Tuesday August 28 Ag News

Grassland Studies Schedules Fall Seminars

The 18th annual fall seminar series offered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Grassland Studies will include lectures on topics ranging from impacts of the 2012 wildfires in Nebraska to flying robots that collect turf data to improving the quality of forages fed to beef cows.

The seminars, which may be taken for academic credit and are also free and open to the public, are held most Mondays during the fall semester from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union (see kiosks for location).

The series features David Engle, this year's Frank and Margaret Leu distinguished lecturer. Engle is Regents Professor and director of the Water Research and Extension Center at Oklahoma State University. He will address whether production agriculture and conservation of biodiversity can co‑exist on our rangelands.

"We are fortunate to secure an individual as prominent and well-known as Dr. Engle to present the Leu Distinguished Lecture this year," said Martin Massengale, director of the center and instructor of the seminar course. "Dr. Engle's visit is a great opportunity for faculty and students to meet and interact with a highly regarded researcher and teacher in biodiversity, crop and rangeland ecology."

Below is the schedule for the remaining seminars:
Sept. 10 – Rob Mitchell, research scientist, USDA‑Agricultural Research Service, "Improved Grasses for Perennial Pastures"
Sept. 17– Rick Rasby, professor, Animal Science, UNL, "Enhancing Forage Quality Fed to Beef Cows"
Sept. 24 – Keenan Amundsen, plant breeder‑turfgrass, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Aerial Robotics Improve Turf Data Collection Efficiency"
Oct. 1 – Gerry Steinauer, botanist, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, "Using Fire and Tree Thinning to Manage Missouri River Oak Woodlands"
Oct. 8 – Ron Bolze, coordinator, Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, "Overview of the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition"
Oct. 29 – David Engle, Regents Professor and director of the Water Research and Extension Center, Oklahoma State University, "Can Production Agriculture and Conservation of Biodiversity Co‑exist on Great Plains Rangelands?"
Nov. 5 – Terry Klopfenstein, professor, Department of Animal Science, UNL, "Cattle, Forage, Corn, Ethanol and Residues"
Nov. 12 – David Wedin, professor, School of Natural Resources, UNL, "Grassland Resilience and the Stability of the Nebraska Sandhills"
Nov. 19 – Chris Helzer, director, Eastern Nebraska Program, Nature Conservancy, "Impacts and Initial Lessons from the 2012 Wildfires Along the Niobrara River"
Nov. 26 – Mark Brohman, executive director, Nebraska Environmental Trust, "Twenty Years of the Nebraska Environmental Trust Preserving, Protecting and Restoring Nebraska's Grasslands and Other
Dec. 3 – Brian Wienhold, research scientist, USDA‑Agricultural Research Service, "Potential Effects of Corn Stover Grazing on Soil Properties"

Videos of the seminars will be available for checkout from the center. For more information, contact the Center for Grassland Studies at (402) 472-4101, e-mail grassland@unl.edu, or visit http://www.grassland.unl.edu.

The schedule is subject to revision. Any changes will be noted on the center's web site.



Four Ex-secretaries of Agriculture to be Featured in Sept. 28 Heuermann Lecture

Four former U.S. secretaries of agriculture will discuss meeting the world's growing food needs when the first Heuermann Lecture of the 2012-2013 season begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, 12th and R.

"The Land-Grant Mission of 2012 – Transforming Agriculture for the 2050 World" is the timely topic amid predictions the world's demand for food will double within the next 30-plus years.

The lecture is the highlight of a week at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, which brought land-grant universities into being.

The former secretaries participating are Nebraska's U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns, Nebraska native Clayton Yeutter, John Block and Dan Glickman.

Heuermann (pronounced Hugh-erman) lectures are free, but tickets are needed for this event.  Starting today (Aug. 28) free tickets are available by calling the Lied Center ticket office – 402-472-4747 in Lincoln; 1-800-432-3231 outside the Lincoln area.  Unclaimed tickets will be released at 7:15 p.m. the night of the lecture.

"This lecture addresses one of the chief challenges of our time," said Ronnie Green, University of Nebraska vice president and Harlan vice chancellor, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, which is home to the Heuermann Lectures.  "Providing food for an ever-increasing population is a topic of both conscience and self-preservation.

"Having four experts of such stature together doesn't occur often. This is a topic that touches everyone who eats, and where better to host this discussion than in Nebraska, a powerhouse agricultural state."

Johanns was U.S. secretary of agriculture from 2005-2007. During that time he worked to expand foreign market access for U.S. producers, promoted the growth of the renewable fuels industry and advanced cooperative conservation.  He developed an in-depth farm bill proposal that became the foundation for improvements and reforms adopted in the 2008 farm bill.

As a senator he serves on five committees, including Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.  He served as Nebraska's governor, on the Lancaster County Board, the Lincoln City Council, and as Lincoln's mayor.

Yeutter was U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1989-1991.  During that time he steered the 1990 farm bill through Congress, laying the groundwork for a more market-oriented policy structure in American agriculture.

