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2021 UK Corn Science Research Report
Read the latest University of Kentucky Corn Science Research Report
Corn Growers Thank President Biden for Counting on Biofuels to Lower Costs, Boost Energy Independence
President Biden announced today that his administration would use existing authority to prevent drivers from losing access to lower-cost and lower-emission E15, a higher ethanol blend often marketed as Unleaded 88.
Corn Growers Call on the Biden Administration to Use Emergency Authority to Maintain Consumer Access to Lower-Cost Fuel
Corn grower leaders from 19 states sent an open letter to President Biden last week calling on him to use the administration’s existing emergency authorities to tap more homegrown renewable fuels, like ethanol, to help stabilize energy markets and lower the price of fuel for consumers. The letter comes as Russia’s attack on Ukraine has impacted energy markets, increasing oil and gas prices.
Chinese Agriculture Officials Visit with Kentucky Grain Producers and End Users
KyCorn and the Tennessee Corn Growers hosted a China Embassy team earlier this month to facilitate conversation about American grain production, transportation, and end use. The trade mission was accompanied by the U.S. Grains Council.
Biofuel & Ag Leaders Call on White House to Provide Relief at the Pump Through Higher Blends of Biofuels
To provide relief at the pump in response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions from the transportation sector, six farm and biofuel organizations wrote to President Biden urging his administration to use existing authority to allow for the year-round sale of gasoline blended with up to 15% ethanol (E15).
How Does Russian Invasion on Ukraine Affect the Corn Industry?
With a lot of unknowns and surreal times ahead, we are concerned with the future and the people impacted in both countries. We are also closely monitoring how this will directly impact corn.
New Study: Corn Ethanol Can Achieve Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Well Before 2050
Following a pledge by members of the Renewable Fuels Association to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, on average, by 2050 or sooner, a new report released this week shows that new and emerging technologies and practices could help the industry achieve this vision well before mid-century.
Faulty Ethanol Study Gets Media Attention, Pro-Ethanol Groups Respond
The Renewable Fuels Association pushed back against the faulty research with a seven-page paper debunking several of the report’s claims.
Yellow Banks Bourbon Promotion is a Hit at NFMS
The National Farm Machinery Show was a great place to discuss critical issues with members and promote the partnership with Green River Distilling Company.
Intensive Corn Management Seminar and NFMS promote productive conversation among growers
KyCorn had a successful relaunch of their Intensive Corn Management Seminar in Louisville this week, as a prequel to the Farm Machinery Show for Kentucky corn growers.
Now Taking Applications for CORE Farmer Program Class VI
KyCorn is now accepting applications for Class VI of its CORE Farmer Program. More than 90 farmers have participated since 2010.
Awards and Recognition from the Kentucky Commodity Conference
See how was honored at the 2021 Kentucky Commodity Conference.
Grain and Forage Center of Excellence Will Rebuild
We will build again at Princeton. Our commitment to western Kentucky and the entire region remains. The Category EF-4 tornado on December 10, 2021 damaged 49 of the 59 structures at the Research and Education Center.
UK specialists offer tips to deal with high fertilizer costs
Near record-high fertilizer prices, increasing seed costs, supply chain issues and questions about availability have many producers worried about how these challenges are going to affect their profitability in the coming year.
2021 Kentucky Corn Yield Contest Winners
View this year’s winners.
As U.S. Court of International Trade Says It Will Review Amicus Brief on Fertilizer Tariffs, Farmers Call on Companies to Withdraw Petitions for Levies
The U.S. Court of International Trade this week said that it will review an amicus brief submitted by the National Corn Growers Association and other ag groups in a case it’s considering on tariffs of phosphorous fertilizers imported from outside the country.
2020/2021 Marketing Year Ranks As Best Export Year Of All Time
U.S. exports of grains in all forms (GIAF) reached an all-time high during the 2020/2021 marketing year. Recovering from a two-year period of decline, exports rose by 28.3 percent, totaling 129.5 million metric tons (MMT), or 5.2 billion bushels, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and analysis by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC).
2021 Corn Extended Growing Season in Kentucky
Corn planting for 2021 was ahead of schedule, yet harvest and several other developmental stages were behind. Milk, dough and dent were all behind the 5-year average.
