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Show hat Is the Maximum Profit Level of Your Farm Production? by D. C. Tingey Prof, of Agronomy, USU, Logan There is need for a more accurate accur-ate method of determining fertilizer fertil-izer .requirements. The shotgun method of fertilizer recommenda tions used is not realistic. Crop yields from farm to farm are to yields from farm to farm are too variable. With such a condition it is not possible to give recommendations recommenda-tions that are optimum for each situation. Each farmer can, however, how-ever, determine the optimum a-mount a-mount of fertilizer he can profitably profit-ably use on various crops. There are many factors besides fertilizers that influence crop yields. The kind of soil, amount of water available for irrigation, variety vari-ety of crop, quality of seed, amount of seed planted, time of planting, cropping program, crops stands, pest control, and weather conditions condi-tions classed as resources of produc tion. If all these production resources re-sources were utilized to the optimum, opti-mum, one would obtain the maximum maxi-mum crop yield. The maximum level of production, however, is not likely to be the maximum profitable profit-able level of production the one IF YOU GROW: SUGAR BEETS j CORN : POTATOES i .Yt llltt a tn lis vim PASTURES j . . or most other j I crops v I USE v I j ENOUGH I I FERTILIZER I Proper fertilization is th best way to ass're yourself maximum maxi-mum profit from your land. And for nitrogen requirements, require-ments, insist on fertilizer! made by United States SteeL Fertilizers i of most interest to the farmer. The maximum level of production or. any parcel of land will never be known until we know how to use each resource of production at its optimum. Since many of the production resources are subject to change, and some are not controlled con-trolled by the farmer, the maxi mum level of production will change. Even though the maximum level of production of any special parcel of land will change with time, farm managers can set annual production produc-tion goals based on past experiences experi-ences and productions records, and eventually be able to approximate the maximum level of profitable production with a given set of production pro-duction resources. Most of the production resources are relatively simple to apply at or near their optimum, such as variety, quality of seed, amount of seed to plant, time of planting, cropping program, crop stand, and pest control. Irrigation water requires re-quires considerable more judgment and skill to use it at its optimum. Devices are available to measure soil moisture which can aid the farmer in using water at or near optimum. We cannot change the type of soil, although some of the unfavorable conditions, such as un-eveness, un-eveness, salinity, or poor drainage, can be corrected and this will improve im-prove crop production. Also, the physical and chemical environment can be improved by adding farm manure and crop residues. We cannot can-not change the weather, but we can often modify some of its effects ef-fects 'by time of planting and proper pro-per use of irrigation water. Fertilizer Is the one production resource on most farms for which the optimum level of profitable use is least known; yet it is one of the easiest to manipulate by the farmer far-mer to determine the optimum for his conditions. In Utah soils, nitrogen and phosphorus phos-phorus are the most likely fertilizers fertili-zers to be limiting resources of pro auction. Wheat on irrigated land will be used to illustrate how to determine the maximum level of profitable production for any parcel of land, based on fertilizer. The time of planting wheat becomes an important import-ant resource of production. Fall planted wheat on irrigated land has a much higher maximum level of production than spring wheat. This is caused by the newly developed de-veloped Gaines variety, for which there is no comparable spring variety. Suppose a farmer has followed the general fertilizer recommenda tions and applied about 80 pounds of nitrogen per acre to the wheat crop and has been getting yields of about 60 bushels to the acre. If he compares this yield with the state average of 35 or 40 bushels, this 60 bushels is a good yield. But is 60 bushels the maximum level of profitable production for his farm? To evaluate the fertilizer and determine how to use it, we will assume the other resources of production pro-duction are 'being used by the far mer at the same level as for the 60-bushel yield. The wise farmer will utilize to the best of his ability the other resources of production at or near optimum, before pro ceeding to determine the optimum profitable use of fertilizer. The procedure for determining maxi mum profitable yields for this farm for nitrogen fertilizer at the other level of resources ofproduction in dlcated is as follows: (It is as sumed phosphorus Is not a limiting resource in wheat production on this farm). Table 1 shows the amount of nit rogen and phosphorus in wheat at given yields. (Similar data are a vailable for other crops). The 60 bushel yield contains 105 pounds of nitrogen. The farmer applied 80 EIGHT-BALL IN THE SIDE POCKET? pounds and the soil supplied the remaining 25 pounds. How much nitrogen should the farmer apply next year? This de pends on the acre yield expected, and the ability of the soil to supply nitrogen. To determine if the 60 bushels is maximum for the farm higher yearly production goals should be set. Estimate the amount of nitrogen the soil will supply