USDA-grant supported FRST Project releases new fertilizer prediction tool

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A new fertilizer recommendation tool, developed nationally in collaboration with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, could save farmers millions of dollars annually while reducing excess nutrient losses to the environment.

DECISION AID — Farmers have a new fertilizer decision aid available called FRST (Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool) following years of development by a national coalition of soil scientists. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

Funding for the FRST Project has been provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Natural Resources Conservation Service, including Conservation Innovation Grants. Additional support comes from the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture and OCP North America, a phosphate-based fertilizer company.

FRST (Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool) is a decision aid that provides an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil test phosphorus and potassium values for crop fertilization, according to Nathan Slaton, a leader on the FRST Project and associate vice president for agriculture and assistant director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The tool also augments the interpretation of different fertilizer recommendations across state lines, which was one of the issues that prompted the project. Slaton said phosphorus and potassium are the primary nutrients from routine soil testing that are used to predict the need for crop fertilization.

A team of over 100 soil science and agronomic professionals from nearly 50 universities, four USDA divisions, several nonprofit organizations and one private-sector partner worked for six years to develop the free, web-based tool. Division of Agriculture scientists participating in the project include Slaton, Gerson Drescher, assistant professor of soil fertility, and Bronc Finch, assistant professor and state extension specialist for soil fertility.

“We are extremely excited about the launch of the decision support tool,” Drescher said. “FRST was developed in response to the pressing need to harmonize soil testing across state boundaries. It represents an improvement in our ability to evaluate soil test correlation.”

Deanna Osmond, soil science researcher at North Carolina State University, is also one of the FRST Project leaders.

“Until now, soil fertility faculty in each state worked independently,” Osmond said. “But for farmers who work across state lines, it’s difficult to compare or assimilate multi-state guidelines. Our goal is to improve the accuracy of nutrient recommendations through independent, scientifically developed nutrient management best practices that farmers can believe in and adopt.”

Slaton explained that the FRST Project has accomplished two important objectives to advance phosphorus and potassium management for crop production. The first was developing a national database to archive soil test correlation and calibration research, ensuring the preservation of research information that supports crop fertilization recommendations as scientists retire. The second objective was to provide a tool that anyone can use to review the research results relevant to their crop, soils and geographic area to check their soil-test-based fertilizer recommendations.

The FRST Project was hosted in a neutral space (USDA) with common access, Drescher noted, “to foster collaboration and innovation in soil fertility research and pave the way for future advancements in nutrient management.”

Greg Buol of North Carolina State University provided database and programming support.

“The design of FRST has always been focused on the end user being able to easily use the tool and understand the results,” Buol said.

Current capabilities and plans

Currently, the FRST provides critical phosphorus and potassium soil test values, which indicate where there is no expected yield increase from phosphorus or potassium fertilizer application. In the next phase, the FRST will provide research-based phosphorus and potassium rate response information to assist farmers in selecting the minimum fertilizer rate expected to produce maximal crop yield.

The current version (FRST v1.0) includes data from nearly 2,500 phosphorus and potassium trials for 21 major agricultural crops, with the majority being corn and soybean.

The FRST includes a map of the United States that shows the location of phosphorus and potassium trials represented in the database and can be used to identify where the need for additional research data is greatest.

The database was constructed from current and historical research data, including trials from 40 states and Puerto Rico. The team has plans to expand the tool to other crops, cropping systems and nutrients such as sulfur.

Key features of FRST

Data-driven by utilizing a dynamic database of soil test correlation data constantly updated to improve testing confidence.

• Crop-specific information with a database that currently covers 21 major commodity crops.

• Geographically diverse with published and unpublished trial data from 40 states and Puerto Rico.

• Unbiased information with blended data that removes political and institutional bias in soil test interpretation.

• Scientifically sound data that represents a minimum dataset to provide reliable outcomes.

"We believe that FRST will not only benefit farmers by improving farm economics and conservation practices but also contribute to global sustainability," Finch said.

For more information about FRST, visit https://soiltestfrst.org and click “Tool” at the top of the screen.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

River Valley Beef Cattle Conference to explore state of hay availability, cattle genetics and more

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

OZARK, Ark. — Researchers and extension agents with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will be bringing the latest in cattle production knowledge to interested attendees at the Feb. 20 River Valley Beef Cattle Conference in Ozark. 

