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Shiawassee County Extension
701 South Norton
Corunna, Michigan
48817-1209
United States

Email Address: msue78@msu.edu
Phone: 989-743-2251
Fax: 989-743-4891
 
Agriculture

Programming in the area of agriculture and natural resources is delivered by a variety of regionally based staff.  Areas of focus include:

 

 

District Farm Management

 

This program is designed to provide useful income tax and business analysis information to help not only individual producers but also the entire Michigan agricultural industry. Van Varner varner@msu.edu conducts farm and firm management educational programs. He provides leadership to the MSU TELFARM financial records and business analysis program in east central and south east Michigan. Van also works with local staff in areas of business profitability analysis, feasibility of enterprise expansions, income tax planning, estate planning, business organization structure, intergenerational farm/small business transfer, commodity marketing, PA 116, and USDA government programs.

 

 

Field Crops

 

Pesticide safety and pest management in field crops are high priorities of MSU Extension. Educational meetings are held to keep farmers informed of current regulations and safety factors. There are several pests that are becoming an important economic concern for farmers and Extension is working with industry to keep farms aware of best management practices. The pests of most concern today are soybean cyst nematodes, corn borer, and corn rootworm beetles. Marilyn Thelen thelen22@msu.edu provides field crops programming for Shiawassee County.

 

Field Crop AoE

 

Integrated Pest Management 

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable approach for managing insects, weeds and plant diseases that combines the use of biological control, cultural, physical, and chemical tactics in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks.

 

Area Livestock

 

Larry Sheridan’s sherid35@msu.edu major focus is within the ruminant animal industry – particularly sheep, beef, and equine. He works with producers in addressing issues that impact their potential profitability, specializing in nutrition, finances and marketing. Time is spent addressing management practices that will produce a consumer friendly product and at the same time emphasizing environmentally sound management practices.

 

 

Area Swine

 

Gerald May mayg@msu.edu carries out livestock programs with an emphasis on swine production, management, and marketing. He provides research-based information to help producers and related agricultural businesses deal with current regulatory, environmental, economic, and community factors that impact their businesses.

Shiawassee County Farmland Preservation Project
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Soybean Grower Resources Detach

Selecting Corn Hybrids and Soybean Varieties for 2010
Mike Staton, MSU Extension Agricultural Educator and Soybean 2010 Coordinator

Selecting corn hybrids and soybean varieties is one of the most important management decisions producers make. The hybrids and varieties you select will directly affect your yield potential and profits. Because of this, you should select your hybrids and varieties carefully. Consider the following factors when selecting the best adapted varieties for your farm -- yield, pest resistance or tolerance, maturity and standibility.
 
Yield
Yield is probably the most important characteristic to look for when selecting corn hybrids and soybean varieties. Refer to tables 1 through 4 to see how critical hybrid and variety selection is to your profitability. Yield potential under ideal growing conditions varies among hybrids and varieties. The maximum yield potential of a given hybrid or variety is also affected by weather and other environmental conditions. A hybrid/variety that has the highest yield potential under ideal conditions may not yield as well as others when confronted with yield limiting factors. The best way to account for this variability is to look at yield data from as many different environments as possible. Research has shown that evaluating performance over a wide range of locations and over multiple years will help you select the best adapted hybrids and varieties for your farm. Since hybrids and varieties have relatively short life spans, multiple-location data is easier to obtain than multiple-year data. The “Michigan Soybean Performance Report” and “Michigan Corn Hybrids Compared” are excellent sources for this information. Both publications are posted online at www.css.msu.edu/varietytrials soon after their release. The 2009 “Michigan Soybean Performance Report” should be posted by mid-November and “Michigan Corn Hybrids Compared in 2009” should be available in early December. Both publications are also published in the Michigan Farm News.
 
 
Table 1. Yield advantage of the highest-yielding hybrids over the average yield of all the hybrids and the lowest-yielding hybrids averaged across all locations in maturity zones 1, 2 and 3 from “Michigan Corn Hybrids Compared” (2005 – 2008).

Year
High – Average (bu/ac)
High – Low (bu/ac)
2005
21.4
61.8
2006
20.0
52.0
2007
23.3
47.6
2008
15.2
33.0

 
Table 2. 1Economic advantage of the highest-yielding hybrids over the average yield of all the hybrids and the lowest-yielding hybrids averaged across all locations in maturity zones 1, 2  and 3 from “Michigan Corn Hybrids Compared” (2005 – 2008).

Year
High – Average ($/ac)
High – Low ($/ac)
2005
$42.80
$123.60
2006
$60.80
$158.08
2007
$97.86
$199.92
2008
$61.56
$133.65

1Economic advantage per acre was determined by multiplying the yield advantage of the highest yielding hybrids by the USDA average prices received for each marketing year ($2.00/bu in 2005, $3.04/bu in 2006, $4.20/bu in 2007 and $4.05/bu in 2008).  
 
Table 3. Yield advantage of the highest-yielding soybean varieties over the average yield of all the varieties and the lowest-yielding varieties averaged across all locations and maturity groups from the “Michigan Soybean Performance Reports” (Roundup Ready varieties only).

Year
High – Average (bu/ac)
High – Low (bu/ac)
2006
6.8
14.4
2007
5.8
14.1
2008
5.0
10.7
2009
5.0
12.1

 
Table 4. 2Economic advantage of the highest-yielding soybean varieties over the average yield of all the varieties and the lowest-yielding varieties averaged across all locations and maturity groups from the “Michigan Soybean Performance Reports” (Roundup Ready varieties only).

Year
High – Average ($/ac)
High – Low ($/ac)
2006
$43.72
$92.59
2007
$58.58
$142.41
2008
$49.85
$106.68
2009
$45.50
$110.11

2Economic advantage was determined by multiplying the yield advantage of the highest yielding varieties by the USDA average prices received for each marketing year -- $6.43/bu in 2006, $10.10/bu in 2007, $9.97/bu in 2008 (estimated) and $9.10/bu for 2009 (projected). 
 
Maturity
The maturity range of the hybrids/varieties you select also affects your net income. Always select hybrids and varieties that will reach physiological maturity prior to a killing frost. The latest maturity soybeans planted should have yellow pods just before the date when there is a 20% chance of a killing frost occurring.  Selecting soybean varieties that are too early for a given area will lead to lower yields as the plants will be filling seeds under hotter and drier conditions. Selecting varieties that are too late increases the risk of frost and freeze damage.
 
Corn hybrid maturity can have a significant effect on harvest moisture, drying costs an
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Ag. Pres. Survey Results

Here are the results for the Agriculture Preservation Survey for Shiawassee County
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Other Useful Links
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MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.