Corn and Soybean Digest

DCP, ACRE Sign-Up Ends June 1

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:38:00 +0000

Source: USDA Farm Service Agency

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce Nelson reminds farmers that enrollment for the 2012 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) and the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE) ends June 1, 2012. “We want producers to know that DCP and ACRE are still available for enrollment,” says Nelson.

Hypro Express™ Nozzle Body End Caps Increase Nozzle Body Efficiency

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

expressnozzlebodyend.pdf

Simple vs. Olympic Prices used in Farm Commodity Programs

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:34:00 +0000

When historical averages are needed, an Olympic average often is used rather than a simple average in calculating benchmarks in farm bill commodity programs. For example, the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) program that was passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee uses Olympic averages of prices and yields in calculating benchmark revenue. In this post, Olympic averages are compared to simple averages for corn and soybean prices. Generally, Olympic and simple averages will track one over time. The relationship of Olympic to simple averages depends on the nature of distributions across time.

The Rule of Ten

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:27:00 +0000

The lead-in to this topic came from a farmer who had heard me speak about the Rule of 10 a number of years ago, and had experienced it in his own business. The gentleman is over 50, and has operated the farm for more than 30 years. Let’s explain the rule.

CSD Blogs and Opinions

May 10 USDA Reports Bring Mixed Results

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:24:00 +0000

The USDA Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WADSE) reports released May 10 were regarded as bearish for the corn market and bullish for the soybean market in the coming months. Corn stocks are expected to double by the end of the 2012-2013 crop marketing year, while the ending soybean stocks are expected to be at the tightest level on record by the end of the 2012-2013 marketing year, which runs from Sept. 1, 2012 to Aug. 31, 2013.

CSD Blogs and Opinions

3 Things to Watch After May USDA Reports: Corn Yield, Soybean Acreage, Corn Feed/Residual Use

Tue, 15 May 2012 20:20:00 +0000

USDA reports frequently move markets and last week’s first supply/demand for the 2012 grain and oilseed crops was no exception. The day of the report, July corn closed down 20¢/bu. and cotton down 4¢/lb., while July beans closed 25¢/bu. higher and wheat 1¢ higher. Despite the immediate market reaction to the numbers, some aspects of the reports are debatable. Here are a few numbers Brock analysts expect to change.

CSD Blogs and Opinions

U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Goes Into Effect May 15

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:19:00 +0000

Source: USDA

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement about the U.S-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, or Colombia TPA, which enters into force today."Beginning today, U.S. agricultural exporters receive duty-free access on more than half of the products we currently export to Colombia, and virtually all remaining tariffs will be eliminated within 15 years."

May 14 Crop Progress: Corn More Than Half Emerged; Soybeans Nearly Half Planted

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:07:00 +0000

U.S. farmers continue to be busy in the fields, making good progress getting the 2012 corn crop 87% planted and the soybeans 46% planted, according to the May 14 USDA Crop Progress report. This is 21 and 22 points, respectively, ahead of the five-year average.

Does Ethanol Really Lower The Price Of Gasoline?

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:55:00 +0000

Source: Farmgate blog

The latest USDA supply-demand report indicated that corn processing for ethanol purposes would not increase much from the 2011 crop to the 2012 crop. About 5 billion bushels would be converted to ethanol. One reason is the blend wall that serves as a maximum for the 10% fuel blend to be incorporated into the nation’s motor fuel supply. And since the demand for gasoline is declining due to the recession, the demand for ethanol is not growing.

7 Causes for Corn Emergence Problems

Tue, 15 May 2012 18:27:00 +0000

Source: Ohio State University

Corn planting is nearing completion in Ohio. Across the state and within localized areas, corn is at a range of growth stages. Some of the corn planted in April is showing up to 4 leaf collars but in later-planted fields, corn is still emerging. Troubleshooting emergence problems early is critical in identifying solutions and developing successful replant plans, if needed.

Corn Market Direction Unfolding; Magnitude Still Uncertain

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Source: University of Illinois

The USDA’s projections of U.S. and world corn and feed grain supply-and-demand conditions presented in the May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report set the benchmark by which the corn market will judge unfolding events. According to Darrel Good, a University of Illinois agricultural economist, those events are continually unfolding, with some of the more important ones to be revealed this summer.

Monitor Weed Control with Aerial Imagery

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:46:00 +0000

Source: Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network

It’s been another abnormal spring and many farmers have had to adjust some of their management practices. Specifically, the combination of the unusual weather and a need to get control of glyphosate-resistant weeds has increased the need to more closely scrutinize weed-management programs.

Tips for Nitrogen, Herbicide Application on Emerged Corn

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:37:00 +0000

By Bob Hartzler and John Sawyer, Iowa State University

The rapid pace of planting in late April followed by rain has resulted in many fields having emerged corn before pre-emergence herbicide and nitrogen applications have been completed. Of particular concern are no-till fields where planting was completed prior to killing emerged weeds.

Eye On Crops: May 11, 2012

Sat, 12 May 2012 00:37:00 +0000

Compiled by Jen Bennett

We started planting soybeans on Thursday. After getting nearly 5 in. of rain, the conditions were surprisingly good. Nearly all of our corn acres are emerging and it looks to be off to a good start, except for where the water ponded.

Markets Plead for Soybeans; Farmers Have Time to Respond

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Source: Purdue University

Much has happened since early March that could sway farmers to take advantage of an increasing market for soybeans and plant more of the crop – a change that could help improve projections of decades-low supplies, says Chris Hurt, a Purdue University Extension agricultural economist.

Scout for Slugs Now

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:14:00 +0000

Source: University of Ohio

We are receiving numerous reports right now about slugs causing significant feeding injury requiring treatment with baits. These reports are two to four weeks early compared with most years, and is a result of the warmer winter and March. Slugs have attached out earlier than normal and have reached a size that causes noticeable feeding injury much sooner.