ADDRESSING CONCERNS — With cattle markets soaring throughout 2023 and regional drought conditions affecting the availability and quality of hay and other forages, attendees at the Feb. 20 River Valley Beef Cattle Conference in Ozark can expect the conference to address topics key to success in 2024. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

With cattle markets soaring throughout 2023 and regional drought conditions affecting the availability and quality of hay and other forages, attendees can expect the conference to address topics key to success in 2024.

“I think producers are mostly worried about hay and forage shortages,” said Bob Harper, staff chair for the Logan County Cooperative Extension Service. “They are also worried about high fertilizer and input costs in the coming year. I think most of them would like to try and up inputs this spring and summer in order to try and get back ahead of their hay situation, but they are concerned that high fertilizer prices may prevent that from happening.

In-person registration for the conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the conference will. conclude at 12:15 p.m. with lunch. The cost is $20, payable at the door.

Presenters will include Jesse Taylor, staff chair for the Johnson County Cooperative Extension Service; Kevin Van Pelt, extension agriculture agent for the Conway County Cooperative Extension Service; Maggie Justice, extension beef cattle specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture; Jeremy Powell, professor of animal science for the Division of Agriculture; and Ryan Loy, extension agricultural economist for the Division of Agriculture.

Taylor and Van Pelt will discuss the 2023 hay verification report, which will include the latest findings in verification trials. Justice will discuss understanding expected progeny differences, or EPDs, and genetic tests for cattle breeding. Loy will discuss the input price outlook for 2024.

The conference agenda includes:

• Registration Introductions & Welcome

• Welcome from Farm Credit Services

• Hay Verification report – Jesse Taylor & Kevin Van Pelt

• Understanding and using EPD’s & Genetic tests – Dr. Maggie Justice

• Break

• Input Price Outlook – Dr. Ryan Loy

• Veterinary/Producers relationship requirements – Dr. Jeremy Powell

• Live cattle assessment & valuation – Shawn Gattis

• Lunch

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

YEAREND: Fertilizer prices ease, commodity prices fall from pre-season predictions

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The prices farmers receive for their crops is never determined in a vacuum — with war, weather and whatever else is going on with the global economy all having an effect. 

Those were the factors at work as corn, rice and soybeans all fell short of pre-season predictions. Prices for each of the commodities evolved with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Prospective Plantings Report” in March, and then its “Acreage Report” in June.

One decline that was welcome in 2023 was the cost of fertilizer, essential to agriculture. On the flip side, the one increase that the Federal Reserve was hoping would stop, was inflation.

INFLATION

“There's the rockets and feathers effect,” said Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “When prices go up, they go up like a rocket, but when prices fall, what we see as consumers, they fall like a feather. It takes forever to actually come back down.”

Federal Reserve Chairman Jeremy Powell speaking to reporters following the Federal Market Open Committee's Dec. 13, 2023, meeting. (Screenshot from Federal Reserve feed)

What seemed like “forever” — or at least since March 2022 — the Fed has inched up interest rates 11 times to try to slow inflation.

In its final action of the year, “the Fed has decided to hold interest rates at 5.25 to 5.50 percent for the third straight meeting of Federal Open Market Committee,” Loy said.

While that wasn’t a surprise, the Fed’s signaling for just three interest rate cuts of 0.25 percent each in the coming year, was.

“The markets were expecting six rate cuts in 2024 and that stocks and bonds would rally on that expectation,” Loy said. “While it hasn't happened yet, fewer cuts could mean the exact opposite, with stocks and bonds declining because of more expensive borrowing at the higher rates.”

Despite fears of a recession in early 2024, “I don't believe that anybody in the Fed or in the banking world thinks that we're going to be in a recession in at least the first quarter of 2024,” Loy said. “We're still going to have a pretty strong consumption and a strong economy.”

Looking ahead, Federal Reserve Chair Jeremy Powell said Fed will not be influenced on its rate decisions during the presidential election year. 

“We don’t think about politics, we think about what’s the right thing for the economy,” he told reporters during a livestream following the Dec. 13 meeting.

“We believe we are likely at or near the peak rate for this cycle,” Powell said. “We’re seeing inflation making real process. No one is declaring victory. That is premature.”

