Friday July 5 Ag News

Control of Glyphosate-Resistant Volunteer Soybeans in Corn
Lowell Sandell, UNL Weed Science Extension Educator
Stevan Knezevic, UNL Integrated Weed Management Specialist

Recently we received several inquiries about the presence of glyphosate-resistant volunteer soybeans in corn fields and cost-effective control options. These volunteers emerge from seed that shattered before soybean harvest or fell during combining. Historically, soybeans are not considered a serious volunteer weed problem in corn because they are not very competitive and several herbicide options are available to control them in corn. However, with the drought last year and harvest losses, there are substantial populations of volunteer soybeans in some corn fields this year. If populations are high and left uncontrolled, they may cause yield loss in corn.

In some areas wet soil conditions due to early spring rains delayed pre-plant/pre-emergence herbicide applications in corn. In other fields excessive rainfall washed away the pre-plant or pre-emergence herbicides that had been applied. These scenarios provided ample conditions for volunteer soybeans to emerge. Postemergence herbicides are the only option at this time to control emerged volunteer soybeans in corn and the window for application is quickly closing.

The size of volunteer soybeans and corn at the time of herbicide application will affect how well herbicides control them. At this time the best control option for volunteer soybeans is a herbicide containing dicamba such as Status. It can be applied at 5 oz per acre in corn up to 36 inches tall. Maximum labeled rate per application is 10 oz per acre (this may cause injury on corn); the maximum rate per season is 12.5 oz per acre. Stinger would be another option and can be applied in corn up to 24 inches tall at a rate of 0.25 to 0.5 pint per acre. Armezon/Impact (topramezone) is one of the HPPD-inhibiting herbicides that can be applied up to the V8 stage of corn at 0.5 to 1 fl oz per acre.

If volunteer soybeans are at V2 to V3 (second to third trifoliate) stage, application of herbicides such as atrazine plus HPPDs (Callisto, Laudis, or Impact) might be a good option due to their crop safety. Early postemergence applications are recommended for best control.

Because 2,4-D is a cost effective option, some growers may prefer it for volunteer soybean control; however, a study conducted at North Dakota State University suggests that soybeans are less sensitive to 2,4-D compared with dicamba (Clarity, Status) or clopyralid (Stinger). Dicamba and 2,4-D cannot be broadcasted on corn over 8 inches tall unless drop nozzles are used to place herbicides below the whorl. When corn is over 20 inches tall use drop nozzles to avoid herbicide injury to corn.

Hornet is a selective broadleaf herbicide that contains clopyralid. It can be applied pre-plant, preemergence, or postemergence for control of broadleaf weeds including volunteer soybean in field corn. Do not exceed a total application rate of 6.0 oz per acre of Hornet WDG in a single crop year. Hornet WDG can be tank-mixed with Callisto and atrazine for broad spectrum weed control in corn fields. TripleFLEX/SureStart is a combination of acetochlor (Harness), clopyralid (Stinger), and flumetsulam (Python). It may be used for early postemergence control of volunteer soybeans, but will not be very effective if soybeans are above second trifoliate stage.

Always read the label before applying any herbicide.



Start Scouting for Potato Leafhoppers in Alfalfa
Robert Wright, UNL Extension Entomologist

I am beginning to find adult and nymphal potato leafhoppers in alfalfa at UNL’s South Central Ag Laboratory near Clay Center. If you have not started to scout for potato leafhopper, now would be a good time to begin.

Potato leafhoppers have the potential to hurt alfalfa in Nebraska every year and have been common recently. They don't overwinter in Nebraska but rather are brought in on southerly winds. Generally they are a second and third cutting pest.

These small (1/8 inch long), bright green, wedge-shaped insects may cause severe damage to alfalfa by injecting a toxin into the plant as they feed. This feeding results in a distinctive yellow or purple triangle shape at the leaf tip. First year, spring planted alfalfa fields are particularly attractive to and vulnerable to potato leafhoppers, as are fields planted last year. In older fields, these insects are usually a problem on second and third cuttings.

Newly developed resistant varieties provide fairly good protection from potato leafhoppers, but alfalfa in the seedling stage may still be damaged. All fields should still be scouted, as large numbers of leafhoppers may still cause a problem, even in resistant variety fields.

