OT. Corn as a legume

[Dean Hoffman]

Not quite, but close. There's an odd variety of corn, Sierra Mixe, that has aerial roots. Bacteria feed off mucus that come from these aerial roots. They produce nitrogen that the corn can use. It's been quite awhile since I've asked anyone. Farmers used to put on about 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre. They'd put on a little more if they applied it in the fall to make up for losses over the winter and spring. It was usually cheaper to apply in the fall even accounting for the losses. Scientists are hoping to breed the Sierra Mixe with regular varieties to make conventional corn self fertilizing to a degree.

[dpb]

...

Those are base numbers used for years with the "yield" approach where there was a "yield goal" approach based on a N demand mass balance needed to produce that modified slightly by a yield history and compensation for manure or other contributions plus estimated losses.

That approach is far less widespread in use now with advancing research that shows it generally is far higher application rate than what is the most profitable balance between input costs, ultimate yield and return. There are a number of N-Rate models that attempt to match the optimum return on investment or profit margin instead of just shooting for a target yield; there's no use in producing 250+ bu corn if the input costs are so high that the net profit is less than what 175 bu corn would yield. With those calculations, target application rates are often half or slightly over those of the target yield models.

Also, application techniques are now much more targeted to getting the fertilizer and other applications directly to the location where it is utilized rather than previous broadcasting or ground application and that allows for a lower total application rate as well.

"It ain't your father's Oldsmobile" any longer in the corn patch... :)

[dpb]

On 8/13/2018 5:34 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote: ...

And if you think 200-250 lb/A is high, what about some cotton requirements more like 700-750 lb/A? :)

[Dean Hoffman]

No wonder T shirts cost so much. Price has nothing to do with the Packers logo on the back. A nearby farmer claimed farmers are the only businessmen who buy retail and sell wholesale.

[rbowman]

You can hardly give cotton away. The farmer isn't seeing much out of the $15 MAGA t-shirt. When I was trucking the only reason you took a cotton load was to get you to Long Beach where there were paying loads around LA. Arkansas to Long Beach to China...

[dpb]

On 8/15/2018 7:03 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote: ...

Unfortunately, for commodities crops there's a lot of truth in that...if can find a way to either have direct market or other added value some can modify that scenario some, but most small grains production for example is located places that just don't have population bases that can support such endeavors.

[Dean Hoffman]

Some farmers around St. Libory, NE have produce stands that are open for a few weeks in the summer. The watermelons from there have a reputation for being especially good. The stands seem to be disappearing over time as farms are getting bigger. It's inconvenient for people to drive out to the stands around the cities. Novelty would be one reason they'd do it. If only sweet corn ears would grow with the Big Red N logo.................

[dpb]

Those exist all over the country to greater/lesser degree as do farmers' markets, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, orchards, etc., etc, etc., ...

But overall those are minute in both production volume and revenue; being able to sustain perhaps a few thousand over the US in very specific locations/circumstances and augment income for some number over that, but simply isn't a feasible model for commodity products.

Mr. Jones' strawberry and sweet corn patch near us when we were in TN over the 25 years we were there went from being extremely busy and folks would completely strip the fields bare in the early years to he finally closed up the individual picking operation by the time we left for lack of people willing to come and pick...