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Economy to have effect on
corn, soy production
Gas prices, energy concerns
to have greatest impact
By Ian Clift
Summer reporter
Energy concerns and natural gas prices this winter
have affected corn and soybean productions, Purdue officials say.
Marshall Martin, associate head for the department
of Agricultural economics, said, "Increase in energy prices have had
added significant cost to the production of corn because nitrogen fertilizers
are made with natural gas."
Soybeans fix their own nitrogen and are therefore
less costly to produce.
High-energy prices have also affected the use of
diesel fuel that farmers use in tractors and farm equipment, Martin
said. The artificial drying of corn crops and low corn prices have also
effected the acreage used for corn production, he said.
Because of the anticipation of higher prices for
corn, the acreage used for soybeans has increased this year compared
to the last, from 5,650,000 to 5,800,000 acres this year, said Steve
Wilson, deputy state statistician for the Indiana agricultural statistics
service at Purdue. Acres of corn have decreased from 5,700,000 to 5,500,000.
Both Wilson and Martin stated that weather conditions
so far have had little effect on crop conditions. Precipitation trends
are about three inches below the six-inch average for this time of year.
Martin said, "The moisture has been very helpful; corn was planted in
late April early May, but it was very very dry."
Wilson said, "We haven't had enough cold weather
to hamper anything. We are actually ahead of normal degree growing days
in Indiana."
A growing degree day is a measure of the amount
of light and warmth that has occurred in the year so far. There are
400 degree days in northern Indiana and around 700 days in the southern
part of the state.
Wilson said Indiana is around 200 to 300 degree
days above normal.
This is due in part to an early planting season
in all parts of Indiana. "Corn planting got done six days ahead of the
previous record pace, and soybean crops were two weeks ahead of previous
record pace," Wilson said. Corn crops were 10 days to two weeks ahead
of normal planting pace and soybeans were three weeks ahead of normal,
he said.
Martin said, "(Thursday) is the last day of May,
but it feels like early April."
According to the weather service, Wilson said,
"I'm sure will have warmer weather, we're supposed to be in the 80's
by Monday."
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Nuclear
Engineering program grows, ranks seventh in nation
Economy
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University
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Chemist
sells plastic recycling technology
Weekend
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Tournament
raises money for research
CAMPUS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111
ext. 253
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