Crop Budgets Research Articles

Enhancing climate resilience in northern Ghana: A stochastic dominance analysis of risk-efficient climate-smart technologies for smallholder farmers

Northern Ghana is a semi-arid region characterised by a unimodal rainfall pattern, and hot and dry weather conditions. Heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture and the lack of resources for irrigation, makes smallholder farmers in the region increasingly vulnerable to climate-related crop failures. In recent years, climate-smart technologies (CSTs) such as changing planting dates (PD), compartmental bunding (CB), mulching (M), and transplanting (TP) have been recommended to minimise yield losses. However, there is limited information on the most risk-efficient CSTs for crops cultivated in the region. This study used a stochastic dominance approach to identify the most risk-efficient CSTs for maize, rice, and sorghum. The stochastic modelling process employed the Aqua-crop model to simulate climate-related yield variability using Ghana climate data, and gross margin variability with crop budgets from literature sources. From the study's findings, changing planting date from April to May was the most risk-efficient choice for maize and sorghum under farmers' and recommended practices. In contrast, transplanting was the most risk-efficient technology for rice farming in the study area. The study also highlights the importance of considering the risk-averse nature of smallholder farmers when selecting CSTs. By identifying the most risk-efficient CSTs, the study can help improve the resilience of smallholder farmers. These findings have important implications for the development and adoption of CSTs in northern Ghana.

2024 Nebraska Crop Budgets — a Mixed Review with Some Costs Higher, Some Lower

While field operation costs are projected higher for the 2024 Nebraska crop enterprises, some material input costs are lower than were projected for 2023. One driving force on lower cost projections for 2024 is 20% to 40% less on fertilizer prices is factored in on many budgets, and five pounds less nitrogen fertilizer was entered for a majority of the corn budgets due to continued improvement of application practices. Cost scenarios for individual producers can vary based on their timing of input purchases and price variabilities. The 84 1Nebraska crop budgets are now available online in three formats with a complete 96-page pdf report, an Excel file, along with links to all of the budget reports created using the Agricultural Budget Calculator (ABC) program where enterprise budget data can be downloaded into user accounts and then modified for individual farm operations.

Operating pesticide use reduction within the boundary of food security in peri-urban settings

Pesticide use in peri-urban areas affects the urban environment and public health, and reducing the use may present food security issues for urban dwellers. In this study, we explore how a municipality-adopted goal of a 20% reduction in pesticide use could be achieved, along with local food security and environmental implications, for Shanghai located in the densely populated East China. A regional Shanghai Agricultural Sector Model incorporating district- and technology-varying crop budgets, was developed to simulate the effects of pesticide reduction policy. Here we find that achieving the reduction goal had the largest implications in districts with high pesticide use totals and intensities, potentially reducing pesticide non-point source pollution in the Yangtze River Estuary and Dianshan Lake; the production levels of rice and leafy vegetables would be most affected; and adopting machinery that allows more precise pesticide application modulates these results. Moreover, imposing the requirements at the district-level caused more severe local food security concerns, and less environmental benefits. Furthermore, a closed Shanghai's agricultural economy would substantially enlarge the regional heterogeneity in the above-mentioned outcomes. Exploring the effects of a quantity control policy on current-use pesticides at different aggregation levels has important implications for regulating the use of agrochemicals.

Economic Efficiency and Distortions to Incentives in Production of Cotton and Rice Crops in Punjab

The study based on crop budgets, for 2010-12 crops, was, inter alia, designed to examine economic efficiency and distortions in incentives to production of cotton and basmati rice, long grain aromatic rice, crops in Punjab. The analysis has confirmed the competitiveness of their production in Punjab as farmers’ gross revenues from these crops exceeded their total costs, enabling farmers make some profit. The competitiveness, nevertheless, is sensitive to changes in prices of the produce and those of the inputs. The analysis conducted at economic prices have indicated economic efficiency and comparative advantage of Punjab in producing both basmati rice and cotton. The domestic resource cost coefficients for basmati as well as cotton were consistently less than one, confirming Punjab’s comparative advantage and economic efficiency in their farming. The estimation and analysis of nominal projection coefficients and effective protection coefficients for basmati and cotton crops have indicated implicit taxation as well as some protection to domestic producers. The results of economic efficiency and comparative advantage, of both basmati and cotton, are quite sensitive to the fluctuations and developments in world markets with spill over to the domestic market, impacting their competitiveness.

