Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wisconsin Farmers Planting Record Number of Soybean Acres

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Wisconsin Farmers Planting Record Number of Soybean Acres
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 07/01/2015

We now have a better idea of how Wisconsin farmers are using their cropland during the 2015 growing season. The USDA released its crop acreage report on Tuesday, which notes that the total number of soybean acres planted in the state is estimated at a record high 1.90 million, up 100,000 acres from last year, and 50,000 more than the March intentions. Area for harvest will also break the previous record by 90,000 acres, if realized. About 93-percent of Wisconsin's soybean acreage was planted with herbicide resistant GM seed.

Corn planted for all purposes is estimated at 4.10 million acres--up 100,000 acres from 2014, but about the same as the March intentions. An estimated 3.10 million acres are expected to be harvested for grain. The percent of the state's corn acreage planted to insect resistant varieties is estimated at three percent, herbicide resistant only varieties were planted on 19 percent of the acres, and stacked gene varieties were planted on 70 percent of the acres. Overall, 92 percent of the corn acreage was planted to GM seed.

Winter wheat planted is estimated at 260,000 acres, while an estimated 230,000 acres will be harvested for grain. Oats planted acreage, estimated at 350,000, is up 95,000 acres from last year's acreage and the most acreage planted in 10 years. An estimated 210,000 acres will be harvested for grain. Barley, at 24,000 planted acres, is down 2,000 acres from 2014. An estimated 14,000 acres of the barley crop will be harvested for grain.

And total dry hay harvested for 2015 is estimated at 1.65 million acres, up 10,000 acres from last year. Alfalfa harvested acreage is up 50,000 acres from last year at an estimated 1.30 million acres. Other hay harvested is estimated at 350,000 acres, down 40,000 acres from 2014. Dry bean acreage, at 7,900 planted acres, is unchanged from 2014's planted acres. Fall potato acres planted are estimated to be 66,000 acres and an estimated 65,000 acres will be harvested.

Nationally, corn plantings are estimated at 88.9 million acres, down two percent from last year. This represents the lowest planted acreage in the United States since 2010. Soybean planted area for 2015 is estimated at a record high 85.1 million acres, up two percent from last year. Area for harvest, at 84.4 million acres, is also up two percent from 2014.

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