Press Releases from Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Roundup Ready® Crops: How have they changed things?

Robert G. Wilson, Jr. — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:38:41 PDT

The adoption rate of Roundup Ready Crops in the United States has been one of the major changes in agriculture in the last 20 years. More than 155 million acres of cropland were treated with Roundup (glyphosate) during the 2008 growing season.
The use of Roundup Ready crops has changed farming practices throughout the country. No-till or reduced-tillage practices have increased dramatically, and are closely associated with adoption of Roundup Ready crops. During the first 10 years of growing Roundup Ready crops, growers have relied heavily on glyphosate as the only herbicide used for weed management. With the development of glyphosate-resistant weeds in the cotton and corn belts, the glyphosate use patterns are starting to change, and herbicides with different modes of action are being incorporated into weed management programs.

Getting the Most Out of Irrigation Water

C. Dean Yonts — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:38:40 PDT

When we think about getting the most out of irrigation water, efficiency is often the word that comes to mind. Yes, we do need to apply water in an efficient manner, but there are different ways to relate efficiency to irrigation.
First, consider efficiency as it relates to water application. The goal when irrigating is to provide water to a growing plant. But if any of the water runs off of the field or moves below the plants’ root system, application efficiency is reduced because the water that runs off cannot be used by the plant. This is the primary reason that application efficiency of furrow irrigation systems is less than that of sprinkler systems. So whether we use furrow or sprinkler, keeping the water on the field and limiting deep percolation helps to improve efficiency.

Soil Testing More Important Than Ever for Efficient Fertilizer Use

Gary W. Hergert — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:33:58 PDT

Don’t guess, soil test. That may be a worn-out phrase, but it has taken on new meaning in the past year as commodity and fertilizer prices have fluctuated wildly. Soil testing is more important than ever because of changes in crop and fertilizer prices. Over the last two years the cost of soil sampling and analysis has increased little, while fertilizer prices have increased twofold to fourfold.
The information from soil tests is more valuable than ever. For more accurate fertilizer recommendations and increased efficiency, producers need two things: 1. better soil samples and soil sample information; and 2. better soil test calibration relationships that reflect both crop response and profit response.
The goal of soil testing is to provide an accurate assessment of the soil’s fertility status that can be used to make fertilizer recommendations. With the increasing awareness of fertilizer effects on environmental quality, soil tests can also be used to determine where fertilizers or manure should not be applied.

How Do Plant Populations Affect Yield?

Drew J. Lyon — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:33:57 PDT

Farmers who want to reduce high input costs face a decision at planting time: How many seeds per acre to put in the soil? Planting fewer seeds per acre saves money up front, but how does plant population affect yield?
The optimum density or plant population for any given situation results in mature plants that are sufficiently crowded to efficiently use resources such as water, nutrients, and sunlight, yet not so crowded that some plants die or are unproductive. At this population, production from the entire field is optimized, although any individual plant might produce less than would have occurred with unlimited space.
Many factors influence the optimum plant population for a crop: availability of water, nutrients and sunlight; length of growing season; potential plant size; and the plant’s capacity to change its form in response to varying environmental conditions (morphological plasticity). One example of this is tillering, which allows small grain crops like winter wheat to produce the same number of heads and final grain yield in a given area over a wide range of plant densities. Modern corn cultivars, on the other hand, have been selected to produce few if any tillers. Consequently, corn has a relatively narrow range for optimum plant population.

Should fuel prices affect choice of tillage system?

John A. Smith — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:33:56 PDT

Choice of a tillage system is based on a number of factors, and fuel price is certainly one of the important issues. Fuel consumption can be highly variable for a specific tillage operation and for a particular tillage system, depending on tillage depth, soil type, soil moisture, field speed, design of the soil-engaging tool, etc.

Drought tolerant seeds: What’s the future?

Carlos Urrea — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:33:55 PDT

Outside of weeds, pests and disease, drought is the most important factor holding back crop yields. But it also is a normal, if unpredictable, occurrence in the Great Plains.
Drought reduces a crop’s yield, quality, and often market value. The severity of yield reduction depends on the timing and duration of drought stress. Drought’s impact can be amplified by other stresses, such as heat, temperature, disease, and poor soils.
In western Nebraska, irrigation not only mitigates drought’s effects, but also provides greater profitability and income stability than dryland farming. However, in recent years, groundwater declines due to overuse or drought have resulted in pumping restrictions in many areas of Nebraska, and years of drought have reduced water storage in reservoirs, leading to allocations for surface irrigators. This has necessitated a shift to limited irrigation or a return to dryland crop production in some areas. The prolonged drought has magnified the resulting yield losses.

