Maize, Wheat Stay Strong in Czech Republic
9 May 2006 The Czech Statistical Office (CSO) expects grain production in 2006/07 to be at or above 2005/06 levels, which reached nearly 7.7 million metric tons (MMT), according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS).
In 2005/06, CSO reports that 820,000 hectares (Ha) of wheat, 522,000 Ha of barley, 98,000 Ha of maize, 47,000 Ha of rye, and 52,000 Ha of oats contributed to the 7.66 MMT production in the country. Total production for 2006/07 should be similar, according to the Czech Ministry of Agriculture, with slightly larger areas for wheat and maize, and decreases in area for barley, oats, and rye.
Plantings for the Spring crops will likely be delayed due to a long winter and flooding in the Spring. This is likely to lead to smaller areas for Spring wheat and barley, while maize area will be up due mainly to its later planting schedule.
Czech maize growers are expected to increase their usage of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize in 2006/07. The total area under Bt maize is expected to be 1,500 to 2,000 Ha, a sizeable increase over the introductory season of 2005/06, during which 270 Ha were planted. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers growing the MON 810 Bt variety reported a 5% to 20% yield increase, lower corn borer infestation, and decreased myco-toxin levels than farmers growing conventional varieties.
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