3 Soybean-Planting Basics To Remember

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Source: Purdue University

As grain farmers make the transition from planting corn to soybeans, Shaun Casteel, a Purdue Extension soybean specialist, says they need to keep a few basic principles in mind. Planting conditions and timing, seeding rates and depths and insect awareness play major roles in the crop's yield potential.

Customize Postemergent Herbicide Applications

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Source: Winfield Solutions

"In general, postemergent applications should be made before weeds get taller than 2-4 in., because that's when competition can begin to impact yields," says WinField Regional Agronomist Steve Barnhart. "Plus small weeds are a lot easier to control than larger ones." Because every field is different, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to turn to when it comes to planning postemergent herbicide applications.

May 2012 WASDE: 14.8-Billion-Bushel Corn Crop

Thu, 10 May 2012 19:25:00 +0000

Source: Farmgate blog

USDA blew the cobwebs off its calculators and forecast a 14.8-billion-bushel corn crop for 2012, helped by a 5.1-million-acre increase in corn and a record 166-bu. yield average. With increased demand for corn all around, there will still be a 1.9-billion-bushel carryout at the end of the marketing year in August 2013. For the new crop, total use will be up 9% from the old crop, based on higher use for feed and exports, along with sweeteners and starches.

Agricultural Risk Coverage Program and Multi-Year Price Declines

Thu, 10 May 2012 19:12:00 +0000

Source: University of Illinois farmdocDaily

The Senate Agriculture Committee recently passed a version of the farm bill that now moves for debate in the entire Senate. This bill replaces direct, counter-cyclical and SURE payments with Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC), a revenue-based program that is further described in yesterday’s post by Carl Zulauf. Here, ARC payments are computed for cases in which prices are low for several years. This emphasis is taken as ARC is specifically designed to provide protection in cases of multi-year revenue losses, cases in which crop insurance often provides limited protection.

New Priaxor™ fungicide and Merivon® fungicide now registered for use

Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

DuPont Leader Encourages Cross-Industry Collaboration to Address One of the Greatest Challenges of the 21st Century – Food

Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

May 7 Crop Progress: Soybeans Nearly 1/4 Planted; Corn Nearly 1/3 Emerged

Wed, 09 May 2012 02:10:00 +0000

While no state is completely finished planting corn, some are getting close as the entire corn crop is 71% planted for 2012. This is well ahead of the five-year average of 47% by this date, and even further ahead of last year’s 32% pace.

Challenges in Genetically Engineered Crop Regulatory Process

Tue, 08 May 2012 20:48:00 +0000

American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America member leads team to determine delays.

Source: American Society of Agronomy

A new innovation can completely reshape an industry – inspiring both optimism and debate. The development of genetically engineered (GE) crops in the 1980s ignited a buzz in the agricultural community with the potential for higher crop yields and better nutritional content, along with the reduction of herbicide and pesticide use. GE crops grew to play a significant role in the U.S., with more than 160 million acres of farmland used to produce GE crops in 2011. However, the development of new GE crops has recently slowed to a trickle due to litigation over field testing and deregulation. University of Minnesota researchers Esther McGinnis, Alan Smith and Mary Meyer set out to determine the cause of these litigation lulls responsible for slowing GE progress in the U.S.

USDA Advances Water Quality Conservation Across the U.S.

Tue, 08 May 2012 20:45:00 +0000

Agricultural producers located in selected watersheds will be able to participate

Source: USDA

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the launch of a new National Water Quality Initiative committed to improving one to seven impaired watersheds in every U.S. state and territory. The 157 selected watersheds were identified with assistance from state agencies, key partners, and NRCS State Technical Committees. USDA's NRCS will make available at least $33 million in financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners this year to implement conservation practices to help provide cleaner water for their neighbors and communities.

Student Loan Dilemma

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:48:00 +0000

The other day my road warrior travels took me to New England to a pre-wedding party for my son and his fiancée. After meeting everyone (boy, do they talk funny up there), a young man at the party struck up a conversation with me. He currently lives in New York City and graduated from a university three years ago.

CSD Blogs and Opinions

Too Much Rain and 2012 ACRE Details

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:45:00 +0000

It’s hard to believe that in less than a 10-day time period we can go from concerns over drought to excess rainfall, which is causing flooded fields in some areas. That is exactly what has happened dung the last few days of April and the first week of May in some parts of southern Minnesota. Much of the rain came as part of intense thunderstorms with heavy downpours that caused some flash flooding, and featured strong winds and large hail in some areas. The wind and hail did cause some isolated building and property damage in rural areas, but had very minimal impact on the newly planted crops.

CSD Blogs and Opinions

Farm Bill Details and Analysis

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:39:00 +0000

Although the Senate Ag Committee’s farm bill draft is just that – a draft – it will certainly be the starting point for further negotiations in formulating the final bill. We gave the framework for the key new programs, but you can take a look at the full bill here (pdf).

CSD Blogs and Opinions

FARMLOGIC SPONSORS WEBER RACING

Tue, 08 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Murray, Kentucky—FarmLogic announced today that it has entered into a one year agreement to sponsor Weber Racing, with 15 year old driver, Karl Weber from rural Indiana. The sponsorship will include a car wrapped in FarmLogic decals and a fire suit displaying the FarmLogic logo. It will also include appearances at farm shows and conventions.

press-release2c-may-65b15d.pdf

Golden Acres Genetics to distribute Catalyst™ brand seed for Syngenta

Mon, 07 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

MINNETONKA, Minn. – Syngenta <http://www.syngenta-us.com/> announced today that Catalyst™ brand corn hybrids will be distributed by Golden Acres Genetics in the South for the 2013 planting season.