FERTILIZER

The global economy settled in the year since the shock brought on by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, helping drop fertilizer prices.

“Overall, fertilizer prices across North America fell about 34 percent between January and July according to Bloomberg Green Markets,” said Hunter Biram, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “This is because it was a relatively warmer year than 2023 compared to 2022 which eased demand pressure on natural gas, a key input in the production of nitrogenous and phosphorous fertilizers.”

In the south-central U.S. — Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee — urea fell 31 percent year-over-year to 20 cents per pound of fertilizer. Diammonium phosphate, or DAP, fell 40 percent, year-over-year to 26 cents per pound of fertilizer. Potash fell 41 percent year-over-year to 23 cents per pound of fertilizer.

The conflict was no small shock for the global economy. Russia ranks first, second, and third in nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertilizer exports while Ukraine accounts for a much smaller market share. Ukraine was third globally for corn exports and seventh for wheat. Russia is the world’s top wheat exporter.

CORN

“We were looking at almost a $6 futures price at the start of the season, and it fell to about $4.84 which is about 82 percent of the projected price,” Biram said.

“Corn came in at 2.1 million acres greater than what was projected in the ‘Prospective Plantings’ report,” he said. “That's a big deal. More supply driven by more corn production, generally translates into higher stocks on hand at the end of the growing season.”

In addition to more domestic production, Biram said weak exports were a driving force behind the price drop in corn.

“Total exports for the 2022/2023 marketing year came in at 26 percent less than the five-year-average and 34 percent less than the 2021/2022 marketing year,” he said. “Brazil and China entered into a bilateral trade agreement in the summer of 2023 which resulted in total exports to China for the 2022/2023 marketing year being slashed in half.”  

“On the flip side, things were less favorable for soybeans compared to corn,” Biram said.

Soybeans started the season at $13.65 versus the $5.94 for corn, but many growers opted to grow corn instead.

“You have to look at the production per acre. With corn, we're looking at about 175 bushels per acre, with soybeans, more like 50 bushels per acre,” Biram said. “The driving question behind the shift in acreage is ‘What do per-acre returns look like? The answer came in the form of increased planted acreage for corn and decreased acreage for soybeans.”

COTTON
Cotton was the only commodity that didn’t end the season with a lower price than the pre-season prediction, starting and ending at 85 cents a pound.

“Margins were not favorable by most yields across the state. Farmers had to make 1,200 pounds per acre or more, but the 2022 state average yield was closer to 1,100 pounds per acre,” Biram said. “Acreage was down as a result. High stocks and sluggish demand from millers resulted in depressed prices compared to 2022.”

“The outlook on demand for cotton lint is more favorable moving into 2024, but it may not be enough to raise the price up above 90 cents per pound,” he said.

RICE
In 2023, the world was eating more rice. The projected price for rice was $16.90 per hundredweight and $16.10 at harvest. Rice started strong because “consumption outpaced production in the global rice market,” Biram said.

And while U.S. harvested acres increased by 680,000 acres in 2023 compared to 2022 following two straight years of decline in harvested acreage, global production remained flat at 25.11 billion bushels.

“Global consumption increased 270 million bushels to 25.5 billion bushels,” Biram said. “This left global ending stocks mostly unchanged which left rough rice futures to remain above $16 per hundredweight, leaving the price at a level not seen since July 2013.”

SOYBEANS
Headed into the 2023 growing season, soybeans were projected at $13.65 a bushel, at harvest, the number fell to $12.84.

Biram said margins were less favorable for soybeans compared to corn and acreage dropped from expectations. The Prospective Plantings report pegged U.S. soybeans at 87.5 million acres. The Acreage Report found 83.5 million acres.

A significant factor was Brazil’s record soybean production of 5.88 billion bushels.

“This is a 23 percent increase over the 2021/2022 marketing year,” Biram said. “Brazil accounted for 43 percent of global production in the 2022/2023 marketing year while the U.S. accounted for 31 percent of global production.”

INSURANCE
Biram said one positive outcome from the 2023 growing season, “was that we saw much fewer losses compared to 2022, despite more acres being enrolled in crop insurance for corn and rice.”

According to the USDA, total losses in 2023 were $114 million across the U.S., compared with $345 million the previous year. The breakdown:

• Corn: $28 million, which was about $27 million less than 2022 on 14,000 more insured acres.

