Three-Cornered Alfalfa Hopper


T is


TOWNSEND LEXINGTON, KY.


he three-


cornered al- falfa hopper a


green,


wedge-shaped sap-feeding in- sect that causes distinct physical


injury. Adults and nymphs girdle stems, lateral branches, or peti-


ing above the callus tissue that develops at the injury site. Dam- aged plants also may break or lodge. Low numbers of three- cornered


alfalfa hoppers are probably pres- ent in many Kentucky fields in late summer but can reach dam- aging levels during late summer in alfalfa and double-cropped or late-planted soybeans. Generally, an insecticide application is not needed at this point in the sea- son.


∆


oles as they feed on legumes and a variety of other plants. Symp- toms include yellowing and wilt-


DR. LEE TOWNSEND: Extension


Entomologist, University of Ken- tucky


Know Your Costs Of Production On The Farm


counting of all the costs associated with the operation? It is an important question to con-


H


sider according to Dr. Gordon Car- riker, agriculture business specialist with University of Missouri Extension. Carriker says what many producers


overlook is that the tax collector does not care if they earn $1 per hour or $100 per hour for the time they spend working and managing their farm. That’s a decision the producer has to make and using enterprise budgets is a good way to determine the economic profitability and feasibility of the farm enterprises. “I am amazed at the willingness of


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producers to work on their own farm for less than a reasonable wage. As an economist, I look past accounting profits – the profits that the IRS is in- terested in for taxes – and look at all costs including opportunity costs and thus economic profit,” said Dr. Car- riker. There are several things a producer


can do to help them determine their production costs according to Dr. Car- riker. First, determine what the enterprise


is: for example a cow/calf enterprise ends when the calf is weaned (pro- ducing a calf) for later sale; a back-


OZARK, MO.


ow can a producer know if the operation is profitable if he or she doesn’t have an accurate ac-


grounding/stocker enterprise begins (producing beef or breeding stock) when the calf is kept for growing. Second, get a sample enterprise


budget. Some very good ones are available through the University of Missouri


Extension website:


http://agebb.missouri.edu/mgt/bud- get. Third, keep track of all production


costs. This includes “sweat” labor time as well as “thinking” labor (manage- ment) time. “This is the biggest oppor- tunity cost producers tend to overlook. Management time is more valuable in the market place than physical labor time,” said Carriker. Fourth, account and allocate costs


to the appropriate enterprise. If a farm truck is being used one fourth of the time as the family truck, one fourth of the time for a crop enterprise and one half the time for a livestock enterprise, do not allocate all the truck fuel and maintenance costs to the livestock en- terprise. Fifth, do not forget to allocate own-


ership – sometimes referred to as fixed costs – to an enterprise. These include insurance, depreciation and taxes on capital items. Sixth, do not be overly optimistic or


pessimistic about expected revenues. “A good practice is to look at a few sale prices, say a low, medium and a high sales price, for the product being sold,” said Dr. Carriker.


DR. LEE


New Issue Of Healthy Animals Now Online


online newsletter compiles ARS news and expert resources on the health and well-being of agricultural live- stock, poultry and fish. Each quarter, one article in Healthy Animals focuses on a particular ele-


T WASHINGTON, D.C.


he Agricultural Research Service (ARS) posted a new issue of Healthy Animals. This quarterly


forms fish into tasty snacks. A study shows how dairies con-


tribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Professionals interested in animal


health issues might want to bookmark the site as a resource for locating an- imal health experts. An index lists ARS research locations covering 70 animal health topics. These range from specific diseases, such as Lyme


ment of ARS animal research. The current issue examines ARS research on genes and their connection to dis- eases, birth defects and the overall health of cattle. Other research highlighted in this


issue includes: Rising carbon dioxide (CO2) can re-


verse drying effects of predicted higher temperatures on semi-arid range- lands. A new freeze-drying method trans-


disease, to broad subjects such as nu- trition or parasites. The site also provides complete con-


tact information for the 25 ARS re- search groups that conduct studies aimed at protecting and improving farm animal health.


To receive an e-mail alert about each


issue’s online posting, contact Sandra Avant, ARS Information Staff, or sign up online.


∆


∆ October 21, 2011 / MidAmerica Farmer Grower • 5


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