Agronomist Notes

Last week I ventured out for a few client visits to discuss agronomy strategies and research opportunities for 2011. Conversation was around liquid injection systems for air drills, inter-row seeding set ups, RTK guidance purchases and product trials. It’s a full time job trying to keep on the leading edge and left of the bleeding edge!

This week I’ll be speaking at the Direct Seeding Conference in Fairview and at Saskatoon Crop Production Week. I’m really looking forward to catching up with colleagues and presenting on a little thing called controlled traffic farming.

In this newsletter we’ll investigate a strategy to boost protein in spring wheat. Next, we’ll look at what it takes to produce 190 bushel barley in Alberta, a record that was made in the 1990’s. Last, I’ll give you the recipe for producing 185 bushel barley in New Zealand and ‘just add rain’ is not the only step. We’ll finish with fundamental and technical grain market news.

Boost proteins with liquid urea

We all know that protein offers a premium in spring wheat yet many producers struggle to achieve protein levels above 13.5%. The usual approach is to keep applying more nitrogen at seeding. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll reach high protein. More yield perhaps, but not more protein. Achieving high protein comes down to the timing and form of nitrogen applied. With protein premiums increasing in 2011, perhaps we should take a second look at the way we apply nitrogen in spring wheat.

It’s well documented that applying nitrogen during flowering or the doughy stage in wheat will increase protein. The problem we run into with our current one-pass system is the timing of nitrogen uptake. Applying all N at seeding leads to luxury consumption and tall leafy plants. Later in the season, nitrogen uptake is reduced during the reproduction phase. Root growth ceases during the reproductive phase which means roots are not actively exploring soil and taking up nitrogen. The solution, no pun intended, is liquid urea at flowering or milky dough.

Liquid urea has a very small molecular size, a neutral charge and is readily absorbed into the plant through the stomata. Compare that to 28-0-0 UAN or broadcast urea- these forms must be washed into the ground and then taken up by plant roots, which may not be taking up nitrogen yet. Also, UAN contains only 50% urea, the nitrogen form which boosts protein.

To give you an idea of the protein increases seen with urea rates here are just a few research examples:

• Gabala et al (2003), 9 lbs/ac of liquid urea during flowering increased protein from 10.2 to 11.8%
• Johnson and Perfine (2002), 9 lbs/ac of liquid urea at milky dough increased protein from 9.9 to 10.8%
• Svenson et al (2002), 11 lbs/ac of liquid urea at doughy stage increased protein from 11% to 12.2%

Steve’s quick math:

Assumption: $6.50 wheat and 60 bu/ac yield
Application cost: $3.50ac app + 3% yield loss from wheel tracks = $15.20/ac
Urea cost: 11 lbs/ac x $0.29 lb ($650T ÷ 2204lbs/T) = $3.24/ac
Total cost = $18.44/ac
1% protein increase: 60 bu/ac x $0.80 bu = $48.00

So, in this example, you could theoretically generate $29.56 an acre from increased protein provided you could achieve a 1% protein bump. If you don’t count wheel tracks, you’re looking at a $41.26 an acre net return on investment. Bottom line, liquid urea is a lower cost and more efficient strategy for applying foliar nitrogen to increase protein. We’ll get into logistics and product mixing another time. SL

Source: http://www.sid.ir/en/VEWSSID/J_pdf/81020070101.pdf 

What does it take to produce 190 bu/ac barley?

I was chatting to a colleague today about what it would take to produce 185 bushel barley. His comment to me was “move to New Zealand, Steve”. I laughed at first but thought surely our maximum yield potential must be close to 185 or 200 bu/ac when conditions allow. Even in a tough year like 2010 I had clients averaging 120 bu/ac Xena and 140 bu/ac Trochu and that’s with 110 bu/ac yield targets. After some research, I found out we can hit 190 bu/ac right here, no relocation necessary.

Researchers from Westco hit 190 bushel barley yields in 1990 when they were looking at the yield contributions from macro and micro nutrients near Beiseker, AB. They provided some back ground to the agronomy and soil test reports so I thought I’d share it with you.

