Corn planting in the top 18 corn producing states finished over the past week as farmers now look to complete soybean planting. A slow start to the planting season due to excessive rainfall will draw attention to crop conditions throughout the growing season.

As of June 16, 2013 corn that has emerged was at 92%, down 5% from the five year average and down 8% from the previous year. Corn conditions were 8% of the crop in poor or very poor condition, a percentage point lower than the previous year. Corn in good or excellent condition was 64%, compared to 63% last year.

Soybeans planted were at 85%, behind the five year average of 91%. Last year at this time, 94% of soybeans had emerged, but only 66% have emerged as of June 16, 2013. Soybeans in poor or very poor condition weas 6%, compared to 12% last year. Soybeans in good or excellent condition were 64%, compared to only 56% last year.

Winter wheat conditions were 43% of the crop in poor or very poor condition compared to only 17% at the same time last year. Winter wheat in good or excellent condition was 31%, compared to 54% last year. Last year at this time 94% of winter wheat had headed and 89% have headed so far this year. Harvesting just began last week, with 11% of the wheat being harvested compared to 51% last year at this time.

Spring wheat was 92% planted, compared to the five year average of 97%. Of the planted wheat, 84% has emerged, compared to the five year average of 94%. Spring wheat conditions were 5% of the crop in poor or very poor condition compared to 3% at the same time last year. Spring wheat in good or excellent condition was 68%, compared to 76% last year.

The July corn contract increased 2.8% over the past week ending at $6.68 per bushel, soybean prices increased by $0.01 over the past week ending at $15.12 per bushel, and wheat prices ended the week at $6.80 per bushel, a 1.3% decrease from last week. Year to year corn prices are up 11.5%, soybeans are up 9.2% and wheat is up 7.9%.
 

For daily articles on farmland and agriculture, visit www.farmlandforecast.com


 

Bees are one of the most helpful little creatures on our planet, although more commonly seen as a nuisance. In the United States, "Close to 100 crop species…rely to some degree on pollination services provided by this one species—collectively, these crops make up approximately 1/3 of the U. S. diet, including the majority of high-value crops that contribute to healthy diets," states May Berenbaum, professor at the University of Illinois. National Geographic estimates one in every three bites a person eats is from a bee pollinated nut or flower.

Types of bees

There are hundreds of different types of bees, all with different habits, nests and temperaments. The most commonly thought of bee is the honeybee, responsible for most of the honey that we eat. Honeybees have three different job occupations: workers, queens, and drones. Worker bees are all females and they are responsible for collecting nectar from flowers and provide pollination for various plants. Queens give birth to every bee within the hive and they eat the royal jelly, a secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae that is left behind in the cells from worker bees. Drones are the male bees, responsible only for mating with the queen.

Honeybee hives can grow to hold up to 80,000 bees and they are known to have very easy temperament, only stinging when they or their hive is in danger. When a bee stings, its stinger is ripped out of its abdomen, causing the bee to die, that is why bees are so hesitant to sting a predator. Bumblebees, like honeybees, live in hives, but only house anywhere from few hundred bees to 2,000 bees and produce far less honey than a honeybee.

There are bees that live in solitary homes as well, such as the carpenter bee, mason bee and the ground bee. These bees are very peaceful, and most people do not even know that they exist. Mason bees do not create honey or beeswax, but they serve as the most effective pollinator. Mason bee’s vibrant blue-green color makes them easily identifiable and makes them a favorite for gardeners.

Mason Bees

Pollination

Bees provide essential pollination for flowers that other winged insects cannot do as effectively. Bees collect pollen using a unique technique known as "floral fidelity," meaning they only collect from one species of flower at a time. This helps plants because it ensures the pollen the bees are carrying will be transported to the stigma, or female reproductive system, of the same plant species. Individual bees will collect from one particular flower species for a few days before changing to a new flower, which is why you will not see bees in a small garden with a variety of flowers.

In addition to agricultural crops, the honeybee pollinates many of the native plants that serve as habitat and food sources for our wildlife across the nation, helping sustain the vigor and diversity of the environment.  Food that is used in feeding livestock, such as soybeans and buckwheat, also must be pollinated by bees. In this way, bees are essential the meat industry.
Cotton is a bee-produced product as well. Each year the US produces about 21 million bales of cotton, with over a third of the production taking place in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Business revenues average $100 billion from cotton alone, making bees incredibly profitable.

