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DTN Grain Midday: May Corn Shooting Higher
Soybean harvest. ©Debra L Ferguson Corn trade is 20 to 22 higher on May at midday, with back months 5 to 7 cents higher, soybeans are narrowly mixed and wheat is 3 to 14 cents higher. MARKET SUMMARY: The U.S. stock market is soft with the Dow down 30 points. The U.S. Dollar Index is 0.10 higher. Interest rate products are weaker. Energies are firmer with crude up $0.45. Livestock trade is mixed with cattle leading. Precious metals are flat with gold up $1.00.
DTN Cotton Open: Sympathetically Higher with Grains
©Debra L Ferguson Stock Images The cotton market is moderately higher as it continues to watch Chicago grains zoom higher. Overnight May corn did trade its expanded 40-cent limit. Of course, cotton does have its own set of fundamentals to price out, nonetheless the cotton market is inextricably linked to the grain complex. USDA published its planting progress data Monday afternoon, and the numbers seemed pretty ordinary. The national crop is 12% planted versus 11% on the five-year average.
DTN Livestock Open: Soaring Grain Prices Might Pressure Futures
Photo: Texas AgriLife Extension Cattle and hog futures set a positive day Monday with the potential of further price increases Tuesday. However, feedlots will be anxious to move cattle this week and may take a lower price. Grain prices continue to skyrocket and could put pressure on the market.
DTN Grain Open: Higher as Demand Surge Continues
©Debra L Ferguson Stock Images Pre-6 a.m. Globex Prices: July corn is up 24 cents, July soybeans are up 23 1/2 cents and July KC wheat is up 28 3/4 cents. CME Globex Recap: Early Tuesday, Dow Jones futures are slightly higher, while European stocks are lower. According to CNBC.com, India’s economy is expected to contract in the second quarter, hurt by a big surge in coronavirus cases and the restrictions that go with it.
Biden Announces Climate Policies on Earth Day - DTN
With President Joe Biden pledging Thursday to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade, roles continue to be carved out for biofuels, landowners, foresters and farmers along several parallel paths. Some key specifics: Biofuel groups are feeling better after seeing the president’s plan mention “very low carbon, new generation renewable fuels” to help achieve rapid emission reductions in both the auto fleet and aviation.
$6 Cash Corn Bids Blanket Midwest - DTN
Wonders never cease. On Tuesday, May corn closed above $6.00, the first time for a spot contract since 2013. By Thursday, May corn was at $6.50 1/2, held back by Thursday’s 25-cent price limit. Even more amazing, it wasn’t just the futures price — cash corn bids at $6 or higher are rapidly blanketing the Midwest. It was one thing to see $6 bids in Illinois and Indiana, where cash prices are often blessed with generous premiums.
Ag Chemicals in Short Supply - DTN
Some agricultural chemicals such as herbicides and fungicides are in tight supply this spring as shipping backlogs and pandemic-related delays have run headlong into higher demand from increased row-crop acres this year. Farmers from Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Oklahoma told DTN in emails they are hearing of higher prices, delays and shortages for herbicides, particularly glyphosate (Roundup) and glufosinate (Liberty), as well as some fungicides.
Grain Transportation: Canadian National Railway Enters Bid for Kansas City Southern - DTN
Photo by Ken Hammond, USDA On April 20, Canadian National Railway (CN) said in a press release it has “made a superior proposal to combine with Kansas City Southern (KCS) in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $33.7 billion, or $325 per share.” Prior to that offer, on March 21, 2021, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and KCS entered into a merger agreement, valued at $25 billion, under which CP agreed to acquire KCS.
Minnesota: Continuous Corn Nutrient Management - Podcast
Young corn emerging in wet soil. Photo: Ohio State University In this episode of the Nutrient Management Podcast, four U of M researchers discuss continuous corn nutrient management. What are the most challenging aspects of continuous corn production? Which key nutrients are impacted by residue breakdown and how can continuous corn growers manage residue to limit nutrient tie-up? What has recent research told us about how to maximize yield in a continuous corn system?
Soybean Cash Prices Soar Above $15 - DTN
Soybeans emerging from cover crop residue. Photo: Jason Johnson, NRCS The DTN National Soybean Index, a measure of cash soybean prices, spiked to $15.13 cents as of Thursday night, the highest level since July 2013. The index hit its all-time high of $17.48 during the drought of 2012. The national average soybean basis, which is 21 cents below the May futures contract, is also the strongest it’s been in eight years.
