It is said that 'knowledge is the bedrock of existence'. As such, this blog serves to freely inform the general public about the importance of agriculture. The blog also serves to educate people on the different products that could be used on plants and animals to boost their growth and minimise loss and mortality.
SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Brazil could harvest 113.3 million tons of soybeans in the 2016/2017 season. According to the Rally da Safra, the main expedition to monitor the grain harvest in Brazil, this estimate is a result of favorable weather and an investment in technology.
According to the survey, soybean production will grow 18% compared with the previous crop, which was 96.3 million tons. The estimate indicates an increase in acreage from 82.28 million acres to 83.76 million acres.
YIELD RECORD
The outstanding result of the Safra Rally was the record yield of 49.78 bushels per acre, compared with 43 bushels per acre in the past season. “This is a spectacular soybean harvest,” said André Pessôa, coordinator of the Rally da Safra, in a statement released on March 30.
During the expedition, technicians observed favorable weather in most producing regions, a low incidence of pests and diseases, and an increased investment in seeds. “This year, rains occurred earlier and were constant throughout the season, and farmers took advantage of early planting,” says Pessôa.
The earlier soybean harvest allowed the good implementation of the second-corn crop until the second fortnight of February in the states of Mato Grosso and Goiás. It offers a positive outlook for the second crop, increasing the chance of higher productivity of corn, too.
SOYBEAN HARVEST REACHED 68%
According to the consultancy AgRural, the soybean harvest reached 68% of the planted area. In a statement released March 24, AgRural said that productivity is surpassing estimates. The consultancy also stated that its production estimate will be revised upward.
The Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) in Kano State has secured a N50 million loan from the State Government, its Chairman, Alhaji Faruk Rabi’u, said on Wednesday.
Rabi’u said that the loan would be used to assist the farmers warehouse their produce after harvest.
The chairman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Kano that the assiciation had introduced the ` Warehousing Finance Receipt Programme’, to ensure safety of produce at the end of the season.
Rabi’u said farmers who need money during the period would be given interest-free loan from the N50 million.
“The idea is to discourage farmers from selling their produce at a give away prices after harvest.
“When there is bumper harvest, middlemen buy and hoard the product and later sell it at exorbitant prices which is to the detriment of farmers.”
He believed that the introduction of the warehousing receipt programme, farmers would keep their products safely until when the commodity appreciated.
According to him, if any member requires money during the period his product is warehoused, the association would offer them the interest-free loan, to repay after selling the produce.
Rabi’u said under the programme, farmers would get 30 per cent value of their products as loan and would be made to pay a token for warehousing their commodity.
The chairman disclosed that the association had set up a committee to recover the loan disbursed to its members under the CBN anchor borrower programme.
“Harvesting has commenced and we have set up a committee for loan recovery which will soon commence its assignment.”
He called on farmers to ensure prompt payment of the loan, to avoid any embarrassment. (NAN)
1. GRAINS, SOYBEAN FUTURES HIGHER OVERNIGHT ON BARGAIN HUNTING
Grain and soybean futures were higher as investors seeking bargains jump into the markets.
With little fundamental news to trade, those seeking to get into the agriculture markets are taking advantage of the current low prices.
Wheat prices were higher despite a storm in the Southern Plains bringing much-needed rain to the region.
Sales of U.S. corn to overseas buyers since the start of the marketing year on September 1 are up 51% year over year, and soybean sales have risen 24% vs. the same time frame a year earlier, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Wheat sales since the start of the grain’s marketing year on June 1 are up 37% compared with the prior-year period, USDA data show.
Corn futures for May delivery rose 1¾¢ to $3.59½ a bushel overnight on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Soybean futures added 1¾¢ to $9.73¾ a bushel. Soy meal rose $1 to $316.30 a short ton, and soy oil gained 0.04¢ to 32.51¢ a pound.
Wheat futures for May delivery rose 2¼¢ to $4.26¾ a bushel in Chicago. Kansas City wheat gained 2½¢ to $4.26½ a bushel.
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2. USDA LIKELY TO BOOST ACREAGE FORECASTS ONLY SLIGHTLY FROM OUTLOOK FORUM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to raise its forecasts for corn, soybean, and wheat acreage in its Prospective Plantings Report this week.
The USDA like will peg corn acreage at a shade under 91 million acres, analysts polled by Reuters said, down from a prior projection at its annual Outlook Forum conference of about 90 million.
