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

Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association

Wisconsin Ag News Headlines

Wisconsin Farmers Planting Record Number of Soybean Acres
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 07/01/2016

We now have a better idea of how Wisconsin farmers are using their cropland during the 2016 growing season. The USDA released its crop acreage report on Thursday, which notes that the total number of soybean acres planted in the state is estimated at a record high 1.95 million, up 700,000 acres from last year, but unchanged from the March intentions. Area for harvest will also break the previous record by 70,000 acres, if realized. About 94-percent of Wisconsin's soybean acreage was planted with herbicide resistant GM seed.

Corn planted for all purposes is estimated at 4.20 million acres--up 200,000 acres from 2015. An estimated 3.20 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 17 percent of the acres, and stacked gene varieties were planted on 70 percent of the acres. Overall, 90 percent of the corn acreage was planted to GM seed.

Winter wheat planted is estimated at 290,000 acres, while an estimated 265,000 acres will be harvested for grain. Oat plantings, estimated at 250,000 acres, is down 30,000 acres from last year's figures. An estimated 130,000 acres are expected to be harvested for grain.

And total dry hay harvested for 2016 is estimated at 1.63 million acres, up 120,000 acres from last year. Alfalfa harvested acreage is up 100,000 acres from last year at an estimated 1.30 million acres. Other hay harvested is estimated at 330,000 acres, up 20,000 acres from 2015.

Nationally, corn plantings are estimated at 94.1 million acres, up seven percent from last year. This represents the third highest planted acreage in the United States since 1944. Soybean planted area for 2016 is estimated at a record high 83.7 million acres, up one percent from last year. Area for harvest, at 83.0 million acres, is also up one percent from 2015 and will be a record high if realized.

Other Wisconsin Headlines