Latimer, Iowa (north central) | $50 an acre savings is going to notill and cover crops.
Costs per acre:
Cover seed-$13
Drilling/seeding-$20
Additional costs of $33.
Savings/payments
NRCS/CSP/EQUIP/PFI
programs for cover crop-$28
No ripper pass-$25
No spring pass-$20.
Nonpremerge-$17.
$90 in savings/payments-$33 in costs is $57 per acre in lower C.O.P. With less work.
It has been much easier for us from a labor standpoint to not need tillage operator, just less work that has to be done. (Accounted for using ISU rates above) We sold our quadtrak and tillage equipment when went to notill, from an overall operation standpoint that frees up capital for other uses.
Not putting a $ amount benefit of less erosion and soil health or potential CI scoring benefits. We are at a -6 to -12 on our CI scoring depending on rotation of fields.
I spray the cereal rye right around planting with roundup. Found that spraying pre emerge on a good cover of cereal rye does nothing for weed control. Key is a consistent good cover which is why we use air seeder for cereal rye planting.
Edit:typing on phone and fat fingers
Edited by Green Acres Guy 9/8/2024 12:06
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Started planting our 2025 crops
