Where to cut back on inputs in 2015

Friday, May 1, 2015

Every grower should have their own realistic list of where to cut back this year. Some tips on the areas to focus on

by PAT LYNCH

By now you have attended as many winter meetings as you can take and have listened to speakers telling you what to do to get the best yields. I discussed this with Cargill agronomist Jonathan Zettler and here are my tops recommendations.

Seed. If you are dropping more than 32,000 corn seeds on most of your fields, you can cut back. But the real place to cut back is with soybean seed. I have spoken to many groups this winter and a lot of you still want to drop 200,000 or more seeds in 7.5 inch rows. This is a big place to cut back. You can plant soybeans in 15 or 20 inch rows and get as high or higher yield than in 7.5 inch rows.

Research clearly shows that there is very little difference in the length of time it takes for canopy closure. And normally you can drop 165,000-180,000 seeds in 15 to 20 inch rows without giving up yield. Jonathan figures many growers can save $18 an acre on soy seed.

Fertilizer. You can cut back on phosphorus fertilizer on fields testing over 30 parts per million of phosphorus and just use a starter phosphorus fertilizer. And you can cut back on potash if your soil is testing over 160. What amazes me is the number of growers who do not soil test. It is such an easy way to get the most from your fertilizer dollar. Without a soil test, you are most likely putting too much fertilizer on some fields and not enough on others. To make wholesale fertilizer cuts is not wise. Nor is increasing soil nutrient levels in 2015. One of the easiest places to cut back is on glyphosate rate. We used to use Roundup at one litre per acre. We are now using more concentrated glyphosates, but growers still use one litre per acre instead of the 0.66 to 0.72 litres per acre of more concentrated glyphosate.

Weed control. This is not a good place to cut back. Specifically, you should not cut back on a residual pre-emerge herbicide on glyphosate-tolerant crops. Last year, we probably lost on average two bushels per acre of soybeans because of weeds. This could have been prevented by using a pre-emerge residual herbicide. If you can see weeds dead or alive from the road, you have lost yield. And you might as well start using a herbicide on your soybeans that will control fleabane. This weed is quickly moving across Ontario.

Rent. In many cases, rent went up when commodity prices went up. Consider talking to your landlord about holding the line – if not for this year, then sow the seed for next year. It is in times like this that a share rent of some sort beats cash rent.

Equipment costs. This is a big place to cut back. We have more than enough equipment to put our crop in. Lots of equipment stands idle while other acres are being planted. It is a good time to start thinking more seriously about sharing equipment like your father did. Pride of equipment ownership is over-rated.

Sell straw. There are still many growers who believe they should not sell straw. The reality is that it is part of the cash crop. If you plant red clover and sell straw, you will be ahead in dollars, organic matter and soil structure.

My friend Jonathan suggests that every grower should have their own realistic list of where to cut back in 2015. Do you have a list? BF

Consulting agronomist Pat Lynch, CCA (ON), formerly worked with the Ontario agriculture ministry and with Cargill.