Corn, soybean acreage expected to be lower in 2015

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  freeimages.com/bjearwicke

  The USDA says U.S. producers are expected to plant fewer acres of corn and soybeans in 2015.

  From WATTAgNet:
  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says U.S. producers are expected to plant fewer acres of corn and soybeans in 2015 due to lower commodity prices and reduced farm income.
  Although there is a period of depressed prices forecast, the USDA says the financial health of the agriculture sector is strong because producers took advantage of record harvests and high prices in past seasons to strengthen their bottom line.
  USDA also says U.S farmers are expected to benefit from strong global demand and new trade deals.
  “The forecast for the coming production year is bright,” said Robert Johansson, USDA’s acting chief economist. “Record production has meant that stock levels are higher and prices are lower, but producers will benefit from record asset levels and from new farm programs intended to cushion declines in farm income.”
  Eighty-nine million acres of corn is expected to be planted in 2015, down 1.6 million acres from 2014. Soybeans are expected to be planted on 83.5 million acres, a decrease of 200,000 acres. Based on USDA’s yield forecast, that would produce 13.6 billion bushels of corn and 3.8 billion bushels of soybeans.
  Corn prices during the 2015-16 marketing year are expected to average $3.50 per bushel, down from $6.89 three years ago. Soybeans are expected to fall to $9 per bushel from $14.40 three years ago.

Survey shows corn, soy yield increases when cover crops are used

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  freeimages.com/robertz65

  Farmers are seeing increased yields when cover crops are used.

  From WATTAgNet:
  The second survey from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program has found that farmers are seeing increased yields of up to five bushels per acre of corn and two bushels per acre of soy when cover crops are used.
  The survey studied 1,924 users and non-users of cover crops in winter 2013-14. Of the respondents, 639 provided data comparing corn yields and 583 provided data comparing soy yields.
  The results of the 2013-14 survey were less significant than the previous year, when improvements of 11.1 bushels of corn and 4.9 bushels of soybeans were seen. The changes could be attributed to the drought during the summer of 2012, which highlights the moisture-management benefits of cover crops.
  Other benefits of the use of cover crops cited in the report include changes in soil organic matter, soil erosion and compaction, weed control and nitrogen content.
  Other findings of the survey include:
  71 percent of the cover crop users seed their own cover crops
  48 percent of cover crop users apply herbicide for termination; tillage and choosing species that winter-kill are each employed by about half as many growers (21% and 20%, respectively).

US corn market factors leading to production uncertainty

The U.S. corn market is currently dealing with uncertainty across the board, including production stemming from acreage and yield considerations, acreage uncertainty as its own issue, and the pace of corn consumption, according to University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Darrel Good.
For acreage, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) currently estimates planted acreage at 97.379 million acres. The Farm Service Agency report of prevented acreage released the week of August 12 indicated prevented corn acreage of 3.411 million acres. The estimate exceeded expectations and resulted in speculation that the NASS estimate might eventually be reduced.
However, there has not been a close relationship between prevented acres and the change in the NASS estimate of planted acres from June to the final estimate, according to Good. In 2010, for example, 2.1 million corn acres were reported as prevented, but the NASS final estimate of planted acres exceeded the June estimate by 320,000. In 2011, prevented acres totaled 3.01 million, yet the final NASS estimate of planted acres was only 346,000 less than the June estimate.
 Beyond planted acreage, there is some uncertainty about potential acreage harvested for grain. The difference between planted acreage and acreage harvested for grain averaged only 6.8 million acres in 2009 and 2010, about 400,000 less than the previous five-year average. The difference increased to 7.95 million in 2011 and 9.78 million in 2012 as poor weather resulted in more acres harvested for silage or abandoned. In 2013, NASS estimates the difference at 8.244 million acres. There is potential for the difference to vary from that estimate, depending on how the growing season ends, according to Good.
The NASS August forecast of the U.S. average corn yield of 154.4 bushels per acre was three to four bushels less than expected. The initial reaction was that the forecast would be larger in subsequent reports. However, weather conditions have become less favorable as large areas of the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois received less-than-average precipitation over the last 60 days and particularly over the past 30 days. While more seasonal temperatures in coming weeks will help advance maturity, the combination of warm and dry weather will likely result in declining crop condition ratings and yield expectations more in line with the USDA forecast, said Good.
The pace of corn consumption has also accelerated as the 2012-2013 marketing year winds down. Based on weekly estimates of ethanol production, it appears that corn used for ethanol and co-product production during the last quarter of the marketing year will be 40 to 45 million bushels more than used during the summer quarter in 2011-2012. If so, use for the entire marketing year will exceed the previous USDA forecast by 30 to 35 million bushels.
"Taken together, recent developments suggest that new crop corn prices may have established a low before harvest," said Good. "At least the extreme lows that have been reflected in some private forecasts now seem unlikely. The September 12, USDA Crop Production report looms as very important for price direction."

