Need help from a farmer

[pyrocyz]

So I am trying to estimate the number of jobs and workers it would take to harvest corn stover for a biomass application.

How many acres can someone harvest in an 8 hour day? How many acres of hay, large bales, (and number of bales bales) can you get through in an 8 hour day (this can be hay or stover)?

Thanks

[cjb1978]

So I am trying to estimate the number of jobs and workers it would take to harvest corn stover for a biomass application.

How many acres can someone harvest in an 8 hour day? How many acres of hay, large bales, (and number of bales bales) can you get through in an 8 hour day (this can be hay or stover)?

Thanks

This math paper might be of some help to you:
Mathematical Models Can Make Farmers More Efficient

[tube1]

PNF - Pyrocyz Needs Farmers

[Tre4ISU]

So I am trying to estimate the number of jobs and workers it would take to harvest corn stover for a biomass application.

How many acres can someone harvest in an 8 hour day? How many acres of hay, large bales, (and number of bales bales) can you get through in an 8 hour day (this can be hay or stover)?

Thanks

I know you didn't ask for this but I don't see stover becoming economical.

Anyway, that all depends on how much machinery you have and other things like that. There are so many variables.

[pyrocyz]

I know you didn't ask for this but I don't see stover becoming economical.

Anyway, that all depends on how much machinery you have and other things like that. There are so many variables.

Are you a farmer?

[RandomFan]

Way too many variables to just throw out a number. How big is the machinery? How many operators do you have? What are the sizes, shapes and locations of the fields? How fast can you get machinery running after a breakdown? How far does the grain need to be hauled and will that be a limiting factor?

[cowboycurtis]

here is a sheet that a lot of farmers use for billing customers when doing custom work. i dont bale hay or stover so i cant give you a very accurate estimate on that but there are some prices on here for baling. hopefully this helps some.

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Pub...ons/FM1698.pdf

[TheCaptain]

Way too many variables to just throw out a number. How big is the machinery? How many operators do you have? What are the sizes, shapes and locations of the fields? How fast can you get machinery running after a breakdown? How far does the grain need to be hauled and will that be a limiting factor?

this.

[FarminCy]

I know you didn't ask for this but I don't see stover becoming economical.

Anyway, that all depends on how much machinery you have and other things like that. There are so many variables.

I agree. Let alone the ramifications of what it would do to the ground if everything was taken off on a regular basis.

My view is utilize the cobs if need be but leave the stalks. And personally I don't even want to deal with the cobs, looks like a PIA if you ask me.

[pyrocyz]

Way too many variables to just throw out a number. How big is the machinery? How many operators do you have? What are the sizes, shapes and locations of the fields? How fast can you get machinery running after a breakdown? How far does the grain need to be hauled and will that be a limiting factor?

I know. I am just looking for a typical farmer going out and having a good day in the fields. How much work can get done? This only needs to be a rough estimate and I thought that I would try to get some real input.

If I was back home I would just walk down the road and talk to my neighbors, but I am not there.

[pyrocyz]

I agree. Let alone the ramifications of what it would do to the ground if everything was taken off on a regular basis.

My view is utilize the cobs if need be but leave the stalks. And personally I don't even want to deal with the cobs, looks like a PIA if you ask me.

I never said that I want people to remove all of the stover. Sustainably, you should be able to remove half of the stover without any ramifications to the soil.

What do you think that you would need to get paid to be convinced to remove a small amount of the stover? $100/acre??

What if I also had a product that could replace some of the carbon and the nutrients that were removed?

[cowboycurtis]

I never said that I want people to remove all of the stover. Sustainably, you should be able to remove half of the stover without any ramifications to the soil.

What do you think that you would need to get paid to be convinced to remove a small amount of the stover? $100/acre??

What if I also had a product that could replace some of the carbon and the nutrients that were removed?

I will remove all the stover you want for $100 an acre. i will be there any time you want.

[RandomFan]

I know. I am just looking for a typical farmer going out and having a good day in the fields. How much work can get done? This only needs to be a rough estimate and I thought that I would try to get some real input.

If I was back home I would just walk down the road and talk to my neighbors, but I am not there.

Ok, rough estimate: 24 row corn head and a good day about 20 ac/hr.

[ianoconnor]

What is stover?

[pyrocyz]

I will remove all the stover you want for $100 an acre. i will be there any time you want.

Basically when it comes down to it, most economics being run on corn stover collection say that it will cost approximately $70/ dry ton. Lets assume that it is a dry year and your stover is sitting at 30% moisture. That equates to about $53/wet ton and a lot of people think that you could remove between 1.5 and 2 tons per acre sustainably. At 1.5 tons/acre you are looking at about $80/ acre for a farmer.

The challenge in my mind will be a wet year when farmers are hard pressed to get their corn out. Then you will have to pay a premium to convince them to go back and get the stover. Thats where single pass bailing could be an asset (which by the way ISU is developing a couple different technologies on how to implement this). That way you could collect your stover while you are harvesting your crop.