[Adwetyren]

All over America the corn is dying. If drought conditions persist in the middle part of the country, wheat and soybeans will be next. Weeks of intense heat combined with extraordinarily dry conditions have brought many U.S. corn farmers to the brink of total disaster. If there is not significant rainfall soon, many farmers will be financially ruined. This period of time is particularly important for corn because this is when pollination is supposed to happen. But the unprecedented heat and the extremely dry conditions are playing havoc with that process. With each passing day things get even worse. We have seen the price of a bushel of corn soar 41 percent since June 14th. That is an astounding rise. You may not eat much corn directly, but it is important to realize that corn or corn syrup is just about in everything these days. Just look at your food labels. In the United States today, approximately 75 percent of all processed foods contain corn. So a huge rise in the price of corn is going to be felt all over the supermarket. Corn is also widely used to feed livestock, and if this crisis continues we are going to see a significant rise in meat and dairy prices as well. Food prices in America have already been rising at a steady pace, and so this is definitely not welcome news.

The weather conditions in the middle part of the country during the last couple of months have been highly unusual. The following is from a recent article in the Los Angeles Times....

It's not that the Midwest hasn't been extremely hot before, and it's not that it hasn't been incredibly dry.

But it's unusual for a vast swath of the Midwest to be so very hot and so very dry for so very long -- particularly this early in the summer.

The current heat wave -- which is spurring comparisons to the catastrophic heat of 1936 -- is "out of whack," meteorologist Jim Keeney said Friday in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Corn crops typically pollinate and mature in June and early July. That is why this time of the year is so vitally important for corn. We have reached a make it or break it moment.

The following is how an Accuweather.com report described what is happening right now....

Either heat or drought can stress the stalks, but both can basically shut down the pollination process. When this happens few, small or no ears of corn form.

According to AccuWeather.com Agricultural Meteorologists, you can't raise a corn crop with less than an inch of rain over six weeks, combined with 100-degree and higher temperatures. However, these conditions have taken place in much of the southern corn belt through the week of July 4, 2012.

If pollination does not happen, corn farmers might as well give up.

Just check out what agricultural economist Chris Hurt said the other day....

"Pollination problems just can’t be overcome, even if the weather turns. There’s no turning back. There’s just failure."

At this point, half of all corn in the state of Indiana is already in poor shape.

With each passing day, the condition of the corn gets even worse.

As a recent article in the Chicago Tribune detailed, many farmers feel completely helpless at the moment....

Dave Kestel, who farms about 1,300 acres in Manhattan about 40 miles southwest of Chicago, said he feels helpless.

"Every day you get out there and it's the same heat and cloudless sky," he said. "You see your corn just withering out there, knowing you can't do anything about it."

The United States is suffering from a severe lack of rain. Just look at the chart posted below. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of the country is experiencing drought conditions right now...



These drought conditions have also played a major role in the huge number of wildfires that we have seen lately.

There are a few northern states that are not feeling the drought right now, but otherwise the rest of the country is extremely dry.

So what does all of this mean for you and I?

A recent article by Holly Deyo summarized why we should all be praying for rain....

Since 75% of grocery store products use corn as a key ingredient, expect food prices to skyrocket. Corn is also a staple in many fast foods. Corn is in ethanol and the main food source or chickens. In addition to this, maize is in many things that aren't obvious like adhesives, aluminum, aspirin, clothing starch, cosmetics, cough syrup, dry cell batteries, envelopes, fiberglass insulation, gelatin capsules, ink, insecticides, paint, penicillin, powders, rugs and carpets, stamps, talcum, toothpaste, wallpaper, and vitamins. That's just for starters...

This is a huge heads up for you to purchase corn-using products NOW before these conditions reflect in grocery goods. It will be a narrow window of opportunity.

These thoughts are being echoed by many agricultural economists as well. According to Businessweek, the outlook for U.S. food prices is bleak....

