| In the November 2,
2009, Issue: |
| By John Pocock, Corn & Soybean
Digest |
Corn prices appear to be on the upswing for both the short-
and long-term forecast, according to two university economists.
“This is the slowest corn harvest on record, and the added threat from
harvest losses, plus the high moisture content and drying costs have all
contributed to boosting prices,” says Chad Hart, Iowa State University
agricultural economist. “The season-average price is already up
40-50¢/bu. compared to mid-October.”
In addition to the potential for more weather scares, the global demand
for corn continues to provide a price boost to corn, says
Hart. |
|
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| Source: University of Illinois, Farm Gate
|
|
Immature corn will have trouble drying down, says North
Dakota State University Ag Engineer Ken Hellevang, and it will have low
test weights and potential ear molds. He says the only way to stop those
is either drying or ensiling. Here are more
tips: |
|
| By Matthew Digman, University of Wisconsin
Extension-Madison |
|
Adjusted properly, your combine can handle corn between 20%
and 30% moisture. However, as moistures exceed 30%, your work will be a
balancing act between leaving unthreshed grain in the field and grain
damage. Here are a few tips to help guide you along in this wet harvest
season. |
|
| Source: Iowa State University |
The state experienced a hard freeze Oct. 10 and 11, ending a
growing season that had been slowed by rain and, in some areas, snow.
Despite the overall cool growing season – highlighted by a warm period
in early September – the USDA October yield estimate of 186 bu./acre
in Iowa is the highest on record. As often happens with high grain
yields, quality issues are surfacing. This article summarizes current
field conditions, looks at test weight, weight shrink, and corn
storability; two other articles in this series discuss field molds and
storage management.
A cool, long growing season will often result in high yields with high
grain moistures and low test weights. |
|
| By Mike Rankin, University of Wisconsin Extension-Fond du Lac
Co. |
|
Corn test weight (TW) is an often discussed topic of
conversation among corn growers. The topic moves to the forefront in
years when corn has been stressed at some point during the grain filling
period or when the growing season is ended by frost before physiological
maturity is reached. In many cases, the concept of test weight is
misunderstood. |
|
| Source: Purdue University |
Corn farmers across Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are battling
moldy corn, which causes challenges from a grain handling and storage
standpoint. Richard Stroshine, a Purdue University researcher, offers
tips and advice for farmers in the eastern Corn Belt dealing with
diplodia, giberella and other corn ear rots.
Stroshine, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological
Engineering, says that if farmers try to operate like they normally do
during harvest this year, it could cause some major problems during the
storage of this year's crop. |
|
| By Susan Winsor Corn & Soybean
Digest |
Imagine your equipment fueled entirely by what you grow: corn
that produces ethanol. An engine developed by Ricardo Inc., claims to be
as thermally efficient as a diesel, and to substantially improve upon
ethanol's efficiency. It's called the ethanol-boosted direct injection
(EBDI) engine.
“It turns the gasoline-ethanol equation upside down,” says Ricardo's
Rod Beazley, director of its gasoline product group. “It has the
performance of diesel at the cost of ethanol, and runs on ethanol,
gasoline or any blend of both.” |
|
| Source: Corn & Soybean Digest
Editors |
Check out the Corn & Soybean Digest’s December issue
to find out how well specific hybrids performed this year. Farmers
Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) will provide
information for both corn and soybeans. The supplements will provide
hybrid and yield performance data, along with other information from
plots across the Midwest and the DelMarva peninsula.
To receive the information before the December issue, sign up to receive
F.I.R.S.T. Harvest Reports in your email. These information reports will
let you know who’s harvesting and how yields are looking. To sign up
to receive the emailed reports, go to: subscribe.cornandsoybeandigest.com/subscribe.cfm?tc=NNWEB.
You can also access the F.I.R.S.T. data online as harvest progresses at:
cornandsoybeandigest.com/firstharverstreports/?cid=promo. |
|
| Source: Corn & Soybean Digest
Editors |
|
Are you a master marketer? Or, could you benefit from
learning a few marketing lessons? Either way, go to www.cornandsoybeandigest.com
and click on the Back To School graphic to take quizzes and exams from
Ed Usset, Corn & Soybean Digest marketing columnist. Back To School with
Ed Usset is designed to test your grain marketing knowledge, and will
help you learn while having fun. |
|
|
Today's Corn E-Digest
Brought To You By:
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FROM THE EDITOR |
Carbon
Credit Scam?
Veteran no-till farmer Jim Kinsella, Lexington, IL, recently wrote to
Corn & Soybean Digest editors, calling the carbon credit program
“a scam on the environment and the general public.” See a copy of
his letter by clicking here:
scam.
In the letter, Kinsella states that “the primary beneficiaries of this
program appear to be the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) and the
aggregators, who receive nearly as much as farmers to administer the
program.”
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MOST RECENT ISSUE |
Carbon Credits
For Corn & Bean Production?
What do carbon regulation and cap and
trade legislation affect? Nearly everything and everyone. I have lots of
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LATEST QUICK POLL |
100-Bu.
Beans?
Please cast your ballot in the latest Corn & Soybean Digest
(CSD) quick poll. The most recently posted question is: How
likely is it that you’ll harvest 100-bu. soybeans?
Your can cast your vote on CSD's home page. (The poll
question is just to the right of the “What’s New” top section of
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