Latest News From Corn

There's a Possibility USDA's Prospective Plantings Report Next Week Produces a Surprise in Corn
There's a Possibility USDA's Prospective Plantings Report Next Week Produces a Surprise in Corn

The March Ag Economists' Monthly Monitor found nearly 80% of those surveyed say soybeans pencils better than corn this year, but economists still increased their corn acreage projections slightly in the latest survey.

Scientists say the New Frontier for Corn Research is Found in the Crop's Roots
Scientists say the New Frontier for Corn Research is Found in the Crop's Roots

Researchers and agronomists are using a creative way to study corn plant root structures and hope it will lead to a new understanding of how below-ground root systems can impact yields and plant stress.

Is a Bottom in the Grain Markets Finally In?
Is a Bottom in the Grain Markets Finally In?

China canceled more wheat, but the grain markets seemed to shake off the negative news. DuWayne Bosse and Darren Frye make the case for why the lows in the grain markets may behind us.

There's a New Way to Cash in on Your CI Score on the Farm, Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act
There's a New Way to Cash in on Your CI Score on the Farm, Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act

The new 45Z tax credit passed in the Inflation Reduction Act, slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2025, means a farmer's carbon intensity score will soon be worth more, especially if your corn goes to an ethanol plant.

You Can't Afford to Be Complacent About Tar Spot
You Can't Afford to Be Complacent About Tar Spot

Just because tar spot was mostly a no-show in 2022 and 2023 doesn't mean that will be the case in 2024. Charting humidity levels can help predict if the disease will strike.

A Kick-Start For Corn: When to Use Plant Growth Regulators
A Kick-Start For Corn: When to Use Plant Growth Regulators

If weather stresses have you looking for ways to give your crop a stronger start this spring, consider whether a plant growth regulator could be part of the solution, especially in high-yield environments.

Spring Weather, Drought Concerns and Price Impact Northern Plains Planting Decisions
Spring Weather, Drought Concerns and Price Impact Northern Plains Planting Decisions

Weather and prices are dictating acreage decisions in the Northern Plains this spring. So what are producers planning to plant?

China's Buys of Corn and Sorghum Are Surging Right Now, But Why?
China's Buys of Corn and Sorghum Are Surging Right Now, But Why?

Reports say China has purchased more than 20 cargoes of feed grain in the past two weeks. Where is China buying from, and what's behind the sudden surge?

Handy Bt Trait Table Updated and Available Now
Handy Bt Trait Table Updated and Available Now

Corn growers can use this free tool to understand which hybrids have which traits, as well as evaluate insect problems and herbicide needs in-season.

USDA Painted a Very Bearish Picture for Grain Prices This Week, Here's One Thing That Could Cause Prices to Rally
USDA Painted a Very Bearish Picture for Grain Prices This Week, Here's One Thing That Could Cause Prices to Rally

USDA's Ag Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C., this past week confirmed growing stocks in 2024/2025. Analysts say without a sudden supply disruption, the commodity price outlook remains grim.

Tall Order for Short Corn: The Latest On Short-Stature Hybrids
Tall Order for Short Corn: The Latest On Short-Stature Hybrids

Compact corn hybrids appear to take winds 50 mph in stride with little greensnap or lodging resulting. However, yield performance hasn’t been as consistent, and technology providers are working to change that.

BASF Announces EPA Approval of Surtain Herbicide
BASF Announces EPA Approval of Surtain Herbicide

The product is intended for use on corn acres and is the industry’s first solid-encapsulated herbicide technology.

Could Drought Cause Brazil to Lose its Top Spot as the Largest Corn Exporter in the World? Economists Weigh In
Could Drought Cause Brazil to Lose its Top Spot as the Largest Corn Exporter in the World? Economists Weigh In

Ag economists have little doubt Brazil will remain the world’s top exporter of soybeans, but with potential safrinha corn production problems, economists aren't confident Brazil can hang on to the top spot in corn.

Nebraska Scientists Study Temperature Stress In Corn With New Model
Nebraska Scientists Study Temperature Stress In Corn With New Model

The study’s team has found inputting excessive heat and cold data into their model slowed plant growth, though the heat proved to be a larger issue for the plant. 