"When people look at rising prices for hamburger, butter, eggs and other protein sources from higher corn costs, that’s when more money ends up in the food basket," said Minneapolis- based Michael Swanson, a senior agricultural economist at Wells Fargo & Co., the biggest U.S. farm lender. "We were hoping for a break, and we aren’t going to get it."

Unfortunately, the fact that the corn is dying all over America is not just a problem for the United States.

As Businessweek also recently noted, the fate of U.S. corn affects the entire globe....

When rain doesn’t fall in Iowa, it’s not just Des Moines that starts fretting. Food buyers from Addis Ababa to Beijing all are touched by the fate of the corn crop in the U.S., the world’s breadbasket in an era when crop shortages mean riots.

This year they have reason to be concerned. Stockpiles of corn in the U.S. tumbled 48 percent between March and June, the biggest drop since 1996, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said last week. And that was before drought hit the Midwest.

The United States is the world’s biggest exporter of corn by far, and if there is a massive corn crop failure in America it is going to be felt to the four corners of the earth.

Just check out what Abdolreza Abbassian, a senior economist with the U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization, said the other day....

"Everyone watches the U.S. because they can rely on it. Without it, the world would starve."

Back in February, I wrote an article that suggested that we could see dust bowl conditions return to the middle part of this country in the years ahead.

A lot of people were skeptical of that article.

Not quite as many people are skeptical today.

The following is from a recent article posted on MSNBC entitled "Fears of new Dust Bowl as heat, drought shrivel corn in Midwest"....

Crop insurance agents and agricultural economists are watching closely, a few comparing the situation with the devastating drought of 1988, when corn yields shriveled significantly, while some farmers have begun alluding, unhappily, to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Far more is at stake in the coming pivotal days: with the brief, delicate phase of pollination imminent in many states, miles and miles of corn will rise or fall on whether rain soon appears and temperatures moderate.

As I wrote about last week, if the weather does not turn around soon the implications are going to be staggering.

Even if we got some significant rainfall at this point a tremendous amount of damage has already been done according to the Washington Post....

Jay Armstrong, owner and operator of Armstong Farms in Kansas, flew his small plane over a portion of the affected area and landed with the impression that the potential damage is far worse than is commonly understood.

“At this time of year, when you look down in a place like Indiana or Illinois, you should see just lush green fields,” Armstrong said. “I saw bare soil. I just thought to myself, the market has no idea what’s coming.”

So is there significant rain in the forecast?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

The National Weather Service says that the corn belt will experience "above-normal temperatures" and "below-normal rainfall" over the next week.

At this point it does not look like there will be any significant rainfall for the foreseeable future....

"We got a break in the temperatures over the weekend but no rain of significance is in sight for next seven days," said Jim Keeney, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service the US central region based in Kansas City, Missouri.

Needless to say, that is really bad news.

Right now we just have more heat and more dryness to look forward to. The skies are like iron and the earth is like brass. We like to think that we have conquered nature, but at moments such as these we see that is not true at all.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about all of the reasons why we should be concerned about the second half of 2012. In that article I did not even mention drought and crop failures. Sometimes major problems have a way of piling on top of themselves.

The U.S. economy is already in bad enough shape without adding major crop failures to the mix. This is something that we just don't need right now.

But it looks like we are going to have to deal with it. Unless there is a major change in the weather, food prices are going to go up even more and large numbers of farmers and ranchers are going to be absolutely devastated.

Let us all pray for rain. We desperately need it.



http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/a...l-over-america

[werkeeque]

May every one of those genetically modified yellow turd looking plants wither and die.

[Sxedlawb]

God brings the rain. No doubt American (has been) and is being prepared for GREAT judgement. Things like this are only an early warning.

[MADwanker]

Sow the wind reap the whirlwind.

[pissmanvd]

[welihiedginly]

Interesting there was no mention of Chemtrails and their effect on weather, soil and food accumulation.

