shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com March 21, 2017 • Page 13 National Ag Week March 19-25, 2017 Crop Diversification Potential: Improving Soil Health & Farm Profitability Written collaboratively by Tong Wang and Sandeep Kumar SDSU Extension Two-year corn-soybean rotation coupled with heavy chemical inputs has become the routine practice of agricultural production in the Midwestern United States. According to USDA/NASS data, corn and soybean prices received by producers in South Dakota both reached the peak levels of $7.39 and $16.00 per bushel, respectively, in August, 2012. Such unprecedented price has driven up the acreage planted for corn and soybean, at the expense of other crops and grassland. Reduced profit from corn-soybean rotation In most recent years, however, corn and soybean prices have been on a constant decline. Based on the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates on February 9, 2017, the projected range for U.S. seasonaverage corn price ranged from $3.20 to $3.60 per bushel, while the soybean price ranged from $9.10/ Bu to $9.90/Bu. Despite the declining prices, corn and soybean production costs have been constantly increasing. Based on cash-rent farm enterprise analysis data for Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota (FINBIN), total corn production cost, which includes both the direct and overhead expenses, has risen from $385 to $535 per acre from 2010 to 2015, a 39% increase. Similarly, total soybean production cost increased from $321 to $456 per acre during the same period, a 42% increase. The low corn and soybean market prices together with increasing production costs in recent years have squeezed much of the profit out of the traditional corn-soybean rotation. Low profits from corn and soybean production might open the door for producers to rotate a diversity of crops including wheat and oat. Importance of diversified crop rotation on soil health Crop rotational diversity is important to provide insect, weed, and disease control, build soil health, and has many other benefits such as enhanced crop productivity, environmental and economic benefits. Planting rotations that involve cover crops can produce a large root system which holds the soil together by producing a new source of fresh organic matter after roots decay. This organic matter provides habitat suitable for earthworms which form tunnels in the soil for large soil pores, subsequently enhancing water infiltration. Organic matter also helps to form new soil aggregates, which is important because it holds the soil together and therefore prevents the risk of soil loss due to erosion during high intensity rainstorm events. If the current soil structure is dense and compacted, crops such as alfalfa should be used in the regular crop rotation. The deep root system of alfalfa can go deeper into the ground even in the compacted soils. When these roots die, it leaves be- hind tunnels in the soil for future roots to grow into and further loosen the soil. Funded project and future studies Our recently funded NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG), titled Demonstrating the Impacts of Crop Diversification on Soil Health and Farm Profitability in South Dakota, aims to foster increased awareness among producers about crop diversification such as corn-soybean-wheat, corn-soybean-wheat-oats, cornsoybean-oats and cover crops and no-till systems on soil health and economic benefits. A total of two farm sites located in South Dakota will be selected for assessing the impacts of diversified crop rotation cropping systems compared to traditional corn-soybean rotation and also incorporation of cover crops on soil health, and crop yield. The 2-crop, 3-crop and 4-crop rotation system will be ranked in terms of total input cost and economic profit with and without subsidy. This 2-year project will demonstrate the impacts of diversified agroecosystems (corn-soybeanwheat, corn-soybean-wheat-oats, corn-soybean-oats and cover crops and no-till systems) on soil health and economic benefits in South Dakota. - See more at: http://igrow. org/agronomy/profit-tips/crop-diversification-potential-improving-soilhealth-farm-profitability/#sthash. P5yK8s8z.dpuf. Will This Make My Bull Sterile? Spring—that wonderful time when we turn the bulls out and they get to work for that feed ate over the last ten months. This is also the time when we get quite a few questions about bull fertility. People wonder if this product or that product can decrease the fertility of their bull. Here we will address many of the common products that concern producers, as well as note the most common causes of bull infertility. The most common concern is certain medications will cause bull sterility. The most questions we get are about sodium iodide, used to treat lump jaw, LA 200 or LA 300, and pour-ons, like Ivomec, Dectomax or Cydectin. Current research has shown these medications have no effect on bull fertility and can be used during breeding season. One class of medications that have received a lot of press recently are pyrethroids, which are used for fly control. A March 2012 article in Beef magazine suggested pyrethroids may cause sperm defects. However, the