Volume 16 Issue 3 May 2006

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF CROP QUEST AGRONOMIC SERVICES, INC.

Does Doublecropping Make Economic Sense in 2006?

Common sense dictates that going the extra mile to put in a doublecrop of soybean or even milo, corn or cotton in a year plagued with a pattern of moisture deficits is more risky than in an ordinary year. Doublecropping is increasing all across our area and certainly helps spread some risks and provides another avenue of profitability to our farmers, observes veteran Crop Quest agronomist Roger Unruh. Doublecropping offers the farmer a means of producing two crops per year on the same unit of land. In many instances, net yearly income can be increased significantly and seasonal cash flow can be improved. Nevertheless, Unruh advises, those farmers need to think more carefully this year about how they might proceed if doublecropping is part of their strategy after wheat. Any good crop requires adequate moisture, energy and nutrients to be successful, Unruh notes. It is especially hard to get everything just right to be successful at doublecropping soybean, especially in a dry year. Unruh adds, There are many questions on what kind of a rotation do I need? Farmers want help from our agronomists on helping them make that decision. Doublecropping is a means to fulfill a crop rotation sequence. In a normal year, a successful doublecrop relies primarily on maximizing the growing season for the second crop. A sufficient growing season is typically a combination of good management, preparation and planning. A timely wheat harvest alone is not enough. There must be sufficient soil moisture to start the crop and, hence, to start the growing season. Unruh admits there are more risks in doublecropping, but there are also some Roger Unruh very good reasons to doublecrop. You are going to have to control weeds in a summer crop anyway. For example, if you doublecrop soybeans behind wheat, you can use a less expensive glyphosate herbicide to control weeds. I advocate this practice on irrigated land and especially on dryland farming operations. Erosion control is another advantage of doublecropping. If you do not have that much residue on top, putting out a doublecrop could greatly assist erosion issues. According to veteran Crop Quest consultant Farrell Allison, some additional issues must be reviewed prior to doublecropping. The answers to each of these questions could make the difference in a successful doublecrop.
Do you have an opportunity to make some money? Do you own the land? What is the prospect of the wheat crop? Will the wheat crop come off in time to get a doublecrop established? What is your labor situation? What is the commodity price after harvesting wheat?

Allison, who has been an agronomist for nearly three decades, stresses the point that it costs just about the same amount of money to put in a doublecrop as it does a full-season crop. You still have to buy seed, fertilizer, handle weed control, water management issues, etc., he outlines. You have to look at how much water was pumped on the wheat crop and if there is enough to water a doublecrop. If you are short on water, you may need to look at sunflowers instead of soybeans or milo or corn for a doublecrop. Three years ago, it was costing Kansas Farrell Allison farmers nearly $2,500/circle to pump water. This year it is going to cost nearly $9,000/circle. This cost to irrigate would certainly be a detriment to doublecropping a crop that requires much water. In conclusion, Unruh adds, In 2006 there are so many critical input issues to consider energy costs, seed prices, fertilizer decisions, labor, etc. This is when a Crop Quest agronomist can be an especially valuable management partner.
Crop Quest Perspectives 1

Your Crop Quest Agronomist...

A Proven Partner In Risk Management
By: Ron OHanlon,
President

There has been some concern in recent years that a farmers Member, National Alliance of Independent Crop expectation of what Consultants, CPCC-I agronomists can really Certified provide is greater than reality. Due to the very tight ag economy, farmers are looking for ways to lessen their risk, while at the same time earn a positive net income. Shifting some of the economic responsibility to others involved in helping make cropping decisions, such as the crop consultant, seems to be one way some farmers are using to lessen this burden. There are many things that an agronomist can provide to a farmer, such as assisting in helping to make decisions regarding the potential outcome of their cropping plans. But the one thing agronomists cannot provide is yield guarantee. There are so many variables that have an influence on the final yield, an agronomist can only hope to improve the odds of overcoming all the negative influences affecting the yield with the decisions and recommendations they make regarding the crop. Crop consultants are trained in many different aspects of crop production, calibrations, scouting techniques, pesticide labels

