Water Spouts, No.167, May 1998

Location	Date	Phone
Streeter Central Grasslands Station	June 24	(701) 424-3606
Casselton Agronomy Seed Farm	July 2	(701) 347-4743
Hettinger R&E Center	July 7	(701) 567-4323
Dickinson R&E Center	July 8	(701) 227-2348
Williston R&E Center	July 9	(701) 774-4315
Carrington R&E Center	July 14	(701) 652-2951
Minot North Central R&E Center	July 15	(701) 857-7677
Langdon R&E Center	July 16	(701) 256-2582
Oakes Field Trials (early vegetables)	July 21	(701) 652-2951
Sidney, Mont. Eastern Montana Ag Center	July 23	(406) 482-2208
Oakes Field Trials (field crops)	August 18	(701) 652-2951

Employment Opportunity

NDSU Extension Service is now accepting applications for an Area Extension Irrigation Specialist. This position will be located in Carrington, North Dakota and cover a 26 county area. Minimum qualifications are a bachelor's degree in one of the following: agricultural engineering, agriculture management or a related field. The area irrigation specialist is a member of the NDSU Extension Service and will work with the state extension irrigation specialist and others on developing, implementing and evaluating a comprehensive educational program that addresses irrigation development, irrigation management, irrigation system design and irrigated crop production. Experience with design and operation of center pivot sprinkler irrigation systems is desired.

For more information contact the NDSU Extension Service District Director's office, Morrill Hall 311, PO Box 5437, Fargo, ND, 58107-5437, (701) 231-7171, FAX: (701) 231-8378, email: sedist@ndsuext.nodak.edu.Details are also available at this web site:

Determining Rental Rates for Irrigated Land

Determining rental rates for irrigated land can be approached from more than one angle, each having a different answer. One question often asked by the owner of irrigated land is, "What can I charge for rent?" The simple answer to that is, "Whatever the market will bear." The difficulty comes in knowing what the current rental market is for irrigated land.

For non-irrigated land, we have the annual survey conducted by North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service which is often used as a guide. However, I am not aware of a similar survey for irrigated land which may be used as a reference. Therefore the tendency is to rely on coffee shop talk, which may or may not be reliable.

A second question frequently heard from owners and potential owners of irrigated land is, "What do I need to charge to recover my investment?" The answer can be calculated once all the investment figures are known. As an illustration, let's assume a purchase price for irrigable but undeveloped land of $400 per acre, opportunity cost of capital at 6%, and irrigation development costs of $74,000 to irrigate 130 acres. The owner will finance one-half of the land purchase with equity capital and borrow the remaining at 8% interest. The irrigation system will be financed with borrowed capital, also at 8%. We will also assume the renter will pay for all operating costs of the system.

To calculate the ownership costs, it is best to separate the investment into individual components. Since the irrigation system consists of varied components of different life, I have used a computer program to calculate the ownership cost. This amounts to $48.50 per acre per year for depreciation and interest. Since land is assumed to have no depreciation, we need only calculate an interest charge on the investment. The weighted interest rate is 7%.

This rate applied to the $400 investment amounts to $28 per acre per year. If real estate taxes are $4.25 per acre, the total annual land cost is $32.25 per acre. Therefore, the minimum the owner would need to receive in rent is $80.75 per acre per year for the life of the irrigation system. Anything less than this will mean that he will receive less than his desired return of 6% on his equity. If he is able to negotiate a higher rent he will receive more than he expected for his equity capital.

A third question, from the renter, is, "How much rent can I afford to pay for irrigated land?" The answer to this question can only be determined after completing enterprise budgets for all crops to be grown in rotation on this land.

For illustration let's assume a crop rotation of four years of alfalfa followed by two years of wheat. From enterprise budgets one can calculate total income minus all costs except a charge for land, labor and management. Current budgets show a weighted average based on the above rotation of $107 per acre to pay for land, labor and management. The renter must decide what portion of this amount he needs for all labor and management. The remainder is the maximum that he can afford to pay for rent. In practice, however, the rent is usually determined by competitive bidding and the amount left for labor and management is the residual. For example, if a renter bid $90 per acre he has decided that he is willing to accept $17 per acre for his labor and management.

