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Logan
Hawkes
09/10/08
Crop News Weekly
Cooler temperatures across the Midwest this
week point to the changing season, now less than two weeks away. As
harvest looms, growers remain hopeful that markets will hold steady and
yields will be good. Here's hoping for a profitable end of season. In
the news this week, the stage is set for wet grain this fall. Cool
early-season growing conditions in many areas of the Midwest retarded
development of corn plants or necessitated replants. The later planting
dates also created varying maturities in the fields. Those conditions
mean more grain from the Corn Belt will need to be dried. Farm Industry
News takes you inside the issue this week. Also this week, the good news
is that, over the last 20 years, average corn yields have increased
about 1.5% per year without a significant increase in nitrogen
application rates. Even better news is that geneticists and plant
breeders are now developing hybrids that will require less nitrogen
while maintaining overall yield. Find out more below. Elsewhere, it's no
secret that the price of seed corn has been on the rise. Better genetics
and improved traits have increased that seed's performance — at a
cost. With the retail price of the elite corn hybrids now well over $200
per unit, producers can expect another significant price rise. And $300,
even $500 seed corn is on the horizon. Finally this week, within the
past couple of years, USDA released a report about the future of
biotechnology in agriculture that is quite interesting. This report,
“Opportunities and Challenges in Agricultural Biotechnology: The
Decade Ahead,” was the result of over two years of study, data review
and discussions by the 20-member USDA Advisory Committee on
Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21). Get the full skinny
inside.
You'll find these stories and more in this issue of Crop News
Weekly. Happy reading.
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A
problematic drying season?
The stage is set for wet grain this fall. Cool
early-season growing conditions in many areas of the Midwest retarded
development of corn plants or necessitated replants. The later planting
dates also created varying maturities in the fields. Those conditions
mean more grain from the Corn Belt will need to be dried. Producers
marketing grain directly to an ethanol plant may have additional
challenges with higher-moisture corn. “If producers have corn at 19 to
20% moisture in the field, they may have to dry it down,” explains
Charles Hurburgh, professor of agricultural engineering at Iowa State
University. “Any producer that has contracts they fill immediately
will have to ensure they have grain-drying capacity lined up in case it
is needed." - Mark Moore, Farm Industry News
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Good
News: Corn yields still rising
The good news is that, over the last 20 years, average
corn yields have increased about 1.5% per year without a significant
increase in nitrogen application rates. Even better news is that
geneticists and plant breeders are now developing hybrids that will
require less nitrogen while maintaining overall yield. Good news indeed
since the price of nitrogen fertilizer, which has continued to rise, is
one of the largest farm input costs. It accounts for about one-fifth of
a corn grower's operating expenses. Farmers apply an average 138 lbs. of
nitrogen/acre/year, according to Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont company. Over
the last three years, farmers have paid an average of $43/acre for
nitrogen. Using that figure, a grower could save $8.60/acre if the
nitrogen rate could be cut by 20%. Nitrogen rates, of course, vary
widely as does the price of nitrogen from year to year. - Lynn
Grooms, Farm Industry News
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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$500
seed in the near future?
It's No secret that the price of seed corn has been on
the rise. Better genetics and improved traits have increased that seed's
performance — at a cost. With the retail price of the elite corn
hybrids now well over $200 per unit, producers can expect another
significant price rise. And $300, even $500 seed corn is on the horizon.
Reuters News Service reports that Monsanto plans to increase seed prices
for 2009, with some corn prices rising as much as 35%. John Jansen, corn
trait marketing lead for Monsanto, says producers in Minnesota, Iowa,
Illinois and Indiana will likely see a price increase of up to $85 a bag
for elite hybrids, bringing the list price to $340 to $345 a bag. -
Mark Moore, Farm Industry News
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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THIESSE'S
THOUGHTS: Future of ag biotechnology
Within the past couple of years, USDA released a
report about the future of biotechnology in agriculture that is quite
interesting. This report, “Opportunities and Challenges in
Agricultural Biotechnology: The Decade Ahead,” was the result of over
two years of study, data review and discussions by the 20-member USDA
Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).
During the past decade, biotechnology has been mainstreamed in many
commodities that are commonly raised by U.S. farm producers. In 2005,
52% of the corn, 87% of the soybeans and 79% of the cotton raised in the
U.S. originated from biotech seed varieties. - Kent Thiesse, Corn &
Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Harvest
aids often needed, sometimes overused
It is the time of year when farmers are applying
harvest aids. One of the more difficult questions I get asked is, “How
much will this dry down my crop and bring the moisture content down so
that I can harvest quicker?” Most of the time folks don’t like my
answer. The truth is that there is not much data that supports that
harvest aids will bring the moisture content of grain or soybeans down.
Unlike boll openers and defoliants in cotton, harvest aids really do
little to speed the crop along. The purpose of most harvest aid
applications is to decrease the amount of green material that runs
through the combine. This may be weed material or it may be green leaves
on the crop. These situations usually arise from weed control failures
or where fungicides have been used, or simply under good growing
conditions and favorable moisture that have prolonged the natural
desiccation of weeds and crop foliage. - Bob Scott, Extension Weed
Specialist, University of Arkansas
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Crop
ratings in U.S. decline further
Crop conditions declined noticeably in the U.S. last
week as dry conditions across the Midwest continued to take a toll on
filling corn and soybeans, especially in the eastern half of the region.
