Month: August 2019

Questions about Corn Crop Continue

By: Todd Hubbs, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois. farmdoc Daily.

The USDA’s August crop production forecast delivered a shock to corn markets with much larger production than expected.  Market participants continue to question the size of the 2019 corn crop, in particular, harvested acreage and yield come in for much speculation.

Producers reported they planted 90 million acres of corn and intended to harvest 82 million acres for grain.  Initial reaction to 90 million planted acres with 11.2 million acres of prevent plant corn approached complete disbelief.  The switch into corn acres happened for both the prevented planting decisions and crop planting.  The expansion of corn acres reduced soybean acres in particular.  When matched with FSA data on reported planted acres, the possibility of USDA lowering planted corn acreage by a significant amount this year seems very low. Continue reading →

From Across the Field – Summer’s Last Blast 8/7/19

The county fair opens today and while hard to believe, it is once again a sign that summer is on the downhill slide. Here’s to hoping for good weather throughout the fair, even though a nice rain or two would be welcome as crops to continue to grow and develop.

This week many of the 4-H and FFA youth will be exhibiting their projects ranging from livestock to art and woodworking. Growing up, I always enjoyed exhibiting both swine and beef cattle at the Morgan County Fair. I also had the opportunity to travel to numerous other county fairs with my father to bid on and load livestock for the livestock auction that he manages. At every fair I have ever been to, the highlight is always the Jr. Fair programs. Continue reading →

August USDA Reports

By:Todd Hubbs, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics University of Illinois. farmdoc Daily online

The highly anticipated August Crop Production report contained a larger than expected production forecast for the 2019 U.S. corn crop.  Soybean production came in lower on smaller acreage.

For corn, the USDA lowered harvested acres to 82 million acres, but this came in above expectations of 80 million acres.  Corn planted acreage totaled 90 million acres.  When combined with a Farm Service Agency projection of 11.2 million acres of prevent plant corn, the total corn base appears to exceed 101 million acres in 2019.  The U.S. corn yield forecast of 169.5 bushels per acre exceeded trade expectations by 4.6 bushels.  The projected corn crop is 700 million bushels larger than the average trade guess at 13.9 billion bushels.  As expected due to poor crop condition ratings, the eastern Corn Belt yield projections came in at lower levels than last year. Continue reading →

Estimating Yield Losses in Stressed Corn Fields

By: Peter Thomison, OSU Extension

Many corn fields are still silking (and some are just past the mid-vegetative stages)….so, it may seem a little early to discuss estimating grain yields. However, according to the most recent  NASS crop report, for the week ending Aug. 8, 2019,  25% of the corn crop has reached the dough stage (compared to 63% for the 5 year average). Corn growers with drought damaged fields and late plantings may want to estimate grain yields prior to harvest in order to help with marketing and harvest plans. Two procedures that are widely used for estimating corn grain yields prior to harvest are the YIELD COMPONENT METHOD (also referred to as the “slide rule” or corn yield calculator) and the EAR WEIGHT METHOD. Continue reading →

Keep an Eye on Crop Diseases

Source: OSU Extension

Late-planted corn and soybeans could be vulnerable to higher-than-normal levels of crop diseases this year. When sown one to two months later than usual, corn and soybeans stand a greater chance of succumbing, especially, to fungal diseases.

Dry weather across much of Ohio since July has helped stave off some disease spread because fungal diseases need moisture to thrive. Still, during a year when late planting has already limited the yield potential on crops, it’s critical to be watchful for other threats too, including all types of diseases, molds, and insects, advise experts with Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). Continue reading →

Prevented Planting Acres Announced For 2019

Agricultural producers reported they were not able to plant crops on more than 19.4 million acres in 2019, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This marks the most prevented plant acres reported since USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began releasing the report in 2007 and 17.49 million acres more than reported at this time last year.

Of those prevented plant acres, more than 73% were in 12 Midwestern states, where heavy rainfall and flooding this year has prevented many producers from planting mostly corn, soybeans and wheat. Continue reading →

Machinery Cost Estimates for 2019

By: Dale Lattz and Gary Schnitkey, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics University of Illinois. farmdoc Daily

Machinery cost estimates for agricultural uses have been updated for 2019. The last time machinery costs were released on farmdoc was in 2017.  Between 2017 and 2019, most per acre costs increased between 7 and 9 percent.

Machinery Cost Estimates for 2019

Estimated machinery costs often are used to set custom rates when one individual performs a field operation for another individual.  We provide machinery cost estimates which may be useful in setting custom rates.  An additional amount for profit should be added to our cost estimates, as we have not added an amount for returns.

Machinery costs estimates are available in the management section of farmdoc in five publications: Continue reading →

From Across the Field – Where Has Summer Gone? 8/1/19

The calendar says it is August but it sure doesn’t feel like it to me. As you drive further north on Route 23 and up onto I-75 crop conditions would lead one to think we were just starting July in many instances. However, the reality of everything is that the county fair begins in one week and Farm Science Review will be soon to follow. Speaking of FSR, we have pre-sale tickets available here in the office for $7 up until the week before the event. Continue reading →

USDA Opens Signup for Market Facilitation Program

Signup is open for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program to assist farmers who continue to suffer from damages because of unjustified trade retaliation from foreign nations. Through MFP, USDA will provide up to $14.5 billion in direct payments to impacted producers, part of a broader trade relief package announced in late July. The sign-up period runs through Dec. 6. Continue reading →

Are Crops Catching Up?

By: Laura Lindsey and Peter Thomison, OSU Extension

Corn. Crop development varies tremendously across Ohio because of planting dates that range from late April to early July. According to field agronomists in some areas of the state, it looks like late-planted crops are “ rushing through development” …Unlike soybean, corn development is directly related to temperature, i.e. heat unit accumulation. Above average July temperatures (especially nighttime temperatures) have promoted rapid corn growth and development. After corn reaches the V10 stage (and most of our June plantings are near or beyond this stage), leaf collar emergence occurs at approximately one leaf every 50 GDDs. Continue reading →