Soybean acreage is seen at about 88.2 million, little changed from the previous forecast for 88 million, Reuters said.
Wheat acres will probably be pegged at 46.1 million, also little changed from the 46 million estimated at the Outlook Forum.
Reuters also said the USDA will peg stockpiles of corn at 8.53 billion bushels, up from 8.21 last year, while soybean inventories will increase to 1.68 billion from 1.63 billion. Wheat carryout will jump to 1.63 billion bushels from 1.37 billion a year earlier.
3. STORMS WILL CONTINUE IN SOUTHERN PLAINS, HELPING HARD RED WINTER WHEAT
Thunderstorms are expected to continue in the Southern Plains this week, bringing much-need moisture to the region, the National Weather Service said in a report Wednesday morning.
The storms have been dropping rain in the area, which hadn’t seen any precipitation for the past 30 to 45 days, curbing prospects for hard red winter wheat.
It’s likely the storms will continue for several days, which is good news for wheat growers and for firefighters battling several blazes caused by the dry conditions.
“Thunderstorms will be possible across portions of the panhandles Friday night through Monday,” the NWS said. “Some of the storms may get strong with hail and gusty winds possible. However, no widespread severe weather is expected at this time.”
In its third Commercial Drone Industry Trends Report, DroneDeploy takes a look at the growth in commercial drone adoption in the past year. The report also explores trends in drone hardware, the economic impact of drone mapping, and usage of drone data.
According to the report, DroneDeploy users say drone mapping has become an integral part of their workflow with 60% creating drone maps at least once a week. The report also noted that the multirotor drone is the platform of choice; 97% of drone mapping is performed with this drone rather than a fixed-wing device. In fact, fixed-wing drone use, the report says, continues to decline and hovers at around 3%.
In addition, 84% of drone mapping is done with drones that cost $1,500 or less.
“More businesses are adopting drones to capture data across industries such as agriculture, construction, surveying, mining, and more,” says DroneDeploy CEO Mike Winn. “It’s clear that as our users experience greater productivity and ROI, they – in turn – are increasing the frequency of drone mapping and further integrating drone data into day-to-day business operations.”
Many drone hardware companies have come and gone in the last year, and new ones like Autel and Yuneec are working hard to make a name for themselves in the space. However, DJI and senseFly are still the leaders in the industry and make up a significant percentage of the DroneDeploy user base.
The top drones include:
DJI
senseFly
3DR
Parrot
Autel
The report also notes that 20% of DroneDeploy users are flying multiple drones. That number is expected to increase going forward.
The DroneDeploy App Market, which was launched in November 2016, is a one-stop shop for cloud-based drone data analysis. With more than 30 apps available, DroneDeploy users can access tools such as Autodesk and MyJohnDeere.
Apps at the top of the list for agriculture include:
AgriSens
PDF Annotation
KML & SHP Import
Tensor Flight
Skymatics
While DroneDeploy says it’s difficult to determine the exact economic impact drones are having on local and national economies, it estimates DroneDeploy users have generated more than $150,000,000 in economic value with the over 10 million acres mapped.
The Kwara State House of Assembly has enjoined the state government to draw the attention of the federal government to the invasion of farms by pests in the state, with a view to collaborating with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in combating the problem.
This is part of the resolutions of the House while considering a motion titled “Invasion of Crop Farms by Pests in Kwara State” sponsored by a member representing Kaiama/Kemanji/ Wajibe Constituency Ahmed Ibn Mohammed.
Reading the resolutions of the House, the Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare who presided over the sitting, said the need became imperative, in view of the huge loss of farm produce due to the invasion.
The Legislature equally urged the state government to assist the affected farmers, through provision of pesticides to forestall reoccurrence in the State.
Mohammed had while raising the motion, narrated the ordeal of the affected farmers since last year, pointing out that most of them took bank loans to embark on the farming and appealed to the house to call on the relevant authority to wade in with a view to finding enduring solutions to the problem.
Other members who spoke on the motion among other things identified the causes and called for appropriate pro-active measures, from the state government to tackle the problem once and for all.
Brazil and Argentina are on the way to record corn harvests this year, underlining their rising stature as competitors of the U.S. in the export market. Neither country is in the same league as U.S. farmers in corn production. Combined, however, the two countries exported more corn than the U.S. in two of the past four trade years.
