Entry forms are now available at UWEX county offices for the Profits through Efficient Production Systems (PEPS) program. An entry form is also attached to the back of this issue of the Wisconsin Crop Manager. For more information on this program see the PEPS website at: http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu.

The objectives of this program are:

To recognize the practices utilized by the most profitable growers and to provide other growers, educators, and researchers insight into ways these producers integrate practices into a system.
To emphasize soil and water conservation, efficiency, profitability and competitiveness vs. productivity alone.

PROGRAM RULES AND FORMAT

The program includes both "contest" and"verification only" options (please designate desired option on entry blank). For both options, the UW-Extension reserves the right to use the information in overall participant summaries.

The program will include three divisions:
A. Corn; Cash-crop
B. Corn; Livestock
C. Soybean

The following conditions separate the two corn divisions:

Cash-Crop Division

Corn following legume or non-legume grain crops (corn, soybean, small grain, etc.) or non-legume forage or cover crops; no manure applied.
A charge for drying costs will be assessed.

Livestock Division

Corn following forage legume or green manure legumes (alfalfa, red clover, etc.): and/or manure applied on land.
Drying costs will not be assessed.

Any field in which a) corn follows forage legumes or green-manure legumes or b) manure is applied can only be entered in the Livestock Division. The same field cannot be entered into both the cash crop and livestock division.

There is no limit on the number of entries by a participant. Growers are encouraged to compare profitability of their managed systems (tillage systems, weed control, etc.) and crops by entering several different plots.

For contest entries, the program field must be at least 1 0 acres in one continuous plot for each entry. The exception is for fields that are strip cropped or terraced. Individual crop strips, which must be at least 20 rows wide, must add up to at least 5 total acres of the crop in one continuous 1 0-acre field. Participant may select the best 1 0 acres in a field actually larger than 10 acres.

All fields on six percent slopes or more must be planted on the contour. Soil loss should not be higher than the tolerable "T" level designated for the soil involved. Average annual soil loss will be computed using the Universal Soil Loss Equation and/or the Wind Erosion Equation by county SCS personnel, and will be included on the final report.

Accurate crop production and cost record forms must be provided by the participating growers. Forms will be provided to all entrants. UW extension agents and industry co-sponsors.

Yield checks will be conducted by "yield checkers" designated and approved for each county. Rules require that 1.25 or more acres must be harvested from the entered area. Harvest report forms and rules will be provided to all entrants.

For the contest portion of the program, placing within each district will be determined on the basis of greatest profitability. Profitability will be calculated using a) the producers measured, verified yields, and b) production costs obtained using PEPS program cost record forms, and c) average cash grain price for each district. Ties will be broken by placing based on lowest cost per bushel.

Costs for seed, herbicides, insecticides, insurance, scouting, etc. will be charged based on the figures provided by participants.
Nitrogen and micronutrient fertilizer costs will be those provided, however, P and K costs will be based on removal at the grain yield obtained. There will be no charge assessed for nutrients supplied by manure or previous-crop residues.
Equipment costs will be based on actual custom machinery hire, or on figures in the most recent publication entitled "Minnesota Farm Machinery Economic Cost Estimates," for individual operations based on appropriate machinery size and type.
Drying costs in the Corn, Cash Crop Division will be estimated for each point above 15.0% grain moisture per dry bushel.
Standard variable irrigation costs per acre-inch applied will be assessed.
Land costs will be assessed based on the average of 1) typical cash rents for the program field provided by participant and 2) a percentage of SCS yields for the soil type. The percentage used will be derived from average estimated cash rents relative to average SCS yields.

The programs will be regionalized to account for climatic variations throughout the state. Districts are shown on the attached map.

An entry fee of $25 must accompany each entry. This entry fee will be waived for FFA chapters. Entry deadline is August 1, 1999.

Participants will be informed of results as soon as they are tabulated. A $100 cash award will be presented to the winner (most profitable) in each district for each division in the contest portion of the program. Awards will be presented at the annual Corn/Soy Expo.

WISCONSIN CROP "PEPS" PROGRAM

ENTRY BLANK

Entry deadline-August 1, 1999

WISCONSIN CROP "PEPS" PROGRAM

ENTRY BLANK

Entry deadline-August 1, 1999

Entrant's Name_______________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

County______________________________________________________________________

Telephone____________________________________________________________________

Option:

Contest____________________

Verification Only______________

Division:

Corn, Cash Crop____________________

Corn, Livestock_____________________

Soybean__________________________

*If entering more than one field, per division, number each entry.

Date:_____________________________________________________

Enclose $25 with each entry and the application to receive soil, crop record, and harvest forms. Make checks payable to: Wisconsin Crop PEPS Program.

Mail to: Wisconsin Crop PEPS Program
        UW-Agronomy Department
        1575 Linden Drive
        Madison, WI 53706

*Note: Please submit a separate form for each entry.

Yields and records verified in the Wisconsin PEPS program may also qualify for other programs/contests such as:

National Corn Growers Association, "Yield Contest"
"Max" Program, Successful Farming magazine