From gale-sinex@ae.agecon.wisc.eduThu Mar 28 21:31:52 1996 Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 17:03:27 GMT -0600 From: Michele Gale-Sinex/CIAS To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Subject: (Fwd) WICST Cropping Trials Results Howdy, SANETters-- As promised. peace michele ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Wed, 27 Mar 1996 11:12:05 -0600 To: [headers pruned] From: rjcooney@facstaff.wisc.edu (Bob Cooney) Subject: WICST Cropping Trials Results For Immediate Release For More Information: Rick Klemme, (608)252-5200 Josh Posner, (608)262-0876 DIVERSE CROPPING SYSTEMS OUTPERFORMING CONTINUOUS CORN IN WICST After four years, corn-soybean-wheat/red clover system gaining on corn-soybean system in Wisconsin trials By George Gallepp, CALS Agricultural and Consumer Press Service If farmers who plant corn annually in the same fields would include other crops in a rotation while relying less on farm chemicals and more on other management techniques, they might be more profitable and productive, according to a continuing study at two southern Wisconsin sites. The Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial (WICST) compares three cropping systems: continuous corn, which uses chemicals routinely to control pests and maintain fertility; corn-soybean, a system that uses fewer chemicals; and corn-soybean-wheat/red clover, a near-organic system that only uses chemicals if crops will be lost. Averaged over 1992 to 1995, the results show that the reduced-input corn-soybean system was the most profitable of the three cash-grain systems, according to Rick Klemme, a University of Wisconsin-Madison agricultural economist with WICST. "The very-low-input corn-soybean-wheat/red clover system was almost as profitable over the four years as the corn-soybean system, and the most profitable the last two years," Klemme says. Data for the study come from field-sized plots at the UW-Madison's Arlington Agricultural Research Station in Columbia County and the Lakeland Agricultural Complex in Walworth County. At Arlington, the average gross margins over the four years were $199 for corn-soybean, $194 for corn-soybean-wheat/red clover and $148 per acre for continuous corn. The average corn yields were 160, 133 and 147 bushels per acre, respectively. At Lakeland, the average gross margins over the four years were $208 for corn-soybean, $196 for corn-soybean-wheat/red clover and $154 per acre for continuous corn. The average corn yields were 140, 117 and 137 bushels per acre, respectively. "For comparison, gross margins of $150 to $250 per acre are considered good," Klemme says. "Corn and soybean farmers need to maintain gross margins at or above $200 per acre to be profitable." A coalition of scientists from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Cooperative Extension, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and farmers near the two sites created WICST in 1989 to study the profitability, productivity and environmental impact of entire cropping systems. The three cropping systems were analyzed by traditional enterprise accounting methods. Gross margins are gross returns (the market value of the crops at harvest) minus variable costs, which included seed, fertilizer, pesticides, custom operations, leased equipment, fuel, repairs, interest and grain drying. The farmer participants advised the researchers to analyze the results assuming that the federal crop commodity programs would be eliminated in the near future. Therefore, the gross margins were calculated without commodity payments. To compare the gross margins per acre in WICST to those of farmers in the federal program, farmers would add about $50 per acre to the continuous corn results, $25 per acre to the corn-soybean results, and $17 per acre to the corn-soybean-wheat/red clover figures. Although these commodity payments bring the results much closer together, they do not change the profitability rankings, Klemme says. The farmer participants also suggested that the researchers not use organic price premiums on the very-low-input system. These premiums would offset much of the gain continuous corn would receive from commodity programs. In the last two years, the corn-soybean-wheat/red clover system has been virtually organic. The premium for organic would amount to about 15 percent, with higher percentages possible given the right economic environment. The results over the past four years show that diversified cropping systems with reduced chemical inputs are more profitable that the high- input monoculture system, says UW-Madison agronomist Josh Posner, the program's director. Crops during the four-year period experienced a range of weather conditions, with two relatively poor crop years followed by two better years. The 1992 growing season featured the Fathers Day frost, while 1993 had an extraordinarily wet spring that brought low yields and high drying costs in fall. In 1994, the weather was nearly perfect, yields reached record levels, but grain prices were low. Last year featured a very hot summer, solid yields and strong prices. Despite the variability, the WICST group has seen several noteworthy trends, according to Posner. * Although continuous corn often produces relatively high yields, its direct costs per acre were always the highest. The high production costs consume a major share of this systems returns, usually leaving it the least profitable system in the trials. * The corn-soybean system has been the most profitable over four years. It usually has the highest corn yields. * The corn-soybean-wheat/red clover cropping system has been the most profitable the last two years. Klemme says a good wheat crop is crucial to the financial success of this cropping system. Each of the cropping systems improved in performance during 1992 to 1995, mainly because of weather and price changes. However, the yields and gross margins in the nearly organic corn-soybean-wheat/red clover system improved more dramatically than the others. "That increase in profitability also reflects improvements in the abilities of the farm managers at the two WICST sites to implement practices such as mechanical weed control," says Posner. "Weed populations appear to have stabilized and yields have increased significantly since the first two years." "We think that the improvement in profitability in the very-low-input system suggests that the most difficult part of the transition to organic is behind us," says Klemme. Klemme and Posner are not sure if the cropping systems are at equilibrium yet, or if the management of the crops will continue to improve. Only time will tell. The WICST program is scheduled to run through 2002. # # # Writer: George Gallepp 608-262-3636 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Michele Gale-Sinex, communications and outreach Center for Integrated Ag Systems/Ag Technology and Family Farm Institute UW-Madison--1450 Linden Drive 146 Madison, WI 53706 Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mightier than the sword they say Who've never seen the pen at Shea. --Bob McKenty