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With the volatility in the grain markets and the increase in acreage for corn, soybeans and wheat, an opportunity exists for cotton producers. With the decrease in acreage, the cotton prices are far better than most would have predicted. If you can’t plant more acreage, then manage for the highest yields possible.

The key for cotton production this year will be management. Producers who had irrigation last year during the drought had yields well above the Missouri projected yield of 962 pounds per acre. In fact, some producers had personal yield records due to the high number of heat units. So, producers who increased their irrigation capacity during the off-season can at least have more yield stability.

Final plant populations should be in the 1-2 plants-per-foot range, and the crop should be managed for early maturity in some of the fields by either planting earlier maturing varieties for managing growth regulators and fertilizer inputs to keep the internodes shorter and the total plant height more manageable.

Producers should look at all of their inputs and see what they can change to stay in production. With the high cost of fuel and labor, reduced tillage systems will benefit producers, yet we still have holdouts that use conventional tillage. Fertilizer inputs should be managed to increase earliness. Split applications are very beneficial on the sandy soils.

Missouri producers should take advantage of the increased yield potential created by removing the boll weevil as an economic pest.

Source : www.cottonfarming.com

USA Rice Foundation Chairman Marvin Hare announced the selection of the 2010 Rice Leadership Development Class during the USA Rice Outlook Conference. The class is comprised of five rice producers and two industry-related professionals selected by a committee of agribusiness leaders. Candidates must be 25 to 45 years old at the time of application and derive their primary livelihood from some aspect of the rice industry.

The new rice producer class members are Alex Clark, Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Matthew Fielke, Stuttgart, Ark.; Shannon Harrington, Iowa, La.; Nicole Van Vleck, Sacramento, Calif.; and Jim Whitaker, McGehee, Ark. The new industry related class members are Andy Morris, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Dan Squires, Yuba City, Calif.

Many Rice Leadership Development Class alumni are currently serving in key positions on various industry boards and committees, including Brian King, chairman of the USA Rice Merchants’ Association, as well as Paul Combs, Charley Mathews and Linda Raun, all members of the USA Rice Federation Executive Committee.

Alumni of the Rice Leadership Development Program are eligible to participate in a new international program session made possible with the addition of RiceTec Inc. as a sponsor of the program this year. John Deere Company, RiceTec Inc. and Syngenta sponsor the Rice Leadership Development Program through a grant to The Rice Foundation. The USA Rice Federation administers the program.

Source : www.ricefarming.com

Arkansas rice and soybean farmer Wayne Vines explains why he intends to plant more soybeans this year. Vines also reveals where he goes to get production advice when he needs it.

High diesel bills will take a lot of ground out of rice production in 2006. Arkansas rice/soybean farmer Wayne Vines, who farms in northern Jackson County, plans to switch more of his operation to soybean production this year.

“If a field is not absolutely prime rice ground, we cannot afford to plant it to rice,” explains Vines. “My sandy ground will be planted to soybeans. I rotate beans and rice, and I’m normally 60 percent soybeans and 40 percent rice. This year, I will probably not have more than 30 percent of my farm in rice production.

“The high input costs, particularly diesel, plus low rice prices, are the main reasons why I will plant more soybeans this year. Fuel and fertilizer are just too expensive, and a producer cannot afford to cut back on fertilizer, so diesel is the prohibitive cost. I’m not convinced you can burn over $2/gallon diesel and still raise rice profitably.”

Vines normally starts planting soybeans around May 10, depending on the weather. He always tries to plant rice before he starts planting soybeans; he plants both with a 7.5-inch spacing drill.

Going no-till is another way Vines plans to cut back on the amount of diesel that he will burn this season. “I have a no-till drill and haven’t really done much no-till in the past but I’ll do it for sure this year to reduce the amount of diesel that I’ll use,” he says.

Vines planted all Group Vs in 2005, but might plant some Group IVs on some of his dryland ground since he will plant less rice than normal this year. He planted Delta King Seed soybean varieties last year and plans to do the same this year. “Delta King offers good soybean varieties that perform consistently across the board on different soil types,” he says. “Last year, I planted DK 5567 RR, DK 5161 RR and DK 5967 RR.

