Del. soybeans snatching cropland from corn
BRIDGEVILLE, Del - A 20- y ears > according to University of
year analysis of com and soybean Delaware a B rononast
production in Delaware shows that "imam H. Mitchell, who compiled
recently com has been losing
acreage to soybeans. Before 1977, acreage in the two
Between 76,000 and 100,000 acres cr °P a tended to run roughly
have gone out of com production in P ara Uel, with the lead shifting
favor of soybeans over the last four * rom one to the other depending on
ACRES OF CORN AND SOYBEANS 1960-1960
_ 300
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SOYBEANS •
100 j- CORN
55 200
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YIELD OF CORN 1960-1980
1960
64 67
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Mail to Patz Company, Pound, Wisconsin 54161
Or. phone (414) 897-2251
1971 74
YEAR
1971
YEAR
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' MB Mi MM MM MW MB MB MM MB «
1980
✓A
1960
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price and demand. Both grains are
used to feed Delmarva broiler
flocks.
Mitchell says that some farmers
may’ have been switching to
soybeans because they think this is
a cheaper crop to grow than com
Others may favor soybeans
because they, think they’re less
susceptible to drought than com.
Neither of these theories proves
out too well in practice, however.
With -the credit crunch,
production costs have become very
important. Extension Crops
marketing specialist Carl German
estimates that it now costs about
$250 to grow an acre of dry land
com, assuming a 100-bushel yield.
YIELD OF SOYBEANS 1960-1960
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5 20
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1960
Delaware soybeans appear to be taking over corn land in
spite of corn’s better yield record.
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 14^1981—013
Soybeans cost about $5O less to
row, mainly because they require
less fertilizer.
Opting to grow beans instead of
corn strictly on the basis of
production costs may result in
rather marginal savings, however,
says German.
He says he feels farmers who
base their cropping decisions on
production costs alone may be
overlooking the comparative
advantage of the two crops on the
futures market. Those who do this
could be shortchanging them
selves.
Mitchell questions the popular
theory that soybeans withstand
drought better than com. Rather,
74 77 1980
1971
YEAR
he says, soybeans mature at a tune
when there’s a greater likelihood
of rainfall.
The critical month for water on
corn is July - often a dry month on
Delmarva. Soybeans need water
during pod set and fill in August
and September, historically wetter
months in this part of the country:
During last year’s drought,
Mitchell says soybeans didn’t do a
bit better than com. Bur farmers
had less money invested in their
beans. German adds that this did
not necessarily mean that they
made or lost any more money.
Ironically, acreage trends for
com and soybeans are running in
the opposite direction from yields.
Since 1973, the average soybean
yield in Delaware has declined
steadily, except for two years.
Cora yields, on the other hand,
have been rising in a pattern
marked by one poor yield followed
by two good ones, but up about two
bushels every four years.
While soybeans at their best
haven’t done much better than
they did 10 years ago, the state’s
average com yield even after last
summer’s drought was still above
(Turn to Page 014)
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