AUBURN, March 29---Corn
acreage will be down significantly this year in Alabama. Dr. Paul
Mask, an agronomist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System,
says corn acreage could be down as much as 15 to 20 percent.
Dr. Paul Mask, who
specializes in corn and other grain crops, says producers may choose
to plant other row crops than corn this year. He says the high cost
of nitrogen fertilizers, as well as the low price for corn, will
make other crops such as cotton a more attractive planting option to
many Alabama farmers.
More than 230,000 acres
of corn were planted in 2000. However, only about 165,000 of those
acres were harvested. The drought that struck most of the state last
summer forced farmers to abandon thousands of shriveled corn acres.
SOURCE: Dr. Paul Mask,
Extension Agronomist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334)
844-5490
Dr. Paul Mask, who
specializes in corn and other grain crops, says producers may choose
to plant other row crops than corn this year. He says the high cost
of nitrogen fertilizers, as well as the low price for corn, will
make other crops such as cotton a more attractive planting option to
many Alabama farmers.