Renting Cropland: Know What You’re Getting Before You Sign
NEWARK, Del. - Now is an
excellent time for farmers to
survey fields for potential
production problems and to
evaluate the yield potential of
rented land.
“Anyone who rents or is con
sidering renting farmland should
carefully evaluate every field
before making a deal to re-rent or
to add more land to their
operation,” advises University of
Delaware extension agricultural
agent Derby Walker.
The first step in evaluation is to
identify the noxious weed
problems like johnsongrass, giant
ragweed, burcucumber or Canada
thistle. By law, these weeds must
be controlled in Delaware. But,
says Walker, several other plants
mcluding spurred anoda, hor
senettle, shattercane, cocklebur
and triazine-resistant weeds-are
also very difficult to control in
cropland.
“If your farm has a serious
problem-weed infestation which
will require special treatment for
control, this will increase your
production costs,” the extension
agent warns. “For example, if it
normally costs you $145 an acre to
grow soybeans and the rent is $5O,
a weed problem that costs $lO
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extra to control could boost your
production costs from a normal
$195 to $205 an acre.”
Other problems to look for when
evaluating a field for possible
rental are signs of nutritional
deficiency, nematodes and soil
borne disease. “It’s especially
easy to spot these areas in soybean
fields,” Walker says. “At this time
of year, the indicators usually are
off-colored or stunted beans. Find
out what’s causing these spots.
Sometimes you can tell by looking
at the plants; other times, a soil
sample and/or nematode test must
be taken.”
A field that’s infested with
soybean cyst nematodes can
greatly alter cropping altneratives
by limiting production to resistant
soybean varieties and a crop
rotation program to prevent yield
losses. Nutritional problems will
mean spending extra dollars to
correct the deficiency and bring
the field up to par.
Something else to look for in
rented soybean fields is any
symptom of Fusarium root rot or
other soil-borne disease. These
diseases often don’t show up until
late in the season when bean plants
start to die. Sometimes entire
parts of a field will be almost
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totally wiped out.
“If there’s root rot in a field,”
Walker says, “it’s better not to
plant soybeans there. Or try a
resistant variety. However, fields
that have been planted continously
in beans for several years may
have so many disease organisms,
that even resistant varieties will
fail.”
Because such production
problems are common on the
Delmarva peninsula, the county
agent advises growers to evaluate
field-by-field the land they plan to
till. Just one field with a serious
problem can threaten the
profitability of an entire farm
operation.
“If you’re renting a piece of land
now and encounter serious
problems which boost your
production costs by $lO to $2O per
acre,” Walker says, “ask yourself:
Can I afford to till that field?” If
production costs rise beyond the
possibility of making a profit, that
piece of ground is a guaranteed
loss.
“Today,” he says, “you can’t
afford to plant a crop into a field
where you know you can’t expect a
return over cost because of a
nematode infestation, nutritional
imbalance of serious weed or
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disease problem. If, on the other
hand, you have options which can
help increase your chances of
making a profit, take advantage of
them.”
Farmers must also evaluate
rental land for its yield potential.
Some fields in Sussex County, for
example, are so sandy that only
small grains or soybeans can be
profitably grown. Com yields are
just too low to break even unless
irrigated. ■
“If the land won’t normally
produce acceptable yields,”
Walker says, “don’t cash rent it.
Even on a share-a-crop basis you
must know your production costs
so you aren’t paying rent without
the opportunity for a return on
your investment. Some farmers
have now gone to a sliding rent
scale. The fee changes with both
the yield and price at harvest. ’ ’
It doesn’t take very long to
evaluate a farm for its rental
potential. Walker says. “Basically
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Penn State extension water
specialists have prepared timely
information on the whys and
wheres of having your water tested
and will have that information at
the College of Agriculture Building
it’s a matter of looking over the
land, making notes as you go,
jotting down your production costs,
adding a rental value plus any
additional expenses imposed by
special problems, and then
determining what you feel is a
legitimate yield potential for the
farm. If you know the market
value of the crop you plan to grow,
it isn’t hard to figure out whether
you can afford to rent that piece of
ground under that particular
cropping system.”
With $2 com and $5 soybeans, it
takes a sharp farm manager to
stay in business, the county agent
concludes. “The cheaper you can
produce a bushel, the more likely
you can survive these tough
times,” he says. “Everything must
be done right the first time, if you
hope to make a profit. If the rent’s
too high for the productive
potential of the land, you won’t
make it. Till only land that gives
you the opportunity to make a
profit.”
at Ag Progress Days, August 19-21.
Pennsylvania has more than 100
laboratories that check private
water supplies for bacteria and a
number of labs that analyze
drinking water for metals,
minerals, pesticides, organics and
even radioactive substances. For a
list of what types of tests are
available and which laboratories
in your county provide the services
you need, pick up a list at the
“Water Quality in Your Home”
exhibit in the College of
Agriculture Building.
Extension home economists will
be there to answer your water
questions and direct you to
agencies that handle your type of
water problem.
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