> I am interested in knowing the average price of organic corn, compared
> to conventional corn, and also to genetically-engineered Bt corn in
> the U.S. (and elsewhere). I need the figures for the public debates we
> are now engaged in regarding the field-testing of Bt corn in the
> Philippines. I would appreciate any info (or URL) in this regard.
>
> Second question: some corn farmers have told us that they have a very
> simple way of dealing with the corn borer: they detassle the corn
> plants. They insist that this controls the corn borer infestation. I
> just want to know from this list if anyone knows from experience (or
> >from theory) that this approach will work. If it does, as the farmers
> I talked to insist, then there really is no reason to go through all
> that trouble to develop Bt corn, is there?
>
> Thank you all.
Below is Table 3 from a report of on-farm research that was posted on the web
a year or so ago (by Andy Clark).. It shows organic corn going for $4.05 a
bushel wit conventional corn going for $2.70 /bu. Also gives net profit and
gross costs. I'm also attaching the Editor's note. Let me know if you need
anything else. . .Russ
(Editors' note: Results of PFI 1997 onfarm research are
appearing in The Practical Farmer over the course of this year.
We hope this will give readers a chance to absorb these
cooperator reports. In this issue we report on some research on
row spacing and with tillage and weed management. In 1997, we
learned more about bugs in strip intercropping, including effects
of Bt corn and migrating corn rootworm larvae. And Jeff Klinge
and Deb Tidwell provide crop production budgets for organic and
conventionally grown corn.)
Table 3. Corn production budgets, organic and conventional,
Klinge farm.
Item Organic (1)
Conventional (2)
PreHarvest Machinery $27.50 $20.25
Seed (Ceiba 3475) 29,000 plants/acre $31.90 $31.90
Nitrogen (no P or K) 60 lbs $0.00 $14.40
Herbicide
2.4 qt. Harness Extra,
.78 oz Permit, additives $0.00 $36.13
Insecticide 8 lbs Aztec $0.00
$17.12
Crop Insurance $5.00
$5.00
Interest 9.5% for 8 months $4.08 $7.90
PreHarvest Total $68.48
$132.70
Harvest Machinery Combine $22.00 $22.00
Haul Grain
$4.00 $4.00
Dry Grain ($0.15/bu) $19.20 $21.75
Harvest Total $45.20
$47.25
Labor $8.00/hr $48.00
$32.00
Land cash rent equivalent $150.00
$150.00
Total Cost per Acre $311.68
$362.45
Crop Yield (bu/acre) 128
145
Cost per Bushel
$2.44 $2.50
Sale Price (per bu)
$4.05 $2.70
Gross Income per Acre $518.40
$391.50
Net Profit per Acre $206.72
$29.05
(1) Organic: tandem disk 2x, chisel plow, harrow, plant, hoe 2x,
cultivate 3x.
(2) Conventional: tandem disk 2x, chisel plow, harrow, plant, hoe
1x, cultivate 1x.
-- Russ Bulluck Ph.D. Candidate Department of Plant Pathology North Carolina State University PO Box 7616 Raleigh, NC 27695-7616http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/Personnel/Students/webpage.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The soil population is so complex that it manifestly cannot be dealt with as a whole with any detail by any one person, and at the same time it plays so important a part in the soil economy that it must be studied. --Sir E. John Russell The Micro-organisms of the Soil, 1923 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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