314 Bu. Corn Yield Uses Only 7" of Rain to Score Big Win in Minnesota
314 Bu. Corn Yield Uses Only 7" of Rain to Score Big Win in Minnesota

David Heublein won the conventional, non-irrigated category of the 2023 NCGA yield contest for the state. The amazing yield was grown with only one-third of the total rainfall his fields usually get in a growing season.

Mexican Rail Crossing Closures Delivering Significant Blow to U.S. Agriculture
Mexican Rail Crossing Closures Delivering Significant Blow to U.S. Agriculture

A coalition of nearly 50 ag groups are urging the Biden administration to take immediate action to open Mexican rail crossings before it's too late.

USDA's December Reports Unwrap No Major Surprises, And Analysts Argue Corn Prices Are Stuck For Now
USDA's December Reports Unwrap No Major Surprises, And Analysts Argue Corn Prices Are Stuck For Now

Despite weather concerns sprouting in Brazil, USDA didn’t make any major adjustments to the South American crop in Friday's reports. Increased demand from China and Mexico prompted USDA to trim U.S. ending stocks.

Seed Leader: Q&A with AgReliant's Brian Barker
Seed Leader: Q&A with AgReliant's Brian Barker

As a leading company in seed research and production, Brian Barker joined the AgReliant Genetics team as CEO and president mid-2023.

Ferrie: Picking Corn Hybrids For 2024? Here Are Five Tips
Ferrie: Picking Corn Hybrids For 2024? Here Are Five Tips

For a lot of farmers, 2023 was a tough growing season and Mother Nature didn't cooperate. But don't let that drive your seed-selection process for next year. Consider these five recommendations instead.

How Did Cluster, Skip-Row, Triple Crop Corn Fare In 2023?
How Did Cluster, Skip-Row, Triple Crop Corn Fare In 2023?

In 2023, John Smith planted cluster corn, James Hitchcock tried wide row corn and Bill Jones targeted a triple crop. How did each farmer fare?

USDA Makes Two Surprise Changes to Corn Yield and Demand In Its Latest Crop Production Report
USDA Makes Two Surprise Changes to Corn Yield and Demand In Its Latest Crop Production Report

USDA upped its corn yield estimate by nearly 2 bu. to a 174.9 bu. per acre national yield. The agency also increased its demand estimate, which softened the potential blow of such a big jump in production.

What Are the 5 Most Common Grain Marketing Mistakes?
What Are the 5 Most Common Grain Marketing Mistakes?

Whether you're in the middle of harvest, or already wrapped up, there are five common grain marketing mistakes farmers often make. University of Minnesota's Ed Usset says these mistakes happen throughout the year.

Ferrie: Four Steps to Make Sure NH3 Applications Stay in the Ground
Ferrie: Four Steps to Make Sure NH3 Applications Stay in the Ground

Moisture availability is one of the biggies to check out, says Ken Ferrie. He also details some upcoming agronomic events, like his Beyond The Basics five-part webinar series and the virtual Corn & Soybean College.

The Story Not Enough People Are Talking About, And It's Why Corn And Soybean Prices Are Stuck
The Story Not Enough People Are Talking About, And It's Why Corn And Soybean Prices Are Stuck

Corn and soybean prices seem stuck. So, what catalyst could it take to move commodity prices higher? There are a few, but analysts say the reality is there’s simply no story at the moment.

Best Practice Do’s and Don’ts for Anhydrous Ammonia Applications
Best Practice Do’s and Don’ts for Anhydrous Ammonia Applications

Farmers applying NH3 can maximize their dollars and use of the product by not applying it until soil temperatures are no more than 50 degrees and trending lower, according to Iowa State University Extension.

Corn Yield Checks In and Out of the Combine
Corn Yield Checks In and Out of the Combine

Ken Ferrie offers five practical agronomic tips you can use during harvest this fall. These practices can help you improve corn performance and yield outcomes across your farm.

Is $5 Corn As Good As It Gets Right Now? Here's What USDA's October Report Tells Us
Is $5 Corn As Good As It Gets Right Now? Here's What USDA's October Report Tells Us

Even though USDA slightly adjusted yields lower in the October report, the agency also cut demand, which one extension agribusiness specialist says indicates there may not be much motivation for prices to move much.

Ferrie: Huge Yield Swings Found In Iowa and Illinois Cornfields
Ferrie: Huge Yield Swings Found In Iowa and Illinois Cornfields

Weather woes took a huge bite out of corn yield potential this season, especially in northeast Iowa and parts of western Illinois. Where farmers got timely rains, the yield reports coming in are not as wide-ranging.

Bayer And Corteva Sell 50%+ of the Corn, Soybean and Cotton Seed in the U.S.
Bayer And Corteva Sell 50%+ of the Corn, Soybean and Cotton Seed in the U.S.

USDA's latest insights show the two companies dominated U.S. retail seed sales for the three crops from 2018 through 2020. That is the most recent period for which market estimates are available.

The University of Nebraska Just Helped Unlock the Final Secrets of the Corn Genome, And It Could Be a Breakthrough for Yield
The University of Nebraska Just Helped Unlock the Final Secrets of the Corn Genome, And It Could Be a Breakthrough for Yield

Researchers from UNL, Iowa State University and the China Agricultural University have done what seemed impossible a decade ago: they finished sequencing the entire corn genome, a major breakthrough for yield.

 Intensifying Threat of a Government Shutdown is Now Another Blow to Grain Prices
Intensifying Threat of a Government Shutdown is Now Another Blow to Grain Prices

As Congress drew closer to a government shutdown, the news pressured commodity prices. The drop in commodity prices happened despite what some viewed as a fairly bullish September Grains Stocks report for corn. 

Risk–Reward: Tar Spot Tolerant Versus Susceptible Hybrids
Risk–Reward: Tar Spot Tolerant Versus Susceptible Hybrids

Now's the time to start making notes of tar spot pressure, field by field and hybrid by hybrid, says Missy Bauer, Farm Journal field agronomist.

FS Agronomists Collect Corn Yield Data in Midwest
FS Agronomists Collect Corn Yield Data in Midwest

The data collected by the FS agronomists, including estimated yield and number of locations sampled, is uploaded to the FS Agronomy Yield Analyzer.

April-Planted Corn Hybrids Took A Blow To The Chin
April-Planted Corn Hybrids Took A Blow To The Chin

Ken Ferrie expects yields to climb as Illinois farmers start harvesting more of their May-planted corn. Looking ahead, he says farmers will see some challenges from herbicide carryover in 2024.

As Dry Weather Takes a Toll On Crops, It's a Year Test Weights and Seed Size Could Now Eat Into Yields
As Dry Weather Takes a Toll On Crops, It's a Year Test Weights and Seed Size Could Now Eat Into Yields

Both Dan Basse and Chip Nellinger say considering how dry it’s been, crop yields could be falling, and USDA may be forced to make more cuts to the national yield forecasts in upcoming reports.  

Sweet Corn is Life and Legacy on Arkansas Farm
Sweet Corn is Life and Legacy on Arkansas Farm

Bitter blossoms sweet at Miles Farms. From father to son to brother to grandson, an annual sweet corn field has produced 1 million ears for the public.

Potential Game Changer? Exports Explode as Crop Conditions Crumble
Potential Game Changer? Exports Explode as Crop Conditions Crumble

Mizzou's Ben Brown says the 81.2 million bushels new crop export sale marks the largest week of sales for the 2023/24 marketing year to date and double the previous record weekly volume for the year set last week.

Ferrie: Corn Top Dieback And Lack of Uniformity Are Contributing to Unrealistic Yield Estimates Now
Ferrie: Corn Top Dieback And Lack of Uniformity Are Contributing to Unrealistic Yield Estimates Now

Some farmers in central Illinois are making yield estimates of 250 to 270 bushels per acre. Ken Ferrie says in many of those cases a more realistic estimate, though disappointing, would be in the 170 to 220 range.

