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AND ANCH Q ulletin September 1964 Vol. 19, No. 9 C R O P P R O D U C T IO N E F F IC IE N C Y IN C R E A S E S The amount of labor needed for the pro duction of the major crops in the United States has decreased markedly in the last dec ade, according to Robert C. McElroy, Agri c u ltu ra l E c o n o m ist w ith the E com onic Research Service. Greater crop production effi ciency has resulted from higher per acre yields obtained with less labor. Increases in the size of farms and of enter prises on them, together with the accompany ing use of more and larger farm machines, have reduced the time required for many opera tions. Wider use of improved seeding and tillage equipment, herbicides, and flame culti vation; increased use of airplanes for spreading pesticides; and improvements in irrigation equipment and other technological innovations have also contributed substantially to labor savings. In 1953 the Nation’s farmers used 5.2 bil lion man-hours to produce field crops. A decade later, 40 percent fewer man-hours were needed. The average number of man-hours The effect of advances in mechanization on used per acre declined for all major crops man-hours per acre has varied among the except tobacco, which still requires much hand field crops. For example, during the last decade, labor. the average time for producing rice declined The earliest statistics available on labor used 2 man-hours per acre, from 14.5 to 12.5 man for field crops indicate that the 1960-63 hours, and time for producing peanuts de decline in the number of man-hours per acre creased 14.1 man-hours per acre, from 36.4 marks the continuation of a long-time trend. to 22.3. The difference in rate of decline dur Estimates of man-hours used per acre for cot ing this period results primarily from the ton, corn, and wheat at various periods of differences in the timing and rate of mechaniz the 19th century show that labor require ing the harvest. Eighty percent of the rice ments decreased throughout the century. An crop was combined in 1950; thus, the major nual data beginning in 1910 show that the impact of the combine on labor for rice har decline has continued during the 20th century vesting had already taken place. In contrast, for these three crops, as well as for most other only 20 percent of the peanut crop was com bined in 1950, and the proportion had risen field crops. to 76 percent by 1959. The greatest part of the saving in labor is a reflection of increased use of machinery in Along with the advances in mechanization, the last decade. Despite the reduction in the which reduced the amount of labor required number of farms, there has been an increase per acre, there were improvements in, and in the number of tractors, corn pickers, pick-up greater use of, such yield-increasing factors balers, field forage harvesters, elevators, and as fertilizers, pesticides, and high-yielding and trucks. disease-resistant crop varieties. The combined F E D E R A L R E S E R V E DALLAS, B A N K TEXAS OF D A L L A S LABO R USED TO PRODUCE FIE LD CROPS new multipurpose van can also be used to carry freight by rail (piggyback), highway, water (fishy-back), and perhaps air. The USDA says that savings in shipping costs for perishable products would be pos sible with the new vans because, for the first time, it would be economically feasible to ship nonrefrigerated freight in a van designed for refrigerated products. More complete utiliza tion of the refrigerated van will help to lower the transport cost of both types of freight. SO URCE:U.S.Departm ent of Agriculture. The initial cost of the new vans is expected to be higher than that for conventional refrig erated vans. However, in as little as a year’s time, the higher initial cost would be more than offset by the greater versatility of the van, according to the USDA. impact of declining labor requirements and higher yields greatly increased the productivity of labor used. Silage Storage New Multipurpose Van The silos used were aboveground types, de signed for low-cost preservation of silage. Cov ered bunker and stack silos proved to be economical and practical storage facilities that offered flexibility in locating the silos for effi cient management practices. Research conducted at Beaumont and Col lege Station, Texas, during 1957-63 resulted In addition to averages for the United States, in the development of practical methods for numbers of man-hours of labor used per acre ensiling clovers and grasses during weather that of field crops in each state are presented in a is unfavorable for haying, according to the recent ERS report. The estimates for 1959 Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. In the show wide variations among states and regions Gulf Coast area of Texas, the peak output in man-hours used per acre of the