Agriculture

Improving crop management practices

Western Corn Rootworm is a significant pest affecting corn. University of Illinois Extension entomologists demonstrated pest control practices to determine if the expense of a soil insecticide is warranted.

• Farmers who monitor Western Corn Rootworm capture to determine the severity of the infestation, can save $16-$30 per acre by only applying the insecticide when necessary.
• Reducing the usage of insecticide can save more than $6,600 for the average Champaign County farmer. Monitoring of fields results in favorable economic and ecological consequences.
• Pesticide training to more than 160 applicators helped to insure appropriate application methods are used for efficient pest control with minimal environmental impact.

Maximizing ag profits

The economics of marketing grain are discussed monthly at Extension’s Marketing Club. More than 100 farmer and land-owners regularly attend to learn marketing strategies.

• Participants surveyed sold their corn for an average 18 cents per bushel more than the USDA average farm price received by Illinois farmers this past year. The 18 cent advantage resulted in $13,500 additional income for the average 500 acre landowner and could potentially result in additional total agricultural income of $1.3 million in Champaign County.