[Pashtet]

Sept corn: http://www.crbtrader.com/data.asp?pa...0&tblwidth=600

Corn ETF (ticker: CORN)


^ I've held a good deal of CORN for a couple years, and was dismayed when it didn't mirror the corn futures very well, and not in a good way! Glad to see it rallying now.

[Spongebob]

Drought in Northern Alaska? Who knew!!


beefsteak

[GillTeepbew]

God brings the rain. No doubt American (has been) and is being prepared for GREAT judgement. Things like this are only an early warning.

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. There have been many, many times throughout history where that could have been said. Remember, only the Father knows the time. I especially would disagree with THE great judgement. I think many judgements do occur though throughout history. So if this is what you mean, then it is possible.

I sometimes wonder if we are not entering "satan's little time", but again, throughout history there have been other times as awesome and scary as now.

[Nopayof]

Sometimes people tend to forget that the worst thing that has happened in my recent memory is NOT the worst thing that has happened ever.

[HoniSoniproca]

Have a gander at this board for a birds eye view of on the ground conditions. Crop Talk and Market Talk are the boards to watch

http://talk.newagtalk.com/category-v...p?showall=true

The drought is real. The impact will be huge. Probably comparable to 1983 drought.

The biggest difference between 83, 88 and today is that there are no reserve grains. Stock piles are empty. I expect that all food prices will go up with the exception of meat. Culling of herds is going to occur because no one can afford to feed cattle, hogs, and chicken at high grain prices.

Watch out next year for meat prices though. They should go sky high after the first of the year.

A little more on meat prices.
Drought to take toll on hog producers

[repldoinfo]

first, haarp causes draught...then family farms fail.....then monsanto, adm and large zio corps move in in a strategic chess match to snap up more farmland.... its my guess.

[iouiyyut]

first, haarp causes draught...then family farms fail.....then monsanto, adm and large zio corps move in in a strategic chess match to snap up more farmland.... its my guess.

The failing of the family farms could also be attributed to stupidity. (I am not disregarding the recent failures of PFG and MFG.)

If farmers sold most of their grain forward in the winter/spring, like 50%-85% of expected harvest, they deserve to lose their asses.
It is a business cycle.

Were haarp and chemtrails going strong in 83 and 88? What about 34-36? Sometimes weather patterns do change. I am not discounting the possibility of intervention by TPTB. I have seen too many systems/fronts that just fizzle out for no reason in the past few years.

[CuittisIL]

They don't need to own the farmland.

All seeds will be GMO soon enough and you need to pay a high premium to grow their patented seeds on your own land.

You don't pay you don't grow a crop.

[fkisjjdhh]

From last week.

Photos of Illinois fields

http://www.michliggrain.com/images/E...urJuly2012.pdf

Now think that we basically went another week without moisture. Broad area that is. Local pockets of rain have popped up. I have gotten 6 tenths today. Most rain in 6 weeks.

[OmqMZtkv]

Analysis: Rationing The Corn Crop – Are We There Yet?

[kathy]

They don't need to own the farmland.

All seeds will be GMO soon enough and you need to pay a high premium to grow their patented seeds on your own land.

You don't pay you don't grow a crop.

You are correct, farmers don't need to own the land. Cash rent is a big business. I know of two brothers that run 60,000 acres mostly in Illinois from North to South and East to West.

You actually get a premium for non-GMO crops. However I am suspect about distances that need to be maintained to prevent cross-pollination.

[Solo3uc4]

Another thing to consider about the drought is the amount of double cropped wheat/soybeans. I know of some fields that have been planted for weeks and have never sprouted. Too dry.

Two more things to consider. Talking corn here.

In drought years aflotoxin goes sky high. The corn could be rejected or more than likely heavily docked at the elevator when brought in.

Also in drought years, nitrates will increase in the corn stocks. The high nitrates cannot be used in silage. A lot of hurt for those feeding silage.