DTN Cotton Closing: Quietly Higher
Defoliated cotton field ready for picking. Photo: Lance Clemmons, GW Farms. The cotton market finished higher Monday, although it was not the bullish “shoot ’em up, cowboy” session that some were anticipating. In fact, it was a touch odd that cotton was so muted in the face of the high-flying Chicago grains. Old-crop corn settled at limit-up. At any rate, July cotton posted its highest close since March 3. Traders continue to monitor the harsh weather of West Texas.
DTN Livestock Closing: Feeder Cattle and Corn Play Cat and Mouse
Cattle feeding. Photo: ©Debra L Ferguson The biggest pill to swallow through Monday’s developments for the livestock contracts was the continued advancement in the corn market. GENERAL COMMENTS: Both the live cattle and lean hog contracts closed the day mostly higher, but the feeder cattle complex couldn’t stomach another day of higher corn prices.
DTN Grain Closing: Relentless in Pushing Higher
July corn closed up its 25-cent daily limit Monday, the second time in three sessions, with a dry forecast for Brazil adding to bullish concerns and keeping commercial demand motivated. Soybeans, soy products and all three U.S. wheats were also higher with ongoing concerns about adverse weather. GENERAL COMMENTS: July corn closed up 25 cents and December corn was up 17 1/2 cents. July soybeans closed up 23 1/4 cents and November soybeans were up 20 1/2 cents.
Midwest Virtual Crop Scout School Webinars Coming Soon
The 2021 Virtual Crop Scout School is now available and is free to the general public. This regional scout school consists of 22 webinars from crop protection specialists at eleven Midwest Universities, including webinars from U of M extension educators Jared Goplen on weed scouting and Anthony Hanson on alfalfa growth and insect scouting. These webinars are offered through the Crop Protection Network (CPN).
Minnesota Soybeans: Can You Safely Apply Potash Ahead of Planting?
Dry fertilizer spreader - potash. ©Debra L Ferguson Stock Photography After a few comments and questions I received, I wanted to circle back to a previous blog post on chloride and its impact on soybean yield. One area I have been researching, thanks to funding from the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, is chloride and how much of an impact it can have on reducing soybean yield potential in northern climates.
DTN Livestock Midday: Futures Trading Mixed
Photo: Blair Fannin, Texas AgriLife Extension Live cattle futures may be higher heading into Monday afternoon trade, but there are concerns already surrounding this week’s market. GENERAL COMMENTS: Breaking into Monday trade, livestock futures are going to have to work for their positions this week as the market has already clearly indicated that pressure looms — especially in the cattle sector.
Iowa: How Useful Is ATS in Crop Production?
Fertilizer application in young corn. ©Debra L Ferguson Stock Photography Recent research showing the benefits of sulfur application to corn in Iowa have many folks asking questions about ammonium thiosulfate or ATS. ATS and ammonium sulfate (AMS) contain both nitrogen and sulfur, however in different amounts.
Alabama: Evaluating Lime Sources - Video
Alabama: Evaluating Lime Sources – Video April 26, 2021 By Eddie McGriff, Alabama Cooperative Extension Agent Spreading lime. Photo: John Deere Alabama Extension soil scientist Dr. Audrey Gamble and Extension Agent Eddie McGriff discuss the proposed new lime labeling laws working their way through the Alabama legislature that will make it easier for farmers to compare lime sources to determine the best value.
Biofuels: Renewable Diesel Demand Garners Attention Amid Soy Price Gains
Bloomberg writers Megan Durisin and Deirdre Hipwell reported on Friday that, “Corn, wheat, soybeans, vegetable oils: A small handful of commodities form the backbone of much of the world’s diet and they’re dramatically more expensive, flashing alarm signals for global shopping budgets. “This week, the Bloomberg Agriculture Spot Index — which tracks key farm products — surged the most in almost nine years, driven by a rally in crop futures.
DTN Grain Midday: Markets Soaring
Freshly harvest soybeans loaded in truck for transport to grain elevator. ©Debra L Ferguson Corn trade is 21 to 25 cents higher at midday, soybeans are 12 to 18 cents higher and wheat is 26 to 34 cents higher. MARKET SUMMARY: The U.S. stock market is firmer with the Dow up 30 points. The U.S. Dollar Index is 0.04 higher. Interest rate products are mixed. Energies are mixed with crude down $0.17. Livestock trade is mixed. Precious metals are firmer with gold up $1.00.
