by Ken Cassman | Nov 26, 2019 | AgriBusiness, Corn, Crop Yields, Nitrogen, Soybeans
How fast have crop yields been rising?Since the mid-1960s, average U.S. crop yields have been increasing. Corn yields have been increasing steadily at about 1.9 bu/ac per year. Soybean yields have increased as well, at about one third that rate. The slower rate of...
by Ken Cassman | Oct 3, 2019 | AgriBusiness, Commodities, Corn, Flooding, Nitrogen
Now termed the Great Flood of 1993, the flooding that occurred along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers in April and May of that year was epic. Covering nine states and 400,000 square miles, it was the most costly natural disaster ever in the U.S. at the time,...
by Ken Cassman | Sep 17, 2019 | AgriBusiness, Agriculture Technology, Commodities, Corn, Crop Yields, Nitrogen
Corn production is a topic on everyone’s mind these days, and the big question is: when will the first freeze put an end to the 2019 growing season? The map below shows the first freeze possible in the Upper Midwest on September 29, which is later than the 30-year...
by Ken Cassman | Aug 12, 2019 | Agriculture Technology, Corn, Crop Forecasting, Crop Yields, Soybeans
Main Street Data reports elevated risk of corn yield loss from early frost, due to late planting of the 2019 corn crop where flooding and waterlogged soils prevented timely sowing. In these flooded areas it was not uncommon to see fields silking in late July and early...
by Ken Cassman | Jul 17, 2019 | Corn, Crop Forecasting, Crop Yields
After a rough planting season with widespread delayed or prevented corn planting due to floods and waterlogged soils, the remaining crop is growing rapidly with return to normal weather. With reasonably good soil moisture in most of the Corn Belt, and no drought...