Advisor At The Top:

Improving Crop and Feed Management Can Increase Potential Earnings

Regardless of economic conditions, producers are always looking for ways to reduce input costs. Deciding to cut costs is often tempting, but the key is to know exactly how these cutbacks can impact your overall profit margin. As shown in a recent analysis performed for WinField by Sapienza Analytica LLC, a grower can potentially leave a large amount of money on the table by cutting back on crop management and feed storage practices.*

"The main takeaway from this analysis is that earnings above agronomic, storage and off-farm feed purchases can increase exponentially when the best crop management and feed storage practices are employed," explains Donald Sapienza, PhD, the managing director of Sapienza Analytica, a firm that specializes in analyzing the nutritional value of feed. "Likewise, earnings can sharply decrease when growers cut corners."

Sapienza addressed producers at the Midwest Forage Association Annual Meeting and Symposium this January, where he presented three scenarios for producing and conserving on-farm feeds. The low, baseline and high input scenarios took into account agronomic costs (seed, fertilizer, crop protection products, insurance, fuel and oil, repairs, hauling, trucking and labor) and storage costs (chopping, treating, packing and covering).

The analysis was powered by yield data, feed values and cropping recommendations from 14 Midwestern Answer Plot® locations in 2011. Sapienza applied these numbers to Honey Creek Dairy - a "virtual" dairy he created that was similar in size to the operations of the average grower who attended the MFA meeting.

"Most of these producers grow hay, haylage, corn silage, earlage and corn grain on around 1500 acres - 1200 of which are owned and 300 of which are rented," Sapienza explains. "The average dairy herd of those in attendance consisted of 750 milking cows and 150 growing animals, so those are the numbers we used for our model."

Off-farm feed purchases are a necessity because a dairy herd needs adequate starch, protein and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels to support milk production. That being said, producers can reduce off-farm spending by optimizing the amount of on-field feed used in Total Mixed Ration (TMR).


The chart above summarizes the financial points of Sapienza's input scenarios discussed below. Although these specific numbers come from Answer Plot® locations in five Midwestern states, the concepts can be applied to production systems nationally.

• With baseline field and silo input costs of $1,009,782, producers would have to spend an extra $742,307 for off-farm feed - a total cost of $1,752,089. But with milk and excess corn grain sales calculated at $3,380,468 and $126,000, respectively, earnings could be $1,754,378.
• The high input scenario has producers spending an additional $55,676 on field and silo costs, for a total of $1,065,458. However, their off-farm feed costs would drop to $703,285, while milk sales and excess corn grain sales would jump to $3,568,271 and $399,000, respectively, putting earnings at $2,198,528.
• At the low input scenario, producers would spend $102,293 less than the baseline on field and silo input costs for a total of $907,489. However, their off-farm feed costs would jump to $906,362 to ensure the herd was being adequately fed. Milk sales would drop to $3,192,664 and growers would lose the opportunity to sell excess feed.

"By making an additional $55,000 investment in the production and storage of on-farm feed and reducing off-farm feed costs, producers have the potential of making as much as $444,000 more in earnings as opposed to the baseline scenario," Sapienza explains. "On the other hand, earnings can potentially decrease by as much as $376,000 when growers drop into the low input scenario, because they have to buy more off-farm feed, their milk production suffers and they lose the ability to sell excess grain. That's an $820,000 turn in earnings when comparing the high and low input scenarios."

The investment in the high input scenario starts with population and hybrid selection. When comparing populations of 30,000 and 38,000 plants/acre in the 2011 Answer Plot® research data he used, Sapienza found that 38,000 plants/acre resulted in higher yields at 30 percent dry matter, which is ideal for corn silage. In addition, the plants with best relative maturity for corn silage were the 98- to 106-day hybrids, as they produced the highest yields, Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN), starch content and NDF when harvested at the right time.

As expected, fertilization is also key in the high input scenario. Performing soil tests and having plant tissue samples analyzed by the WinField™ NutriSolutions® Tool enables producers to pinpoint nutrient deficiencies and correct them with applications of AgriSolutions® MAX-IN® micronutrient products. Also important is the timely application of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, as they help realize yield potential by eliminating competition and insect feeding and protecting plants from disease.

"The next step in the high input scenario is proper storage," Sapienza explains. "Once you capture higher yields, you need to preserve and protect them, as storage losses increase the need for off-farm feed purchases."