Currently a senior adviser at the law firm of Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C., where he practices in the international trade and food agriculture areas, Yeutter also has served as counselor to the president, U.S. trade representative,  Republican National Committee chairman and president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Block was U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1981-1985, playing a key role in developing the 1985 farm bill.  Before that he built a large and successful hog operation in Illinois, his home state, and served as Illinois director of agriculture.  He also has served as president and chief executive officer of Food Distributors International, formerly National American Wholesale Grocers Association.

Now a senior policy adviser at OFW Law in Washington, D.C., he also does a weekly radio commentary titled "John Block Reports from Washington," addressing matters that concern the farm community.

Glickman was U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1995-2001, leading the department in modernizing food safety regulations, forging international trade agreements to expand U.S. markets, and improving its commitment to fairness and equality in civil rights.

Glickman currently is vice president of the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program.  For 18 years he represented Kansas's  4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.  He has been director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc.

Jeff Raikes, chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Green will moderate the discussion.  Raikes served as president of Microsoft's Business Division before joining the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In 2008 the NU Board of Regents renamed the J.D. Edwards Honors Program in Computer Science and Management the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management.  He has served on the school's board since it began in 2001.

Green was senior director of Pfizer Animal Health, overseeing global technical services for animal genetics, before joining IANR in 2010.  A Virginia native, he has served on animal science faculties at Texas Tech University and Colorado State University; from 2003-2008 he served as the national program leader for animal production research for USDA's Agricultural Research Service.          

This lecture will stream live at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu, and will be archived at that site shortly after the lecture.  It also will be broadcast nationally on RFD-TV and RURAL TV.

Heuermann Lectures in IANR at UNL focus on providing and sustaining enough food, natural resources and renewable energy for the people of the world, and on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs.

Heuermann Lectures are made possible through a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, long-time university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska's production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.



IFB Members to Set State, National Policy for 2013

Media are invited to attend the 2012 Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) Summer Policy Conference Aug. 30-31 at the Farm Bureau office in West Des Moines, Iowa. The conference kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 30.

Leaders of all 100 county Farm Bureaus have gathered the opinions of their members on issues impacting agriculture and rural Iowa over the past several months. The Summer Policy Conference aggregates those ideas to form statewide policy for Iowa's largest grassroots farm organization.

"For 94 years, Iowa Farm Bureau members have set a strong course by inviting every member to weigh in on policies important to them and this is the culmination of those efforts," says IFBF President Craig Hill. "We have always been driven from the grassroots and while our policies do change over time, our commitment to listening to members doesn't," says Hill.

A few of the issues expected to generate the most discussion at this year's conference include: crop insurance, road funding, FSA office closures and the RFS target, which has come under pressure in the wake of drought-driven high corn prices. "Individual commodity groups have their own policies on the RFS target, but as a general farm organization, we have both crop and livestock farmers and a unique grassroots policy development process, which should bring lively discussion of RFS policy positions for 2013," says Hill, also a livestock and crop farmer from Milo.



Century and Heritage Farms Recognized During Iowa State Fair

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recognized Century and Heritage Farm families during a ceremony at the State Fair again this year. To qualify, a family must have owned at least 40 acres for 100 years or more in the case of Century Farms and 150 years or more for a Heritage Farm.

This year 345 Century Farms and 69 Heritage Farms were recognized.

"The Century and Heritage Farm program is a celebration of Iowa agriculture and the farm families who feed the world and care for the land. It is always a special privilege and a great joy to be able to honor these families who represent the rich legacy of Iowa Agriculture," Northey said.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has partnered with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation since 1976 to recognize families that have owned and worked a farm for 100 years or more. Including this year's recipients, now 17,486 farms from across the state have been recognized.

The Heritage Farm program was started in 2006, on the 30th anniversary of the Century Farm program, and now 583 farms have been recognized.

The 2012 Century and Heritage Farms Program ceremony was held at the Iowa State Fair. Craig Hill, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, or Joe Heinrich, vice president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, joined Northey in recognizing the award recipients.

"The program acknowledges the deep roots of Iowa agriculture and the special bond that exists between Iowa families and the land they farm," Northey said. "The Iowa State Fair is a celebration of Iowa and Iowa Agriculture, so it's an ideal place to recognize the Century Farm and Heritage Farm recipients."



Storm Causes Elevators, Grain Barges to Stop

U.S. grain elevators on the Gulf coast were shut and barges carrying grain and other goods on the lower Mississippi River were halted in preparation for Tropical Storm Isaac, which was due to make landfall either late Tuesday or early Wednesday. According to Reuters, Archer Daniels Midland closed four elevators in New Orleans, while Cargill said elevators in Westwego and Reserve, Louisiana, will be closed.

Isaac, if it stays on its current track, is due to slam into the Gulf Coast between Florida and Louisiana by Tuesday night or early Wednesday, the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

The Mississippi River is a major channel for the movement of grain produced in the Midwest farm belt to export terminals at the Gulf of Mexico for shipment across the world. Grain movement is set to pick up in the coming weeks as farmers in the Midwest -- where 75 percent of the country's corn and soy crops are grown -- begin harvesting in earnest.

