Final answer:
The student's question involves calculating the expected yield of corn in bushels for a 108-acre farm based on 2016 figures for Iowa. Without the exact unit rate, we cannot compute the value directly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question at hand involves calculating an expected yield of corn in bushels for Farmer Bobby-Jo's 108-acre farm based on the unit rate for bushels of corn to a single acre of land in Iowa during 2016. While specific figures pertaining to the 2016 unit rate for bushels of corn per acre in Iowa are not provided in the information given, what we can discern is that generally, corn yields two to three times as many bushels per acre as wheat. This ratio provides an understanding of the productivity of corn cultivation in comparison to wheat.
To perform a calculation for Farmer Bobby-Jo, you would generally need the specific unit rate of corn per acre for Iowa in 2016. However, assuming we had that unit rate, let's say 'X' bushels per acre (where 'X' reflects the historical data for that year), we would then multiply 'X' by the total acreage of Bobby-Jo's farm to forecast his potential corn yield for that year.
Therefore, using an assumed unit rate of 'X' bushels per acre, the formula for calculating the total expected production on Bobby-Jo's 108-acre farm would be:
Total Expected Production of Corn = X bushels/acre * 108 acres
This formula would allow Bobby-Jo to estimate the number of bushels he should expect to produce, provided that the per-acre yield is consistent with the unit rate from 2016. Given the trend towards convergence of corn and wheat prices, mentioned in the excerpts you've provided, it stands to reason that the profitability of corn has led many farmers to increase their acreage of corn, thereby increasing the overall production.
The increasing corn acreage is also a business decision influenced by the converging prices of corn and wheat, which in recent years has made corn production more financially viable compared to wheat, as discussed by Erik Younggren, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers.