Monday May 14 Ag News

Natural Resources Districts Initiating Voluntary Integrated Management Plans

Five Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) have initiated a voluntary water planning process with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (Department). Most recently, the Lower Elkhorn NRD, joined the Lower Platte South NRD, the Lower Platte North NRD, the Papio-Missouri River NRD, and the Lower Niobrara NRD by initiating the integrated management planning process with the Department of Natural Resources. This planning process, which results in the joint adoption of Integrated Management Plans (IMPs), is required in areas of the State that have been designated as fully or overappropriated by the Department. IMPs have been developed in those areas through joint efforts between the Department and the ten NRDs that have such designations.

Recent changes in State statutes provide a process for the development of IMPs before a designation of fully appropriated by the Department. IMPs are the blueprint for a proactive approach to managing hydrologically connected surface and groundwater as a single resource. These joint plans between the Department and the local NRDs will serve to bring together state and local water managers in collaboration with various stakeholders. This joint approach allows the Department and NRDs to fully collaborate on efforts aimed at ensuring the short and long-term sustainability of our water resources. Department Director, Brian Dunnigan, stated, “We are very pleased that thus far, five NRDs have initiated this voluntary planning process. These types of proactive approaches have potential to provide greater future opportunities for water users and water managers.”



Nebraska Cattlemen Midyear Meeting in North Central Nebraska

Nebraska Cattlemen are welcoming people to the hometown area of their President Jim Ramm for this year’s Nebraska Cattlemen Midyear Meeting. Jim would like to invite everyone out to the Atkinson/Stuart area for the meeting activities on June 7th and 8th.

“I am very excited to have cattlemen from across the state coming to my hometown to grow and share their knowledge to help further define the policies of Nebraska Cattlemen,” said Jim. “We will have the opportunity to honor our young people for their academic accomplishments and use this meeting as a teaching opportunity to keep our youth engaged in the beef industry.”

June 7th will begin with Board of Director meetings then leads into an afternoon of golf and area tours. In the evening there will be a welcome reception at the Stuart Auditorium. Friday, June 8th will begin with registration at 7:00 a.m. followed by three sets of committee meetings and the Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation luncheon.

As in years past the six policy committees will be meeting to discuss issues and policy relative to their respective areas. The Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation will hold their annual luncheon to announce the Retail Value Steer Challenge results as well as recognize the recipients of this year’s youth scholarships.

The general session will be a great opportunity to listen to the U.S. Olympic bobsled gold medal winner, Curt Tomasevicz and the 2010 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Steve Foglesong. The BQA Trainer of the Year will also be announced at the general session. The general session will conclude the Midyear Meeting.

As of May 14th those sponsoring the Nebraska Cattlemen Midyear Meeting include: AgriLabs, Bank of the West, Darling International Inc., Elanco Animal Health, Farm Credit Services of America, First National Bank of Omaha, Grace Mayer Insurance, JES Environmental Services, Inc., Julie M. Karavas- Baylor Evnen Law Firm, Lincoln County Feedyard, LLC, Merck Animal Health, MetLife Agricultural Investments, Moly Manufacturing, Murphy Tractor, NMC, Plains Equipment Group, and Wells Fargo Bank N.A.  If you are interested in sponsoring this year's event contact Lee Weide at the Nebraska Cattlemen office.

For more information or to register go to www.nebraskacattlemen.org or call the Nebraska Cattlemen office at 402.475.2333.



150 Years of Supporting Agricultural Innovation
Senator Mike Johanns

This week marks a very special milestone for Nebraska and for American farming and ranching as we celebrate the 150th year since the creation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Our country was in the throes of Civil War when, on May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed a law creating what he called the "people's department."  Its original mission of spreading information and developing agricultural innovations continues to this day.

President Lincoln signed another landmark law in 1862 – the Homestead Act, which along with the establishment of USDA helped form the cornerstone of federal agriculture policy for our country. The Homestead Act paved the way for independent farm ownership and encouraged a land rush so great that Nebraska was able to achieve statehood in just five years. In the 1850's there was one farmer for every two Americans; today one farmer feeds more than 150 people worldwide each day. Together, American farmers and ranchers make the U.S. the largest agriculture exporter in the world.

The hard work and ingenuity of our producers has provided economic prosperity at home; abroad it has provided food to address hunger and build friendships. It is fitting that this anniversary falls during world trade month and on the same day our trade agreement with Colombia takes effect May 15. By lowering trade barriers – eliminating some tariffs as high as 40 percent – this agreement levels the playing field for American producers and ensures the greatest food supply in the world reaches more families in more places.