It is obvious that some individuals are willing to work for less than others, either knowingly or unwittingly. This applies to dryland as well as irrigated land. Thus the common situation occurs where we have farmers dissatisfied with their returns while at the same time bidding up land rents. All calculations aside, one can not ignore the marketplace. When the going rental market is well known, most rents will be close to the average. It is when there is incomplete knowledge of this market that wide variations in rental rates occur.

Dwight Aakre (701) 231-7378
NDSU Extension Farm Management Specialist
daakre@ndsuext.nodak.edu

Growing Dry Beans in 1998

With timely planting, good management and some luck you could produce dry bean yields of 2,000-2,500 lbs per acre or better in 1998.

The most immediate decision is to plant high quality seed of varieties adapted to your area. Seed should be of high germination, have good vigor, show no physical damage, and should be dome-tested for seed-borne diseases such as blight. Another criterion is resistance or tolerance to the most prevalent bean rust races. Varieties should also be of the right maturity for your growing area.

What about bin-run seed? The use of uncertified seed is discouraged. NDSU seed box surveys indicated yields from uncertified seed averaged 130 lbs. per acre less than from certified seed. In addition, stand establishment was 8% less.

The planting window for dry edible beans is May 12 to 31 in North Dakota and Minnesota. Beans will not germinate if planted in soils cooler than 53 degrees F. Soil temperatures of 55° or higher are most ideal for rapid germination and emergence. Plant shallow if planting early. One to 2 inches deep is ideal under most conditions. Avoid compaction! Research has shown that compacted soils when worked too wet can greatly reduce yields (300-400 lbs/A). Tillage can bring up slabs and clods will form. Poor seedbeds result in poor stands. Roots later will have difficulty penetrating the hard plow layer. Field selection is another important management consideration. Dry beans are quite selective in the type of soils they perform best on. Avoid heavy, poorly drained soils, those high in pH and high in salinity. Also, avoid those fields with extensive perennial weed problems. Control and cleanup the perennial weeds with other crops such as small grains or corn prior to planting dry beans.

Plant rates vary by bean class. Aim for 40-45 lbs. of pure live seed per acre for navy beans; 50-60 lbs. per acre of live seed for pintos. Target stands are 90,000 plants per acre for navies and 70,000 plants per acre for pintos. Slightly higher rates are recommended for irrigated beans and for navies planted in narrow rows.

Dry beans need good fertility management to reach high yield potential. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) are three key nutrients to obtaining 2500 lb. yields. N recommendations have been revised. For 2500 lbs. per acre yields, 125 lbs. per acre of soil and fertilizer applied N is needed.

You may wish to take advantage of the N-fixing ability of dry beans. Inoculate beans just prior to planting with the phaseoli strain of rhizobium bacteria. This practice is particularly beneficial on land that has never been planted to dry beans. Unfortunately, the relationship between dry bean and Rhizobium phaseoli is not strong. Dry, hot weather, drought and short periods of soil water saturation will result in sloughing off of nodules on the bean root hairs.

Dry bean seed is usually treated with a chemical used to control bacterial blight. It can be harmful to the new bacteria inoculate. One method of getting around this problem is to use a dry granule form of the rhizobial inoculant as a deep furrow treatment. This is especially efficient on new ground or pivots with no dry bean history.

Dry bean is one of only a few crops in the region to regularly respond to zinc fertilizer in low zinc soils. Soil with test levels below 0.8 ppm may respond to fertilizer zinc application. Zinc deficiency may be seen as bronzing, browning and death of leaf tissue, stunting, and poor vining. Zinc deficiency may be treated by foliar sprays of zinc sulfate, zinc chelate or ammoniated zinc solutions. Zinc deficiency may be prevented with preplant or planter treatments of zinc sulfate, zinc chelate or ammoniated zinc solution. A treatment of 3-5 lb/acre actual zinc preplant incorporated as zinc sulfate may improve soil availability for several years.

