image from http://www.ssc.com.vn/en/product_ck.php

A headline published by Farm Industry News sums up the situation with seed corn–“Corn Seed Production May Drop 20% in 2012.” The article begins with this statement:

“The challenging growing season of 2011 did more than impact corn yields. All indications are that seed corn supplies for 2012 will be affected as well, and companies are developing contingency strategies to meet what is expected to be another banner year for corn sales.”

The article quotes representatives from four seed companies who all said that production in South America will be key to producing enough seed corn to satisfy consumer needs in 2012 due to tough weather conditions in the Midwest this year. Charlie Foresman of Monsanto said, “Because seed corn is an inbred, it is more susceptible to stresses,” meaning that the tough hand that Mother Nature dealt this year may have had a serious impact on production. However, seed producers take necessary precautions to mitigate risks. Spreading out production geographically is just part of the strategy for overcoming challenging growing conditions in a particular area.

This year purchasing early has been as important as ever to ensure that the hybrid the grower needs is still available. Because the supply is uncertain, it is important for farmers to make their buying decisions in plenty of time for seed companies to make the appropriate preparations, including turning around seed from South America in time for planting in the spring.

image from http://www.7wondersofcorn.com/

Dr. Fred Below is a professor of Plant Physiology at the University of Illinois. As a student over twenty-five years ago, Below and team members raised 300-bushel an acre corn, and since that time, Below has performed research to determine the components necessary for the highest possible corn yield. Mr. Below has narrowed it down to seven components that are discussed on his site 7wondersofcorn.com.

THE SEVEN WONDERS (visit http://www.7wondersofcorn.com/ to watch a short video on each wonder):

1. Weather: Below says, “Weather is by far the number one factor that affects corn yield–either making you look like a good farmer or spoiling all of your best management.” Plus, it’s the factor that growers have the least control over.
2. Nitrogen: “Used correctly, nitrogen (N) accounts for almost the same value as weather. Combined with weather, N accounts for more than half the crop yield, said Below.” Additionally, “Nitrogen is the factor under farmers’ control with the biggest impact on crop yield;” however, weather plays a major role in the effectiveness of nitrogen.
3. Hybrid selection: The website states, “Because of advances in biotechnology with triple stack genetics, there are significant differences in yields and traits in each hybrid.” Below says, “Number three on the list is probably the most important decision made by farmers each year.”
4. Previous crop: According to Below, “Continuous cropping of corn costs yield. On fields where corn has been rotated with soybeans, corn has better vigor and produces higher yields.” Multi year corn can result in plants and ears of smaller size.
5. Plant population: Below says, “Higher yields come from higher plant populations. Row arrangement is one way to increase plant population…Grow arrangement is clearly one way to increase the plant polulation.”
6. Tillage: Below mentions that tillage is not as big of a factor for yield as farmers think, but it’s certainly a big factor in saving soil.
7. Growth regulators: Below’s site states, “Growth regulators include those compounds that have a positive impact on plant growth.” “Achieving high yield is all about higher populations of the best genetics fertilized with balanced nutrition and then protected with a fungicide, said Dr. Below”

According to Below, “If each of the seven wonders is optimized, farmers can routinely grow 260 bushel per acre corn. To reach the goal of 300 bushels per acre requires better prerequisites, soil fertility most importantly, combined with optimized packages of the seven yield wonders.”

Dr. Below’s website is packed with great tips backed by years of research. Check it out by visiting http://www.7wondersofcorn.com/.

Tomorrow–Thursday, September 29–Farm Journal Media will present “A Day in Agriculture”, which will showcase how those involved in agriculture impact the economy and billions of people around the world.

AgWeb.com will “capture a snapshot of one day in agriculture by providing cross-country coverage and focusing on how one day of agriculture impacts billions of people as Farm Journal Media editors span the country to deliver agriculture’s story.”

AgWeb has invited anyone involved in agriculture to contribute the following to make the project a success:

• Send a video showing what you’re doing on the farm that day
• Submit several photos with captions of your farm
• Tweet live updates of what you are doing that day (#dayinag)
• Call in to the AgWeb editors and provide an audio update
• Post a status on Facebook as to how you are involved in agriculture
• Provide a blog-like submission of your life on the farm

If you would like to tell your story, click here to upload media.

Visit http://www.agweb.com/day_in_ag.aspx today to see a short video about the value of agriculture. Also, make sure to check in tomorrow to see how fellow farmers, ranchers, and anyone else involved in the industry  spend “A Day in Agriculture.”

image from Indiana Grain Company LLC

Agriculture.com posted an interview with Pete Gill, a farmer from Stark County, IL, on YouTube that mentions a “Million Dollar Rain”. Click here to view the video and hear a first-hand account of the importance of the right amount of rain at the right time for growers.

In the video, Mr. Gill recalls the large amount of rain that he received early in the season–during May and June–followed by a dry spell. On July 23rd, he received a rain that he says “broke the heat and replenished the crops, brought the beans along, and pretty much saved our corn crop.”

The interviewer states, “A lot of people were concerned with this crop season because you name it, and mother nature threw it at this crop.” Mr. Gill is ten days into harvest, and despite mother nature’s erratic behavior, he says that the crop is “better than we were expecting” due to a lot of August rain and early September rain.

Unfortunately, not everyone received the “Million Dollar Rain,” and yield estimates were cut due to extreme heat and water shortage. An article in Columbus, Indiana’s “The Republic” says, “This time of year usually is hectic across the state as grain trucks line up to dump harvested corn at grain elevators. But those trucks are only trickling in as farmers come to grips with a grim harvest they hope is only a one-year anomaly.”

In some parts of Kansas, rain was extremely scarce. According to the article: “In southwestern Kansas, some farmers are reporting average to good corn yields, but only in a few fields. Independent crop consultant Loarn Bucl said Haskell County, where he lives, had 1.8 inches to 3.8 inches of rainfall from August 2010 to this August, when typical rainfall for that period is 18 inches.”

“The USDA estimates Kansas lost more than $1.77 billion in wheat, corn, sorghum and soybeans in 2011, based on a comparison of current USDA production estimates and average historic production,” including “138 million bushels of corn worth more than $965 million last year.”

Neither the video or the article mention other factors outside of weather that led to the significant difference in Mr. Gill’s situation at harvest and that of growers in Kansas. With all other inputs equal, rain, or the lack thereof, is a deal-maker or deal-breaker on non-irrigated crops.

Article:http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/4c4838ef43e24aae83f42a71f8fae241/KS–Grim-Harvest/

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/user/Agriculturecom?blend=2&ob=5