Bt corn resistant to rootworm, boosts corn yields, new study finds

New research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign aims to determine what makes "Bt corn," which is engineered to produce the bacterial toxin, Bt, able to resist attacks by corn rootworm and able to boost corn yields.
Researchers Fred Below and Jason Haegele looked at the way Bt corn uses nitrogen in the soil. The study, published in Crop Science, found that Bt corn had higher yields and used nitrogen more efficiently than non-resistant corn.
According to Below, Bt corn has healthier and more active roots than corn rootworm without the resistance trait. “If you can protect the investment the plants made in the root system,” Below says, “you can realize everything that roots do like take up nutrients and water and provide anchorage.”
In their experiments, spanning two years, the resarchers grew resistant and and non-resistant crops and applied five different amounts of nitrogen. The resistant corn had higher yields than the non-resistant crops (nearly 21 bushels per acre) and more easily tolerated low nitrogen levels.
More efficient use of nitrogen in the soil would be especially beneficial in areas where nitrogen is lost through heavy precipitation or erosion. Additionally, Bt corn would fare better at current levels of nitrogen use in the United States.
“In 2010, the average nitrogen application rate for corn production was around 140 lb/acre,” say Haegele and Below. “Our study shows that the resistant strains we evaluated would have higher yields at that rate of nitrogen application.”
The healthy roots and efficient nutrient use of Bt corn could lead to changes in management practices that would further increase production, according to the study's authors. Banded or placed fertility, a method by which a farmer can place fertilizer where the roots are likely to be, would be more effective when used on the robust root system. Additionally, increasing plant populations could further increase yield.
“When you have a higher population of plants, each individual plant has a smaller root system, so that made it difficult to increase plant population when you had insects chewing on the roots,” explains Below. “With the Bt corn, though, you can protect the root system and grow more plants.”
In addition to its utility in crop production, Below is hopeful that Bt corn will open up new avenues of research as scientists begin to better understand root systems. “Plant roots are below ground and are hard to study. It’s a big, unexplored horizon, both in agronomics and crop biology. I think that’s why the trait is of such value.”

Website focuses on factors affecting corn crops

A new website, www.7WondersOfCorn.com, highlights the top factors that affect corn crop yield, according to Fred Below, Ph.D., a professor of plant physiology in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois.
Below conducted a study and categorized the results of his research into seven management practices, or “wonders,” that can result in high-yielding corn. His study helps growers answer the question of what the latest products and practices contribute to yield. Below’s unique omission plots allowed his team to see the bushel impact when an individual practice or input was added or subtracted, then compare it to other plots in which all actions were in place in same plot. Replicated in various locations over various years, the results allowed Below to identify and rank those seven factors with the greatest impact on corn yield.
“Roughly speaking, the higher up on the Wonder list the more control that factor exerts over the Wonders that follow,” said Below. “When combined, all of these factors contribute to big-yield gains.” In order of importance, they are:

1. Weather
2. Nitrogen/fertility
3. Hybrid selection
4. Previous crop
5. Plant population
6. Tillage
7. Growth regulators