Navy beans are especially responsive to zinc fertilizer and will often respond with higher yields in low zinc soils.

For weed control, use both chemicals and cultivation when and if needed. Use a preplant incorporated herbicide or tank mix as a base, along with a planned backup of post-applied herbicide if tough, hard to manage weeds become a problem. Use a rotary hoe early to control seedling weeds in the white sprout stage.

Continue to monitor the bean crop throughout the growing season. Check for disease such as white mold and rust early so appropriate steps can be taken to stop any disease at its inception. Use labeled fungicides when warranted and if they are economical.

Water management is important in dry beans. For maximum yield potential, dry beans require 12 to 18 inches of water for growth and development during the cropping season. When irrigation supplements rainfall, dry beans are capable of producing 150 to 300 pounds per acre of beans for each additional inch of water. Dry beans are shallow rooted with 90% of the roots found in the upper 2 feet. Over the growing season, only about 10% of the soil water used by beans is below 2 feet. Average dry bean water use will vary from about 0.05 inches per day soon after emergence to over 0.25 inches per day during flowering and pod development. During the period prior to flowering and the period after the majority of pods have filled, dry beans, especially pinto, are relatively drought tolerant. They can withstand 50-60% soil water depletion without significant yield reduction. However, during flowering and pod fill and development, soil moisture levels in the root zone should not be depleted more than 50% (preferably 40%) to gain maximum yields.

Irrigations to dry beans can be stopped when at least 80% of the pods show yellowing and are mostly ripe. Another good indicator of when to stop watering is when 50% of the leaves are reaching senescence (yellowing) on the plant.

Harvest beans when they are just beyond physiological maturity. Don't wait until they are too dry and mature since natural pod loss and pod shattering will result. Also, beans that are too dry (less than 12% moisture) are mechanically cracked, split and checked more during the harvesting process. Combine beans when they are 16-18% moisture for best quality.

10 Steps to Yields of 2500 pounds per acre

Opportunities to Tie Livestock Production to Irrigated Acres

Irrigation development has proceeded at a rapid pace in select areas of the state over the past one to two years. While most of these projects have been initiated to provide irrigation for high value crops such as potatoes or sugar beets, crop rotations under many of these center pivots will include feed grains or forages. Therefore, irrigation development in North Dakota has the potential to impact not only the cropping sector, but the livestock sector as well.

The three livestock sectors which stand to benefit the most from irrigation development in the state are beef cattle, dairy cattle, and hogs. In other areas of the Great Plains, irrigation development has allowed dramatic increases in livestock related industries, such as the rapid increase in cattle feeding, swine finishing, and dairy cattle milking operations on the southern Great Plains (southwestern Kansas, Texas Panhandle, eastern Colorado). Certainly, expansion of these industries has not been without growing pains. However, livestock feeding operations represent a significant economic impact to these areas.

All three of these livestock enterprises require a steady supply of feed grains (cattle and swine) and forages (cattle) in order to operate profitably. Feed grain cost (availability) represents a significant portion of the costs in these operations. Irrigated production offers advantages from the standpoint of a steady supply of feed grains and forages in a given geographic area (production is not impacted by drought conditions which commonly plague dryland feed grain and forage production).

Table 1 gives the feed grain and forage usage on various livestock feeding enterprises. These enterprises use a considerable amount of feed on an annual basis. About 960 acres of irrigated corn would be necessary to support a 1,000 head feedlot (avg. yield = 120 bu./acre; N.D. Ag. Stat. Service, 1997).

Feeding Operation	Corn Use/Year	Alfalfa Hay Use/Year

	(bushels)	(tons)
1,000 head beef feedlot^a	111,000	310
1,000 cow dairy^b	147,000	5020
1,000 head swine finishing barn^b	28,000	—

^aAssumes 85% Occupancy and 2.5 "turns" per year (a total of 21,250 cattle are finished annually). ^bAssumes a 60 day dry period for each cow. ^cAssumes 3.25 "turns" per year (a total of 3,250 hogs are finished annually in the barn).

