2018 Spring Farm

Page 24 March 22, 2018 2018 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS L ogan County used to be heavy in seed corn production but the drought of 2012 forced companies to move production to irrigated areas. 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. Seed corn growers move out of Logan County Continue 8