Fuel consumption varies widely due to variations in tractor efficiency, soil moisture conditions, crop yields, and other factors. But here are ten ways that will help.

1. Reduce the number of trips associated with spring seedbed preparation. With today's modern planter units, crop residue does not create the problems it used to with seed placement and depth control. For most field situations, one tillage trip over the field in the spring should provide adequate leveling of the soil and seedbed preparation.
   
2. Change to a no-till planting system where field conditions permit. This is especially true for soybeans, as no-till soybeans are an easy and proven way to maximize yields without doing any tillage. Currently over 44 percent of Illinois soybean acreage is planted using no-till methods.
   
3. Reduce the depth of tillage associated with seedbed preparation if you are using a mulch-till or reduced-till system. In most cases, spring seedbed preparation should be performed no deeper than three to four inches. This will reduce the power and fuel requirements needed.
   
4. Combine trips across the field may also reduce fuel usage. Producers using 28 percent UAN solutions may be able to mix their pre-plant or pre-emergence herbicides with their fertilizer and apply with one trip over the field. Be sure to check with your ag-supplier regarding chemical compatibility of the herbicides and fertilizer products before mixing these together.
   
5. Custom apply either or both herbicides and fertilizer this spring. Although an application charge will be charged by the commercial company, they may be able to do it more cost and fuel-efficiently than an individual producer.
   
6. Use post-emergence herbicides for annual grass and broad-leaf weed control. By applying the post-emergence herbicides after the crops and the weeds emerge, producers know the crop's seedling plant population and the infestation of weed species present. In some cases, producers may only need to do "spot" treatments of either the broadleaf or grass herbicide in the field. Also, by waiting until after the crop and weeds emerge for treatment, weed control is usually improved.
   
7. Avoid unnecessary use of the cultivator for weed control unless weed populations cannot be controlled with herbicides.
   
8. Match field equipment to the appropriate sized tractor. If excess tractor horsepower is used for the job, fuel efficiency declines dramatically. Conversely, if a small horse-powered tractor is used and the tractor becomes overloaded for the job, fuel efficiency also suffers. In many situations, research studies show that a large front-wheel assist tractor or four-wheel drive tractor may actually provide the best fuel efficiency if it is appropriately sized to a large field cultivator or other tillage implement. A good rule of thumb is to usually select the smallest and lightest tractor for the job that needs to be done to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce soil compaction.
   
9. Perform general tractor maintenance before going into the fields this spring. Take time to properly clean air and fuel systems including replacement of filters. Also be sure to properly lubricate tractors and equipment as this will result in enhanced fuel efficiency and equipment operation when you get to the fields this spring.
   
10. Examine use of the pick-up truck and trips to town. According to research studies, for many farms, one of the largest users of fuel involves the pick-up truck. Without a doubt, the pick-up truck is an essential component of the entire farming operation. However, where possible, combine trips for equipment, seed, chemicals, and to arrange for other agri-business services. Also, using the telephone or the home computer may reduce a number of unnecessary trips to town.
    

The IPM Website at the University of Illinois will provide you the ability to determine degree-day accumulations for selected pests throughout the season. This collaborative effort with the Illinois State Water Survey and the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois will enable you to combine daily weather data and pest information to generate web pages showing current degree-day totals in Illinois associated with pest and crop development.

Growth of pests and crops in Illinois can be tracked and projected by maintaining an account of the 'heat' accumulated during each growing season. This process involves comparison of daily maximum and minimum temperatures to a base temperature, specific for a particular pest or crop, above which development of the pest or crop will occur.

Degree-day accumulations for some pests, regardless of their location in Illinois, have a specific calendar day when heat tracking begins, such as January 1 each year. Local accumulations for other pests and those for crops are tied to specific, user-provided events: first spring trapping of adult pests, sighting of insect eggs, planting date, etc. One- and two-week degree-day projections, based on climate records at each site, also are included. The tool also produces maps of degree-day totals and projections for the entire state where appropriate.

All degree-day information is computed from data collected through the day just prior to the day each user accesses the system. In general, up-to-date information will be available by 4:00 a.m., seven days a week. The URLs are http://www.sws.uiuc.edu/warm/agdata.asp (pests and crops) and http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/degreedays (pests)."

Check on the arrival of insect pests in this area. The Insect Monitoring Network (http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fieldcrops/imn/index.html) will soon be reporting data for the 2004 growing season. This website provides a database of up-to-date information on black cutworm, corn earworm, and European corn borers caught in pheromone traps. Traps are monitored and weekly counts are submitted voluntarily by Extension educators and cooperators located throughout the state.

The website also offers links to additional sources of information that provide current information on insect pests in Illinois.

Extension is continually seeking additional volunteers to become part of our network of cooperators. If you are interested in providing moth trap counts of black cutworm, corn earworm, or European corn borer, please contact Kelly Cook at (217)333-6652 or kcook8@uiuc.edu.