The storage process consists of chopping, treating, packing and covering. The objective is to start fermentation quickly, speed up the conversion of sugars to acids, shut down plant respiration and inhibit spoilage micro-organisms. Depending on the type of feed being stored, additives available through the Land O'Lakes Feed NutriSave® Forage Management System like buffered organic acids, inoculants and mold inhibitors can help maximize dry matter recovery and reduce spoilage.

Another action critical in achieving rapid fermentation and maintaining feed quality is to remove oxygen from silage. See the effect of packing density on dry matter losses at right.

"Chopping silage into smaller particles aids compaction, but producers need to balance this with their feeding objectives," Sapienza adds.

The final step is covering and sealing the bunker. Dry matter losses average 34.2 percent for no covering (low input), 25.1 percent for covering with soil (baseline) and 11.9 percent for covering with plastic (high).

All things considered, it's clearly in a producer's best interest to resist the urge to slash costs and instead concentrate on making the most efficient input investments for their acres.

"As our analysis shows, cutting back on management practices can be detrimental to overall profits, but fine-tuning your management costs to make sure you're getting the best return on your investment is always a smart thing to do," Sapienza concludes.

* Because of factors outside of WinField's control, such as weather, applicator factors, etc., results to be obtained, including but not limited to yields, financial performance, or profits, cannot be predicted or guaranteed by WinField. Actual results may vary.


Seeing is Believing in 2011 Answer Plot® Early Season Weed Control Research

Normal planting dates are only a matter of weeks away in the Southern Plains and still more than a month away in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest and upper Midwest. However, with this year's mild and relatively snow-free winter, producers all over the Corn Belt may opt for earlier planting. No matter where you call home, this is a good time to shore up the plans for your burndown program, especially in no-till or minimum till plots, as this allows the crop to establish under weed-free conditions.

Last year, several Answer Plot® locations in Indiana dramatically demonstrated the importance of early season weed control in corn. In the study, burndown and preemerge applications were skipped and weeds were allowed to grow to a height of 8 to 10 inches before spraying with a postemergence application of AgriSolutions® Cornerstone® herbicide.

In this demo plot at the 2011 Shelbyville, Ind. Answer Plot® location, the corn on the outside was treated with burndown and preemergent herbicide applications, while corn on the inside only got a postemerge application made when the weeds reached 8 to 10 inches in height. The photo was taken 30 days after spraying.

As the photo at right shows, competition for water, nutrients, light and space resulted in significant stunting of corn growth. Research from Southern Illinois University indicates a potential yield loss of 20 percent or more when weeds are allowed to grow to this height before treatment. Starting clean with a burndown treatment or tillage along with the use of soil residual herbicides will allow for weed free early season growth promoting higher yield potential and profit potential.

A burndown application should be made 14 to 21 days before tilling and at least 14 days prior to planting a no-till field, unless the product label stipulates a longer period. Depending on your location, the hard-to-control weeds targeted with a burndown program include Russian thistle, henbit, marestail, giant ragweed, lambsquarters, kochia and a number of grasses.

"It's a good idea to use a tank-mix partner, especially when using glyphosate," says WinField Regional Agronomist and Product Manager Robert Cossar. "A 2,4-D ester type herbicide like E-99, or a dicamba type like AgriSolutions® Sterling Blue® herbicide will help control hard-to-kill broadleaves. The most important thing is to know your weed spectrum, and the expected response to the herbicide(s) you decide to use."

"Adding a high surfactant oil concentrate (HSOC) also helps increase efficacy by burning through the thick waxy cuticle layer that builds up under dry conditions," he adds.

AgriSolutions® Superb® HC & Destiny® HC are crop oil concentrate (COC) or methylated seed oil (MSO) adjuvants compatible with glyphosate herbicides and glyphosate herbicide combinations. The use rate is usually half that of conventional COCs and MSOs.

"The addition of Class Act® NG® adjuvant helps improve efficacy and provides enhanced control by reducing the antagonism from hard water cations and increasing absorption of the herbicide into the weeds," Cossar says. "It's also a good idea to use AgriSolutions® InterLock® adjuvant in every tank-mix as it not only aids in reducing drift, but also helps with overall deposition and depth of coverage."

