I had a truly amazing night last night.  I was fortunate enough to attend an event where Dr Robert Zubrin gave a presentation called, “A plan for breaking the economic stranglehold of the OPEC oil cartel.”

Let me start by explaining that Dr. Zubrin is an internationally renowned astronautical engineer and the acclaimed author of The Case for Mars, which Arthur C. Clarke called “the most comprehensive account of the past and future of Mars that I have ever encountered.” NASA even recently adapted Zubrin’s humans-to-Mars mission plan.  

-So, knowing that Dr Zubrin was a NASA guy, I assumed this would be a presentation that discusses all the different new energy technologies.  Boy I was wrong.  (but pleased)

Dr Zubrin stared by presenting persuasive evidence that our decades-long relationship with OPEC has resulted in the looting of our economy, and now the funding and protection of terrorist regimes and movements that are committed to our destruction.  Dr Zubrin then went on to actually solve the problem.  He explained that the single, most powerful way to stop the enormous transfer of wealth (thus power) to the Middle East is to enact a new US policy to make all new cars flex-fuel vehicles.  We must switch to “omnivore cars” that can run on crop grown Ethanol or Gasoline.  He pointed out that the rest of the world would certainly follow suite because they know we like to drive our cars, and they like to sell them to us. He also pointed out that this type of change would allow for distribution channels for alcohol fuels (ethanol) to catch-up and wouldn’t leave people with the “one filling station in 100 mile radius” scenario.  Most importantly, this type of solution would also support agriculture in the US and through out the world and reverse the stream of US dollars that currently goes to the Middle East.

I found Dr Zubrin to be a brilliant man with a solid understanding of all the topics he covered, - even when the crowd threw him some curveballs. (They had obviously read the bogus reports that ethanol was not good for the environment, starved people, and had poor energy value.)  He quashed every challenge to ethanol with science.  He was friendly, didn’t speak over peoples heads, and was quite funny.  If you ever have an opportunity to see him speak, do it.  –And bring your nay-saying neighbor or friend.

Zubrin covered a lot of additional information that was incredibly insightful and interesting.  I can’t give you a play-by-play of the entire presentation, but I do recommend you buy his new book.  (no, I don’t get paid to endorse products)  I personally bought 14 copies last night to share with others. 

Visit http://energyvictory.net to learn more about Dr Zubrin and check out the proposed legislation that could make this solution a reality.

Legislation Summary: Open Fuel Standard Act

Bill Sponsors: Set America Free Coalition

So here’s an interesting idea.  The green scum that affixes itself to the interior of your stock tanks might end up fueling your tractors.

Algae is becoming the next big thing in biodiesel.  There are already several companies that are investing in Oil algae production.  Why algae?  Oil is just the really old, compressed version of algae, which with enough heat, pressure and time, has turned into oil.  From there we pull it out of the ground and refine it.  The technology that is being developed makes all of that happen faster.

Researchers discovered that microalgaes have a lipid concentration of about 30% by weight.   On a per acre basis estimates indicate that algae can produce up to 200 times more yield than the best producing vegetable/plant oil crops.  It is usually during times of environmental stress, particularly nutrient deficient periods that lipid concentrations are highest.  Algae actually produces more lipids when starved of Nitrogen, so fertilizer in a traditional sense won’t even be necessary for successful cultivation.  The most efficient variety of algae has yet to be determined since most of them are about equal in terms of yield. 

The byproduct of “oilgae” (as it is sometimes called) has proven useful in ethanol production as well as in chicken feed because it is a high source of protein.  It can also be used as an organic fertilizer.  In addition to being incredibly efficient in terms of yield, algae is also one of the most eco friendly forms of fuel out there.  Unlike other common oil producing crops, algae can be grown pretty much anywhere – not just on farm land.   It is a very hardy, organism that thrives around sewers and power plants since it digests the pollutants that are produced at both locations.

One of the most obvious places to grow algae is in a pond where it is a prolific organism.  Problems with this involve the unintentional acquisition of unwanted species of algae in addition to not cultivating the wanted varieties quick enough.  Large scale algae farms are still in the works. 

Like other up and coming fuel sources, oilgae is not designed to be a complete replacement for oil, but a supplement in order to relieve the strain of paying for foreign oil.  -For more information on this topic check out: http://www.oilgae.com/. 

