80 bushel 3 dollar corn.... Is RR worth 15 bushel an acre??

The Bachelor · Jun 25, 2010

I think I'm doin this right, but I was figuin it out and roundup corn at $120 a bag ends up bein around 15 bushel an acre in seed costs where I'm farmin (average 80 bu/acre) in Alpena County MI.

Near as I can figure, you have to get in twice with rr corn to spray and from what I gather gettin the seedbed ready will be the same.... Now it seems to me that my FIL only went in three times to spray (or cutivate back in the "good ol days" ) when he was dairyin....

Anyway, a buddy from up near St Paul Minn has me lookin at some OP Wapsee Valley corn he's been plantin for a while. It looks promising... soooo..... here's the question.....

80 bu RR corn is about the same as 65 bu OP corn to me..... I'm not doin 200 bu/acre corn here... Would it be worth lookin into OP???

What am I not seeing???

Thanks,

Brad Bachelor

IaGary · Jun 25, 2010

You should save some of the extra cost of the seed in Herbicide costs.

Spraying with Glysophate should cost less than the conventional type herbicides.

Right now with the high input costs I don't know if you can plant any type of corn that will make money when it only yields 80 bu per acre.

I would try another crop of some kind.

Gary

camju · Jun 25, 2010

that's why I don't fert. or spray. all I need to get oput is fuel and seed cost.and the organic masket is a little priceir.

Dave from MN · Jun 25, 2010

I would ask why you can only get 80 Bushel corn. I fiollowed the advice of my older "well if it were me" neighbor and the first year I only got 80 bushel. Started asking others and researching and went with what I thought I should do and was able to double thatr the next year. Did some tweaking with population, preemergants and fertilization this year, and if we get enough moisture I am looking forward to 200 bushel corn. RR corn is nice for cleaning up the feild when the corn is taller.

randallk · Jun 25, 2010

Perhaps the only thing might be the "potential" yield difference. OP corn definitely has a yield limit. If you're certain that the RR corn will only yield 80 bushel, I'd go with the OP. Any way you pencil it, 80 bushel corn will NOT make a profit. However, you may not be concerned with "profit" as this may be a hobby for you. One of the biggest advantages of
RR corn is the lack of carryover herbicide residual. It's tough to get good weed control with the other products without some concern over carryover.

paul · Jun 25, 2010

Right now, and it sounds like through next year, glyphosate is going to be very cheap - like $4 an acre to spray. So if you spray 2x with it, you will have $8 an acre of spray (plus fuel etc.).

The conventional corn herbicides, if you spray 2 or 3 times, can total $30 just for the spray (plus fuel etc.). As well, many of them have carry-over which can hurt different crops the following year. I've heard the older OP corn types might not be tolerant of some of the conventional sprays as well?

Cultivating will cost more than $8 per acre per trip in iron & fuel costs, and if you are in a rainy spring area you can _easily_ fall behind and the weeds get away from you. As well you need to harrow or rotory hoe after you plant for really 4 tillage trips after you plant. These trips do cost money.

Not saying the OP corn is a bad idea for you; Just to give a balanced view of how to figure this, things to consider.

What is limiting you to 80 bu corn? Cold, short season, too wet, soil quality, too dry, ???

--->Paul

flying belgian · Jun 25, 2010

Wow, how come you can only get 80 bushel corn in Michigan?

rrlund · Jun 25, 2010

Up there in Alpena County,yes. I'd say in a lot of years he's being optomistic.

That said,down here in Montcalm County,I've gotten away from raising all RR. Just raise SOME now. I use it on first year corn and on some low ground that is continuous silage corn. I have darned good luck with Prowl and atrazine pre emerge on second year. I use it on that continuous corn too,but I've got a big problem with nutsedge in there and have to clean it up with RR. So for the original question,you know what your weed problems are,if you can clean it up with a good pre,save your money on the Roundup.

the_bachelor · Jun 28, 2010

Thanks all...

The 80 acre corn is based on the ag census... I don't know, the soils are all sifferent up there. Really sandy compared to this sticky red Alabama clay. I think the first year would be around 80bu/acre just on learning curve.

Thanks for the fertilizer cost differences. It looks like thats where I need to concentrate.

Lots to learn, but I know most of the learnin (good and bad) comes after you stick the stuff in the ground

Thanks again,

Brad

BTW... I'm still learnin... I took a truckload of cattle to the salebarn for what I thought was the last time, only to see the sign " Closed for the July 4th Holiday, Next sale July 5th" What the ?????

VADAVE · Jun 28, 2010

I'm tring to avoid Roundup resistant weeds so I just don't do Roundup in corn.
I planted RR corn for the second time this year. If I don't get 165 to 170 bu this year no more RR seed.
For me it's increased yield gene in the seed.

80 bushel 3 dollar corn.... Is RR worth 15 bushel an acre??

The Bachelor

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IaGary

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camju

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Dave from MN

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randallk

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paul

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flying belgian

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rrlund

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the_bachelor

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VADAVE

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