Treatment Thresholds and Insecticides
Treatment decisions are based on numbers captured by a sweep net. (A sweep net is the only reliable way to scout for potato leafhoppers.)  Many insecticides are registered for control, and all will provide good results when applied properly. Commonly used insecticides include Mustang, Warrior, Baythroid, and Lorsban, or products with the same active ingredients.  Refer to the UNL Department of Entomology website at http://entomology.unl.edu/instabls/ for a list of suggested insecticides and NebGuide G1136, Potato Leafhopper Management in Alfalfa, for more information.



Nebraska Soybean Board Ballots due July 31, 2013

Election ballots for Districts 4 and 8 of the Nebraska Soybean Board will be mailed on Friday, July 12, 2013, to soybean producers in those districts. To be eligible to vote in the election voters must:
     ·Be engaged in the growing of soybeans
     ·Be a resident in the District
     ·Pay the soybean checkoff
     ·One Producer – One Vote Only

The voting producer must sign and print their full name and town on the ballot envelope, to be a valid vote.  The ballot must be postmarked by July 31, 2013.  Eligible producers who do not receive a ballot by July 18, 2013, can call 402-466-1969 to request a one.

Ballots will be mailed to the counties in the following districts:

District 4:  (Boone, Hamilton, Merrick, Nance, Platte, Polk and York Counties)
          Candidates
          ·  Brian Brown – Central City, NE –  Merrick County
          ·  Eugene Goering  – Platte Center, NE – Platte County

District 8:  (Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Box Butte, Brown, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dundy,  Frontier, Furnas, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Grant, Greeley, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Hooker, Howard, Keith, Keya Paha, Kimball, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, McPherson, Morrill, Perkins, Phelps, Red Willow, Rock, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thomas, Valley and Wheeler Counties)
          Candidates
          ·  Daren England – Holdrege, NE – Phelps County
          ·  Terry Horky – Sargent, NE – Custer County

Results will be announced in August.  The elected directors will serve a three-year term for these seats beginning October 1, 2013 and ending September 30, 2016.



Court Decision Effects Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Land Owners

As a result of a recent U.S. Tax Court ruling, those who sign a Conservation Reserve Program contract, whether they are involved in a farm business or just own the land, will find their CRP payments subject to self-employment tax.

Previously, at least until 2003, self-employment tax on CRP payments was only enforced on those who were directly involved in a trade or business, and a non-farmer’s CRP income was not subject to self-employment tax, said Roger McEowen, director of the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation and agricultural law professor at Iowa State University.

“The issue is that people who are not in a trade or business should not need to pay self employment taxes on CRP rents,” McEowen said. McEowen explained that even if someone just owns the land that is in the CRP and is not a farmer, the court says they will be charged the tax.

According the USDA’s website, the program pays landowners to halt all production on their environmentally sensitive lands to conserve and improve the quality of the land. The program is in place to help improve water quality, stop soil erosion and the loss of natural habitats. Landowners apply for the program by a bid to the USDA, who then accepts or denies the application. The participants then sign a 10 to 15 year contract. The court determined that the landowners participating in the CRP have the intent to make profit, and should be charged a self-employment tax.

“The court says that you are in the trade or business of creating environmentally friendly land and farms,” said McEowen. “Once you sign the CRP contract, the court states that you are in the trade or business of CRP and the CRP rents are subject to self-employment tax.”

With landowners being charged a self-employment tax, McEowen explained that when they apply their bids for the CRP, they would adjust their bids to incorporate the tax. The USDA will then have to pay more for the land to become a part of the CRP. Others may simply not participate in the CRP and cash lease the land to a farmer so that the cash rent income is not subject to self-employment tax.



ASA Reiterates Need for Oilseed Reports in Letter to NASS

In a letter to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) this week, the American Soybean Association expressed its support for NASS to conduct a new information collection, the 2013 Current Agricultural Industrial Reports (CAIR), specifically the M311J and M311K Oilseed and Oilseed Products reports.

These reports were previously conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau provided data on production and usage trends in the domestic fats, oils and protein meal markets. The industry utilized the reports in many ways, and they are important to government agencies, private industry and futures markets. ASA noted in its letter that the information contained in these reports does not exist elsewhere, except in incomplete form, and cannot be easily replicated by another entity.

