Agronomist Notes

My rain gauge read slightly less than 2 inches of combined rain and snow on Sunday. I’ll take the moisture but I’d also like to get on with spring! I was reviewing some of my notes from 2003 and one report was for canola with a May 21seeding date. I remember the yield was 27 bu/ac of IMC 207 at $10/bu. Not bad for one heavy snowfall, and one inch of rain in June! So here we are again with a large snowfall and a potentially wet spring. For some, it may be a guarantee.

This week I will focus on the factors that help maximize glyphosate performance. I’ve included a handy comparison chart of glyphosate brands and information on boom sprayer set up and calibration. I’ve also provided some AFSC crop insurance examples to help you determine the true trigger price for the Spring Price Endorsement as well as the cost of crop insurance coverage levels with differing hail options.

Agronomy

Picking Apart the Differences in Glyphosate Products

In an effort to differentiate themselves from competing glyphosate products, manufacturers and distributors continue to develop new formulations and/or marketing strategies. Regardless of the marketing claims, only so much can be done in developing new formulations. The three primary things that can be changed in a glyphosate formulation are: 1) the salt included in the formulation; 2) surfactants and other 'inert' ingredients; and 3) the concentration of the parent acid placed in the product.

Salt formulations: In order for glyphosate to be effective, it is commonly formulated with a salt ion. So, the question arises: Does the salt used in the formulation significantly impact herbicide performance? The answer: Probably not. The salts used are selected to make sure the formulated product handles well, has reduced viscosity, is compatible with other products that might be included in the spray tank, has a high concentration of active ingredients, and will not cause adverse crop responses.

Formulation adjuvants: While there occasionally may be performance differences between glyphosate products, these differences are more likely to be caused by the differences in surfactants formulated with the product, rather than the salt used in the formulation. University trials have consistently demonstrated similar performance among glyphosate products when equivalent rates are applied.

Effective use rates: Selecting the proper rate for the situation and using the appropriate additives are the key considerations in obtaining consistent control with glyphosate products. Several different concentrations of glyphosate are now being marketed, so it is important to adjust rates according to the product used. Glyphosate labels usually state the concentration in two ways: a) lbs per gal of formulated glyphosate and b) lbs per gal of acid equivalent of glyphosate. For example, Roundup Original contains 4 lbs per gal of the potassium salt of glyphosate, but only 3 lbs per gal acid equivalent of glyphosate. The first value includes the weight of the salt formulated with glyphosate, whereas the second only measures how much glyphosate is present. Since the salt does not contribute to weed control, the acid equivalent is a more accurate method of expressing concentrations and weed killing ability. http://fcn.agronomy.psu.edu/2007/glyphosate_comparison.pdf

Other considerations when using glyphosate products:

Spray volume: Lower volumes (<15 gal/ac) are generally better for weed control with glyphosate than higher spray volumes (>20 gal/ac). In higher spray volumes there is increased potential for hard water antagonism and the dilution effect of the herbicide and surfactants.

AMS (ammonium sulfate): All glyphosate brands recommend AMS if using hard water as a carrier to reduce the antagonistic effects of the hard water salts. Always add 8.5 to 17 lb AMS (per 100 gal.) to the tank before glyphosate. There is generally no difference in effectiveness between dry and liquid AMS, but make sure to use only spray-grade quality.

Keep in mind that not all water conditioners are alike or effective and AMS is the standard. Proprietary water conditioning products typically contain a number of ingredients, including AMS, surfactants, anti-foaming agents, etc. and although they cost more than straight AMS, they can provide some convenience and ease of handling, assuming they work. Research has shown that not all water conditioners are as effective as AMS at protecting glyphosate performance when hard water is used as the carrier.

Other adjuvants: Only add other adjuvants to the spray solution if it is recommended on the label. Certain brands of glyphosate require additional surfactants to be added for improved performance, others such as Roundup WeatherMax only recommend the addition of AMS, drift retardants, or colorants/dyes. The use of acidifying agents is not necessary for glyphosate.

Water sources: Glyphosate has a high affinity for soil particles. Dirty water from streams or ponds can reduce glyphosate effectiveness. If using water from these sources, increase the rate of glyphosate to overcome the antagonism.

Environmental conditions: Any condition (e.g., drought, heat, cold, rainfall, time of day, etc.) that reduces the growth rate of the weeds will likely reduce the activity of glyphosate (and other herbicides). During cold weather then, glyphosate will take much longer to kill the plant than during warm, moist conditions.

In summary, the major differences affecting the performance of glyphosate products are the surfactants included in the package rather than the salt formulated with the product. We also do not expect consistent differences among products when used at equivalent rates and when label recommendations for additives are followed.

Source: William Curran and Dwight Lingenfelter

Can I mix different brands of glyphosate together in the tank?
Not all glyphosates can be mixed together. Many different surfactants are used in the wide variety of glyphosate choices out there and there hasn't been enough research to determine which surfactants can be safely used with others. From my experience, Vantage PlusMax and Touchdown IQ have had problems with compatibility in the past. The safe rule of thumb if you have to change brands and you have a couple hundred gallons left in the tank is to fill the tank up with water to 3/4's and then add the next brand of glyphosate. This should help reduce any compatibility issues.

If you do decide to mix different glyphosates together be sure to stick to glyphosates of the same salt formulations. There are three common salt formulations of glyphosate; isopropylamine salt, potassium salt and diammonium salt.

See the accompanying table for a quick list of glyphosate product names and their salt formulations.

