Growing America

Corn is a grass native to the Americas. Evidence in central Mexico suggests corn was used there about 7000 years ago. Various Native American tribes shared their knowledge of corn, also known as maize, with early European settlers, saving many from starvation. Early American colonists ground dried corn as meal for flour to use in porridge, cake and bread. Sweet corn, served as “corn on the cob,” was not developed until the 1700s. About 9% of all corn is used to produce food for humans: corn meal, cooking oils, margarine, corn syrups, and sweeteners (fructose). About 64% of all corn is used as feed for livestock and 40% is used to create ethanol. Corn is harvested for either grain or silage with most of the grain going directly to livestock operations or ethanol production. Ethanol is a fuel alcohol that is produced from starch leaving the protein, fat, fiber and minerals to produce livestock feed (distiller’s grains). Corncobs have been used in the manufacturing of nylon fibers, ethanol, and as a source for producing degradable plastics.

Soybeans are a legume native to Southeast Asia. Evidence suggests that soybeans were first domesticated by the Chinese around 2800 B.C. and were used as an edible crop highly regarded by the Chinese emperor. Soybeans were first introduced to the Americas in the 19th century and were highly regarded by botanist and chemist George Washington Carver as a means to improve soil fertility in the south. Consequently, he developed more than 300 different uses for soybeans and they became a prominent crop in the 20th and 21st centuries, increasing to more than 2000 varieties commercially available for production today. Soybeans are primarily broken down into two components: 80% meal (97% of all soybean meal is used in animal feed with the remaining 3% as human food products) and 20% oil (61% of soybean oil is used in food production, 31% in biofuels and 8% in industrial applications).

Corn is pollinated by wind and is typically planted in 30-inch rows. A single seed, or kernel, of corn may produce a plant which yields more than 600–800 kernels of corn per ear. Approximately 22,000 to 35,000 individual plants may be grown on an acre of land. Hybrid corn is developed to produce from one to two ears per plant.

Soybeans are self-pollinated and are typically planted in 15 inch rows. A single bean may produce a plant that will yield 50–100 pods on average, each with three seeds inside.  Approximately 120,000 to 140,000 individual plants may be grown on an acre of land. Soybeans are developed to produce up to 200 pods per plant.

After the crop is harvested, the farmer begins to prepare the soil for the next season by testing the soil to determine if it will need additional nutrients for spring planting. In the spring, the farmer will either plant with a no-till planter or possibly do a light tillage pass to create smooth bedding for planting if necessary. When the ground temperature is ready (50°F and expected to rise), the farmer will plant and add fertilizer 2 inches deeper and 2 inches to the side of the grain to help the seeds get a healthy start. After the seed is planted, most farmers will spray a pre-emergent herbicide to prohibit weed growth. When corn seedlings emerge and grow, the farmer will add some form of nitrogen fertilizer before the v8 (8th leaf development) stage. This spring fertilizer will allow for the plant to green up and establish good photosynthetic activity through harvest. The addition of fertilizer is not necessary for soybeans as they are legumes and help to produce their own nitrogen in the soil. The farmer will continue to scout the crop through maturity for any additional pests and will harvest the crop when it is ripe in the fall.