Last year, farmers didn't have nearly enough rain for their wilted, drought-ravaged crops. So far this year, they have too much of it – so much that they can't get into their fields to work them for corn planting....More
Corn bulls were happy to see ethanol production at 857,000 barrels per day (largest since last July), and were also happy to see strong blender demand pushing ethanol stocks lower as well. I should point out there were ZERO ethanol imports reported last week....More
Wet soil conditions have caused delays in planting and in efforts to control existing weed vegetation. Much of the existing weed growth is comprised of winter annual species, such as common chickweed, henbit, purple deadnettle, etc., but emergence of several summer annual species also has begun....More
Wet soil conditions have caused delays in planting and in efforts to control existing weed vegetation. Much of the existing weed growth is comprised of winter annual species, such as common chickweed, henbit, purple deadnettle, etc., but emergence of several summer annual species also has begun....More
Farmers across the Corn Belt are eager to start planting corn or are in the early stages of planting their 2013 crop. If cool, wet weather continues, planting will be delayed for many growers and prompt questions about switching to earlier-season corn hybrids....More
Speaking of webcasts, a banker from Iowa asked an interesting question during a recent webcast. He wanted to know my thoughts on how much farmland prices would be adversely affected in 2014 and 2015 if prices for crops drop below breakeven levels, for example $3-4/bu. corn. Let’s examine this issue that is top of mind with lenders and to a lesser extent with agricultural producers....More
Like the start of a big race, or the beginning of a championship game, farmers in Minnesota and Iowa are eagerly awaiting the initiation of full-scale field work. Very cool temperatures and moist soil conditions have existed across the region during most of the month of April, resulting in cold soil temperatures and soil conditions that have not been conducive to the initiation of corn planting in Minnesota and Iowa....More
The Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) was part of the 2008 Farm Bill and offers an alternative to the Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP). The deadline for signup this year is June 3....More
The latest Crop Progress Report from USDA puts overall corn planted at just 5%. This is only 1 point ahead of last week, and is 26 points behind the five-year average. (Is it necessary to mention that last year nearly half of the overall corn crop was in the ground? Probably not.)...More
Mounds of data and layers of field maps are common elements of precision farming systems. A new web-based tool simplifies variable-rate technologies, combining historical field satellite imagery with test plot data to field-tailor seed selection and prescriptions for planting and fertilizer application....More