Consult your tax preparer about a new provision in the tax law that benefits purchasers of large farm machinery and other assets. The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 increased the maximum IRS §179 deduction to $100,000 for tax years 2003 through 2005 and allows taxpayers to temporarily claim a first year Special Depreciation Allowance of 50 percent of the cost of qualified assets such as a new combine purchased after May 5, 2003. For some taxpayers, it is possible to use both the §179 expensing deduction and the Special Depreciation Allowance. Three new articles by Gary Hoff discuss the new rules for §179 and the Special Depreciation Allowance, and how both might be used by a farmer-taxpayer in some circumstances.

When Congress enacted the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002 (JCWAA), they made one of the largest changes to the depreciation rules since 1986. This change allowed taxpayers who purchased qualified, first-use assets to deduct 30 percent of their cost in the first year. As a part of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA), Congress made an even larger change to the depreciation rules. JGTRRA allows taxpayers to claim a first year deduction of 50 percent of the cost of qualified assets. The basic rules governing the 30 percent/50 percent deduction are discussed in this article using primarily agricultural examples.

For taxpayers who make qualifying purchases, it is possible to use both the §179 expensing deduction and the special depreciation allowance (SDA). This article discusses some limitations and shows examples of how this can maximize tax depreciation, with a special focus on agricultural applications. These articles may be viewed at:
http://www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/legal/taxation/articles/index.html

Have you wondered how grain market price fluctuations result from changes in fundamentals in the grain market? You can actually calculate those prices with a new tool on Extension's Farmdoc website. When the USDA releases its corn crop estimates, Farmdoc's on-line calculator will help you determine the average price that you can use for forward contracting and hedging. In other words, the Farmdoc US Corn Balance Sheet and Price Tool lets you play the "what if" game.

The online US Corn Balance Sheet and Price Tool presents (1) a completed balance sheet for the past years showing acreage, yield, supply, consumption by category, year ending stocks, and the marketing year average price received by farmers and (2) the balance sheet estimates for the current and the next marketing year. The 2003/04 estimates are the latest USDA forecasts. These are also the default values for 2003/04 under "Your Estimates," except that the average price is calculated by formula.

The 2004/05 default values are provided by Extension Marketing Specialist Darrel Good. For the current and next marketing year, users may alter the estimates in the indicated cells and the TOOL will recalculate the ratio of year ending stocks to total use and the projected marketing year average price. The projected prices under "Your Estimates" for 2003/04 and 2004/05 are most valid early in the marketing year, which starts on September1, since market prices can fully respond to expected supply and demand factors. After about three months of the marketing year have elapsed, the price has been established on a significant portion of the crop and it may be difficult for the marketing year average price to conform to any radical change in the forecast of the stocks to use ratio.

Also available for downloading is an off-line Excel spreadsheet version of the US Corn Balance Sheet and Price Tool which can be used in the same manner as the on-line version. In addition, the spreadsheet version can be used to calculate an estimate of the marketing year average price based on average prices received to date and current futures prices for the remainder of the marketing year. The user can input the current prices for the futures contracts indicated for the remainder of the current crop year and for the next crop year.

About 1,000 fifth grade students from schools throughout Macon County now understand the concept of Global Positioning Systems, thanks to Extension Farm Business Educator Paul Mariman. Mariman taught trigonometry and triangulation to 10 and 11 year olds (quite a feat) at AgUcation organized by Macon County Farm Bureau and held at Richland Community College March 17-19. He explained how farmers use GPS in fertilization and soil and water conservation applications.

Have you wanted to sell direct to consumers? Has marketing been your barrier? If you've answered yes, Extension has a new service that is designed to link producers and consumers. The Central Illinois Farmer-to-Consumer Directory of locally produced and locally sold foods is a project begun in 2002-2003 to build strong links between local Illinois food producers and local consumers looking for fresh healthy products. The initial effort, limited to 25 counties in East-Central Illinois, yielded a listing of more than 200 producers, markets and processors that sold directly to consumers. These listings were compiled into a widely distributed brochure, and in a user-friendly web site: http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/asap/resources/farmdirect/

Farm Direct is much more than a simple listing of producers. It also includes educational articles on topics such as "Why Buy Local?" and "What is a CSA?" which explain the benefits of local production and consumption.

The project was taken on as a joint effort between the University of Illinois Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program; The Land Connection, a non-profit organization connecting sustainable farmers to consumers; and Prairieland Slow Food, a group dedicated to the preservation of artisan food production, heritage seeds and animal breeds, and good eating.

A new version of Farm-Direct is being created, that will include the entire state of Illinois. University of Illinois Extension, the Illinois Department of Agriculture are now involved.

For more information and to register your farm contact:

David Onstad
Farm Direct
University of Illinois
1201 S. Dorner Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801
Onstad@uiuc.edu