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Good Year To
Grow Continuous Corn
2007 will likely turn out to be one of the better
years for Midwestern farmers who decided to grow continuous corn, says
Emerson Nafziger, University of Illinois (U of I) Extension agronomist.
"We had warm temperatures at planting and the temperatures stayed warm
after planting, which favors corn planted after corn," says Nafziger.
"Cool early-season temperatures can reduce growth and stands, which
sometimes create yield reductions when planting corn following corn, but
this year that wasn't a problem."
As conditions turned drier during summer, the region's corn roots were
encouraged to delve deeper to find moisture -- generally with good
results, he adds. "The corn yields look very good this year, even into
some areas of southern Illinois that were very hot and dry," says
Nafziger. "At this point, it doesn't look like there will be large areas
of low yields in the state, but there will be large areas with
above-average yields."
Fall field preparations to grow continuous corn in 2008 need not
be more extensive than what's typically needed to grow corn following
soybeans, he advises. "There's no yield benefit to putting down nitrogen
this fall as a way to break down corn stalks prior to planting," says
Nafziger. "Soils aren't lacking in microbes to break down corn stalks
either; the missing ingredient is usually warm temperatures."
Although more tillage is generally done when planting corn following
corn than when planting corn after soybeans, additional trips over the
field aren't always necessary, he emphasizes. "As long as the crop
residue is spread evenly and last year's corn stalks don't interfere
with planting, their state of decomposition by spring doesn't matter
much," says Nafziger.
To find more tips on managing corn after corn, visit the following U of
I Web link: agronomyday.cropsci.uiuc.edu/2007/tours/corncorn/
or click on this link at The Corn And Soybean Digest : cornandsoybeandigest.com/mag/soybean_chop_yield_drop/index.html.
By John Pocock
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2007's
Top-10 Corn Producing States
The nation's top-five corn producing states for 2006
(IA, IL, NE, MN and IN) are all likely to remain ranked the same for
2007, according to last week's USDA's National Agricultural Statistics
Service (NASS) Crop Production report. However, the next five top-ranked
corn-producing states in 2006 (SD, WI, KS, OH and MS) are about to
switch places this year.
Ohio is on track to produce a much bigger crop this year than in 2006
and now ranks sixth in NASS corn-production projections for 2007. South
Dakota drops to seventh, Wisconsin falls to eighth, Missouri moves up to
ninth and Kansas falls to tenth compared to 2006.
Among the NASS projected yields for the top-10 corn producing
states in 2007, Iowa tops the pack at 182 bu./acre, Illinois ranks
second at 180 bu./acre, Nebraska improves from 2006 to third at 174
bu./acre, Indiana ranks fourth at 160 bu./acre and Minnesota slips to
fifth compared to 2006 at 158 bu./acre. Last year, Iowa also garnered
the highest yield among top-10 producing states, but at a much lower
166-bu./acre average yield.
To view USDA's entire Sept. 12 Crop Production report, click here: usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProd/CropProd-09-12-2007.txt.
By John Pocock
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What To Do With
Corn Residue?
Today's corn hybrids leave virtual tree trunks in a
combine's wake. Managing stalk residue ranks as one of the chief
challenges faced by continuous-corn producers.
The amount of crop residue left behind after corn harvest is roughly
equal to the weight of grain harvested from the field, according to
agronomists at Purdue University. For example, a 180-bu./acre corn crop
leaves behind approximately 10,000 lbs. of crop residue/acre (on a 15%
moisture basis).
Residue management begins at harvest. Using a shredding head with knife
rolls or making sure that the back-end spinner is well maintained and
working properly can assure the residue is spread as evenly as possible,
says Dick Wolkowski, University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension soil
scientist. Aim to spread the residue over at least 80% of the combine
pass, he advises.
To read more of this article about managing residue in continuous-corn
fields, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/corn/soybean_residue/.
By Karl Ohm
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Tight World
Feed Supplies Keep U.S. Corn In High Demand
Poor wheat crops in Australia, Canada and Europe are
boosting demand for U.S. corn, according to Darrel Good, University of
Illinois Extension marketing specialist.
"The USDA bumped up its corn export projections last week by 100 million
bushels," says Good. "So, it's been a very fast start to the 2007/2008
marketing year. With feed supplies short everywhere, that should keep
demand high for U.S. corn."
