Tassles on Corn on June 25

Are you kidding me? June 25 and we have tassles on Corn? I know that is common south of here but never in my lifetime have I seen tassles on June 25 here except on sweetcorn! I need to get busy working on the combine, at this rate we are going to be needing it by Labor Day!

Grain Bin Completed

Not much to say, getting bin completed was the biggest thing this week. I have some crop progress pics I will post this weekend-so much rain here don't expect to do any spraying before mid next week-but probably better off waiting a little longer anyway.

Lots more pictures of Bin construction here: http://www.paul-julia.com/BinConstruction.jsp

Environmental Benefits of GMO Crops

I have probably written too much about my frustration due to misinformation about GMO crops. Rather than continue to argue about the false misconceptions of the harm I think it is time that maybe we shift gears and discuss the hard and fast benefits of GMO crops, specifically as their benefits pertain to the environment-which seems to be the main argument for trying to ban them.

1. Decreased use of insecticides - Before GMO crops used to spray a lot of nasty insecticides to deal with insects in our crop. I have been farming 7 years, basically since the time when stacked corn traits took off. In those 7 years I have never sprayed a single ounce of insecticide. We still have to use a granular insecticide on 20% of our corn that is required by regulation to not use BT corn-to control corn rootworms-this is called “refuge” corn. Should they allow refuge to be replaced with corn using another mode of action we would not even need to do that.

2. Making no-till feasible – No till has allowed me to GREATLY reduce soil erosion on our farm. Along with the reduced erosion we have reduced runoff of nitrogen and other fertilizer. We also use significantly less fuel and require less equipment and horsepower because we are often making only 4 trips across the field (spray, plant, spray, harvest) a year instead of 7 (2 spring tillage, spray, plant, spray, harvest, fall tillage) or more. Before GMO crops the chemicals really weren’t there to be able to maintain yields, and those that were much more potent and much much less environmentally friendly that glyphosate that we use now.

3. Increased yield – Taking away GMO technology would dramatically reduce yields. If you doubt this compare yields on the refuge corn to conventional. Every year we lose more and more farmground in this country to urban sprawl. Yet overall yields keep getting larger and larger, in my short career we have set national yield records in 4 of the last 7 years. Should we fail to do that prices will rise, and rise dramatically as we saw in 2008. When that happens more of the marginal land becomes profitable to farm and comes out of wildlife areas and returns to production.

4. Less fertilizer – Like oil, fertilizer is a non-renewable resource. We have a responsibility to use it as wisely as possible. We are growing about 30% more grain per pound of fertilizer than we were 15 years ago-the majority of this increase is directly attributable to GMO improvements.

I could list the other benefits of GMO crops but will save those for another slow week post. This next week will be busy with grain bin construction and a return to second round of spraying. Will get some more pics of soon, also past due to post some crop progress pictures.

Starting Grain Bin Construction

Construction has finally started on our first grain bin. Concrete is poured-roof and sidewall construction will probably start in about two weeks.

Get the true story out about farming

Those reading this blog in the past know how frustrated I get with the misinformation about farming that is so prevalent today. Finally I am seeing more and more ag related sites trying to get the truth out. Found a couple good ones this week:

FoodLink

Illinois Farm Bureau Blog

Spray spray spray your fields, watch out for that stream

Let me describe last week in bullet points:

-Haul Water
-Spray
-Stop Spraying
-Fix Rear Flat Tire
-Haul Water
-Spray
-Stop Spraying
-Wait to see if popup showers pass
-Start spraying
-Stop Spraying
-Replace flow control valve
-Haul Water
-Spray
-Stop Spraying
-Wait for rain again
-Start Spraying
-Stop Spraying
-Replace lift pump gasket on tractor
-Start Spraying
-Stop Spraying
-Replace complete GPS system
-Spray
-Spray
-Spray
-Mow
-Mow

Worked my butt off last week, but too much of it was diagnosing problems, running for parts, repairing flats, etc. etc. I guess that is the hazzard of farming with old equipment. Between all the breakdowns, popup showers, road time moving equipment, etc. I felt like I jammed 20 hours of work into 60 hours. I figure by doing my own spraying I am saving about $3,200-$4,000 this year. Problem is so far I am at $2,000 in repairs and 2 days of frustration, starting to question that decision to do all my own.

Seriously when it is going well I have enjoyed it, finished last Fri and it is cool to see all the green invaders turning brown and the crops really looking green and nice. I got done early enough to get the 4 wheeler out and hit the extra thick areas and touch up around the waterways and even spray a couple yards for friends and neighbors. On Sat got the roads mowed, so I am saying with crops all up, 1st spray pass done, and roads mowed that draws an official end to spring and summer has begun!

Spouse is not too happy about a couple spots in the yard. Being in a hurry I didn't think that walking across some spilled roundup on the trailer and then treking across the yard into the shed would leave some nice little indisputable evidence in the shape of my foot in the grass. I have promised to load the sprayer in the field next year instead of the drive.