They could make it a neck-and-neck race with the U.S. in the current trade year for prominence in the world market, although the U.S. is unchallenged as the largest single grower and exporter.
With more land in corn and yields rebounding from drought, the USDA forecasted in March that Brazil would harvest a record 91.5 million tonnes in 2016-2017. In Argentina, planted area is up by 31% from last year, driving the USDA forecast of a huge increase in output to a record 37.5 million tonnes. “Rains have maintained ample soil moisture reserves for the crop, and plant health is generally good,” says the World Agricultural Production report.
The record corn crop in Brazil is paired with a record soybean crop, matching the U.S. performance of record corn and soy crops in 2016-2017. Brazil has expanded soybean plantings for 11 years in a row and corn plantings in five of the last seven years.
This article was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization producing investigative reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health.
SOYBEAN FUTURES LOWER IN OVERNIGHT TRADING; ETHANOL OUTPUT, STOCKS INCREASE.
1. SOYBEANS LOWER OVERNIGHT AS U.S. EXPORTERS BATTLE WITH BRAZIL
Soybean futures declined overnight as the battle for exports between the U.S. and Brazil heats up.
The countries are now officially fighting for customers, who likely will go to whichever supplier offers the lowest price. Prices at ports in the Gulf of Mexico are reportedly nearing five-year lows as exporters attempt to attract overseas buyers.
Meanwhile, production in Brazil is expected to jump to a record, with some state and private forecasters saying output could total as much as 111 million metric tons. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has pegged Brazilian production at 108 million tons.
The U.S. is still the big kid on the block, expected to produce 117.2 million tons, according to the USDA.
Soybean futures fell 4¢ to $9.65 a bushel overnight on the Chicago Board of Trade. Soy meal was unchanged at $315.80 a short ton, and soy oil dropped 0.45¢ to 31.76¢ a pound.
Corn lost a penny to $3.57½ a bushel in Chicago.
Wheat futures for May delivery fell 1¼¢ to $4.24¼ a bushel in Chicago. Kansas City wheat declined ¼¢ to $4.23¼ a bushel.
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2. U.S. ETHANOL PRODUCTION HIGHEST IN SEVEN WEEKS, STOCKPILES SECOND HIGHEST EVER
U.S. ethanol production rose to the highest level in seven weeks, which is good news for corn growers.
Output in the week that ended on March 24 totaled 1.054 million barrels and day, on average, the highest since the seven days through February 3, according to the Energy Information Administration. Production was up 10 million barrels a day, on average, from the prior week.
Ethanol output has fluctuated greatly since the last time it was this high. On March 3, production dropped to 1.022 million barrels a day, the lowest since November, worrying some that it would stay low. It rebounded the next week, however, and is again at relatively lofty levels.
Output reached a record 1.061 million barrels a day, on average, in the week that ended on January 27.
Stockpiles of the biofuel last week also rose to an historic high, climbing to 23.257 million barrels, the second highest on record behind only the week ending March 4, 2016. Inventories a week earlier totaled 22.595 million barrels.
Carryout of ethanol has been relatively high since the start of the year, never falling below 20 million barrels. It’ll be interesting to see if stockpiles next week breach the record of 23.307 million.
3. COOL WEATHER, SUNSHINE IN SOUTHERN PLAINS TODAY; STORMS EXPECTED IN ILLINOIS, INDIANA
Storms that were bringing much-needed rainfall to the Southern Plains have seemingly disappeared, giving way to cool overnight weather and sun in the afternoon.
Much of the Oklahoma panhandle saw temperatures in the low 30s overnight, some at 30˚F. and 31˚F., the National Weather Service said in a morning report, not cold enough to damage plants. It’ll get up to almost 70˚F. in some counties in the area this afternoon.
A new front will move in tomorrow, however, bringing a 50% chance of rainfall, and storms are likely on Saturday, according to the NWS.
In the Midwest, widely scattered thunderstorms are forecast for much of northern Illinois and Indiana this morning with coverage expanding by midday, the agency said.
“Some of the thunderstorms will likely become strong to severe in the afternoon,” the NWS said.
IT’S PART OF A EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIVESTMENT RULING FOR THE PLANNED DOW-DUPONT MERGER. IN RETURN, DUPONT GETS FMC HEALTH AND NUTRITION AND $1.2 BILLION.
FMC is expanding its footprint in the agricultural insecticide and herbicide business through a purchase from DuPont. In exchange, DuPont is acquiring FMC Health and Nutrition.