same crop. of pasture forage occurs in the spring, when These differences may be attributed to several high humidity and frequent rains hinder field factors, such as the size of fields, extent of processing of hay. Since this production usually irrigation, and harvesting methods. The man exceeds grazing requirements at the time, ensil hours of labor included in the report are direct ing is a practical way to preserve the excess labor inputs. Time for repairing machinery or for use during periods of low forage output. buildings, mending fences, making business trips, keeping records, or any other type of The addition of zinc bacatracin to forage at overhead work is not included. the time of ensiling reduced dry matter losses The accompanying chart shows labor used in direct-cut clover silage. However, preserva to produce four important southwestern field tives used in these tests were not effective in reducing dry matter losses in high-moisture crops for selected periods. (80 percent) sorghum silage. Researchers in the Agricultural Marketing Service have developed a design concept for a multipurpose van container that could re duce shipping costs for many agricultural prod ucts, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The van container can be used to haul both frozen and nonfrozen perishable commodities, as well as nonrefrigerated cargo. In moving farm products to consumers, the A 4- to 6-inch layer of sawdust spread uni formly over the surface of a plastic film cover eliminated top spoilage in both types of silos. Tight sidewalls were effective in preventing spoilage on the sides in bunker silos. Side spoilage was never completely eliminated in stack silos but was greatly reduced when the edges of the plastic cover were sealed airtight. In the studies, self-feeding from bunker and stack silos was a practical and laborsaving method of feeding silage when a concrete floor was used and the maximum depth of the silage was 6 feet. For self-feeding on a 24-hour-a-day basis, 4 to 6 inches of feeding space per animal were adequate. Annual costs for harvesting, filling the silo, and sto rin g each ton of feed ab le silage amounted to $4.80 for a 20- by 90-foot bunker silo with a concrete floor and preservativetreated lumber walls, compared with $6.54 for the same size stack silo with a concrete floor and no walls and $5.40 for stack silos with a concrete floor and temporary walls. Bunker and horizontal stack silos are rela tively inexpensive and are considered practical for the Gulf Coast area of Texas, according to the experiment station. Costs of feeding silage per animal unit per day averaged 1.5 cents for self-feeding from one end of the silo, 12.4 cents for two different methods of hand feeding, and 9.0 cents for mechanical feeding. Silage was hauled 5 miles in the mechanical feeding tests, compared with 0.5 mile for the hand-feeding methods. Based on a hauling distance of 0.5 mile, the daily cost for mechanical feeding would be approx imately 5.8 cents per animal unit. Dry Poultry Houses In many commercial egg operations, three or four birds are now being housed in the same amount of space in which one bird was kept a decade ago, points out the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. With the increased poultry population in laying houses, moisture control — especially in droppings — becomes a major problem. Because of the expense involved, very few attempts have been made to control humidity in poultry houses. Texas A&M University researchers are con ducting studies to determine which strains of birds, if any, will produce drier droppings and yet maintain present egg production levels. The specialists have found that water consump tion and moisture in droppings are genetically related to different strains of birds and that poultry can be bred for different water con sumption and excretion rates. However, addi tional research will be necessary in order to determine the relationship between water ex cretion levels in birds and their economic per formance traits, says Dr. J. H. Quisenberry, Head of the Poultry Science Department at Texas A&M University. Less Irrigation W a te r for Grain Sorghums If irrigations are timed carefully, farmers in the Southern Great Plains can o b ta in fa v o ra b le g rain sorghum yields d u rin g most years with a limited supply of irrigation water, reports the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Experiments conducted at Bushland, Texas, showed that irrigation water could be restricted to one-half the amount required for maximum yield and yet produce a grain yield within 16 percent of the maximum. In the experiments, plots receiving only two irrigations — 3 inches of water at plant emergence and 4 inches at the milk stage of grain development — produced 6,420 pounds of sorghum grain per acre. With four irriga tions, using a