly rapidly,” Coble says. “I thought we were catching up with the Midwest, but I was wrong. They’ve been moving to higher coverage (75 percent to 85 percent) and the primary reason for it is enterprise units — growers have gone to enterprise units in order to get higher coverage.

Switching for more benefit

The higher percentage the subsidy, the more benefit you get. That’s why I think we’ve got a lot of people switching from basic units to enterprise units. However, with enterprise units, you’re going to have some offsetting losses. If you’ve got a low yield field with a yield loss, and another field that doesn’t, they’ll be averaged together.

With SCO, Coble says, “You’re topping off an individual coverage policy with an area trigger policy. In the past, you were never able to buy two insurance policies on the same acre — now you can. They’re intended to cover layers of loss. You can have two policies insuring the same acre.

“The ARC program, an FSA-delivered program, is doing much the same thing as SCO, but it’s not tied to the crop insurance choice you make. So, you can buy a coverage level that doesn’t match up to ARC, or you can buy a coverage level that laps over into the ARC range.”

As decision times near, Coble says, “I would suggest you ask your crop insurance agent five questions:

1.    Can you give me a quote for enterprise units and trend adjusted yields?

2.    Will you show me the premium for different coverage levels?

3.    What about topping off individual coverage with SCO?

4.    Will you give me a quote for separate coverage levels by practice?

5.    What about the APH (Actual Production History) yield exclusion?”

And he cautions, “There is a lot of bad information out there. Be very careful about using information from the Midwest to make decisions here in the South.

Questions growers “need to be asking” about the ARC/PLC issue, Coble says:

1.    How much do you want to protect yourself from risk or increase government payments? “Are you trying to protect yourself from risk, or are you trying to get the most money from the government?”

2.    How much do you value having a price floor under the price of a crop? “If you sleep better at night when you’ve got a $3.70 floor under your corn, then take the PLC program, even though ARC might pay you more money. We don’t know what these programs are going to pay you in 2018. It’s just a guess.”

3.    How much are you willing to depend on individual crop insurance for risk protection?

4.    How much are you willing to depend on area-triggered crop insurance for risk protection? “Remember that area-triggered programs may not trigger when your farm has a loss. It’s not about whether your average yield is higher or lower — it’s about whether the county yield is low when your yield is low.”

5.    How much are you going to worry about relatively small commodity program payments versus controlling cost?

Some “easy calls” for producers, Coble says, will be conversion of cotton base to generic base and yield updates. He notes that farm level ARC “may not be a good fit” for diversified producers, and says STAX will likely be preferred over SCO for cotton unless crop insurance coverage is low.

Among important things to remember: “Area-triggered programs may not trigger when you have a loss. Title 1 programs are on base acres, not planted acres. And, compared to direct payments which are paid every year, ARC, PLC, and SCO are expected to pay less than 50 percent of the time.”

Farming Near an Urban Enviroment

Adversity comes in many different forms for our nation’s farmers. From unpredictable weather patterns and fluctuating commodity prices to seemingly ever-increasing input costs and pest complexes that can keep even the most seasoned consultant guessing at times, adversity seems to be a word synonymous with farming.

For one Mississippian who farms just south of the Tennessee/Mississippi state line where Olive Branch (Desoto County) meets the southern boundary of Memphis (Shelby County), In a recent interview with Delta Farm Press, Wes Hoggard, owner of Hoggard Farms (and Stateline Turf and Tractor, a John Deere dealership), has to keep his eyes on farm land replete with a very specific kind of adversity with which more and more farmers are having to deal — urban encroachment.

From 1990 to 2000, the population of Olive Branch exploded from around 3,000, to over 21,000. From 1990 to 2010, Olive Branch was the fastest growing city in the United States with an astounding growth rate of 838 percent. Mississippi Highway 302 (known by most in the area as Goodman Road) is a major transportation corridor running thru Olive Branch, with its most western point ending in Walls, and the most eastern point terminating just west of Mount Pleasant.

Urban Movement

Hoggard has been farming in this area for over 20 years — long before urban encroachment veered its multi-faceted commercial head. “I’ve been lucky in one respect when it comes to proximity to warehouses, semi-trucks and subdivisions…,” he says, “…because the fields that I farm are, for the most part, linked together with suitable access roads which greatly reduces the number of times I have to move my equipment.”

But Hoggard not only has to deal with changing pest complexes each year, he also has to deal with what he calls “an encroachment complex.” It’s easy to understand his “personally-coined” term as we both turn our heads toward the highway, where a steady stream of cars, trucks and school bus traffic screams by at 65 mph — while we sit in his John Deere 9670 Bullet Rotor Combine just 50 feet from the east-bound shoulder of the four-lane highway.

The fields Hoggard has been farming in this area vary in their relationship to traffic density. “Some fields are still tucked away from most urbanization but some, especially in the last five years, have become neighbors to more and more warehouses, subdivisions and commercial real estate developments,” he adds.

When it comes to making applications on whatever crop he’s currently producing, his only option is a ground rig sprayer. “Ag pilots won’t even consider flying in this area due to the number of roof tops (single unit family dwellings), but even with a ground rig — if there’s a slight breeze, I have to delay spraying, especially if the wind is blowing toward someone’s backyard,” Hoggard says.

And he can’t even think about burning off a wheat field. “That gets people, and the local fire department, way too anxious,” as he shakes his head, pointing to a subdivision that rests adjacent to a set of massive power lines — both of which are juxtaposed along one of the larger fields he’s currently farming.

