Figure 2. Baling (left) and weighing (center) hay in area 3 on May 21, 1998.
Log of Operations
Cost of field work and returns per acre
During the first three years of this study, the average cost of field work was $9.62 dollars per acre. Financial returns from hay production were determined on a per acre basis using a value of $25.00 per round bale. Cost and returns were provided by Bob Colvin and Paul Beck; respectively. For forage harvesting operations, labor and material costs were divided by the amount of acreage in forage production, while, the actual harvested forage production was divided by the acreage of both pines and forage production. This is because costs are only incurred on the acreage applied, while forage production is decreased in agroforestry because of space being allocated to pine growth.
1997
| DATE |
OPERATION |
COSTS |
RETURNS |
|
|
Labor (Cost and man-hours per acre) |
Materials (per acre) |
(per acre) |
||
| 09/29 - 10/13 | Laying out of the clustered rows (25.52 acres on four areas) and the two comparative studies (1.26 acres). | $57.14 (5.94) | $44.00 total for wire flags | |
| 10/14 - 10/16 | Spraying tree clusters and the two comparative studies to suppress competing vegetation (26.78 acres) | $4.33 (0.45) | $7.73 for 0.17 gallons of Roundup per acre and $4.48 per acre for diesel and oil | |
| 10/29 - 10/31 | Broadcasting Osceola Ladino white clover using a Herd seeder (25.52 acres) | $9.81 (1.02) | $18.03 for 6 lbs. of seed | |
| Yearly Total | $71.28 (7.41) | $30.24 |
1998
| DATE |
OPERATION |
COSTS |
RETURNS |
|
|
Labor (Cost and man-hours per acre) |
Materials (per acre) |
(per acre) |
||
| 01/05 - 01/13 | Flagging tree clusters and the two comparative studies for planting (26.78 acres) | $34.44 (3.58) | ||
| 01/16 - 01/22 | Flagging the competition mortality comparative study (1.05 acres) | $146.61 (15.24) | ||
| 01/19 - 01/21 | Randomizing treatments (25.52 acres) | $4.71 (0.49) | ||
| 01/28 - 02/03 | Color coding the tree clusters (25.52 acres) | $5.29 (0.55) | ||
| 02/09 - 02/18 | Planting shortleaf pine (7.14 acres) | $470.90 (48.95) | ||
| 02/18 - 02/25 | Planting loblolly pine (8.4 acres) | $146.03 (15.18) | ||
| 03/23 - 03/24 | Spraying the tree clusters and the two comparative studies to suppress competing vegetation; hay alleys were not sprayed (8.4 acres) | $13.76 (1.43) | $20.00 for 2 ounces of Oust and $12.50 for 1 quart of Velpar and $14.29 for diesel and oil | |
| 03/25 - 04/01 | Replacing dead shortleaf pine (0.4 acres) | $817.70 (85.00) | $53.55 per acre for 1785 improved seedlings | |
| 04/09 - 04/21 | Establishing T-posts to mark and protect the tree clusters | Purchased 500 T-posts at $2.30 each (total of $1150.00) | ||
| 04/15 | Replacing dead shortleaf pine (0.1 acres) | $962.00 (100.00) | $63.00 per acre for 2100 improved seedlings | |
| 05/18 - 05/21 | First hay cutting (18.38 acres for labor and materials and 25.52 acres for the forage production) | Cutting: $2.89 (0.30) Raking: $3.17 (0.33) Baling: $3.17 (0.33) Weighing: $7.89 (0.82) |
$9.52 for diesel and oil | $34.58 (1214.73 lbs.) |
| 05/20 | Applying fertilizer (30 acres) | $0.67 (0.07) | $33.78 for 350 lbs. of 17-17-17 and $0.67 for diesel and oil | |
| 07/01 and 07/24 | Second hay cutting (18.38 acres for labor and materials and 25.52 acres for the forage production) | Cutting: $2.89 (0.30) Raking: $3.17 (0.33) Baling: $3.17 (0.33) Weighing: $17.89 (1.86) |
$9.52 for diesel and oil | $47.02 (1914.18 lbs.) |
| 07/08 | Applying fertilizers to areas 1 and 2 (20 acres) | $0.48 (0.05) | $21.10 for 150 lbs. of 34-0-0 and 100 lbs. of 0-0-60 and $0.50 for diesel and oil | |
