On behalf of the Cullum Seeds team, we hope that you had a Happy Holiday season! Christmas and New Year’s are great opportunities to spend time with our families, reflect on the old year and prepare for the New Year.
It’s Crop Selection “Crunch Time”
As we move into the 2008 production season, we are faced with several challenges. Crop Selection is the main challenge at this time. It is time to make our crop selection plans and book seed. Here are a few return comparisons from the University of Arkansas Crop Production Budget web site:
| Cropping System | Yield and Price | Return |
| Corn – Bt/RR Furrow Irrigated on Loamy Soils | (175 bu/a, $4.50/bu) | $384 |
| Soybeans – Early Season, Furrow Irrigation, RR | (50 bu/a, $11.00/bu) | $355 |
| Soybeans – Full Season, Furrow Irrigation, RR | (50 bu/a, $11.00/bu) | $331 |
| Soybeans – Double Crop, Furrow Irrigation, RR | (40 bu/a, $11.00/bu) | $228 |
| Wheat – not behind rice, Sand/Silt-Loam | (60 bu/a, $7.00/bu) | $240 |
| Double Crop Soybeans and Wheat | $469 | |
| Rice – Conventional varieties, Silt-Loam | (160 bu/a, $5.50/bu) | $401 |
| Rice – Clearfield varieties, Silt-Loam | (160 bu/a, $5.50/bu) | $322 |
| Rice – Clearfield Hybrids, Silt-Loam | (180 bu/a, $5.50/bu) | $384 |
| Cotton – Furrow, Conv. Till, Bt/RR | (1000#/a, $ .72/#) | $238 |
*These returns are above variable or direct expenses and do not include fixed costs or return to land, capital or management.
It is nice to see positive numbers on the bottom line of each production budget. It hasn’t been that long ago that anything we planted would show a negative net return.
Soybean Seed Supply
It’s no secret that soybean supplies are tight for the 2008 planting season. This is a function of several factors –
1) Soybean acres across the southern planting region were near record lows. 2) Seed companies reduced their production acres. 3) Poor weather conditions during the southern seed harvest and drought conditions across the lower corn belt has led to below average seed quality and lower seed volumes. All these combined with a HUGE demand for soybean acreage in 2008 is overwhelming seed supply.
Seed companies will be working with retail outlets to supply as much good quality seed as possible. Growers may have to be flexible in their variety selection, or may even look at alternative crops for part of their acreage.
Belle Corn Supply
Key hybrids, Belle 1545RY and Belle 1646RY are getting tight. There are small quantities of our new hybrids, Belle 1147RY and Belle
1844RY remaining.
Good Growing!
Jeff Pangle
