Corn Budgets
(Tables 1.12-1, 1.12-2, and 1.12-3)
- Receipts: For the sample budgets, yields of 160 bu/A for a corn grain after soybean rotation, 150 bu/A for a corn grain after corn rotation (assumes grain yields measured at 13.5 percent moisture), and 25 tons of silage per acre are used. Grain is valued at $6.00 per bushel and silage at $54.00 per ton.
- Variable costs: Seeding rates of 32,000 kernels per acre for grain and 36,000 kernels per acre for silage are used for the budgets. Seed cost is based on a price of $3.50 per 1,000 kernels for transgenic corn. Labor is charged at $15.00 per hour and off-road diesel fuel at $3.50 per gallon. Fertilizer applied is 160-60-40 for the corn grain after corn rotation, 110-60-40 for the corn grain after soybean rotation (assumes 50 pounds of nitrogen provided by previous soybean crop), and 90-30-75 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 budget]). A yearly charge for 0.5 ton of lime is included in all budgets. For grain production, a drying charge of $0.40 per bushel is also included. Cost of a rye cover crop seeded at a rate of 2 bushels per acre is also included in all corn silage budgets.
The weed management program varies depending on the tillage system. A pre-plant application of commonly used herbicides is assumed for managing weeds for all tillage systems and rotations. For no-till, a burndown application of 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 application of glyphosate. 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 materials.
