Clay Mitchell The Mitchell Farm Buckingham, IA

Clay Mitchell
The Mitchell Farm
Buckingham, IA
Approximate Static Loads
Strip Bar Down, Double Tank, Full Tanks
Front Axle Rear Axle
6375 Kg
10,100 Kg
14,020 Lbs 22,400 Lbs
Cart Axle Strip Bar
14,750 Kg 4575 Kg
32,420 Lbs 10,000 Lbs
Total Mass:
Front Axle
2800 Kg
6200 Lbs
41,500 Kg
91,000 Lbs
Rear Axle
2800 Kg
6200 Lbs
Water Infiltration on Cropland
4
3.5
3
inches/h r
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
no-till untracked
no-till tracked
conventional till
untracked
treatm ent
conventional till tracked
Soil Resistance Summary
Overall Conventional
CTF Overall Average Cropbed
CTF Overall Average Traffic Lane
12
10
Hits
8
6
4
2
0
0
5
10
15
Depth (inches)
20
25
30
Even shallow rutting causes erosion: these are from
very slight slopes after light rainfall events in 2006
Rotational tillage as
a remedy only
increases the
problem
Adoption Sequence
No-till
Strip-till
Wireless LAN
RTK Autosteering
RTK Nozzle
Control
Controlled-Traffic Farming
Strip-Intercropping
Number
Recker
Single Row Yield Mapping
Relatively Light Combine
Empty Tank
Calibrated for Low Flow
GPS Mapping by row
Individual weight by row
CT Corn, Single Variety
3113
300
250
252
237
171
200
196
217
246 233
228 232 234
220 211
150
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9
10 11 12
9 10 11 12
237 171 196 217 252 228 232 234 246 233 220 211
Plot Avg
223.2 bu/a
Std Dev=22.3
Delta=81
Min Till Corn, Traditional
7021
300
250
200
207 210
198
187 196 189 180
187
181 181 183 191
150
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9
10
11
12
9 10 11 12
Plot Avg
190.8 bu/a
Std Dev=10.0
Delta=30
Poor depth control then results in
disastrous seeding
Year
20
06
20
04
20
02
20
00
19
98
19
96
19
94
19
92
19
90
19
88
19
86
19
84
19
82
19
80
19
78
19
76
19
74
19
72
19
70
19
68
19
66
19
64
19
62
19
60
Ratio
Relative Corn/Soybean Value
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Strip Crop
Highlighting elevation
Datelines for Texas
Highlighting hour lines somewhere in Australia
Datelines for somewhere in middle of Canada
Highlighting date lines somewhere in Australia
5’ corn and 2’ soybean in 30’ strips N-S orientation.The % gradient is the amount of the soybean strip shaded
Now 10’ tall corn
Now E-W orientation
12-30” Row Configuration
Enviro-Econ-Techno Nexus
Environmental/intrinsic
•Rotational partners
•C3 and C4
•Increase
corn/soybean
value ratio
Economic/
transient
•RTK controls
•Herbicide
tolerant crops
Techno/
nascient
30” CT Min Till, Single Variety
Response to population
300
bu/acre cart
250
200
150
100
50
24
33
Population
45
Response to row position
Soybean response
3112 1,2,3 Soybean Plant Wt
1.200
1.000
Plant wt, Lbs
0.800
0.600
0.400
0.200
0.000
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Row from East
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Ordered CVs
• Phosphorus: 43
• Nitrate: 39
• % total carbon: 11
• Potassium: 6
Bivariate Fit of bu/acre cart By ppm M3P
bu/acre cart
300
200
100
5
10
15
20
25
30
ppm M3P
35
40
45
50