article did not cite any controlled studies. A study done in response by the University of Illinois did not find any sperm defects in cattle treated with common commercial pyrethroid products at label doses. It is suspected that over-exposure to pyrethroids would be the main culprit for sperm defects, consequently it is important to follow the labelled dose when using these products. Medications are not the biggest cause of bull infertility. That title goes to environment and nutrition. Cold, wet weather can lead to permanent changes in fertility. This typically occurs in March when the wet snows occur, therefore it is important to have a dry place for the bulls to lie down. Hot humid weather can cause sperm abnormalities as well, since the testicles cannot properly cool themselves. This makes breeding cows in July a challenge. Bulls that are under or over-conditioned also have difficulties breeding cows. Underweight bulls get run down quickly during the breeding season and don’t cover as many cows as a well-conditioned bull. In summer breeding, overweight bulls will spend more time in the shade trying to stay cool than out with the cows. In order to have optimal success in breeding a bull needs to be in good condition with a body condition score of five out of nine. Finally, physical ailments can cause a bull to not breed cows. Lame bulls have difficulty jumping on the cows and consequently will not breed as well. It is important to note that being overweight at the start of breeding season can predispose a bull to go lame. Having concerns about bull fertility is a good thing—without viable bulls you have no calves. If you are curious if any product or management tactic can decrease a bull’s fertility, feel free to ask us. It’s better to have the knowledge than to have an issue at preg check time. Jake Geis, DVM, works out of the Tyndall Veterinary Clinic. Soil Health Principles Anthony Bly SDSU Extension Soil health is a very important natural resource concern; however, knowledge of how to build soil health is not widespread. The principles of soil health should be addressed as often as possible. At a recent South Dakota Soil Health Challenge meeting in Mitchell, Jay Fuhrer (USDA-NRCS) presented his five principles of soil health: 1. Soil Armor Soil armor (Figure 1) is important for reducing water and wind erosion, decreasing water evaporation, moderating soil 5 miles West of Tyndall on Hwy. 50 Corner of Hwys. 50 and 37 Ph. (605) 589-3909 or Cell (605) 464-1113 www.schuurmansfarmsupply.com WE DELIVER PREMIUM DIESEL FUELS & GASOLINE AT COMPETITIVE PRICES • Prompt & Convenient Service • All blends of Biodiesel available from 2% to 100% • All blends of Ethanol from E-10 to E-85 • Unleaded and Premium Unleaded with no ethanol available • All diesel fuels contain additive for todays newer model year equipment with tier 3 and tier 4 engines. 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Locally Owned and Operated Serving NE Nebraska and SE South Dakota for over 37 years 1-866-254-6546 • Hartington, NE 1-402-254-6546 temperatures, reducing the impact of energy from raindrops, suppressing weed growth, and providing a habitat for surface dwellers, which are an important part of the soil food chain. 2. Minimizing Soil Disturbance Minimizing soil disturbance, which Jay divides into biological, chemical and physical tillage, enables the soil armor (surface plant materials/residue) to persist. Biological disturbance includes overgrazing of forages that reduce soil armor and below ground biomass. Physical and chemical disturbance occurs from tillage burying crop residues and over stimulating microbial breakdown and excessive carbon release into the atmosphere. 3. Plant Diversity Prairie plant diversity aided and allowed soils to develop prior to the introduction of annual cropping systems. Plant diversity DEALER uses sunlight and water to KEVIN HAHN MANAGER sequester carbon and other nutrients, preventing leakages into ground and surface 1504 East Hwy 50, Yankton, SD 57078 sttr@iw.net / fax. 605.260.1523 stockmenstrailersales.net waters. Understanding phone. 605.260.1522 or 866.760.3279 the four crop types: warm season grasses and broadleaves, and cool season grasses and broadleaves is necessary for designing cropping systems that improve soil health. 4. Continual Live Plant Root A continual living plant root either from the comMPCI & Crop Hail • 34 years of crop insurance experience. modity crop, cover, or from forage crop provides carbon exudates to feed the soil food web, which is 44867 303rd St. • Volin, SD exchanged for nutrients for 605-267-2767 • 605-661-1136 • 1-855-969-2767 plant growth. This process is also important for soil aggregate formation, which increases soil pores for improved water and air exchange. 5. Livestock Integration Lastly, livestock integration balances soil carbon and nitrogen ratios by converting high carbon forages to low carbon organic material, reducing nutrient transport from the soil, and promoting pasture and rangeland management in combination with cover crop grazing. - See more at: http://igrow.org/ agronomy/corn/soil-healthprinciples/#sthash.0ArtU03z. dpuf HOXENG CROP INSURANCE LLC INSURANCE FOR WHATEVER CROPS UP Dave Hoxeng