When I was Secretary of Agriculture I was very pleased to help fulfill the department's mission as outlined by President Lincoln. By the time of my tenure as the 28th Secretary, the role of the department had grown substantially and now serves a whole host of purposes. Innovations such as the land-grant university system, risk management tools, nutrition programs, food safety oversight, and support for rural communities have resulted in USDA's positive impact reaching every community across the country.

USDA's 150th birthday is a special moment for a department that has touched so many lives since it was first envisioned by President Lincoln. As the population of our country and the world continues to grow, the important role of American producers who provide food, fiber and fuel to more and more people will grow in kind. Federal policy should continue to create an environment where the skill and commitment of our farmers and ranchers sets the international standard for years to come. I have no doubt that on USDA's 300th birthday, our descendants will be able to look back on an even longer list of successes.



Timetable for Common Stalk Borer Scouting Moves Up
Bob Wright, UNL Extension Entomologist, Lincoln

Corn growers in southeast Nebraska and in counties bordering Kansas should be scouting their fields for common stalk borers and making management decisions. Stalk borer growth is based on accumulated degree days, using a base of 41°F since January 1.  With a warmer than normal spring, common stalk borers will develop earlier than normal and growers should be prepared to treat, based on growth stage and the thresholds noted below.

Stalk borers are an occasional pest of corn in Nebraska. Stalk borer damage in corn commonly is confined to plants in the first few rows near field margins, fence rows, grass terraces, and waterways. In addition to attacking corn, stalk borers attack over 100 other species of plants, including ornamentals, garden vegetables, broadleaf weeds, and grasses. They may feed on soybeans as well, but they are not an economically important pest of soybeans.

Understanding the common stalk borer life cycle and behavior is critical to selecting management practices to reduce damage in corn.

Stalk Borer Life Cycle
Female stalk borer moths lay their eggs primarily on grasses such as smooth brome or ragweed in late summer and early fall. Egg-laying sites usually are in fence rows, terraces, and waterways, but can be found throughout a field if preferred hosts are available. Eggs overwinter and hatch in late April or early May. Larvae bore into the stalks of grasses or other hosts such as ragweed, and begin feeding. As they become larger or if the plants are mowed or burned down with herbicides, the stalk borers migrate into adjacent corn plants to complete their development. In some cases, if an appropriate weed host is not available when eggs hatch, stalk borers may begin feeding directly on corn.

Corn between the two- and eight-leaf stages can be attacked by the migrating stalk borer larvae. Larvae develop through seven to 10 instars, or stages, in about 10 weeks. Pupation occurs in the soil and moths emerge in August, September, and early October. There is a single generation each year.

Stalk Borer Identification
Common stalk borer larvae are distinctive in appearance. Young larvae (Figure 2a) are brownish-purple and have three prominent longitudinal white stripes at the front and rear ends of the body. The stripes are interrupted at mid-body by a solid dark purple to black area on the third thoracic segment and first three abdominal segments. Fully grown larvae do not have these characteristic markings and are uniformly dirty gray. Fully grown larvae can be 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.

Forecasting Stalk Borer Growth Stage
Stalk borer hatch and migration to new hosts can be predicted using degree days (DD). Based on research at Iowa State University, stalk borer egg hatch begins at about 575 DD and ends at 750 DD. Begin scouting corn when 1,300-1400 DD have accumulated. This corresponds with the beginning of larvae moving out of grassy hosts. Determine the need for treatment when 1,400-1,700 DD have accumulated.

Stalk Borer Damage
Stalk borer larvae injure corn plants in June and early July. They feed on leaves in the whorl and then tunnel into the stalk, or they burrow into the base of the plant and tunnel up through the center of the stalk. Leaf feeding alone does not cause economic damage.

Tunneling into the stalk can result in deformed or stunted plants that may not produce an ear. Severely damaged plants can die. Plants attacked at earlier growth stages tend to be more severely injured. A single stalk borer larva may attack more than one plant if the first plant does not support the larva as it increases in size.

Damage caused by feeding in the whorl will first appear as irregular rows of holes in the unfolding leaves. These irregular rows of holes will be much larger and more ragged than those caused by whorl-feeding of first generation European corn borer larvae. In severe cases an infested plant will have a very ragged appearance, with abnormal growth habits such as twisting, bending over, or stunting. If the feeding injury to the central part of the plant is severe enough, the whorl will appear dead while the outer leaves will be green and apparently healthy. This condition is commonly called “dead heart.”