It’s all part of a European Commission divestment ruling related to DuPont’s merger with The Dow Chemical Company.
HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING
FMC will acquire DuPont’s global chewing pest insecticide portfolio, its global cereal broadleaf herbicides, and a substantial portion of DuPont’s global crop protection R&D capabilities. After closing of the acquisition, FMC Agricultural Solutions will become the fifth-largest crop protection chemical company in the world by revenue, with estimated annual revenue of approximately $3.8 billion.
Meanwhile, DuPont is acquiring FMC Health and Nutrition and will also receive $1.2 billion in cash as part of the deal.
WHAT FMC GETS
According to an FMC news release, the acquired portion of DuPont’s crop protection business includes a selective insecticide portfolio consisting of Rynaxypyr, Cyazypyr, and Indoxacarb. The first two of these products have full patent protection over their respective active ingredients, and FMC expects these products will generate over $1 billion in 2017 revenue. These selective insecticides are complementary to FMC’s existing broad-spectrum insecticide portfolio.
The acquired portfolio also includes DuPont’s global cereal broadleaf herbicides, consisting of nine active ingredients and multiple formulated products. This herbicide portfolio includes recognized brands and DuPont’s proprietary PrecisionPac technology. These products bring diversification to FMC’s crop exposure in herbicides and also increase the balance of preemergent and postemergent applications in FMC’s portfolio, the release said.
The geographic spread of the revenue in this portfolio will result in a significant increase in FMC’s presence in Asia and Europe. Following the acquisition, FMC’s crop protection revenue will be almost equally spread across all four major regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
The underlying intellectual property related to the acquired products, including patents, registrations, and data packages, will be transferred to FMC. FMC will acquire a global manufacturing network to support these products, including four active-ingredient manufacturing facilities and 10 regional formulation plants.
The acquisition will bring DuPont’s discovery and development organization, including its Delaware crop protection research headquarters, 14 regional development labs, and related regulatory capabilities. This organization includes a pipeline of 15 synthetic active ingredients currently in development, covering insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, and a library of 1.8 million synthetic compounds. The majority of DuPont’s crop protection research workforce will transfer to FMC as part of this transaction.
WHAT’S NEXT
The transaction is subject to the closing of the Dow and DuPont merger, as well as customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Closing is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2017.
TRAITS CAN BE WORTH THE MONEY, BUT PROFITABILITY DEPENDS UPON PEST PRESSURE AND OTHER FACTORS.
Farmers quickly gobbled up corn and soybean transgenic traits when federal regulators first approved them in the 1990s. Initially, those traits zapped weeds and insects with nary a hitch.
For the most part, genetically modified traits still work. “Some have struggled with resistance issues, but these traits do what they say they will,” says Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin (UW) Extension agronomist. “Conversely, they are expensive, but with all the licensing and regulations, companies have to make a buck, too.”
Therein lies the rub. As a rule, traited hybrids cost more money than conventional ones.
SO ARE THEY WORTH IT?
Superficially, the decision seems simple. “Buy the traits you need,” says Lauer.
If you farm in east-central Illinois where corn rootworm can swarm cornfields like flies on a rotting animal carcass, a rootworm trait needs to be part of your rootworm-management program. If resistance to one trait has developed, another trait in a pyramid package will do, coupled with tools like crop rotation and a soil-applied insecticide.
Meanwhile, farmers in northern Wisconsin who rotate alfalfa and soybeans every so often with their corn, where rootworm is seldom a problem, likely don’t need a corn rootworm trait. That’s because by themselves, traits don’t increase yields.
Since corn traits hit the market 20 years ago, U.S. annual corn yield gains have clipped along at around 2 bushels per acre. Compare that with the mid-1950s yield gain from .8 bushels to 1.9 bushels per acre as a result of widespread use of hybrid corn, pesticides like 2,4-D, commercial nitrogen fertilizer, and on-farm mechanization.
Although traits have maintained the annual rate of U.S. corn yield gain, they haven’t increased it, says Bob Nielsen, Purdue University Extension agronomist.
“Current transgenic traits protect yields,” adds Lauer. Sill, yields won’t increase if pests are not present.
Seed price, though, complicates matters. Hybrids with trait packages don’t always cost more than conventional hybrids. Often, though, they do.