DTN Cotton Open: Market Turns Lower
Cotton Planting. ©Debra L Ferguson Stock Photography The cotton market is higher Monday morning, ignoring the bullish influences of the outside Chicago Grains. Last Friday, and into Sunday night, the market did push higher, but as dawn broke, prices were down. To that end, the market may be technically overbought, plus there is a bit of rain for some parts of Texas in the immediate weather forecast. Still, the U.S. Drought Monitor from NOAA continues to indicate a worsening situation for West Texas.
DTN Livestock Open: Higher Futures Anticipated
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Adam Russell The week will begin with uncertainty as traders cautiously see the reaction to the Cattle on Feed report. The numbers would suggest futures should see strength to start the week. Hogs should follow though, riding on the strength of Friday. Cattle: Lower Futures: Mixed Live Equiv $208.68 +0.36* Hogs: Higher Futures: Higher Lean Equiv: $118.52 -2.69** * based on formula estimating live cattle equivalent of gross packer revenue.
DTN Grain Open: Corn, Wheat Press Higher
Young corn plants. Photo: Ohio State University Pre-6 a.m. Globex Prices: July corn is up 13 cents, July soybeans are up 4 3/4 cents and July KC wheat is up 15 1/2 cents. CME Globex Recap: Early Monday, Dow Jones futures are slightly higher, similar to European stocks. According to npr.org, India reported nearly 350,000 new cases Sunday, the most by any country since the pandemic began and an ongoing source of global concern.
Thompson on Cotton: Concerns Over Southwest Crop, Foreign COVID Cases
Cotton leaves scorched by weather. Photo by Kerry Siders, Texas AgriLife Extensions Trading rather lazily for most of the week, cotton futures exploded for triple digit gains on Friday climbing ever closer to their contract highs of February. July futures closed the week at 88.80 capturing almost three cents, while December settled at 84.93 for a gain of nearly two and a half cents.
AgFax Weekend: Growing Climate Solutions Act - How Will It Affect Ag?
Policy: How Will the Growing Climate Solutions Act Impact Farmers? 4-23 Drought Monitor Weekly: Mostly Cold and Dry Except for Southeast 4-23
Weekly Cotton Market Review - USDA
Spot quotations were 269 points higher than the previous week, according to the USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service’s Cotton and Tobacco Program. Quotations for the base quality of cotton (color 41, leaf 4, staple 34, mike 35-36 and 43-49, strength 27.0-28.9, and uniformity 81.0-81.9) in the seven designated markets averaged 80.94 cents per pound for the week ending Thursday, April 22, 2021.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Mostly Cold and Dry Except for Southeast
Summary The upper-level circulation over the contiguous U.S. (CONUS) during this U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) week consisted of a ridge over the West Coast and trough over the north central states. Strong closed lows rotated within this upper-level flow, bounding from the Southwest to the Northeast in their trek across the country. The ridge blocked Pacific moisture from entering the country and kept the West Coast warmer than normal for the week.
Georgia Peanuts: Farmers Approve Peanut Commission by 94%
The Georgia Peanut Commission’s referendum received reaffirmation with a vote of 94.43 percent, the highest the commission has received in its nearly 60-year existence. The 2021 referendum was held March 15 through April 16, 2021.
Iowa: Check FieldWatch Before Pesticide Applications
Prepare for a safe pesticide application season by checking the FieldWatch registry before making pesticide applications. The FieldWatch registry provides easy-to-use, accurate, and secure online tools to enhance communications and awareness between crop producers, beekeepers, and pesticide applicators.
Corn, Soybean Prices Climb, Record Chinese Corn Imports Expected
Corn harvest. Photo: Texas A&M AgriLife Bloomberg writers Kim Chipman and Michael Hirtzer reported on Wednesday that, “Corn prices climbed above $6 a bushel to the loftiest level in almost eight years after the U.S. said it expects China to buy an all-time high amount of the grain off global markets.
