Corn ((FREE))
The corn variety test is made up of tests planted at several locations throughout the state. Multiple-year and multiple-location data are presented which can be used as a basis for variety selection. The locations are as follows: Blackville - Southern coastal plain dry land and irrigated; Florence - Northern coastal plain dry land and irrigated; Clemson - piedmont bottomland. The data for the current crop year is usually posted in October or November.
corn
Sprawling across the Midwest and Great Plains, the American Corn Belt is a massive thing. You can drive from central Pennsylvania all the way to western Nebraska, a trip of nearly 1,500 miles, and witness it in all its glory. No other American crop can match the sheer size of corn.
The main reason is that corn is such a productive and versatile crop, responding to investments in research, breeding and promotion. It has incredibly high yields compared with most other U.S. crops, and it grows nearly anywhere in the country, especially thriving in the Midwest and Great Plains. Plus, it can be turned into a staggering array of products. Corn can be used for food as corn flour, cornmeal, hominy, grits or sweet corn. It can be used as animal feed to help fatten our hogs, chickens and cattle. And it can be turned into ethanol, high-fructose corn syrup or even bio-based plastics.
But it is important to distinguish corn the crop from corn the system. As a crop, corn is highly productive, flexible and successful. It has been a pillar of American agriculture for decades, and there is no doubt that it will be a crucial part of American agriculture in the future. However, many are beginning to question corn as a system: how it dominates American agriculture compared with other farming systems; how in America it is used primarily for ethanol, animal feed and high-fructose corn syrup; how it consumes natural resources; and how it receives preferential treatment from our government.
And the resources devoted to growing corn are increasing dramatically. Between 2006 and 2011, the amount of cropland devoted to growing corn in America increased by more than 13 million acres, mainly in response to rising corn prices and the increasing demand for ethanol. Most of these new corn acres came from farms, including those that were growing wheat (which lost 2.9 million acres), oats (1.7 million acres lost), sorghum (1 million acres lost), barley, alfalfa, sunflower and other crops. That leaves us with a less diverse American agricultural landscape, with even more land devoted to corn monocultures. And according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, roughly 1.3 million acres of grassland and prairie were converted to corn and other uses in the western Corn Belt between 2006 and 2011, presenting a threat to the waterways, wetlands and species that reside there.
This reimagined agricultural system would be a more diverse landscape, weaving corn together with many kinds of grains, oil crops, fruits, vegetables, grazing lands and prairies. Production practices would blend the best of conventional, conservation, biotech and organic farming. Subsidies would be aimed at rewarding farmers for producing more healthy, nutritious food while preserving rich soil, clean water and thriving landscapes for future generations. This system would feed more people, employ more farmers and be more sustainable and more resilient than anything we have today.
The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB), works to develop and defend markets, fund research, and provide education about corn and corn products. The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is a membership organization lobbying on agricultural issues on behalf of its 8,000 members. Both organizations work on the joint mission to create opportunities for long-term Iowa corn grower profitability.
Corn snow is made up of a thick layer of large melt-freeze grains that support the weight of skiers and riders while frozen. Melt-freeze snow grains get larger as they mature and start to take on a shape similar to corn. As the surface of corn snow melts and softens, it makes for ideal conditions for edging skis, snowboards, or snowmobiles while also providing good snow stability. Good corn skiing or riding hinges on a decent overnight refreeze and timing your descent while only the top few inches have softened. As the depth of melting increases throughout the day, the chances for wet snow avalanches can quickly increase.
First Generation - Early planted corn is most likely to develop problems with first generation borers because moths are attracted to the tallest, greenest corn for egg laying. During June and early July when the corn is over 18 inches (45 cm) in extended leaf height, look for the characteristic "shot hole" leaf feeding damage in the whorl of the corn. Corn shorter than this normally has high levels of a plant aglucone, DIMBOA, which acts as a antifeedant and prevents borer establishment. If you do find signs of corn borer activity, sample to ascertain the extent of infestation.
Second Generation - Because of the difficulty in readily detecting second generation borers and their damage, concentrate sampling efforts on fields that are late planted and/or actively pollinating during the period of peak egg laying. Check with your local extension personnel, as to when it is necessary to start sampling. Windshield "splatter" of corn borer moths while driving county roads after dusk will alert one to the flight, mating, and egg laying of corn borer moths in an area.
Transgenic or Bt Corn - Field corn producers may choose to manage corn borers through the use of hybrids with a corn borer toxin that is genetically built into the plant. These genetically modified corn hybrids contain a gene derived from a naturally occurring bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces a protein that is toxic to corn borers. This eliminates the need for the application of a corn borer insecticide. This technology allows producers who regularly experience problems with corn borers to use this as a tool to effectively manage this insect. It reduces the need for laborious scouting for this pest, although producers should spot check areas within Bt corn fields to determine the effectiveness of this management strategy. Obviously, scouting should not be eliminated as a result of Bt corn plantings. Other above and below ground insects may be present during the season and Bt corn provides little to no protection against these.
Extensive use of this technology could result in resistance to the toxin developing in the corn borer population. To reduce the probability of this happening, corn without the Bt-like gene should also be grown in Bt corn areas. This non-Bt corn will act as a refuge for some of the corn borers, thus preserving the genetic diversity that is now in the corn borer population. If these refuge are not included in plantings of Bt corn, the technology may be short lived or seed companies will constantly have to introduce new genes, if available, or stack genes to combat this situation. With this in mind, producers should develop resistance management strategies that reduce this risk. Contact your state Cooperative Extension Service for resistance management plans. In general, it is suggested that at least 20% of the acreage in an area be grown in non-Bt corn.
As an added attraction, Lyman Orchards also announces its "Corn Balls in the Corn Maze" promotion, commemorating the Apple Barrel Farm Market 50th Anniversary celebration. Monday-Friday, a corn ball--bright yellow golf balls from the Lyman Orchards Golf Driving range located just across the road, will be hidden in the corn maze. Corn Ball Finders will be awarded a variety of prizes, redeemable at the Apple Barrel Farm Market, ranging from Apple Barrel Farm Market gift cards to $100 cash prizes - also known as a "Bennies" or "Franklins"! Click here to learn more!
May corn closed 4c off its high for the day with an 11 cent rally out of the reports. July corn futures also settled near the high on an 8 3/4 cent gain. For the week, old crop prices were 13 to 17 1/2 cents higher. The month of March closed as a 13 3/4 cent gain for May corn. May remains a near 25 cents premium to the July. New crop futures closed the day half a cent in the red. December saw a wide 16 1/4 cent range on the day from -8 3/4 to +7 1/2 cents. December contracts roll into April following a net 3 1/4 cent loss for the month.
Weekly CFTC data showed managed money closed 21k shorts and added 7.5k new longs during the week that ended 3/28. The spec fund group was still net short by 13,288 contracts. Commercial corn hedgers added 10k new short hedges and closed 18k existing longs for a 203,547 contract net short on 3/28.
Ian is now living in Boston, where he roots for the Red Sox and is working on two new documentaries: one on the night sky, and another on the Melungeon community of Vardy Valley, Tennessee. Curt is back home in Oregon, where he is writing and working on film projects as a Food and Society Policy Fellow. The latest hair tests show Ian to be 43 percent corn, and Curt, 39 percent. 041b061a72