Bivariate Fit of bu/acre cart By ppm M3P
bu/acre cart
300
200
100
5
10
15
20
25
30
ppm M3P
35
40
45
50
Production Strip Intercrop
Plot 3112 Corn Yield-Normal Population
500
450
400
350331
344
299
272
300
Yield, Bu/a
320
316
261
259
266
281
251
261
250
200
Average of Inner 8 Rows: 269
Overall Average:12 Rows: 309
Average of Outer 4 Rows: 327
150
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Row , Starting on East
Strip Intercropped Field, 17’5” Sample Length
Page 57<
8
9
10
11
12
High Population Strip Intercrop
Plot 3112 Corn Yield-Higher Pop Strip
500
453
450
403
400
329
350
292
Yield, Bu/a
300
292
290
271
269
270
277
274
280
250
Average of Inner 8 Rows: 279
Overall Average:12 Rows: 331
Average of Outer 4 Rows: 366
Advantage of High Pop: 22 bu/a
200
150
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Row , Starting on East Edge of Strip
Strip Intercropped Field, 17’5’’ Length Sample
Page 58<
8
9
10
11
12
Field 3061 Yield by Row
350
314
300
254
237
250
243
Std Bu/a
200
150
Average of Outer 2 Rows:
Average of Inner 2 Rows:
278
245
100
50
12 Row Strip Intercropped Field
0
1
2
3
4
5
Page 59<
6
7
Row, Begining on East Side
8
9
10
11
12
Field 3049
Page 60<
Field 3049
13.73 Acres
177 Bu/a
2 Varities, Previously Strip Intercroped
Page 61<
Field 3049
13.73 Acres
177 Bu/a
207 Individual Row Yield Checks
Page 62<
Field 3049 12 Row View
Yield by 12 Row Grouping
250
Corn on Beans
199
199
200
180
180
178
177
161
180
177
Yield, Std Bu/a
190
186
173
176
168
150
174
164
161
Corn on Corn
100
50
0
1
3
5
7
9
12 Row Group, Starting at East
Page 63<
11
13
15
17
Field 3049 Yield by Row
Yield vs Row
250.0
200.0
Std Bu/a
150.0
100.0
50.0
0.0
1
49
97
Row , Starting on East
Page 64<
145
193
Field 3049 Yield by Row
Yield vs Row
250.0
200.0
Std Bu/a
150.0
“Low Yield Rows”
Make these 6 Average,
Improve Yield by 1.5%
2.4 Bu/a average
33 Bu in this field
2400 Bu on 1000 Acres
100.0
50.0
0.0
1
49
97
Row , Starting on East
Page 65<
145
193
Previous Crop Yield Effect
Corn on Corn vs Beans-Field 3049
250
Corn Follow ing Beans 183 Bu/a
Spread of Averages = 11 Bu/a
200
Std Bu/a
150
Corn follow ing Corn 172 Bu/a
100
Corn on Beans Advantage:
11 Bu/acre
151 Bu in this field
11,000 Bu on 1000 acres
50
0
1
13
25
37
49
61
73
85
97
109
121
Row , Starting from East
Page 66<
133
145
157
169
181
193
205
Variability of Row Unit
Average Yield By Row Unit-Field 3049
Sample Size: 14 - 16 Samples per Row Unit
250
188
200
174
178
185
186
184
177
175
177
171
Std Yield, Bu/a
Spread = 29 Bu/a
159
161
11
12
150
100
“Fix” Lowest 2 Row Units to Average
3.2 Bu/acre
45 Bu in this field
3200 Bu on 1000 acres
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Row Unit (Strip Unit, Planter, etc)
Page 67<
8
9
10
Variability of Row Unit
Previous Crop Difference by Row Unit
Sample Size: 7- 8 Samples per Row Unit/Crop
250
201
Corn Follow ing Beans Spread= 46 Bu/a
199
186
200
172
177
176
179
186
175
150
169
191
188
179
178
176
177
161
Corn Follow ing Corn Spread= 25 Bu/a
Std Bu/a
182
167
167
155
156
163
165
11
12
Which Rows to “fix” here?