When you applied your fertilizer this spring, you probably hit some sticker shock – prices are way up. I can’t help you with the high prices (my magic wand is in the shop) but I have collected some best practices for NPK application and use to help cut the bill.

Let’s hit nitrogen first. Some midwestern farmers are making good savings on their nitrogen bill by using N-Serve and greatly reducing their application of liquid nitrogen – to as low as 20 to 25 pounds per acre. N-Serve application used to be limited to anhydrous tanks, but new injection technologies make it possible to directly inject the N-Serve along with the nitrogen application, using a Sidekick to control the flow. Mapping technology allows you to target the N-Serve to the exact full or partial field where it’s needed, although many farmers just apply it across the entire acreage.

No-till farmers already know that losses of liquid nitrogen can reach 20% due to volatilization under the right conditions. These farmers have built an applicator that allows them to apply NH3 subsurface. Not only is the NH3 cheaper by twenty or thirty cents a pound, but the subsurface application greatly reduces loss to environmental conditions.

A slightly higher tech-approach is the use of ESN, a fertilizer mix that wraps urea pellets in a polymer that degrades slowly over time. The ESN polymer is more expensive than straight nitrogen by about ten cents a pound, but the savings come from the fact that you can use somewhat less of it. The polymer protects the N from leaching during the heavy spring rains, but is degraded to the point of releasing most of the nitrogen right around the time that plants are hitting their peak growth cycle. It’s like doing a side dressing in advance.

With phosphorus, oftentimes it’s a question of too much, rather than too little. Phosphorus runoff causes any number of problems with local water sources, and the last thing you need is to have environmentalists yelling at you. Fortunately it’s not too difficult to manage your phosphorus situation. The first step is to know your yield goal for your acreage. Second, calculate your P requirement to hit that yield. Third, test your soil and see what you’ve already got – the odds are pretty good that you have enough P already and don’t need to add any at all. If you are low, then apply the P in the most efficient manner possible. One efficiency booster – add zeolite to your soil. Naturally occurring P, and any that you apply, will bind to the zeolite and be released naturally in response to plant action over the course of the growing season.

If you do need to add P, then add it in the right place! Surface application, unless you’re growing perennial forage, is a huge waste, and contributes to P runoff and eutrophication. Apply P to the root zone only, either at planting time or using subsurface application. If you are using manure as a fertilizer source, be aware that adding enough N to meet your yield requirement is almost certainly going to overload your soil on P. That won’t hurt your crops, but it will make your runoff a problem for your neighbors, and you’ll need to take some extra care in managing your water.

Given the ubiquity of P in the natural environment, however, it’s more likely that you won’t need to add much if any – particularly if you preserve what you have. Soil management technique is the way to keep the P you have in the ground, instead of running out into the wastewater ditch. Any number of land management techniques can help with that – conservation tillage, conservation cover, conservation cropping sequences, delaying your seed bed preparation, adding a grass filter strip or waterway, contour farming, strip cropping, terracing, a sediment control basin, even a constructed wetland – these are good for the environment, AND good for your fertilizer budget as well.

Potassium (K) is of course a critical fertilizer, and one of the most important things to be aware of in K application is the target crop. K uptake rates vary wildly by crop – from 120 pounds an acre for soybeans, to 400 pounds an acre for alfalfa. Be aware of the K need that your particular crop has, and adjust your application accordingly. Also bear in mind that your N uptake rate is controlled by the K level in the plant – a deficiency of K can cause an effective deficiency of N, even if you’re drowning your crop in NH3. K also regulates P uptake – so be sure to get that K level right.

Like phosphorus, potassium levels in the soil are often high enough already, so soil testing is definitely worth the minor investment, especially if it saves you an application. In addition, as with phosphorus, improving your K cycling on the farm can preserve the element and prevent the need for future application. As with P, a zeolite admixture can help bind the nutrient and prevent runoff and leaching, leaving plenty of K available when the plant starts to really draw on it. However, when you do need K, there are some techniques you can use to manage the cost.

Common potassium fertilizers tend to have a high salt index – don’t place them near seeds or seedlings, especially in sandy soil or with high levels of application. Instead, a band three inches to one side and two inches below your seedbed will provide plenty of K for developing plants without injuring seeds or transplants. Split application is recommended for crops with long growing cycles, because plants will uptake more K than they need if it is available, possibly reducing levels below the critical point later in the season. If you are using no-till or low-till, you will need to increase the K application because liquid K applications tend to stay near the surface; you won’t need a higher level if you’re fertilizing corn, however, as corn’s extensive shallow root system will absorb what it needs.