“With a $100- to $200-per-bag hybrid difference, I question if you can make up that difference through traits,” says Lauer.
YIELD IMPACT
Lauer bases these findings on the Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials dating back to 1973. Each year, this trial tests more than 500 hybrids at 14 sites around Wisconsin with the goal of providing unbiased performance comparisons of hybrid seed corn for the state’s farmers. Lauer began including traited hybrids in the trials when they debuted in 1996. Along with UW agricultural economists Guanming Shi and Jean-Paul Chavas, Lauer conducted a statistical analysis showing that yields of hybrids with genetically modified traits varied widely.
In most cases, higher yields did result with traited hybrids. That was particularly true with European corn borer (ECB)-resistant hybrids. On average, ECB-resistant hybrids outyielded conventional hybrids by more than 6 bushels per acre.
“Hybrids with this trait had no yield drag,” says Lauer. “It (the ECB trait) did well right from the start.”
That’s not the case with corn rootworm traits, though. On average, yields of hybrids with these traits trailed the trial average by 12 bushels per acre.
“As a group, growers need to be careful with rootworm-resistant hybrids,” says Lauer. “Some years they do well, but most years, they don’t.”
Stacked traits helped. One example is a triple stack in which a herbicide-tolerant hybrid is teamed with traits that resist ECB and corn rootworm. In these cases, yields were 2 to 3 bushels per acre higher than those of conventional ones.
Still, that’s good, isn’t it?
On a yield basis, it’s questionable, especially if you’ve paid a hefty premium for the trait package. “Yield increases have been underwhelming,” says Lauer.
Let’s say you have a triple-stack hybrid that gleans a 10-bushel-per-acre corn yield edge over a conventional one. With $3-per-bushel corn, you can pay up to $30 per acre more in seed costs – or $69 a bag. (This assumes one bag plants 2.3 acres.) If seed costs more than that, be wary.
“The bottom line is that if there is a price difference between hybrid A and B that is greater than $75 per bag, be careful about buying the more expensive hybrid,” says Lauer.
REDUCING RISK
There’s more to your seed decision than yields, though. You’d probably have steam churning out of your ears akin to the cartoon character Yosemite Sam if a hybrid that yielded 250 bushels per acre dropped to 100 bushels the next year. That’s another perk of traits, as they can reduce this variability. The UW scientists found that even if transgenes produced only slightly higher yields in hybrids, they lower year-to-year yield variability. In a sense, this mimics a slight yield increase. Shi, Chavas, and Lauer found the downside risk of lower pest pressure mimicked a 0.8- to 4.2-bushel-per-acre yield spike, depending on the hybrid.
“Reducing yield extremes is one route in which transgenics can help,” says Lauer.
Lower variability that translates into more consistent yields between years eases agronomic and economic farm planning.
This variance reduction is most pronounced in low-yielding environments, says Lauer. The UW trials show that grain yield rises among lower yielding hybrids with transgenic traits compared to conventional hybrids.
Thus, the more transgenes a hybrid contains, the lower the variance, he says.
PESTS STILL EXIST
Pest pressure also can determine the trait payoff.
“Last year, we didn’t see a lot of rootworm pressure in the heart of the Corn Belt,” says Jeff Hartz, director of marketing for Wyffels Hybrids. “That can push some growers toward a double-stack trait (herbicide-tolerant and European corn borer-resistant).”
Just don’t get caught. Corn rootworm still lurks in cornfields, and it can slice yields.
In 2016, the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) On-Farm Network found many eastern Iowa fields had high beetle numbers. If eggs laid last summer hatch this year, it could set the stage for infestations. In some fields last summer, beetle numbers were more than seven times the threshold for adult beetle numbers.
Ditto for ECB. Although it’s almost vanished, ECB can overwinter on 200 types of plants.
“It is still there,” says Hartz. In eastern Iowa, there have been cases where ECB has sliced non-GMO yields by 30 to 40 bushels per acre, he says.
Hybrids high in traits like SmartStax, which contains eight herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant traits, will be under scrutiny by farmers for 2017, says Hartz.
“It will be a harder sell in 2017,” he says. “But farmers also have to make sure they don’t cut too many corners.”
In the case of Noah Hultgren and his family, who farm near Raymond in central Minnesota, a diverse rotation (sugar beets-kidney beans-sweet corn-field corn-soybeans) has helped keep insects at bay. “We have not had to face as many issues as some,” he says. “We have had some glyphosate-resistant weeds, though.”
