2024 Cropping Alternatives (Crop Budget Planning) now available online

Sep 03, 2024

Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation has released the 2024 Cropping Alternatives (Crop Budget Planning), an essential resource for farmers.

This annual Crop Budget Planning is tailored to specific soil zones and covers a broad range of dryland and irrigated crops and forages. It includes estimated costs and returns for the 2024 growing season, which can be customized to reflect the unique production, pricing and cost factors of individual farming operations.

This initiative is part of Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation's ongoing commitment to providing decision-making tools that address both profitability and risk management within the crops industry.

The current versions are available for free download here.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.