Op-Ed: American Farmers Face Crippling Prices at the Hands of Fertilizer Oligopoly
NCGA CEO Jon Doggett – If you’re looking to make a killing off the stock market, forget about Amazon, you should invest in fertilizer companies.
NCGA Praises Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation Important to Farmers, Rural Communities
The House of Representatives voted Friday 228 to 206 to approve the bipartisan infrastructure package, which the Senate passed in August by a vote of 69 to 30, clearing the way for legislation to become law.
Waterways Campaign Highlights Environmental & Economic Impacts
KyCorn is proud to partner with the Waterways Council Inc and others to help audiences understand the importance of inland waterways and efficient infrastructure.
Kentucky Expecting Big Crop Harvests
Corn production in Kentucky is forecast at 268 million bushels, unchanged from the September forecast and up 7% from the previous crop.
KyCorn Leaders Provide Program Updates
We hear great things across the state about this year’s harvest. Hopefully, you are having to drive your combine really slowly! As the new crop comes in, our minds focus on demand and profitability, and we feel it is important to update you on what the Kentucky Corn Promotion Council (investment arm) and Kentucky Corn Growers Association (grassroots advocacy program) are doing to help your farm’s bottom line.
Tar Spot Found in Kentucky
The University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab in Princeton confirmed the state’s first case of tar spot on corn during the week of Sept. 13. Curt Judy, Todd County agriculture and natural resources extension agent, submitted the diseased sample from an inbred corn line that was part of a local breeding trial. It was not found in a commercial corn field. The disease was found on plant leaves.
Comer and Congressional Colleagues Support Bill that Would Lower Emissions, Help Kentuckians
An important bill introduced this week in the U.S. House of Representatives, which may soon play a vital role in addressing environmental issues while supporting Kentuckians in rural communities, is being buoyed by support from a congressional member from the Bluegrass state.
Study Shows How Corn and Soybean Producers Benefit from U.S. Red Meat Exports
A recent study showed how red meat exports add value to Kentucky corn.
Farmer Leadership Programs Provide Summer Learning & Networking
July was a busy month for corn farmer leadership training and education programs. Class 5 of the CORE Farmer Program met after a COVID-induced hiatus of over a year. Classmates were glad to be reunited and to learn from each other in Session 6 of the seven-session curriculum.
Look for the Blue Handle at Thortons
Installation of pumps that can dispense E15 at Thorntons Convenience Stores are now complete. Branded as Unleaded88 and identified by a blue handle, dispensers throughout more than a dozen of their locations in Louisville, Lexington, and a few in western Kentucky, will boost ethanol content by 50 percent compared to regular unleaded.
Corn Growers Work to Elevate the Image of America’s Crop
The nation’s corn growers blanketed the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport earlier this summer to elevate the image of America’s top crop and the farmers who grow it. The campaign was organized as a response to the growing negative view of corn’s impact on the environment.
Kentucky Grain Tour Hosts Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet
Grain agriculture organizations came together earlier this month to host a team from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet
NCGA Releases US Corn Sustainability Goals and Report
KyCorn President Richard Preston delivered the US Corn Sustainability Report to Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman during a Kentucky grain tour hosted by KyCorn, Kentucky Small Grain Growers, and Kentucky Soybean Association.
Heartland Whiskey Competition for Craft Distillers is coming to Louisville, July 22-23
KyCorn is happy to announced that the next Heartland Whiskey Competition will take place July 22-23 in Louisville, and craft distillers from Kentucky are invited to compete.
Corn & Bourbon: Powering Partnerships and Kentucky’s Economic Revival
The partnership taking root between the Kentucky Corn Growers Association and the producers of Yellow Banks bourbon, who source their corn from local growers and donate a portion of their profits to support corn research.
Corn Growers Join Agricultural Tax Priorities Letter to Congress
USGC, FGIS Collaboration Helps Instill Global Buyers’ Confidence In U.S. Grains
A transparent and reliable understanding of the grain inspection process is essential to global markets and a critical reason the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) works so closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (USDA’s FGIS) to demonstrate to overseas buyers that the quality of U.S. grains delivered is the quality promised.