“Keeping up with all the different soybean and rice varieties is difficult. Having a consultant helps me a whole lot with variety selection.”

Vines’ consultants ‘walk the walk’
Vines’ consultant is Marlow Wiggins of the Lawhon Farm Services. Wiggins, who is based at the Grubbs location, is involved in the recommendation and application of chemicals, fertilizer, fungicides and water management for all crops grown in his area. “We also make timing recommendations,” says Wiggins, who, like the other Lawhon consultants, is a Certified Crop Advisor accredited by the American Society of Agronomy and the Arkansas Consulting Licensing program.

Wiggins pulls soil samples and determines the crop’s nutrient needs on a field-by-field basis. Vines says, “My father was a firm believer in pulling soil samples, but I now depend on Wiggins to do it for me. Having another man walk my fields helps me out tremendously.

“Additionally, Lawhon has a top technical soybean man, Bill Rushing, who is the seed production manager for Delta King. I had a problem in one soybean field in 2004. We thought it was SDS, so Bill pulled samples and found that nematodes were causing the problems in the field. He was real thorough and really impressed me.”

Pre-season planning pays off
Wiggins continues working for Vines during the off-season. In addition to pulling soil samples, he tries to keep Vines and his growers informed as much as he can.

“For example, when the University of Arkansas publishes their variety yield results at the end of the year, I always take a copy to my growers to help them in variety selection,” Wiggins says. “Information is as important to them as products and practices.”

Vines adds, “We meet several times during the winter for pre-season planning, such as determining what varieties we need to plant on what field.”

He flood irrigates about 60 percent of his bean acreage. Vines also farms dryland beans – even more this year with his shift away from rice. He markets all of his soybeans and a little rice through Riceland Foods. The Arkansas producer markets most of his rice through Poinsett Rice and Grain.

“Poinsett has a great marketing organization and they’re locally owned by a good, honest man,” he explains. Vines grew up farming on the family operation. After graduating from college, he taught for five years, but returned to the farm in 1973 to farm with his father, who passed away in 1981.

B2B trade directory contributed information for this article.

article source : www.ricefarming.com

Please note that the information provided on this site was provided by the farm business advisors and is current as of the last update date. OMAFRA or its agencies or its representatives do not warrant the accuracy of any of these statements nor should inclusion of this information on this site be taken as an endorsement by OMAFRA or its agencies or its representatives of any particular service provider or advisor. This is simply a service to farmers and farm businesses and provides contact information on advisors who have submitted information about themselves and are recognized as meeting a minimum level of qualifications. While OMAFRA has made every effort to check the qualifications of these individual advisors so they meet the minimum qualifications, this list does not in any way guarantee or warranty the quality of the advisor or the quality of their work or information that they provide.

Furthermore, these advisors will be providing their own advice concerning individual situations and this is not the advice nor should be interpreted as advice by a government agency. These advisors are private sector individuals working for the producer who engages them for a specific task (Farm Financial Assessment).

OMAFRA or its agencies or its representatives accept no responsibility nor will they be held liable for any claims, demands, losses, or actions which may be made or taken against them, arising out of advice, operation or any other action related to the Farm Financial Assessment. Farmers, farm businesses and producers are encouraged to fully understand the terms of engagement when entering into a contract with an advisor. For more information on selecting an advisor, please refer to the factsheet entitled, “Choosing a B2B Business Directory Consultant”

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is maintaining a list of qualified farm business advisors to assist Ontario producers undertake the Farm Financial Assessment as part of Growing Forward Business Development for Farm Businesses.

The goal of Growing Forward Business Development for Farm Businesses is to increase the economic viability of Ontario’s agriculture and food industry. Based on their reviewed Action Plans, producers may require the services of a professional farm business advisor to review past financial performance, analyze their current business situation, discuss objectives and prepare financial projections based on identified goals.

