The costs for growing alfalfa, corn, soybeans, and wheat in Wisconsin are predicted to be lower in 2014 than in 2013. Fertilizer prices have dropped substantially, pesticide prices are expected to be slightly higher and seed prices are expected to be stable to lower, according to Ken Barnett, University of Wisconsin-Extension educator.
When deciding how much of an input to apply, producers can maximize their investment in that input by considering its marginal rate of return, said Barnett.
The 2014 Crop Budget Cost of Production Calculator for Wisconsin can help producers in making their cropping decisions in the upcoming year. It allows producers to construct enterprise budgets for corn after corn, corn after soybeans, corn silage after alfalfa, corn silage after corn, soybeans, winter wheat, seeding alfalfa and established alfalfa for hay and haylage.
This Cost of Production Calculator can be downloaded from the Farm Team web site at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/farmteam/. Look in the Enterprise Budgets heading and then go to the Field Crop section.
For more information about this cost of production calculator, contact Ken Barnett at 715-355-4561 or ken.barnett@ces.uwex.edu.
11.22.13