Bourbon, the Spirit of America, and Corn’s Deep Roots in Kentucky
Not only is its heritage deeply rooted in early Appalachian history, but up to two-and-a-half pounds of corn go into every bottle of bourbon that’s distilled. In this episode of the podcast, NCGA CEO Jon Doggett pays a visit to the Frazier Kentucky History Museum in Louisville to talk bourbon with KyCorn and a master distiller.
NCGA Supports Reintroduction of Senate Climate Policy Legislation
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) applauds the bipartisan reintroduction of the Growing Climate Solutions Act, sponsored by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.).
USDA Expands and Renews Conservation Reserve Program
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA will open enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) with higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation.
2021 KyCorn Scholarship Recipients Announced
The Kentucky Corn Growers Association is proud to announce the recipients of the 2021 scholarship program, which is funded through grower leader contributions.
E15 Coming Soon to Louisville, Lexington, Northern KY and Henderson
Kentucky Corn Promotion Council (KyCPC) has invested with Thorntons Convenience Stores for the installation of new ethanol dispensers at 13 of their Kentucky retail locations. The program marks the largest direct investment by KyCPC in ethanol dispenser infrastructure to date.
RESEARCH: Determining the Profitability of Growing Premium Corn Varieties in Kentucky
Across Kentucky, we have seen the rapid expansion in of the staple spirit of Kentucky, bourbon, resulting in increased production capacity and new distilleries entering the market. This expansion provides opportunities for corn producers to supply this market and provide distilleries with locally sourced inputs.
Ethanol is the fastest growing corn market. Period.
The KY Corn Promotion Council puts a lot of energy and effort into finding the best ways to invest farmers’ corn checkoff resources – while, in Kentucky, livestock and poultry rule the day (with exports, or delivery to the Ohio River, closely trailing), nationally there is not a clearer avenue for growth in corn utilization than through ethanol.
Kentucky Pollinator Protection App
The Pollinator Protection mapping program is now available to beekeepers and pesticide applicators.
China’s Corn Appetite Fuels Record Sales, A Boost For Farmers
The U.S. has booked sales of 17.72 MMT (697 million bushels) of corn to China as of Feb. 11, 2021, versus a mere 61,000 tons (2.4 million bushels) at the same time last year – a dramatic turn of events for both the corn markets and the U.S.-China ag trading relationship.
Economic Boom from Grain Exports Highlights Need for Trade Access and Market Development
Access to international markets for U.S. grain supported an additional $41.8 billion in business sales during 2018 over and above the value of the grain sold, according to a study commissioned by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) – highlighting the importance of new market access and robust market development for the profitability of U.S. grain farmers.
RFA Releases Statistical Reports on 2020 Ethanol, Distillers Grains Exports
The Renewable Fuels Association today released two reports summarizing 2020 U.S. ethanol and distillers grains export and import data. These annual reports provide industry advocates, policymakers, the media and the general public with the latest information on the important role U.S. ethanol and distillers grains play on the world stage.
New Study Highlights Corn-Ethanol’s Impact on Carbon Emissions
A new study released this week further emphasizes the need and benefits of corn ethanol in the nation’s fuel supply. Scientists from Harvard University, Tufts University and Environmental Health & Engineering Inc., in Carbon Intensity of Corn Ethanol in the United States: State of the Science showed that corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 46 percent, compared to gasoline.
Opinion: The Secret to Clean Air is No Secret. It’s Ethanol.
Today, nearly 97 percent of America’s fuel supply is blended with 10 percent ethanol and use of 15 percent ethanol blends is growing. Higher blends of ethanol will produce even greater environmental benefits, especially when used with high efficiency engines designed to improve fuel economy with higher octane fuel.
2020 University of Kentucky Corn Research Report
Research conducted by the University of Kentucky Grain Science Group and supported by Kentucky Corn.
Spring 2021 OCTC Automotive Technology Scholarship Awarded to Henry Lytle
The Owensboro Community and Technical College Scholarship Committee proudly awarded the Kentucky Corn Growers Scholarship to 4th semester Automotive Technology student, Henry Lytle.
Record Corn Production Achieved in 2020
Kentucky’s average 2020 corn yield was estimated at 184 bushels per acre, which is a record high yield for the Commonwealth.