Coverage is essential when using contact herbicides with an active ingredient like paraquat, such as Gramoxone® SL, and it should be applied in a minimum of 15 gallons per acre (GPA). Systemic herbicides are often applied at a rate of 8 to 12 GPA. Proper tip selection is also important; a XR TeeJet® tip at very low pressures or an AIXR TeeJet® tip works well when spraying contact herbicides, and an AI or AIXR TeeJet® tip is effective when spraying systemic herbicides.

Cossar advises following a burndown program with a preemerge residual herbicide treatment, which will be discussed in the next issue of the Answer Plot® Advisor. For customized assistance in putting together the right burndown program for your fields, consult your AgriSolutions® expert agronomist and CROPLAN GENETICS® Seed & Agronomy Advisor.

Regional Agronomist & Product Manager:
Robert Cossar, 901-827-0250


Soil Moisture and Preferred Cutting Frequency Helps Eastern Producers Decide Between CROPLAN GENETICS® Gunner and Rebound 6.0 Alfalfa Varieties

Although growers often tend to over-fluff the soil when prepping their fields, adequate seed-to-soil contact is crucial to an alfalfa plant's development. "Because the seed is so small, planting into a firm seed bed ensures that moisture moves from the soil to the seed," says Randy Welch, CROPLAN GENETICS® seed National Alfalfa Agronomist.

With the release of the high-yielding CROPLAN GENETICS® Gunner alfalfa variety last year, many producers in the East looking to rotate into a new stand in 2012 are asking if they should switch over to the new product. The answer, says CROPLAN GENETICS® seed Alfalfa and Forage Agronomist Randy Welch, depends on soil moisture and a grower's preferred harvest schedule.

Fall dormancy for Gunner alfalfa is 4.8, so its super fast regrowth after each cutting helps it deliver high yields. In fact, Gunner alfalfa out-yielded the tons/acre mean of about 30 different alfalfa varieties at test plots in Kearney, Neb. and Mount Joy, Penn. in 2008 and 2009.* Its Winter Hardiness (WH) rating is 1.2, which gives it outstanding cold tolerance stand persistence in a high-yielding, fast regrowth Fall Dormancy (FD) 5 alfalfa variety.

"Gunner alfalfa wakes up very early in the spring, goes to bed late each fall and has really fast regrowth after cutting," Welch explains. "In addition, the amount of fall growth will be noticeable over traditional alfalfa. To give an example that corn growers are more familiar with, going to Gunner alfalfa is much like moving to an ultra full-season corn hybrid. These plants have greater ability to make use of the full growing season by greening up earlier in the spring and going into dormancy later in the fall - thus making an aggressive harvest schedule of 5 to 6 cuttings a reality for some Eastern producers."

"Gunner alfalfa is excellent for harvesting as dairy haylage in the East because of its super fast regrowth and the fact that it can take advantage of heat, soil fertility and water," Welch continues. "The East usually receives a fair amount of precipitation during the growing season."

In addition to its excellent forage yield potential, Gunner alfalfa is adapted across a wide range of growing conditions. It has high resistance to diseases like Phytophthora root rot; Verticillium, bacterial and Fusarium wilts; anthracnose; and Aphanomyces root rot (Race 1).

That being said, Welch advises Eastern growers who have wet soils prone to Aphanomyces (Race 1 or 2) or prefer a more forgiving cutting sequence to stick with Rebound 6.0 alfalfa.

"Rebound 6.0 alfalfa offers unmatched resistance to Aphanomyces Race 1 and Race 2 root diseases," Welch says. "Aphanomyces occurs in saturated soils and is often aggravated by soil compaction. In addition to weakening, stunting or outright killing seedlings, the Aphanomyces organism can lead to a lack of root development and reduced nodulation."

Sometimes misdiagnosed as herbicide damage, plants infected by Aphanomyces show yellowing and stunting symptoms similar to nitrogen deficiency and are slow to regrow following winter dormancy or harvest. The slow regrowth often allows weed infestation over time. Symptoms typically appear on slopes of fields.

"Aphanomyces is a serious disease because it can stunt and kill alfalfa seedlings and cause a chronic root disease in established plants," Welch says. "That's why it's important to plant a variety with good resistance. Of the two dominant races, Race 2 is the stronger of the two, and Rebound 6.0 alfalfa has excellent resistance to both races."