“Not knowing what land will (or will not) be available to me each year also makes it impossible to forward contract any of the crops I produce,” he adds.

Making it Work

Hoggard is a 30-year veteran producer who grows soybeans, wheat, corn and milo on fields that range in size from 5 to 120 acres. Any given year, Hoggard may farm anywhere from 1,200 to 1,800 acres of land on which he rarely drops down a plow thanks to advice from his long-time friend, John Bradley.

“Dr. Bradley and I have been friends for a long time, and his advice has helped me be successful at no-till farming for as long as I can remember. It saves me time and labor, but the number one thing it’s done for me is, it has preserved so much land from erosion,” says Hoggard.

Hoggard took over some pasture ground and thought it would require tilling before he could put down a seed, but Bradley told him to let the land lay out over the winter. “The winter freeze and subsequent thawing would mellow the soil that was very compacted from years of cattle grazing. Dr. Bradley was correct, it worked,” Hoggard says.

Hoggard also has more than his share of unwanted activity on the land he farms. “I've got great neighbors, and I don’t hear much out of them, but every so often I’ll have a four-wheel drive truck or someone on a four-wheeler come on the land and see how much damage they can do — all in the name of having fun,” he says.

Hoggard also finds an occasional trespasser who thinks just because it is farmland, it’s ok to hunt on it. “The local game warden is a friend of mine. I keep his number handy, but I really don’t have to call him too often,” he adds.

There’s no shortage of wildlife on the land he farms, despite the constant activity from local businesses, warehouses and planes taking off from Olive Branch Airport (which was named the busiest Fixed Based Operation in the United States in 2012). “It’s absolutely amazing…,” he says, referring to the number of deer, turkey and other wildlife. “You would think this urbanization would push them further out. But it’s nothing to see a herd of 15 or more deer on one of the field access roads right next to the highway early in the morning or late in the day.”

Hoggard Farms is pretty much a one-man operation. “I do the majority of the farming myself while my son, John, holds down our John Deere dealership. When I do need help, he, along with my other son, Ben, are both quick to lend a hand,” says Hoggard.

He also has a daughter, Rachel, who is a school teacher (but when Hoggard calls, she gladly comes to the farm and drives the grain cart). “I’m also lucky enough to have a good friend who is an independent businessman and has a very flexible schedule. He just likes driving a combine — so I let him,” says Hoggard.

Looking Ahead

It should come as no surprise that with increased urbanization encroaching on more and more farming operations, Extension Service personnel across the country are receiving higher numbers of phone calls complaining about things like oversized equipment on roads or highways and smells with which the general public are just not familiar.

Desoto County Extension Agent Dan Haire, a 20-year row-crop veteran, moved into the area three years ago. “With the population growing as fast as it is, I find myself working mostly with homeowners rather than farmers,” says Haire. “It’s something I've had to do not out of choice, but out of necessity, to help keep local farmers in the good graces of their neighbors who just don’t know about or understand farming.”

With constant encroachment by numerous warehousing businesses, schools, shopping centers and subdivisions, it’s very likely more of the land around Hoggard’s fields will be sold for commercial development. “It’s disheartening to see beautiful country land turned into a concrete jungle,” he laments.

Hoggard doesn't exactly know what lies ahead for his operation — as far as what land will be available in the next year or two — but he sees the tell-tale signs offering more and more land for sale. He’s hoping to find more farmable land in more remote, less urbanized locations in the near future.

Soybean Talk

Matt Miles says he's one of a small group of farmers he considers "some of the best in the United States."

Some might consider that bragging except for one thing: That small group of growers has harvested more than 100 bushels of soybeans per acre, some of them, including Miles, for two years in a row in the Arkansas Soybean Association's Grow for the Green Challenge.

Miles was a speaker at the National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference in Baton Rouge, La. (The Cotton and Rice Conference, the name it took when it started 18 years ago, has now been expanded to include the Southern Corn and Soybean Conference.) Delta Farm Press covered the conference.

Miles and his wife, Sherrie, and son, Layne, farm 6,300 acres in Ashley and Desha Counties in southeast Arkansas, where at least a half dozen growers have harvested more than 100 bushels of soybeans in the Arkansas Soybean Association contest. About 85 percent of the Miles acreage is planted in corn and soybeans, a reversal from the years prior to 2006 when it mostly was in cotton.

"Our soybeans always used to be on our poorest land," says Miles. "We took the least amount of care of them. We might have a 100-acre field with 25 acres of clay, and we would put the soybeans down there."

Miles credits fellow Southeast Arkansas producer Jim Whittaker with getting him on the road to growing high-yielding soybeans. "I called him and told him 'y'all are growing some of the best soybeans around, and I'd like to know what you're doing?"

He also pointed to Billy Gardner, his farm manager in Ashley County, and Rob Dedman, his consultant from Rison, Ark., as being integral parts of his operation. "These two guys push me to push these soybeans harder."

Most of the soybeans he grows are Pioneer varieties, he said. He will try other brands, planting them on 15 to 20 acres to see how they compare to his standby varieties. He said he plants about 150,000 seed per acre because "invariably, we plant when it's too cold, and we up the seeding rate to make sure we get a stand."

Miles has been an advocate of twin-row planters until now. "We drag a single-row planter around with us wherever we go," he noted. "For several years, we were averaging six or seven bushels more per acre with twin rows. But the last two years, we only harvested a bushel to a bushel-and-a-half per acre on twin rows. So we're rethinking some of that."