Management
Any weed control method that helps eliminate grasses will reduce the number of potential stalk borer egg-laying sites, reducing the probability of stalk borer damage the next year. Control of grassy weeds is important to keep stalk borer problems from increasing year to year.

Planting date may have some influence on the degree of injury from common stalk borers. Since smaller plants are more heavily damaged, earlier planting may allow corn to outgrow the most severe damage.

If most common stalk borer damage is next to grassy field borders and waterways, burning these areas before eggs hatch has been shown to reduce populations. The best time is to burn these areas in late winter, before the grass begins to grow. At this time all eggs have been laid, and the soil will be bare and subject to erosion for the shortest time. Also, this timing has the least effect on bird populations that have not yet begun to nest.

Sampling and Economic Injury Levels
Check corn plants bordering grassy areas to determine the percentage of plants with stalk borer injury when 1,300-1,400 degree days (41°F base) have accumulated since January 1 (see Figure 1). Examine several sets of 10 plants. Look for feeding damage and dissect damaged plants to see if live larvae are present. If weedy grasses were common throughout the field in the previous year, the whole field may need to be scouted for common stalk borers. Use the information in Table 2 to determine the economic injury level.

Treatment
To be effective, insecticides must be applied before common stalk borer larvae have entered the stalk. In cases where stalk borers begin feeding on grassy weeds or other vegetation in field edges, control is most effective if timed between 1,400 and 1,700 degree days (base 41°F), which corresponds to first half of the period that stalk borers are migrating from weedy hosts into corn. If the infestation is restricted to the field margin, use a border treatment.

In cases where there is a history of fieldwide stalk borer damage at a site, insecticides applied to corn and timed for egg hatch may be used to reduce damage. The disadvantage of this approach is that there is no effective way to sample for stalk borers at this time, so treatments are made without knowledge of whether an insecticide treatment would be profitable that year.

Insecticides may be mixed with fast-acting herbicides being used to burn down early season weeds, or applied several days after use of slower-acting herbicides. Check the label for compatibility of different insecticide and herbicide mixtures.

A variety of foliar insecticides are effective against common stalk borers in corn. See related information on the UNL Department of Entomology website or the insecticide label information for labeled insecticides, their rates, and restrictions.

Of the currently available Bt corn hybrids, only those expressing the CrylAb Bt protein have any activity against common stalk borer. (See Handy Bt Trait Table for a list of available hybrids.) The labels for these hybrids indicate that they provide suppression of common stalk borer. The label term "suppression" indicates that a lower level of mortality is expected than for insects labeled for control.



Wilt in Alfalfa
Michael Rethwisch, Extension Educator, Butler County

Symptoms of wilt diseases of alfalfa have been observed in several fields in southeast Nebraska. The symptoms include wilting shoots, bleaching of leaves and stems, and a reddish-brown discoloration of the center of the taproot. Several pathogens including the fungi Fusarium and Verticillium and the bacterium Clavibacter can cause wilt in alfalfa. Fusarium and Verticillium cause leaf bleaching; bacterial wilt is characterized by yellow-green foliage. Fusarium was isolated from samples submitted to the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic.

Symptoms became evident several weeks ago during the unusually warm, dry conditions that caused plants to undergo moisture stress. Growers noted yellowing of established alfalfa in low field areas and thought nighttime frost/freezing temperatures might have caused the injury.

Closer examination indicated the symptoms were not consistent with frost injury. Damaged plants were shorter than surrounding healthy green alfalfa, plant stand was sometimes reduced, and upper leaflets often had distinct white interveinal areas prior to leaflets becoming yellow.

These plants were near waterways in upper field areas as well as in lower elevation areas, and were consistent with high moisture areas conducive to fungal root disease development. Wilting plants are often the first symptom of these diseases, although interveinal white areas and yellowing plants preceded wilt in 2012. Other symptoms include bleaching of the leaf and stem, and a reddish tint to the leaves, especially with Verticillium wilt. In infected alfalfa, stress helps to express the symptoms. Roots have a dark reddish-brown streak in the stele (center of root) when infected with Fusarium wilt.

Alfalfa wilt caused by Fusarium or Verticillium is often chronic, causing plants and stands to decline over time.

Disease Resistance and Management
Differences in varietal resistance range widely in alfalfa. Several varieties provide only 31-50% resistance, and highly resistant (HR) varieties can range from 51% to 100%. Several Fusarium species can affect seedling alfalfa as well.