As far as harvest frequency is concerned, Gunner alfalfa is best utilized by a grower who is shooting for an aggressive harvest schedule of 5 to 6 cuttings, while Rebound 6.0 alfalfa is also more tolerant of a four-cut schedule. Once you get into areas where the heat turns on later in the spring, Gunner alfalfa isn't able to take full advantage of its potential so can be better to stay with the more dormant CROPLAN GENETICS® Rebound 6.0, which has more wet soil punch.

Welch encourages growers who are unsure about which alfalfa variety will best fit their acres to consult their AgriSolutions® expert agronomist or CROPLAN GENETICS® Seed & Agronomy Advisor.

Even though it's only a brief portion of an alfalfa stand's life, nothing is more critical to long-term productivity than the first 30 to 60 days after seeding. Fortunately CROPLAN GENETICS® alfalfa seed can be equipped with seed treatments that can stimulate germination and protect seedlings against disease.

"Once a seed germinates, it must survive, emerge, and establish before it can grow into a healthy, persistent and harvestable alfalfa plant," Welch explains. "Unfortunately a significant percentage of seedlings can die under typical field conditions. That's where seed treatments can mean the difference between success and failure."

This diagram shows the components of GroZone® plus Zn and Mn seed treatment.

A leading seed treatment option for alfalfa producers in 2012 is GroZone® plus Zn and Mn (CV). This uniform and dust-free seed treatment provides an ideal micro-environment for stimulating germination and vigorous growth in young seedlings, which aids in producing stronger and healthier seedlings for longer, more productive stands. The seed coating helps pull moisture from the soil, promoting faster and even stand establishment. This treatment, which is available on conventional and Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa, consists of four things that make it unique:

• Apron XL® fungicide, which helps protect each seedling from disease during establishment
• Nitragin® Gold, a rich concentration of high performance nitrogen fixing rhizobium bacteria
• Equal amounts of zinc, which increases alfalfa plant cell division, and manganese, which increases nitrogen metabolism, nodule initiation and carbohydrate utilization
• AgriSolutions® Ascend® plant growth regulator, which maximizes plant growth and development because it contains three hormone-mimicking compounds. These compounds are kinetin, a cytokinin plant hormone well known for its growth-promoting and anti-aging effects in plants; gibberellic acid, which endorses intermodal growth and builds wider leaves for better sunlight absorption; and indole butyric acid, which stimulates roots to break dormancy faster and increases nodulation.

A standard, uncoated seed treatment option for conventional alfalfa is Apron XL® and Nitragin® Gold (AN). A comparable standard seed treatment for Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa is GroZone® 8% (C8), which is AN plus purple colorant. (All Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa seed is required to contain at least 8% coating for colorant.)

Of course, using treated seed is just one element of producing a quality stand. The other is to practice the right planting and management techniques.

"First, it's important to have a soil test performed to ensure that the pH levels are adequate, because alfalfa does best in neutral pH soils," Welch explains. "You also want to be sure that the necessary macro- and micronutrients are present to fuel robust alfalfa growth, so it's advisable to have tissue samples analyzed by the WinField™ NutriSolutions® Tool throughout the growing season."

Although growers often tend to over-fluff the soil when prepping their fields, Welch adds that adequate seed-to-soil contact is crucial to an alfalfa plant's development.

"Because the seed is so small, planting into a firm seed bed ensures that moisture moves from the soil to the seed," he says.

Welch says growers should target planting depths of 3/8 inch for both clay and loam soils, and 1/2 to 1 inch for sandy soils or summer seeding. Weed pressure and insect pressure must also be targeted and controlled as soon as possible with CROPLAN GENETICS® Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa, conventional chemistry and insecticides like AgriSolutions® Arctic® 3.2EC insecticide.

Consulting with an agronomist can provide much needed advice in terms of what type of alfalfa crop is planted. By viewing the agronomic conditions of a field and knowing the exact way in which the alfalfa will be used, they will recommend the right product for the right purpose to be planted in the right field.

"If being used for forage, an agronomist will ask if your alfalfa will be baled or chopped and fed to horses, cattle or dairy cows," Welch concludes. "Knowing every variable helps the agronomist recommend the best alfalfa variety to put in your field."

There aren't many experts out there who specialize in alfalfa, but fortunately your local AgriSolutions® expert agronomist or CROPLAN GENETICS® Seed & Agronomy Advisor have you covered. For the expertise needed to help you make crop management decisions that maximize your yield and reduce your risk, turn to your local seed specialist and check out your local Answer Plot® location as a source to help find the answers for your toughest field in 2012. Click on "Ask the Expert" on the AnswerPlot.com site for specific answers to your questions.

