[george76]

It’s time to re-think corn irrigation.

corn farmer... in the 1950s when Georgia farmers averaged 25 bushels per acre...

the times and technology have changed. Georgia averaged 130 bushels per acre in 2007, and...there are other reasons, including improved hybrids, better fertilization, improved weed control, and other factors for Georgia’s better corn yields.

Irrigation requires a relatively high investment in equipment, fuel, maintenance and labor, but it offers a significant potential for increasing net farm income. Frequency and timing of water application have a major impact on yields and operating costs.

http://southeastfarmpress.com/its-time-re-think-corn-irrigation

[george76]

Ethanol is made mostly from corn in the United States, and more than one-third of the country’s corn crop goes into making it, said Professor Lee Meyer, from the UK College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects a greater percentage of the corn crop will go toward ethanol production in the next few years.

“Though corn production is on an upward trend, production has not increased nearly as quickly as the use of corn for fuel,” Meyer said. “Something has to give. That means less corn is going to be used for feeding livestock.”

Corn is the primary feed for chicken and hogs, and it is often used for the last stage of feeding cattle. Its price has increased by approximately 40 percent in 2010.

http://southeastfarmpress.com/grains/corn-common-denominator-fuel-meat-prices

What is missing ? Thanks

[Mr. Lucky]

Irrigation in a humid state such as Georgia doesn’t deplete water resources. Georgia cropland averages well over a million gallons of rainfall per acre per year.

[anglian]

Measuring Corn Ethanol's Thirst for Water Total water requirements for the irrigation and conversion of one liter of ethanol by state, as well as the total water used in ethanol production by state. Credit: Environmental Science and Technology