2020 Corn Yield Contest Winners Announced
Congratulations to Kevin Hayden, of Carlisle County, for achieving the top yield of 324.98 bu/A in the 2020 Kentucky Corn Yield Contest and the National Corn Yield Contest (among Kentucky producers) with DeKalb KDC65-95RIB seed.
Farmer-researcher partnerships are backbone of agricultural advances
Scientists in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment engage with an extensive network of producers in all disciplines. The partnerships do not form overnight but over the course of numerous meetings, developing personal relationships and building mutual trust and respect.
No-Till Corn Yields More in the Good Years, Too
A western Kentucky extension agent recently commented on the disappearance of no-till corn. No one is returning to the moldboard (or chisel) plow, but there is a lot of discing/vertical (minimum) tillage going on. Why might this be happening?
USGC 2020 Corn Harvest Quality Report: Higher Average Test Weight, Lower Moisture And Damage
The 2020/2021 U.S. corn crop – entering marketing channels now – has a higher average test weight, lower moisture and lower total damage relative to each quality factor’s average of the previous five crops, according to the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) 2020/2021 Corn Harvest Quality Report.
Agriculture Trade: A Reason for Optimism in 2021
or generations, America’s farmers and ranchers have built strong trading relationships to help maintain a competitive edge in the global economy and bolster job creation across the United States. While corn farmers celebrated agreements to secure the future of U.S. trading relationships in 2020, there are still new growth opportunities for U.S. corn and corn products around the globe that we will work to capture.
Kentucky Corn Works with Green River Distilling Company on Yellow Banks Bourbon
KY Corn is proud to announce a new collaboration with the Green River Distilling Company in Owensboro on a new bourbon offering that is designed to put a portion of profits back into the corn industry for corn production and sustainability research.
A Discounted Holiday Treat for Corn Grower Members
Members receive a 12% discount on the purchase of Cabela’s gift cards. Cabela’s cards can be used for shopping online or at one of their massive retail locations.
Congress Reauthorizes U.S. Grain Standards Act
The U.S. grain inspection system provides certainty to our foreign customers that all U.S. grains and oilseeds have been inspected and certified by an independent agency. The system provides great value to U.S. commodities, enhancing our competitiveness in the world market, and is a significant advantage for U.S. products versus commodities from other origins.
China Sales Fuel Fast Start to Marketing Year
The U.S. corn marketing year began Sept. 1 and already has 832.7 million bushels of corn sold on the books, including 377.546 million bushels (9.59 million tons) destined for China alone.
UK begins on-farm variable rate irrigation research
A University of Kentucky research project that could have significant impacts for Kentucky grain producers with irrigated acres is beginning on a Western Kentucky farm. Ole Wendroth, soil physicist in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is leading a study examining the effects of a variable rate irrigation system that, to his knowledge, is the first-of-its-kind in the state.
UK Fall Crop Protection webinar series begins in November
The 2020 Fall Crop Protection webinars begin Nov. 10 on the video conferencing app Zoom and will focus on new and common threats to Kentucky corn, soybeans and wheat. The weekly webinars will occur at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesdays and are hosted through the Southern Integrated Pest Management Center.
Corn and Soybean News – October Issue
Read the latest issue from the University of Kentucky Grain Crops team.
Biofuels Infrastructure Grants to Boost E15 Pumps at Kentucky Retail Locations
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced last week that the USDA has invested $22 million out of the up to $100 million in grants available to increase American ethanol and biodiesel sales. These funds were made available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to recipients in 14 states, including Kentucky.
Covid, Commercial Applicators CEUs, and EPA Opportunities
The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc with typical Continuing Education Units (CEU) opportunities, as well as testing for commercial applicators. Some meetings have been cancelled and others have gone on-line.
Corn Grower Investment in Agriculture Literacy Amplified Through Partnerships
KyCorn wants to thank Kentucky’s farm community for continuing this project that is educating the next generation of consumers.
America’s Farmers: Resilient Throughout the COVID Pandemic
USDA explains the impact of COVID on the agricultural community.
Next Generation Fuels Act Introduced
The Kentucky Corn Growers Association applauds the introduction of The Next Generation Fuels Act. This legislation, that was introduced yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives, will boost long term corn demand for clean, affordable ethanol.