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Harvest progress

[SEPT. 23, 2002]  As of today, the harvest progress stands at about 15 percent completed for corn harvest and virtually 0 percent for soybeans. Corn progress varies widely by local area as farmers have been searching for dry corn to start in. Many area cornfields have been "opened up," meaning that end rows have been harvested.

Moisture percentages have ranged from the upper 20s down to the upper teens. Due to the cost of drying, most producers don’t want to start harvest unless moisture is in the lower 20s, unless there are problems with corn standing upright. Once again there are pockets of corn that are lying flat on the ground due to windstorms, corn borer damage and stalk rots.

[Photos provided by John Fulton]

Preliminary results from the county corn borer survey indicate heavy corn borer pressure, especially on the east side of the county. The average survey found almost four borers per plant on the east side of the county in 24 of 25 plants. These numbers will give us over a 10 percent yield loss due to European corn borer this year. This is in addition to fields that may be prone to stalk breakage in windstorms. Another factor is possible dropping of ears due to corn borers weakening the shank that attaches ears to the stalk.

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Early yield reports have been as expected — highly variable. Many yields reported have not been from entire fields but from combine yield monitors and weigh wagons. The low-end yields have been just over 100 bushels on some corn after corn, and the high yields have been over 200 bushels per acre in areas that received timely rainfall.

Where will yield averages fall? Somewhere between those two numbers. As yields reports have not come from whole field averages, take them with a grain of salt. Individual field variation has been greater than the yield reports. In another month or so, we’ll have a good handle on what yields were.

[John Fulton]

[SEPT. 23, 2002]  For National Farm Safety Week the Hartsburg-Emden Intro to Ag class put up a window display at the Hartsburg State Bank.  [Photos provided by ag class.]

Other countries are using it for energy production

What is Miscanthus?

[SEPT. 21, 2002]  URBANA — In their search for a crop that would yield greater biomass for fuel production, European farmers chose Miscanthus. In fact, grassy biomass crops such as Miscanthus are being used for energy production in Europe; power stations fueled solely by plant biomass have been built and are operational in Britain and Denmark; and most European countries are using plant biomass to some extent and experiencing rapid growth. Researchers at the University of Illinois in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences are using computer models to predict what Miscanthus yields would be when grown on farms in the Midwest.

"This model, based on the European experience with Miscanthus," said Steve Long, U of I plant biologist, "predicts that no matter where the crop is grown in Illinois, it will yield as good as or better than it does in Europe — that is, yields of 11 to 17 dry tons per acre per year. Now, with the support of C-FAR (Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research) we are testing these model predictions with trials of the crop across the state."

The potential for growing Miscanthus, the benefits of grassland systems, management strategies and applications for biofuel are some of the topics that will be covered at the Sustainable Grassland Systems Field Day, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, at a field location just north of Monticello.

Long said that crops such as Miscanthus would add to the diversity of options for farmers, increasing stability of farm incomes. "Once established, Miscanthus is a low-input crop which adds large amounts of carbon to the soil, will help to decrease errant nitrogen from entering our water supplies and improve the quality of our soils."

Emily Heaton, who is conducting the Illinois trials with Long and Tom Voigt at the university, added, "Recent events in the United States and abroad have highlighted the crucial need for energy sources that are not only clean and renewable, but also domestically abundant. The federal government has recognized the vital role agriculture can play in satisfying U.S. energy demand. Biofuels, specifically energy crops, were included in the new 2002 farm bill, reflecting the increasing importance of these crops in the U.S. energy and agricultural portfolios."

Long said that green energy from perennial, grassy energy crops, particularly Miscanthus, provides an opportunity for the agricultural and energy industries to work together by growing profitable and sustainable new crops while simultaneously providing clean, renewable fuel.

At the field day, morning speakers will present information on topics relating to grazing, including the economics of grazing, legislation and managing intensive grazing. After a field tour, demonstration and lunch, there will be a presentation by the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s AgriFIRST program, followed by several experts speaking on topics related to using plants as fuel, including Long’s presentation on Miscanthus and a presentation from crop sciences graduate student Emily Heaton, who works with Long. Attendees will have a chance to see firsthand the largest field plot of Miscanthus for fuel production in the United States.