Meanwhile, the harvest is already underway in southern areas of the United States, the world's top grain exporter, increasing supplies available for export.

Grain shipments and barge transportation on the Mississippi River were disrupted in 2005 by Katrina.

The suspension of barge traffic costs facilities that move cargo on the river system $300 million a day.



US Farm Income Seen at 40-Year High
Increase Fueled by High Crop Prices, Insurance Payouts

Income on U.S. farms is expected to climb this year to its highest level in nearly four decades, the Department of Agriculture said, despite the severe drought that has afflicted much of the nation's farm belt.

The USDA on Tuesday forecast net farm income will rise 3.7% this year to $122.2 billion, the highest level since 1973 on an inflation-adjusted basis.

The increase comes as the U.S. faces a widespread drought that by some measures is the worst since the 1950s, with hot dry, conditions stretching across the Midwest and Great Plains. Federal forecasters earlier this month sharply cut their estimates for the fall harvest, expecting corn growers to have their lowest-yielding crop since 1995.

The expected rise in income is fueled by a combination of surging prices for corn and other crops -- a result of expected declines in the supply -- and by the widespread use of government-backed crop insurance, which pays farmers for crops damaged by drought. But those factors aren't benefiting all farmers. The USDA forecast shows livestock and poultry producers are struggling with rising feed costs without the same price rise, while dairy farms face both higher costs and a decline in milk prices.

"It is important to understand and remember that thousands of farm families, particularly livestock and dairy producers, continue to struggle with drought," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

The dry weather is severely cutting into the size of crops for farmers from Ohio to Colorado. Still, the shrinking harvest has been counteracted by prices for corn and soybeans that have hit record levels, not accounting for inflation. Those prices are driving a forecast 6.7% increase in crop revenues from a year ago.

The USDA also expects a rise of $8.4 billion, or 39%, in what is known as other farm income, driven overwhelmingly by increased farm-insurance payouts. The forecast doesn't include an estimate for crop insurance payments alone.

A majority of corn and soybean farmers carry crop insurance, which has become the predominate federal safety net for growers. Still, the effects of the drought will vary from farm to farm depending on the level of insurance coverage and when farmers locked in prices for their crops.



Pork Industry Faces Record Losses

A tsunami of red ink is about to wash across the pork industry, which is facing losses unseen even in the fall of 1998 when hog prices at times approached zero value. According to a Purdue University Extension economist, the stressors include: more hogs than expected, rapid sow liquidation now under way, and record feed prices. Losses in the final quarter of this year could be $60 per head, exceeding the previous record quarterly losses of $45 per head in the fall of 1998.

"Slaughter numbers in the past two weeks have been up 6 percent when only about 1 percent more hogs were expected," said Chris Hurt. "This has caused a $10 per hundredweight drop in live prices since late July, with prices now in the low $60s.

"The source of those extra hogs is probably related to some delayed marketings due to the summer heat, to a desire to sell pigs more quickly before prices really tumble moving into fall, and to high-sow slaughter. Projected prices for the final quarter this year are in the mid-$50s, using current lean hog futures as a base. Tragically, costs of production are expected to be above $75 per live hundredweight for the remainder of the summer, this fall, and winter," Hurt said.

Hurt predicted losses per head this summer to be estimated at $30, followed this fall by record quarterly losses of $60 per head. Losses in the first and second quarters of 2013 are projected to be $38 and $5 per head, respectively. Over this one-year span, losses may average about $33 per head, meaning total losses of around $4 billion for the U.S. industry.

"There is strong evidence that the initial wave of breeding-herd reduction began in early August and has intensified," Hurt said. "Sow-slaughter data show that around 30,000 sows were liquidated in the month of August alone. This would represent a reduction of about 0.6 percent of the national sow herd in one month. This rate will continue, and perhaps even increase, if corn prices stay at current levels or move higher. The breeding herd may decline by 4 to 6 percent in the six months from August 2012 through January 2013. The rate of liquidation is expected to slow sharply after this coming winter," Hurt said.

Hurt described the dilemma for the industry to be the enormous losses for pigs that are already born. Continued liquidation of sows will not reduce slaughter numbers until next summer and so does not address the short-term financial disaster.

"Short of euthanizing young pigs, reduction of weights can reduce total pork supplies, use less feed, and enhance hog prices," Hurt said. "The economics of reducing weights is largely related to packer-buying programs. Generally, it is not economical for producers to sell at lighter weights that receive a discount. Perhaps packers would consider lowering those threshold weights in this emergency. Producers should recognize that this could be costly to packers and to not expect one packer to do so unless all agreed," he said.

Hurt said that President Obama authorized the purchase of a modest amount of pork. "That volume is so small as to reduce the losses by less than $1 per head," Hurt said. "Other demand stimulation could help increase pork prices, but the program would need to be much larger and more money would likely have to come from a Congress that has not had a strong record of agreement or accomplishment in recent months.