Make Low 6 equal to High 6 in Each Crop
Corn on Beans Improvement: 22 Bu/a
Corn on Corn Improvement: 13 Bu/a
240 Bu on this Field
17,500 Bu on 1000 acres
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Row Unit
Page 68<
8
9
10
Hand Picked Plots
Page 69<
High Population Strip Intercrop
Following Photos from this row
Plot 3112 Corn Yield-Higher Pop Strip
500
453
450
403
400
329
350
292
Yield, Bu/a
300
292
290
271
269
270
277
274
280
250
200
150
Average of Outer 4 Rows: 366
Average of Inner 8 Rows: 279
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Row , Starting on East Edge of Strip
Strip Intercropped Field
Page 70<
8
9
10
11
12
Sunlight Portal: Experimental
Tool
Page 71<
Sunlight Portal 22 Jun 08
Page 72<
Sunlight “Portal” Results
Yield Near Sunlight Portal
300
250
238
231
217
200
210
217
224
Bu/a
3 Rows Removed
For Sunlight Portal
07 Jun 08 Prediction without Portal
150
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Row, Starting on East
Page 73<
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Sunlight “Portal” Results
Yield Near Sunlight Portal
300
286
263
250
250
231
224
238
231
217
200
07 Jun 08 Prediction Near Portal
239
210
217
224
Bu/a
3 Rows Removed
For Sunlight Portal
07 Jun 08 Prediction without Portal
150
100
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Row, Starting on East
Page 74<
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Sunlight “Portal” Results
Yield Near Sunlight Portal
300
286
263
250
250
231
224
238
231
217
200
07 Jun 08 Prediction Near Portal
239
210
217
224
Bu/a
3 Rows Removed
For Sunlight Portal
07 Jun 08 Prediction without Portal
150
129
136
134
140
130
133
136
138
140
132
137
142
134
140
133
140
100
Field Length Yield-Same Rows (Weigh Wagon)
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Row, Starting on East
Page 75<
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Sunlight “Portal” Results
Yield Near Sunlight Portal
300
286
288
263
270
250
231
250
07 Jun 08 Prediction Near Portal
239
224
238
231
217
200
30 Oct 08 Actual Measurement
210
217
224
Bu/a
3 Rows Removed
For Sunlight Portal
07 Jun 08 Prediction without Portal
151
150
138
129
136
127
134
130
140
133
136
138
140
132
142
137128
134
140
133
140
100
Field Length Yield-Same Rows (Weigh Wagon)
50
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Row, Starting on East
Page 76<
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Yield Potential & Likely-2008-Farm 11011
500
Maximum Potential Yield
450
400
350
"In the Bag"
Yield, Bu/a
300
300
298
250
224
"In the Ground"
200
168
"Emerged"
150
135
135
Minimum Historic Yield
100
50
"At Kernel Set"
0
22-Feb-08
12-Apr-08
1-Jun-08
21-Jul-08
Milestone Date
Page 77<
"At Tasseling"
9-Sep-08
"In the Bin"
29-Oct-08
18-Dec-08
Yield vs topsoil depth
2008 LSP vs corn yields
Anderson Field
1
3
4
Each isoheight is
13’ of elevation
change
5
18
6
7
8
2
Anderson
Field
Each isoheight is 13’ of elevation change.
140 acre field.
Zone 4 and 5 were primary deposit zone, 3.6 acres
in area with 16.5 bu/ac average yield.
Field average 26 bu/ac.
High organic matter and cation exchange capacity in
waterway soil
Reduced yields due to soil variations and not water
management.
Kingsbury Field
Each isoheight is 5’ of elevation change
Field average of 60.2 bu/ac.
55 acres of field shown.
Low yielding area adjacent to highway and was
borrow pit for highway construction.
Soil in borrow pit is shallow and only few inches to
horizon B soil.
Has been treated with extra fertilizer without
success, only solution might be to add more soil on
top
Forbes Field
Field average of 187.3 bu/ac.
180 acres of field shown.
Waterway 1250’ long and 60-75’ wide and nonfunctional.
Landscape Rehabilitation Value
• Current Iowa land values
– Low grade
– Medium grade
– High grade
2271
3721
5346
~$3000
• 1 acre-inch = 134 cu yards
• Typical cost per cu yard = $2 --> $270/acre-in
Alternatives
bulldozer
rotary ditcher
scraper
2
8
2
requires post-tillage
yes
no
yes
can automate depth
yes
yes
yes
weight
40,000
13,000+ tractor
21, 000+ tractor
cost new
250,000
55,000+tractor
90,000+tractor
cost cu yd
$2
$0.50
$2
rate cu yd/min
Waterway Zone 1:
Length: 700ft
Slope: .66%
New Width: 48’
New Depth: 2’
Volume removed: 56115 cubic feet
Reclaimed Land: .3 Acres
Waterway Zone 2:
Length: 550ft
Slope: .88%
New Width: 54’
New Depth: 2.5’
Volume removed: 43250 cubic feet
Reclaimed Land: .3 Acres
Deposit Zone 3:
Area: 2.05 Acres
Average Deposit Depth: 8”
Deposit Zone 4:
Area: 2.4 Acres
Average Deposit Depth: 8”
Project Summary
Total round trips with scraper: 279 trips
Total hours of operating scraper: 54 hours
Estimated weight of soil moved: 9.9 million pounds
Total area of reclaimed cultivated land: .6 acres
Total area of landscape restoration: 4.45 acres
Assuming 25 bushel per acre gain in deposit areas and 180 bushel per
acre corn in reclaimed land, the estimated gain in yearly corn yield: 223
bushels
This does not include yield gains due to improved drainage
Assuming $60 per CSR point per acres and 68 CSR land, estimated total
land value increase: $4928
Total volume of soil moved: 99365 cubic feet
Total cost at $60 per 1000 cubic feet: $5961.90