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The field location is just north of Monticello and south of Lodge. Interstate 72, take Exit 166 at Monticello’s Market Street. At the stop sign turn north. The Rick Ridings auto dealership will be on your right. Continue on old Route 47 about 1.25 miles until you come to the end of Lodge Park. At this point turn north onto Cry Baby Bridge Road, cross the Sangamon River, and continue to the "Y." Turn west and continue for about one-half mile until you come to the railroad tracks. Cross the tracks, turn north and continue about one-half mile.

The Sustainable Grassland Field Day is hosted by John Caveny, president of Environmentally Correct Concepts in Monticello. "I believe that producing grassy bioenergy crops will be a core enterprise on farms in Illinois in the near future," states Caveny. "Renewable base-load electric energy from grass is one ag product that is not in surplus."

Other partners include Illinois AgriFIRST, Dynegy Midwest Generation, Illinois Extension, NRCS and the Dudley Smith Initiative. The field day is part of the 2002 Sustainable Agriculture Tours, sponsored by the Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program at the University of Illinois, the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Professional Development Program, and the Illinois Small Farm Task Force.

"The tours and field days we’ve sponsored this summer and fall have given people a chance to see a variety of sustainable agriculture operations in action," said Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Extension specialist for the University of Illinois’ Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program.

The entire Sustainable Grassland Systems Field Day is free, including lunch. However please make a reservation by Oct. 10. For more information and to register, please contact John Caveny at (217) 762-7767 or by e-mail to soilsteward@prairieinet.net.

The U of I Miscanthus project is funded by C-FAR.

[U of I news release]

New Zealand dairy trip open

[SEPT. 20, 2002]  URBANA — A University of Illinois Department of Animal Sciences field study trip to New Zealand focusing on that nation’s dairy industry has openings for a number of non-students, said Gene McCoy, U of I dairy science research specialist and organizer of the tour. The group will leave Chicago on Jan 6 and return there on Jan. 18.

"This is a great opportunity to observe the New Zealand dairy industry, its practices and research first-hand," said McCoy, who will be leading the trip with Richard Wallace, U of I Extension dairy veterinarian.

"We'll tour a number of dairy farms, observe grazing practices and visit a research center. One of our stops will be at a commercial deer ranch. Deer ranching is becoming very popular in that country."

Transportation and lodging costs are approximately $2,800 per person, not including spending money.

McCoy said those interested should contact him by Sept. 23 at (217) 333-2625, (217) 351-9106, or g-mccoy@uiuc.edu.

[U of I news release]

Aflatoxin problems in corn
isolated to southern Illinois

[SEPT. 19, 2002]  URBANA — Recent reports indicate that elevators in southern Illinois have rejected some truckloads of corn because of the presence of aflatoxin as indicated by a black-light test. In some cases, levels have been reported as high as 200 or 300 parts per billion. That compares to the cutoff point of only 20 parts per billion for interstate commerce.

But according to Don White, professor of fungal diseases of corn in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, the pro blem appears limited only to a small area in the southern part of the state.

"There certainly is no reason for the markets to be panicked over this development," White said. "The situation so far is restricted to a small geographical area. The growers who need to watch out are those who are harvesting a drought-stressed corn crop that is low in yield. I would be really surprised if we have enough aflatoxin in the other areas of the state to cause any real concerns."

White notes that it usually takes two consecutive years of dry weather to produce widespread problems from aflatoxin, which has not been the case in Illinois.

"The fungus that produces the toxin normally does not do well when conditions are wet," he said. "It just cannot compete well with other bacteria and fungi in such an environment. Normally, however, you need two straight dry years before the innoculum builds up to the high levels that can cause a problem."

White points out that even those growers who have their corn rejected at the elevator still have several options open to them.

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"High levels of aflatoxin are usually found only in the broken and cracked kernels," White said. "Those can often be screened out using a grain cleaner, leaving the remaining corn below the threshold for aflatoxin contamination. The loss in this process is usually only about 1 or 2 percent."

He adds that even corn with low to moderate levels of aflatoxin can also be safely fed to finishing steers.

"It is important, however, that corn with aflatoxin should never be used to feed dairy cows, because it metabolizes into an aflatoxin-like product in the milk," he said. "Chickens also are very susceptible to problems from aflatoxin. But certainly, finishing steers can handle it quite well."

White also warns against feeding any of the corn screenings, which contain the cracked and broken kernels, to any kind of animal. He further advises growers to be careful in storing drought-stressed corn, because aflatoxin can be produced in stored corn that has not been dried to at least 14.5 percent moisture content.