There remains a small amount of hope that a partial waiver of the ethanol RFS for 2013 could reduce corn use for ethanol and lower corn prices. However, evaluations at the University of Illinois, Purdue, and Iowa State all indicate that such a partial waver may have only small impacts on volume of corn used for ethanol.

"Financial losses of the magnitudes projected here will cause massive erosions of family equity and some bankruptcies," Hurt said. "Unfortunately, losses in 2008 and 2009 were not fully recovered by the profits in 2010 and 2011 so that some producers face this tsunami in weakened financial condition.

"Family hog farms with a sizable land base will have land equity to draw on," Hurt said. "Larger hog producers with a minimum land base will need to draw on corporate equity and then their lenders. Lenders will make the final decisions for the weakest, but will strive to keep companies in operation as they seek new buyers. This means that another round of consolidation of ownership can be anticipated," he said.

Hurt concluded by saying that unfortunately individual producers are going to need to find their own way through the short-term carnage. "The irony is that hog production may return to profitability by mid-summer 2013 when meal prices begin to moderate, hog prices move to record highs, and rain and reasonable temperatures bless our nation's corn and soybean fields once again," he said.



Mixed Bag for Fertilizer Prices

While drought has put a damper on fertilizer prices, anhydrous seems the exception to the rule, according to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the third week of August.  It was the only fertilizer that was higher by any significance for the third straight week. With a fall fertilizer application rapidly approaching in some locations, the nitrogen fertilizer was 7% higher compared to the third week of July and had an average price of $817 per ton.  This marks the highest average price of anhydrous since the second week of Nov. 2011. The average price of anhydrous that week was $819 per ton.

The other fertilizer that was higher compared to a month earlier was MAP. The phosphorous fertilizer was just slightly higher and had an average price of $666 per ton.

Leading the way lower, like it has many times in recent months, was urea. The dry, nitrogen fertilizer was 10% lower and now has an average price of $611 per ton. Urea's price has now dropped $155 per ton since Memorial Day.  Also somewhat lower was 10-34-0. The starter fertilizer declined 8% compared to a month earlier. 10-34-0 had an average price of $640 per ton.  Four other fertilizers were also less expensive but just slightly lower. DAP had an average price of $632 per ton, potash $623 per ton, UAN28 $386 per ton and UAN32 $425 per ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.66/lb.N, anhydrous $0.50/lb.N, UAN28 $0.69/lb.N and UAN32 $0.66/lb.N.

Two of the eight major fertilizers are still showing a price increase compared to one year earlier. Urea is now 4% higher while anhydrous is 2% higher compared to last year.  Six fertilizers are actually lower in price compared to July 2011. Potash is 1% lower, UAN28 is 2% lower, UAN32 is 4% less expensive and MAP is 7% lower.  The remaining fertilizers are now down double digits from a year ago. DAP is now down 10% while 10-34-0 is now 17% less expensive from a year earlier.



DuPont Exec: Sufficient 2013 Corn Seed

DuPont Co.'s seed division will have sufficient overall supplies of corn seed to sell for planting next year in the U.S., but supplies of some hybrids will be limited due to damage from drought to the seed-corn crop, a senior executive said Tuesday.

DuPont Pioneer this year planted a "significantly larger" seed-corn crop than last year, but it has been damaged by the severe U.S. drought just like other crops, said Paul Schickler, president of the chemical company's seed subsidiary, in an interview at the Farm Progress Show.

"Will every grower get their No. 1 choice [of hybrid] in the quantities that they want? Likely not. But we've got good second choices and third choices to make up," Mr. Schickler said.

"Supplies are going to be tight when you get down to the hybrid level," he said, "but if you just look at the overall ... we are going to have a good supply" in the U.S. and Canada.

Pioneer's corn-seed production is spread geographically across the Farm Belt to help reduce overall weather risks for its crop, Mr. Schickler said. The company also plants extra crops to account for such risks, and nearly 70% of the company's seed crop is irrigated, he said.

Pioneer is also starting to produce corn seed in Argentina and Chile that could help "fill in gaps" in U.S. supplies next year, he said.

Pioneer this week will likely harvest at least some corn at all of its production sites, so it will have more information over the next few weeks on its actual seed supply, he said.



Alltech’s Allzyme SSF: Getting More Bang for Your Feed Buck

With limited rainfall and record-breaking temperatures scorching much of the country this summer, the nation’s crops and forage have suffered from moderate to extreme drought conditions. Dire reports have filled the news, including a recent report from The New York Times that more than half of the corn crop is either in poor or very poor condition, and soy doesn’t look much better. As a result, corn and soy prices are soaring, and farmers will face significant challenges with the cost of feeding their animals. Alltech’s Allzyme®SSF is a natural solution for pig and poultry farmers looking for ways to get more from their feed and provide their animals the nutritional support they need.

“There is no time when it is more important to focus on feed efficiency and return of feed cost than when corn and soy prices are high,” said Aidan Connolly, Alltech’s vice president for corporate accounts.