I’ve only hit some of the high points; there is a lot of literature and information out there to help optimize your fertilizer application this year. Good luck!

It always amazes me how much free information is out there to help farmers make wise decisions and run their businesses better.  State Universities, Corporate Outreach and Education Programs, Local Ag Extension Offices, and Grower Associations provide a wealth of knowledge.  Unfortunately, many farm operators and growers forget about these resources or choose not to make use of them.  –Still many other farmers only rely on one source of information instead of getting more than one opinion. 

Part of the problem is that we just get lazy and do things the way we did them last year.   Another part of the problem is that the information is spread out in various locations, and on difficult to navigate, outdated (or rarely updated) websites.

I have compiled a list of my Top 10 Farm Management Resources. This list below also includes a brief summary of the information you will find on each site. Some of these may be new to you, or perhaps this may just serve as a reminder of great agribusiness tools that you have forgotten about. –Either way, I hope it helps.

(No preference is placed on the numeric order)

1) Ag Decision Maker, By Iowa State University

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/decisionaids.html

This website provides business tools and reports that can help you make better educated decisions for your farm.  The site provides fully functional production budgets, helps you learn about what other farmers are paying for inputs, analyze leases, and more.  It also features powerful calculators for Crop Decisions, Livestock Decisions, New Business Development Decisions and Whole Farm Decisions.

2) The Monsanto Performance Website

http://www.monsantoperformance.com/ 

This site contains a wealth of information and will link you to the Monsanto “Growing Knowledge Newsletter” for your specific region. The news letter itself contains current news, production tips and more.  The website also allows you to run county-by-county yield reports, get product information, and visit the Monsanto Learning Center website.

3) DTN Agriculture Webinars

http://www.dtn.com/dtnag/news/dtnag_webinars.cfm

DTN does a great job of creating free online agriculture seminars that answer important questions for all of us.  They cover topics like Taxes for Farmers, Futures, Production Issues and more.  If you can’t attend a seminar because of a schedule conflict, you can always replay the original later. 

4) Missouri State Agriculture Risk Management Website

 http://extension.missouri.edu/seregion/Risk%20Mang..htm

This is one of those sites that doesn’t look fancy and is kind of difficult to navigate but contains lots of great information.  Topics covered are Farm Leases, Crop Insurance, Farm Building Plans, Ag Business Plans and more. 

5) MidWest Plan Service (MWPS)

http://www.mwps.org

The MidWest Plan Service (MWPS) is a publishing cooperative that publishes and peer-reviewed university agriculture research.  This is a one stop website for the latest and greatest research coming out or our Ag Extension schools and the USDA and covers all major topics including crops, soil, livestock, farm business and more. 

6) The National Agricultural Law Center by University of Arkansas

http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/

The National Agricultural Law Center is the only agricultural law research and information facility that is independent, national and international in scope, and directly connected to the national agricultural information network. The Center has expanded the scope of its coverage to include food law as it recognizes the expanding scope of agricultural law and its convergence with food law topics. The Center is staffed by a team of law and research professors, lawyers, other specialists, and graduate assistants from the University of Arkansas School of Law Graduate Program in Agricultural Law.

7) Peer to Peer online Discussion Forums

 http://talk.newagtalk.com/category-view.asp

http://dgroups.agriculture.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=agriculturez&nav=index

http://agweb.com/DiscussionBoard/default.asp

http://www.topix.com/forum/science/agriculture

Try asking other farmers what they are doing or search though and read existing conversations.  This will help you get some perspective outside your direct network of neighbors and friends.  Forums are powerful tools and you can use a different screen name to maintain your anonymity.

8) Local USDA Cooperative Extension System Offices

 http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.

9) Different Grower Association’s

http://alextiller.com/agribusiness_resource/List_of_Grower_Associations.pdf

There are many grower associations out there and most of them provide free research, reports, budgets, production costs, surveys and news to help you stay on top of any given subject.  I have provided a list of some Grower Associations to help you find your particular topic of interest. 

10) Agriculture Marketing Resource Center

  http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/

The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center is an electronic, national resource for producers that are interested in value-added agriculture. You can browse commodities and products, investigate market and industry trends, study business creation and operation, read research results and locate value-added resources.