Corn and soybean production

1. Corn and soybean production

2. US Select Crop Value 2006 Billions of Dollars $33.8 $19.7 $7.7 $0.2 $0.9 $0.9 Oats Barley Sor-ghum Wheat Soy-bean Corn NASS

3. Small grain production

4. Corn • Graze corn - alternative pasture • Corn silage - dairy • High moisture corn • Grain

7. Top ten corn producing states, representing 84% of US production, 2006 (NASS)

8. 152.6

9. 2005-2006 U.S. corn use

12. Top ten soybean producing states, representing 75% of US production. 2006 (NASS)

13. 39.6

14. US Soybean Acres Million acres 64.1 63.3

15. 2007 Soybeans Planted Acres (1000) and change from previous year US 64,081 11,441

16. 2007 Corn Planted Acres (1000) and change from previous year US 92,888 14,561

17. Uses for soybean • Oil, human, 81% of edible fats in US • Soybean meal, 38.1 mil ton • Soydiesel, biodiesel • Ink • Crayons • Crop oil as surfactants • Wax • Aquaculture • Lubricants

18. Why does the Midwest lead in grain production?

19. Glaciers shaped the Midwest Late Wisconsinan - 10,500-30,000 yrs BP Pre-Illinoian - 500,000-2,500,000 yrs BP Illinoian - 130,000-300,000 yrs BP

20. Estimated extent of the tall grass prairie, about 1800 Representing approx. 400 million acres

21. Mollisols are the soils of grassland ecosystems, characterized by a thick, dark surface horizon. This fertile surface horizon, known as a mollic epipedon, results from the long-term addition of organic materials derived from plant roots.

23. Image of NRCS

24. Iowa’s (Midwest) Landscape Changed • Iowa’s tall grass prairie declined from12.6 million ha to 24,560 ha, a 99.9% decrease • “The tall grass prairies were erased before they were understood.” R. DeHaan

25. Iowa’s (Midwest) Landscape Changed Causes: • Human settlement • Steel, moldboard plow • Water drainage of land • Agriculture production, WW II • Chemicals • Specialization • Urban development? • Biofuel production?

26. historywired.si.edu/ images/objects/212a.jpg

27. Prairie potholes

29. Image of NRCS Tiling of prairies and wetlands to drain water for agriculture and development

30. Yield increase (bu) with subsurface drainage

31. (as N) Source: USGS, 2005

32. Nitrate-Nitrogen Loss in Tile Drainage (Randall et al., 1997)

33. Tillage systems for seedbed preparation:

34. Production Cycle, corn and soybeans alternating years Oct. - Nov. Stalk chopping, deep ripping, fertility application, liming, seedbed tillage Dec. - Jan. Fields remain dormant April - May Pre-plant seedbed prep., fertility source, pre- plant herbicides, planting late April-end of May June - July Pre-emergent herbicides, post-emergent herbicides, mechanical weed control Aug. Soybean pest control Sept. - Oct Harvest

35. Corn Soybeans Fertility needs • N - 0.0-1.2 lb/bu (56 lb/bu) 35.5 lb/bu (60 lb/bu) • P2O5 - 0.36 lb/bu 0.82 lb/bu • K2O - 0.26 lb/bu 1.00 lb/bu Water needs: 20-24 inches of water - 150-200 bu corn; 50-60 bu soybeans pH, liming needs:corn - 6.0-7.0; soybeans - 6.5-7.0

36. Phosphorus recommendations • Site-specific management • uses grid sampling • recommendations are made for each 2.5-5.0 acre cell • image represents 152 acres

37. Zone management • Soil sample according to • soil type • previous management • landscape • Zones are variable sizes • Less samples, less costly

38. Problems: • Seemingly erratic weather, the only aspect of farming that is not controlled • High N and P levels in surface water, because of subsurface drainage and less filtering by the soil • Corn/soybean monoculture, little crop diversity on the landscape: • Less chance to disrupt pest cycles • Greater outbreaks • Large supplies of grain • Corn/soybean monoculture, little genetic diversity within each crop: • Greater outbreaks • Bioterrorism

39. Open canopy much of the year • not getting the full benefits of sunlight • erosion, not an perennial system • unused nutrients, N and P

40. New/more GMO products will increase corn/soybean monoculture • Bt control of corn rootworm • Continuous corn • GMO boycotts • More fertilizer, 30-50 lb N from soybean residue • Little profit, small margins • Commodity • More acres, larger farms • Consolidation of agricultural industry

41. 2005 Price/bu Cost of production Corn $1.90 $2.83 Soybeans $5.05$6.76 2007 Price/bu Cost of production Corn $3.00+ $2.88 Soybeans $7.20+ $6.67 FM 1712, ISU Extension

42. Issues Should we increase diversity? Yes, but how? • Markets • Crops • Stacked genes

43. Increase diversity with markets: • Development of new products, increasing demand and more acres of monoculture • Export - some GMO boycotts • Non-food products - plastics, candles, fibers • New animal products - soybean meal for aquaculture • Ethanol

44. Increase diversity with markets: • Identity preservation: • White corn, high oil corn • Clear hilum soybeans for human consumption • Non-GMO grain for foreign export • Low linolenic acid (low-lin) soybeans • Organic, fastest growing ag sector • “Farmaceuticals”, profit for a very few

45. Increase crop diversity: • Perceived problems • No government payments • No market, little demand • Need different equipment, knowledge, skills • Little research • Another commodity crop from somewhere else • BIG paradigm change

46. SAG systems • 5-yr rotation: C-Sb-C-Oats underseeded with legume-Legume or Sb-C-Sb-Oats underseeded with legume-Legume • Legumes as the fertility source, disrupt pest cycles • Use of organic fertility sources: animal manure, compost, green manures • Perennials, diversity in rooting systems, soil health, C sequestration, land cover

47. Less herbicides results in more mechanical control and tillage, ?increasing erosion   • Using a living mulch or re-seeding annuals, full year cover • Less fertilizer needs using more realistic yield goals • Applying fertilizer just prior to plant uptake • Perennial grains, the Land Institute • Open pollinated (Op) corn, concern about trace level contamination of current seed stock with genetically modified seed, reduce dependence on the chemical/seed industry

48. Crop rotation systems(Liebman et al) • 2-year rotation: corn–soybean (conventional management) • 3-year rotation: corn–soybean–triticale + red clover green manure (less fertilizer and herbicide, banded herbicides) • 4-year rotation: corn–soybean–triticale + alfalfa–alfalfa hay (less fertilizer and herbicide, banded herbicides) Composted beef manure applied to forage legumes before plowing

49. Inputs to cropping systems (Averages for 2003–2005)

50. Cropping system comparisons