DTN Fertilizer Trends: Anhydrous Hits Highest Prices Since 2015
The upward momentum in fertilizer prices appeared to level off this week. The average retail price of all eight major fertilizers increased; however, none were up a significant amount, which DTN considers a price move of 5% or more. This is the first week since the beginning of February that no fertilizer’s price was up by double-digit percentage points. For the second week of April 2021, the average retail prices of anhydrous, UAN28 and UAN32 increased by 4%.
Policy: Groups Support Ag Carbon Credit Bill - DTN
U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C. Photo: Suranga Weeratunga The U.S. Senate is ready to move ahead with an agricultural climate bill that has bipartisan support and backing from major agricultural lobbies. The Growing Climate Solutions Act was reintroduced Tuesday in the U.S. Senate by a larger bipartisan group of senators, led by members of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Senators signed on to the bill include 17 Democrats and 17 Republicans.
Land Values, Irrigation Needs Increase When Ethanol Plant Opens, Say Study
Ethanol plant. Kansas State University agricultural economists have found that the growth of ethanol plants in the state over the past 20 years has had an impact on irrigation and land values. Gabe Sampson, an agricultural economist with K-State Research and Extension, said that during the past 20 years, Kansas has seen an increase from three ethanol plants to 12, boosting the state’s capacity from 40 million gallons produced per year to more than 500 million gallons per year.
USDA: Peanut Price Highlights
Peanut prices received by farmers for all farmer stock peanuts averaged 21.6 cents per pound for the week ending April 17, up 1.1 cents from the previous week. Marketings of all farmer stock peanuts for the week ending April 17 totaled 74.1 million pounds, down 11.3 million pounds from the previous week. Runner-type peanut prices averaged 21.1 cents per pound for the week ending April 17, up 0.7 cent from the previous week.
Alabama Cotton: Soil Temperatures and Planting
Most management guides for cotton discuss the initiation of planting in terms of calendar dates, soil temperatures and 3 to 5-day forecasts. Recommended soil temps center on 65oF at a depth of 3 to 4 inches mid-morning, while, occasionally, old literature might indicate 60oF. The former number is conservative, meaning that at 65o and higher temperatures, cotton emergence is usually good. At 60oF, germination and emergence are more tentative and risky, especially in an era of small seeded varieties.
Missouri: Soybean Cyst Nematodes - Free Egg Counts Available This Spring
Starting about 30 days after soybean emergence, visual identification of soybean cyst nematode may be possible on plant roots. This shows soybean roots with smaller soybean cyst nematode (SCN) cysts (red arrows) and larger nitrogen nodules (blue arrows). Photo: UNL CropWatch Spring planting season is right around the corner which means it is time to start preparing for spring SCN sampling in fields going into soybeans.
DTN Grain Closing: Spring Wheat Leads Grains
Soybean harvest. ©Debra L Ferguson July Minneapolis wheat closed up 10 3/4 cents Friday, the only double-digit gain in the grain sector at the end of a week that saw large gains all around. July corn ended up a penny and July soybeans were up 1 3/4 cents, supported by strong cash bids throughout the country. GENERAL COMMENTS: July corn closed up 1 cent and December corn was down 2 1/2 cents. July soybeans closed up 1 3/4 cents and November soybeans were up 3 1/4 cents.
DTN Cotton Closing: Cotton Gets Wake-Up Call
Cotton was sharply higher Friday as the overbrimming bullish influence of the Chicago grains finally began to register with traders. Understanding that huge swaths of Delta and Southeastern acres are leaving cotton bound for corn/beans is a huge undergirding force. Additionally, the drought now gripping West Texas seems to be intensifying according to the latest update from NOAA’s Drought Monitor map. Friday afternoon the CFTC will update its speculative traders in its Commitment of Traders report.
DTN Livestock Midday: Traders Gingerly Step Back
Cattle feeding. Photo: ©Debra L Ferguson After two days of blistering high corn prices, the corn market has settled and consequently the livestock contracts are back to a modest upward quest. GENERAL COMMENTS: The regression in the corn market’s rally gave traders enough confidence to step back into the livestock contracts and modestly support the markets heading into the final trading day of the week.
DTN Grain Midday: Soybeans Continue to Climb
Freshly harvest soybeans loaded in truck for transport to grain elevator. ©Debra L Ferguson Corn trade is narrowly mixed at midday, soybeans are 7 to 15 cents higher and wheat is 2 cents lower to 3 cents higher. MARKET SUMMARY: The U.S. stock market is firmer with the Dow up 170 points. The U.S. Dollar Index is 0.25 lower. Interest rate products are weaker. Energies are firmer with crude up $0.70. Livestock trade is firmer. Precious metals are mixed with gold down $11.
