Agriculture in the Area
Mike Roegge
University of Illinois Extension
Adams/Brown Unit
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Economic impact
Technology
Biotechnology
Ag trends
Farm facts
Major issues today
Ag Statistics 2007
# Farms Full time
Part time
Adams
1295
595
700
Brown
422
165
257
Hancock 1063
551
512
Pike
967
436
531
Value of land/
bldgs per farm
1.0M
1.1M
1.2M
1.4M
Crop Acres 2009 (thousand)
Corn
Soybean Wheat
Adams
148
121
-
Brown
54
35
28
Hancock 170
140
61
Pike
92
-
174
2009 Sales (Million dollars)
Crop Values
Livestock sold
Total
Adams
151
41.1
192.1
Brown
48.7
7.3
56
Hancock
187
49.8
236.8
Pike
143.6
35.6
179.2
Livestock 2008
# cows
#hogs
Adams
Cash
receipts
47.6M
14,9002
90,100
Brown
8.5M
-
19,900
Hancock 50.9M8
12,6003
138,2005
Pike
11,7005
126,1007
38.3M
Budget for Corn 2011
Revenue
197 bu corn @ $4.80
government payment
Expenses
Fertilizer, pesticides, seed, drying,
storage, insurance
Machine hire, repair and dep., utilities,
fuel/oil, vehicle
Labor, bldg repair and dep., insurance,
misc, interest
2011 Budget, FarmDoc
$946
24
$970
328
91
55
474
Technology on the farm
GPS- Global Positioning
Systems
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Guidance, auto-steer
Swath control
Yield maps
Variable rate fertilizer spreading
Aerial applications
Scouting
Guidance
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Lightbars
Visual indicators
Autosteer
EZ Guide 500, Trimble
Raven Industries, Inc.
Auto Steer
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Steering wheel mount
Steering column mount
Integrated hydraulic system
EZ Steer, Trimble
Differential GPS (DGPS)
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GPS
WAAS Correction
Satellite Correction
RTK
≥ 10 ft
6”-20”
< 6 in
< 1 in
Sprayer Swath Control
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By Sections of the boom
Individual Nozzles - Pulse width
modulation
Planter controls
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Section control
– Multiple row
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Individual row
control
Why Increased Use??
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Increased efficiencies w/ large
equipment equal cost savings
120 acre field
– Sprayer-60’ boom, 2.5’ average overlap,
waterway, seed and herbicide cost
$120/acre
– Swath efficiency
$220
– Auto shutoff
$119
– Total
$339
GMO’s
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What are they?
Why do farmers use them?
How do they work?
Are they used? How common?
Genetically Modified
Soybean
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First available in soybean in 1996
Adoption of technology rapid
Traits available initially for producer– Roundup ready and Ignite (weed control
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Newer traits for consumers
– Low linolenic- reduce trans fats
– Low sat fat, mid oelic, - low sat and trans and better
stability
– Omega 3
– High oleic- reduce trans fats, improve stability in cooking
GMO Corn
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Introduced for European Corn Borer
control in 1996
Several proteins used for insect control
Insect control
– European Corn Borer and other leps
– Corn Rootworm
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Weed control
– Roundup
– Ignite
GMO’s
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Account for 90% of soybean acres in
IL in 2009
Account for 82% of corn acres in IL in
2010
Region- less corn acres planted to
GMO
GMO’s
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What are they?
Why do farmers use them?
How do they work?
Are they used? How common?
Issues Today
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Cost of farming
– Cash rents
– Land prices
– Input prices
– Crop prices
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Demand (determines prices received)
– Export
– Domestic
– Livestock
Trends
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Farm size larger
Less diversification
Fewer people to work more acres
Capital expenditures huge
Ability to retain farm land questioned
Agricultural Jobs
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Production
– Growers, managers, hort, livestock, grain
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Marketing/Sales
– Seed, chemical, fertilizer, livestock, tile, machinery, grain
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Scientist/engineering
– Precision ag, research (plant/animal), genomics,
environmental
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Management/business
– Consultant, banker, real estate,broker, economist
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Education/Communication
– Educator, media, public health, USDA