Perhaps the most noteworthy contribution bees bring is their work in almonds. In California each year, beekeepers bring their white box hives to pollinate California’s white blossomed almond trees. California is responsible for producing 90% of the world’s almonds, yielding an average of 1.5 billion pounds of nuts per year. Each acre of almond trees requires approximately two hives to pollinate, and to produce a single nut it takes about a dozen bee visits. People have tried different techniques to try and pollinate these almonds, such as using helicopters to spread the pollen. Yet the results are the same everywhere that bees are the most effective pollinators.

Pollinating Almond Fields

Honey

Honeybees use nectar to make honey. Nectar is almost 80% water with some complex sugars. They use their long, tube-like tongues like straws to suck the nectar out of the flowers and then stored in their "honey stomachs". Bees actually have two stomachs, their honey stomach which they use like a nectar backpack and their regular stomach. The honey stomach holds almost 70 milligrams of nectar and when full, it weighs almost as much as the bee does. Honeybees must visit between 100 and 1,500 flowers in order to fill their honey stomachs.

The honeybees return to the hive and pass the nectar onto other worker bees. These bees suck the nectar from the honeybee's stomach through their mouths. These "house bees" chew the nectar using enzymes to break down the complex sugars in the nectar into simple sugars so that it is both more digestible for the bees and less likely to be attacked by bacteria while it is stored within the hive. The bees then spread the nectar throughout the honeycombs where water evaporates from it, making it into a thicker syrup. The bees make the nectar dry even faster by fanning it with their wings. Once the honey has had enough water evaporate from it, the bees seal off the cell of the honeycomb with a plug of wax. The honey is stored until it is eaten. In one year, a colony of bees eats between 120 and 200 pounds of honey, the rest can be collected and used by beekeepers.

Beeswax and honey offer a wide range of uses in everyday life. Beeswax can be used in candles, cosmetics, lubricants, and even dental floss. Honey is used in a lot of cosmetics, including lip balms and moisturizers.

Honeycomb

Disappearance

Over the past few years, beekeepers have noticed a startling phenomenon that is happening to bees. They’re disappearing. Entire populations of bees have vanished from mid-air, leaving no signs of a struggle, and no bee corpses behind. They simply just disappear. Researchers are examining possible causes for the disappearance, but no definite conclusion has been found. Some suspect it is a pesticide problem, others are not so sure. One thing is for certain though, if the United States were to lose its entire bee population tomorrow, we would lose $15 billion in the foregone foods such as almonds and cucumbers that require honey bees for pollination.

Conclusion

Bees are nature’s pollinators and the key to providing the world with many different crops. People should not fear bees (so long as you do not have an allergy!) because bees are calm insects that do not wish to harm us, and only sting when they feel threatened. If a bee comes around you, then it is most likely attracted to the food you have or the smell of your perfume. The best thing to do when bees are around is to remain calm and move slowly; swatting at them will only stress them out and make them more likely to sting. Without bees, every part of the world’s ecosystem would decline, which is why they are so important to agriculture.

For daily article on farmland and agricutlure, visit www.farmlandforecast.com

The June WASDE offered minor changes to the May WASDE report. Corn prices have taken the biggest hit this month, as major rainfalls have stalled planting and put a strain on farmers. We expect reductions to the 2013/14 corn balance as the worse planting season in over 20 years isreflected by the USDA. 

Increased competition from Brazil has caused the U.S. market to decrease its soybean exports. A decrease in wheat production have increased the price for wheat.

Corn

U.S. corn production for 2013/14 was estimated 135 million bushels lower to 14.0 billion bushels. Corn yields for the upcoming year were projected at 156.5 bushels per acre, a 1.5 bushel decrease from May's estimate. The decrease in yields is due to delays in planting in some of the highest producing corn states.

Planted acres were unchanged at 97.3 million acres and harvested acres at 89.5 million for the 2013/14 year. U.S. corn production for 2013/14 were estimated at 14.7 billion bushels, an increase of 2.6 billion from last year's drought stricken crop. The season average price for 2013/14 is projected at $4.40 to $5.20.

