BUSINESS
This year, plan for prevention to reduce rootless corn syndrome, or floppy corn.
With the correct management moves, starter fertilizer can give a corn crop a boost as well as advance maturity.
If this year’s corn, soybean and wheat yields approach anything resembling a normal trend line, farm income for crop producers is likely to fall lower, potentially near break-even by year’s end.
It’s tempting to think that a Band-Aid approach to irrigation maintenance can save you time and money. But you need to examine it closely from the ground up.
As of Dec. 10, more than $8.7 billion has been paid to farmers for crop losses in 2012.
Amid other lessons, the titanic drought of 2012 gave farmers an education in crop insurance—and a reminder that it’s as vital a tool in a marketing plan as options or calls.
Because of the lingering effects of a hot, dry 2012 planting season, your 2013 crop requires special consideration. By planning ahead, you can reduce the risk to your emerging crop.
The 2012 Census of Agriculture features several firsts—among them, new questions about land-use practices, Internet access and crops grown for production of renewable energy.
What happened in 2012, and what makes this winter so difficult to predict?