Farming question

[Fishbonker]

My neighbors ground has been in a corn-bean rotation for the ten years I've lived here. Last year he went back to back corn. Last week he spread lime and then dry fertilizer. Any ideas what this could mean as far as future crop plans for this ground?

Thanks.

The 'Bonker

 

[Ghost]

Ahhh, better yield?

 

[Fishbonker]

[ QUOTE ]
Ahhh, better yield?

[/ QUOTE ]

Guess I asked for that. I kinda lobbed that one in there and you just had to hit it outa the park.

The 'Bonker

 

[Danno]

Currently the corn-bean acreage in Iowa is about 55-45%. Expect that to change to 80-20 in the next 5-8 years. Corn demand from ethanol production is the driver. Unfortunately we will also see programs like the CRP be less competetive for land use for the same reason. We are in for a major change in the landscape of Iowa.

 

[JNRBRONC]

I was reading in a farm magazine recently that they expected Iowa farmers to stick pretty close to the traditional corn/bean acreage ratio, even though the cost of fertilizer is very high. Corn production is heavily reliant on fertilizer when compared to soybeans. Most times, farmers get rotate to keep the number of pests low and have the corn take advantage of the nitrogen the soybeans fix. In the same magazine, there was an article on continous corn production, so I guess it's anyones guess what the farmer is doing.

With back to back corn years, I would guess he is going beans this year since he is putting down a dry fertilizer. If he knifes anhydrous, then I'd say he's going corn.

 

[mphenk5]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess it's anyones guess what the farmer is doing.

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds about right. One landowner of mine has several fields with irrigation, one happening to be a farm with my favorite stand on it. The last four years he has gone corn on corn because the yield adavanage with irrigated corn on our soils has made his decision easy. That benefit doesn't seem to carryover for soybeans. Personally, I hope they never close that gap b/c that farm has been a big producer for me.

 

[bjkpharmd]

Any reason to think he would be going to alfalfa? Could have been spreading P & K. Are you on speaking terms with him or does he know you? I'd ask.

 

[Fishbonker]

I posted the question because I wondered if this may be indicitive he was going to alfalfa or CRP. I kinda thought that back to back corn would use up all the fixed N. He didn't put down any NH last fall. I think most of that particular field could be called highly erodable. The dry ferlizer is small red pelltes that reminded me of phosphorus. He also didn't work up the corn stalks last fall.

As far as asking him, I only see him when he is working in this particular field and I hate to interup his work with silly questions. He leased out the ground about six years ago to an outfitter so I have even fewer excuses to bother him.

Thanks for the input. I'll post when something comes up.

The 'Bonker

 

[dbltree]

The fact that he put on lime would clue me that he is putting in soys. If he has cattle then alfalfa is a good possible also. Lot of guys are making more money in cattle then corn right now, so I do see more alfalfa going in this coming spring.

 

[MRH]

Him spreading the lime means he is trying to get the soil pH up. If the pH is low it is hard to get chemicals to work right and it also makes the fertilizer less available for the plants to use. I would guess he would go to beans or hay after corn back to back.