• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Irrigation Provides Seed Corn a Respite in Illinois

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

Jul. 19--ELMWOOD -- The central Illinois sun that's been roasting this year's corn crop could leave an imprint on next year's crop, as well.

Seed corn -- corn raised specifically for seed to provide characteristics that farmers are looking for, from being resistant to certain pests to having a higher oil content -- has also been fighting the blazing sun in central Illinois fields.

But most seed corn raised by seed corn companies receives an advantage over the corn grown by farmers -- it's irrigated.

"Most companies irrigate if they can. Probably more than two-thirds of the seed corn grown is under irrigation," said Todd Taylor, an agronomist with LG Seed Co. in Elmwood.

But there are fields that don't enjoy the luxury of having water pumped in. "Seed corn on dry land has to be hurting in central Illinois," said Jim Crowley, president of the Moews Seed Co. in Granville.

While about 80 percent of their fields are irrigated, the El-Paso-based Pfister Hybrid Corn Co. had some plots that relied solely on rain from Mother Nature. "We'll be plowing most of that under," said President Linda Brown, noting that a few dry land fields were stunted.

The company began irrigating extensively after the 1988 drought year, she said.

Seed corn requires an inch of water each, said Manito farmer J.D. Proehl. "We've pumped a lot of water this year -- 20 to 30 percent more than usual," he said of irrigation efforts.

Three-quarters of the Sommer Brothers Seed Co. fields in Pekin are irrigated, said operations manager Rick Hochstetter, who added that even watered corn can run into trouble.

"If the temperatures stay in the 90s, that can affect the pollination of seed corn," he said.

Taylor, who canvasses a wide area of Illinois for LG Seed, estimated that the state raises more than a third of the nation's seed corn.

While seed corn is grown in places other than drought-stricken Illinois, the hot weather could leave its mark on next year's crop, said Crowley.

"There will be plenty of seed because of carry-over (seed) that most companies maintain (from one year to the next)," he said.

"It's too early to say what next year's prices will be but I don't think you'll see a lot of early pricing from dealers," said Crowley.

The next several weeks will be critical for seed corn development as pollination occurs, said Taylor.

Regardless of the weather, it's not likely to be the bumper crop that farmers have enjoyed in the past two years.

"I think it's going to be an average crop of seed corn (this year). You won't see the yields of the past two years," Taylor said.

-----

To see more of the Journal Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.PJStar.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Journal Star, Peoria, Ill.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Journal Star

More News in this Category