REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — Based on conditions as of Oct. 1, Ohio’s average corn yield is forecast at 147 bushels per acre, down five bushels from the previous month’s forecast.
Total grain production is forecast at 463.05 million bushels, down 14 percent from last year’s state production total.
Corn growers expect to harvest 3.15 million acres in 2008 compared to the 3.61 million acres harvested one year ago.
Based on administrative data, planted acreage is estimated at 3.35 million acres, unchanged from the June estimate.
Ohio soybean yield
The 2008 average soybean yield for Ohio is forecast at 38 bushels per acre, down four bushels from last month’s forecast and nine bushels below the 2007 average state yield.
Total state production is forecast at 174.04 million bushels, down 13 percent from 2007. Harvested acreage is forecast at 4.58 million acres, up 340,000 acres from last year.
Based on administrative data, planted acreage is estimated at 4.6 million acres, unchanged from the June estimate. Alfalfa production in 2008 is forecast at 1.71 million tons, up 20 percent from last year.
All other hay production is forecast at 1.92 million tons, up 27 percent from last year.
Ohio’s 2008 burley tobacco yield is forecast at 1,950 pounds per acre, unchanged from the previous forecast. Total burley production is forecast at 6.05 million pounds compared to the 7.18 million pounds produced in 2007.
U.S. corn production
U.S. corn production is forecast at 12.2 billion bushels, up one percent from last month but seven percent below 2007.
Based on conditions as of Oct. 1, yields are expected to average 154.0 bushels per acre, up 1.7 bushels from September and 2.9 bushels above last year.
If realized, this will be the second highest yield on record, behind 2004, and production will be the second largest, behind last year.
Dry conditions
Yield forecasts are lower than last month across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys and eastern Corn Belt as dry conditions during September continued to adversely affect the late developing corn crop.
Forecasted yields also decreased in parts of the Delta and Missouri where excessive moisture and high winds from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike stressed the crop.
Yield prospects improved in the central Corn Belt, central Great Plains and upper Mississippi Valley as September rains brought much needed moisture to the region.
U.S. soybean production is forecast at 2.98 billion bushels, up two percent from the September forecast and up 11 percent from last year.
If realized, this will be the fourth largest production on record.
Based on Oct. 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 39.5 bushels per acre, down 0.5 bushel from last month and down 2.2 bushels from 2007.
Compared with last month, yields are forecast lower or unchanged across the Corn Belt and Great Plains, with the exception of Illinois and Kansas.
Yields increased or are unchanged from the Sept. 1 forecast across the Southeast, the lower Mississippi Valley and the mid-Atlantic states.
Area for harvest in the U.S. is forecast at 75.5 million acres, up three percent from last month and up 18 percent from 2007.