To counter them, the Hultgrens have planted Liberty Link (glufosinate-tolerant) hybrids on some corn acres before planting LibertyLink soybeans for the first time in 2016. In their Roundup Ready sugar beets, they also have resorted to some cultivation and hand weeding due to glyphosate-resistant weeds.
In the more intensive rotations of the Corn Belt, though, resistance has been more severe.
“We’ve considered cutting down or going without traits, but the risk of yield loss is still too great,” says Ron Moore, a Roseville, Illinois, farmer. In his own neighborhood, ECB infestations have occurred in non-ECB-resistant corn and caused yield losses.
Moore’s concern also extends to weeds. In 2017, Moore plans to plant some Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans accompanied by an approved dicamba herbicide formulation.
“We are seeing some herbicide-resistant weeds,” he says. “Preventive treatments that prevent weed escapes are cheaper than rescue treatments. Traits cost money, but the benefits are more than the cost of seed,” he explains.
In some cases, trait use transcends agronomics. “We have producers who have 50,000- to 60,000-acre grain farms in western Canada,” says Jay Bradshaw, president of Syngenta Canada. “They want technology to control disease, weeds, and insects. But when you talk more with them, it is also about time management. There are fewer people available to do on-farm work. Traits can help them manage their farms.”
SEED FIRST
Think of buying seed like buying a pickup. “You have different options, but at the start, you focus on the truck itself,” says Cole Hansen, portfolio marketing leader for Mycogen Seeds. “You can buy all the traits there are, but it won’t mean increased yield without pest pressure. Selecting the correct hybrid for that individual farm is key before addressing pest concerns.”
Low corn and soybean prices have caused seed firms to ramp up offerings of less-expensive seed.
“We have expanded our trait choices, which include lower-priced options,” says Duane Martin, Syngenta commercial traits lead. When pest pressure is high, stacked traits with multiple modes of action are a sound agronomic choice. Where pest pressure is low, though, a single trait can provide the needed protection, he says.
“With margins like they are, I think farm managers can make a difference by employing field-by-field insect infestation history and by putting the best fitting soybean varieties and corn hybrids on those acres,” he adds. “There are cases where growers want to focus more on genetics and less on traits, and vice versa. We want to make sure those choices are available to growers to help make sound and cost-effective trait decisions.”
TRANSGENIC WILD CARD
Transgenes inserted in seed offerings can often be a yield wild card. “There can be a tremendous yield difference when we switch transgenes in and out of a hybrid,” says Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin Extension agronomist. Swings of 20 bushels per acre or more have occurred either way between conventional and assorted trait packages in Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials.
“There will be interaction between transgenes and underlying genetics,” he says. “The point is, there are yield interactions (including yield drag) that go on. Within trait technologies, there are good and bad hybrids. Each hybrid has to stand on its own.”
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS KEY HYBRID SELECTION
Each year, you spend time deciding whether or not to use products promising to coax just a few more bushels per acre out of your corn. Just don’t let these distract you from spending time on the decisions like seed that can literally cost you your family’s farm.
Each year, the Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials test more than 500 hybrids at 14 Wisconsin sites with the goal of providing unbiased performance comparisons of hybrid seed corn for the state’s farmers. Year in and year out, there’s a 72-bushel-per-acre difference within relative maturities between top and bottom yielding varieties, says Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin Extension agronomist.
So how do you sort out the diamonds from the dogs?
“Use independent yield-trial data and multilocation averages to pick hybrids,” says Lauer. Picking multiple locations is more accurate than on-farm trials, he says.
On-farm trials do have merit. A random hybrid pick has a 50:50 chance of beating the trial average. Meanwhile, planting the best hybrids from on-farm trials can beat trial averages 67% of the time.
However, findings in the Wisconsin performance trials show hybrid selection with a multi-location assessment can beat trial averages 71% to 74% of the time. The more locations you have, the better the odds have been of hybrids beating the trial average, he adds.
Gleaning these results can enable you to concentrate on the top-performing hybrids. “Don’t care about all hybrids, just care about the top-yielding top 20%,” he says.
Look at individual hybrids, too, whether or not they are traited. Lauer notes when traited hybrids were first introduced in 1996, their yields eclipsed those of conventional hybrids.
“But in the last three to five years, conventional hybrids have come back,” says Lauer. We still always find conventional hybrids in the top 10 of the same relative maturities.”