Producers may be eligible for a maximum of $2,400 for up to four days of one-on-one consultation with a private sector farm business advisor (to a maximum of $1,900), as well as up to one day of follow-up (to a maximum of $500). The farm B2b business directory must provide a payment contribution.

There will be two options available to farm businesses to undertake the FFA:

1. Program-led – the farm business may choose an advisor from the approved FFA roster.
2. Producer-led – the farm business may choose their own advisor. This advisor is not required to be on the approved FFA roster but they must meet the same minimum education/experience qualifications as the rostered advisors.

Source : www.omafra.gov.on.ca

Jepang dikenal sebagai negara paling maju di Asia. Namun tahukah anda, bahwa pertanian disana ternyata masih kuat nuansa ‘tradisional’nya? Bagaimana itu? Mari kita simak selengkapnya!

Begitu kita berada di luar Tokyo, terjadilah anomali. Ini terjadi karena ternyata Negeri matahari terbit ini juga merupakan negeri para petani lokal/kecil. Di Fukuoka, kota terbesar nomor tujuh di Jepang, ladang padi yang damai terselip diantara rumah dan candi, dalam bayang-bayang pencakar langit yang hanya berjarak 10 mil.

Di iklim yang sangat kondusif ini, pertanian keluarga menanam buat dan sayuran dalam siklus tahunan, untuk memproduksi bahan pangan bagi kota berpenduduk 1,3 juta ini. Di daerah suburban, dimana pertanian lokal jauh lebih banyak, konsumen sering mendapatkan sayuran yang baru dipetik tadi pagi untuk makan malam. Di supermarket pada jantung kota Fukuoka, adalah umum untuk mendapatkan sayuran yang dipanen sehari sebelumnya.

Hasil pertanian segar

Jika anda menggigit tomat atau stroberi disini, maka efek dari kesegarannya akan segera terasa. Mereka sangat penuh cita rasa, sehingga tidak perlu dipersiapkan lebih lanjut lagi. Bahkan anak-anak menyukai sayuran, termasuk juga yang dianggap tidak enak seperti bayam atau kacang-kacangan.

Jepang memiliki istilah untuk hasrat terhadap makanan lokal dan segar: chisan, chishou, yang berarti, ‘produksi lokal, dan konsumsi lokal’.

Preservasi chisan-chisou pada salah satu negara yang paling terurbanisasi di dunia merupakan teladan yang baik, bahwa di negara lain yang terurbanisasi hal ini juga dapat diterapkan.

Dengan perkecualian Hokkaido, pulau Jepang yang paling utara dan paling rural, sebagian besar pertanian di Jepang adalah operasi skala kecil yang dijalankan oleh beberapa anggota keluarga. Hasilnya tidak hanya pada kesegaran makanan lokal, namun juga dedikasi untuk terhadap produk. Anggur dan peach, diantara buah lain, mereka lindungi dengan pelindung, sewaktu masih tumbuh, untuk melindungi mereka dari serangga dan gangguan lain. Tanah pun dipetakkan dengan baik, sehingga sayuran akan tumbuh dari dalam beberapa kaki. Dengan bantuan dari rumah kaca, hal ini membantu pasokan tanaman dari musim semi, panas, gugur, dan dingin. Sebagian besar pekerjaan dilakukan oleh tangan. Petani Jepang memproduksi semangka kotak, dari trik bonsai dengan membentuk semangka menjadi kubus sewaktu ia tumbuh, sehingga ia dapat dimasukkan kedalam kulkas. Ini menunjukkan dedikasi mereka terhadap pertanian.

Bantuan Pemerintah

Dalam era modern ini, generasi muda sudah mulai tidak tertarik atau mengapresiasi pertanian chisan chishou. Namun, pemerintah Jepang tidak tinggal diam. Mereka memberikan insentif-insentif, untuk mengakselerasi pertanian lokal. Di 20 tahun terakhir ini, pemerintah telah memfasilitasi pertanian lokal untuk memasuki pasar. Menjual tanah pertanian kepada kepentingan komersial, akan dipajaki sangat tinggi oleh pemerintah, sementara memberikan tanah tersebut ke anak untuk pertanian hanya dipajaki sangat minim. Pusat pertanian juga mengundang anak-anak sekolah untuk menanam dan memanen, untuk meningkatkan minat mereka. Pertanian kadang menjadi bagian dari kurikulum sekolah.

