A downloadable spreadsheet helps farmers estimate the probability of completing fieldwork in time based on the capacity of their machinery and the number of acres farmed.

The free spreadsheet is available for download at www.crops.missouri.edu/machinery. A link to the spreadsheet file is listed under the heading “Tools.”

The tool, developed by the MU Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) and the MU Commercial Agriculture Program, lets farmers estimate how many days it will take to perform fieldwork. Farmers select one of nine crop regions in Missouri, enter the type, size and speed of farm implements being used, the number of acres being planted, and other variables to determine the number of hours needed to plant the crop.

The spreadsheet uses 30 years of historical data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

A guide to using the tool is available for free download at www.extension.missouri.edu/G363.