The addition of livestock enterprises to irrigated farming enterprises can add value to the feed grains and forages produced under irrigation. Livestock enterprises can also strengthen rural economies by providing jobs in rural communities, by purchasing equipment, supplies, and fuel, and by purchasing other services such as trucking and veterinary services.

Irrigated farm production could also provide crop residues (either harvested or grazed) for cow-calf operators or backgrounders. Grazed residues such as corn stalks can provide a significant amount of low-cost feed for wintering beef cows, provided snow cover does not limit grazing.

Byproducts or cull material resulting from crop processing operations tied to high value irrigated crop production provide another source of feed for livestock operations. Potato waste, sugar beet pulp, and other byproducts can provide feed for ruminant animals.

Soil-Water Compatibility Recommendations

The NDSU Soil and Water Environmental Laboratory has been making soil-water compatibility recommendations since the early 1960s. These recommendations are based on the electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) determined on the irrigation water and the soil series present on the land to be irrigated.

The soil series can be found in county soil survey maps available through local NRCS offices. They can also be found in county extension offices, local libraries, the NDSU library and the NDSU Soil Science Department. Each soil series has been classified as either unsuitable for irrigation, conditional, or irrigable. Soils and their irrigability classification can be found in NDSU Extension circular EB-68, Compatibility of North Dakota Soils for Irrigation, available through the county extension office or the Distribution Center at NDSU. Compatibility classifications are based on slope, sodicity, salinity, permeability, restrictive subsoil layering or depth to bedrock. The compatibility classifications are based on the limits of the soil's ability to tolerate added salts or sodium. Electrical conductivity tolerance limits range from 1000 to 3000 µmhos/cm and SAR tolerance limits range from 6 to 12.

Soil water compatibility recommendations are made based on how high the irrigation water salinity and sodicity are relative to the tolerance limits of the soils to be irrigated. For example, we may have an irrigation water with an EC of 1585 and an SAR of 5.9. We could use this water on a soil such as a Hecla, which has tolerance limits of 3000 µmhos/cm for EC and 12 for SAR. On the other hand, this water would not be compatible with a Bearden soil, which has tolerance limits of 1500 µmhos/cm for EC and a SAR of 6.

Soil-water compatibility determinations should be done before irrigation systems are established. Failure to obtain compatibility recommendations can result in soil hardening, becoming impen-neable and losing productivity. Even where soil-water compatibility recommendations have been obtained, and soils and water have been found to be compatible, soils should be sampled to a minimum depth of 6 feet in 1-foot increments and analyzed for pH, EC and sodium. This should be done before irrigation commences in a field and again every three to five years. This allows the irrigator to monitor any detrimental changes that may be occurring due to irrigation and become problems before they cause major soil degradation.

Soil-water compatibility recommendations can be obtained for $25 from the Soil and Water Environmental Laboratory at North Dakota State University with the submittal of a water sample and legal description of the field to be irrigated. Use the form below.

A soil-water compatibility recommendation for irrigation can only be as good as the information supplied. Please print and fill out the information sheet below.

Note:
Water to be used for drinking is tested by the North Dakota Health Department Laboratory at Bismarck, N.D. Water to be used for livestock is tested by the Veterinary Science Department at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D.

Sampling Instructions
Use a clean ½ to 1 pint bottle. DO NOT use a bottle which contained any chemicals such as bleach or agricultural chemicals. Rinse container several times with the sample water before filling. If sample is from a well, pump well for 10 to 15 minutes in order to obtain a uniform sample.

Irrigation Water Sample Information Sheet

Name__________________________________________ Date ____/____/____
Address__________________________________ Phone___________________
________________________________________

Township No. _________ Range No. ________
Section No. ___________ Quarter __________
County________________________________

Water Source:

Farm well
Irrigation test well
Irrigation production well
Depth of well
Other sources, please specify
________________________
________________________

NDSU Extension Service, North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Sharon D. Anderson, Director, Fargo, North Dakota. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. We offer our programs and facilities to all persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, Vietnam era veterans status, or sexual orientation; and are an equal opportunity employer.
This publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities upon request, 701/231-7881.