In Farming Simulator 25, making the most money from crops is key to running a successful virtual farm.
This article gets into the details of crop profitability based on a thorough experiment.
After many hours of gameplay, this article covers the secrets behind 39 different ways to profit from crops, sharing surprising findings and useful tips for players of the Farming Simulator.
Experiment Setup and First Observations
The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions on a test field of ten acres.
All results were scaled up to show yield per hectare for easy comparison. To get the best yield, all possible limits were turned off, and necessary steps like mulching and rolling were done.
All crops were fertilized twice to get 100% yield, providing a solid base for comparing crop profitability.
Two Types of Crops
Farming Simulator 25 has 25 main crops, with some having multiple uses:
- Grass & Corn: These are versatile. Grass can be sold as-is, made into hay, or turned into silage. Corn can be harvested for grain or used for silage.
- Grain Crops: Except for sorghum, all grain crops can be harvested in two ways—regular harvesting or swathing. Swathing can increase both grain and straw yield by about 25%.
Looking at Grain Crops
Starting with grain crops, the experiment focused on storage space and profitability:
- Storage Needs: Soybeans need the least storage (just under 9000L per hectare). Barley needs more than twice as much storage space.
- Profit: When including straw, the profit picture changes a lot. Soybeans make the most money, while crops like canola have become less profitable.
- Swathing: This method takes a bit more work but makes more money due to higher yield.
The Silage Story
Next, the focus turned to making silage. The profitability of silage from different crops was checked using a top price of 222:
- Green vs. Yellow Corn: A big myth was proven wrong—there’s no difference in yield between green and yellow stages for corn or other crops.
- Silage Additives: Adding silage additives increases production by 5%, making it worth the cost.
Making Silage in Farming Simulator 25?
Making silage in Farming Simulator 25 can be done in two primary ways: using silage bales or a bunker silo. This guide will walk you through both methods.
Method 1: Using a Bunker Silo
Step 1: Growing Grass or Corn
- Grass: If you don’t know how to grow grass, refer to guides or in-game hints regarding growing grass.
- Corn: To grow corn, ensure you have the right seeds and follow the typical corn-growing process.
Step 2: Harvesting
- Grass: Use a forage wagon to collect loose grass.
- Corn: Use a forage harvester with a corn header to chop the corn, which will turn into chaff.
Step 3: Filling the Bunker Silo
- Transport the collected grass or chaff to the bunker silo.
- Unload the forage wagon or harvester into the silo. The material will appear as “chaff” in the fill level indicator.
- Level and spread the chaff as evenly as possible in the bunker.
Step 4: Compacting
- Drive back and forth over the chaff with a heavy vehicle or use a silage compactor or leveler to compact the chaff to 100%.
Step 5: Fermentation
- Once compacted to 100%, cover the bunker silo with a blanket by using the command (typically
R). - Wait for the chaff to ferment, which takes approximately 5% per hour in-game time.
Step 6: Retrieving Silage
- Once fermented, open the silo and use a front loader bucket or similar tool to scoop out the silage for use or sale.
Method 2: Making Silage Bales
Step 1: Growing Grass
- Grow grass as described in Method 1.
Step 2: Baling
- Use a baler to create grass bales. Ensure you have a baler designed for either square or round bales.
Step 3: Wrapping Bales
- Use a bale wrapper to wrap the grass bales. You can use a standalone wrapper or a baler-wrapper combination.
- Ensure you have bale wrap (available in various colors).
Step 4: Fermentation
- The wrapped bales will ferment into silage over time. Check the status of fermentation (0% to 100%) in the bale details.
Step 5: Using Silage Bales
- To use, transport the bales with a bale spike or similar tool. They can be used for feeding animals, making TMR (Total Mixed Ration), or sold for profit.
Notes and Tips
- Fermenting Silos (future feature): While not currently available, fermenting silos might make the process more straightforward in future updates.
- Silage Additive: Using silage additive in a forage wagon can increase yield by 5%.
- Efficient Handling: Balers that wrap as they bale can save significant time.
By following these steps, you’ll produce silage effectively in Farming Simulator 25.
Overall Crop Profitability
Ranking crops by yield and profit per hectare showed interesting results:
Top Yielding Crops: Olives and grapes are at the bottom (8600L/ha) while sugarcane is at the top.
Top Profitable Crops: In theory, poplar, sugarcane, and sugar beet make the most money. However practical issues like planting, harvesting, and storage make them less desirable.
Practicality vs. Profit
The real-world aspects of crop profitability were judged through a tier list, considering time, effort, and convenience:
Poplar: Despite high theoretical profits, poplar’s long planting time and storage challenges make it less practical.
Sugarcane & Sugar Beets: Both crops yield a lot but have big storage problems.
Grass & Corn Silage: Grass, with multiple harvests per year, ranks high for ease and profit. Corn silage is also practical but slightly lower due to faster harvest and minor storage issues.
Final Advice
For players wanting to balance profit and practicality:
Best Choices: Grass and soybeans.
- Grass is easy to grow and can be harvested multiple times.
- Soybeans are simple to grow and don’t need much storage.
Avoid:
- Root vegetables like carrots and parsnips because they’re hard to harvest.
Final Verdict
Picking the right crop in Farming Simulator 25 means balancing potential profits against practical challenges.
While crops like poplar and sugarcane yield a lot, the work and storage they need might put off players looking for efficient farming. Meanwhile, crops like grass and soybeans stand out because they’re easy to manage and give good returns.
Moreover, if you need further help in growing these popular crops, you should check our coverage of the Farming Simulator 25 game.
Happy farming!
