Corn
A new president of Mexico will be elected on June 2. The two front-runners in the presidential race are both pro trade with the United States. That’s good news for U.S. farmers and livestock producers.
(Reuters) - Rescue teams in Iowa searched through the ruins of homes and buildings in Greenfield on Wednesday, looking for survivors of a deadly tornado that tore through the town the day before
Do not try to thicken a corn stand that’s in tough shape. You need to rip it out and replant it. If you can’t bring yourself to do that, ‘your stand is good enough,’” says Ken Ferrie.
Soybean planting crossed the halfway mark across the U.S, and the corn planting is 70% complete. The latest USDA Crop Progress Report shows farmers in parts of the U.S. made major headway over the past week.
A quick overview of what you should be doing this spring to ensure your stored grain maintains its quality and fetches top dollar down at the elevator.
This week’s USDA Crop Progress report shows corn planting five percentage points (49% planted) behind average, while soybean planting has slowed to just a single percentage point ahead (35%).
USDA’s May WASDE report sent corn and soybean prices higher, it also caused wheat to soar. However, one analyst questions why the trade viewed the latest report as so bullish.
The company is artificially inoculating tar spot in select field test plots this season to study how corn responds. Researchers say the work will help them advance tar spot tolerance for DEKALB and Channel products.
This week’s USDA Crop Progress report shows corn planting overall is currently three percentage points (36% planted) behind the five year average, while soybean planting is four points ahead (25%) of historic pace.
The crop can survive, but it depends on the hybrid, seed quality and temperature. When temps go north of 70 degrees, the likelihood the corn will survive drops after being submerged 24 to 48 hours.
Ken Ferrie says 37% of seed corn samples he’s reviewed fall below good quality levels; 11% fall into the poor category. He advises retaining 2 lb. of each questionable lot until stand establishment can be evaluated.
Research underway at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is showing promise by targeting western corn rootworm genes with RNAi technology.
Corn planting is now 2% ahead of the five year national average, while soybeans are currently 4% ahead, according to the April 22, 2024, USDA Crop Progress report.
Growing degree days (GDDs) are a more reliable method to predict corn emergence and development than calendar days. Start calculating GDDs daily the day after planting. Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie explains.
As drought deteriorates across the U.S., it’s a positive signal for growing a big crop in 2024. And analysts say if weather continues to fuel this year’s crop, December corn futures could fall into the $3 range by fall.
Don’t let the rush to plant cause you to be filled with regret and utter these five words at some point: “I wish I had waited.” Chilled seed corn struggles to emerge and grow. It can cost you 10% of your stand.
More than 20 farm groups support the new Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience Act. The bill does not require choosing between enhanced crop insurance coverage and commodity support programs.
USDA reports 3% of the country’s soybean crop is in the ground, the same as this time last year but two points ahead of the average pace. In all 10 states are reporting progress, and planting is ahead of average.
It’s a tale of two extremes this year. Some farmers report they can’t find soil moisture to plant into, while others are struggling just to get into their fields. Agronomist Ken Ferrie weighs in on both scenarios.
Along with too much moisture, high numbers of corn flea beetles are posing an early-season concern. Ferrie advises checking your Stewart’s wilt bacteria rating on hybrids. There’s no treatment option for infected corn.
One of the biggest benefits from waiting to plant corn until conditions are ideal, is the crop emerges more uniformly and forms those picket-fence stands that deliver huge yields, says Agronomist Missy Bauer.
The second USDA Crop Progress Report of the year shows farmers are already ahead in planting the 2024 crop with six states pacing ahead of the five-year average.
Judge for yourself: Travis McCormick’s DOES IT PAY fungicide trial reaped a major yield increase.
USDA says farmers intend to plant 90 million acres of corn this year, which is lower than the trade expected prior to USDA’s big Prospective Plantings report.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.