total of 15 inches of water, the grain yield was 7,640 pounds per acre. These yields were obtained on plots planted with RS-610 hybrid sorghum in two 12-inch rows on 40-inch-wide shallow beds. The soil in the plots was Pullman silty clay loam. Irrigated grain sorghum is grown on 40 percent of the irrigated acreage of the Southern Great Plains, an area where the water table in wells has declined an average of 2.07 feet annually during the past 5 years. If farmers are to maintain their present irrigated acreage, declining groundwater supplies will have to be used more efficiently, according to the USDA. In deciding when to apply a limited amount of irrigation water, farmers should consider the stage of plant development, soil moisture, and probable seasonal rainfall. Water applica tion should be timed to meet the critical mois ture needs of the plants during the heading stage through grain development. Soil Ridges Restrict W in d Erosion Damage to farmland from wind erosion can be minimized by combining recommended con servation practices with the use of soil ridges that are 2 to 4 inches in height, reports the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Ridges of this height, placed at right angles to prevailing winds, have proved more effective in cultivated fields than either higher or lower ridges. Dean V. Armbrust, Soil Scientist with the Agricul tural Research Service, says that wind velocity and cloddiness of the soil determine which height within the 2- to 4-inch range provides maximum protection. According to the FAS, cartons provide a convenient and economical way to airlift live stock. Inexpensive construction permits one time use of the cartons, which are made of a patented heavy-duty cardboard. When shipped in a passenger plane, calves in cartons require no special care or handling and can be easily moved on pallets like any other cargo. Europe’s meat shortage, which began early this year, has set off a global search for all types of meat. However, the consumer prefer ence traditionally is for veal — the meat of milk-fed calves, which, in Europe, are slaugh tered at 1 to 3 months of age. Your Product — A nd the Market How is the market for your product? In order to answer this question correctly, two other important ones need to be answered: (1) What is the market? and (2) what is the prod Farmers can minimize wind erosion damage uct? According to W. Y. Fowler, Extension to crops by seeding in furrows protected by Economist with New Mexico State University, ridges of the proper height, placed at right a large commercial rancher who sells directly angles to prevailing winds, in combination with to distant high-volume feeders needs to produce tillage practices that leave clods on the soil large amounts of quality feeder cattle. On the surface or incorporate stubble, stalks, or straw other hand, a small family-farm producer who in the topsoil. In order to prevent soil blowing, sells directly to local consumers needs to sup similar ridging should also be used in emer ply a quality product, concentrating on such gency tillage. Mr. Armbrust says that ridges items as extra size, extra maturity, extra flavor, ordinarily are less erodible than smooth sur and extra personal service. faces because they trap soil particles and de The agricultural producer faces the follow crease average wind velocity. ing four basic problems in marketing his prod Flying Vealers The recent successful trial of calf cartons — a new technique for airlifting U. S. calves — points to sizeable exports of U. S. veal to Europe, provided air transport rates can be lowered to make U. S. livestock competitively priced. According to the Foreign Agricultural Service, the experiment also offers possibilities for worldwide exports of U. S. breeding calves. In the trial, three 20-day-old Holsteins in two specially constructed cartons were placed aboard a passenger jetliner and flown nonstop from New York’s Kennedy International Air port to Milan, Italy— a distance of 4,000 miles. Although fatigued from the 6^ -h o u r trip, the calves arrived in excellent condition. ucts: quantity, quality, timeliness, and the type of market. Mr. Fowler says that these factors affect the producer’s costs and returns. The producer’s relationship to the marketing agency is also important, since the producer, in coop eration with the marketing agency, attempts to satisfy the demands and requirements of the consuming public. Farm tractors long ago proved their worth as power suppliers, but they must be chosen wisely and used efficiently if they are to return top dividends. W. L. Ulich, Extension Agricul tural Engineer with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, points out that a tractor rep resents a sizable investment and should be selected to fill the needs on the farm.
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