Allzyme SSF is a natural complex that maximizes nutrient release, helping producers optimize the performance of their animals’ diets. Through solid-state fermentation, a strain of Aspergillus niger works in synergy with the animals’ digestive systems to break down layers of the feed that were previously inaccessible through digestion.

“Now is the time to take steps to innovate and utilize cutting edge technology” said Dr. Mark Lyons, Vice President Corporate Affairs at Alltech. “The natural enzyme complex in Allzyme SSF is produced using a proprietary strain of Aspergillus niger that has the ability to break down the complex matrices of sugars, starches, proteins, and fiber found in agro-industrial residues that monogastric animals are otherwise unable to digest.”

This process exposes more nutrients, including amino acids, energy, calcium and phosphorus. By allowing animals to better utilize their feed, Allzyme SSF allows for flexibility in formulation through the inclusion of by-products and alternative raw materials, or by reducing nutrient density in the diet.

“The energy locked up in cellulose and hemicellulose offers a tremendous opportunity for improving feed efficiency and reducing production costs, which is an important factor with the feed prices we are facing now and, with all likelihood, for the foreseeable future,” Lyons said. “Producers and farmers can achieve more efficient performance from their current feeds, and also consider including alternatives to corn and soy. This can help manage and reduce costs while maintaining optimal animal performance.”



CASE IH TO INTRODUCE NEW STEIGER ROWTRAC

    The unparalleled, proven technology of the Case IH Steiger® Quadtrac™ will now be available in the new 2013 Steiger Rowtrac™.
    “Case IH extends its track technology leadership with the new Steiger Rowtrac, proving again that four tracks are superior to two in row-crop applications,” says Mitch Kaiser, Case IH Steiger Marketing Manager. “Customers told us they wanted a Steiger Quadtrac with more flexibility for more jobs, while maintaining the power, performance and innovation they’ve come to expect. The Case IH four-track, positive-drive system is the only factory-integrated drive system of its kind in the world. It puts more power to the ground, improves traction and simplifies transport, allowing users to cover more ground in less time, even when field conditions are less-than-optimum.”

Adaptability and Versatility
The Steiger Rowtrac will be one of the highest horsepower, tracked row-crop tractors in the market with the capacity to pull larger implements. It will have the advantages of Quadtrac technology for both primary and secondary tillage and field applications, including planting, side-dressing, fertilizing and specialty applications. In fact, the narrow track, with adjustable row spacing will easily adapt to North American row-crop farming applications. Available in three models – 350, 400 and 450 – Case IH has a tractor to fit the needs of every farming situation. 

More Power to the Ground
         Four tracks transfer more power to the ground than two, and the Steiger Rowtrac will provide more options and greater flexibility for customers. With equal-sized, independent, oscillating drives on all four corners, farmers can get in their fields sooner, especially in adverse field conditions. The wheelbase has been extended from 154 to 160 inches, so each track has more ground contact, resulting in better transfer of power to the ground. In addition, the unique design delivers less ground pressure, better traction and the most comfortable ride in the industry.
“Better traction helps reduce compaction by minimizing slippage on the soil surface,” says Kaiser. “Compared to two-track systems, operators will see no ridging or berming in turns. In addition, each track drive oscillates up and down up to 10 degrees to maintain consistent ground contact no matter what the conditions. Not only will farmers be able to plant seed sooner, but the seed will have a better environment in which to germinate and develop strong root systems that extend down into the soil area, with better access to nutrients. Less in-row compaction translates to earlier emergence of crops and the opportunity for increased yields.”
Although the Rowtrac suspension looks similar to that of the Quadtrac, it is uniquely different. On each end of the roller beam, a mount controls pitch roll and yaw along with some vertical load, and two mounts in the center handle the primary vertical load. While the tractor is oscillating in the middle, each track moves independently. The exclusive Case IH design fits in a very narrow undercarriage width for row-crop applications.

Greater Flexibility
       The Steiger Rowtrac gives operators more adaptability and versatility for different cropping systems, with 20-inch, 22-inch, 30-inch and 40-inch row-crop spacing options, and the track width to suit many types of operations.
The undercarriage features a new advanced suspension system. Rubber “donuts” act like shock absorbers and keep the suspension from shifting from side to side, which helps the tractor remain accurate on the row. The new track suspension system allows for operation in a variety of row-crop planting, side-dressing, fertilizing, tillage and specialty applications. The Steiger Rowtrac’s architecture is designed with a small overall size and packaging in mind for excellent visibility and a tight turning radius, so the Quadtrac four-track, positive-drive system is highly maneuverable in the field. It also is very transportable on the road for farmers with large operations and several locations to manage.

