Just read an article on this while drinking coffee this morning.  The nitrate concentration (assuming I got the gist of the article correct) is a soluble issue.  Not enough transported up the plant as it went dormant in the drought conditions.  As the plant dies back the nitrate levels increase at the lower level (low stalk and roots).  The recommendation is to cut high and then test.

I seriously doubt you'll see it effect the pollen at all other than an already poor quality pollen made poorer back lack of nutrient uptake.

As to ethanol, you cannot make ethanol cheaper than you can produce oil, especially when a bushel of corn is selling at 7.83/bu (Spot EOD today at our nearby Cargill facility).  Add to that a (relatively) lower price in crude and gas and the environment is not friendly to bio-fuel production using a feed/food stock at all.

My heart goes out to my friends that live less than a 2 hours drive west of us and have seen their fields go from 160/bu per acre to 10/bu per acre.  This year is going to be a bad year be you a corn grower or raiser of hogs.  If things do not get better I am hearing con prices floating into the nines by harvest time as we see exactly what is out there.  With all these new trade treaties we past the last twelve months demand for corn and soy on the international market is huge.

Our corn here outside of Cincinnati, Ohio is just starting to tassel.  We have been in similar conditions but the temps broke the other day.  The bees are hauling in pollen and we took spring honey off already.  60% chance of rain tomorrow.  If we get it, it'll be the first in over 40 days.  This year is just as crazy as the last but for different reasons.  This time last year w had JUSt gotten the last of the soybeans planted because of 45 days out of 60 were heavy with rain and we kept flooding all the way into June. No spring harvest at all, but we did have a good summer and a huge goldenrod bloom in the fall. 


Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106
http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com
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