Business : What Should You Plant? Corn or Forage? Schriefer to offer advice in sessions

Fields are not created equal, or at least that’s what Gene Schriefer, University of Wisconsin Extension Ag Agent for Iowa County, says. Schriefer says that every acre of soil within a field is not created equal but yield maps are a useful tool for determining the best use for specific fields. He will be discussing how to use yield maps for crop planning at a breakout session at the Driftless Region Beef Conference in Dubuque, IA, on January 22 & 23, 2015.

“Whether we own or we rent this land, we paid the same amount per acre for it all,” said Schriefer. Yield maps are the first step in determining field by field profitability and best use. “The Driftless Region is land with a lot of character. The rolling landscape, highly bisected hills and valleys creates a diverse mosaic of soils on many of our farms. Yield variation on this land can be quite dramatic.”

Recent high commodity prices supported cropping low productivity acres, but that situation has changed. Crop inputs and land cost are projected to remain high, while crop receipts are expected to be low compared to recent years. High yielding areas of a field may not be able to offset the poor yielding areas enough to maintain profits in the future. Producers need to review field yield maps to determine if they can improve production on this area enough to make this area “pay the bills”.

Schriefer suggests a precision farming approach where some areas of fields are seeded to forage may be more profitable. Rather than adjust inputs in an attempt to increase yield from poorer soils, perhaps there forages may be a better choice for some soils.

Schriefer will discuss this approach to precision farming during a breakout session at the Driftless Region Beef conference on January 22 & 23, 2015, in Dubuque, Iowa. The conference runs from 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22 through 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23. The Thursday afternoon program focuses on improving efficiency and profitability of beef production in the upper Midwest, with an evening discussion focused opportunities to capitalize on the diversity in the beef industry. The Friday morning agenda includes four breakout sessions each for feedlot operations and cow-calf producers.

The early registration fee for the conference is $85 per person and must be received prior to midnight, Jan. 14. The price increases to $115 after that date. More information about the conference, including topics, speakers, and lodging is available at www.aep.iastate.edu/beef. Registration begins Dec. 1, with links for online and mail forms available on the conference website.

The Driftless Region Beef Conference is sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the University of Minnesota Extension, and University of Wisconsin Extension. The planning team strives to deliver the latest in research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information or to receive a brochure, contact _____________ or Denise Schwab, ISU Extension Beef Specialist, at 319-721-9624.