The Ag Budget Operations Table presents a detailed compilation of operations along with their corresponding parameters and material inputs for both conventional and energy crops used in the Billion Ton 2023 study. This dataset encompasses a range of activities, including land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest management, land maintenance, and harvesting.
Key fields within the dataset include equipment data, fertilizer and chemical application details, and seed information. Additionally, the dataset contains cost metrics such as purchase costs and labor costs, enabling users to effectively analyze the financial aspects of crop production.
To enhance understanding of the data, a supplementary spreadsheet is provided, containing field definitions that clarify the terminology and metrics used throughout the dataset.
crop budgeting
In response to energy security concerns, alternative energy programs such as biomass energy systems are being
developed to provide energy in the 21st century. For the biomass industry to expand, a variety of feedstocks will need
to be utilized. Large scale production of bioenergy crops could have significant impacts on the United States agricultural
sector in terms of quantities, prices and production location of traditional crops as well as farm income. Though
a number of scenarios were examined to study the impact of bioenergy crop production on the agricultural sector, two
cropland scenarios are presented in this report. Under the wildlife management scenario, the analysis indicates that, at
$30/dry ton (dt) for switchgrass, $31.74/dt for willow and $32.90 for poplar, an estimated 19.4 million acres of
cropland (8.2 million from CRP) could be used to produce 96 million dry tons of bioenergy crops annually at a profit
greater than the profit created by existing uses for the land. In this scenario, traditional crop prices increase from 3
percent to 9 percent (depending on crop) and net farm income increases by $2.8 billion annually. At $40/dt of switchgrass,
$42.32/dt for willow and $43.87/dt for poplar and assuming the production management scenario, an estimated
41.9 million acres (12.9 million from CRP) could be used to produce 188 million dry tons of biomass annually. Under
this scenario, traditional crop prices increase by 8 to 14 percent and net farm income increases by $6 billion annually.