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ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR YIELDS?
Let's face it, none of us are ever really satisfied. If we are producing
200 bushel corn, we would like to get 220. If we get 60 bushel soybeans, what
we would like is 65 or 70. Name a crop and yield, and no one would object to
getting a little higher production level. So is increased production more than
just something we'd like to have? Is it a good goal? Let's look at some possible
reactions to thinking about increased production.
I already have enough corn that isn't worth
anything. We've also heard this statement
for soybeans, wheat, and just about every crop
at some time or other. Reduced foreign markets
and U.S. surpluses have been macroeconomic variables
leading, in part, to our current low price conditions.
Trying to increase production at this time looks
like a bad idea. Growing more of a commodity doesn't
seem to make sense. Or does it? If we decide to
grow a low-priced commodity, how can we cover the
costs of production? For instance, how can we cover
the $300/acre expenses of growing corn? The answer:
volume. At a price of $1.60 per bushel, we need
to produce 188 bushels per acre just to break even.
Ironically, part of the short-term solution at
the microeconomic, or farm scale, is to grow more
of a commodity in such times, rather than less.
I'm already doing everything I know how. Many
producers feel that they are already doing all they
can to grow the best crop possible. Weed control
is good, fertility is right, and plant stands meet
expectations. The potential levels that crop yields
can reach depend on all these factors and more, the
most important of which is probably moisture. But
how much tinkering with the crop production system
has been done on an individual farm? Most farmers
will try planting different varieties or hybrids,
but that's normally where the experimentation ends.
How about trying different plant populations, row
spacings, fertility levels, or nutrient placements
and timings?
I don't know what to try first. The number
of possibilities for management changes is, at first,
overwhelming. There is also risk involved. We want
to change things for the better, not mess up things
that are already working. So where do we start? The
place to begin is by looking at the management practices
with a history of success. Often, practices that
have been investigated, for some reason or other,
do not gain wide acceptance. For instance, in some
areas, starter fertilizers and banded applications
of phosphorus and potassium have been shown to be
beneficial in areas of the country where their adoption
rate has been slow. Soil testing and plant analysis
are proven successes, but in many areas, they are
not being used extensively. When trying something
new, start with a test area, a small bit of land
away from the road where no one can see if you have
a success or failure. By keeping things at a small
scale, your risk can be minimized while still enabling
you to explore new possibilities. And remember to
consider simultaneously adjusting other input levels
that may be tied to yield. Otherwise, a potential
yield increase to the factor of interest may not
be realized.
Higher production means higher inputs, which
are bad for the environment and cost me more, too. It's
not true that higher production always has to come
from higher levels of inputs. Forinstance, earlier
planting and hybrid/variety selection do not necessarily
cost more, but can lead toincreased yields and
quality. Also, better timing of fertilizer applications
to more closely match cropneeds can reduce nutrient
losses to the environment and make better use of
the money spent onfertilizer. There are lots of
things that can be done that may not result in
costs or inputs much greater than what is currently
being practiced. When higher inputs are necessary,
careful approaches canminimize risks of profit
losses or environmental contamination.
Are you satisfied with your yields? Answer
this question carefully, then think of the possibilities.
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