How does 2008 corn acreage relate to long-term in Iowa and the U.S.?
Figures 1 (United States) and 2 (Iowa) show corn acreage since 1926. Projected 2008 Iowa corn acreage is identical to that planted in 1974 and 1992. Only twelve years have had more than 13.2 million acreage, with many occurring in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Iowa is very different in this regard compared to the US trend. In the U.S., years with more than 86.0 million corn acres were mainly during the 1920’s to 1940’s, and the only exception was in 2007. Figure 1. Total Corn Acres Planted in the United States, 1926-2007 Figure 2. Total Corn Acres Planted in Iowa, 1926-2007 Corn and soybean both important in Iowa Numerous years of research has documented that the corn and soybean rotation is the most profitable and least risky system for many growers in Iowa and will increase the yield of both crops compared to when they are grown in a monoculture. The corn and soybean rotation is important for many agronomic reasons such as yield benefits related to the rotation effect, disturbing pest
