An agricultural breakdown of the NBA Finals

Jun 02, 2016

Series features a rematch of last year’s participants

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

The NBA takes center stage Thursday night as the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Golden State Warriors who represent the Western Conference in game one of the NBA Finals.

The two teams battled for the Larry O’Brien trophy last year, with Golden State emerging victorious.

Farms.com did an agricultural comparison of Ohio and California last year and the data showed Golden State winning the championship.

Basketball insiders have spent time dissecting whether LeBron James can bring a championship to Cleveland or if Steph Curry can help the Warriors cement their legacy after they won 73 games during the regular season and repeat as champions.

Once again Farms.com will use data from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service to determine the winner of the NBA championship.

? signals advantage for each team

	Ohio	California
NBA Team
Number of farm operations	74,400	77,500 ?
Average acres per operation	188	329 ?
Total acres operated	14,000,000	25,500,000 ?
Milk production (lbs)	5,493,000,000	40,898,000,000 ?
Top commodity value ($)	Soybeans - $2,097,450,000 ?	Strawberries - $1,855,326,000
Total value of ag products sold ($)	$10,064,085,000	$42,627,472,000 ?
Aquaculture ($)	$3,875,000	$103,016,000 ?
Average farmer age	56.1 ?	60.1

Judging by the data, the Golden State Warriors will repeat as NBA champions.

Be sure to visit the Farms.com breakdown of the Stanley Cup Final.

Video: Dr. Emerson Nafziger: Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Corn

The Crop Science Podcast Show, Dr. Emerson Nafziger from the University of Illinois breaks down decades of nitrogen research. From the evolution of N rate guidelines to how soil health and hybrid genetics influence nitrogen use efficiency, this conversation unpacks the science behind smarter fertilization. Improving how we set nitrogen fertilizer rates for rainfed corn is a key focus. Discover why the MRTN model matters more than ever, and how shifting mindsets and better data can boost yields and environmental outcomes. Tune in now on all major platforms!

"The nitrogen that comes from soil mineralization is the first nitrogen the plant sees, and its role is underestimated."

Meet the guest:

Dr. Emerson Nafziger is Professor Emeritus of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with degrees in agronomy from Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. His research has focused on nitrogen rate strategies and crop productivity. He co-developed the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) model, which is widely used across the Midwest. His research spans N response trials, hybrid interactions, crop rotation effects, and yield stability.