Crops
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K-State’s Barnaby sees corn crop underwriting losses at about $10 billion
Kansas State University agricultural economist Art Barnaby is well aware of corn growers’ struggles this year as they deal with blistering summer heat and drought. But after crunching the numbers, he believes that some estimates of this year’s U.S. crop losses are premature and might be overstated.
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Beware of nitrate toxicity in drought-stressed corn
With drought stretching across the United States, plants such as corn and sorghum tend to accumulate high levels of nitrate in the lower leaves and stalk of the plant. The accumulation happens because the plant assimilation of these nitrates into amino acids is slowed by the lack of water, a crucial component to numerous plant processes.
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Tips for maximizing wheat yields
With wheat planting coming around the corner, Phil Needham has some ideas on how farmers can make the most of the 2013 wheat crop, even in drought conditions.
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Research looks at glyphosate resistant weeds
Scientists searching for clues to understand how superweeds obtain resistance to the popular herbicide glyphosate may have been missing a critical piece of information.
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Corn prices vs food prices, don’t blame corn
Only 1.5 percent of U.S. Corn Supply Is Used In “Cereals and Other Products” Category… Farmers Still Get Only nine cents of the $4.19 That Consumers Pay for a Box of Cereal According To USDA Price Statistics
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Corn producers are considering silage
The dry summer has many area corn producers disappointed and concerned that their corn crop may meet their production expectations. Chopping the crop for silage is one way to retain some value of the crop before it wilts down in the drought, even though the dry matter tonnage produced may be 10-50 percent lower in a drought compared to normal corn silage.
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Corn pollination process in jeopardy
This year's corn needs rain and needs it soon.
The next couple weeks are critical for corn pollination, because silk growth and tassel pollen-shed must be in sync to create corn kernels. That coordination relies on water. -
Time of day of harvest impacts nitrate levels
Summer annuals are often used by cattle producers for summer grazing or harvested for hay. Plants such as Sorghum-Sudan hybrids, Sorgo-Sudan hybrids, Sudan-Sudan hybrids, and millets, all fall in this category. These summer crops can be very productive and high quality, but can also accumulate toxic levels of nitrate when stressed. The heat and dry weather of the past two weeks has caused many of these plants to become very stressed.
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Insect pests add to problems for crop producers
Crops, already stressed by drought and heat, are under attack by insects.
Producers need to scout for both the usual and unusual suspects. -
Using ammonia when quality forage is limited
Perhaps “making a silk purse from a sow’s ear” may be a little strong when comparing the process of ammoniating low quality roughages such as wheat straw and fescue hay cut after seed harvest.
However, the practice of adding anhydrous ammonia at the rate of around 2.5 percent of the actual weight of the hay is research proven according to Eldon Cole, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension. - More Crops Headlines
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K-State’s Barnaby sees corn crop underwriting losses at about $10 billion