For more on the Grow for the Green Challenge, visit http://www.arkansassoybean.com/Yield-Contest-.html

Land to Buy!

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Arkansas Strikes Again!

In late 2013, during the happy aftermath of massive soybean yields, Arkansas producers — three of whom were the first to break the 100-bushel barrier — were reticent to predict another bin-busting crop for 2014.

Mercurial Mother Nature had smiled on their growing season and, they knew, she could just as easily be in a foul mood next time around.

But for many in the state, it turned out, she was just as happy in 2014. Numerous, extremely pod-heavy fields were easy to find — especially south of Forrest City.

Some 3.15 million acres were planted in soybeans this year.

As of late September, three producers had harvested 100-bushel-plus soybeans in fields that were entered in the state’s yield contest.

A repeat winner

According to Delta Farm Press Matt Miles, McGehee, Ark., was the first to repeat the yield feat. His Pioneer P45T11R soybeans cut 100.609 bushels.

Miles’ wife, Sherrie Kay, claimed her own green jacket with a field of Pioneer 48T53R beans that yielded 106.499 bushels.

Thus far, the big yield winner, however, is David Bennett (no relation to the author), who farms outside Lake Village in the southeast corner of the state. His field of Asgrow 4632 soybeans yielded 112.012 bushels — the highest total ever for an entrant in the Grow for the Green contest.

Several weeks before harvest, it was obvious that the central Delta and southeastern parts of Arkansas would bring in bumper soybean crops.

“There are great soybeans all over the area,” said Lanny Ashlock, Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board. “Rains were heavy farther north, but from around Helena south, rains were timely, and farmers were able to manage their crops well.”

Nelson Crow agreed. “We had to irrigate maybe three times,” says the Winchester producer, whose Group 3.9 soybeans last year yielded over 100 bushels. “It seems like every time we began to irrigate, it would rain.”

One key to escalating Arkansas soybean yields is shifting the crop from second-best soils to the best.

"Everybody's Pushing For Beans"

“It used to be in the Mid-South that you put soybeans wherever you didn’t have cotton or rice,” says Crow. “Now, they’ve come out of the closet, and with no more cotton, soybeans are going on our more productive ground.

“We have farmers across the Mid-South who are all trying to maximize bean yields — and there are some really good farmers. We’re all pushing these beans, trying different things, finding out what they can do. It really is new territory.”

A second key is yield contests. Crow says being involved in the yield competition “has at least doubled my knowledge of soybeans.”

The competitive drive of farmers has meant educating themselves on how best to manage the crop. “It’s pretty serious when I pull a combine out of a buckshot field and move it into a contest field to harvest before a rain,” says Matt Miles.

“I think it’s the best soybean contest in the U.S. I’ve looked at some others, and I think Arkansas is setting a precedent that others are trying to follow. The contest is doing what it was designed to do.”

The contests have “generated a ton of interest,” says Wes Kirkpatrick, Desha County Extension chair. “There are 16 contest fields in the county this year.”

‘You want to do it again’

Miles says he and consultant Robb Dedman “have enjoyed the contest. Once you do it, you want to do it again. You chase the yield, and want to compare things you’re trying with what other growers are doing. I’ve made so many contacts through this competition.”

Brad Doyle, president of the Arkansas Soybean Association (ASA), says the friendly competition among farmers “is a great story. In this process, we’re all learning from each other. We’re compiling all the data from the entry forms and, hopefully, we’ll be able to put something out through the ASA to show everyone what the contest entrants are doing to make these outstanding yields.”

Outside Dumas, producer Martin Henry says rains reduced his irrigations by half. “In a normal year, we’d irrigate six or seven times — this year, we irrigated only three times.”

Ashlock is keen to highlight Henry’s management skills.

“What’s unique is that he farms on heavy ground,” Ashlock says. “Even so, last year, his yield contest field harvested 98.5 bushels on a Sharkey clay-type soil. To me, that’s remarkable.”

Advocate for Irrigation

Henry is a big advocate of irrigation scheduling programs. “We’re fortunate to have good water around here.

“The whole farm is on the PHAUCET irrigation scheduler. That’s something that needs to be promoted. This is our third year using the program. Using it means wasting 30 percent less water. As
valuable as water is, we need to save every drop possible.”

Henry admits there was “a big learning curve” with PHAUCET. “It took a while,” he says, “but we’re comfortable with it now.

“You set up a field on the computer, plug in the flow rate from your well, and the program tells you the hole sizes to pop in the polypipe.

“Years ago, we’d just pop holes all the same, which meant one end of the field would have water, and we’d have to wait for half a day, or more, for the other end of the field to be irrigated.

“PHAUCET works. When the water is out, the field is covered. You aren’t just pouring water out the end of the field while waiting for the whole field to be covered. I wish everyone would try it.”

Henry also credits the yield contests in the state with nudging producers toward strict management of their soybean crops.

“Being involved in the Go for the Green contest has allowed us to learn so much by trying to push our beans. We wouldn’t have done that before.

“Now, we’re not just pushing one field — we’re pushing all of them. So, the contest has really helped Arkansas soybeans.”

FSA Meets Farm Bill Target

$100 million is a lot of money, even by government standards. But, by the time it’s all said and done, there’s one $100 million amount that farmers will more than likely agree was money well spent.

This $100 million is the money Congress provided in the Agricultural Act of 2014 to help USDA get the word out to farmers about the many new provisions in the 2014 farm bill and how they differ from those of the 2008 law.

