| In the October 29,
2009, Issue: |
| By John Pocock, Corn & Soybean
Digest |
A slow harvest and strong export sales have been a big boost
to soybean prices, says Chad Hart, Iowa State University (ISU)
agricultural economist.
“We’ve already added a good $1/bu. compared to where futures prices
were in mid-October,” he points out. “Right now, we are seeing the
possibility of returning to an inverted market, where the price today is
higher than what it is a couple months from now. Usually, that is a
pretty bullish signal. It means that the market is trying to find more
beans to buy, and the price is heading up.
… |
|
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| Source: University of Minnesota
Extension |
|
Soybean moisture levels of 16-20% or more at harvest have
been reported throughout the state as this challenging harvest season
continues. If storage temperatures are below about 60° F, soybeans at
13% moisture can usually be kept for about six months without having
mold problems. At a higher moisture content, how long can soybeans be
stored before mold becomes a concern? |
|
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|
| Source: North Dakota State University
|
A challenging soybean harvest is creating many questions
related to storage and drying, according to Ken Hellevang, agricultural
engineer with the North Dakota State University Extension Service.
Soybeans at 11% moisture have similar storage characteristics to wheat
or corn at 13% moisture, so an allowable storage time chart for cereal
grains can be used to estimate allowable storage times for soybeans. For
example, soybeans at 18% moisture would be similar to cereal grains at
20% moisture, so soybeans would be expected to have an allowable storage
time of about 50 days at 50° F. The allowable storage time is reduced
to 25 days at 60° F and extended to about 90 days at 40°
F. |
|
| Source: Mississippi State University
|
|
Inconsistencies in soybean grading last year led the
state’s soybean industry to take steps to educate producers and grain
elevator staff on how to determine the kind and amount of damage
soybeans have. Industry supporters developed the Mississippi Soybean
Producer’s Field Guide to Soybean Damage as a handy, pocket
reference for producers. |
|
| Source: United Soybean Board |
Soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) rob U.S. soybean farmers of
between 100 and 150 million bushels of yield, depending on the year,
more than any other disease or pest, according to a
soybean-checkoff-funded survey.
The checkoff collaborates with researchers like Terry Niblack,
University of Illinois, to verify SCN resistance in seed varieties. At
the urging of the United Soybean Board (USB), Niblack, along with other
Illinois researchers, began industry collaboration in 2007 to determine
the ideal standards for SCN resistance. |
|
| Source: National Biodiesel Board |
Biodiesel is better than ever at harnessing the power of the
sun and turning it into fuel. In fact, a study shows the fuel is
returning more than four times the energy that it takes to make
biodiesel.
Newly published research from the University of Idaho and U.S.
Department of Agriculture shows that for every unit of fossil energy
needed to produce biodiesel, the return is 4.5 units of energy. This
energy-in, energy-out ratio is “energy balance.”
Biodiesel made from soybean oil has a high energy balance because the
main energy source used to grow soybeans is
solar. |
|
| Source: Minnesota Department of
Agriculture |
In May, Minnesota became the first state to blend 5%
biodiesel into its diesel fuel. While experience has shown biodiesel
blends can perform well in cold weather, questions continue to be asked
about cold-weather performance.
As winter approaches, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and
the Minnesota Department of Commerce are offering a technical guide
designed to help biodiesel users avoid problems. The guide was prepared
by independent experts working with the Technical Cold Weather Issues
Team set up by the two agencies to study the issues related to biodiesel
and cold-temperature use. |
|
| By Liz Morrison, Corn & Soybean
Digest |
After climbing by double digits for the previous three years,
U.S. farmland values fell 4% last year. It's the first drop since 1987,
the USDA reported in August.
In the Corn Belt, average cropland value fell by $160/acre to
$3,870/acre, according to the Agriculture Department's annual survey,
which reported land values as of Jan. 1, 2009. Values in the Northern
Plains and the Delta rose slightly.
Midwest land values continued to soften in the first half of
2009. |
|
| By Jen Bennett, Corn & Soybean
Digest |
In a perfect world you'd own all the land you needed to
support your farming operations. But there's no perfect world, so thank
goodness for those who have land to rent to satisfy that need.
Renting land can be a simple, painless process if you have a strong
lease. Here are some tips to help you determine what you should
definitely be including in that agreement. |
|
| Source: Corn & Soybean Digest |
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|
| Source: Corn & Soybean Digest |
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. |
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FROM THE EDITOR |
Soy-Shirt
Satisfaction, Part II
In an April 23, 2009, Soybean E-Digest newsletter, I related
having doubts over the eloquent claims of comfort I’d seen from
retailers selling clothing made from soy fabric. I then requested
readers write to me if they had ever bought or tried clothing or linen
made from soy-based byproducts.
One reader not only wrote to me to confirm that soy fabric was indeed
comfortable, but she also sent me a soy polo shirt for me to try out.
The person who sent me the soy shirt, Jean Knakmuhs, from Lucas, MN,
sits on the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) Board of
Directors. Knahmuhs had worn a soy shirt while representing MSGA at a
fair booth and thought I’d find a similar soy shirt just as
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Having now worn this soy polo shirt quite often throughout summer and
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