• Soybeans: $20.4 million, which was about $47 million less than 2022 on 159,000 fewer acres

• Cotton: $2.5 million, a little more than $67 million less than 2022 on 100,000 fewer acres

• Rice: $55.5 million, which was $92 million less than 2022 on 122,000 more acres.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

Keep lawns green in 2024 with proper fall preparation

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK – Early freezes and long-term drought in 2022 had lasting effects on this year’s lawns. However, much of this heartache can be avoided in 2024 with proper fall preparation.

GRASS FACTS —  Assistant professor Wendell Hutchens shares opening remarks to kick off the 2023 Arkansas Turfgrass Field Day. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

Wendell Hutchens, assistant professor of turfgrass science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said much of the lawncare woes in 2023 were due to an early cold snap at the end of December 2022, before zoysiagrass and bermudagrass were dormant.

“This past year was an absolute doozy for warm-season grasses,” Hutchens said. “We saw widespread winterkill across Arkansas in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. A lot of lawns were not fully dormant when we got that cold spell around December 22 and 23.”

This year, Hutchens recommends taking a few steps early to prepare lawns for dormancy. Proper irrigation and higher mowing heights are crucial.

“A big issue we saw last year was depleted root systems due to drought. This left them very susceptible to winterkill. So proper irrigation going into fall dormancy is key,” Hutchens said.

“We want to give the plant the best possible chance, so you can also raise your mowing heights now. If you’re mowing at 2 inches, bump it up to 3 inches.”

Additionally, stopping fertilizer applications in October will help plants go dormant for the cold winter temperatures. Hutchens recommends stopping fertilizer before Oct. 1 for zoysiagrass and before Oct. 15 for bermudagrass. Pre-emergence herbicides for winter annual weeds are okay, but proceed with caution, especially in recently re-sodded areas.

Hutchens’ take home message for lawn care in 2024: buckle up.

“The best we can do is hope for a mild winter, but manage expectations for next spring,” he said. “Areas that were damaged from winterkill this past year are highly susceptible to reoccurring damage this year. Raise those mowing heights, get that grass up to 2.5 or 3 inches and keep it properly irrigated.”

Find resources on lawn and turf care at uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/lawns.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Research underway for forest biochar, poultry waste

By Lon Tegels
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

MONTICELLO, Ark. — In rural Arkansas, researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are exploring the potential of biochar to replace synthetic fertilizers in hay production — especially when combined with poultry litter.

IN THE FIELD — In rural Arkansas, researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are exploring the potential of biochar to replace synthetic fertilizers in hay production — especially when combined with poultry litter. (Division of Agriculture video.)

Biochar is produced when timber waste is exposed to high heat and no oxygen.

The implications of the research could be significant. A positive outcome could provide the forest industry with a new eco-friendly byproduct for wood mill residues and provide farmers in southeast Arkansas with a cheaper alternative to synthetic fertilizers. While chicken litter is a valuable source of fertilizer that has been used for decades, it has become harder to acquire and both transportation and application have become more expensive.

Furthermore, biochar has been found to sequester carbon in soil, an important factor in reducing greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

Kathleen Bridges, assistant professor of agronomy for the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Scott Hayes, Drew County extension agent for the Division of Agriculture, are leading the project. They each said the potential research outcomes are unknown at this point.

"We don't know if it will be good or bad,” said Bridges, who is jointly employed by both the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the Cooperative Extension Service, specializing in soils and crop sciences. “It could be a negative thing, but hopefully science will reveal that."

"This research is somewhat new,” said Hayes. “Most of our producers in this area use chicken litter as a fertilizer for their hay pastures. By mixing this with the biochar, we hope to see better soil health through microbial activity."

Hayes and Bridges launched their project in June with 20 plots, each measuring nine square meters, in a hayfield near the UAM Agriculture Building in Monticello. A local company donated the biochar, while an acquaintance of Hayes supplied the chicken waste.

Hayes and Bridges mixed the two sources and then hand-spread the chicken litter mix, and let nature take its course. The plot produced its second cutting of hay in September — somewhat ahead of schedule, due to the high summer heat.

"We are trying to measure the biomass of our forage production,” Bridges said.

