Ohio State Ag Engineer Randall Reeder offers commonsense suggestions for cutting costs and raising profits:
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Fuel costs for planting crops in reduced tillage are about half that of intensive tillage.
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Using cover crops to capture N can cut commercial N purchases by 50-100 lb./acre.
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Corn yields will be higher when rotated with soybeans because of N supplies.
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Controlled traffic patterns save fuel, labor, crop inputs and equipment costs.
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Better management of heating and ventilation in farm buildings saves energy costs.
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Switching to fluorescent bulbs is expensive but saves energy and they last longer.
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The average tractor tire is overinflated and causes excess slippage and fuel loss.
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Scheduled replacement of air and fuel filters saves fuel and increases power.
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It's less efficient to keep an engine idling for warmth than it is to restart it.
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Don't use a subsoiler any deeper than necessary to break up compacted soil.