Using those funds, USDA has held more than 2,000 farm bill education meetings since August. Some were training sessions for FSA county office employees, but the majority were meetings held by county FSA directors to introduce the new insurance-oriented Title I safety net programs to farmers.

USDA also contracted with Texas A&M University’s Agriculture and Food Policy Center, the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute and the University of Illinois to develop decision aid software that allows producers to plug in their information and determine how different farm bill decisions will impact them.

Land-grant university personnel are working with farmers on how to use the new software.
“Many farmers have just finished harvest, and now they’re turning their attention to the farm bill,” says Val Dolcini, administrator of the Farm Service Agency. “We’re trying to do everything we can to make sure they have all the information they need to make good decisions.”

Dolcini, interviewed by telephone from Nashville, Tenn., where he was attending a national FSA employee farm bill training conference, agreed with an oft-repeated expression that it will take more than one meeting for many producers to fully understand the many options available under the Agricultural Act of 2014.

“It is complicated, and I think many farmers may need to hear the information from more than one source,” said Dolcini, who served as state executive director of the California Farm Service Agency before assuming the top FSA post in September. “That’s why we have partnered with the land-grant universities at most of our farm bill education meetings.”

Dolcini said FSA employees have overcome a number of challenges since President Obama signed the 2014 law in February, working through a number of issues to get to the point where they are now signing up farmers for the new programs.

“Our first step was to roll out the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, which was designed to help producers who had experienced livestock losses from droughts, floods and blizzards,” said Dolcini. “Then, in September, we launched the Dairy Margin Protection Program to provide help for dairy farmers.” (Dolcini visited a dairy farm in Orlinda, Tenn., to discuss the MPP-D program while in Tennessee.)

Farm Service Agency personnel just completed the signup for the Cotton Transition Assistance Program, a program that will provide about 5 cents per pound to producers who will not receive a direct payment or insurance payment in 2014.

And since Sept. 29, they have been working with landowners on updating yield history or reallocating base acres and, since Nov. 17, signing farmers up for the Agricultural Risk Coverage or ARC or the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs. Signup for updating yields or reallocating base acres ends Feb. 27, 2015 and for ARC or PLC ends March 31, 2015.

“These are very serious decisions for farmers,” said Dolcini. “When growers sign up for ARC or PLC, they’re committing their operations to those programs from 2014 to 2018. Our county FSA employees cannot provide advice to growers on what they should do, but they will provide all the assistance they can.”

Enrollment in the new, complicated farm bill comes at a time when FSA and USDA have fewer full-time employees (FTEs) and reduced funding for general operations. As a result, FSA has been consolidating county offices and reducing FTEs where possible. Tennessee, for example, now has 59 county offices instead of an office in each of its 95 counties.

“We’ve been able to make good use of temporary employees to stay on schedule for farm bill implementation,” said Dolcini. “We’re having them do some of the paperwork and freeing up full-time employees to handle the more complicated tasks and work with farmers.

“I won’t say it hasn’t been challenging, but we have a great group of employees, and they’ve been working very hard to keep us on schedule.”

For more information on the remaining deadlines for signing up for 2014 farm bill programs, see http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/printapp?fileName=nr_20141002_rel_0161.html&newsType=newsrel

2001: A Farm Oddessy

In the classic science-fiction film Star Wars, the character Han Solo turns to Luke Skywalker during a heated space travel scene and says "Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy!"

Well, Han Solo may be wrong.

Agriculture.com recently covered a story about  SpaceX.  A company that is one of a handful of companies in the world whose scientists and engineers are producing rockets and spacecrafts that company leaders including CEO Elon Musk hope will one day lead to a completely privatized space travel industry with an ultimate goal of "making humanity a multi-planet species." The company is based in Hawthorne, California, but has facilities and employees in Florida, Washington, D.C., and Texas.

What's this got to do with agriculture? SpaceX officials recently announced a farmer in Texas will soon become one of the company's 3,000 employees.

Responsibilities of the job include planning and executing budgets, operating and maintaining machinery, nailing down crop inputs and maintaining the ability to "understand the implications of the weather and make contingency plans," according to a SpaceX report. The job takes at least 10 years of "row crop farming experience" in central Texas and "which shall include a working knowledge of every process required for crop production in the region," according to SpaceX. "Experience in repair and preventative maintenance of John Deere agricultural equipment."

So, is SpaceX sending a farmer to space? Though company officials have been tight-lipped about why they're hiring a farmer, there's speculation that the position has as much to do with the company's operating budget as it does coming up with ways to grow food in space. Agricultural use nets tax-exempt status for not just land, but the tools, equipment and inputs used for growing crops or raising livestock in Texas.

Though SpaceX's ultimate goals in hiring a farmer have yet to be specifically outlined, it's clear company leaders intend for the position's occupant to both continue farm work and have at least some role in the company's operations.

"This position will be required to work around test schedules as necessary to ensure the successful crop production does not interfere with testing progress," according to a statement from SpaceX's website.

Market Confusion!

This week the soybean market is fulfilling one of Murphy’s Laws: “The market will do whatever is necessary to fool the majority.” According to a report by Agriculture.com, cash soybean bids broke above the $1.00 rally level on October 29. Strength at that time led many to believe there were large gains still ahead. Since then, action has leveled off, and prices have become much less volatile. Bets that prices could go straight up were tempered by two days, November 4 and November 19, when they broke below the dollar level. Both times there was a quick rebound back above that “magic“ level.