Don’t be distracted by a hybrid family. Seed companies will often sell a new hybrid as belonging to an outstanding family. Like your own family members, though, there can be stark differences among them.
“We see a big difference among individual (trait) technology packages within a hybrid family,” he says. “Each one has strengths and weaknesses. Try to measure just genetics. Hybrids within a family are not the same.”
Premier Seeds Nigeria Limited, a producer of a wide range of improved certified agricultural seeds, said it has developed maize and sorghum varieties that are drought resistant.
Mr. Afolabi Samson, the company’s Research and Development Manager, who spoke exclusively with our reporter, said the special varieties can do well in those areas with low rain fall.
“For the North Eastern part of the country where drought is a problem, we have maize and sorghum varieties that are drought tolerant and resistant that can do well in those areas,” he said.
“For the tropical rain forest down south, where there is long term rainfall, we also have varieties that are adapted to rain forest that can do well in those areas too,’’ he said.
Mr. Afolabi said they have a department in charge of research and development that develops all the varieties they have. He noted that they have a quality control team and quality control laboratory which tests the varieties before they are sent out.
In terms of certification, Mr. Afolabi explained that seeds production in Nigeria is being monitored by the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).
“They monitor all our seed production and we cannot sell any seed unless they certify that these seeds have met the standard that is required for seed production that is why we refer to seeds that we sell to farmers certified seeds”.
Mr. Afolabi added that they sell seeds through Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs), through NGOs like FAO, AGRA and also through the Government Enhancement Scheme (GES) of the Federal Government.
Another platform for selling seeds according to Mr. Afolabi is through village stock or shop.
He noted their seeds are specifically bred in consideration of the ecology of the area that the seeds are going to be grown, adding that they also look at abiotic stresses.
“We have varieties that are striga resistant, and those that are downy mildew resistant,” Mr. Afolabi affirmed.
Soybeans were slightly lower while grains were modestly higher in overnight trading ahead of today’s Grain Stocks Report and Prospective Plantings Report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Many investors are staying on the sidelines ahead of the reports, which are expected to show a jump in soybean acres in the U.S. and a decline in corn and wheat area.
Competition from Brazil is likely capping soybean prices, as both countries are expected to produce large crops. Brazil is forecast by the USDA to produce a record 108 million metric tons. Prices at ports in the Gulf of Mexico are reportedly nearing five-year lows as exporters attempt to attract overseas buyers.
The U.S. is expected to produce 117.2 million tons of soybeans.
Soybean futures fell 2¢ to $9.61 a bushel overnight on the Chicago Board of Trade. Soy meal rose 30¢ to $315.20 a short ton, and soy oil dropped 0.25¢ to 31.76¢ a pound.
Corn rose a penny to $3.58½ a bushel in Chicago.
Wheat futures for May delivery added 1¼¢ to $4.22¼ a bushel in Chicago. Kansas City wheat gained 1½¢ to $4.18¾ a bushel.
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2. USDA EXPECTED TO RAISE BEAN ACREAGE FORECAST, LOWER CORN AREA, ANALYSTS SAY
Area planted with soybeans is expected to jump this year while corn acreage declines, according to analysts surveyed by Reuters.
Producers are expected to plant 88.2 million acres with beans this year, up from 83.4 million last year, the survey said. The range of estimates was from 86.4 million to 89.3 million.
Much of the increase in area will come from corn that will be sown on about 91 million acres, a sharp decline from 94 million last year, analysts said. The range of estimates was entirely below last year’s area from 90 million to 92.5 million acres.
The USDA also will report quarterly grains stockpiles at noon in Washington, D.C.
Inventories of corn in storage in the U.S. on March 1 likely totaled 8.53 billion bushels, up from 7.82 billion on the same date a year earlier, according to analysts. The range of estimates was wide from 8.21 billion to 8.9 billion.
Soybean stockpiles at the start of the month probably totaled 1.68 billion bushels, according to the survey, up from 1.53 billion a year earlier. The range of estimates was from 1.63 billion to 1.89 billion.
3. THUNDERSTORMS RETURN TO SOUTHERN PLAINS, ILLINOIS MAY SEE FLOODING
Thunderstorms are expected in the Southern Plains, while flooding may occur in parts of Illinois from rain that’s already fallen, according to the National Weather Service.
Storms are expected to return after a one-day break to parts of southwestern Kansas and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles.