"At this point, there is no reason for major concern," he said. "We appear to have a problem only in drought-stressed corn from a relatively small area. We will continue to remain vigilant for any further problems as harvest continues."

[U of I news release]

[SEPT. 17, 2002]  The first "Chamber Mixer on the Farm" won’t be the last, according to Bobbi Abbott, director of the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce. "It’s been such a success that we hope to do it every year," she said.

About 75 people gathered Sunday afternoon at the Jeff Elsas farm north of town to meet their neighbors and learn how valuable farming is to the financial health of Logan County. For example, commodities from the 729 farms in the county bring in about $112 million in cash receipts each year.

[Photos by Joan Crabb]

Visitors also learned why Logan County soils are so productive. Bill Dickerson, district conservationist for Natural Resources Conservation Service, explained this as he stood in an 8-foot-deep pit dug by a backhoe for the occasion.

The chance to see a slice of good Logan County soil brought visitors to the edge of the pit. Dickerson described the soil on Elsas’ farm as "the perfect balance for crop production, as good a soil as you would find anywhere."

Sixteen inches of black topsoil sits on top of a 4-foot layer of moderately well- to well-drained silty clay loam that is "forgiving" enough to release water to plants and to allow root systems to go deep, he explained. Below the clay loam is a layer of sand.

The black organic matter came from prairie grasses, which produced much more organic matter than woodlands.

Called Tama silt loan, this soil was deposited by wind after the last glacier, the Wisconsin, receded about 15,000 years ago, according to scientists.

Mixer visitors also heard a presentation by David Ramsey of the Land of Lincoln Agriculture Coalition about the possibility of building a farmer-owned ethanol plant in Elkhart.

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Ramsey said if it becomes possible to use the waste coal from the Turris mine, the proposed plant could be one of the lowest-cost producers in the area. Turris is working on ways to clean up high-sulfur Illinois coal so it can meet Environmental Protection Agency standards.

Ramsey said the proposed plant would use only the starch and sugar in corn to make the ethanol, so the portion of the grain left would contain protein and be suitable for animal feed.

Of every 10 gallons of gasoline American drivers use, five gallons come from imported oil, four come from domestic oil, which is environmentally costly to produce, and one gallon comes from ethanol. That one gallon of ethanol would be renewable every year, unlike the other nine gallons in the tank, he said.

As other gasoline additives that reduce vehicle emissions are being phased out, the demand for ethanol will rise from the 2.4 billion gallons now in use to three billion gallons, perhaps as high as 5.5 billion gallons within 10 years.

The proposed Elkhart plant would cost $75 million and require about 1,000 farmer-landowner investors. It would create 41 permanent jobs at the plant along with another 700 jobs for others, such as truckers hauling its products, he said.

The Land of Lincoln Agriculture Coalition is a "think tank" of farmers and agribusiness people that for the past two years has been trying to find ways to add value to agriculture, according to Ramsey.

A highlight of the day for about 15 of the visitors was a ride on Elsas’ eight-row John Deere combine as it took a turn around the field. Some saw for the first time a combine turning rows of standing corn into wagons full of golden kernels.

Elizabeth Murray Collins, almost 8 years old, was impressed with the demonstration.

"I’ve never been on anything that big before," she said.

While demonstrating the combine, Elsas also got most of a 30-acre stand of corn harvested, said his farming partner Steve Haseley. Haseley said Elsas was getting about 180-185 bushels to the acre, with about 20 percent moisture content.

The harvested corn was trucked to the East Lincoln elevator, which Hugh Whalen opened especially to accommodate Elsas and the chamber mixer, Haseley said.

Bill Sahs of Lincoln was coordinator of the event, and Larry Huelskoetter, chairman of the chamber’s ag awareness subcommittee, served as master of ceremonies.

Farm equipment from Atlanta Ag Center and Central Illinois Ag, also of Atlanta, was on the grounds for visitors to see.

Marty Ahrends, co-chairman of the chamber’s ag committee, said the chamber appreciated the cooperation of Elsas and Haseley for the event.

"The ag committee and other producers in Logan County are going to do a value-added agriculture visioning process this winter to identify strengths and weaknesses and look for opportunities to add value to the agricultural operation and to the commodities they produce," she said.

