It is a fairly common assumption that weeds will outlive you me and our great-great grandchildren fifty times over.  Once they arrive, the take over and regaining any sort of control is not only a chore, but a necessity. 

Weeds are capable of destroying croplands in short order.  Once a weed takes root, they use vital nutrients which weaken the crop.  Over time, it will overtake the area and completely run out the desired species.  Weeds can cause changes in the natural process of the land which causes volumes of ecological damage over time, never mind what is happening to your crops.  Many areas have a weed management control program that targets invasive species of weeds.  In the case of the farmer, however, the only good weed is the one that doesn’t exist.

Here are a few ideas for controlling the ever persistent weed: 

1.        In crop it is important to star controlling weeds before you ever plant.  Be sure to choose a well adapted hybrid, maintain proper soil pH and use adequate plant populations.  When the crop that you are working with gets a head start on the weeds, it gets the advantage on everything from nutrients to sunlight.  As the corn grows it will shade the area around it cutting off the possibility of photosynthesis for the plant, which is imperative for growth. 

2.       Map it out.  To choose the right herbicide you need to determine what weeds are going to pose challenges.  Create a map and then do a little research on appropriate herbicides for each problematic area.  If you are pre-planting, take note of what weeds are out there the season before.  This will give you an idea as to what is going to be where for the upcoming season.

3.       Get mowing!  This is probably the first and easiest step to take in controlling weeds – at least for pastures and rangeland.  This is one of those things that is all about the timing.  If you notice you have a new crop of weeds coming up in a pasture, mow it before it goes to seed.  If you mow before a plant goes to seed you are keeping it from producing more seeds.  By keeping the grass height to about four inches (minimum for grazing pastures) the grass shades the dirt, thus preventing the new seeds from germinating as well.  Mowing can also make the grass that is there grow in thicker over time, thus running out the ever persistent weed.   –Keeps the farm looking tidy and well attended too.

4.       Down and dirty – The all time most surefire way of getting rid of a weed is to dig it up by hand.  No, this technique cannot be applied to huge tracts of land, but is plenty effective in the garden or in smaller pasture areas.  Also, be careful; it is not advised to pull weeds if herbicides was ever applied.  And, by digging them up, you can disturb root systems of the desired crop(s) and bring other weed seeds to the top to germinate.  Moisture loss can also occur.  

5.       Consider Crop rotation.  Rotating crops not only helps to control weeds, but nematodes, insects and diseases in other following crops as well. 

Bottom line, get to them before they get to you.  That is the best way to get the job done.  Most extension agencies have Web sites or other program dedicated to weed control specific to your region as well as the crop.  For more specific information regarding weed control check out this Web site http://weedext.ifas.ufl.edu/.  Happy weeding!!

Pro Farmer has made their fall harvest estimates for corn and soybeans, and it’s shaping up to be a fairly decent year. Pro Farmer’s estimates assume that there won’t be any major changes in the weather (especially early frost) over the remainder of the growing season, and they calculate their estimates should be within 1% on corn and 2% on soybeans, given relatively normal weather patterns.

For corn, the national estimate is 153.3 bushels per acre, with a total harvest of 12.152 billion bushels. For soy, the national yield estimate is 39.95 bushels per acre, with a total of 2.930 billion bushels harvested.

For corn, the figures represent a slight decline from last year’s record-setting yield of 155 bushels/acre. Soy yield is also down a bit from last year’s 41.2 bushels/acre. These are still extremely high yields by historical standards – last year was just exceptionally good.

State-by-state, Illinois and Iowa are the reigning corn champs in terms of yield, with estimates of 168.5 bushels/acre in both states despite a poor start to the growing season and a lot of dry weather (ironic given the floods, but then, Mother Nature always has a sense of humor when it comes to farm production). Indiana is up sharply with 167 bushels/acre. Ohio is turning in a notably poor year, with 151 bushels/acre, due to a rocky start to the planting season. For soybeans, Nebraska tops the charts with 50 bushels/acre, and analysts credit this to the development of precise irrigation skills among Nebraska’s bean farmers.

Overall the estimates are on-track for a solid if not spectacular and record-setting production cycle. These numbers do indicate that the ability of the farming sector to absorb major blows from the weather, such as the floods this summer, have improved over the past decades. Part of that can be attributed to greater capitalization – it’s easier to shift your planting when you’ve got multiple/scalable tractors to do it with – but I’d wager that the biggest change has been in the access to weather technology, and in the greater education and skill possessed by the modern US farmer.