However, the USDA's Sept. 12 Crop Report also shows the U.S. will likely
have a glut of corn to sell. The report states that the nation's "corn
production is forecast at 13.3 billion bushels, up 2% from last month
and 26% above 2006."
The USDA projects yields from this year's corn harvest to average
155.8 bu./acre, second only to the record average yield of 160.4 bu. in
2004. "The projected yields are certainly at the upper end of what the
trade community expected," says Good. "There has also been a tendency
for the USDA to increase its yield projections later in the year."
With U.S. corn farmers expected to harvest their largest crop ever,
grain storage and transportation bottlenecks are inevitable,
particularly in areas where corn acreage is up and yields are bountiful,
says Good. "In general, we're looking at a pretty weak basis," he
emphasizes. "So it looks like storage will pay off pretty well for
farmers who have the facilities to do so. A lot of market bids for
January delivery will more than cover the cost of on-farm storage."
The U.S. ethanol industry is now better positioned to continue to expand
next year, adds Good. "Right now it looks like we're going to have a
fairly good buffer in corn stocks to meet demand, so maybe we won't have
to expand corn acres in '08," he says. "However, it's still too early to
make that call; once we get a better fix on what the year-ending stocks
will be and what South American farmers do, then the market will direct
U.S. farmers what to plant."
However markets end up developing for next season, at least this year's
large U.S. corn crop helps to alleviate some concerns that continuous
corn is able to yield at a high level, notes Good. For more information
on corn market news, click on the following Web link: cornandsoybeandigest.com/richardbrock/.
By John Pocock
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NDSU Extension
Engineer Offers Temporary Grain Storage Tips
Large harvests and a lack of railcars are forcing
North Dakota producers and elevators to store grain on the ground. The
risk of crop loss is higher when grain is stored on the ground than when
in bins, so ground piles should be considered short-term storage and
monitored frequently, according to Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State
University Extension Service engineer.
To read more of this article about preventing crop loss when storing
grain temporarily, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/corn/temporary-grain-storage-tips/.
Source: NDSU
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New, Eight-stack Corn Hybrid Combinations
Announced
Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences LLC, a subsidiary of The
Dow Chemical Company, have reached a cross-licensing agreement aimed at
launching SmartStaxT, the industry's first-ever eight-gene stacked
combination in corn. The agreement is expected to create a new
competitive standard for stacked-trait offerings and present an expanded
growth opportunity for both companies' seed brands and traits businesses
by the end of the decade.
Under the agreement, the companies will create a novel seed offering
that combines eight different herbicide tolerance and insect-protection
genes into top-performing hybrids. The product will include the
companies' respective above- and below-ground insect protection systems,
including Dow AgroSciences' Herculex I and Herculex RW technologies;
Monsanto's YieldGard VT Rootworm/RR2T and YieldGard VT PROT
technologies; and the two established weed control systems, Roundup
Ready and Liberty Link.
To date, every trait included in SmartStax is already either available
commercially or in advanced stages of regulatory review. The companies
will make regulatory submissions and anticipate SmartStax will be
commercially available to U.S. farmers by the end of the decade.
Monsanto and The Dow Chemical Company have posted presentations to their
respective Web sites which provide an overview of SmartStax and related
agreements. Interested parties can access the Monsanto presentation
online at: www.monsanto.com/investors/
and the Dow presentation online at: www.dow.com/financial/.
Source: Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences
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For Lodged
Corn ... Try This
After watching weakened corn stalks continually shed
their ears over the corn head's outside rows during a corn
borer-infested harvest, Herald Barton took matters into his own hands.
To prevent losing more corn, he designed a 1/4-in.-thick piece of sheet
metal that attached to the row unit's outside points. Then he watched
while his invention worked to deflect wayward ears back toward the
combine's gathering chains and safely into the feeder house for
shelling.
"It's hard to believe how smoothly the corn shields glide through the
field now compared to the ones I first developed," says Barton, who
farms near Silver Lake, MN, with his son Barry. "But even my early
prototypes did what they were designed to do," he adds, "and that's to
save the farmer corn."
To read more of this article on how to save corn that is prone to drop
ears, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/equipment/soybean_yield_shields_shine/.