“Thunderstorms are expected in northwest sections of the combine panhandles this afternoon,” the NWS said in an early Friday forecast. “Chances for thunderstorms will increase this evening and overnight to include all of the panhandles. Some of the storms, particularly across northern sections, may be strong to marginally severe with hail and gusty winds possible. Brief heavy rains will also be possible.”
In Illinois, as much as 2 inches of rain fell in parts of the state in the past 36 hours and more is expected, the NWS said. The Illinois River in Henry is at 17.3 feet and is expected to rise to 23.5 feet by Monday afternoon due to upstream precipitation, which would be above its 23-foot flood stage, the agency said.
Minor flooding is expected near Peoria early next week as the river breaches the flood stage of 18 feet, reaching a crest of 19 feet on Tuesday, according to the NWS.
Irrigation farming allows a nation to produce food all year round thereby doubling the amount of food produced.
However, despite the enormous available potential, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said 80 percent of farmland worldwide is not irrigated.
High cost of irrigation equipment, ineffective and wasteful irrigation techniques have made efficient irrigation difficult for many farmers across sub-Saharan Africa.
The state of Nigeria irrigation schemes
Nigeria has huge potentials for irrigation with dam projects spread all over the country. However, most of the dams – the ones that government has invested on – are either abandoned for years or are less than 50% utilised.
Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar, Director, Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, who is also an irrigation expert, shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust.
“Go to any irrigation scheme like the Hadeja-Jama’are river project, the utilisation of the project is just about 50% and this is an irrigation project that is driven by gravity -you don’t have to buy any fuel to pump in water,” he said.
The Zobe dam in Dutsin-Ma in Katsina, which was constructed 40 years ago has very little irrigation activities going on there – the dam, water, everything is there unutilised. At the Jibiya dam also in Katsina State, the utilisation is no more than 40%.
Also, at the Bakolori Irrigation dam at Talata Mafara in Zamfara State, under the Sokoto Rima Water Project established during the Shagari regime, the area cultivated is not commensurate with the amount of water in the dam.
The Doma dam in Nasarawa State under the Lower Benue River Basin Authority is similarly underutilized.
Cost of Irrigation
Professor Abubakar stressed that the cost of irrigation is high if dams are driven by pumps. The Jibiya dam for example is not gravity based irrigation, it is pump-based, water has to be pumped by
big diesel-driven pumps such that every day the irrigation managers have to buy diesel to be able to pump water to farmers.
“This pump-based irrigation requires a lot of money to buy diesel and you know diesel in this country is very expensive,” the expert noted.
How government can design cost effective irrigation scheme
The IAR director, who has worked as expert on irrigation for many years, suggested that to reduce the cost of irrigation, the design of irrigation dams should be gravity-based so that water can flow by gravity, adding that “you don’t have to buy pumps and diesel to pump the water.”
The other way to reduce the cost of irrigation is to reduce the cost of diesel itself.
“In other countries where development is the goal of government, where government is thinking of agriculture, diesel is always half the cost of petrol. In Saudi Arabia for example, diesel is half the cost of petrol. In many other countries, the cost of diesel is always lower than the cost of petrol – do you know why – diesel is used in transporting goods and if the cost of goods is low, the economy will be better.
“Diesel is used in all agricultural heavy machinery – tractors, caterpillars – all heavy machinery. So if the cost of diesel is improved, the economy will improve,” he said.
He noted that farmers using irrigation will fare better because the cost of diesel is low and the cost of irrigation will naturally come down.
How farmers can reduce costs in their farms
Professor Abubakar, advised that another way farmers can reduce the cost of irrigation is to adopt ‘Deficit Irrigation,’ which ensures that you irrigate only at the time the crop needs water. “You just timed the critical period of water needs and irrigate only on those times. In this case, you minimize the number of irrigation you give to your crops and still achieve high yield.”
He stressed that the concept of deficit irrigation needs to be propagated to farmers because “our farmers have the tendencies to irrigate all the time. They believed that more water means more yield, which is not correct.
“The concept of more water, more yield is not correct, because if you over irrigate, it will even bring about reduction in the yield. Irrigation scheduling concept should be propagated to the farmers so that a farm should be irrigated only when the crop needs it.”
The researcher worried that most times when farmers see water, they irrigate, pointing out that the high frequency of irrigation also contributes to the high cost of irrigation.