How to Maximize Glyphosate Performance

Successful weed control depends on interactions between weeds (growth habit/size), environmental factors (light, temperature, moisture, wind) and characteristics of the spray solution. A good understanding of the dynamic and complex factors involved in these interactions allows for the maximization of glyphosate performance.

Full article: http://www.reducedtillage.ca/article.aspx?a=223

Boom Sprayer Setup & Calibration

Wet weather got you down and you’re still working in the shop – or even worse the flowerbeds – instead of working in the fields? Well if you didn’t touch your sprayer since last year, now is a good time to give it some attention. Chemicals and fertilizer are too costly to over apply or if they are applied at a lower than desired rates, they are not as effective.

Full article: http://agguide.agronomy.psu.edu/pm/sec1/sec110h.cfm

Crop Insurance

The producer deadline for AFSC crop insurance is April 30, 2007. I’ve had a number of conversations around different rates of coverage and the risk return scenario crop insurance brings. First, it seems like a few producers take crop insurance because they can get a reduced rate of hail insurance along with their premium, aside from the discount rate for returning customers.

However, after running the numbers on one individual farm, choosing the 60% coverage rate with an extra hail top-up to $200 coverage seems to make the most economical sense. Why? Given our sub-soil moisture conditions, our biggest threat this year is more likely hail rather than drought.

The table below compares crop and hail insurance coverage with an extra hail top-up to $200/ac.

Table 1.

Crop	Coverage Rate	Coverage $/ac	AFSC Crop&Hail $/ac	Extra Hail Top-Up to $200/ac	Total Cost $/ac	Savings $/ac
Barley	60% 80%	103.00 137.00	5.36 11.48	5.82 3.78	11.18 15.26	4.08 (4.08)
Canola	60% 80%	124.00 165.00	9.50 20.00	8.00 3.70	17.50 23.70	6.20 (6.20)

By choosing the 60% coverage level for both canola and barley on this farm and topping up to $200/ac with extra hail insurance, we will save between $4.08 - $6.20/ac. That works out to roughly $15,000 on a 3,000 acre farm! I encourage you to run your own numbers and see what the difference may be. Are you leaving $15,000 on the table?

The table below shows the true trigger price for the AFSC Spring Price Endorsement.

Table 2.

Crop	Coverage Level	Bu/ac @ Coverage Level	SPE Premium $/ac	Premium for SPE $/bu	SPE $/bu	SPE Trigger Price	SPE Trigger Price for return on premium $/bu
Canola	60% 70% 80%	15.6 18.2 20.8	4.09 4.69 5.21	0.26 0.26 0.25	7.94 7.94 7.94	7.15 7.15 7.15	6.88 6.89 6.90
Wheat	60% 70% 80%	26.9 31.3 35.8	4.83 5.55 6.22	0.18 0.18 0.18	4.27 4.27 4.27	3.84 3.84 3.84	3.66 3.67 3.67
Barley	60% 70% 80%	37.1 43.3 49.4	3.53 4.06 4.55	0.10 0.09 0.09	2.79 2.79 2.79	2.51 2.51 2.51	2.42 2.42 2.42

The last column on the right is the true SPE trigger price for wheat, barley and canola on this farm. When you factor in the price dropping below the required 10% as well as the cost of the premium for the SPE, the true trigger price is $3.67 for #2 high protein wheat, $6.88 for canola and $2.42 for barley. Given the market outlook the Spring Price Endorsement doesn’t seem worth the premium.

Market News

Wheat

Looking ahead, wheat will likely be underpinned by weather problems in European and Australian wheat growing areas, along with uncertainty about the conditions of the US crop after a recent freeze. Spring freezes and a storm that brought heavy, wet snow have caused extensive damage to Kansas’ winter wheat crops, with preliminary reports estimating nearly 70% of fields hurt to varying degrees.

Source: CBOT News

There is a growing concern over dryness in the wheat growing regions in much of Australia, Europe, the Ukraine and the northern North China Plain. This could look to support prices in the future.

Another supporting factor this week is drought concerns in Australia. Comments this week from sources worried about another record drought could put Australia in the spotlight again similar to last season. NOAA recent reports strengthen these comments and will be watched carefully.

Source: Arc Capital Management

If the wheat crop rating improves 4 to 7% in the good to excellent categories, wheat will fall as it will suggest that good weather can improve crop conditions after frost. If the ratings come in down 2, 4 or 7% it will confirm that recovery is unlikely and traders will wildly guess how many hundreds of millions of bushels are lost and we’re off to the races.

Source: futuresource.com

Is Your Farm Plan About Getting Bigger or Getting Better?

So how does a farmer who is heavily capitalized in one direction set themselves up for 10 years down the road?

One: Be aware of what your business, family and personal goals are. Actually, each family member should write them down. What are your top three goals for business, family and personal? This gives you an ideal platform to launch from and gets everyone on the same page. You’ve got to know where you’re going in order to get there!

Two: Bigger does not mean better. Focus on improving efficiencies first before you grow. Better is better before bigger is better. You have to know your costs and you have to know your costs by enterprise.

Three: You need an astute marketing plan and have a strategy in place, but most importantly you’ve got to execute that strategy.

Four: Concentrate on your financial performance beyond tax compliance, in other words interact with your lender, share knowledge and look at your financial condition to see if you are going forward or falling back.

Five: Ask yourself: Does this farm operation generate sufficient profits to be able to have the lifestyle, carry our debt obligation that we demand?

Full article: http://agvisiontv.farms.com/story.cfm?segment=697