LOVELOCK - Many of you may have heard that Dairy Farmers of America (a dairy producers coop) is in the process of building a dairy processing plant in Fallon. The proposed milk plant will dehydrate milk into powdered milk for exportation to foreign markets. The good news is that the plant will require an increase in the number of pounds of milk produced in the local area. This means that the number of cows will need to double in order to meet the demand of the processing facility.
So, why is this good news to northern Nevada farmers? More cows will require more feed, not only alfalfa hay, but also corn and/or corn silage. This increase in demand for corn could provide local farmers with a profitable rotational crop in their alfalfa production systems.
The question is, can corn be produced in northern Nevada? I believe the answer is, yes. Profitable corn production requires many days of intense sunlight, along with cool nights. All plants require a certain number of days at a certain temperature range to complete their life-cycle. These days are measured as Growing Degree Days or Units. For example, Growing Degree Days for corn are calculated by taking the daily average temperature minus 50. For example, if the high temperature for the day was 800 F and the low temperature was 600 F the GDD's (Growing Degree Days) would be equal to (80 + 60) = 140/2 = (70 -50) = 20 GDD units. The exception is that temperatures above 86 degrees are reduced down to 86, and temperatures below 50 degrees are increased to 50.
The average GDD units for the Lovelock area between May 15 and Oct. 15 is equal to approximately 2,500 growing degree days (GDD). A 95-day maturity corn variety requires approximately 2,250 - 2,350 GDD's to reach is full maturity. This would indicate that our area has a sufficient number of days to produce corn.
The big question would be, "Do we have enough water"? A high-yielding corn crop requires about 22 inches of water, with a range of 20 to 30 inches. About 15 - 16 inches of water is enough to produce a low yield, but that depends on when, during the season, the water is available or unavailable. The maximum water allotted to area Lovelock farmers is 36 inches per acres/year. Even if the water allotment this year is only 24 inches, this would be enough to produce a good yielding corn crop.
However, there are still other factors that may determine if corn can be produced profitably in our area. These factors include soil fertility, equipment, market availability and most of all management skills.
If you would like to learn more about growing corn or corn silage, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension in Pershing County will be offering a two day workshop on corn production at the Pershing County Community Center on April 19 - 20 from 9 a.m. - noon. Topics to be discussed include the following: Soil and Fertility Requirements, Variety Selection, Proper Planting and Management Practices, Enterprise Budgeting and Factors that Limit Yields.
Participants are required to register prior to April 18 by calling the Extension office at (775) 273-2923 or e-mail me at fosters@unce.unr.edu. A $10 registration fee will be charged to cover refreshments and materials.
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