560 likes | 1.42k Views
Farm Field Record Keeping. Jim Dunn Agricultural Economist Penn State University. Serbian crop farm. 30 employees 6 bookkeepers 1,600 acres Social security. Introduction. Important to determine the profitability of a crop or livestock enterprise
E N D
Farm Field Record Keeping Jim Dunn Agricultural Economist Penn State University
Serbian crop farm • 30 employees • 6 bookkeepers • 1,600 acres • Social security
Introduction • Important to determine the profitability of a crop or livestock enterprise • Also used to evaluate new seed, decide when to take a dairy cow from the herd, and other decisions
Record Keeping • Good records contribute to good decisions. • Records reduce environmental risk. • Decisions based on records are only as good as the data. • Records reduce environmental and legal exposure.
Record Keeping (continued) • A record-keeping database: • Helps organize good data. • Provides an operation and maintenance checklist. • Provides documentation of implemented conservation practices.
What Records Should be Kept? • Site information • Production information • Permits of certificates • Manure field application • Internal inspection data • Mortality disposal
Crop production records For each field • What did you plant? Why? • When did you plant? • What seed? • Did you get a soil test? • What fertilizer did you apply? How much? What day?
Crop records (continued) • Herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide applications • What product? When? How much? • Other field work • Plowing, cultivating? • Harvest activities • What date? Total production? Quality? Problems?
Crop records (continued) • How much time did each operation take? • What did you pay for the purchased inputs?
Using Records • Evaluating seed • Evaluating fields • Evaluating chemicals • Making crop choices
Software • http://cdp.wisc.edu/crop_software.htm • Lots of links out of date • Carl Shaffer – data base – developed his own • What field – history – map –dates planted, etc., variety – sprays, etc., yields, problems