Increased Efficiency
       The Steiger Rowtrac provides increased traction with a narrow footprint to perform well in a variety of row-spacing applications. At the same time, the operator can maintain a narrow transport width for faster travel to the next field location, which shortens travel time and increases efficiency.
“Steiger tractors are famous around the world for superior power and performance, no matter what the conditions,” notes Kaiser. “The new Rowtrac 350, 400 and 450 tractors continue that heritage with a convenient size and configuration to match every farm operation’s high-horsepower needs.
“Thanks to a best-in-class engine, every Steiger Rowtrac delivers power and responsiveness, even in the most demanding applications,” he continues. “With the unique Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) emissions system operating outside the engine, Tier 4 Case IH FPT high-horsepower engines burn an average of 10 percent less fuel than comparable Tier 3 models. Plus, oil-change intervals have been lengthened to 600 hours. This gives operators powerful, smart, simple technology to get more done with fewer inputs, while still providing the Efficient Power they need for maximum performance.”
Like other Steiger models, the Rowtrac machines have Power Boost to provide extra power when needed with hydraulics, PTO, during transport and in other challenging conditions. New features provide even more flexibility: the 113-gallon-per-minute parallel flow hydraulic system for use with a three-point-hitch and PTO offers increased efficiency and adaptability for more planting and grain-cart applications.
    In addition, the patented Rowtrac system uses independent, same-size tracks to deliver more power to the ground, so users experience less slippage with large planters and tillage applications. Operators can get more done with less horsepower.
The Steiger Rowtrac offers:
·    Best-in-class fuel economy and operating cost leadership with Tier 4 Case IH FPT engines
·    The industry’s heaviest frame – welded using 1/2-inch-thick steel – to handle heavy tillage equipment
·    Superior hydraulics with a 113-gallon-per-minute flow to easily handle the largest planters and seeders

Unmatched Comfort and Convenience
       Comfort is a high priority when operators spend long days in the field, and Case IH delivers, thanks to input from customers. The Steiger Surveyor™ cab is the largest, most comfortable cab in the industry on a row-crop chassis. The fully suspended cab gives a ride similar to what operators would experience in their cars on the highway. It’s also the quietest, so operators can talk on their phones or multitask as needed to run their businesses. The industry-leading, 40-degree right-hand seat minimizes neck strain and fatigue, while the MultiControl Armrest keeps nearly all of the operation controls within easy reach.
The Steiger Rowtrac also will feature factory-installed Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) AccuGuide™ auto-guidance to increase efficiency and accuracy in terms of field applications.
"Factory-installed AFS AccuGuide is available for fully automated guidance in both forward and reverse,” Kaiser explains. “This is the first integrated system to allow operators to automatically align with the next guidance line while backing up."

Maximum Uptime Delivered
      Operators will appreciate having more productive days with the ability to get in fields faster and stay longer, thanks to these sensible conveniences:
·    Easy maintenance – all engine, transmission and hydraulic/axle fluids are
serviced from ground level, and fluid site gauges are at ground level
·    Narrow undercarriage for simple maintenance and lower cost of operation
·    See-through bearing covers to quickly and easily monitor lubrication levels
·    600-hour oil-change intervals
·    More convenience and simplicity with the new flow-compensated, quick-connect hydraulic valves that automatically compensate for temperature and flow
·    No weighting or ballasting required
·    No flat tires or tire air pressures to check
“Our customers have multiple choices with the best line of four-wheel-drive tractors in the industry,” states Kaiser. “Now they can choose four tracks or wheels on all Steiger models, from 350 to 600 horsepower. It’s all in an effort to help our customers Be Ready to embrace the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities in agriculture – today and in the future.”



Novozymes and Terranol to market advanced biofuel yeast

Novozymes, the world leader in bioinnovation and industrial enzymes, and Terranol, a Denmark-based biotechnology company specialized in yeast, today announced an agreement that will ensure the final optimization of the Terranol C5 yeast strain and give Novozymes the rights to register and market Terranol’s C5 yeast technology. C5 yeast is an essential component in the production of cellulosic ethanol, and the partnership will allow Novozymes to speed up global rollout of Terranol’s yeast to customers in the cellulosic ethanol industry. Wide availability of a high-performing and cost-efficient yeast will enable the nascent industry to fast-track the transition from today’s demonstration-scale production to large-scale commercialization.

“We want to make sure there are no biotech-related hurdles to the creation of a cellulosic ethanol industry,” says Poul Ruben Andersen, Vice President Bioenergy at Novozymes. “Terranol’s C5 yeast is currently one of the best strains developed, and by getting it registered and marketed around the world, we can help make it available to the biofuel industry. This will provide a higher degree of certainty in the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol.”

“With our combined R&D capabilities we can ensure the final optimization of the strain in order to achieve maximum economic performance for our cellulosic ethanol customers,” says Claus Crone Fuglsang, Vice President R&D at Novozymes.
 
C5 yeast key to advanced biofuel
Advanced biofuels are approaching large-scale commercialization, but various steps in the production process can still be improved to make production cheaper and more efficient. When producing cellulosic ethanol, enzymes convert cellulose and hemicellulose in biomass such as corn stover and wheat straw to sugars, which are then fermented into ethanol. To obtain optimal yields it is important to ferment not only the easily accessible C6 sugars (glucose), but also the more difficult C5 sugars (xylose and arabinose).