Landscape-dependent effects of varietal mixtures on insect pest control and implications for farmer profits.

Intraspecific plant diversity can significantly impact insect herbivore populations in natural systems. Yet, its role as an insect pest control strategy in agriculture has received less attention, and little is known about which crop traits are important to herbivores in different landscape contexts. Moreover, empirical economic analyses on the cost‐effectiveness of varietal mixtures are lacking. We used varietal mixtures of Brassica oleracea crops on working farms to examine how two metrics of intraspecific crop diversity, varietal richness and number of plant colors (color richness), affect crop damage and the incidence and abundance of two insect pest species: Pieris rapae and Phyllotreta spp. We evaluated the context‐dependency of varietal mixtures by sampling early‐ and late‐season plantings of B. oleracea crops in farms across a gradient of landscape composition. We developed crop budgets and used a net present value analysis to assess the impact of varietal mixtures on input and labor costs, crop revenues, and profit. We found context‐dependent effects of varietal mixtures on both pests. In early‐season plantings, color richness did not affect Phyllotreta spp. populations. However, increasing varietal richness reduced Phyllotreta spp. incidence in simple landscapes dominated by cropland, but this trend was reversed in complex landscapes dominated by natural habitats. In late‐season plantings, color richness reduced the incidence and abundance of P. rapae larvae, but only in complex landscapes where their populations were highest. Varietal richness had the same effect on P. rapae larvae as color richness. Unexpectedly, we consistently found lower pest pressure and reduced crop damage in simple landscapes. Although varietal mixtures did not affect crop damage, increasing color richness corresponded with increased profits, due to increased revenue and a marginal reduction in labor and input costs. We demonstrate varietal mixtures can significantly impact pest populations, and this effect can be mediated by intraspecific variation in crop color. However, the strength and direction of these effects vary by season, landscape composition, and pest species. The association between varietal color richness and profitability indicates farmers could design mixtures to enhance economic returns. We recommend additional research on the benefits of intraspecific trait variation for farmers.

Leveraging Crop Budgets to Assess the Environmental Impact of Agricultural Operations

Highlights Agriculture Extension Resources should be used for regional life cycle assessments of agriculture. Fertilizer is the major contributing factor of environmental impact, when using a spatial functional unit. Ecoinvent may under-estimate the environmental impact of maize production. Abstract . Current attempts to quantify the sustainability of agricultural operations are hampered by the lack of information to adequately address variation of farming operations. Differences in weather, soil, local consumers, and transportation pathways affect the agricultural operation of a given parcel of land. These differences may significantly influence life cycle assessments involving agricultural systems. Agricultural extension publications and human expertise may fill gaps present in commonly utilized databases for environmental impact calculations. A methodology was developed integrating information from Nebraska Crop Budgets with Ecoinvent 3.6 in OpenLCA, to investigate pesticide production contribution and compare environmental impacts on a per acre and per bushel basis. Seven budgets were selected, outlining no-till corn production under no-rotation, soybean/corn rotation, and ecofallow schemes. Of thirteen tested pesticides, only five were greater than 5% of the total impact relative to 19-Corn in at least one impact category. Pesticide contribution was greatest for products containing multiple active ingredients and with higher yearly applied amounts. Exclusion of pesticide production in agricultural life cycle assessments may not significantly impact results. Relative impacts between budgets were greater than 83% on a per acre and per bushel basis compared to Ecoinvent, demonstrating life cycle assessments can be impacted by operational differences within similar production systems. Per acre impacts were 4% less to 227% greater than published maize grain production in Ecoinvent 3.6 for the United States. Per bushel impacts were similar at 6% to 280% greater. Result differences are dependent on the crop budget used and impact category considered. Fertilizer was the greatest contributor toward all tested categories. Per acre calculations were defined by applied nitrogen while per bushel calculations followed nitrogen productivity. With simple integration and specificity granted with crop budgets, extension resources should be used for region-specific life cycle assessments of agricultural and bio-based products to replace general assumptions. Keywords: Crop production, Extension, Food energy water nexus, Life cycle assessment, Sustainability.