Fusarium and Verticillium wilt of alfalfa can be managed by planting resistant cultivars, crop rotation, weed control, pathogen-free seed, and harvesting younger stands before older, diseased stands.



Wheat Disease Update
Stephen Wegulo, UNL Extension Plant Pathologist

Fungal Diseases
Stripe Rust. Dry weather during the last seven days slowed down the development of stripe rust. The risk for yield loss due to stripe rust has been reduced in southeast and south central Nebraska for wheat that is further along in development. A May 10 survey of wheat fields in Saline, Jefferson, and Gage Counties showed that wheat in most fields was past the flowering stage and in the grain development stages (milk to dough stages). Wheat in western Nebraska is still at risk for yield loss due to stripe rust should conditions become favorable for disease development (cool temperatures and rain). Scouting of fields in this part of the state should continue and producers should be prepared to apply a fungicide if the potential exists for stripe rust to develop to damaging levels.

Leaf Rust. Leaf rust was first confirmed on May 1 in Lancaster County. Since then there have been reports of the disease in south central and eastern Nebraska. Currently, levels of leaf rust are very low. However, incidence and severity can increase if favorable conditions (rain and warm weather occur).

Leaf Spots and Powdery Mildew.  The most common leaf spot diseases observed in wheat fields are Septoria leaf blotch and tan spot. Powdery mildew is more prevalent in fields with thick stands and in irrigated fields. A fungicide application for control rust diseases will also control fungal leaf spots and powdery mildew.

Head Diseases. Trace levels of Fusarium head blight or scab (less than 1% incidence) were found in Saline County and Jefferson County on May 10. The risk of Fusarium head blight rises with continuous moisture for seven days or longer. Because we have not had continuous moisture in the scab-prone areas of the state (south central and eastern), the risk of damaging levels of scab remains low. Other head diseases/disorders observed are loose smut and stem maggot injury. For information on distinguishing between head diseases of wheat, see Extension Circular EC1872, Distinguishing Between Head Disorders of Wheat.

Pre-harvest Intervals for Fungicide Application
Before applying a fungicide to wheat, be sure to read the label and observe pre-harvest interval restrictions. Pre-harvest intervals for wheat fungicides are 30 or 35 days depending on the fungicide. Some fungicides cannot be applied after the full heading stage (Feekes 10.5). See the fungicide table for pre-harvest restrictions for individual fungicides.

Virus Diseases
Barley yellow dwarf virus continues to be widespread especially in south central and eastern Nebraska. Some fields are more severely affected than others. Yellowing and/or purpling of top leaves starting from the tip and margins are typical symptoms of barley yellow dwarf. Nothing can be done to control virus diseases during the current growing season.

Wheat streak mosaic virus has been observed throughout the state at varying levels of incidence and severity. A field with 100% incidence and high severity of wheat streak mosaic virus was observed in the southern Panhandle on May 4. See the related story in the April 27 issue of CropWatch for strategies for managing virus diseases.

Will Wheat Diseases Impact Another Crop Planted After Wheat This Year?
There have been inquiries regarding the impact of wheat diseases on a subsequent crop such as soybean or corn planted in ground that had wheat during the current growing season. Most wheat diseases do not affect corn or soybean. The exception is Fusarium head blight (scab). The fungus that causes scab also causes stalk rots and to some extent root rot in corn. Therefore, there is some elevated risk for these diseases in corn if the corn is planted into no-till wheat ground that had scab. This growing season, however, the risk of scab is low. Therefore, those planning to plant soybean or corn into wheat ground this season should not worry about wheat diseases.



Breeding and Growing Organic Wheat for Bread Topic of June 11 Field to Table Tour

A June 11 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension field to table tour will give educators, nutritionists, health professionals, farmers and the public more information about breeding and growing organic wheat for bread quality and health.

The field to table tour at UNL's Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead will start at 10 a.m. and conclude at 3:30 p.m.

Participants will start with a visit to UNL organic research fields to learn how wheat is bred, how wheat works in an organic farm rotation, cover crops used with wheat and promising experimental lines for organic production.

Lunch will feature local artisan breads followed by a panel of local bakers who will discuss available wheat products and characteristics needed in flour for artisan bread.

Shelly Asplin, registered dietitian, and Mary Schluckebier, executive director of the Celiac Sprue Association, will discuss who requires a gluten-free diet, sources of gluten and challenges for those living gluten-free and for grain growers trying to grow for this market.