* Because of factors outside of WinField's control, such as weather, applicator factors, etc., results to be obtained, including but not limited to yields, financial performance, or profits, cannot be predicted or guaranteed by WinField. Actual results may vary.

Alfalfa and Forage Agronomist:
Randy Welch, 608-206-3859


Numerous Management Options Exist for Genuity® Roundup Ready® Alfalfa

This demo plot at the 2011 Almena, Wis. Answer Plot® location shows the results of three different forage seeding options. CROPLAN GENETICS® Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa was planted on the left, oats were planted at the upper right and a conventional CROPLAN GENETICS® alfalfa variety was planted at the lower right. The conventional variety was treated with Raptor® herbicide; note the presence of lambsquarters.

Producers looking to rotate into a CROPLAN GENETICS® Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa variety have several different options to choose from in 2012.

"Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa can provide quicker and more reliable stand establishment, and thicker alfalfa stands from beginning to end," explains CROPLAN GENETICS® Alfalfa and Forage Agronomist Randy Welch. "Digestibility potential is also enhanced, as overall quality improves when weeds are removed."

Each of the following seeding options provide different strategic benefits, so Welch encourages producers to consult their local AgriSolutions® expert agronomist or CROPLAN GENETICS® Seed & Agronomy Advisor to ensure the best choice is made for their fields.

Direct Seed Alfalfa in Spring
Direct-seeded Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa can deliver quicker and thicker alfalfa stands, not to mention better quality forage. One option is to not include oats when planting the crop. The first glyphosate application should take place at 30 days after seeding, or possibly sooner if more heat units have been accumulated than normal.

"The first glyphosate application will remove competitive weeds and any remaining cover crop," Welch says. "It will also eliminate null plants, which typically make up 4 to 5 percent of seeds."

The first crop of newly seeded alfalfa should be harvested around 60 days after planting. The second and following crops should be harvested every 30 to 35 days; several weed-free, high-quality cuttings can potentially be harvested each season.

Oat Cover Crop "Take-Out"
Growers who have highly erodible soils might want to consider planting oats along with their Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa in those areas, as oat seedlings will provide immediate soil cover for the alfalfa.

"Producers should come back with a glyphosate application when the oats are about 6 to 12 inches tall, because the dead oats can provide excellent soil erosion control," Welch advises. "When this approach is used, plan on harvesting the first alfalfa crop around 70 to 80 days after seeding, with the second and following crops being harvested every 30 to 35 days."

"Clean-up" after Oatlage Harvest
On their most erodible soils, growers might consider applying glyphosate to oat stubble approximately 10 to 15 days after oatlage harvest. This is an excellent time to mix an insecticide and glyphosate in your tank. When taking this approach, weed-free feed can be harvested about 30 to 40 days after application.

Direct Seed Alfalfa in Late Summer
Another option is to seed Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa after winter wheat or other late summer harvested crops. In the Midwest, summer-seeded Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa should be planted in August.

"In this scenario, it's advisable to apply glyphosate approximately 10 to 15 days after weeds and volunteer plants emerge," Welch says. "As a result, a weed-free crop should be ready for harvest next spring."

For customized assistance in determining which management plan and variety of Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa is best for your fields, consult your local AgriSolutions® expert agronomist or CROPLAN GENETICS® Seed & Agronomy Advisor. And, attend your local Answer Plot® Knowledge Events in 2012 to see how Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa performs in your area this season.

Genuity® Roundup Ready® Alfalfa Variety	Similar Conventional Variety
Graze N Hay 3.10 RR	Maxi Graze®
Maxi-Pro 3.10 RR	LegenDairy 5.0
Consistency 4.10 RR	Rebound 5.0
Denali 4.10 RR	Mountaineer 2.0
Transition 6.10 RR	Artesian Sunrise
Desert Sun 8.10 RR	Sun Quest®

The above chart lists varieties of Genuity® Roundup Ready® alfalfa that are most comparable to conventional alfalfa varieties.

*Results may vary and are dependent on many factors including weather, application and management; therefore, results to be obtained, including but not limited to yields, financial performance, or profits, cannot be predicted or guaranteed by Winfield Solutions, LLC.

Alfalfa and Forage Agronomist:
Randy Welch, 608-206-3859