Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21)

August 29, 2006

Allen Williams

Cerro Gordo, Illinois

Restored Prairie

Organic Crops

• Blue Corn

• Soybeans for tofu/ soy milk

• Cereal grain

Blue Corn

Chip Makers

Frito Lay

Food Grade Soybeans

Soy Milk-Hain(Imagine Foods)

Tofu-Nisshin Shokai

Cereal Grains

Wheat-Siemer Milling

Rye-Seed or Whiskey

Barley-Feed

Conventional Crops

• White Corn

• Seedbeans

• Yellow Corn

White Corn

Chips/Tortillas

El Milagro

Seedbeans

Syngenta

Growmark

Yellow Corn

• Direct ship to ADM

Conventional corn production

White Corn Yellow Corn

Yield 174 183Price $2.99 $2.59Gross $520.26 $473.97

Yield Guard/Conventional Yellow

Yield Guard ConventionalRetail Seed Price $171.90 $113.90Discount Seed Price $140.68 $93.22Price/Acre $66.63 $54.53 $44.15 $36.13Insecticide cost $0.00 $0.00 $18.07 $16.89Seed Insecticide cost/acre $66.63 $54.53 $62.22 $53.02

Retail $ Advantage to Conventional $4.41Discounted $ Advantage to Conventional $1.51

Roundup Soybeans/Conventional Soybeans

15" rows/ 150,000 seeds@acre/ Roundup Convential

Retail Seed Price $32.95 $22.50Discounted Seed Price $26.97 $18.41Price/Acre $32.95 $26.97 $22.50 $18.41Herbicides 25.41 23.75 52.68 49.23Seed,Herbicide Cost/Acre $58.36 $50.72 $75.18 $67.64

Retail $ Advantage to GMO seed $16.82Discounted $ Advantage to GMO seed $16.92

WHY ORGANIC?

• http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~asap/research/stew_farm/Report-2-02.htm

1996-2001 Average

Net Returns per acre: Soil Loss per acre: Conventional $183 5.09 tons• Modified No-Till $194 2.90 tons • Organic $250 4.00 tons

WHY ORGANIC

•

• Huge

• Growing Demand

• From Consumers

Market Differentiation

• Better Life Program

• Organic Soybeans and Popcorn

• Organic Blue Corn, Soybeans, Wheat

• Increase Demand for Organic due to Bio-Tech Food

Difficulties Encountered

• Labor

Keeping Labor at Task

Pest Control

Compatibility of Different Approaches

• Similar Crops - Corns-Soybeans

• Similar Production Processes

Manure vs. fertilizer spreader

Cultivation rather than herbicides

Crop rotation rather than insecticides

Organic demands more attention to quality

Interaction with Neighboring Farmers

COMMUNICATION!!!!!

Increasing Threat of Pollen Pollution

Methods and Tools for Different Systems

• Cleaning Protocol For Grain Truck and Wagons• Prior to Harvesting Organic Crops

• Grain Truck

• 1. Roll tarp open to expose grain bed.• 1a. If hopper truck open hopper doors.

• 2. Brush with broom or hand any grain from under rolled tarp and tarp headers.

• 3. Sweep any remaing grain from bed of truck.

• 4. Close hopper doors if hopper truck.

• Wagons

• 1. Sweep or remove by hand any grain from side walls of wagon.

• 2. Open discharge door and brush out any grain at door area.

• 3. Close discarge door.

• Auger Wagon

• 1. Roll tarp open.

• 2. Start tractor auger wagon is attach and open side doors in wagon.

• 3. Remove key from tractor and retain untilk cleaning is completed.

• 4. Open clean out door.

• 5. Enter auger cart and brush all grain from sides of wagon or cart

• 6. Inspect and secure clean out door

• Signed_____________________ Date_____________

• Cleaning Protocol For Case IH CombineCleaning Protocol For Case IH Combine• Prior to Harvesting Organic CropsPrior to Harvesting Organic Crops• 1.Combine cleaned on exterior by removing all crop residue and grain by compressed air1.Combine cleaned on exterior by removing all crop residue and grain by compressed air• 2. Head cleaned by removing all crop residue and grain with compressed air.2. Head cleaned by removing all crop residue and grain with compressed air.• 3. Open rock trap and remove any grain or crop residue by hand.3. Open rock trap and remove any grain or crop residue by hand.• 4. Open clean grain conveyor bottom door. Open tailings elevator bottom door. Remove shielding from left and right 4. Open clean grain conveyor bottom door. Open tailings elevator bottom door. Remove shielding from left and right

sides of combine.sides of combine.• 5. Clean all grain and crop residue from top of rotor cage with compressed air.5. Clean all grain and crop residue from top of rotor cage with compressed air.• 6. Operate combine with separator at full throttle for 2 minutes. MAKE SURE ALL PEOPLE AND ANIMALS ARE 6. Operate combine with separator at full throttle for 2 minutes. MAKE SURE ALL PEOPLE AND ANIMALS ARE

CLEAR OF MACHINE.CLEAR OF MACHINE.• 7. Clean all grain and crop residue from shoe supply augers with vacuum.7. Clean all grain and crop residue from shoe supply augers with vacuum.• 8. Clean all grain from grain tank with vacuum.8. Clean all grain from grain tank with vacuum.• 9. Clean grain from discharge end of discharge auger at no spill flap.9. Clean grain from discharge end of discharge auger at no spill flap.• 10. Replace all shielding from right and left side of machine.10. Replace all shielding from right and left side of machine.• 11. Operate combine for 50 feet in target field with elevator doors open to purge machine.11. Operate combine for 50 feet in target field with elevator doors open to purge machine.• 12. Close elevator doors, Proceed with harvest of organic crops.12. Close elevator doors, Proceed with harvest of organic crops.• LEAVE ANY BORDERS AFTER COMPLETION OF ORGANIC HARVEST.LEAVE ANY BORDERS AFTER COMPLETION OF ORGANIC HARVEST.• Name of supervisor in charge____________________________ Date_________________ Name of supervisor in charge____________________________ Date_________________ • Organic Crop to be Harvested___________________________Organic Crop to be Harvested___________________________• Organic Fields for Harvest______________________________Organic Fields for Harvest______________________________•

Crash & Burn