Grain yields for 2003 I have had many questions this past month about the yield projections for this year’s crop. Yields will certainly be below Meeker County’s five-year average of 145 bushels for corn and 40 bushels for soybeans. Last year, Meeker set a record for corn at 164 bushels per acre. The old adage “Rain makes grain” is true to a certain extent. There are exceptions such as 1993, but we typically see higher yields in years when rainfall is above normal. Meeker County is unusual since the county has such a diverse mix of soil. The sands will naturally get hit hard because they hold only 2.5-3 inches of water available for crops. Clay loam soils hold up to 11 inches, so the drought will have less impact here. I think we will be surprised how well the high organic matter soils come through the drought. Early yield reports on the sandy loam soils are finding soybean yields only in the single digits, 7-8 bushels per acre. Many factors come into play such as soil compaction, planting date, maturity of hybrids, weed control and soil fertility levels. In general, plants that are healthy handle any type of stress better. The early-maturing corn and soybean varieties planted early will most likely have better yields because they were more mature when the drought hit. I noticed soil compaction in many fields this growing season because fields were wet last fall at harvest. I’m sure growers will see poor yields in these areas. Deep tillage to a depth of 12 inches this fall will help break up this compaction. At our home south of Litchfield, we started the planting season in April worried about drought, then had a 7.5 inch rainstorm June 24, added a hail storm July 19, and finished off the crop with 7 weeks of droughty weather. It has been a challenging year. Benefits of nitrogen fertilizer Most pastures get very little attention other than fixing fences when cattle get out. Pastures can provide good quality forage with one simple addition – fertilizer. Former U of M Soil Scientist Jim Gerwing, now at SDSU, found that producers can more than double their forage production on pastures by adding nitrogen. Over a three-year period, hayland averaged 1,630 pounds of dry matter per acre without nitrogen and 4,667 with the addition of 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Even in dry years, the forage yield at least doubled. Evidently the lack of nitrogen slows down microbial action in the soil during dry years, so less nitrogen is naturally released from the organic matter. Nitrogen also stimulates grasses to put out more tillers, resulting in a thicker stand. Other nutrients can be added, but the best response normally comes by adding nitrogen. No difference in feed value of transgenic grains A SDSU study found feeder pigs performed identically when fed both transgenic and conventional grain. The study compared Roundup(R)-Ready soybeans to conventional varieties. Growth performance, feed intake, feed efficiency and carcass quality were the same for both groups of pigs. The study was funded by the South Dakota Legislature and South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. Other studies have compared Bt corn hybrids with conventional hybrids and there, too, researchers find no difference in livestock performance.