Developing a decision-making framework for insect pest management: a case study using Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

BACKGROUNDThe profitability of farming varies based on factors such as a crop's market value, input costs and occurrence of resistant pests, all capable of altering the value of pest management tactics in an integrated pest management program. We provide a framework for calculating expected yield and expected net revenue of pest management scenarios, using the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) as a case study. Foliar insecticide and host‐plant resistance are effective management tactics for preventing yield loss from soybean aphid outbreaks; however, pyrethroid‐resistant aphid populations pose a management challenge for farmers. We evaluated eight scenarios relevant to soybean aphid management in Iowa with varying probabilities of aphid outbreaks and insecticide‐resistant aphids occurring.RESULTSOur equation suggests that insecticide use is profitable when the probability of an aphid outbreak is ≥29%, and soybean production will become more costly with increasing probability of pyrethroid‐resistant aphids. If farmers continue to use pyrethroids, they will not experience financial consequences from pyrethroid‐resistant aphids until the chance of insecticide resistance is 48%. Aphid‐resistant varieties provided consistent yield and offered the highest net revenue under all conditions.CONCLUSIONThis framework can be used for other crop–pest systems to evaluate the profitability of management tactics and investigate how resistance impacts revenue for farmers. Including the cost of resistance in crop budgets can help farmers and agronomic consultants comprehend these impacts and enhance decision‐making to increase revenue and curb resistance development.

Economic value of environmental and weather information for agricultural decisions – A case study for Oklahoma Mesonet

For the past 24 years, weather information and monitoring provided by the Oklahoma Mesonet (the state’s largest weather and environmental monitoring network) has been used by many farmers across the state to optimize their farm operations and improve profitability of agricultural production.Several research studies delineated advantages of Mesonet weather information for efficient agricultural decision-making. However, these studies are mainly qualitative or conceptual, while comprehensive quantitative research in this field is still missing. This paper aims at filling this gap by quantifying the value of weather information for Oklahoma farmers in all climate regions, based on profitability analysis, USDA NASS and agricultural output statistics, as well as crop budgets from the Oklahoma Extension Center.The results show that the cumulative economic benefits for agricultural production in Oklahoma from utilizing Mesonet information (assuming the profitability factor of 3.7% and with 73% of farmers applying Mesonet) amounted to $183.1 million in 2006–2014 (combining generated profits and prevented losses in agricultural production). Mesonet information was found to provide higher annual economic benefits in terms of prevented losses than additional production profits, especially in drought years. A regional analysis for Oklahoma climate regions revealed the highest cumulative benefits of Mesonet applications in the Southwest ($45.9 million), North Central region ($38.2 million), and in Panhandle ($34.5 million) in 2006–2014. Also, high temporal variations were found for all Oklahoma climate regions.This research is focused on the agricultural sector, while it also sets the baseline for a more holistic understanding of the economic value and benefits of weather information provided by the Oklahoma Mesonet that can further be applied to other sectors in the state.

Effect of Different Rates of Poultry Manure and Bio-Slurry on the Yield of Solanum aethiopicum Shum

Poor soil fertility remains the major cause of low crop productivity on smallholder farms that are engaging in vegetable production in sub-Saharan Africa. Appropriate soil fertility regimes are therefore critical for improving crop productivity. Its yield has remained low mainly due to poor soil fertility. A field experiment in two different seasons was planted in a Completely Randomized Block Design using Solanum aethiopicum Shum (Nakati). The treatments were 3 sole fertilizer options applied at the following rates: poultry manure and bio-slurry manure at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 t ha-1, NPK (25:5:5) at the recommend application rate for tomato which is a sister crop and a control without any fertilizer. Crop budgets were used to determine the economic optimum rates of both sole applications of manure and combinations of manure with NPK. The sole applications and showed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the yield of S. aethiopicum compared with the control. The established biological optimum rates were at 24.19 t ha-1 and 21.51 t ha-1 for poultry manure and bio-slurry respectively. Using the crop budgets it was concluded that the established economic optimum rates were 20 t ha-1 and 10 t ha-1 for sole poultry manure and bio-slurry respectively. Recommendations for use of sole poultry manure and bio- slurry at the rate of 20 t ha-1 and 10 t ha-1 respectively were made.

2018 Crop Budgets: More of the Same

2018 Crop Budgets: More of the Same

2017 Crop Budgets, 2016 Crop Returns and 2016 Incomes

2017 Crop Budgets, 2016 Crop Returns and 2016 Incomes

Release of Revised 2016 Illinois Crop Budgets

Expected yields are unchanged between December and June versions. For high-productivity farmland in central Illinois, expected yields are 201 bushels per acre for corn and 58 bushels per acre for soybeans (see Table 1). Changing yields from these trend levels seems premature, as the critical weather periods for determining crop yields are upcoming. At this point, past rainfall and heat likely suggest below trend yields across much of the Midwest. Again, though, much will depend on the weather in the upcoming weeks.