Feed and residual use was expected to decrease 125 million bushels year over year. Corn use for ethanol was increased by 50 million bushels for the 2013/14 marketing year.

Exports for 2012/13 U.S. corn are projected at 50 million bushels lower due to the slow shipment and sales pace this year. The rainy weather in the Corn Belt has given South American competitors an advantage for early sales.

Global course grain supplies for 2013/14 were estimated to decrease 4.3 million metric tons from 2012/13, due to a reduction in U.S. and Chinese corn production. Brazil’s corn production was raised by 1.0 mmt, helping to offset the deficiency made by the U.S. and China.

Soybeans

U.S. 2013/14 soybean balance sheets remain unchanged this month.

Changes for the U.S. in the 2012/13 year include increased soybean imports and crush, and a reduction in exports. An increase of 5 million bushels in imported soybeans brings the total soybean imports to 25 million bushels. .

Exported soybeans were down 20 million bushels to 1.3 billion bushels in 2012/13. These low sales are due to increases in competition from Brazil. The projected season average price range for 2013/14 was $9.75 to $11.75 per bushel.

Global oilseed production in 2013/14 was decreased by 0.5 mmt from last month, to 490.8 mmt, due mainly to a decrease in soybean production from the Ukraine.

Wheat 

U.S. wheat supplies in 2013/14 were estimated at 2.956 billion bushels, a 5.7% decrease from 2012/13. U.S. wheat production was decreased by 8.3% compared to last year, to 2.08 billion bushels. Yields for the 2013/14 crop year were projected at 44.6 bushels per acre, a drop of 1.7 bushels from 2012/13. The season average wheat price for 2013/14 was estimated at $6.25 to $7.55 per bushel.

Total U.S. wheat use for 2013/14 was increased by 50 million bushels from last month's estimate, due to strong early season sales and a reduced foreign production outlook.

Outlook

The June WASDE was relatively uneventful and markets will be turning to the USDA acreage and grain reports due for release at the end of June. The late planting season could be a precursor for poor corn pollination. We are closely monitoring the weather in the Corn Belt moving forward. 

For daily article on farmland and agriculture, visit www.farmlandforecast.com

Planting progress in the top 18 corn producing states progressed by 4% this past week and is only 3% behind the five year average of 98%. Farmers have done tremendous work catching up to the average due to the setback from heavy rains the last few months. With almost the entire corn crop planted at 95% and improved weather forecasts for this upcoming week, corn planting looks to be completely finished within the next couple of weeks. 

Planting progress in the top 18 corn producing states progressed by a leisurely 5% as wet weather continued to prevent farmers from finishing the planting of the 2013 corn crop. If further delays continue, soybeans and preventative planting will take the place of corn acres.

As of June 2, 2013 91% of the U.S. corn crop has been planted. Corn that has emerged was at 74%, down 8% from the five year average and down 22% from the previous year. Corn conditions were 7% of the crop in poor or very poor conditions, compared to 5% last year. And corn in good or excellent conditions was 63%, compared to 72% last year.

Soybeans planted were at 57%, behind the five year average of 74%. Last year at this time, 76% of soybeans had emerged, but only 31% have emerged as of June 2, 2013. 

Winter wheat conditions were 43% of the crop in poor or very poor condition compared to only 18% at the same time last year. Winter wheat in good or excellent condition was 32%, compared to 52% last year. Last year at this time, 88% of winter wheat had headed, but only 73% has headed this year.

As of June 2, 2013 80% of the spring wheat has been planted, lagging  the 100% planted last year. Of the spring wheat crop, 61% has emerged compared to the five year average of 80%.

The July corn contract decreased 1.6% over the past week ending at $6.55 per bushel, soybean prices increased by 1.5% over the past week ending at $15.32 per bushel, and wheat prices ended the week at $7.08 per bushel, a 2.2% increase from last week. Year to year corn prices are up 18.9%, soybeans are up 14% and wheat is up 15.7%.

For daily articles on farmland and agricutlure, visit www.farmlandforecast.com.