Minoru Yoshino dari Pusat Penelitian Pertanian Fukuoka menjabarkan peran pemerintah pada chisan-chishou dalam tiga hal. Makanan lokal yang segar adalah lebih sehat, dan rasa yang nikmat akan meningkatkan konsumsi sayuran. Sementara, pertanian lokal adalah lebih baik bagi kelestarian lingkungan, karena hanya memerlukan air dan pestisida lebih sedikit.

Banyak informasi tentang produk-produk pertanian yang beredarar saat ini, untuk lebih banyak lagi informasi yang di dapat silahkan kunjungi Supplier Indonesia

Source : www.netsains.com

Water-seeded rice production typically is associated with south Louisiana and California. However, Cary Wilson, who rents 1,600 acres north and west of Crowley’s Ridge, has found that this approach works better for him than drill seeding. “This land is low land, overflow land,” Wilson says. “The land between my farm and Crowley’s Ridge slopes upward toward the Ridge, so the water comes to us. The two biggest catch ditches for this area also run through our farm, so we have water coming in from every direction. I need a guaranteed way to plant every spring. That’s why I water seed.”

Wilson’s operation, which consists of zero-grade fields, culverts and weir gates to control the water, is the ideal setting for water-seeded rice.

“The No. 1 factor in water seeding is controlling the water,” he says. “You’ve got to be able to get it out on the field and get it off very quickly. I use the weir gates to adjust the water level and can tell just by driving by and seeing where the water is on the boards whether it needs to be raised or lowered. All in all, twenty-five of our 31 fields have weir gates.”

Hybrids suit the system
Another important aspect of Wilson’s water-seeding approach is to use all hybrids. Last year he planted Clearfield XL745, Clearfield XP746 and Clearfield XL729, which all have different characteristics, so he is not “putting all of his eggs in one basket.”

“The low poundage required per acre to plant hybrids appeals to me because soaking the seed prior to flying it on is fairly labor intensive,” he says. “Hypothetically, if I was going to plant 1,000 acres tomorrow, I can soak roughly 400 bushels, compared to soaking 900 bushels to plant 300 acres of non-hybrid rice.”

Wilson built a three-bulk bag sheet metal tank, which has the capacity to soak enough seed to plant 180 acres a day. The seed is soaked for 24 hours, removed and put on a concrete pad for 24 hours, then flown on the next day.

As far as land preparation, the Arkansas farmer cuts his rice, burns the field, disks it a couple of times, then land planes or rolls it. When it’s time to plant the next spring, he uses David Hill’s Flying Service to fly on the seed.

“The pilot can haul a little more than 40 bushels,” Wilson says. “By planting low-poundage hybrid rice, he can fly 60 acres, whereas before he could only fly 12 to 13 acres of non-hybrid rice at a time.”
In-season production practices
Wilson also notes that the hybrid rice root is very aggressive and roots down fast in his water-seeding system.

Because the hybrids take off so quickly, they have a better chance of competing with any weed pressure that may be present, he adds.

In addition to planting the competitive hybrids, his typical chemical weed control program begins with a shot of Newpath and Command, followed by a second shot of Newpath and Rice Beaux.

He also applies 138 units of fertilizer per acre.

“We put out potash and DAP as needed, but not on every acre, every year. We’ve been here long enough now to know where the weaker spots are, plus our yield monitor reinforces it.”

At harvest time, Wilson likes to cut the hybrid rice at 18 to 20 percent moisture, which he believes works best for milling and achieving maximum yield.

“Yields were off somewhat last season due to weather conditions,” he explains, “but, overall, we’ve had great success with hybrid rice in our water-seeding system.”

