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the single most limiting constraint, especially if other family members likewise have limited time to devote to f&armwork.
ALTERNATIVES: Proposed alternatives needed to reduce or simplify management time and activities if possible, or make existing management more efficient. Efforts have been made to find ways of reducing management and assessing management effects on yield for traditional crops. New alternative enterprises have similiarly been investigated by the team because 6f-their potential for reducing the overall management demands on the farmer.
FSR/E Related Research: farm budgets; time of planting and fertilization trials on winter grains; fertilization trials in doublecropping systems; perennial peanut
PROBLEM: Cash inputs are a constraint. Farmers presently tend to be overborrowed (many from disaster loans) against land prices which are beginning to decline. Many do not prepare enterprise budgets and consequently ar not aware of the extent to which they are losing or making money per enterprise. Income tends to be concentrated in the summer with major cash outlays in the spring and fall. Predicting and planning to meet cash flow needs are difficult.
ALTERNATIVES: Developed simplified budget forms for farmers to use. Efforts are being made to determine where input costs can be cut in order to meet economical, rather than biological, optimums of production on new and traditional crops. Alternative crops that require less capital inputs and distribute cash flow to other times of the year are being investigated.
FSR/E Related Research: Farm budgets; economics of wheat grazing; fertilization trials on winter grains, summer crops; perennial peanut
Drought and Soil Compaction
PROBLEM: Drought has been problematic in the region for years. The late spring especially is dry, and corn faces a 40% chance of drought induced stress (Renner 1982). Sandy soils do not retain moisture. Drought induced corn crop failure is a majr problem. Renner (1982) shows that there is a 40% probability of drought induced cron crop failure for corn planted in Feb. and Marc. Yet, farmers are forced to fo to earlier plantings because typical hybrid will not withstand insect pressure and weed competition when planted later.
ALTERNATIVES: Two potential solutions to this problem have been considered. One is to find crops which fit into the needs of the farm but which are not grown during traditional periods of