Go Back to the Basics for Profits in 2014
What is a “normal” crop year? Is there such a thing as “normal” in the northern plains? The 2014 crop year looks to be a bit different than the past two seasons. The financial outlook has certainly changed with the drop in the grain markets along with price protection from crop insurance. This year really may be more of a “normal” year.
The goal of any farmer is to produce the best crop he can. In recent years, we’ve had the opportunity to try some inputs or practices that may not have been possible in tighter times. Some of these inputs may have worked, but I’m guessing many yielded inconsistent results. That is the problem with many non-traditional products; while you’ll usually get a response, it will rarely be consistent. Too often we try to add 2-5bu with these products, but neglect some of the basics of crop production that can help maximize profit: planting accuracy, and fertilizer rates and timing.
Planting accuracy
Calibrating and properly setting up your planter will dramatically increase your seeding accuracy, producing higher and more uniform stand counts. My trial work shows a 10bu increase in corn yield simply by reducing planting speeds. Slowing down while planting leads to better stands as well as emergence of all plants within the same time.
I have also gained 5bu/ac by keeping planting depths under 2”, and have gained almost 60bu/ac when reducing shallow planting. Even if you utilized all available soil amendments and growth promoters, you would not gain back the bushels lost in the spring during planting.
Fertilizer rates and timing
We’ve heard a lot of buzz about variable rate technology this winter. Lower overall fertilizer costs this year, and placing the fertilizer only where it is needed, provides opportunities to increase profit by reducing input costs. We will be utilizing UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) technology this summer to map fields and create zones along with previous yield data and soil maps. UAS technology is rapidly advancing, and I anticipate it will be a major player in agriculture going forward.
As a result of the late fall, less fertilizer was applied last season, so it will need to be applied this spring or in-season. There is heightened interest in side-dressing this year. NH3 and liquid are great forms of Nitrogen for the plant. They both have pros and cons (safety, costs, handling, etc.). The benefit of liquid is the ability to add other nutrients (mostly Sulfur) that the plant may need at that time. Many nutrient deficiencies were incorrectly diagnosed last spring as N when Sulfur was actually lacking in the plant. We will be working with blended N&S products at differing rates this summer.
The key to maximizing profits this year is focusing on the basics of crop production to ensure that we are doing those things correctly without waste. If we can improve our planting accuracy, fertilizer rates, and fertilizer timing, while reducing plant stress, we can add much more than the 2-5bu non-traditional products can provide. Fact checking our methods throughout the season will help us be more efficient in the future.