For tips n triks about great success visit online B2B marketplace

Source : www.ricefarming.com

As you begin your endeavor into greenhouse construction, you’ll want to keep in mind what kind of greenhouse frame is going to keep your house standing strong and your plants safe and healthy.

Because the greenhouse market is so varied, the type of frame that you implement is going to differ drastically depending on what plants you’re growing and what kind of greenhouse you have the means to provide for them. If you’re like the average consumer, spending a ton of cash on this project probably isn’t in the cards, so look into getting a smaller, more cost-effective greenhouses that require a minimum of construction but provide a wonderful atmosphere in which your plants can thrive. Your frame is going to consist of either aluminum, polyethylene(PVC), or wood ribbing. and your covering is most likely going to consist of a clear Visqueen plastic sheet, whose transparency allows for maximum sun exposure and whose composition ensures minimum wear.

Building frames for greenhouses is actually less technical than you’d think –especially if you’re looking for something fairly cheap and movable. Again, consider year-round plants. They’re easy to maintain if you have the right house. A hoop house, for instance, is a bit larger than a cold frame and uses PVC pipe — a material less expensive than aluminum and wood, and easier to work with. If you have about 90 minutes to kill one Saturday afternoon and a few friends, you can create a space perfect for plants that need a temperate climate. The framework basically requires you to put pipes in sockets –no hammer and nails necessary. As long as you have a rubber mallet to fit the joints snugly in place and some wooden planks to keep your house stationary in volatile weather, you’ve got all you need to construct the perfect greenhouse.

However, there are those who’d rather buy a greenhouse that is large enough to hold an entire ecosystem –a glasshouse with all the trappings of extravagant plant growth: hydroponic systems, ventilation, environmental pest control, the works. If that’s the case, you’ve got no problems acquiring a greenhouse frame that will satisfy your needs.

If you’re not interested in literally buying a new house or taking the initiative to create your own plant oasis, that’s perfectly fine. Greenhouse frame kits are available all over the market. Obviously they include your frames, but they also include your covering, any sort of ventilation you may need, and the perfect pest control option money can buy.

Don’t be alarmed if at first sight building a frame seems daunting. Just look around the web to find the framework plans that suit your needs and you’ll be well on your way to being heralded as Mr. Greensleeves.
For more information about greenhouse visit online B2B marketplace.

If you are one of the 81% of farmers still farming conventionally and using chemicals and synthetic fertilizers it is completely understandable.

Why?

Because for decades that’s what has been advocated to the farmer by the industry.

There is so much “proof” – research, trial work, field trials, scientists advocating the merits of conventional farming and you are constantly given proof that you can’t farm profitably without these commercial aids.

Just pick up most farm journals and papers and you’ll find there are reports and editorials which continually reinforce the use of conventional farming products and practices as the only viable way to farm. Sometimes there are reports tossed in to discredit natural farming as being uncommercial and unrealistic. We are told time and time again that conventional industrial farming is the only way we can feed the growing world’s population. Organic farming has lower yields, is more expensive and there is no extra nutritional benefit in the food produced. (more…)

Two Tennessee Producers Showcase A ‘Can Do’ Attitude
Is being a cotton farmer in a small town in West Tennessee the ultimate “dream job”? That statement may sound far fetched, but it perfectly describes the feelings of Gem Mitchell and Andy Shelton.

These two young men could have chosen different careers, but instead are living out their dreams and would not change a thing about what they wake up to every day in Bolivar, Tenn., a small farming town about 60 miles east of Memphis.

They don’t have the most acres or the fanciest equipment. But what they do have is a passion for farming and a willingness to succeed in what can best be described as a difficult environment.

As colleagues and friends will say, agriculture’s future looks bright if tomorrow’s farmers look like Gem Mitchell and Andy Shelton.

Perhaps it isn’t such a surprise that these two life-long friends from the same town would wind up being farmers. Their fathers were farmers, and it’s what the sons wanted to do – even if they didn’t always admit it to friends.

(more…)