2012 CROP PRODUCTION RESULTS NOW FINALIZED It was a tough year for Tennessee farmers, especially for corn growers. The bright spots were the soybean and cotton crops that exceeded earlier expectations and finished with above average per acre yields. In fact, the average cotton yield for the state closely approached the record high set in 2006. Disappointment loomed all season for the prospects of a decent corn crop and final results indicate average output per acre worse than previously forecast. Dark tobacco types yielded respectable while Burley yields ended slightly below the 10-year average. Hay yields, thanks to late summer moisture, were about average. State Director Debra Kenerson noted, “Extremely dry, hot weather into early July just devastated the corn crop. After that point, the weather became more seasonal and rainfall was adequate in most areas the remainder of the crop season. Harvest conditions were excellent.” The final yield estimates for 2012 revealed the following: Corn, 85 bushels per acre, down 46 bushels from 2011’s yield of 131 bushels; Cotton, 934 pounds per acre, up 138 pounds from the previous year; Soybeans, 38 bushels per acre, up 6 bushels from 2011; Burley tobacco, 1,810 pounds per acre, up 200 pounds from a year earlier.
COTTON YIELD SECOND HIGHEST ON RECORD
Tennessee’s cotton production was estimated at 730,000 bales, down 83,000 bales from 2011. The State’s final average yield averaged 934 pounds of lint per acre, up 138 pounds from the previous year and second only to 2006’s record yield of 945 pounds. Harvested area was 375,000 acres, down 115,000 acres from 2011. Timely, late summer and fall rains were vital to the cotton crop development. Production was down due to decreased acreage.
2012 CORN YIELD WORST SINCE THE DROUGHT OF 1993
Corn for grain production was estimated at 81.6 million bushels. The final yield, at 85 bushels per acre, was down 46 bushels from a year earlier and down 4 bushels from the final November forecast. This was the lowest yielding crop in almost twenty years. Conversely, growers planted 250,000 more acres in 2012, the most since 1961. Tennessee corn producers harvested 960,000 acres for grain, an increase of 225,000 acres over 2011. The 2012 corn drought resulted in producers abandoning about 35,000 acres. Also, acres harvested for silage increased to 45,000, in part due to some of the acreage intended for grain was cut for silage. The silage yield, at 12 tons per acre, was down 5 tons from the previous year. Silage production totaled 540,000 tons. Corn harvest was virtually complete by mid-October, about three weeks ahead of the normal pace.
SOYBEAN PRODUCTION A BRIGHT SPOT IN 2012
Soybean production was estimated at 46.7 million bushels, up 16 percent from the previous year. The State’s final soybean yield was estimated at 38 bushels per acre, up 6 bushels from 2011. Producers harvested 1.23 million acres for beans, down 30,000 acres from the previous year. Excellent harvesting conditions allowed growers to gather the crop by mid-November. Soybean yields were better than average due to plentiful late summer and fall rain.
HIGHEST BURLEY PRODUCTION SINCE 2006
Burley producers increased production to 29 million pounds, up 28 percent from 2011 and the highest since 2006. The State’s final burley yields averaged 1,810 pounds per acre, up 200 pounds from a year earlier. Growers harvested 16,000 acres, up 2,000 from the previous year. Tennessee’s dark fire-cured tobacco yields were estimated at 3,100 pounds per acre, up 210 pounds from 2011. Dark air-cured yields reached 2,650 pounds per acre, up 30 pounds from a year earlier. Burley tobacco yields improved over the past two seasons’ dismal ones, but were still less than expected in late summer. Scarce labor supplies challenged growers in some areas, causing harvest delays. Curing conditions to date have been acceptable.