Scanning the charts of cash bids and March futures gives the impression that the high was on October 31 with the price of $9.69. However, the ability of the market to rebound every time the support level is broken makes me think that the bids could hold in this area or higher for a long time.

In addition to chart action that is somewhat bullish is the fact that basis has finally started to improve. I admit that the move is small and not consistent across all price levels. It is at least better than having the basis deteriorate as the record soybean crop finally comes to town. Hope that the end of the year will see much better basis and gradually improving cash bids.

Meanwhile, corn bids continue to plug along, pennies up and pennies down. The net result has been a gradually improving cash bid. That is better than having violent large moves up and down but not going anywhere. At least the price today is such that market analysts have stopped taking about cash corn prices below $3.00. With the size of the 2014 crop, it may take until spring for corn to be above production cost if indeed it ever gets there for most of us.

All cash bids quoted in this column are from Midwest Farmers Co-op in southeast Nebraska.

Fertilizer Prices & The 4 R's of Nutrient Application

I hope harvest has been going smoothly for you, though delayed for most in Ohio this fall. This week Agriculture.com has some information that is important as we think about fall and spring input prices.

Fertilizer prices are higher this fall compared to a year ago on seven of the eight common forms.

Some farmers anticipate prices softening between now and spring so they are holding off on purchasing fertilizer inputs. This may or may not hold true as retailers say that the high cost of freight and rail will keep fertilizer prices locked in. Retailers are seeing less fertilizer sales today compared to a year ago.

Fertilizer accounts for over 40 percent of your variable input costs for corn and about 25 percent of your soybean variable input costs. The way this input is managed can have a large effect on your bottom line - yield and cost.
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Remember the four “R”s of nutrient application: the right source, and at the right rate, in the right place, at the right time.

11 Ways to Cut Grain Drying

Recently Agriculture.com looked at the best ways to cut into grain drying.  Here is what they came up with.

Drying grain can be one of the most energy-intensive operations on the farm. When you burn fuel to produce that energy, you also burn money. 

There isn’t an easy solution to cut costs. “No two farms are the same,” says Gary Woodruff, GSI. “There isn’t one best way to dry grain.” 

This list will help you identify energy-saving tips for the size of your operation and your grain-drying infrastructure.

1 Run in all-heat mode
“One thing that’s been around for a long time but is still cost effective is running a portable dryer in the all-heat mode,” says Woodruff. 

In all-heat mode, you heat the grain in the dryer and cool it in the bin. “The advantage is you can come out of the dryer at a higher moisture content, and then you lose one, two, or three points of moisture in the cooling process,” explains Kerry Hartwig, Sukup Manufacturing Co. “Drying those last points takes the most energy.”

That can save you 20% to 30% of your operating costs, says Woodruff. Running in all-heat mode also increases your efficiency, because grain flows through the dryer more quickly. Plus, you end up with better quality grain, because cooling grain rapidly can increase stress cracks on corn kernels. 

There are limitations to running in all-heat mode. This drying system won’t work on most bins larger than 50,000 bushels. That’s because you need to run between 1∕3 and ½ cfm of air through each bushel when the bin is full. For bins 50,000 bushels or smaller, you will need to have larger aeration fans and increase the number of roof vents. It will also require more management. 

“There are better drying systems on the market that don’t require the extra management that all-heat mode requires,” says Woodruff, “but this is one of the least expensive ways to improve how you process grain on your farm.”

2 Buy an all-heat dryer 
If your present dryer can’t run in all-heat mode, consider upgrading. “A new all-heat dryer gives the most capacity, efficiency, and quality for the dollar, even with the bin aeration upgrades required,” says Woodruff.

3 Upgrade to vacuum cooling or heat recovery
“For larger operations, it will be more efficient for grain to come out of the dryer cool,” says Hartwig. “That’s where vacuum cooling or heat recovery can make a big difference.”

In vacuum cooling, heat that is given off by the cooling grain is cycled back into the drying process. By doing this, less fuel is required to raise the drying air temperature.
Vacuum cooling is offered on tower dryers, centrifugal dryers, and centrifugal stack dryers. 

“With vacuum cooling, you can dry grain with even better efficiency than you can with all-heat drying,” says Woodruff. “You will spend more money up front, and you’re going to need a pretty good size grain dryer to get that newer technology.”

4 Dry grain evenly
“If a dryer dries grain faster in some areas and slower in others, the dryer will overdry grain to make up for the underdried grain,” says Hartwig. “This adds drying cost in extra fuel used and lower grain test weights from overdrying.”

There are different systems available to help you dry grain more evenly. Sukup’s single-module and stacked dryers use a quad-metering roll system that pulls dryer grain near the inside of the grain column out of the dryer faster, while leaving wetter grain near the outside of the column in the dryer longer. Stacked dryers also use a grain cross-over system that takes grain from one side of the dryer on the top module to the other side of the dryer on the bottom module. This inverts the grain for more even drying. Sukup tower dryers use a grain exchanger system halfway down the heat chamber.

Another option is to use a system like GSI’s grain inverters. The inverters move all grain, except the outer 2 inches within the column, to eliminate overdried grain and to maximize drying efficiency. The inverters redirect the warmest grain from the inside of the column next to the wettest grain at the outside of the column. The wet grain is dried by the captured heat, which recovers up to 15% of the heat that would have been lost.

