Page 2—Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 10' 1998
TEN WAYS TO LOOSE
MONEY ON
CORN PRODUCTION
GREG ROTH
Penn State Agronomy
Associate Professor
Here are a few ways corn
growers lose money.
1. Never check the planti
ng depth. Seeds get planted
too shallow or too deep, stand
are reduced by 20 percent,
yields by 10 percent, $3O per
acre lost.
2. Don't account for
manure or crop rotation
nitrogen credits. Entire crop
gets about 50 pounds per acre
too much nitrogen, $lO per
acre wasted.
3. Assume the insecticide
boxes are calibrated from last
year. Inadvertently you apply
25 percent more product per
acre than necessary, $4 per
acre wasted.
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ECONOMICAL • LESS TRIPS • LOWER COSTS
DESIGNED TO HELP GROWERS
MAKE ACCURATE, DIRECTED
SPRAY APPLICATIONS
4. Plant all full-season
hybrids that yield well but
don't dry down, drying a 150-
bushel per • acre crop four
more points at $0.04 point
per bushel costs an addition
al $24 per acre.
5. Plant hybrids you have
no performance data on or
experience with on signifi
cant acreage, or plant all
acreage to a single hybrid.
You get a surprise on hybrid
performance, yields are
reduced by 10 bushels per
acre or $3O per acre.
6. Use a high Phosphorus
starter fertilizer on a soil
testing excessive for phospho
rus. No response to fertilizer
investment, $lO per acre lost.
7. use a soil insecticide on
com following soybeans, no
rootworms to control, cut
worms and other pests don't
show, $l3 per acre wasted.
8. Practice recreational
tillage by plowing fields that
ag-cheai
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■ Preferring Scare Tactics To Sound
Science, EWG Slams Administration
WASHINGTON, D. C. -
The Environmental working
Group (EWG) issued a report
denouncing the Clinton
administration's efforts to
fairly and objectively imple
ment the Food Quality
Protection Act (FOPA).
Passed in 1996, FQPA sub
stantially changes the way
pesticides are evaluated for
could be easily no-tilled.
Labor, equipment, and fuel
cost $2O per acre.
9. Use 100 units of nitro
gen where you need 150.
Crops run out of nitrogen late
in season, yields reduced by
10 bushels per acre. $3O acre
lost, but you saved $lO. Out
$2O per acre.
10. Have complete faith in
your pre-emergent herbicide
program and don't check for
escapes 2-3 weeks after
planting. Weather fails to
cooperate and herbicide per
formance is less than ideal.
Weeds reduce yields 10 bush
es per acre before you apply
rescue treatment in early
June, $3O per acre lost.
Unfortunately these sce
narios will be repeated again
next year on many fields. Try
not to make them with your
crop.
&(T)EBBALL
Implements of FOPA
their health effects. Vice
President A 1 Gore recently
directed the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency and U.S. Department
of Agriculture to work togeth
er to ensure smooth imple
mentation of the law. Based
on that direction, the agen
cies formed a Tolerance
Reassessment Advisory
Committee (TRAC) to provide
policy guidance on the use of
sound science, ways to
increase transparency in
their decision making, strate
gies for a reasonable transi
tion for agriculture, and ways
to enhance consultations
with stakeholders as they
reassess pesticide tolerances.
"Vice President Gore has
outlined a process that will
bring all the stakeholders
together with the promise
that sound science and real
life farming practices will be
taken into consideration as
©(DIM f MM mW§
PENNSYLVANIA MASTER COHN GROWERS ASSOC., INC.
HOODED SPRAYER FEATURES
STRENGTH & DURABILITY
EPA and USDA make deci
sions regarding the future
availability of crop protection
chemicals," noted national
Corn Growers Association
(NCGA) President Ryland
Utlaut, a farmer from Grand
Pass, Mo. "EWG is obviously
taking a preemptive strike
because they are concerned
that fairness, objectivity and
open dialogue might get in
the way of their ongoing
efforts to demonize the entire
agricultural community.
"Corn growers look for
ward to working with EPA,
USDA and other stakehold
ers - including the
Environmental Working
Group - to make sure that the
FQPA is implemented using
the best scientific methodolo
gy and data and the most
accurate information based
on real farm practices and
actual pesticide use," Utlaut
said.