“A yeast that ferments C5 sugars is essential to cost-efficient production of cellulosic ethanol,” says Birgitte Rønnow, CEO of Terranol. “Our C5 yeast is among the furthest developed in the industry and by leveraging Novozymes’ global marketing muscle we can speed up its commercialization.”

In February, Novozymes launched Novozymes Cellic® CTec3, the best-performing enzyme on the market for production of cellulosic ethanol. The first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants are scheduled to open later this year.



RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS RECEIVE GRANTS OF UP TO $25,000

Monsanto announced today at the Farm Progress Show that 176 school districts in 35 states have been selected to receive grants of up to $25,000.   The America’s Farmers Grow Rural EducationSM program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, will invest $2.3 million in rural schools across the United States during the 2012-2013 school year.

“School districts were innovative and creative in their applications,” said Deborah Patterson, Monsanto Fund President. “We are really looking forward to seeing the proposals come to fruition and learning how the students benefit from them.”

After being nominated by local farmers, school districts completed an online application and finalists were chosen by math and science teachers from ineligible school districts. The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council, a group of 26 prominent farmers from across the country, then reviewed the finalists’ applications and selected the winners.

“Who better to judge the practical content and quality of these applications from rural school districts than experienced, working farmers?” said Jim Andrew of Jefferson, IA, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Farmer Advisory Council Member.  “We devoted many hours at home evaluating and scoring the applications and then met as a group in St. Louis for two days to discuss and select the schools we recommended to the Monsanto Fund for grants.  It was personally very rewarding to read the creative and practical grant applications that were eventually selected by our advisory group to receive the grants.”

There were 176 school districts in 35 states that received grants of up to $25,000. Winners are posted at www.growruraleducation.com and below. America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education started with a successful pilot in Illinois and Minnesota in 2011, in which farmers were given the opportunity to nominate public school districts in 165 eligible counties in those two states. The Monsanto Fund awarded more than $266,000 to local schools in sixteen Crop Reporting Districts. Now, the program has expanded to 1,245 eligible counties in 39 states.

Iowa
-George Little Rock Community Schools, Hampton-Dumont Community School District, Lamoni Community School District, Logan-Magnolia School District, Mormon Trail Community School District, New Hampton, New London Community School District, North Tama County Community School District, Northeast Community School District, Riceville Community School District, Schleswig Community School District, Sidney Community School District

Nebraska
-Cambridge Public Schools, Falls City Public Schools, Hayes Center Public Schools, Lyons-Decatur Northeast Schools, Mitchell Public Schools, Northwest Public Schools, Osceola Public Schools, Rock County Public Schools, Thayer Central Community Schools

America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education is sponsored by the Monsanto Fund to help farmers positively impact their communities and support local rural school districts. This program is part of the Monsanto Fund’s overall effort to support rural education and communities. Another program that is part of this effort is America’s Farmers Grow Communities, which gives farmers the opportunity to direct a $2,500 donation to their favorite community nonprofit organization in their county. Farmers can participate in this program through Nov. 30, 2012 by visiting growcommunities.com.

About the Monsanto Fund
The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the farm communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.



WINNING BIDDER FOR THE DEKALB® 100 ANNIVERSARY BIKE REVEALED AT FARM PROGRESS SHOW 2012

The DEKALB brand’s custom 100th Anniversary Bike revved up the excitement at the 2011 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill., when the bike made its engine-roaring debut to a crowd of onlookers at the main gate of the show.

Today, the bike’s year-long tour comes full circle as Rick Brandt, CEO of BRANDT from Springfield, Ill., was announced the online auction’s highest bidder, at the 2012 Farm Progress® Show in Boone, Iowa. Through multiple DEKALB fundraising opportunities, including the chopper auction, American farmers raised a grand total of $250,000 for the American Red Cross. Jason Hoag, DEKALB Brand Lead and Rick Brandt, on behalf of America’s farmers, presented a check to Leslie Schaffer, Regional Chapter Executive Officer for American Red Cross, Greater Iowa Region.

“The American Red Cross is grateful for this generous donation and so honored to be a part of the celebration of DEKALB, with whom we share a history of providing for Americans.” said Schaffer. “When disasters strike, the Red Cross mobilizes volunteers and supplies into affected areas to shelter, feed and provide emotional support to disaster victims and responders. The support of DEKALB, Brandt and American farmers enables us to help heal communities and assist families in getting back on their feet.”

Mr. Brandt is proud to be the new owner of such a one-of-a-kind piece of DEKALB history.“On behalf of all the members of the BRANDT Team, we are thrilled to win the DEKALB anniversary bike,” said Mr. Brandt. “Next year is our 60th anniversary serving professional growers around the globe: What better way to celebrate the history of agriculture while helping the American Red Cross?”

When asked what aspect of the bike was his favorite, Mr. Brandt replied, “It just captures the independent spirit of the American farmer.”

Features of the bike include a vintage tractor-seat, winged-ear wheel spokes and a retro wood finish to represent the wooden agricultural crates used when DEKALB was founded 100 years ago in DeKalb County, Ill.

