| Table 2: Average energy-use rates and fuel requirements for farming tasks. | |||||||||||
| 1,000 Acres (500 Corn/500 Soybean): All Costs Based on $2.00/gallon diesel | |||||||||||
| Operation | Energy-use rate, PTO hp-hrs/acre | Gallons per acre | Hours/Acre | Conventional Till (Plow, Disk, Cultivate, Plant, Row-Cultivate) | Mulch Till/Chisel (Chisel, Disk, Cultivate, Plant, Row Cultivate) | Mulch Till/No Chisel (Disk,Cultivate,Plant) | No Till | ||||
| Diesel | Diesel Cost | Hours | Diesel Cost | Hours | Diesel Cost | Hours | Diesel Cost | Hours | |||
| Shred stalks | 10.5 | 0.72 | |||||||||
| Plow 8 inches deep | 24.4 | 1.68 | 0.161 | $ 3,360.00 | 161.3 | ||||||
| Heavy offset disk | 13.8 | 0.95 | |||||||||
| Chisel plow (13.9' Wide) | 16 | 1.1 | 0.128 | $ 2,200.00 | 128.2 | ||||||
| Tandem disk, stalks (24') | 6 | 0.45 | 0.071 | $ 900.00 | 71.4 | ||||||
| Tandem disk, chiseled(24') | 7.2 | 0.55 | 0.083 | $ 1,100.00 | 83.3 | ||||||
| Tandem disk, plowed(24') | 9.4 | 0.65 | 0.100 | $ 1,300.00 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Field cultivate (27') | 8 | 0.6 | 0.053 | $ 1,200.00 | 52.6 | $ 1,200.00 | 52.6 | $ 1,200.00 | 52.6 | ||
| Cultivate row Crops | 6 | 0.45 | 0.053 | $ 900.00 | 52.6 | ||||||
| Anhydrous applicator (13 knives) 500 Acres | 9.4 | 0.65 | 0.078 | $ 650.00 | 39.1 | $ 650.00 | 39.1 | $ 650.00 | 39.1 | $ 650.00 | 39.1 |
| Planting row Crops (12-30" Rows) | 6.7 | 0.5 | 0.087 | $ 1,000.00 | 87.0 | $ 1,000.00 | 87.0 | $ 1,000.00 | 87.0 | ||
| No-till planter (12-30" Rows) | 3.9 | 0.35 | 0.087 | $ 700.00 | 87.0 | ||||||
| Grain drill (15' Width) | 4.7 | 0.35 | 0.132 | ||||||||
| Totals: | $ 8,410.00 | 492.6 | $ 6,150.00 | 390.2 | $ 3,750.00 | 250.1 | $ 1,350.00 | 126.0 | |||
| Gallons | 4,205.00 | 3,075.00 | 1,875.00 | 675.00 | |||||||
| Gal/Acre | 4.21 | 3.08 | 1.88 | 0.68 | |||||||
| 1.13 | 2.33 | 3.53 | |||||||||
| Costs of additional spraying is not included. Fuel costs for a sprayer are $200/thousand acres. | |||||||||||
| Savings on a 1000-Acre Farm | |||||||||||
| Diesel ($2/gallon) | Time | Labor ($10.10/hour) | |||||||||
| Tillage System | Over More Intensive System | Saved Over Conventional | Over More Intensive System | Total Hours Saved Over Conventional | Over More Intensive System | Total Hours Saved Over Conventional | |||||
| Conventional | $ - | $ - | 0.0 | 0.0 | $ - | $ - | |||||
| Mulch/Chisel | $ 2,260.00 | $ 2,260.00 | 102.4 | 102.4 | $ 1,034.07 | $ 1,034.07 | |||||
| Mulch/High Residue | $ 2,400.00 | $ 4,660.00 | 140.1 | 242.5 | $ 1,415.11 | $ 2,449.18 | |||||
| No-Till | $ 2,400.00 | $ 7,060.00 | 124.1 | 366.6 | $ 1,253.01 | $ 3,702.19 | |||||
| Machinery Costs Calculated from: | http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/FARMMGT/05006.html | ||||||||||
| Time Per Acre of Operation: | http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/pdf/a3-24.pdf | ||||||||||