Can I make money with corn?

Paul Burgener — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:23:35 PDT

Over the past couple of years, area farmers have been able to look at the corn market this time of year and feel confident that they will bring in a profitable crop. That may be changing for 2009. The corn price has dropped from record high levels last summer to settle in the $3.50 to $4.00 range in recent weeks. With projected break-even prices near $3.75 per bushel, the outlook for corn producers is not nearly as positive as it has been.
This does not mean that there is not any good news for western Nebraska farmers this spring. The price of sugar is up significantly from last year, and it looks like we can begin to pencil in some $45- to $50-per-ton prices as we look forward to planting the 2009 crop. With costs for sugarbeet production sitting in the $900-per-acre range, the break-even price for sugarbeet producers should be in the $35- to $40-per-ton range. This should figure out to be $100 to $300 per acre profit on the 2009 crop.

USDA Reports Put Pressure on Markets, Remind Growers to Have a Marketing Plan

Paul Burgener — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:23:35 PDT

Corn and wheat producers received a bit of “bearish” news from a pair of reports released recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Ag Economist Paul Burgener says.
The reports, and the resulting fluctuations in crop prices, are a reminder to growers that they should continuously look for opportunities to sell what they produce, to avoid the down cycles and take advantage of favorable prices, he said.
USDA released annual reports on crop acreage and grain stocks on June 30. Nationwide, corn acreage was up by 1 percent over 2008. Nebraska corn acreage increased by 7 percent. Stocks of corn in storage were up 6 percent nationwide from a year ago.

Crop Insurance is Critical in Today’s Economy

Paul Burgener — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:23:34 PDT

The March 15 deadline for spring planted crop insurance sign up is rapidly approaching for Nebraska farmers. Corn, grain sorghum, soybean, sunflower, sugarbeet, dry beans, proso millet, and spring wheat producers will need to get signed up for crop insurance by March 16, since March 15 is on a Sunday this year.
The high cost of crop production and the volatility in the markets make crop insurance critical in today’s agricultural climate. Although crop insurance may appear to be higher priced than we would like, the protection and marketing flexibility that it offers are important to the risk management plan of any farm. There should be opportunities to sell 2009 grain crops this spring, and the protection offered through crop insurance offers a little security for producers looking to make these sales. It may be that the best chances to sell at a profit will come before harvest for some of our crops, so insurance will be a wise investment.

Fertilizer Prices and Availability for 2009

Gary Hergert — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:23:33 PDT

The past two years have seen major changes in crop production costs, especially fertilizer. What happened? Why did this happen? What's projected for 2009? Will fertilizer be available?
Fertilizer is truly an international commodity, so what happens in the Middle East, India, China and in former Soviet Union Republics like the Ukraine (Yuzhny) influences your local prices.
By September 2008, nitrogen prices had tripled compared to two years earlier. But since last fall, prices have dropped just like the stock market. World demand for fertilizer had risen 14 percent in the past few years (primarily from South America, China and India), which drove up prices. U.S. ethanol mandates increased demand for N because of increased corn acreage, as corn uses 45 percent of all N fertilizer. When the financial crisis spread around the world in September 2008, it also affected demand for fertilizer, causing significant price drops in world prices.

Futures Markets: Where do they fit in my marketing plan?

Paul Burgener — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:11:26 PDT

Crop producers in Nebraska have a number of market options to consider each year. The proper use of these tools and the timing of sales are the keys to successfully marketing strategies. The keys to a good marketing plan are knowing what it cost to produce the crop, both cash costs and total costs, understanding the market, setting sales goals, and making sales when those goals are reached.
For corn producers, the highest price for the year occurs between February and July each year. The exceptions over the past 10 years were 2002 and 2006. Knowing the markets and having tools in place to make these sales may make the difference between capturing a profitable price and losing money on the corn crop.

On-farm energy – Can we make it work?

William L. Booker — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:11:26 PDT

The volatility of the biofuels industry has created another reason for farmers to consider producing “on- farm energy.”
Producing biofuel on the farm has the potential to help farmers become more independent by developing a more stable and secure fuel supply, as well as benefit the environment and prolong equipment life. But first they must study and understand the process, the risks, and opportunities.
As little as a year ago, biodiesel production was expected to rise rapidly, as it had for several years. But the sudden fall in crude oil prices changed the direction of the production curves.