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Field Studies: Replicated Comparisons vs. Side-by-Side Comparisons
How should a basic study be set up or laid out in the field? One very common approach is to divide a field in half and compare the halves or possibly compare two fields in close proximity and see which variety or practice yields highest. This approach can end with very misleading results because of the variability that exists across a field or fields due to many factors.
Field Studies: What do You Mean 5 Bushels Per Acre is Not Significant?
Utilizing sound research results to help make decisions on the farm is a wise business practice. It can be confusing, however, when you see two numbers that are clearly not the same labeled as “not significantly different.”
Field Studies: Setting up a Trial
Increasingly, farmers are generating on-farm research data that encompasses a wide-range of practical topics. However, setting up those experiments so that the data is statistically valid is not necessarily common knowledge.
Grazing Residue: Having Your Cake and Eating It Too
Integrating crop and livestock enterprises represents an incredible competitive advantage for farmers and ranchers.
Cover Crops & Livestock Integration: A Profit Opportunity for S.D. Farms
Cover crops have been gaining a reemerging acceptance over the last decade, with very few producers disagreeing about the potential soil health benefits of adding cover crops to their farming operation.
Factors Affecting Wheat Production Decisions: Producer survey findings
Recent USDA data shows that during the past 3 years acres devoted to wheat production continue declining in both South Dakota and North Dakota (USDA, 2018). South Dakota wheat acres experienced a remarkable decrease of 31.5% during the past 3 years, compared with a relatively mild drop of 16.4% by North Dakota.
![Soybean seed drill planting soybeans. Courtesy: Soybean Checkoff [CC BY 2.0].](/sites/default/files/2019-02/W-M11461-00-soybean-planting-seeding.png)
Improve Soybean Profitability by Reducing Input Costs
While declining prices and increasing costs considerably reduce profit for soybean production, there are certain input costs that might be reduced to increase profitability.
Trade Impacts on Soybeans
Agricultural trade agreements were first established in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), legal treaty signed initially by 23 nations in 1947. The purpose was to promote international trade by reducing barriers such as tariffs.
Soybean Production: Cost-effective pest management practices
Chemicals were one of the most expensive individual costs in soybean production, behind only to seed in the non-land cost category. The average cash-rent soybean production farms incurred a crop chemical cost of $39/ac in 2015, an 88% increase from 2010.
Late Plant Crop Insurance Dates
Crop insurance late plant dates are fast approaching for planting small grains in South Dakota. Late plant dates for corn, soybean, and sunflower are nearing as well. Producers will want to work with their crop insurance agent to explore planting options and reporting of prevent plant areas.