Magnitude of Needed Decreases in 2016 Cash Rents

Table 1 shows estimates of 2016 operator and land returns. These returns are split between the landowner and the farmer. If operator and land returns are $300 per acre and cash rent is $250 per acre, the farmers will have a $50 per acre net income. Operator and land returns are based on revenue, yields and costs shown in the 2016 Crop Budgets with 50% of the acres in corn and 50% acres in soybeans. Non-land costs in these budgets are roughly at the same level of 2015 costs. The calculation of operator and land returns from these budgets is illustrated in the August 4th farmdoc daily article.

Projected 2015 Net Income on a 1,500 Acre Grain Farm

Last week, revised 2015 Illinois crop budgets were released indicating that operator and land returns would be $244 per acre in central Illinois for high-productivity farmland (farmdoc daily, July 7, 2015). This projected return is used to estimate per acre net incomes for cash rented, share rented, and owned land. Then, net income is projected for a 1,500 acre grain farm. For a 1,500 acre grain farm, net income is projected at $7,450 in 2015, down from $103,500 in 2014.

Release of 2015 Crop Budgets

The 2015 Illinois Crop Budgets are available in the management section of farmdoc (click here for the budgets). Budgets are given for corn, soybeans, wheat, and double-crop soybeans grown in northern, central, and southern Illinois. Central Illinois is further divided into categories for high and low productivity farmland. Overall, 2015 returns are projected at the same levels as 2014 returns, which are considerably lower than returns from 2010 through 2013. These lower returns signal the need to reduce 2015 cash rents.

Economic Performance Of Organic Cropping Systems For Vegetables In The Northeast

This article provides an economic analysis comparing the profitability and land management capability of four different organic cropping systems designed for vegetable production in the Northeast. Integrated crop budgets were developed to document both receipts and production costs for each system. Using field-level data from trials between 2005 and 2009, we found that individual crops respond differently to the different systems, and that the high intensity system producing six cash crops generated the greatest economic returns. Subsequent sensitivity analyses were performed across a range of key parameters, and the results indicated that profitability was most impacted by yields and crop prices.

Integrating insecticides and Trichogramma ostriniae to control European corn borer in sweet corn: Economic analysis

We compared the economics of controlling European corn borer ( Ostrinia nubilalis) in sweet corn by using the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma ostriniae, alone and integrated with insecticidal sprays. An initial experiment in 2003 compared T. ostriniae alone against insecticide alone and a second set of experiments conducted over 3 years (2006–2008) compared (1) insecticide alone [Insecticide]; (2) no insecticide, no T. ostriniae [Untreated Check]; (3) T. ostriniae alone [ T. ostriniae 1X]; and (4) T. ostriniae + insecticide [Integrated]. In 2007 and 2008, a fifth treatment was added consisting of three approximately weekly releases of T. ostriniae [ T. ostriniae 3X]. Parasitism of O. nubilalis eggs was higher in plots receiving T. ostriniae; O. nubilalis eclosion was lower with T. ostriniae; there was no interaction of T. ostriniae and insecticide on parasitism, O. nubilalis eclosion, or total O. nubilalis larvae at harvest time. Partial crop budgets were conducted for each treatment. In three of the 4 years, Untreated Checks had the highest sweet corn ear damage. Ear damage after a single release of T. ostriniae was statistically no different than using insecticides. In two of the three years, the Integrated treatment ( T. ostriniae 1X + insecticide) generated the largest increase in profitability. The insecticide only treatment generated the second best increase in profitability. When comparing a single release of T. ostriniae to the insecticide only, the latter provided a better combination of efficacy and profitability. The breakeven costs of the T. ostriniae justified their use relative to the Untreated Check treatment, but not when compared to the Insecticide treatment. The breakeven costs for T. ostriniae in the Integrated treatment exceeded the actual cost in two out of three years, suggesting again that conventional growers could benefit from integrating T. ostriniae with insecticidal treatments. Projected profitability based on ear packout obtained by combining data among years suggests that in general, for low prices and yields, the increase in profit is quite modest. In the lowest price-yield combination, the change in profit is T. ostriniae 3X > Integrated > Insecticide > T. ostriniae 1X ⩾ Untreated Check. At high prices and high yields, the differences between the management options when compared to Untreated Check are considerable. In the highest price-yield combination, the change in profit is T. ostriniae 3X > Integrated ≫ Insecticide > T. ostriniae 1X ≫ Untreated Check.