MOST WINTER WHEAT SEEDINGS SINCE 2008
Total winter wheat acreage for the 2013 season is estimated at the highest level since 2008 at 540,000 acres, up 120,000 acres from 2012. Mild autumn weather with adequate moisture across Tennessee allowed for timely seeding. Winter wheat seeding started in late September and continued at a normal pace through mid-November. Weather conditions during December, including above normal temperatures and near normal precipitation, have been beneficial for the winter wheat crop. As of the week ending November 18, virtually all of the state’s wheat acreage had been seeded with over two-thirds emerged. The crop is currently rated in good-to-excellent condition.
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2012 HAY PRODUCTION DOWN SHARPLY DUE TO DECREASED ACREAGE
Hay production, at 3.55 million tons, was down 11 percent from the 2011 crop. Acreage, at 1.765 million acres, was down 115,000 acres from a year earlier. Hay yields averaged 2.01 tons per acre. Alfalfa production totaled 51,000 tons. Alfalfa producers harvested 15,000 acres down 5,000 from a year earlier. Alfalfa yields averaged 3.40 tons per acre, down 3 percent from the previous year. Growers seeded 2,000 acres of alfalfa during 2012, down 3,000 acres from 2011. Pastures and hay fields suffered from the combination of above average temperatures and severe drought during late spring and summer. Fall weather was moderate, with ample rainfall and cooler temperatures. This helped pastures and hay fields recover. As a result, some farmers were able to get a second cutting that had not been anticipated. Hay stocks on Tennessee farms totaled 2.7 million tons on December 1, 2012, down 13 percent from 2011. Stocks represented 76 percent of this year’s production, compared with 78 percent on December 1, 2011. Lower hay production in combination with early feeding resulted in decreased on-farm hay stocks as of December 1, 2012.
CROP ESTIMATES: TENNESSEE AND UNITED STATES, 2012, WITH COMPARISONS
Crop Units Harvested Acres Yield Per Acre Production
2011 2012 2011 2012 2011 2012
Thousands Number of Units Thousands
TENNESSEE
Apples1 lb. — — — — 8,500 7,500
Corn for grain bu. 735 960 131 85 96,285 81,600
Corn for silage ton 38 45 17 12 646 540
Cotton2 lb. 490 375 796 934 813 730
Cottonseed ton — — — — 272.0 243.0
Hay, All ton 1,880 1,765 2.11 2.01 3,976 3,551
Other ton 1,860 1,750 2.10 2.00 3,906 3,500
Alfalfa ton 20 15 3.50 3.40 70 51
Soybeans bu. 1,260 1,230 32.0 38.0 40,320 46,740
Tobacco, All lb. 22.0 23.9 2,062 2,218 45,363 53,000
Dark fire-cured lb. 6.9 6.9 2,890 3,100 19,941 21,390
Burley lb. 14.0 16.0 1,610 1,810 22,540 28,960
Dark air-cured lb. 1.1 1.0 2,620 2,650 2,882 2,650
Winter Wheat bu. 310 340 69.0 63.0 21,390 21,420
UNITED STATES
Apples1 lb. — — — — 9,429,900
Corn for grain bu. 83,989 87,375 147.2 123.4 12,359,612 10,780,296
Corn for silage ton 5,935 7,379 18.4 15.4 109,094 113,450
Cotton2 lb. 9,460.9 9,426.8 790 866 15,573.2 17,009.9
Cottonseed ton — — — — 5,370.0 5,759.0
Hay, All ton 55,653 56,260 2.36 2.13 131,216 119,878
Other ton 36,440 38,968 1.81 1.74 65,884 67,829
Alfalfa bu. 19,213 17,292 3.40 3.01 65,332 52,049
Soybeans lb. 73,776 76,104 41.9 39.6 3,093,524 3,014,998
Tobacco, All lb. 325.0 336.2 1,841 2,268 598,252 762,441
Dark fire-cured lb. 16.4 16.3 3,154 3,302 51,721 53,764
Burley lb. 88.9 101.4 1,938 2,021 172,265 204,880
Dark air-cured bu. 5.5 5.2 2,924 2,933 16,082 15,250
Winter Wheat bu. 32,314 34,834 46.2 47.2 1,493,677 1,645,202
