Crops
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Defining the Dairyland Seed Difference
Levels of concern could be elevated if the precipitation forecast doesn’t change.
The new facility will produce 950,000 short tons of ammonia annually, and it’s been a project discussed for over a decade.
The onset of drought and disease are causing growing concerns about the size of the U.S. corn and soybean crops this year. Analysts caution while the crops may be going backward in terms of yield, it’s possible USDA actually raises its yield estimates in the September report.
The Midwest crop is being pushed into black layer (R6) prematurely in some areas in ways that are easy to confuse with normal drydown factors.
The disease is causing turmoil for farmers who have a large crop in the making. In some cases, a Hail Mary fungicide application at R4 up to early dent (R5) might make sense this season, say agronomists.
The recent “Currents of Change” analysis reported high nutrient levels in central Iowa’s watersheds. Iowa ag has worked on the issue for decades, but nutrient movement often comes down to weather.
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The Chinese government is continuing to instruct importers to avoid purchasing U.S. soybeans. Until that changes, soybean prices are likely to remain low.
Will this be the summer of drought that never fully materialized for these two crops? While there are areas of dryness, both continue to flourish. Here’s a look at how August weather is expected to finish out this week across the country, as September comes into view.
On the heels of Crop Tour, Pro Farmer projects corn yields at 6.1 bu. below USDA’s August estimate, while soybean yield numbers are nearly aligned.
“I’d hate to be the farmer who, because of a later-season application, meant an entire bin of soybeans was going to be condemned.”
The Minnesota corn crop is going for gold. Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts expect the crop will reach a record 202.86 bu. average, if it can outpace southern rust and tar spot. Scouts peg the Iowa corn crop at a 198.43 bu. average, but it also faces disease challenges.
The Minnesota corn crop may break records while Iowa crops face disease challenges.
Iowa could be the nation’s top state this year for corn and soybeans, but both crops are in a race to beat disease pressure that’s gaining momentum. Illinois corn continues to ride the struggle bus, while the soybean crop there is positioned to deliver high yields.
Illinois soybeans are far better this year verses last year, says one scout, and the Iowa corn results are a big shocker given the amount of disease pressure.
There is still up to 55% of the kernel dry weight left to be accumulated by many corn hybrids at this point — starch that can contribute significantly to grain fill and higher test weights.
China, the world’s largest soybean buyer,is turning to Brazilian cargies amid trade tensions with the U.S. and ongoing negotiations.
Pro Farmer Crop Tour scouts take into account the lows and highs found out in the field as they encounter variability.
Crop scouts in Indiana and Nebraska peg corn more than 10 bu. higher than the three-year average and soybeans above average.
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While some scouts saw a big corn crop in the making in South Dakota, yield and pod counts came in below Pro Farmer Crop Tour numbers from 2020. Results from the eastern route peg corn at 185.69 bu. per acre, beating the tour record of 185 bu. set in 2021.
Pro Farmer Crop Tour’s first night reports record yield potential in South Dakota and a more variable crop in Ohio.
Marion Calmer is renown for his corn harvesting innovations. The fourth-generation Illinois farmer also has a wealth of practical knowledge about how to take more beans to the bin — and freely shares some of his insights and ideas here.
Love is in the Air: How a 13-Acre Corn Maze in Ohio Turned Into a Larger-Than-Life Marriage Proposal
Tim Sullivan had a grand idea this spring: turn his family’s corn maze into a 13-acre marriage proposal for his then girlfriend Caroline. With the help of local farmers, his dream became a reality: flying her over the corn maze to create an epic proposal.
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USDA doesn’t survey actual fields until next month, which means Pro Farmer Crop Tour is the first time scouts, across a wide geography, will actually step into fields and see if the crop is as good as it looks from the road.
With at least four weeks left in the growing season, Ferrie encourages farmers to stay ahead of heavy disease pressure in fields, particularly in what he calls D hybrids — those that punch their yield card late-season.
One concern cited is that USDA tends to aim too high with its August yield estimates, based on what the data shows from the past decade. The other concern is how strong demand will be, given corn carryover projections.