Part 1, Section 12: Farm Management: Enterprise Budgets
Farm Management: Enterprise Budgets
SAMPLE BUDGETS
Corn Budgets
(Tables 1.12-1, 1.12-2 and 1.12-3)
- Receipts: For the sample budgets, yields of 125 bu/A for a corn grain after corn rotation, 135 bu/A for a corn grain after soybean rotation (assumes grain yields measured at 13.5 percent moisture), and 21 tons of silage per acre are used. Grain is valued at $6.30 per bushel and silage at $55 per ton.
- Variable costs: Seeding rates of 29,000 kernels per acre for grain and 33,000 kernels per acre for silage are used for the budgets. Seed cost is based on a price of $2.50 per 1,000 kernels for transgenic corn with corn rootworm trait (for the corn after corn and corn silage budgets) and $2.38 per 1,000 kernels for transgenic corn without the corn rootworm trait (for the corn after soybeans budgets). Labor is charged at $12.50 per hour and off-road diesel fuel at $4.20 per gallon. Fertilizer applied is 130-50-30 for the corn grain after corn rotation, 90-50-30 for the corn grain after soybean rotation (assumes 50 pounds of nitrogen provided by previous soybean crop), and 130-80-30 for corn silage (this assumes the balance of nutrients come from application of 8,000 gallons of dairy manure [see “Sample Manure Calculations” in Part 1.2: Soil Fertility Management; you should adjust your fertilizer costs to account for any manure applications in your own budgets]). A yearly charge for 0.5 ton of lime is included in all budgets. For grain production, a drying charge of $0.36 per bushel is also included.
The weed management program varies depending on the tillage system. A preplant application of commonly used herbicides is assumed for managing weeds for all tillage systems and rotations. For no-till, a burndown application of a glyphosate is used in addition to the preplant application. In addition, it is assumed in the corn after corn and corn silage budgets that one-quarter of the acreage will be treated with a postemergence herbicide. The budgets for the corn grain after corn rotation and corn silage also include the cost of a rootworm insecticide. The pesticides used for developing cost estimates are for example purposes only; see Part 2.2: Corn Pest Management for a complete listing of recommended material.