UNL research results also will be shared on an antioxidant study and wheat quality.

For directions to UNL's ARDC, just 40 minutes from Lincoln or Omaha, visit http://ardc.unl.edu/direct.shtml. For lunch reservations, call Pat at 402-584-3837. For information about the conference, call Liz Sarno at 402-309-0944 or esarno2@unl.edu.

Conference fee is $15 to cover lunch.



USDA TO COLLECT CROP ACREAGE DATA ACROSS THE STATE

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend the first two weeks of June surveying thousands of farmers across Nebraska to get a clear indication of the acreage and supply of major commodities for 2012. 

Through two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey, NASS will gather data on what crops have been planted and are in storage. This information will provide a comprehensive picture of how things are shaping up in 2012 for the U.S. agriculture industry.

"The agriculture survey is done online, by mail or by phone, but for the area survey, we visit randomly selected tracts of land and interview the operators of any farm or ranch on that land. We collect information on crop acreage – including biotech crops—as well as grain stocks, livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales," said Dean Groskurth, Director of the NASS Nebraska Field Office.

"This information is a critical component of several key national reports, including the annual Acreage report and the quarterly Grain Stocks report, both to be released on June 29. Survey data also contribute to the USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates," Groskurth said.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. "NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state and national level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified," stated Groskurth.  All reports are available on the NASS web site: www.nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Nebraska Field Office at (800) 582-6443.



NOPA April Soybean Crush 131.7m/bu, Down From March

The National Oilseed Processors Association reports soybean crush was 131.708 million bushels for April, down 8.826 million bushels from the previous month, but up 10.4 million bushels from April 2011. 

Soybeans in thousand bushels, soymeal in short tons, soyoil in thousand pounds, yield in pounds per bushel.

Soybeans crushed
Apr 2012 - 131,708
Mar 2012 - 140,534
Apr 2011 - 121,330

Soymeal produced
Apr 2012 - 3,166,012
Mar 2012 - 3,368,823
Apr 2011 - 2,922,874

Soymeal yield
Apr 2012 - 48.08
Mar 2012 - 47.94
Apr 2011 - 48.18

Soymeal exports
Apr 2012 - 607,598
Mar 2012 - 681,533
Apr 2011 - 580,010

Soyoil produced
Apr 2012 - 1,519,882
Mar 2012 - 1,622,998
Apr 2011 - 1,421,502

Soyoil yield
Apr 2012 - 11.54
Mar 2012 - 11.55
Apr 2011 - 11.72

Soyoil stocks
Apr 2012 - 2,384,942
Mar 2012 - 2,363,202
Apr 2011 - 2,694,432

Iowa
Crush
Apr 2012 - 27,818
Mar 2012 - 31,415
Apr 2011 - 27,981

Oil Stocks
Apr 2012 - 778,338
Mar 2012 - 785,686
Apr 2011 - 831,446




Brazil's Soy Harvest Virtually Done

Harvesting of Brazil's 2011-12 soybean crop was all but finished last week while high prices for the oilseed continued to encourage early sales, the local Celeres consultancy said in a weekly report.

As of last Friday, 99.5% of this year's crop -- estimated by Celeres at 64.95 million metric tons -- had been harvested, with only a few fields in southern Brazil remaining.

Celeres said 83% of the 2011-12 soybean crop had already been marked for sale, up from 80% on May 4 and compared with Brazil's five-year average of 63% for this time of year.

Contributing to Brazilian farmers' incentive to sell has been a steady depreciation in the local currency's value against the dollar. The Brazilian real opened this week in sharp decline, at its weakest level since mid-2009.  Celeres said that the currency's slide has allowed local soybean prices to remain stable, even as U.S. futures have receded in the past couple of weeks amid mounting worries about the European crisis.

High prices have also encouraged very advanced sales of Brazil's next soybean crop, which won't be harvested until early 2013. Celeres said as much as a quarter of 2012-13 production has been contracted.

Brazil is the world's No. 2 soybean grower, after the U.S. The South American country's main customer for oilseed is China, which purchased 75% of Brazilian soybean exports during April, Celeres noted, citing official statistics.



Farmers Eye Growing U.S. Soy’s Third-Largest Export Market

More than 75 million bushels of whole U.S. soybeans made their way to Japan last year, thanks to strong demand for quality soy. This week, a delegation of U.S. soybean farmers representing the United Soybean Board (USB), the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) plan to honor the 50th anniversary of the Japan Oilseed Processors Association (JOPA). The organization has worked with U.S. soybean farmers to meet demand for U.S. soy in Japan.