[b7RKli4l]

Aflatoxin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aflatoxin
Chemical structure of (–)-Alflatoxin B1
3D Structure of aflatoxin B1 Other names[hide] Aflatoxin B1
IdentifiersPubChem14403ChemSpider13758 ChEMBLCHEMBL1697694 Jmol-3D imagesImage 1 SMILES [show] InChI [show]PropertiesMolecular formulaC17H12O6 (verify) (what is: /?)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)Infobox references
Aflatoxins are naturally occurring mycotoxins that are produced by many species of Aspergillus, a fungus, the most notable ones being Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Their name is derived from the early work that discovered Aspergillus Flavus toxins. Aflatoxins are toxic and among the most carcinogenic substances known.[1] After entering the body, aflatoxins may be metabolized by the liver to a reactive epoxide intermediate or hydroxylated to become the less harmful aflatoxin M1.
Contents

• 1 Contamination conditions
• 2 Pathology
• 3 Microbiology
• 4 Detection in humans
• 5 Animals
• 6 Major types of aflatoxins and their metabolites
• 7 Biosynthetic pathway of Aflatoxin B1
• 8 See also
• 9 Notes
• 10 External links

Contamination conditions


Aspergillus fumigatus as seen under the electron microscope


Aflatoxin-producing members of Aspergillus are common and widespread in nature. They can colonize and contaminate grain before harvest or during storage. Host crops are particularly susceptible to infection by Aspergillus following prolonged exposure to a high-humidity environment, or damage from stressful conditions such as drought, a condition that lowers the barrier to entry.
The native habitat of Aspergillus is in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains undergoing microbiological deterioration, and it invades all types of organic substrates whenever conditions are favorable for its growth. Favorable conditions include high moisture content (at least 7%) and high temperature.
The toxin can also be found in the milk of animals that are fed contaminated feed.

International sources of commercial peanut butter, cooking oils (i.e. olive oil, etc.), and cosmetics have been identified as contaminated with aflatoxin. In some instances, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and other analytical methods, revealed anywhere from 48-80% of selected product samples as containing detectable quantities of aflatoxin. In many of these contaminated food products, the aflatoxin exceeded FDA, or other regulatory agency, safe limits.[2] [3] [4] [5]
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established action levels for aflatoxin present in food or feed to protect human and animal health.
Levels must not exceed:
ppbCriterion20For all food for human consumption and for corn and other grains intended for immature animals (including immature poultry) and for dairy animals, or when its destination is not known, and for animal feeds, other than corn or cottonseed meal100For corn and other grains intended for breeding beef cattle, breeding swine, or mature poultry200For corn and other grains intended for finishing swine of 100 pounds or greater300For corn and other grains intended for finishing (i.e., feedlot) beef cattle, and for cottonseed meal intended for beef cattle, swine or poultry. Pathology

High-level aflatoxin exposure produces an acute hepatic necrosis, resulting later in cirrhosis, and/or carcinoma of the liver. Acute hepatic failure is made manifest by hemorrhage, edema, alteration in digestion, changes to the absorption and/or metabolism of nutrients, and mental changes and/or coma.[citation needed]
No animal species is immune to the acute toxic effects of aflatoxins including humans; however, adult humans have a high tolerance for aflatoxin exposure and rarely succumb to acute aflatoxicosis.[6]
Chronic, subclinical exposure does not lead to symptoms as dramatic as acute aflatoxicosis. Children, however, are particularly affected by aflatoxin exposure, which leads to stunted growth and delayed development.[7] Chronic exposure also leads to a high risk of developing liver cancer, as aflatoxin metabolites can intercalate into DNA and alkylate the bases through its epoxide moiety. This is thought to cause mutations in the p53 gene, an important gene in preventing cell cycle progression when there are DNA mutations, or signaling apoptosis. These mutations seem to affect some base pair locations more than others — for example, the third base of codon 249 of the p53 gene appears to be more susceptible to aflatoxin-mediated mutations than nearby bases.[8]
Medical research indicates that a regular diet including apiaceous vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, celery and parsley, reduces the carcinogenic effects of aflatoxin.[9]
Microbiology