| 08/03 - 08/24 | Third hay cutting from areas 1 and 2 (11.12 acres for labor and materials and 15.48 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.98 (0.31) Raking: $3.46 (0.36) Baling: $3.46 (0.36) Weighing: $7.79 (0.81) |
$10.34 for diesel and oil | $56.20 (1802.33 lbs.) |
| 08/20 - 08/25 | Spraying the tree clusters and the two comparative studies to suppress competing vegetation (26.78 acres) | $8.95 (0.93) | $27.00 for 0.5 lbs. of Poast Plus | |
| 09/10 - 09/11 | Fourth hay cutting from area 2 (1.79 acres for labor and materials and 2.56 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.69 (0.28) Raking: $5.39 (0.56) Baling: $5.39 (0.56) Weighing$5.39 (0.56) |
$13.97 for diesel and oil | $9.77 (390.63 lbs.) |
| 09/22 - 09/24 | Third hay cutting from areas 3 and 4 (7.26 acres for labor and materials and 10.04 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.69 (0.28) Raking: $2.69 (0.28) Baling: $2.69 (0.28) Weighing: $7.98 (0.83) |
$8.26 for diesel and oil | $29.88 (1264.94 lbs.) |
| 09/24 - 10/09 | Planting Osceola Ladino white clover and Kentucky Tall 31 fescue using a TYE seeder (25.52 acres) | $20.39 (2.12) | $22.80 for 10 lbs. of Osceola (coated) clover, $14.40 for 20 lbs. of Kentucky Tall fescue and $21.16 for diesel and oil | |
| 09/29 - 09/30 | Fourth hay cutting from area 1, fifth hay cutting from area 2 (11.12 acres for labor and materials and 15.48 acres for forage production) | Cutting:$2.98 (0.31) Raking: $3.46 (0.36) Baling: $3.46 (0.36) Weighing: $1.73 (0.18) |
$10.34 for diesel and oil | $12.92 (568.48 lbs.) |
| 11/02 - 11/10 | Annual inventory (26.78 acres) | $59.26 (6.16) | ||
| Yearly total | $2799.71 (112.19) | $366.70 | $136.27 (5103.84 lbs.) |
1999
| DATE |
OPERATION |
COSTS |
RETURNS |
|
|
Labor (Cost and man-hours per acre) |
Materials (per acre) |
(per acre) |
||
| 02/02 - 02/23 | Replacing dead shortleaf and loblolly pine (2.86 acres) | $1019.14 (105.94) | $150.00 per acre for 5000 improved shortleaf pine and $39.00 per acre for 1300 improved loblolly pine | |
| 02/23 - 02/25 | Planting the new competition mortality comparative study (1.05 acres) | $348.15 (36.19) | $39.50 per acre for 1296 improved loblolly pine | |
| 04/08 - 04/09 | Replacing dead shortleaf pine (0.6 acres) | $769.60 (80.00) | $50.40 per acre for 1680 improved seedlings | |
| 04/19 - 05/15 | Spraying the tree clusters and the two comparative studies to suppress competing vegetation; hay alleys were not sprayed (8.4 acres) | $38.96 (4.05) | $11.19 for 3 oz. of Oust, $25.71 for 4 oz.of Arsenal AC per acre applied, $40.48 for diesel and oil | |
| 04/21 - 04/28 | Replacing dead shortleaf pine (0.7 acres) | $838.29 (87.14) | $54.90 per acre for 1830 improved seedlings | |
| 04/30 - 05/17 | First hay cutting from areas 1 and 2 (11.12 acres for labor and materials and 15.48 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.98 (0.31) Raking: $3.46 (0.36) Baling: $3.46 (0.36) Weighing: $7.79 (0.81) |
$10.34 for diesel and oil | $38.76 (1731.27 lbs.) |
| 06/02 - 06/03 | Spraying the tree clusters and the two comparative studies to control horsenettle; hay alleys were not sprayed (8.4 acres) | $18.28 (1.90) | $48.00 for 2 oz. of Escort and $19.05 for diesel and oil | |
| 06/14 - 06/17 | First hay cutting from areas 3 and 4 (7.26 acres for labor and materials and 10.04 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.69 (0.28) Raking: $2.69 (0.28) Baling: $2.69 (0.28) Weighing: $9.24 (0.96) |
$8.26 for diesel and oil | $54.78 (2131.47 lbs.) |
| 06/28 - 07/07 | Second hay cutting from areas 1 and 2 (11.12 acres for labor and materials and 15.48 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.98 (0.31) Raking: $3.46 (0.36) Baling: $3.46 (0.36) Weighing: $6.93 (0.72) |