5 Run at a higher plenum temperature
“One thing you might not be aware of is that the higher you run your plenum temperature, the more efficiently you dry grain,” says Woodruff. “At the end of the season, farmers will say they are only removing three to four moisture points, so they lowered their plenum temperature to save some fuel. Exactly the opposite happens.”

Running at a higher temperature reduces the drying time and, therefore, saves you fuel. However, higher temperatures can potentially do more damage, so you need to find a good balance. “Each dryer’s airflow and column management is different, so you have to balance efficiency with quality,” says Woodruff. “There will be a maximum best temperature for each type of dryer.”

6 Do preseason maintenance
Before you start drying grain, make sure there are no obstructions in the columns and that the burner is ready to go. During harvest, empty, clean, and restart the dryer once a week to make sure the dryer is performing optimally. 

“Like any other piece of equipment, if you don’t take the time to clean it and keep it in operating mode, you are probably going to reduce your efficiency,” says Woodruff.

7 Avoid overdrying
Grain needs to be dried to a safe moisture level so it can be stored. This can range from 13% to 15%, depending on how long you will store the grain. However, you want to avoid overdrying. Grain takes more energy per point of moisture removed. So drying beyond the desired moisture level will eat up extra energy.

8 Use a remote monitoring system
One way to keep from overdrying is to use a remote monitoring system. These systems differ for each manufacturer, but most will allow you to monitor all dryer controls just like you would at the dryer from a smartphone, tablet, or other device. 

“Farmers want to be able to monitor their dryers in the combine, at home, wherever they are,” says Hartwig. 

With some systems, like Sukup’s remote monitoring and GSI’s WatchDog, you can also make adjustments remotely. 

“The only thing you can’t do is start the dryer without being there, because that would be dangerous,” says Woodruff. “You can adjust things like the plenum temperature, moisture control setting, and unload limits.”

Beyond avoiding over-drying, remote controls will also ensure that the dryer is running efficiently and hasn’t stopped for some reason. 

“The average dryer puts 2,500 bushels through an hour,” says Woodruff. “In 10 hours, that’s 25,000 bushels. If your dryer isn’t running for that long, that can make a huge difference.”

9 Manage dryability for different hybrids
“There is a lot of variation in the way different corn varieties dry,” says Hartwig. “Even with the same hybrid, there can be drying differences in different years.”

Woodruff says this has become more of an issue in the past five years. His recommendation is to closely monitor your dryer when you change fields or when you’ve changed varieties to make sure the dryer is running where you think it should be.

10 Check moisture controls
To make sure your dryer is running properly, pull samples, check the moisture control, and make sure the dryer is where it is supposed to be. 

“Moisture sensors are temperamental. It only takes one little stock of grain hanging up in the wrong place to throw their values off,” says Hartwig. “You should pull samples two to three times a day.”

11 Get an energy audit
“Sometimes you need someone who is willing to look at your entire operation to make sure that you are operating in the best way you can for your system,” says Woodruff. 

One way to do this is to get an energy audit. Your local NRCS office should have a list of businesses that conduct professional energy audits. 

A USDA REAP grant is available to help you upgrade your system if you can increase your efficiency by 25%.

“If you pursue a grant, work with a grant writer,” advises Woodruff. Learn more about the grant at Rurdev.usda.gov/energy.

Delta Farm Press recently reported that America’s Farmers Grow Ag Leaders is now launching in 40 states, with more than $500,000 worth of scholarships available. Sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, the program provides $1,500 college scholarships to students pursuing a degree related to agriculture.

Starting Nov. 15, high school seniors and college students in eligible states can apply for this opportunity. Farmers know the rewards of a career in agriculture, but many of today’s youth may not. Luckily, there is an abundance of evidence that agriculture is a smart career choice. According to  USDA, nearly 55,000 jobs in agriculture are available every year. Many of the nation’s largest land-grant institutions, such as Penn State and Texas A&M University, report job placement rates above 90 percent for their ag students
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Grow Ag Leaders helps engage future generations in agriculture by raising awareness of the broad range of career opportunities in the industry and by supporting their college education.

The program was created in response to farmer requests to keep rural youth involved in agriculture. Farmers can participate in the program by encouraging students in their community to apply for a scholarship and by endorsing their application.

Because farmers play a crucial role in the industry, each applicant is required to obtain endorsements from at least three local farmers. “We want to encourage ambitious and talented students to pursue careers in this growing field,” said Elizabeth Vancil, Youth and Community Outreach manager at Monsanto.

“As students who grew up in rural areas learn more about what agriculture has become, they are realizing that it is a fascinating, hi-tech industry, with job growth, job security, and high wages,” Vancil said. “These young people are seeing that there are emerging opportunities for a new generation of innovative young farmers, engineers, implement designers, marketing specialists and seed scientists.”

Grow Ag Leaders is part of the overall America’s Farmers campaign, which highlights the vital role played by farmers, through programs designed to support rural communities. Farmers interested in promoting the program and endorsing students’ scholarship applications can learn how at GrowAgLeaders.com.

The scholarships are administered by the National FFA Organization, but FFA membership is not required to apply. Students have until Feb. 1, 2015 to complete the application online at FFA.org/scholarships.

Super weed! Fact or Fiction

Journalists like Paul Holis from South East Farm Press love a good buzzword or moniker – a “trending” name or nickname that can be used in place of a much more ordinary-sounding word or phrase.

For one thing, it’s just more fun to use such words. For another, it’s more likely to catch the attention of the reader, translating into a greater readership and the resulting increased number of “hits” on a website.