Abbott said she believes it is very important to make connections between business people and ag producers. "I think we have made a good start with this event," she said.

[Joan Crabb]

Weekly outlook

September reports

[SEPT. 17, 2002]  URBANA — The relatively high level of prices, the lack of carry in the corn and soybean price structure, and the absence of loan deficiency payments all favor harvest sales of corn and soybeans, said a University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.

"However, the tightness in the balance sheets, the uncertainty about the South American growing season and the need for large crops in the Northern Hemisphere next year suggest that some ownership should be maintained into the winter and spring months," said Darrel Good.

"Speculating on higher prices by storing the crops is relatively expensive. Basis contracts or ownership of futures may be less expensive, but not all producers are willing to use these tools. The Commodity Credit Corporation loan provides cash flow for those who choose to store part of the crop."

Good’s comments came as he reviewed the USDA’s September reports. The report of U.S. and world crop prospects contained no major surprises. At 8.849 billion bushels, the U.S. corn crop projection was 37 million bushels smaller than the August projection, even though the U.S. average yield estimate was increased by 0.2 bushels, to 125.4 bushels. Stocks of U.S. corn at the end of the 2002-03 marketing year are expected to be a meager 729 million bushels, the lowest level in seven years.

Compared to the year just ended, the USDA projects a 225-million-bushel reduction in feed and residual use of corn during the current marketing year, a 115-million-bushel increase in domestic processing use of corn, and a 100-million-bushel increase in U.S. exports.

"Few doubt that processing use of corn will increase, due to expanded ethanol capacity," said Good. "Opinions differ on prospective feeding and exports of U.S. corn. The projected decline in feed use will have to come as the result of fewer animals or a decline in the amount of grain fed per animal since the decline in corn consumption is not expected to be offset by increased feeding of other grains.

"The USDA’s Dec. 1 Grain Stocks report, to be released in early January, will reveal the rate of domestic feed and residual use of corn during the first quarter of the 2002-03 marketing year. That report will be important in determining if corn prices are generating the necessary adjustments in use."

Good added that the projected increase in U.S. corn exports reflects expectations of a small increase in world consumption and a decline in exports from Argentina. Chinese exports are expected to increase by 59 million bushels (19 percent) due to a 433-million-bushel (10 percent) increase in production. As of Sept. 5, 244 million bushels of U.S. corn had been sold for export during the current marketing year, 17 million less than sales of a year ago.

"The market will continue to monitor weekly sales and export reports, as well as the sales of Chinese corn, for clues as to the accuracy of the USDA projection," said Good.

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At 2.656 billion bushels, the USDA’s September projection of the U.S. soybean crop was 28 million bushels larger than the August projection. A small reduction in the projection of harvested acreage was more than offset by an increase in the expected yield. The U.S. average yield is now projected at 37 bushels per acre, 0.5 bushels above the August projection but 2.6 bushels below the 2001 average yield.

For the current U.S. marketing year, the USDA projects a 215-million-bushel (20 percent) decline in exports and a 25-million-bushel (1.5 percent) decline in the domestic crush.

"The decline in consumption is being required by the smaller crop," said Good. "Year-ending stocks are expected to total only 160 million bushels, the lowest level in six years. Part of the reduction will be accomplished through higher prices, but much of the cut in U.S. exports is expected to be offset by larger South American exports.

"For the year October 2002 through September 2003, the USDA expects South American exports to total 1.25 billion bushels, 367 million bushels more than exported in the previous 12 months. The larger projection reflects the large 2002 South American crop, an expected 8.7 percent increase in production in 2003 and continued expansion in world soybean consumption."

As of Sept. 5, export sales of U.S. soybeans totaled 213 million bushels, 4.5 million larger than sales of a year ago. The market will continue to pay close attention to the rate of U.S. soybean export sales and the development of the South American crop.

Corn and soybean prices moved higher prior to the release of the USDA’s report on Sept. 12. The lack of surprises in the report and the start of the Midwest harvest allowed December corn futures to decline about 20 cents and November soybean futures to decline about 30 cents following the release of the reports.

"In addition to the ongoing reports on the rate of consumption, the market will react to yield reports over the next several weeks," said Good. "Given the expected drawdown in U.S. and world inventories, small changes in expected crop size could have important price implications.

"Those small inventories also mean that prices could be very sensitive to 2003-04 production prospects."

[U of I news release]

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