Today’s strong trade relations with Japan started in 1956, when a team of representatives of the Japanese soy industry visited the United States. Ever since, JOPA, which represents 20 Japanese oilseed processors, has been a key ally for the U.S. soy industry. Today, nearly 70 percent of Japanese soybean imports originate from the United States.

“Japan has grown to be one of our most valued customers,” says Vanessa Kummer, USB chair and a soybean farmer from Colfax, N.D. “Because customers in Japan serve as one of our largest markets abroad, soy ranks as the top U.S. agricultural export and makes a large net contribution to the U.S. agricultural trade balance. The soy checkoff, along with my fellow farmers representing ASA and USSEC, mark this very symbolic milestone with our Japanese customers and remain committed to meeting their soy needs.”

“Japan’s oilseed processing sector has long been a trusted partner for American soybean farmers,” says ASA First Vice President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss. “The American Soybean Association opened its first overseas international market development office in Japan in 1956, and U.S. soy exports to Japan have grown to more than $1 billion annually today. We are honored to join our Japanese counterparts and colleagues in celebrating the accomplishments of the Japanese Oilseed Processors Association as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, and we look forward to continuing the Japanese-American partnership.”

“Our partnership with the Japanese crushing industry, which is the third largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, is stronger than ever,” says Roy Bardole, USSEC chairman and soybean farmer from Rippey, Iowa. “U.S. soy farmers take the relationship with JOPA very seriously. We are committed to do what we can to ensure another 50 successful years as their partner.”

Prior to formal recognition marking JOPA’s anniversary, the U.S. group plans to visit a soy processing plant and feed mill at a major port near Tokyo.



China May Soybean Imports Likely 5.63 Million Tons

China's soybean imports will likely be 5.63 million metric tons in May, the Ministry of Commerce said on its website Monday.  The state-backed China National Grain & Oils Information Center said last week that May soybean imports would likely reach 5.7 million tons compared with actual imports of 4.88 million tons in April.  The ministry's forecast, based on reports from importers during the April 16-30 period, may not tally with the actual import figure as it doesn't include all cargoes.  The ministry issues estimates twice a month.



Oil Price at Lowest for 2012

The price of oil has declined to its low for the year on continued doubts about Europe's ability to pay off massive government debts.  Benchmark U.S. crude lost $1.57 to $94.56 per barrel in New York. It dipped to $93.65 per barrel earlier in the day, the lowest since mid-December.

Oil declined as a leadership crisis in Greece raised doubts that it would comply with a eurozone-supported plan to get out of debt. Analysts see Greece as a test case for whether cash-strapped European nations can slash spending and improve their economies. Europe consumes 18 percent of the world's oil.

In the U.S., retail gasoline prices fell less than a penny over the weekend to $3.727 per gallon.



USDA Reminds Producers of Approaching Sign-Up Deadline for 2012 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program and Average Crop Revenue Election Program

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Bruce Nelson today reminded producers that enrollment for the 2012 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) and the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE) ends on June 1, 2012.

“We want producers to know that DCP and ACRE are still available for enrollment,” said Nelson. “Producers who want to participate in DCP or ACRE must enroll their eligible farms. We encourage them to take the time to sign up before the deadline. Electronic DCP (eDCP) is a great option for enrolling during this busy planting season.”

Producers who choose to participate in either the revenue-based ACRE safety net or the price-based DCP safety net must enroll their farms each year. All owners and operators who will share in the DCP or ACRE payments on the farm must sign up by June 1. Since 2009, producers have had the option to participate in DCP or ACRE. A producer who initially chose to remain in DCP has an option to switch to ACRE during the current enrollment period; however, producers who chose to enroll in ACRE cannot switch back to DCP.

Producers can make use of the electronic DCP (eDCP) automated website to sign up, or they can visit a nearby FSA county office to complete their 2012 DCP or ACRE enrollment form. eDCP saves time, reduces paperwork and speeds up contract processing. It is available to all producers who are eligible to participate in the DCP and ACRE programs and can be accessed at www.fsa.usda.gov/dcp. To access the service, producers must have an active USDA eAuthentication Level 2 account, which requires completing an online registration form at www.eauth.egov.usda.gov followed by a visit to the local USDA Service Center for identity verification.

For more information on DCP or ACRE, contact a nearby FSA Service Center or visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/dcp.