The graph you see here shows the barley yield response to macro and micronutrients. The number in percent represents the portion of total response attributable to individual nutrients. The check yield was 86 bu/ac.

The agronomy package that produced 190 bushel barley was as follows:

• 28 plants ft2 at 96 lb seeding rate
• 6-row barley variety was Virden
• Seed was treated with fungicide
• Three rates of N using urea were banded prior to seeding at 33, 66, 99 lbs/N/ac with 21 lbs/ac of sulphur
• A blend of 0-54-54-0 using triple super phosphate and potassium chloride was applied at seeding, 50% with the seed and 50% banded to the side.
• A blend of micronutrients, 2% boron, 4% copper, 4% iron, 8% manganese, 18 % zinc was seedrow applied at a rate of 12 lb/ac.
• Tilt fungicide was applied at early flag leaf.
• Rainfall 1990: May 3.6”, June 2.4”, July 3.3”, Aug 2.3” = 11.6”
• Rainfall 1989: Total = 11.25”

The background soil test, which only shows macros unfortunately, would be classified as high in soil nitrate with 99 lbs/N/ac in the top 24 inches. Phosphorus levels were low at 18 lbs/ac as well as potassium at 204 lbs/ac. At 190 bushel barley yield the total nitrogen uptake would have been 285 lbs/N/ac. With 99 lbs of additional N using urea and sulphur plus the 99 lbs in the soil, the organic matter would have provided the additional 87 lbs through mineralization. Background sulphur levels were 170 lbs/ac in the top 24 inches. 

The take home message is that 190 bu/ac barley is possible in Alberta. The challenge as I see it today is the balance between high nitrogen rates which 150 bu+ yields require and the ability to keep the crop standing. I’m thinking back to a previous article on the use of growth regulators (See BAN from July 27th, 2010). For those with decent soil moisture, urea bought below $450 a tonne and feed barley approaching $4 a bushel, perhaps setting your sights on 150+ bu/ac next year might be in the cards on a few fields.

To read the full article on 190 bushel barley in Alberta go to: http://www.back-to-basics.net/fertilityfacts/pdf_files/high_yielding_barley.pdf

Innovative land rental agreements

More often than not, I have a hard time fishing rental agreements out of producers outside my client base because it's in their best interest to hold their cards close and be prudent with the details. However, I heard of an interesting proposal for land rent that made me think twice about its potential. The producer offered his neighbour 5 years of cash rent up front to farm the land during that time. Even with interest costs, which are tax deductible, he figured the principle and interest was worth it.

In this example, we'll look at offering a 5-year lump sum of rent on 1,000 acres at $50.00 an acre and 5.25% interest.

$50.00 acre × 1,000 acres = $50,000 annual rent
$50,000 × 5 years = $250,000 5-year payment
$250,000 × 5.25% over 5 years = $290,716.65 5-year payment or $58,143.33 annually
$58,143.33 ÷ 1,000 acres = $58.14 acre

In this example offering a lump sum to cover five years of rent would cost $58.14 an acre after interest and increase the land rental cost by 16%. This strategy does tie up capital for five years but I suspect the banks would prefer to see a highly leveraged client with 5-year rental agreements rather than 1 or 3-year agreements. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this strategy.

Another land rental agreement is one that links rental payments to grain prices, thereby allowing the land owner to share in the risks and returns. In this case, the November Pool Return Outlook on wheat from the Canadian Wheat Board is being used, but you could use the price of canola or another crop at a specific time. In this lease, there's a base amount per acre paid to the landlord. If wheat is $7.25 a bushel or better net to farmers at the end of November, the cash rent goes up by $5 an acre. If wheat is above $8.25, the cash rent goes up $10 an acre. If the wheat PRO is above $9.25 a bushel, the rent increase is $15 an acre above the base. However, if the tenant collects crop insurance for the crops on the leased land, there are no rental increases no matter what grain prices do. Interesting! SL