The research team is using a tool known as a quadrat, which subdivides each plot — the quadrat in this experiment dividing the plots into squares measuring 25 by 25 centimeters — and shears for taking forage samples. The treatments include different rates of biochar and chicken litter. By weighing the samples collected, Bridges will be able to calculate the amount of forage production on a per-acre basis.

"We are recording forage weights and tonnage per acre,” Hayes said. “She's also collecting soil samples and keeping up with those because this will be a long-term project. Soil doesn't just change overnight; it will take years and be a good project."

Carbon storage potential
Biochar is high in carbon. When it’s applied to the soil, it can be sequestered there for many years, potentially increasing the number of microorganisms in the soil. Those microorganisms play a very important role in plant growth.

Bridges said there is a lot of biochar research across the state, including projects that involve mixing biochar with fertilizers for row crops such as corn and rice.

"They are also looking at using biochar in the chicken houses with the chicken litter, or with the bedding in the chicken houses, to see if it will help with reducing ammonia production,” she said. Exposure to ammonia can injure chickens, Bridges explained.

Hayes said the biochar product they used was light, and his part in this project is to try to make it easy for producers to incorporate biochar into their fertilizer program without needing any specialty equipment. Mixing the biochar with chicken litter, which farm producers already use, will be heavier and can be put into a spreader, where it will be mixed and applied on pastures or cropland evenly.

Potential for future funding
Much of the Division of Agriculture’s research, including that conducted by the University of Monticello, is grant-funded. The biochar project, however, has proceeded thus far without any such funding. Bridges and Hayes said that if successful, their work could lead to larger, grant-funded research that further helps farmers and the forest products industry.

"At the beginning of the summer, Scott came to me and said, ‘We've got access to the biochar; we got access to chicken litter, and we got access to a pasture. So, let's go ahead and do this,’” Bridges said. “And I said, OK."

Bridges said the team is presently processing samples and collecting data.

"We're just seeing what we can do to keep the agriculture alive here in Southeast Arkansas and make it good for our livestock and forestry guys,” Hayes said.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

About the Arkansas Center for Forest Business

Established in 2021, the Arkansas Center for Forest Business is part of the University of Arkansas, College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Center provides technical assistance for market-based solutions to forest resource challenges, programs for degree and post-baccalaureate education, and information on timber supply, forest products markets and operational efficiency. The Center for Forest Business will provide market-based economic solutions to forest resource issues, improving business practices for forest enterprises, and enhancing economic competitiveness.

About the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center

The College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, a University of Arkansas System Center of Excellence, bring together interdisciplinary expertise through a partnership between the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The College and Center are headquartered at the University of Arkansas at Monticello campus, but their programs range statewide with the mission of developing and delivering teaching, research, and extension programs that enhance and ensure the sustainability and productivity of forest-based natural resources and agricultural systems. Academic programs are delivered by the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources through the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, research is administered by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and extension and outreach activities are coordinated by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offer all of their programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employers.

Arkansas farmers to see higher input costs continue in 2023

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

A major issue that plagued Arkansas farmers in 2022 was the steep rise in input costs. Part of the problem started in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. The invasion led to a steep increase in fertilizer costs and fuel costs.

Russia exports about 19% of the world’s potassium and exports about 15% of the world’s nitrogen, according to the United Nations. The country also produces about 14% of the global market’s phosphorus. All of these inputs are found in fertilizers.

Natural gas is a key component in fertilizer production and Russia is the second leading producer in the world. As 2023 continues to unfold, the dynamics that pushed input costs higher for farmers are not projected to go down in most sectors, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Enterprise Budget forecasts. The forecasts are a tool that farmers can use to project what costs could be during the upcoming growing season.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/arkansas-farmers-to-see-higher-input-costs-continue-in-2023/

Hay production drops to its lowest level in 11 years

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Fertilizer prices and drought last year decimated hay production in the United States. The country had its biggest decline in 11 years with stocks at their lowest level since data collection began, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

The Natural State didn’t fare much better.