The DEKALB 100th Anniversary Bike, designed in 1912 style, pays homage to the DEKALB brand’s 100 year legacy of strong performance and industry leading innovation.

“It has been an exciting anniversary year for the DEKALB brand, and the celebration wouldn’t have been complete without the chopper,” said Hoag. “This bike was designed with farmers in mind, and it is those farmers that will be central to our mission and our success for the next 100 years.”



No surprise, Wall Street Journal rejects ethanol point of view

As promised, the Renewable Fuels Association submitted an opinion piece for publication in the Wall Street Journal.  After all, in a recent editorial, the Journal editorial staff said they were more than happy to give RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen space to voice his opinion.

Not surprisingly, the Journal rejected Dinneen's submission.  Apparently, their willingness to include divergent views applies only when they can have enough time to criticize it on the same day it appears.

Nevertheless, here is Dinneen’s op ed in full as submitted to the Wall Street Journal. 

Beyond the Biofuel-bashing Editorials: Ethanol Really Reduces Prices at the Pump
Bob Dinneen, President, Renewable Fuels Association

When I was growing up, I learned to watch out for guys who pat you on the back with one hand and then sucker-punch you with the other.

On the same day that the Journal called me “our indefatigable friend” and published my letter to the editor responding to an editorial entitled “Ethanol vs. the World” (Aug. 11), they published yet another sarcastic screed, “How Ethanol Causes Joblessness” (Aug.16). The latter editorial ridicules what it claims was the methodology behind a study by academic economists showing that America’s growing use of domestically produced ethanol reduced wholesale gasoline prices from what they would otherwise have been by an average of $1.09 per gallon last year.

Over the past year alone, the Journal has published ten editorials against ethanol. By way of comparison, to select an issue that looms larger to most people, the Journal has editorialized about immigration only nine times.

If this one-sided obsession were about an entirely esoteric subject, this controversy would be confined to journalism reviews and economic journals. But the constant bashing of biofuels distorts the debate about issues that matter to most Americans: Can we hold down prices at the pump? Reduce America’s addiction to imported oil, some of it coming courtesy of strongmen such as Hugo Chavez whom the Journal usually wants to weaken? Dump fewer pollutants into the atmosphere at a time when extreme weather is causing drought in the Midwest?

Debating these issues requires factual analysis, not philosophical autopilot. Last year, the American ethanol industry produced 13.9 billion gallons of biofuels, an increase from 13.2 billion gallons in 2010 and only 1.63 billion in 2000. Most of this ethanol is sold in a blend of 10 percent biofuels and 90 percent gasoline – E10. Because ethanol makes up 10 percent of the nation’s gasoline pool today, it significantly reduces demand for oil, putting downward pressure on gasoline prices at the pump.

While it is difficult to imagine that gasoline prices could have been higher than they were at their worst points over the past year, the pain at the pump would have been even worse without ethanol. Why?

First, adding 13.9 billion gallons of biofuels to the motor fuel pool – and blending it with gasoline in E10 – has a similar effect to the US oil refining industry finding a way to extract 10 percent more gasoline from a barrel of oil. It’s Economics 101: When you increase the supply of something, there’s a downward pressure on its price.

Second, ethanol has been priced at a larger-than-usual discount to gasoline. From 2010 to 2011, average crude oil prices increased from about $80/barrel to about $95/barrel.

Third, the additional fuel supply has alleviated the periodic gasoline shortages, resulting from limited refinery capacity, that contribute to price spikes.

Fourth, American ethanol reduces our dependence on the OPEC cartel and unfriendly or unstable regimes who used to raise prices at will. Eighty percent of the new motor fuel produced in the US since 2005 has been ethanol.

Fifth, the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) has indeed encouraged higher ethanol inclusion in motor fuel, up to 10 percent today. But the RFS isn’t the whole story. In recent years, oil refiners have blended 2.5 billion more gallons than required under the RFS because it made economic sense.

The same commonsense economics informs the study that the Journal ridicules without refuting. Prepared by economists Dermot Hayes of Iowa State University and Xiaodong Du of the University of Wisconsin, the study was peer-reviewed, published in an academic journal, and updated annually. This study found that American ethanol reduced wholesale gasoline prices by an average of $1.09 per gallon in 2011, $0.89 per gallon in 2010, and an average of $0.29 per gallon since 2000.

In similar studies, the US Departments of Energy and Agriculture found savings ranging from 20-35 cents per gallon, while Merrill Lynch reported a 50-cents-per-gallon reduction. Meanwhile, agricultural economists Hassan Marzhoughi and P. Lynn Kennedy of Louisiana State University found savings of 78 cents per gallon.

As for the paper that the Journal cites as refuting the Iowa State University study, it hasn’t been peer-reviewed or published – and it actually agrees that ethanol reduces gasoline prices at the pump, although its estimate is only 13 cents-per-gallon.

Suspend the Renewable Fuel Standard? Maybe the Journal really wants to repeal the law of supply and demand.