But there are admittedly cases where we simply use such a word to death. A case in point might well be the infamous “superweed.” Holis goes on to write about the subject.

Originally, I suppose it was a fairly good substitution for glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth pigweed. It certainly takes less time to write “superweed,” and it sounds sexier than the aforementioned technically accurate term.

But in recent years, we’ve overused it to the point to where no one’s really certain what “superweed” truly means. It has been used for a lot more than just glyphosate-resistant weeds, and therein lies the problem. “Superweed” makes for a swell headline, such as in “Superweeds Choke Farms,” but what does it really mean?

To help dispel some of the common misconceptions about superweeds, the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) recently published an excellent fact sheet to clarify two common misconceptions about superweeds. The WSSA, if you don’t already know, is a non-profit organization that promotes science-based information about weeds, their impact on the environment, and how they can be managed.

While there is no science-based definition for superweed, the WSSA points out that the term is often used to describe weeds “believed to have special capabilities that are helping them outcompete other plants in ways never experienced before,” with many associating superweed with glyphosate-tolerant crops and the suspected transfer of resistance genes from these crops to weeds.

The first superweed misconception, according to the WSSA, is that rampant gene transfer between genetically modified crops and weeds is creating weeds able to resist treatment by herbicides.

In reality, states the fact sheet, there is no evidence that gene transfer is a major factor in the development of herbicide resistance. Instead, overreliance on herbicides with a single mechanism of action to control certain weeds has led to the selection of weeds resistant to that mechanism of action.

“The transfer of resistance traits from genetically modified crops to weeds growing in the field is rare, and the occurrences observed and reported to date have had minimal impact. The only currently known mechanism for any crop trait to move into weeds (or vice versa) is through cross pollination – a sexual crossing between the crop and the weed. Gene flow is more likely to happen if the crop and weed are sexually compatible, near relatives. Gene flow among more distantly related plant species is rare because they do not cross as readily. There are often physiological barriers, including pollen incompatibility, varying numbers of chromosomes and other factors that serve as impediments.”

Even among sexually compatible crops and weeds, states the WSSA, the opportunity for crop-weed gene flow depends on the proximity of the crop plant to its wild weedy relatives. For example, there have been no reports of gene transfer in the more than 160 million annually planted acres of genetically modified corn, cotton and soybean crops where herbicide resistance weeds are such a significant issue today. Since these crops don’t have sexually compatible, near relatives in the U.S. and Canada, the risk of gene flow to other plants in the region is extremely low.

The second major misconception, according to the WSSA, is that herbicide use is creating a new breed of herbicide-resistant superweeds unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

“In reality, the costly issue of herbicide resistance isn’t new – and neither are the competitive characteristics of weeds. Although the number of acres affected by resistant weeds has increased over the last decade as more growers have come to rely solely on herbicides with a single mechanism of action for weed control, weeds have exhibited resistance to many types of herbicides over the past 40 years. Many weed populations have even evolved resistance to multiple herbicide mechanisms of action,” states the report.

Herbicide resistance is an important, costly and escalating issue, especially as growers have come to rely more than ever on a single class of herbicides that targets weeds in the same way, states the WSSA, and it is more critical than ever for a variety of carefully integrated weed management strategies to be used so weeds resistant to one method can be controlled in other ways before they have an opportunity to spread. This includes nonchemical means of weed control, such as crop rotation, tillage, cultivation, hand hoeing, seed capture, etc.

As to those super powers that many individuals ascribe to herbicide-resistant weeds? Under herbicide-free conditions, says the WSSA, resistant weeds are no more competitive or ecologically fit than their susceptible partners. Both can crowd out crops and other desirable plants by outcompeting them for water, nutrients, sunlight and space. They grow incessantly and can be prolific seed producers. A single Palmer amaranth plant, for example, can produce hundreds of thousands of seeds, regardless of whether it is herbicide resistant or not.

How to Reduce Risks for New Herbicide Resistant Plants

With all the new technology and herbicide resistant crops coming onto the market, there are risks of chemical application mishaps.  Farmers are being urged to use a free program to reduce those risks.

Agricultural engineer Dharmendra Saraswat from the University of Arkansas Division of Agricultural Cooperative Extension service helped develop the technology.  He recently spoke to Delta Farm Press about the new product.

On the program’s genesis:

“The flag the technology cloud (FTTCloud) program was launched last April, 2014, and is currently used by hundreds in Arkansas.

“The precursor to FTTCloud was initially launched in Clay County in 2010 -- but under a different name: Color Identifies the Field Technology (CIFT). Following the initial success, the program was launched statewide in 2011 and renamed ‘Flag the Technology.’ The changed name directly conveyed program’s focus on use of color coded flags to aid farmers in identifying which fields they are planting to what herbicide-tolerant technology.

Dicamba-tolerant crops soon to be a reality

“In subsequent years, Flag the Technology program also brought forth some unanticipated challenges. During the summertime, as farmers know very well, there are often gusts of wind. Those would sometimes pull the flags out of the ground and take them all over the place.

“In some cases, there were also mischievous people who would intentionally move the flags around.

“Obviously, movement of flags would be a cause of concern for chemical applicators. That’s perfectly understandable. ‘What if we rely on the flags and spray a product that injures the crop?’”

On the switch to a digital program…

“Due to these concerns we began considering how we could keep the program but ‘flag’ fields in a different way. In discussions with some county agents and forward-looking consultants and producers it was decided to launch a digital version of Flag the Technology program.