Production Costs of Organic Vegetable Farms: Two Case Studies from Pennsylvania

The market premiums that currently exist for many organic crops are an attractive incentive for conventional growers considering the transition to organic practices. Before making this decision, there is a need to better understand the production costs of these systems. While many factors, such as crop rotation, soil type, and marketing, influence cropping decisions, production costs are vital information for production and pricing decisions. This research evaluated crop budgets from two Pennsylvania organic farms as case studies. A critical component of these budgets was the calculation of costs related to cover cropping, rotations, and compost production or use. These farms were very different in their scale, management, and marketing strategies. The crops selected for study on each farm were also different, based upon economic value to the farm. Beech Grove Farm used horse traction and hired no production labor on about 4 acres of production; budgets for carrot (Daucus carota), onion (Allium cepa), and garlic (Allium sativum) are presented. The other, Spiral Path Farm, used machinery and a hired labor crew extensively on about 60 acres; their production costs for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and winter squash (Cucurbita moschata) are presented. While costs could not be compared between the farms, costs per acre varied widely among crops on a farm, but less so across years. Neither farm spent a great deal on pest control inputs, relying on soil fertility and other management practices to minimize infestations and grow healthy plants. While these single-crop budgets provided some realistic measures of costs of organic vegetable production, longer-term budgets measuring multiyear rotations would better capture the tradeoffs made by diversified organic farmers.

Production Costs of Organic Vegetable Farms: Two Case Studies from Pennsylvania

The market premiums that currently exist for many organic crops are an attractive incentive for conventional growers considering the transition to organic practices. Before making this decision, there is a need to better understand the production costs of these systems. While many factors, such as crop rotation, soil type, and marketing, influence cropping decisions, production costs are vital information for production and pricing decisions. This research evaluated crop budgets from two Pennsylvania organic farms as case studies. A critical component of these budgets was the calculation of costs related to cover cropping, rotations, and compost production or use. These farms were very different in their scale, management, and marketing strategies. The crops selected for study on each farm were also different, based upon economic value to the farm. Beech Grove Farm used horse traction and hired no production labor on about 4 acres of production; budgets for carrot (Daucus carota), onion (Allium cepa), and garlic (Allium sativum) are presented. The other, Spiral Path Farm, used machinery and a hired labor crew extensively on about 60 acres; their production costs for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and winter squash (Cucurbita moschata) are presented. While costs could not be compared between the farms, costs per acre varied widely among crops on a farm, but less so across years. Neither farm spent a great deal on pest control inputs, relying on soil fertility and other management practices to minimize infestations and grow healthy plants. While these single-crop budgets provided some realistic measures of costs of organic vegetable production, longer-term budgets measuring multiyear rotations would better capture the tradeoffs made by diversified organic farmers.

EVALUATION OF DAIRY MANURE NITROGEN‐15 ENRICHMENT METHODS ON SHORT‐TERM CROP AND SOIL NITROGEN BUDGETS

Indirect estimates of manure N availability to crops are highly variable. We developed two methods that label dairy manure N components with the stable isotope 15N for direct measurement of manure N availability to crops. The forage method involved the labeling then feeding of 15N‐enriched forage to dairy cows (Bos taurus) to label urine N, fecal endogenous N, and fecal undigested feed N. The urea method involved the direct feeding of 15N‐enriched urea to label urine N and fecal endogenous N. Manure from each enrichment method was applied to a Plano silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed, mesic, Typic Argiudolls) using field plots in 1999 and 2000; corn (Zea mays L.) was grown for 2 yr after each application. No significant differences were observed in manure 15N recoveries in corn, soil inorganic N, or soil total N due to manure application year or manure enrichment method. Corn took up 14 to 16% of manure 15N the first year and 4 to 8% the second year after application. Most 15N recovery in soil inorganic and total N was found in the upper 30 cm of soil, indicating little downward movement of applied manure 15N. On average, 68% of applied manure 15N was accounted for, either in crop uptake (21%) or in the soil (47%). The less laborious and less costly urea enrichment method may be adequate for short‐term (2 yr or less, the range of this study) manure–soil–crop–N cycling studies. Longer‐term studies may need to include fecal undigested feed 15N derived from the forage enrichment method.