TheCropSite Newsletter - 24 July 2012

TheCropSite Weekly Newsletter

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Tuesday 24th July 2012.

Sarah Mikesell
Senior Editor

Editorial: Welcome to TheCropSite Newsletter

Last week, along with 600 Midwest farmers I braved the 100ºF (38ºC) temps and attended the Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies 2012 conference on a farm near Litchfield, Illinois. I'll admit I wasn't roughing it too much - Wyffels had a huge air conditioned tent for the event and homemade ice cream to keep us cool. :)

The key speakers were economists who talked about economic drivers, market volatility and expectations for USDA to lower demand along with supply. Tom Buis, Growth Energy CEO, spoke about the ethanol industry and his expectations for big oil companies to continue to have deep pockets and a significant voice in Washington DC.

He said when ethanol was a niche market, big oil didn't pay them much attention, but now that the ethanol industry produces 14 billion gallons a year and is 10 per cent of the fuel supply, they have garnered the attention from the fuel industry.

Also at the event, I spoke to Steve Gartner, one of Wyffel's host farmers. He planted his corn earlier than ever this year and said his crop got off to a great start, receiving plenty of rain in April, but now the rains slowed to nothing. His farm received 0.5 inches of rain in May, 0.6 inches in June and nothing in July.

"The corn is just burning up - we've had 100 degree days for some time," he said. "The early corn (planted last week of March/first week of April) pollinated okay, but the ears are small and are aborting kernels every day. The later corn (planted early May) is trying to pollinate but it just can't create a pollen shed to pollinate the silks and I really think that the later planted corn will not even be harvested - it's going to be a zero."

Bill Wyffels, president of Wyffels Hybrids, spoke to customers about the weather impact, his confidence in the Wyffels' seed supply and their seed production in the US and Chile, South America. He also announced Wyffels' early order program.

Many thanks to the Wyffels team for their awesome hospitality last week.

Click here to read more about the Wyffel's Corn Strategies 2012 conference, and watch for more coverage of the speakers in the coming weeks.

Have a great week!

This Week's Articles and Analysis

DuPont Pioneer: Global Opportunities, China Poised for Yield Boost
The expectation for 9+ billion people to inhabit the planet by 2050 is pushing DuPont Pioneer to look at opportunities for growth around the world, writes Sarah Mikesell, TheCropSite senior editor.

Diagnosing Soybean Puckering, Dwarfing
A recent sample received at the University of Illinois Plant Clinic presented confusing symptomology, according to University of Illinois Plant Diagnostic Clinic and Integrated Pest Management coordinator Suzanne Bissonnette.

Implications of Early Corn Harvest for Feed, Residual Use Estimates
US corn plantings this spring were ahead of a typical pace, suggesting that prospects may be good for an early harvest of the 2012 corn crop. An early harvest—before the August 31 end of the previous marketing year—creates an overlap of supply-and-use data between the old and new marketing years that can alter the patterns of corn use and ending stocks, with implications for official USDA projections and estimates.

The Search for Nematode-Resistant Cotton
Agricultural Research Service scientists in Georgia and Mississippi are helping cotton growers deal with the double-barreled threat posed by two nematode species that lurk in their fields. The root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) thrives in the sandy soils throughout much of the southern United States and can cause crop losses of up to 10 percent worldwide.

Intensive Agriculture Leaves Lasting Legacy on Soil Health
The long-lasting and negative effects of intensive farming on soils persist even where complex animal communities have been reintroduced to the soil in attempt to restore the natural balance, according to a recent study. The findings highlight the possible effects of historical land use on soils' ability to deliver ecosystem services.

Biogas Crops Represent Income Opportunity
For the farmer developing a biogas operation, high output feedstock crops are a necessity. At the same time, for the grower with a plant in the near neighbourhood, biogas cropping represents a useful source of income.

Market Reports