“The digital version doesn’t store any information on any of university servers. To provide quality experience to the current and potential users, the program has been hosted on a scalable cloud platform.

“The digital version, FTTCloud, retains the simplicity of its field-based precursor.

“Producers, consultants and chemical applicators can all participate after registering an account. The participation is voluntary. A registered producer can allow his/her consultant or chemical applicator to access complete information about entered fields by following certain protocol. The other registered users are provided essential information about herbicide technologies reported nearby or in the target field as new information is added to the program.

“Producers can either manually draw or upload field boundary data in shapefile format and then
interactively assign an individual field or a group of fields to herbicide-tolerant technology of their choice. The program assigns a color to the field based on selected technology. Fields with stacked technologies are also assigned colors, using a protocol slightly different from the field version of the program.

“The FTTCloud tool also allows users to identify other sensitive areas such as pumpkin patches, bee hives, fish ponds, vineyards etc., thereby not limiting its use to only those interested in row crops.

“Participation is free and the whole effort is being funded by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board.”

On the digital program savings…

“When using actual flags, fields require an average of five flags. That is at a cost of about $25. If someone has 100 fields in herbicide-tolerant technology, that means an expense of $2,500. However, use of FTTCloud program costs nothing.”

An estimate on how much crop damage has been reduced through the use of the flags?

“That’s a good question. The program is aimed at avoiding risks. An erroneous chemical application can almost ruin an entire field. So, you’re protecting a field that can be worth several thousand dollars to, in some cases, six figures.”

Enlist traits approved, Enlist herbicide next

On the safety of farmers’ data…

“Misuse of online information is an obvious fear in the minds of many and farmers are no exception. The FTTCloud program explicitly recognizes that all the information entered belongs to the producer. The university has no role in accessing it. The information is encrypted and then stored on the cloud platform.

“Towards the end of each year, we will send emails to those who registered an account. That will remind them to download their information for next year’s use. We don’t encourage archiving the information since the university wants to limit its role to providing educational means for chemical risk aversion.”

Farmland on Hulu

I'm sure by now you've heard of the documentary "Farmland" directed by Academy Award winning director James Moll.  Well, in case you missed it in the theater's, you can now watch it on Hulu.  Just click here to watch it.  I thought it was a very educational documentary for folks who know very little about modern day agriculture.  Enjoy.

Yield Reports Are Coming in High

This year is looking great when it comes to yields.  They are coming in very high.  Compared to this point last year, we are coming 24% higher on corn and 30% higher on soybeans.

Keep in mind these are self reported yields.  In good years like 2009, yield reports ended up being 37 bushels per acre higher than the USDA.  And bad years like 2012, they were actually lower than the USDA.

With that in mind, take a look at these yield maps and charts and see for yourself.

Check Out the New Case IH Farmalls

Agriculture.com recently displayed the new equipment from Case IH.

Managing Wheat this Winter

Becks Hybird's put together a wheat management plan to follow.  They published it on Agriculture.com.  The following is the plan in a nutshell.

Wheat Management

September is upon us and that means wheat planting time.  Many farmers are getting ready to harvest their soybeans.  Although this year it looks like harvest will be later than normal.  The question for most is when do I plant wheat?  It's pretty simple.  The earlier the better.

Early Planted Wheat Offers the Following Advantages

1. Better emergence and fall growth.
2. More tillers will form in the fall with early planting.
3. Tillers that form in the fall have larger heads than tillers formed in the spring.
4. Less heaving the following spring if the nodal roots start to establish.

There Are Some Potential Disadvantages to Planting Early

1. Hessian Fly could become an issue.  Although this hasn't been an issue recently, it's best to plant after the fly free date.  See the chart above to get an idea what your date would be.  Planting prior to the fly free date can cause issues with aphids which can transmit barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).  BYDV hurts more when the plant gets the disease in the fall compared to the spring.
2. Early planting may cause leaf diseases in the fall which is more dangerous than in the spring.
3. The earlier you the plant the earlier the wheat will try to come out in winter.  This is influenced by genetics more so than planting date.  A late spring frost will hurt plants coming out too early.

Despite all this the potential higher yield out weighs all the dangers associated with planting early.  It is in my opinion to go ahead and plant as soon as possible.  Good luck.

The Clock is Ticking on Cover Crops

Harvest looks like it may be coming later this year than normal.  This poses a serious problem of when to plant cover crops into corn.  Most cover crops need five to six weeks of growth to be able to withstand the winter hardiness.

Cereal rye can be planted later than most.  It can still grow at 34 degrees F.

The question is when is the right time to aerial supply serial rye to a corn field.  If you apply too soon when the corn is still green you may not get the seed to the ground and the sun may not reach through the crop canopy.  On the other hand, if you wait to close to harvest, you may not give enough time for growth before winter.  The time to look for is when the sunlight is hitting the soil roughly 50% of the time.

Wheat fields that did not have a crop after harvest have much more flexibility to plant cover crops now.  Your options are wide open.  The Midwest Cover Crop Council has excellent information to help you with cover crop selection.  Just go to their Cover Crop Decision Tool to find more info.

Agriculture.com has found the following chart also gives some good information about when to plant cover crops.  As you can see we are in the prime time as to when to plant.

Ryan Moore is the cove crops specialist with Becks who came up with this chart.  You may email him rmoore@beckshybrids.com, contact your local dealer or seed adviser for more information.