Arkansas farmers harvested 1.09 million hay acres last year, an 8% decline when compared to the previous year. Those acres yielded two tons per acre, a 10% yearly drop in yield. About 2.19 million tons of hay was produced, a 16% drop.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/02/hay-production-drops-to-its-lowest-level-in-11-years/

US hay stocks fall to lowest level since ’74; Arkansas hay production down in 2022

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — High fertilizer prices and drought in 2022 handed hay production in the United States its biggest decline in 11 years with stocks at their lowest level since data collection began, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The stats were part of the Jan. 12 Crop Production Summary from NASS, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The report includes information about all U.S. crops, their production, acreage, and yield. NASS places hay in two categories, alfalfa and “other hay,” the latter being relevant to the Southeastern U.S. 

Drought and high fertilizer prices took a significant bite out of hay production across the U.S. Extension Economist James Mitchell expects farmers will pay more for hay in the current marketing year. (U of A System Division of Agriculture file photo by Lauren Husband)

According to the summary, May 1 hay stocks were tight, totaling 16.77 million tons or 7 percent lower year over year.

“May 1 stocks, combined with lower 2022 hay production, put hay supplies at the lowest level on record since the data began in 1974,” said James Mitchell, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The previous record low in hay supplies was in 2021.”

Production declines
Nationwide, other hay production totaled 64.84 million tons in 2022, down 9 percent from the prior year, with Arkansas seeing a 16 percent decline. Texas, the nation’s largest hay-producing state, produced 6.15 million tons, a 40 percent decline compared to 2021.

“Most Southern Plains and Southeast states had double-digit hay production declines,” said Mitchell said.

Mississippi saw a 16 percent decline, Tennessee a 13 percent decline, and Kentucky, a 20 percent decline. Florida bucked the trend, seeing a 7 percent increase in hay production. 

“USDA’s estimate for Arkansas is much better than what I would have predicted last summer,” Mitchell said. Based on conversations with producers last year, he said “I was expecting a decline closer to 25 percent.

“It was hard to predict whether we would get late-season rain last summer,” Mitchell said. “It was even hard to predict whether a late-season rain would help us make up for the severe production losses we had in July. Conditions improved enough in September for us to make up for some of that loss.”

Yields down
“Expensive fertilizer and poor precipitation impacted yields,” he said. “U.S. hay yields averaged 1.87 tons per acre or 6 percent lower year over year. Yields dropped 9 percent in Arkansas to two tons per acre. Neighboring Oklahoma and Texas saw yields averaging 1.25 tons per acre and 1.50 tons per acre, respectively.”

Overall, other hay acreage fell 2 percent to 34.63 acres. Arkansas’ hay acres declined by 5 percent, while Texas saw a 25 percent reduction in hay acres in 2022.

Mitchell said that “declining cattle inventories, expensive inputs, and high crop prices all likely contributed to the decline in 2022 hay acreage.”

Higher prices
Mitchell said farmer would likely be paying more for hay.

“Like other commodities, price comparisons are based on the marketing year,” he said. The hay marketing year begins in May and ends in April.

“For the May 2021-April 2022 marketing year, prices averaged $147 per ton,” Mitchell said. “For the May 2022-April 2023 marketing year, we forecast prices to average $170 per ton.”

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Farmers encouraged to use potash ‘tool’ amid rising fertilizer prices

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Fertilizer prices have edged slightly downward in recent months, but remain a worrisome aspect of the 2022 growing season for farmers. In addition to supply chain issues relating to the pandemic, China has said it will cut fertilizer exports, which will cause prices to soar higher.

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station officials caution growers to choose their cuts carefully and are now offering a toolkit to help make those decisions easier and more cost effective.

“Fertilizer prices soared in 2021 and more than doubled in the last 12 to 18 months,” said Trent Roberts, associate professor of soil fertility and testing for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/05/farmers-encouraged-to-use-potash-tool-amid-rising-fertilizer-prices/

Trent Roberts, associate professor of soil fertility and testing for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

Farmers face ‘less than zero’ good news in weed battle

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas farmers have been bracing for record high fertilizer costs in 2022 along with other higher input costs. Now, an old foe is predicted by agriculture scientists to be much worse this growing season than normal.

Tommy Butts, extension weed scientist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said there’s little good news for farmers as planting commences in the Natural State.

Farmers have been battling weeds since organized agriculture began thousands of years ago. Weeds deprive crops of water, nutrients and can limit sunlight from reaching plants, according to Science Daily. Weeds cause billions of dollars in lost profit each year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. It’s often the top problem faced by farmers.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/04/farmers-face-less-than-zero-good-news-in-weed-battle/