and add the additional in nitrogtn fertilizer. fer-tilizer. Continue this yearly procedure pro-cedure until one has reached the maximum level of profitable production. pro-duction. Some examples may make this clearer. Next year we will set our goal at 90 bushels. From the table we see that 90 bushels of wheat will contain about 158 pounds of nitrogen. nitro-gen. The soil the preceeding year supplied 25 pounds and we will assume as-sume it will do the same this year, so we subtract 25 from 158 and the remaining is 133 pounds. This is the minimum amount we will have to supply In fertilizer. We obtained 85 bushels per acre instead of our goal of 90. From this increase of 25 bushels we have learned two things: (1) nitrogen was a limiting factor in the 60-bushel 60-bushel yield, and (2) the soil apparently ap-parently was not capable of supplying sup-plying more than 25 pounds of nitrogen. nit-rogen. If it had supplied more, the yield would have been more than 60 bushels. Furthermore, the 85-bushel 85-bushel yield, instead of 90, is additional addi-tional evidence that the soil could not supply more than 25 pounds. We still do not know if the 85 bushels is the maximum level of profitable production, so we set higher goals the next year. However, How-ever, before we do this, we should take a look at the profits side, as profits in use of fertilizer are just as essential as profits from any other resource of production. We calculate our increased costs and returns for the 85 bushels of wheat as compared with the 60 bushels. We applied 53 pounds more nitrogen nitro-gen at a cost of about $6.36 and we had to haul 25 more bushels of wheat at a cost of about $1.50, or a total of $7.86. Suppose we sell the extra 25 bushels of wheat at $1.75 per bushel. This amounts to $43.75 or a profit of $35.89. Since we made a good profit, the next year we set still higher goals, say 115 bushels to the acre. From the table we see that this 115-bush- el yield will contain about 200 pounds of nitrogen. We again assume as-sume the soil will supply 25 pounds and from the preceding years yields this seems to be about all we can expect, so we will need to apply 175 pounds of nitrogen. Now suppose we only get 90 bushels to the acre. We may conclude con-clude that we have reached the maximum yield for this set of production pro-duction resources, including nitrogen. nitro-gen. We still didn't lose any money as the slight increase in yield of wheat would more than pay for the extra cost. Next year we mighc cut back some on nitrogen, and assume our maximum profitable yield is around 90 bushels per acre. But suppose, instead of the 90 bushels, we obtained 105 bushels to the acre. This is a 20-bushel in crease over the preceding year of 85 bushels. Using the same pro cedure as before, we calculate our profits at $28.76. So we set new goals and repeat the same procedure proced-ure until we reach the maximum profitable acre yield. When we reach this we know that nitrogen is not the limiting factor. One may want to do some speculating specu-lating at these higher yields, as phosphorus might be a limiting factor. It may be that some other resource of production is limited, such as crop variety, improper irrigation, irri-gation, wrong planting date, poor weed control, etec. When we change the optimum for any other resource, we then need to re-eval- I A - I Hi Jk ,' w To the contrary, U. S. Steel is doing all it can to keep Utah farmers from getting behind the eight-ball. With the market for nitrogen fertilizers growing about five per cent annually, U. S. Steel will soon start expanding its Nitrogen Plant at Geneva, Utah. When completed later this summer, nitric cicid production will be increased by one-third. Here is shown two giant 2,100-ton Hortonspheres at Geneva which store liquid anhydrous ammonia, another product which is showing increasing use throughout the West. KNOW WHY WHEN YOU BUY . by Paul D. Chxistensen USU Extension Soil Specialist Remember these six main rea sons for buying and applying materials ma-terials to your crops and soil: (1) supply needed plant nutrients, (2) improve tilth of your soil, (3) con trol weeds, (4) control insects, (5) control nematodes in your soil, and (6) introduce needed micro-organisms under specific situations. By carefully considering these reasons you can avoid spending money for products that are actually act-ually of little value to you. First, keep in mind that plant nutrient needs can best be satisfied through the application of standard commercial com-mercial fertilizers like ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, con-! centrated superphosphate, ammon- ium phosphate, and minor element' products proved by research. Reli-i tons per acre. If you have manure, apply it. You can't build soil or in- ' rtrpnsp nrpnnip mattar hv the cinrw pie application of a few gallons of dilute bacterial solution. You can "grow" organic matter in the soil if you apply commercial fertilizers at recommended rates and follow good management practices. prac-tices. Increased yields of tops usually us-ually mean increased yields of roots. The roots stay in the soil and contribute to the organic matter mat-ter supply. Research and industry have pro vided fine chemicals to control weeds, insects, and nematodes. Used according to recommendations recommenda-tions and in conjunction with good farming practices, these products contribute to increased yields and profits. Bacterial inoculation of legume able up-to-date fertilizer recom- seed has trlven ?nod vipld rosnnnso fw n no nnra non t mm - mendations your USU