30 March 26, 2015 2015 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine Lincoln Daily News.com
The cost of corn-on-corn
T
hat time which farmers plan for all year is here –
it’s now time to plant for the growing season of
2015.
What will Logan County farmers be planting?
Previous years indicate that the corn production will
remain a high priority for the majority of farmers
in Logan County. For some farmers, the trend of
continuing to grow corn instead of switching to
beans (also known as corn-on-corn production or
continuous corn) is appealing.
The trend began in 2007, when Logan County corn
acreage peaked at 231,500 harvested acres, producing
a record 197 bushels per acre. The following two
years resulted in slightly lower yields of 188 bushels
per acre, a number that fell drastically to 155.7 in
2010.
The most recent 2014 season, Illinois set a new
record of 200 bushels per acre; 22 bushels higher than
the 178 bushel average of 2013.
Logan County did considerably better than the state
for the 2014 season, averaging 230.8 bushels per acre.
According to data released in February by the
National Ag Statistics office, Logan County farmers
planted 201,500 acres of corn. Out of that total
200,000 acres were harvested.
Soybeans
As for soybeans in 2014, Logan County farmers
planted 136,500 acres of soybeans. 136,300 acres
were harvested with an average yield of 63.7 bushels.
So what is the broad overview of corn vs soybeans?
Continuous corn
Corn is known for typically being more profitable
when compared to soybeans at harvest time. But is
that profit without risk? In order to answer that, we
need to look at a few factors involved in planting
continuous corn.
A factor to consider is the presence of fertilizers
and pesticides. Potential profits are affected by the
quantity of necessary fertilizers and pesticides used.
Soybeans replace some of the nutrients that corn
takes from the soil. As a result, there is a potential for
a reduced need for fertilizers.
On the topic of nutrients in the soil, there is a belief
held by some farmers that continuous soybean
planting may be just as risky as continuous corn
planting. According to a May 2014 news release
from Illinois Farmer Today, soybeans planted after
soybeans may be less resistant to disease and more
taxing on the soil.
Continued to page 31
