FARMERS WATCH WEATHER, HOPE TO GET IN FIELDS; 1992 HOPE: NO REPEAT OF 1991 DIP

Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois farmers have managed to get in some "field time" during the past two weeks.

"Missouri farmers are in the fields any time weather permits at this time of year," said Terry Birk. "They were slowed last week because of rain, but once the soil dries they'll be back."

Birk, of the Cape Girardeau County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) office, said farmers usually start soil preparations in early February."

First corn in Cape Girardeau County is usually planted in March, with the bulk of it put in the ground in April and May. Soybeans usually are planted in May.

"Area farmers are hoping for a better year in 1992," said Birk. "Production of feed grains and food grains were down everywhere last year, and in Cape County we had a wide variety of crop production from one end of the county to the other.

Last year, too much rainfall followed by what many called a "devastating drought" combined to create a poor year on the farm.

The early damp weather had a big effect on several grain crops say agriculture officials, who estimate that corn yields were down from 7-27 percent in parts of the corn belt.

On the average, corn harvest yields were down 7 percent from 1990 levels in Iowa, 4 percent in Missouri, 13 percent in Illinois and 27 percent in Indiana.

"Soybeans were the only bright spot on the crop horizon in Cape Girardeau County," said Birk. "The overall soybean crop was probably average to a little above average."

Although drought scorched much of the corn in mid-summer when the crop was reaching its delicate reproductive stage, soybeans mature later and benefited from August rains.

"Later dry weather had a big hand in getting the corn and soybean harvested on time," said Birk.

Although the overall soybean crop improved last year, some area farmers reported decreased harvests. Birk soybeans farmers averaged 30.5 bushels per acre statewide in 1991.

The Wheat crop suffered most in Cape County last year. "We saw production range from 10 bushels an acre to 20 bushels," said Birk. "That's way under the state average of 32 bushels an acres."

The wheat crop, which totaled about 19,000 acres last year in Cape County, also suffered from the wet spring weather, Birk said.

"Extreme wet weather caused a lot of disease in the wheat," he said. "Besides production being down, much of the wheat quality itself was down, resulting in lower prices," said Birk.

Poor wheat production was not limited to Southeast Missouri. Statewide, 1991 crop production was 46 percent below the 1990 value, due to smaller yields and lower prices for the poor quality wheat.

"This hurt a lot of farmers who depend on the spring income from wheat," he added. "So far, this year's wheat crop appears to be in good condition."

Corn yields also varied in Cape County, but overall the Southeast Missouri corn crop was the best in the state.

"We saw corn production range from 20 bushels an acre on hill farms to 180 bushels an acre on irrigated farms in Cape County," said Birk. "Statewide, corn production was up about 4 percent, with the southeastern area producing the highest yields due to irrigation."

Rainfall in Southeast Missouri came during the planting and early growing season. "Corn was planted late in our area," Birk said. "After planting, we had drought conditions."

Cape County farmers planted about 34,000 acres of corn.

Nationally, production of grains fell in 1991. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the total harvested acres of principal crops amounted to 305 million acres, down 1.4 million from the previous year. Total harvested acres of all wheat showed the largest annual change, with a decline of 11.6 million acres from 1990 levels.

Corn planting was slowed by rains in May, but surged head by mid-month, with planting ahead of normal in some areas, but behind in others. Soybean planting progress was generally later in many areas, according to the USDA report.

Crop development advanced ahead of schedule in August and harvesting of principal row crops started in early September, with most farmers completing their corn and soybean harvest in the major producing states by late November.

Despite the poor weather conditions, reaping of the corn, soybean, cotton and other grain crops was generally completed on schedule.

Corn production

The corn harvest nationally was estimated at 7.45 billion bushels last year, 6 percent below the 1990 crop. The U.S. yield averaged 108.6 bushes per acre, down 9.9 bushes from 1990. Growers planted 76 million acres in 1991, up two percent. Acreage harvested was estimated at 68.8 million acres, with about 5.4 million acres set aside for silage.

Corn production in Missouri totaled 213 million bushes, up 4 percent from the 1990 crop. Missouri farmers harvested 2.2 million acres an average of 97 bushels per acre down from 105 bushels an acre harvested in 1990. Corn silage production in 1991 totaled 800,000 tons, a 32 percent decrease from 1990.

Soybeans

Soybean production for 1991 totaled about 2 billion bushels, up 3 percent from 1990. The yield per acre averaged a record high 34.3 bushels, 0.2 bushels per acre above the previous record highs of 1990 and 1985. Planted acreage in the U.S. was 59.1 million, with 58 million acres harvested.

Soybean production in Missouri was up 9 percent in 1991, which ranked the state tied for fourth with Indiana in total harvested acres, 4.43 million.

Yields in the state average 30.5 bushels per acre, up .5 percent over 1990 figures. Yields in most areas were average, with the exception of the southwest and west-central areas, where yields were hurt by particularly dry weather.

Wheat production

Nationally, all-wheat production last year was estimated at 1.98 billion bushels, down 28 percent from 1990. Average yields were 34.3 bushels per acre, down 5.2 bushels from 1990. Production of winter wheat for 1991 was 1.3 billion bushels, down 32 percent from 1990.

In Missouri, winter wheat production totaled 48 million bushels, a 37 percent decline from 1990. The yield per acre was 32 bushels, down six bushels from 1990. Total value of the 1991 wheat crop in Missouri was $110 million, 46 percent below the 1990 value due to lower yields and prices for poor quality wheat.

Cotton

Cotton production nationally was about 17.5 million bales up 13 percent from last year. The production was the largest since 1937, and third largest on record. Yields averaged 656 pounds per acre, up 22 pounds from 1990.

Missouri cotton production was up 35 percent from 1990, as farmers harvested 327,000 acres. The state yield of 621 pounds per acre, however, was down from the 1990 average of 641 pounds. The value of the state's cotton is estimated at $126 million, up 28 percent from 1990 totals.

Grain sorghum

Grain sorghum production nationally was 579 million bushels last year, up 1 percent from 1990. Sorghum silage production was 4.8 million, down 11 percent from 1990.

Missouri production of sorghum grain totaled 27.4 million bushels, a 12-percent decrease. Yields in the state averaged 72 bushels per acre, down 10 bushels from a year earlier. Sorghum silage production amounted to 80,000 tons, down 64 percent from 1990.

Hay production

Nationally, production of all hay was estimated at 153 million tons last year, up 5 percent. The larger production last year was due to a combination of higher yields and increased acres planted in hay. The average of 2.45 tons per acre compared with 2.3 tons in 1990. U.S. alfalfa hay production totaled 83.8 million tons in 1991.

In Missouri, alfalfa production was down 6 percent, at 1.35 million tons. Other hay production in the state totaled 5.76 million tons, up 6 percent from 1990.

Rice production

Rice production nationally totaled 154 million hundredweight in 1991, about 1 percent below 1990 figures. Average yield of rice for the nation was 5,617 pounds per acre, 88 pounds an acre more than in 1990. A total of 2.7 million acres were harvested.

In Missouri, 92,000 acres were harvested, with an average yield of 5,100 pounds per acre, up 400 pounds per acre from the 1990 average. Total production totaled 4.69 million hundredweight, up 25 percent from 1990.