and efficacies, water management and crop budgeting in order to broaden their knowledge to assist their farmers/clients in making those tough decisions regarding their crop management plans. An agronomist can walk a field looking for insects, weeds, diseases, nutrient problems, compaction, and soil moisture status and then recommend to a farmer certain actions that may be taken if there are problems that are present. The consultant is there to offer advice and recommendations regarding many of the aspects of crop production, but ultimately, it is still the farmers decision as to whether to follow their advice based upon their own knowledge, experience and financial situation. The agronomist always has the responsibility of making the best observations and recommendations based upon their training, education and experience. However, there is no way they know what may happen in the future that can be counter to the decisions that were made on the information in the present. This is just part of the risk a farmer has always had as a part of farming. The Crop Quest consultants are there to provide another set of eyes, ears, peace of mind and advice for the challenges and opportunities that a farmer faces daily. The agronomists are there to assist farmers in the tough decisions that have to be made, but not to replace them as the manager of their farming operation.

The Influence Of Biotechnology On Farmer And Consultant Relationships

By: Dwight Koops Regional Vice President Ulysses, Kan. Biotechnology has become a household name for almost every farmer in the country. We are all familiar with terms like GMO, BT, RR, Clearfield, etc. Adding biotech traits to plant genetics has probably led to more increased yields and efficient use of inputs quicker than any other technology developed prior to their release more than a decade ago. Looking forward, it is easy to see that we are closer to the beginning of this biotech revolution than we are to the end. We are going to see some great advances in genetically modified crops in the future that will affect more and more crops, and more and more plant traits. It is exciting to be a part of this revolution. At the same time, these traits force farmers to make some very refined management decisions to best utilize the technology that is available. These traits are not free, and there must be a reason for a farmer to justify purchasing them. It is a real challenge to keep up on the traits available, the nomenclature, the genetic events, the stacked traits and the resistance issues that have been triggered by the onset of the use of GMOs. It is also very important to understand that certain traits affect pesticide applications and
2 Crop Quest Perspectives

use. We need to avoid mistakes that can lead to disasters from an inadvertent application. These are areas where a consultant brings great value to their customers. The consulting business has evolved along with the biotech revolution. Consultants are challenged more and more with planning and managing farms and fields and scouting fields with biotech traits in mind. Consultants are in a position to help farmers place traits in proper situations that will allow success without wasting money on unnecessary traits. When BT corn was first introduced, it was thought that this technology would devalue consulting. In fact, it has had just the opposite effect. Every new genetically modified trait that is introduced increases the need to refine our crop management skills, and the trend toward stacking traits together further enhances the need for a high level of management. Farmers and consultants are communicating more often and better today than any time in the past. We at Crop Quest will continue to keep up with all the new technology that is being developed for agriculture, and will always help our customers utilize these innovations for the betterment of their operation. If you have any questions whatsoever on what biotech traits will benefit your operation, and even more important, where to place these traits, please contact your Crop Quest agronomist.
www.cropquest.com