Aflatoxins are still recognized as the most important mycotoxins. They are synthesized by only a few Aspergillus species of which A. flavus and A. parasiticus are the most problematic. The expression of aflatoxin-related diseases is influenced by factors such as species, age, nutrition, sex, and the possibility of concurrent exposure to other toxins. The main target organ in mammals is the liver, so aflatoxicosis is primarily a hepatic disease. Conditions increasing the likelihood of aflatoxicosis in humans include limited availability of food, environmental conditions that favour mould growth on foodstuffs, and lack of regulatory systems for aflatoxin monitoring and control.[10]
A. flavus and A. parasiticus are weedy molds that grow on a large number of substrates, in particular under high moisture conditions. Aflatoxins have been isolated from all major cereal crops, and from sources as diverse as peanut butter and marijuana. The staple commodities regularly contaminated with aflatoxins include cassava, chillies, corn, cotton seed, millet, peanuts, rice, sorghum, sunflower seeds, tree nuts, wheat, and a variety of spices intended for human or animal consumption. When processed, aflatoxins get into the general food supply where they have been found in both pet and human foods, as well as in feedstocks for agricultural animals. Aflatoxin transformation products are sometimes found in eggs, milk products and meat when animals are fed contaminated grains.[11]
Detection in humans

There are two principal techniques that have been used most often to detect levels of aflatoxin in humans.
The first method is measuring the AFB1-guanine adduct in the urine of subjects. The presence of this breakdown product indicates exposure to aflatoxin B1 in the past 24 hours. However, this technique measures only recent exposure, and, due to the half-life of this metabolite, the level of AFB1-guanine measured can vary from day to day, based on diet, and thus is not ideal for assessing long-term exposure.
Another technique that has been used is a measurement of the AFB1-albumin adduct level in the blood serum. This approach provides a more integrated measure of exposure over several weeks/months.
Animals

Aflatoxin has potential to lead to liver disease in dogs; however, not all dogs exposed to aflatoxin will develop liver disease. As with any toxic exposure, development of aflatoxicosis is a dose-related occurrence. Some dogs that develop liver disease will recover; those exposed to large doses for extended periods may not.
Low levels of aflatoxin exposure require continuous consumption for several weeks to months in order for signs of liver dysfunction to appear.[12] Some articles have suggested the toxic level in dog food is 100-300 ppb and requires continuous exposure/consumption for a few weeks to months to develop aflatoxicosis.[13] No information is available to suggest that recovered dogs will later succumb to an aflatoxin-induced disease.
There is no specific antidote for aflatoxicosis. Symptomatic and supportive care tailored to the severity of the liver disease may include intravenous fluids with dextrose, active vitamin K, B vitamins, and a restricted but high-quality protein diet with adequate carbohydrate content.
As a precautionary measure, both human and pet food recalls have occurred, casting a wide safety net to prevent exposure to potentially unsafe food. Recalled food products are subsequently sampled and tested for aflatoxin.
On December 20, 2005, Diamond Pet Food discovered aflatoxin in a product manufactured at their facility in Gaston, South Carolina.[14] Diamond voluntarily recalled in 23 states 19 products formulated with corn and manufactured in the Gaston facility. Testing of more than 2,700 finished product samples conducted by laboratories confirmed that only two date codes of two adult dog formulas with the "Best By" dates of April 3, April 4, April 5, and April 11 were potentially toxic.[15]
Major types of aflatoxins and their metabolites

At least 14 different types of aflatoxin are produced in nature.[16] Aflatoxin B1 is considered the most toxic and is produced by both Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxin G1 and G2 are produced exclusively by A. parasiticus. While the presence of Aspergillus in food products does not always indicate harmful levels of aflatoxin are also present, it does imply a significant risk in consumption
Aflatoxins M1, M2 were originally discovered in the milk of cows that fed on moldy grain. These compounds are products of a conversion process in the animal's liver. However, aflatoxin M1 is present in the fermentation broth of Aspergillus parasiticus.