Erosion is the bane of every farmer, particularly those who farm in erosion-intensive environmental conditions. Aside from the relatively minor inconveniences of erosion such as fields collapsing and drainage systems getting clogged up, erosion actually costs farmers money – I’ve seen estimates that indicate even mild erosion on a field can reduce the yield on that field by 20%. Less visible, but equally expensive, is the fact that subsurface erosion on pastureland can reduce the rate of regrowth by as much as 80%. The paddock looks fine on the surface – but erosion has reduced that field’s productivity to a fifth of its maximum.

Fortunately there are some relatively easy ways to keep erosion under control. It’s almost impossible to completely stop erosion – water and wind moves soil and that’s all there is to it. But with a little planning and effort, you can reduce erosion to a minor nuisance instead of a budget-busting disaster.

The first things to look at are what you should stop doing. Here are just a few of the practices which can accelerate erosion:

• Planting under extreme cold or dry conditions. (The slow growth of germinating seeds mean that the top layer of soil is open to the environment.)

• Cultivating steep slopes. Its probably not worth it.

• Heavy grazing on sown pastureland.

• Burning stubble after harvest.

There are also some positive steps you can take to control erosion.

1. Minimum tillage. The less you tear up the top layers of soil, the more resistant that soil is to water runoff. –Despite my last name, I encourage no-till whenever possible.

2. Stubble mulching. Putting that harvest waste back onto the ground provides an additional layer of insulation against environmental effects.

3. Contour cultivation. It’s not suited for all farmland, but it can reduce erosion by 25% to 90% when done properly.

4. Rotate foraging animals in fields before the pasture is depleted.

5. Plant filter strip in low lying gullies and runoff areas of your fields.

6. Plant grasses and small trees on those steep slopes.

7. Use strip cropping to control erosion in windy areas.

8. Consider using a cover crop (especially legumes) during off season times.

9. Plant tree line windbreaks, or keep the ones you’ve got.

By controlling erosion on the farm, you preserve the value of your land and prevent yields from declining over time.

Looking to boost your farm’s income over the next few years? You can always hope for higher commodity prices – although things have been softening up there recently so that might not be a winning strategy. Unlike some other businesses, farmers generally don’t get much input in the prices they receive for their products. So improving the farm’s bottom line generally means either making and selling more product, or cutting costs. Here are a few ideas for doing the latter.

Tip 1: Go Organic

Organic farming techniques are more labor-intensive, but zero out some of your largest line-item costs. No pesticide spray passes, no weedkiller applications – it adds up. If you’ve got more time/hands than you have work, and less money than you have bills, a switch to organic production methods can make hard financial sense.

Tip 2: Let Mother Nature Feed Them

If you’re maintaining a dairy herd, consider moving to natural pasturage rather than confining your herd and providing the feed. This interesting article details some of the findings of research around grazing, and it may surprise you. The conventional wisdom is that naturally grazed cows produce less milk – and they do. The surprising part is, they don’t produce much less milk – and the net financial output per cow is as much as two or three times higher, even after taking into account the increased management work of keeping track of pasturage and moving animals around.

Natural grazing doesn’t just mean letting the herd out onto the first open field you see and trusting to luck – you’ll need to understand what your soil conditions are, ensure that there’s enough nutritional energy in the available forage, etc.

Tip 3: Get Bigger or Change Businesses

The simple truth is that for conventional farming techniques, small herds lose money. If a herd has less than 500 animals, then you’re not likely to be at the break-even point for your fixed operational costs. If you can expand into the profitable range, then that might be worth looking into. If you can switch to organic production, that’s one way to keep a small herd viable. Otherwise, sell your small herd and the associated equipment and use the money to optimize your other farming activities.

Tip 4: Get a New Lease on Life

If you are leasing your land, one way to cut costs is to change the terms of your lease. Rather than a cash arrangement, consider going to a share-lease arrangement. The downside is that if you have a great year, you don’t keep all the profits – but the upside is that a portion of your operational costs get charged to the landlord instead of to your bottom line. If your farm steadily makes a profit, this is a bad option – but if like most farmers you have good years and bad, then a share-lease can make the bad years much more survivable.