Irrigating in 2006 Could Challenge Profit Margins

Veteran Crop Quest agronomist Harlan Bartel, Cimarron, Kan., sums up sprinkler irrigation management quite simply Do not turn them on unless your crop can benefit from it. He adds, The days of watering because your neighbors sprinklers are on are over. Besides, you would not take heart medicine just because your neighbor did, so why copy their management practices. Bartels approach to water management is concise, based on science and fits his customers budgets and expectations. We have spent a lot of time working on watering budgets in 2006, admits Bartel. Even with the higher energy costs, we are still (especially where we still have enough water to irrigate corn or soybeans) planning on doing a full irrigation program. If we are going to irrigate, we have to go for the highest yield, Bartel believes. Even though corn prices have moved up a bit and natural gas has come down some too, Bartel is advising his clients continue to water as efficiently as possible. This means that where economics dictate, Bartel is moving many of his clients to no-till management to conserve water utilization. In this part of the county, no-till and crop rotation management is an excellent means of conserving and utilizing water to its optimum benefit, Bartel notes. We have quite a few acres that are strictly no-till with wheat and corn or wheat and soybeans rotation. With wheat in the rotation, it maximizes the water efficiency because we end up with good subsoil moisture, which results in minimal or no preplant irrigation if we are planting corn or soybeans no-till into wheat stubble. Somewhat less efficient from a water utilization standpoint is rotating corn with soybeans. Most of my producers, with smaller irrigation wells, are heading towards no-till and getting a crop rotation of wheat and corn or wheat and soybeans. Bartel points to another scenario where his clients are significantly cutting back on the irrigation water by going to a rotation of milo and soybeans. This is the next step down from full irrigation that is looking very promising, Bartel adds. If water is an issue in your area in 2006, the final step before switching to dryland may be doing a preplant irrigation or fall irrigation to replenish subsoil moisture and leave the sprinkler off, the agronomist suggests. In all my budgeting to date, the success rests with making sure you have good subsoil moisture prior to planting. So far, our water management is keeping options open for 2006. Prior to joining Crop Quest, Doug Moyer, Plainview, TX, was a farm manager for 12 years. He has seen all sides of the equation and, from experience, states, As any input cost increases water, energy, seed, fertilizer, etc. we have to be as efficient as possible. Harlan Bartel We do not see many changes in our irrigation recommendations in 2006, Moyer notes. Our traditional corn producers know, and we continue to preach, we cannot cut back on our water and expect to make the kind of yields that make the crop profitable. Even though energy prices are high, they are committed and we do not want them to skimp on inputs. Moyer admits they have not really been able to cut much, primarily because the area has only had 1 inch to 2 inches of rain since August 2005. This has some of our clients working with us to change from water-dependent corn over to less-dependent sorghum silage and cotton to reduce water dependency, Moyer states. If the bottom line looks good, it can be a good alternative. We have many new dairies in the area, so silage is in need and that has opened the silage market for many of our growers. Doug Moyer Moyer adds, As dry as it has been this year, even though we may get some rain soon, the wells will probably not be turned off. As energy costs increase, monitoring soil moisture is critical and should be considered a high priority.

Crop Quest Perspectives

I Sprayed My Wheat This Winter. Can I Plant Something On That Field After The Wheat Is Harvested?
By: Jim Gleason Regional Vice President St. John, Kan. That depends on which chemical was used. Chemicals have different recropping restrictions. Some chemicals dont have any restrictions, which means you can plant any crop without having to wait. These are generally contact herbicides that are inactive soon after coming in contact with the soil. 2,4-D, MCPA and the Dicamba products are some that have very short to no recropping restrictions. Another popular class of chemistry that is used on a lot of wheat acres for broadleaf control is the SUs. The sulfanylurea class has varying lengths of residual control against the weeds we are trying to control. This persistence affects what we can plant back on those treated acres as well as when. Compounds, like Express or Harmony Extra, have a 45-day recropping restriction to any crop. You would be pretty safe to plant a crop if it has been more than six weeks since you sprayed the field with one of these chemicals. With the other chemicals in this class, it is not as simple to say when it is safe to replant the field. The waiting period ranges from one month to two years, depending on which chemical was used, the rate that was used, the crop that is to be replanted, the pH of the soil and the amount of rainfall that fell during the waiting period. This information is listed on the label for each chemical. Grain sorghum, proso millet or STS soybeans can usually be rotated back sooner than corn, sunflowers or non-STS soybeans. If the field was treated for cheat or downy brome with Maverick, Olympus or Olympus Flex, the recropping interval to STS soybeans is three to five months. There is a wide difference in the interval to grain sorghum; it is from nine to 22 months depending on the product used. It may be too restrictive to attempt to doublecrop back to milo this summer, regardless of the product used. The decision to planting a second crop after wheat harvest usually is made based upon available soil moisture. Dont forget to think about what chemical was applied to the field last winter as well.
Maverick is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. Olympus and Olympus Flex are registered trademarks of Bayer CropScience.

Crop Quest is an employee-owned company dedicated to providing the highest quality agricultural services for each customer. The quest of our network of professionals is to practice integrity and innovation to ensure our services are economically and environmentally sound.

Mission Statement

Crop Quest Agronomic Services, Inc. Main Office: Phone 620.225.2233 Fax 620.225.3199 Internet: www.cropquest.com cqoffice@cropquest.com

Employee-Owned & Customer Driven

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DODGE CITY KS PERMIT NO. 433

Crop Quest Board of Directors

President: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Ron OHanlon Jim Gleason Dwight Koops Cort Minor Chris McInteer Rob Meyer