$10.34 for diesel and oil | $48.45 (1789.41 lbs.) |
| 07/15 | Survival counting in the the tree clusters and the two comparative studies (8.4 acres) | $9.14 (0.95) | ||
| 07/21 - 07/22 | Second hay cutting from areas 3 and 4 (7.26 acres for labor and materials and 10.04 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.69 (0.28) Raking: $2.69 (0.28) Baling: $2.69 (0.28) Weighing: $6.64 (0.69) |
$8.26 for diesel and oil | $37.35 (1414.34 lbs.) |
| 09/07 - 09/09 | Third hay cutting from area 1 (9.33 acres for labor and materials and 12.92 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $3.08 (0.32) Raking: $3.08 (0.32) Baling: $3.08 (0.32) Weighing: $5.19 (0.54) |
$9.65 for diesel and oil | $17.41 (635.37 lbs.) |
| 10/19 - 10/27 | Annual inventory (26.78 acres) | $56.76 (5.90) | ||
| Yearly total | $3179.31 (115.11) | $525.08 | $97.96 (3852.23 lbs.) |
2000
| DATE |
OPERATION |
COSTS |
RETURNS |
|
|
Labor (Cost and man-hours per acre) |
Materials (per acre) |
(per acre) |
||
| 03/09 - 03/27 | Thinning the loblolly pine clusters and the Wide spacing comparative study to two trees per cluster (7.5 acres) | $26.94 (2.8) | ||
| 04/21 | Applying fertilizer (26.78 acres) | $0.67 (0.07) | $26.55 for 300 lbs. of 17-17-17 and $0.75 for diesel and oil | |
| 05/04 - 05/08 | First hay cutting from areas 1 and 2 (11.12 acres for labor and materials and 15.48 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.98 (0.31) raking: $3.46 (0.36) baling: $3.46 (0.36) weighing: $5.19 (0.54) |
$10.34 for diesel and oil | $35.53 (1478.81 lbs.) |
| 05/22 - 05/23 | First hay cutting from areas 3 and 4 (7.26 acres for labor and materials and 10.04 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.69 (0.28) Raking: $2.69 (0.28) Baling: $2.69 (0.28) Weighing: $6.64 (0.69) |
$8.26 for diesel and oil | $64.74 (2730.48 lbs.) |
| 06/08 | Forage and soil samples collected by Paul Francis and Bob Colvin | |||
| 06/30 - 07/05 | Second hay cutting from areas 1 and 2 (11.12 acres for labor and materials and 15.48 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.98 (0.31) raking: $3.46 (0.36) baling: $3.46 (0.36) weighing: $8.66 (0.90) |
$10.34 for diesel and oil | $83.98 (3271.19 lbs.) |
| 07/05 - 07/07 | Second hay cutting from areas 3 and 4 (7.26 acres for labor and materials and 10.04 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.69 (0.28) Raking: $2.69 (0.28) Baling: $2.69 (0.28) Weighing: $6.64 (0.69) |
$8.26 for diesel and oil | $64.74 (2123.01 lbs.) |
| 07/10 - 07/14 | Spraying the tree clusters with Fusilade DX to control grasses (7.14 acres) | $39.06 (4.06) | $15.21 for 1 pt. of Fusilade DX per acre applied, $40.62 for diesel and oil | |
| 07/20 | Paul Francis and Bob Colvin examined the study area | |||
| 07/24 | Forage samples collected by Paul Francis and Bob Colvin | |||
| 07/24 | Applying fertilizer (26.78 acres) | $0.67 (0.07) | $12.38 for 150 lbs. of 34-0-0 and $0.75 for diesel and oil | |
| 09/19 - 09/22 | Third hay cutting from areas 1 and 2 (11.12 acres for labor and materials and 15.48 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.98 (0.31) raking: $3.46 (0.36) baling: $3.46 (0.36) weighing: $5.19 (0.54) |
$10.34 for diesel and oil | $50.06 (1590.96 lbs.) |
| 09/21 - 09/29 | Third hay cutting from areas 3 and 4 (7.26 acres for labor and materials and 10.04 acres for forage production) | Cutting: $2.69 (0.28) Raking: $2.69 (0.28) Baling: $2.69 (0.28) Weighing: $6.64 (0.69) |
$8.26 for diesel and oil | $52.29 (1579.18 lbs.) |
| Yearly total | $160.27 (16.66) | $152.06 | $174.37 (6377.04 lbs.) |
Figure 2. Baling (left)
and weighing (center) hay in area 3 on May 21, 1998.