Monday afternoon’s USDA weekly crop update rated U.S. corn conditions
61% good/excellent – down from 64% a week earlier, but above 59% a
year ago. - Richard Brock, Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Pioneer:
find right corn plant populations
One thing yield king Kip Cullers preaches is adequate
plant population — high enough to maximize yield. “Today, we’ll
talk to you about Kip’s environment and some of the background works
Pioneer has done over the years to optimize genetics to perform in an
environment like Kip’s,” said Scott Nelson, Pioneer agronomy
research manager, at the recent field day on Cullers’ Stark City, Mo.,
farm. “Kip’s place is unique and he’ll have record yields like he
usually does. He’ll squeeze as much out of our genetics as anyone
can.” Farmers must provide the environment to allow expression of
genetics in high plant populations. (To read the complete article,
click on the headline above)
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NCGA's
ethanol facts Web site updated
The National Corn Growers Association has updated its
Ethanol Facts Web site, making it a one-stop resource for reliable
information on corn ethanol in the U.S. The project was updated with
support from NCGA’s ethanol committee, a group of growers especially
interested in biofuels policy and development. The Web site provides
information on ethanol production, blends, suitability for engines and
economic and environmental impacts, as well as a glossary and links to
other online resources. Among the changes to the updated site is
offering printer-friendly formatting. - Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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In-season
evaluations help improve wheat N efficiency
With nitrogen fertilizer prices approaching $1,000 a
ton, farmers can’t afford to make mistakes on crop nutrient
management. But they often do, according to an Oklahoma State University
nutrient management specialist. Available technology, however, takes the
guesswork out of crop fertilization. Brian Arnall, with the OSU Plant
and Soil Sciences Department, says wheat farmers typically use a yield
goal-based formula to determine fertility rate. “That’s not working
with current prices,” he said during the Bayer CropScience Wheat
Technology Meeting in Oklahoma City. - Ron Smith, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Corn
Genetics: Next generation of plant-based biofuels
Identifying the corn genes involved with plant
cell-wall generation and learning their function will help develop new,
more productive sources of transportation biofuel, according to Nick
Carpita and Maureen McCann, Purdue University researchers. The two will
study genes involved in the formation of cell walls in the group of
plants known as grasses, which includes corn. The goal is to find ways
to produce more biomass containing more sugars that can be efficiently
processed into biofuel. - Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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ROAD
WARRIOR: Quick perspectives on farmland
Dave Kohl writes: "My most recent Road Warrior
stop was in Springfield, IL, to address the Agricultural Bankers
Conference. Dr. Bruce Sherrick, University of Illinois, had some
interesting perspectives on land values, specifically in Illinois. The
capital gains rate on farmland was 5.6% from 1950 to 2000. If the period
is reduced to 1970 to 2000, the return was 5.1%. For the period 1980 to
2000, including the farm crisis years when land deflation occurred, the
return was 2%. The return from 1970 to 2008 was 5.8%, with a spike of
10% so far in 2008. - Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Seeds
for energy
A New Provision in the 2008 Farm Bill's Energy Title
could be just the incentive some producers need to test growing biomass
for huge renewable energy markets ahead. The new Biomass Crop Assistance
Program (BCAP) may help solve “the chicken or the egg problem” in
the development of the cellulosic ethanol industry, says Anna Rath, vice
president, commercial development, Ceres Inc. The problem definitely is
a question of which comes first: Many growers have been interested in
growing dedicated energy crops but have not had a market for them, and
cellulosic ethanol producers have been unwilling to construct plants
without readily available feedstock nearby. - Lynn Grooms, Farm
Industry News
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Futures
market uncertainties increase risks
Many wheat growers in the Southeast who expected to
reap big profits from high prices for the 2007-2008 crop ended up
disappointed with the price they received and disillusioned with the
Chicago Board of Trade. Speaking at the recent 71st annual meeting of
the North Carolina Feed Industry Association, Randy Gordon says the CME
(Chicago Mercantile Exchange) which now owns the Chicago Board of Trade
admits the wheat futures contract is broken. Gordon, who is
vice-president of communications and government affairs for the National
Grain and Feed Association, says the same trends are beginning to be
seen in corn and many wonder whether soybeans will be next. Gordon says
elevator managers and feed mills have lost confidence in futures markets
as a risk management tool. - Roy Roberson, Farm Press Editorial
Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Does
outdoor ASR research threaten soybeans?
Research on Asian soybean rust in north Florida is a
little too close for comfort for Mississippi soybean producers and
Mississippi State University Extension leaders, who believe an untimely
storm could spread research spores into commercial production areas.
Scientists at the North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy,
which is northwest of Tallahassee in Gadsden County, say the research is
necessary for developing methods to control the disease, and plan to
continue their research. The center began conducting soybean rust
research after the disease entered the United States on the winds of
Hurricane Ivan in 2004. In 2007, the Georgia/Florida Soybean Association
expressed concern over the NFREC’s release of rust spores into
research fields for testing purposes. - Elton Robinson, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Inflation
new element of farmer's uncertainty
While the past couple of years brought record prices
for several major crops, it didn’t translate into an instant gravy
train for producers. “We read in the papers how farmers are doing well
with high commodity prices,” a producer lamented recently. “If they
could look at our bills for fertilizer, fuel, seed, chemicals, labor,
and other costs, they’d see a different story — we’re struggling
just like everyone else.” But however challenging the high
prices/costly inputs scenario, the greater fear for farmers is that
commodity prices will fall precipitously as production adjusts to
demand, and input costs will not. - Hembree Brandon, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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