• Aflatoxin B1 & B2, produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus
• Aflatoxin G1 & G2, produced by Aspergillus parasiticus
• Aflatoxin M1, metabolite of aflatoxin B1 in humans and animals (exposure in ng levels can come from a mother's milk)
• Aflatoxin M2, metabolite of aflatoxin B2 in milk of cattle fed on contaminated foods[17]
• Aflatoxicol
• Aflatoxin Q1 (AFQ1), major metabolite of AFB1 in in vitro liver preparations of other higher vertebrates[18]

Biosynthetic pathway of Aflatoxin B1

Aflatoxin B1 is derived from both a dedicated fatty acid synthase (FAS) and a polyketide synthase (PKS), together known as norsolorinic acid synthase. The biosynthesis begins with the synthesis of hexanoate by the FAS, which then becomes the starter unit for the iterative type I PKS.[19][20][21] The PKS adds seven malonyl-CoA extenders to the hexanoate to form the C20 polyketide compound. The PKS folds the polyketide in a particular way to induce cyclization to form the anthraquinone norsolorinic acid. A reductase(E1) then catalyzes the reduction of the ketone on the norsolorinic acid side-chain to yield averantin.[19][20][21] Averantin is converted to averufin via a two different enzymes, a hydroxylase (E2) and an alcohol dehydrogenase (E3). This will oxygenate and cyclize averantin's side chain to form the ketal in averufin.
From this point on the biosynthetic pathway of aflatoxin B1 becomes much more complicated, with several major skeletal changes. Most of the enzymes have not been characterized and there may be several more intermediates that are still unknown.[19] However, what is known is that averufin is oxidized by a P450-oxidase, AvfA (E4), in a Baeyer-Villiger oxidation. This opens the ether rings and upon rearrangement versiconal acetate is formed. Now an esterase, EstA (E5), catalyzes the hydrolysis of the acetyl, forming the primary alcohol in versiconal.[19][21] The acetal in versicolorin A is formed from the cyclization of the side-chain in versiconal, which is catalyzed by VERB synthase (E6), and then VerB, a desaturase (E7), reduces versicolorin B to form the dihydrobisfuran.[19][21]
There are two more enzymes that catalyze the conversion of versicolorin A to demethylsterigmatocystin: AflN, an oxidase (E8) and AflM, a reductase (E9). These enzymes utilize both molecular oxygen and two NADPH's to dehydrate one of the hydroxyl groups on the anthraquinone and open the quinine with the molecular oxygen.[19][21] Upon forming the aldehyde in the ring opening step, it is oxidized to form the carboxylic acid and subsequently a decarboxylation event occurs to close the ring, forming the six-member ether ring system seen in demethylsterigmatocystin. The next two steps in the biosynthetic pathway is the methylation by s-adenosylmethionine (SAM) of the two hydroxyl groups on the xanthone part of demethysterigmatocystin by two different methyltransferases, OmtB (E10) and OmtA (E11).[19][21] This yields 'O'-methylsterigmatocystin. In the final steps there is an oxidative cleavage of the aromatic ring and loss of one carbon in O-methylsterigmatocystin, which is catalyzed by OrdA, an oxidoreductase (E12).[19][21] Then a final recyclization occurs to form aflatoxin B1.
See also

• Aflatoxin total synthesis
• Foodborne illness

[estelle]

From last week.

Photos of Illinois fields

http://www.michliggrain.com/images/E...urJuly2012.pdf

Now think that we basically went another week without moisture. Broad area that is. Local pockets of rain have popped up. I have gotten 6 tenths today. Most rain in 6 weeks.

Damaged file?