30 Days Left for Iowa Corn Crop to Complete Fill, Pack On Yield
30 Days Left for Iowa Corn Crop to Complete Fill, Pack On Yield

The past four days of high heat and no moisture have taken a toll in the state with some farmers predicting corn yield lows of 140 bu. per acre. Some still anticipate 200-bu. plus yields. All they need is some rain.

Brazil Clears Bottlenecks to Oust US as Top Corn Exporter
Brazil Clears Bottlenecks to Oust US as Top Corn Exporter

Brazil briefly wore the global corn export crown in 2012 because of the U.S. drought. With the ability to churn out three corn crops per year and a supply deal with China, Brazil might be set to maintain that title.

Split, Pinch And Push Stalks If Tar Spot Strikes Now
Split, Pinch And Push Stalks If Tar Spot Strikes Now

Conditions are right for the disease to break loose in parts of the Midwest. If it does, agronomists recommend three steps farmers can take to prioritize affected cornfields for harvest to minimize yield loss.

Double-Edged Sword: Did Rains from Derecho Save Illinois Corn and Soybeans?
Double-Edged Sword: Did Rains from Derecho Save Illinois Corn and Soybeans?

A fast-moving storm flattened crops on June 29, but the rain gave much needed relief to area crops and hope to farmers struggling to stay optimistic. Pro Farmer Crop Tour provides insights on how those crops look now.

'No Monster Yields' but Nebraska Irrigated Corn has Above-Average Potential
'No Monster Yields' but Nebraska Irrigated Corn has Above-Average Potential

First thing Tuesday, Pro Farmer Tour scouts saw Nebraska irrigated corn with 208 to 250 bu. yields. But a lot could change as they head into dryland corn. In the eastern Corn Belt, scouts are evaluating Indiana crops.

Midwest Crops Swelter In High Temperatures, Little Relief Ahead
Midwest Crops Swelter In High Temperatures, Little Relief Ahead

A heat dome will consume the Plains and Mississippi Valley into the South this week with "oppressive and dangerous conditions" expected at least through midweek, the National Weather Service reported early Monday.

 Corn and Soybeans Look 'Darn Good' In Ohio, Similar to 2021
Corn and Soybeans Look 'Darn Good' In Ohio, Similar to 2021

Out of the gate this morning, scouts saw a high of 208 bu/A for corn and a low of 92 bu/A. In the West, the initial report is positive for South Dakota with "better than last year" the key phrase scouts are repeating.

Are You Ready? Why the Eastern Leg of Pro Farmer Crop Tour Could Be the Big Story in 2023
Are You Ready? Why the Eastern Leg of Pro Farmer Crop Tour Could Be the Big Story in 2023

As scouts set out on the the 2023 Pro Farmer Crop Tour, Iowa will be closely watched as it's the only state where Crop Tour covers all the state's counties. Brian Grete says Iowa has a lot of question marks this year.

Ugh. Tar Spot Moves In After Drought Leaves
Ugh. Tar Spot Moves In After Drought Leaves

Corn growers in 13 states have confirmed tar spot outbreaks now. Iowa leads the pack with the disease reported in at least 36 counties. Indiana is a close second. "It’s starting to explode," one agronomist says.

Syngenta Unveils New Seeds Research-and-Development Innovation Center 
Syngenta Unveils New Seeds Research-and-Development Innovation Center 

Some of the research now underway at the facility is focused on improving germplasm performance, launching stacked, next-generation differentiated traits and demonstrating  regenerative agriculture cropping systems.

USDA Makes Cuts to U.S. Yields in August Report, Analysts Say There Is One Big Caveat
USDA Makes Cuts to U.S. Yields in August Report, Analysts Say There Is One Big Caveat

USDA’s first farmer survey-based yield estimate offered few surprises, but analysts warn the estimates might already be out of date due to rain that fell after Aug. 1. USDA also made more cuts to demand.

Drought No More, Farmers Watch Western Kansas Corn Fields Get Hammered by Hail
Drought No More, Farmers Watch Western Kansas Corn Fields Get Hammered by Hail

What’s often called the “white combine” is hammering western Kansas this year, an ugly reality for an area that’s finally receiving rain after nearly five years of drought.