Only in 1999 and only on hailed-out soybeans in one of the seven systems did the crop insurance pay off, Berg says. What to do with wheat has puzzled Berg and Franklin. But it just isn't economical because of our higher land costs. We get more moisture, too, than in the primary wheat growing areas, so we can usually do better with corn and soybeans. It's not just that the row crops return a higher unit profit.
Rains can come at flowering and then the crop becomes susceptible to wheat scab.
That has happened often enough to get our attention. But the best we've measured is 55 bushels, and some years it's 20 to 30. Other modifications have crept into the project. One system was intended to be chemical free. Then you can qualify for premiums.