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 Seed corn production is two
inbreeds crossed to make a hybrid, therefore it is even more
susceptible to drought because of its weaker makeup.
Doug Lowery, a seed corn grower for 30 years, explains the
importance of irrigation and notes that the yields are more
consistent with irrigation. Lowery began working for Bo-Jac Seed
Company of Mount Pulaski in 1989, just missing the drought of 1988.
The 1988 drought was more centrally located in the cornbelt,
according to Lowery. Lowery recalls in 1989 that Bo-Jac Seed Company
had 4,000 acres of seed corn, which was considerably more than
normal, in order to make up for the drought the previous year.
Over the last couple decades Lowery says, “If we have an above
average year, Logan County will out-produce irrigated fields,
however, if we have an average or under average year, the irrigated
fields perform better. For instance in 2014, which was probably the
best corn year in history, some seed corn made 150 % yield goal. But
in the dry summer of 2012 the seed corn made 20 % of yield goal. In
2012 the drought was more widespread, affecting the entire cornbelt.”
Gro-Alliance bought out Bo-Jac Seed Company in August of 2013 and
seed corn production stayed in Logan County until 2017. In 2018 Gro-Alliance
shifted what they had for Logan County production to Howe, Indiana,
where they already have a production plant and the area is heavily
irrigated. Irrigation is much more consistent, according to Lowery,
thus the reason for the move.
Here in Logan County, as with many areas throughout the cornbelt,
weather is unpredictable and from a seed corn company’s perspective
to be consistently profitable irrigation is important, according to
Lowery.
“We hit a lot of home runs here in Logan County but we also strike
out occasionally, whereas in an irrigated area they consistently hit
a lot of doubles with their production,” said Lowery.
“They will never get the top-end yield,” said Lowery of the
irrigated fields, “But they will never bottom out with a drought
either. Irrigation is expensive production but it’s worth it because
of its consistency.”
Remington Seeds, LLC, based out of Remington, Indiana, has 26
production and distribution locations throughout the United States
and features a plant here in Lincoln, Illinois. Toby Terrell of
Remington Seeds, LLC, explains his company’s situation, as the seed
corn grower faced similar issues. “As far as Remington is concerned
the decision to move out of Logan County was not an easy one. Logan
County has many top notch farmers. They are great people that we had
built long-term relationships with and good people that we will miss
moving forward. We unfortunately had to make some tough decisions
and essentially consolidate our growing area.
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"I was looking after
production for both the Congerville and Bloomington seed facilities
as the growing areas were close together. Simply based on
efficiencies, we felt it was best to consolidate to one area, to
reduce miles and make our operations more efficient. The two areas
were close together but when you put the two together, we were
covering a very large area in total.”
Remington Seeds chose to move seed corn production to the
Tazewell/McLean County areas over the Logan/Mason county areas.
Terrell explains, “Much of the decision had to do with the volume of
irrigation that had gone up in the McLean/Tazewell County areas and
that irrigation was being installed on dark (high-producing) ground.
Because of this, we had seen a slight yield increase in the
McLean/Tazewell area verses the Logan County area over the last
several years. Many of our customers are pursuing irrigated
production ground and we are following their demands. We did have
several acres of irrigated ground in Logan and Mason Counties, but
on lighter soils. One season after this consolidation, Remington
closed the Congerville facility and cut our production in half. We
were going to be forced to make several cuts due to a closing
facility and this would have left us with fewer acres – once again
spread out over a very large area.”
Both Lowery and Terrell seemed to concur on this situation. Lowery
cited that “yields are more consistent with irrigation” and Terrell
also noted "efficiency with yields was a tipping point for our
decision” to move beyond Logan County.
[Teena Lowery]
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