County Extension Agent. In addition, he can tell you how to sample your soil and where to get it tested to determine fertilizer needs. Fertilizer needs in each state are continually and consistently being investigated by the Extension Services Ser-vices and the Agricultural Experiment Experi-ment Stations. These investigations constantly involve new products and new procedures. Fertilizer recommendations rec-ommendations are based on more than 100 years of careful laboratory labora-tory and field testing, both locally and throughout the world. Soil tilth can be maintained or improved with organic matter and good tillage practices; however, large amounts of manure or crop residues are required to affect material ma-terial changes in the soil. Manure applications often total 10 to 20 lm i Him nn -miu4ji iui. m ji.ij. ! m 1 11 mm uinumm.i. .. ... .. n. .i.,,.:,-.,. rnrur.rV. , ... ANNOUNCING . . . OUR ANNUAL SPRING Feeder & Stacker IT TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1966 Plan now to consign your calves and yearlings to this Special Sale . . . where competitive bidding will bring TOP prices DELTA LIVESTOCK AUCTION, DELTA, UTAH Located on Main Line Union Pacific Railroad Buyers from several states will be here SALE STARTS AT 10:00 A.M.- All singles and odd cattle will be sold last BONDED FOR YOUR PROTECTION DELTA LIVESTOCK AUCTION DELTA, UTAH PHONE 864-2361 Elwin L. Pace, Owner Phone 864-2291 uate the fertilizer program to arrive ar-rive at a new maximum level of profitable production. In presenting a method for deter mining the maximum level of profitable pro-fitable use of fertilizer, the procedures proced-ures are intentionally over-simplified. Because seasonal conditions are variable, yield determinations may require some repeated tests to arrive at the maximum level of profitable production. The utilization of the resources of crop production at or near optimum, opti-mum, including the determination of the maximum level of profitable use of fertilizers is not only an exciting and challenging phase of farming, but also can be highly rewarding re-warding profit-wise. TABLE 1. Pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus in wheat at different acre yields ir. certain acid soil areas of the Millard County Chronicle Thursday, March 24, 1966 5 Sol! Sampling Suggestions Here are five suggestions by County Agent Jay Hall for taking accurate soil samples which can mean better use of fertilizer and more profits per acre for you: (1) Divide each field into uniform uni-form areas, paying special atten- country. However, in many of the alkaline soil areas, such as Utah, field tests have shown little or nothing no-thing in favor of inoculated seed. Research has shown that general additions of bacteria or bacterial solutions to the soil are of little or no value in increasing crop yields. Each handful of ordinary garden or farm soil contains billions of bacteria, molds and other microbes. In addition, bacteria and other microorganisms mi-croorganisms are added to the soil on dust particles and in the irrigation irriga-tion water. In purchasing any product, keep in mind the function you want it to serve. Avoid the "miracle" mixtures mix-tures and cure-alls. tion to differences in slope, erosion, crop growth and yield. The soil in each area should have the same texture, cropping history and fertilizer fer-tilizer treatment. (2) When you sample an area, scrape away the surface littfff and take a core six inches deep from the surface soil. (3) On permanent pastures and sod areas, sample only three inches deep. (4) Repeat this procedure in 10 to 15 places in the uniform area. Mix the soil in a pail and fill a pint container with the mixture. (5) Don't sample unusual areas such as dead furrows, low spots or terraces. Such a procedure will give you a composite sample representing all sections of the field. This wili help the soil testing laboratory give you an accurate report on your land's needs for nutrients. Soil samples can be taken any time the ground isn't frozen. To take a soil sample, you need a container and information sheet, a sampling tube or space and a clean pail. You can get the container contain-er and information from your county coun-ty agent, fertilizer dealer or the vocational agriculture teacher. 1 T seed. Grain THE FOLLOWING VARIETIES OF SEED GRAIN ARE AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY BARLEY Gem, Velvon, Trebi, Bonneville Komar -WHEAT- Lemhi -OATS- Swedish Selected, Overland Park MORRISON & COMPANY ONE MILE NORTH OF DELTA PHONE 569 1 Sulk Application BOB Acre Yield Nitro. Phos. Per Bushel 40 70 30 60 105 45 80 140 60 90 158 68 100 175 75 115 201 86 130 228 98 150 263 113 171? MIXING DELIVERING SPREADING at lowest costs featuring ... . (Fertilizers V- Sea your INTERMOUNTAIN FARMERS ASSN. Branch Minapr REX WOOD 1 f- :.-' - - - .' T - ;T. . .4 . . v - Kvi'- .-v- ?;x ' Xt. -T I . .-v.. 7 " t X XZ V" - . . . swift, convenient, efficient! This year go bulk! Bulk application using USS Fertilizers, is often the most effective way for you as a farmer to see that your crops get enough fertilizer. Bulk application with USS Fertilizers is economical, eco-nomical, efficient, and convenient. It's the swift way to get the fertilization job done - and it takes less of your time and labor. There is a bulk outlet carrying USS Fertilizers near you. Call now to schedule bulk application of fertilizer for your farm. This ye?.r get maximum yields from the available moisture use enough fertilizer. Insist on USS Fertilizers, made by United States Steel. USS) Fertilizers Sir- |