Iowa corn planting delayed by weather

Only 2% of Iowa's 2011 corn acreage has been planted through April 17, compared with 16% at this time a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A U.S. statewide survey shows that only 2% of Iowa's 2011 corn acreage has been planted through April 17, compared with 16% at this time a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Iowa, the top corn-producing state in the U.S., trails the national average, which showed 7% of the corn in the ground through April 17. Illinois, which ranks second among corn producing states, has 9% of its corn planted, while Missouri has 26% planted. "We like to get as much of our crop planted in April so corn can be ready to harvest by late September and less vulnerable to fall frosts," said Sean Harmon, a farmer in central Iowa. "I like to be in the field with the planter around April 12, but that isn't happening this year."
Farmers have been unable to plant their crop due to rain and soil temperatures, which are still too cool for planting, according to Harry Hillaker, state climatologist for the Iowa Department of Agriculture.
The wettest week since November and temperatures as much as 10 degrees F below normal reversed an initial warming of the spring soil. Overall soil temperatures remain below the 50-degree F threshold needed for corn plant germination.
The markets are watching corn planting progress more closely than usual because domestic corn stocks are at a 15-year low, with export and ethanol demand still going strong, according to experts. Any significant weather problems with the crop this spring and summer could raise corn prices even higher, which could lead to higher meat prices and affect ethanol plants and livestock producers. "Tight grain stocks are demanding that everything go well this year with crop production," said Arlan Suderman, market analyst for Wallaces Farmer.

Texas corn producers promote water conservation, economic growth

The Texas Corn Producers Board and its members have launched a campaign to promote water conservation without sacrificing economic growth in response to potential restrictions on irrigation that they say will damage the state's economy.
“Agriculture brings billions of dollars into the economy of the Panhandle and South Plains every year and is the main driver of economic growth in the region,” said David Gibson, executive director of the board. “Through research and development of new technology, we are finding ways to grow more crops with less water. This means we can conserve water for future generations without sacrificing economic growth today.” Thanks to new irrigation methods and improved seed genetics, today a bushel of corn can be grown with half the water that was used 25 years ago, and researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Research are currently testing new corn hybrids that will reduce water use by another 25%. Seed companies are developing new drought-tolerant crops and the first generation of these water-conserving crops will be available to farmers this year.
The campaign includes televised public service announcements, a 10-minute video and a new website with the slogan “Water grows our economy; let’s make it last.”
“Every person in this region of West Texas is affected by the availability of groundwater, but no one has a bigger stake in conserving water resources than the farmers whose livelihoods depend upon irrigation,” said Gibson. “That’s why we’re working with agencies like the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service to apply conservation practices that benefit everyone who lives and works in the region.”

Corn Yield Contest winners averaged 301.721 bushels per acre

Twenty-four winners in eight production categories averaged more than 301.721 bushels per acre — nearly twice the national average of 154.3 bushels per acre — in the National Corn Growers Association 2010 National Corn Yield Contest.
Winners attributed their success to advanced production techniques, informed growing practices and improved seed varieties. Above-average yields came in spite of challenging weather conditions that plagued the Corn Belt throughout the season. “While this contest provides growers a chance to participate in a good natured competition with their peers, it also advances farming techniques as a whole,” said Steve Ebke, chair of the NCGA’s Production and Stewardship Action Team. “The very techniques and practices contest winners develop provide the basis for more widely used advances that benefit the industry. This contest highlights how innovation, both from growers and technology providers, allows us to meet the growing demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber in a sustainable manner.”
Participation in the 2010 contest was up 2.3% over last year, with 7,119 entries.

October USDA corn, soybean estimates

The following tables present the October USDA estimates for the 2010 corn and soybean harvests and disposition of products. The major change is the 4% downward estimate in yield of corn which was reflected in a 15% increase in the CBT which soared over three trading sessions following release of the report. The corn harvest is however proceeding ahead of the level attained in the two preceding harvests. The lower production forecast and higher projected domestic use will sharply reduce ending stocks now projected at 902 million bushels. USDA estimates the season-average farm price at $4.60 to $5.40/bushel, approximately 60¢ up on both ends of the range.

The production of soybeans is forecast at 3,408 billion bushels and is down by 2.2% from the previous forecast based on lower harvested area and yield. The soybean price has risen probably in tandem with corn but the price also reflects international demand.
The USDA October forecast is expected to be revised in November as the rise in the corn price represents serious financial implications for livestock producers marketing products into an economy in recession.