For more information about the Corn Shield, visit this Web link: www.maywes.com/shop/index.php?cPath=44_33_153.
By John Pocock
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Canadian Study
Confirms Roundup Ready As Viable, Effective System
A new six-year cropping study -- completed by the
University of Guelph and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on the
agronomic fit of Roundup Ready corn and Roundup Ready soybeans in
Eastern Canadian cropping systems -- has confirmed that incorporating
the Roundup Ready system into cropping rotations is a viable and
effective production system for Eastern Canadian growers.
The study, "Long-term effects of Roundup Ready Compared to
Conventional Herbicide Systems in Ontario," also found that the use
of Roundup Ready crops over the six-year period was sustainable in both
conventional and no tillage production systems. When winter wheat was
added to a Roundup Ready soybean/corn rotation, growers also tended to
get yield benefits in corn and soybean production in subsequent years.
For more information about the study, visit the following Monsanto
Canada Web link: www.monsanto.ca/monsanto/layout/news/07/09-05-07.asp.
For more information about Roundup Ready systems in the U.S., visit: www.monsanto.com/monsanto/ag_products/input_traits/products.asp.
Source: Monsanto Canada
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NCGA's Call
To Action On Farm Bill
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Ken
McCauley and First Vice President Ron Litterer took time out from
harvesting their crops last week to meet with elected officials about a
number of issues, including the farm bill, Water Resources Development
Act (WRDA) and energy and trade legislation.
Much work is taking place behind the scenes on all four key issues,
McCauley notes. "The energy bill is waiting to go to conference
(committee)," he says. "There's a lot of talk -- how are we going to do
this, what will the conferees look like? We are really busy on both of
those fronts."
A new energy bill could mean an increase in the Renewable Fuels
Standard, which would increase the demand for ethanol. "We want to make
sure the ethanol gets into the system so we can continue its demand,"
McCauley says. "That's what the new Renewable Fuels Standard is all
about."
While face-to-face meetings between legislators and NCGA officials are
important, McCauley reminds growers that the most powerful weapon is
still a constituent's voice.
"We need everyone at the grassroots level to weigh in and tell (their
elected officials) what they think," McCauley says.
Click here (capwiz.com/ncga/home/) to read
information about the farm bill, the WRDA and how to contact your
legislators.
Source: NCGA
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So Long
Ethanol, Hello Salt Water?
The associated press (AP) reported last week that an
Erie, PA., cancer researcher had discovered a way to burn salt water
with the use of a radio-frequency generator he'd invented. The inventor,
John Kanzius, is applying for a patent on the process, but says he's
willing to sell his rights to the discovery so that he can focus more on
his cancer research.
According to the AP article, Rustum Roy, a Penn State University
chemist, met last week with government energy and defense officials to
seek funding to further develop this technology to produce energy. If
the process really does work successfully for energy production, the
implications could be bearish for the ethanol industry, as salt water is
infinitely more plentiful in supply than the corn used to make ethanol.
Still, skeptics abound.
For more information on John Kanzius, visit this Wikipedia Web link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kanzius.
If seeing means believing for you, then visit Rustum Roy's Web site (www.rustumroy.com/) and scroll down
to the bottom of the page, under a presentations heading and click on
"video of salt water burning."
By John Pocock
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Who Do You
Trust?
The editors of The Corn And Soybean Digest
would like to know who you rely upon for trustworthy farming advice. Do
you call on an independent crop consultant, a university expert, another
farmer or a farm management consultant to improve your bottom line?
If you have relied on someone consistently as a mentor to help you be
more profitable or to help provide clarity in making farm management
decisions, please tell us their name, how they've helped you and how we
can contact them (and you). Who knows, they could end up being
recognized in a future issue of the magazine.
Please send your nominations via e-mail to csd@csdigest.com or mail to Editor,
The Corn And Soybean Digest, 7900 International Drive, Ste. 300,
Minneapolis, MN 55425.
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Note From The
Corn E-Digest Editor
If you have any ideas on what you'd like to see
covered in a future issue of the Corn E-Digest, or if you have concerns
or questions about this issue, please write me (John Pocock) at: jpocock@csdigest.com.
As always, thanks for your readership.
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