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Showing posts from November, 2021

The long-term costs of covering up

Anna Cates, State soil health specialist Rye cover crop terminated prior to soybean. How much cover crops cost to implement and whether they can make you money is a subject of heated debate. Costs are obvious: seed, time and fuel to plant and terminate them. The benefits tend to be less tangible and slower to accumulate: cover crops stabilize yields , but don’t necessarily increase them, and sometimes they lead to lower nutrient or herbicide applications over time . They’ll also definitely slow erosion and nutrient loss , but unless you’re spending money each year on eliminating ruts and putting in grass waterways, those savings can be hard to see. A new spreadsheet tool developed by Katie Wilts Johnson, the MN Office for Soil Health, and the Center for Farm Financial Management lets growers and advisors play around with different scenarios to see what’s profitable over one, five and ten year periods. Plant the cover crop yourself instead of hiring an operator? Big boost. Planning on

High nitrogen fertilizer costs: What should corn growers be thinking about?

By: Brad Carlson, Extension educator, & Fabian Fernandez, Extension nitrogen management specialist There has been a lot of media coverage recently about rising fertilizer prices. A recent survey of dealers in south-central Minnesota showed the price of anhydrous ammonia ranging from $1250 to $1400 per ton. Furthermore, none of the retailers contacted were pricing fertilizer for spring application, casting a shadow on overall fertilizer decisions. It is uncertain as to whether there are real concerns about fertilizer availability or if dealers are trying to avoid the risk of purchasing expensive product they would be forced to sell at a loss should fertilizer prices drop. Farmers have rightly been questioning whether they need to adjust their plans based on this situation. Here are some things to consider when evaluating your situation. 1. Make sure you are complying with Minnesota’s nitrogen fertilizer rule The updated Groundwater Protection Rule is now in its second year. This