Calculating the Economic Value to Producers of ImprovedSustainability Performance in Soybean Production

Josiah McClellanUnited Soybean Board

71st SWCS International Annual ConferenceJuly 25, 2016

YieldModel

Soil Texture Crop Rotation Tillage Practice

Crop Management

Templateyield & operations

Texas A&M AgriLife Project

1168 Report relative yield

nitrogen saving

Field to Market Fieldprint Calculator

sustainability index

Economic Budget

profitability

Sort and Optimize

yield Sustainability profitability

IA Extension Guide

Non-operationalinputs

Activity Flowchart

GenotypicThe potential yield for specific varieties can be specified in the model.

Edaphic• Soil suitability factors

o Texture• Soil fertility factors

Management• Pre-planting factors

o Rotationo Cultivation

• Post -planting factors

Phenotypic• Plant physiological factors• Weather factors

Potential Yield Factors by Category

Source: infosys.ars.usda.gov

USDA-NRCS Crop Management Zones (CMZs)

CMZ 4 and 16 highlighted in black box

Soybean Single Season Management TemplatesMedium Soil Texture

Conventional TillName: soybeans; 15-20 inch row,Ffcult, z4Operations:• Cultivator, field 6-12 in sweeps• Sprayer, pre-emergence• Planter, double disk opnr, 18 in

rows• Sprayer, post emergence• Sprayer, insecticide post

emergence• Harvest, killing crop 20pct standing

stubble

No-tillName: soybeans; nr, NT z4Operations:• Sprayer, pre-emergence• Drill or airseeder, double disk,

w/fluted coulters• Sprayer, post emergence• Harvest, killing crop 20pct

standing stubble

Soybean Single Season Management Inputs for CalculatorMedium Soil Texture

Soybean Single Season Fieldprint Calculator ResultsMedium soil texture

Fieldprint Calculator Sustainability Fieldprints

Fieldprint Calculator Sustainability Fieldprints Scaled from 0 to 100

Template Land Use

(ac/bu)

Soil Conservation

(t/bu)

SoilCarbon

Energy Use

(BTU/bu)

GHGEmissions (BTU/bu)

Water Quality (index)

ConventionalTill (Loam) 0.01773 0.145 -0.453 111,155 26.25 4.58

No-Till (Loam) 0.02174 0.061 0.012 43,301 14.61 5.58

Template Land Use

Soil Conservation

Soil Carbon

Energy Use

GHGEmissions

Water Quality

ConventionalTill (Loam) 36 56 73 100 100 54

No-Till (Loam) 50 31 49 84 100 44

Economic Budget for Computing ProfitabilityFixed and variable costs by management operations, soil texture, and tillage practices

Source: Costs of operations from: Plastina, Alejandro. (2015). Estimated Costs of Crop Production in Iowa, 2015.(http://store.extension.iastate.edu)

Soybean single season management template for medium soil texture

Economic Budget for Computing ProfitabilitySummary by management operations, soil texture, and conventional till

Soybean single season management template for medium soil texture

Soybean Management Templates Sorted by Yield

Soybean Management Templates Sorted by Sustainability

Soybean Management Templates Sorted by Profitability

Optimization of Soybean Management Templates

Texas A&M AgriLife Project SB1168 Model Results asInput

Focus on relative yield and nitrogen-savings

Source: Analysis of Crop Rotation on Nutrient Management and Sustainability Performance Phase I Final Report – SB1168Texas A&M AgriLife Research Blackland Research & Extension Center, Temple, TX

Soybean Impact on Sustainability Metrics in Multi-Year Rotations

Summary by management operations, soil texture, and conventional tillEconomic Budget for Computing Profitability

Conclusions

• As long as sustainability performance is calculated on an efficiency basis (per unit of production), sustainability and yield scores will track closely.

• More variability between sustainability and profitability

• The impact of crop rotation on sustainability performance calculations is understated. While single-crop sustainability assessments are straightforward, rotational assessments present multiple permutations to reference.

• The utility of a yield/sustainability/profitability model may be limited as an operational decision support tool.

• The model would have more utility on a larger, trend-centric scale, narrowing the list of management changes that would positively impact yield, sustainability and profitability together.

Suggested Next Steps

• Integrate the model into ongoing field work, to obtain real-world results and conduct meaningful statistical analysis.

Conclusions and Suggested Next Steps

Calculating the Economic Value to Producers of ImprovedSustainability Performance in Soybean Production

Josiah McClellanUnited Soybean Board

71st SWCS International Annual ConferenceJuly 25, 2016