U.S. corn production could shrink by nearly 1.2 billion bushels, or 8 percent, in 2015 with a return to normal yields and a 2 percent reduction in plantings, says economist Dan O’Brien of Kansas State U. Corn yields were record high this year, as was production at 14.407 billion bushels. Weak commodity prices will encourage a downturn in corn plantings, O’Brien says in estimating a crop of 13.2 billion bushels. The season-average price for the 2015 crop would be $4.20 a bushel, he estimates. That would be great improvement from the forecast of $3.50 a bushel for this year’s crop but still the lowest farm-gate price in six years.