NCGA: US corn farmers will still meet supply demands

The recently released reduced projections for the 2010 corn harvest will still result in a surplus, said the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's report, which modified the numbers to a harvest of 12.7 billion bushels (down from 13.2 billion), still represents the third-largest crop in history. U.S. corn farmers will be able to meet the country's demands for food, feed, fuel and exports, according to the NCGA. "Our farmers are working hard to bring in a great crop this year, despite the many challenges," said NCGA President Bart Schott. "We have had many reports of lower yields and, at the same time, are hearing stories of higher-than-expected yields in some areas. This may not be a record year, but we're bringing in the corn and meeting all needs, even for our export markets." The surplus is expected to come in at around 1 billion bushels.

Japan sees a feed solution to rice surplus

Large quantities of rice stockpiled by the government in Japan may be sold to Japanese feed manufacturers as an alternative to imported maize (corn), says Masachika Murai, director of the rice policy division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Tokyo.
Domestic rice consumption has fallen with the decrease in Japan's population and the volume held by growers and distributors is the largest for seven years, so that the government is struggling to sell surplus supplies from its reserve of about one million metric tons.
Japan's feed industry imports 12 million metric tons of maize annually, mainly from the US. Mr Murai suggested that a large part of this corn usage could be replaced by up to 700,000 tons of rice from the government's stores. The industry is ready to use more than a million tons of rice as an alternative to imported corn if the price is affordable, he claimed. It already buys from the government about 300,000 tons per year of rice that has been imported under an agreement by Japan to grant minimum market access to rice-exporting countries.

Dry weather threatens China corn

China’s corn crop could fall 168 million metric tons short if dry weather continues in the country’s growing regions, according to a report by Bloomberg Businessweek. According to experts, if China’s central and northeaster areas do not get rain by the second week in July, the crop will be in peril
The losses could make China a net corn importer for the second straight year, which would support global prices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that U.S. corn inventories will drop to the lowest levels since 2006-2007.

Record corn production projected

The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a record 13.4 billion bushels of corn will be produced this year. This uptrend will ease tension between corporate livestock interests and American farmers and ethanol producers, according to the ethanol industry trade group, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).
Key points of the report noted by the RFA: Corn supplies are expected to grow to a record 15.1 billion bushels; farmers expect to plant 88.8 million acres of corn; yield expectations are up 163.4 bushels per acre; year-end surpluses are anticipated at 1.8 billion bushels, up from last year. In 2010/11, about 4.6 billion bushels of corn are anticipated to be used in ethanol.

Midwest corn planting ahead of schedule

Corn farmers across the U.S. Midwest are planting their crops ahead of schedule this season, sharply contrasting last year's late planting start, according to AccuWeather.com reports.
The USDA released a report on April 20 that said 19% of the U.S. corn crop was planted as of Tuesday. Only 5% of the corn crop had been planted by mid-April 2009. AccuWeather.com meteorologists suggest drier-than-normal early spring conditions helped farmers jump-start corn planting this year.
An early start to corn planting doesn't necessarily mean an ideal final crop, and 2009's high yield despite a late start is a good example.
"The most important consideration for a good corn crop is the weather leading up to the harvest period," said AccuWeather.com Agricultural Meteorologist Dale Mohler.
The prime corn planting season in the midwestern U.S. is between April 22 through May 13, with early planting beginning April 1. The corn harvesting period generally takes place October through November.

El Niño drought harms Philippines poultry, corn production

Farmers in the northern Philippines province of La Union have reported thousands of poultry deaths from heat and dehydration related to drought. ABS-CBN News reported that 2,000 chickens and 1,200 chicks died on one farm after the farm’s well dried up. Another farmer told the broadcast network that 6 to 10 of his chickens were dying daily from heatstroke and that his flock’s egg production had fallen.
According to a government study reported in The Philippine Star, the El Niño drought is likely to result in higher-than-usual rates of sickness and mortality in fowl across the country, reduced numbers and quality of eggs, and reduced hatching rates. The government is encouraging poultry producers to install insulation and provide more drinking water in their poultry houses.The drought has already resulted in corn crop damage totaling P2B, according to The Philippine Star. The newspaper reported that the drought could result in higher feed prices.

USDA projects record corn crop

The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects corn production at a record 13.2 billion bushels, according to the U.S. Grains Council.
This is up from 12.9 billion bushels projected in the USDA December forecast and 1% above the previous record of 13.0 billion bushels set in 2007. Corn exports are projected at 2.1 billion bushels, unchanged from last month and up from the estimated 1.9 billion bushels exported in 2008/2009.
According to the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released by the USDA on Jan. 12, the U.S. corn yield is estimated to hit a record 165.2 bushels per acre in 2009. This is up 2.3 bushels from the December forecast and 4.9 bushels above the previous record of 160.3 bushels per acre set in 2004.
The USDA projects sorghum production at 383 million bushels, 140 million of which will be exported.

US corn 88% harvested, sorghum harvest 94% complete

The USDA Crop Progress Report for the week ending December 6 estimates 88% of corn is out of the fields, compared to 79% a week earlier.
The corn harvest is so late this year that the USDA has no comparison figures for this same date during the last five years.
Soybean growers had harvested 96% of the crop a week ago, and the USDA is no longer tracking that harvest.
The sorghum crop is 94% in, compared to 87% last week. Just as with the corn crop, the sorghum harvest is so late that there are no comparison figures for this date for the last five years. Although sorghum is not frequently used in animal feed in th US, the US exports large quantities since other countries do use it in for producing feed.

Cambodia could become an Asian maize belt

When we asked feed manufacturers in Vietnam where their ingredients might be sourced in future, among their replies was a recommendation to look at what is happening in Cambodia regarding grain supplies. The southern part of Vietnam shares a long border with Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City is only about 400 kilometres from the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. What is more, the Mekong River runs through both countries.
Cambodia is already cited by Vietnamese executives as an example of what can be achieved to promote better drying and storage arrangements for harvested crops, due to the success of a private-sector initiative on this theme. But an even greater attraction for Vietnam’s feed manufacturers is Cambodia’s potential to be a regional breadbasket supplying much-needed grains.

Capable of becoming big producer
Several thousand metric tons of Cambodian maize, cassava and soybeans have already been exported for use in feeds in Thailand as well as Vietnam. Much more could follow. Compared with a current grain production in the range of 2-4 million metric tons per year, Cambodia is said to be capable of producing 10-20 million metric tons annually if the right investments are made.
The most obvious financing currently has been with money from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, China and Korea for ethanol production from cassava. Their focus on the Cambodian provinces of Battambang, Kompong Speu and Kompong Cham overlaps the main corn-growing areas which are in Battambang, Pailin and Banteay Meanchey.
During the dry seasons of 2008 and 2009, according to a report from Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, the three provinces together grew red corn on 114,343 hectares, yielding 502,798 metric tons. This corresponded to 90% of the country's total production of 561,584 metric tons.

100,000 hectares suitable for maize
The director of Battambang’s provincial department of agriculture was quoted by the Phom Penh Post newspaper at the end of 2009 as saying the province had about 100,000 hectares of land suitable for growing maize. The farmers would use more of it for this purpose once they were sure they could find a customer for the grain.
The view from Vietnam is that Cambodia in total has 5 million hectares of arable land and the valuable possibility of using the Mekong River for irrigation and transport. Good climatological conditions should allow several million tons of maize, cassava and soybeans to be grown easily. Exported grain could simply be loaded into large barges to travel down the Mekong for delivery to the south of Vietnam

US corn 68% harvested, soybeans 94% complete

The USDA reported farmers have made progress harvesting the 2009 corn crop. The Crop Progress Report estimates 68% of corn is out of the fields, compared to 54% a week earlier.
The corn harvest is still behind last year's 87%, and the five-year average of 94%.
Soybean growers have harvested 94% of the crop compared to 89% a week ago. At the same time in 2008, 97% of soybeans were harvested, and the five-year average is 97%.

Corn DNA fully decoded

According to reports, the genetic code for corn has been uncovered by U.S. scientists. This could lead to higher corn yields.
The Washington University team of 150 experts identified the 32,000 DNA sequences located in the 10 chromosomes that make up corn.