A Brief Summary Of Smart Results

The SMART (Soybean Management by Application of Research and Technology) program was started by MSU scientists and extension personnel in 1992 with the goal of increasing statewide soybean yields and profits by using production practices that had been demonstrated to be superior. SMART is a total program approach that addresses inputs from fall tillage and weed control to the following year’s harvest. The program completed its nineteenth year in 2010.

During the course of the project, a total of 398 producer fields throughout Mississippi have been used as sites for demonstrating how existing production practices could be supplemented and/or replaced with new research-based technology. MG IV and V varieties were used and planting dates were generally early (before May 1). In-season recommendations to growers were made on a site-specific basis and were based on field history and seasonal problems determined by producer contact and weekly field scouting.

The below table contains a summary of site yields and returns above total specified expenses (excluding costs for land, management, and general farm overhead) for nonirrigated (NI) and irrigated (IR) sites over the 2001–2010 period. Each year’s returns are based on market prices and input costs for that year.

A comparison of SMART yields from NI and IR sites to Mississippi average yields is not appropriate because the annual average soybean yields reported for Mississippi include both NI and IR acreage in an unknown ratio. However, Arkansas yields are reported separately for NI and IR production. Since the latitude and management practices for soybeans are similar in the two states, Arkansas NI and IR yields are shown for comparison purposes.

Summary points from the 10 years of data shown in the table follow.

• Average NI yield over the 2001-2010 period is 37.9 bu/acre, which is over 10 bu/acre greater than the average Arkansas NI yield for the same period. Only one year (2006) had an average NI yield that was extremely low.


• The range in NI yields within each year was large, indicating that drought at some locations prevailed over management practices that were applied to maximize yield.


• At the NI sites, average returns above total specified expenses (RATSE) exceeded $122/acre in 7 of the 10 years, and are estimated to have been great enough to cover or exceed all costs including land in those years.


• The average IR yield of 58.8 bu/acre over the 10-year period is 21 bu/acre greater than the average NI yield. It exceeds the average Arkansas IR yield by 19 bu/acre.


• The range in IR yields within each year was large, indicating that alleviating drought at some sites was not sufficient to maximize yields.


• Average RATSE from the IR sites is estimated to have been sufficient to cover all costs including land in only 6 of the 10 years. In the other four years, average RATSE of around $100/acre indicates that just achieving higher yields from irrigation may not be enough in years where irrigation expenses are uncommonly high and/or commodity prices are low. Current high commodity prices preclude this as a common occurrence.

I recognize that averages can be misleading. However, in this case they do show that using best management practices in Mississippi soybean production should result in long-term NI yields that are around 40 bu/acre and long-term IR yields that are at least 60 bu/acre. Achieving these yield levels should result in profitable soybean production in most years, especially with commodity prices at their current levels.

In the coming months, I plan to present a more detailed summarization of the SMART project. Hopefully, this more thorough treatment will discern the reasons for the low yields and returns from environments that were managed to maximize both.

Average annual yields (bu/acre) and returns ($/acre) above total specified expenses (RATSE) for SMART sites, plus highest and lowest site yields and returns, 2001–2010. AR = Arkansas average soybean yields for comparable years.

Nonirrigated
	Yield				RATSE
Year	Avg.	AR	High	Low	Avg.	High	Low
2001	36.8	23.5	56.5	16.0	95	207	-19
2002	36.5	26.0	53.6	18.6	59	112	-64
2003	41.5	32.0	55.0	25.6	154	279	36
2004	43.6	34.0	67.1	20.0	122	235	23
2005	44.4	25.0	50.0	35.0	132	176	85
2006	21.6	24.0	37.5	6.4	-14	121	-120
2007	40.3	23.0	51.0	34.4	207	276	132
2008	38.4	29.0	49.0	17.9	242	348	36
2009	38.8	32.5	45.0	26.5	192	252	95
2010	36.9	22.0	45.0	22.6	192	255	72
Avg.	37.9	27.1

 

Irrigated
	Yield				RATSE
Year	Avg.	AR	High	Low	Avg.	High	Low
2001	48.5	38.0	65.0	38.5	105	153	24
2002	55.6	38.0	74.5	43.8	98	204	28
2003	60.9	42.0	73.8	45.8	214	316	100
2004	53.8	42.0	72.0	31.3	108	207	12
2005	59.9	39.0	79.0	42.0	156	307	73
2006	58.2	39.0	85.1	36.4	97	292	-30
2007	68.3	40.0	81.1	54.0	333	471	145
2008	70.5	41.0	98.4	54.0	433	722	339
2009	53.1	39.0	82.6	32.0	181