Policy: How Will the Growing Climate Solutions Act Impact Farmers?
U.S. Capitol building - Washington D.C. Photo: Licensed image. The Growing Climate Solutions Act, initially drafted in 2020, was reintroduced to the Senate on April 20, 2021. The bill cleared the Senate Agriculture Committee today, April 22, 2021, paving the way to move to the Senate floor.
Northern Iowa: High Mortality Rates for Bean Leaf Beetle
Bean Leaf Beetle chewing on soybean leaf. Photo: Winston Beck, Iowa State University Bean leaf beetle adults (Photo 1) are susceptible to cold weather and most will die when air temperatures fall below 14°F (-10°C). However, they have adapted to winter by protecting themselves from harsh temperatures under plant debris and loose soil. Each spring, adult beetles emerge from their overwintering habitat and migrate to available hosts, such as alfalfa, tick trefoil, and various clovers.
Grain Prices Continue to Surge, China Buys U.S. Corn for 4th-Quarter Shipment
Container ships, San Francisco Bay. Photo: NOAA Bloomberg writers Kim Chipman and Breanna T Bradham reported on Thursday that, “Corn extended its ascent to the highest in almost eight years, leading a rally in crop futures on bets that voracious Chinese demand, rebounding economies and adverse weather will leave silos depleted. “Corn jumped by the exchange limit, with wheat following and soybeans topping $15 a bushel for the first time since 2014.
DTN Cotton Open: Market Recovers Higher
Cotton seedling: Photo: Debra L Ferguson Cotton is higher this morning even as the highly influential Chicago grains are lower. From all appearances, traders are beginning to reassess their thinking of the cotton market as adverse weather and possibly declining acreage are undergirding prices. Currently, West Texas remains in a gripping drought with no relief on the horizon. To the latter point, high-flying corn and soybean markets are siphoning away cotton acres out of the Delta and the Southeast.
Rice Market Update: India Exceeds Farmer Supports, Invokes WTO Clause…..Again
Cash prices in the delta were a little mixed this week as Texas inched higher, but Louisiana moved lower. Prices were largely flat among the other rice-growing states. The USDA’s World Market Price was recorded at $11.42 per cwt, unchanged now for nearly a month. Rice acres are slow to be planted in Arkansas at only 26% complete, however, the other states are generally tracking with their historical planting paces.
Moving Grain: $1Bln Available for Infrastructure Projects
DOT Announces $1 Billion in Competitive Grant Funding for Infrastructure Projects On April 13, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) published a notice of funding opportunity for applications to the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program.
Pennsylvania Corn, Soybeans: Best Management Practices for Planting
It’s that time of the year that the planter will again enter the field and begin the process of providing feed and forage for farms across the commonwealth. If you remove weekends and bad weather, University Specialists estimate only several days are open to planting the crop when conditions are ideal. The planting operation is one of the most critical steps in achieving yield and quality.
Pennsylvania: Be Prepared for Slugs
Slug damaged corn seedling. Image from Purdue University In recent days, cool and wet weather across most of the state is creating what appear to be ideal conditions for slugs. In some parts of Pennsylvania, the development of weeds suggests that are about two weeks or so ahead of normal; as a result, some southern counties have already experienced hatch of slug eggs.
California Almonds: Irrigation - How to Conserve Water, Increase Profits
Ceres Imaging, the irrigation performance management provider that uses aerial imagery and data analytics to help growers improve their irrigation practice, has released a study quantifying the extent and impact of drip irrigation issues in agriculture. Ceres Imaging releases data from nearly 1 million acres of irrigated crops across the western US.
Arkansas Corn: Making Prevented Planting Decisions
Most of Arkansas’ corn acres are still unplanted. As of April 18th, the National Agricultural Statistical Service estimated planting progress at 43% complete. The 5-year average planting pace is 61%. Rainfall in some areas has slowed planting. Furthermore, drying conditions have been hampered by below normal temperatures. With respect to crop insurance, the April 25th Final Planting Date for corn is fast approaching. This date applies mainly to southern and central Arkansas counties.
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