D2
FALL HARVEST
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2013
the north platte telegraph
Corn yields expected to bounce back this year Production likely to be better despite lingering drought conditions
U.S. Drought Monitor High Plains
By Andrew Bottrell | abottrell@nptelegraph.com
As Nebraska continues to try and bounce back from an historically dry 2012 and early 2013, crop yields are expected to be higher, especially north of North Platte. “Overall, production is going to be better than last year. There was good rainfall over the summer, especially I-80 and north,” said Tim Goding, grain manager for Ag Valley Coop. In general, he said they are expecting corn yields to bounce back somewhat from last year, when the area experienced exceptional drought conditions, the highest issued by the Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The latest drought map, issued on Sept. 10, shows west-central Nebraska still in severe and extreme drought conditions. Specifically, northern Lincoln County as well as Logan and Custer counties have experienced above normal rainfalls for the spring and summer, and Goding said he expects yields for dryland corn in that area to be as high as 80 bushel per acre. “Our local areas, depending on who got the rain to help out, you could see dryland yields up over 80 bushel. Areas that didn’t get it, you could see fields abandoned and if not abandoned, very poor yields.” Goding said he is expecting lower yields across southwestern Nebraska, where producers experienced drier conditions and natural resources districts restrict water usage. On Sept. 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its latest projections, saying 13.8 billion bushels of corn are expected to be produced this year, up 1 percent from August and up 28 percent from 2012. According to the USDA report, this would be a new record production for the United States. Yields are expected to average 155.3 bushels per acre, up 0.9 bushels from the August forecast and 31.9 bushels from 2012. If the forecast is correct, that would be the highest average yield since 2009. A cool, damp beginning to August led to a hot, dry end of the month and beginning of September. While locally irrigated corn withstood the heat, soybeans did not fare as well, though yields are expected to be up from 2012. “I think it helped on some of the irrigated corn and corn that had good rains. It helped allow the plant to get pollination and fill the
Intensity: Abnormally Dry Drought — Moderate Drought — Severe
Drought — Extreme Drought — Exceptional
kernels,” Goding said. “The production there would be good. Soybeans, the cool weather was good, but with the heat some of the beans will be smaller because we just ran out of water.” Nationally, soybean yields experienced the same affect from the late-season heat. The USDA is forecasting a national yield of 3.15 billion bushels, down 3 percent from the August forecast, but up 4 percent from 2012. While it’s still too early to predict what will happen in 2014, the most challenging aspect heading into the next year is the lack of soil moisture content. This year started off with low soil moisture, and though rains have helped crops, they haven’t replenished the soil moisture. “For the most part, they’d like to have more [soil moisture content]. We’ve still got a deficit,” Goding said. “Normally, we don’t receive that much moisture in October, November and December. We’ll go into fall with a deficit on sub-soil.” While crop yields are just projections at this point, it won’t be long before the ag industry finds out. “Normally, we see some high-moisture corn go to the feedlots in the middle part of September,” Goding said. “In late September, the bean harvest starts in. Then we see the dry irrigated corn dry enough to start on that. Harvest usually wraps up the first part of November.”
Andrew Bottrell / The North Platte Telegraph
Irrigated corn near Hershey is nearly ready for harvest this September. On Sept. 13, the United States Department of Agriculture released its latest projections, saying 13.8 billion bushels of corn are expected to be produced this year, up 1 percent from August and up 28 percent from 2012.
Heat still hurting dryland corn LINCOLN (AP) — Federal authorities say above-normal temperatures and limited rainfall have added more stress to Nebraska’s dryland corn. The Department of Agriculture says that for last week, dryland corn conditions rated 35 percent good or excellent,
compared with 59 percent on the average. Irrigated corn conditions rated 81 percent good or excellent, compared with 75 percent on average. Soybean conditions rated 61 percent good or excellent while the state’s alfalfa was rated 49 percent good or excellent.