ASA has led the effort to reinstate the reports, after the Census Bureau announced in 2012 that is would terminate the two reports, along with other CAIRs. ASA led a coalition of other agricultural and commodity groups that were impacted by the termination of the CAIRs to urge NASS to take over the reports.



Grain Export Sales Mixed

Thursday's weekly export sales report was released on Friday morning, a day later than normal because of the Independence Day holiday oberved on July 4th.

Weekly export sales of corn showed a total of 314,500 mt (12.4 mb), with 233,100 mt (9.2 mb) for 2012-2013. Total reported sales for 2012-2013 are above USDA's demand projection of 700 mb. Weekly shipments of 353,400 mt (13.9 mb) were above the 307,900 mt (12.1 mb) needed this week. Pre-report estimates for corn export sales ranged from 250,000 mt (12.1 mb) to 500,000 mt (19.7 mb).

Weekly export sales of soybeans showed a total 369,700 mt (13.6 mb), with 120,600 mt (4.4 mb) for 2012-2013. Total sales for 2012-2013 are above USDA's demand projection of 1.330 bb. Shipments of 115,900 mt (4.3 mb) were above the 88,000 mt (2.2 mb) needed this week. Pre-report estimates for soybean export sales ranged from 200,000 mt (7.3 mb) to 500,000 mt (18.4 mb).

The weekly export sales report for all wheat showed a total of 593,000 mt (21.8 mb), This is above the 366,600 mt (13.6 mb) needed to stay on pace with USDA's 2013-2014 demand projection of 975 mb. Weekly shipments of 688,500 mt (25.3 mb) were above the 511,500 mt (18.8 mb) needed this week. Pre-report estimates for wheat export sales ranged from 400,000 mt (14.7 mb) to 800,000 mt (29.4 mb).

USDA: 120,000 MT SRW to China
Private exporters reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture export sales of 120,000 metric tons of soft red winter wheat for delivery to China during the 2013/2014 marketing year, the USDA said Friday.

U.S. exporters are required to report to the USDA any export sales activity of 100,000 tons or more of one commodity made in one day or quantities totaling 200,000 tons or more in any reporting period to one destination, by 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) the next business day, according to the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service. Any export sales under these quantities must be reported on a weekly basis.



APHIS Investigation Continuing, Industry Focuses on Restoring All Wheat Exports

The wheat industry continues its work to ensure open markets and exports in the midst of an ongoing investigation by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) into the presence of genetically modified wheat plants on one field in Oregon. USDA has provided information to trading partners via attaches and in writing, and the Japanese agriculture minister reportedly held a press conference Tuesday outlining the steps that country will take to resume purchases of all types of U.S. wheat. Representatives of the industry continue to be in contact with high-level USDA officials, and National Association of Wheat Growers President Bing Von Bergen was able to address the issue with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack as part of an otherwise-unrelated discussion this week. More information about the investigation is available online at www.wheatworld.org/aphisinvestigation/.



South Korea Lifts Ban on U.S. Wheat

South Korea on Friday lifted a ban on U.S. wheat imports after the local food-safety regulator found no unapproved genetically modified grain in recent U.S. shipments to the country.

The Korea Flour Mills Industrial Association said in a statement it decided to resume purchasing U.S. wheat after a suspension imposed on May 31 following the discovery of unapproved genetically modified white wheat strain at a farm in Oregon.

"The ban is lifted as of today," said Park Jeong-seop, general manager of the local millers' association. "Local bidding for U.S. white wheat can resume next week."

The Seoul-based trade group cautioned, however, that all U.S. white wheat should be inspected and approved by the Korea Food and Drug Administration before reaching consumers.

The KFDA on Tuesday said its expanded inspections of 45 samples of wheat and flour imported from Oregon and another 160 samples from other states in the U.S. showed all were free of the unapproved genetically modified wheat strain.

The KFDA said it would continue to check if U.S. wheat and flour imports contain any unapproved genetically modified wheat strains.

Japan has also banned imports of the Western White grade of wheat grown in Oregon on concerns about the safety of the wheat since late May. As of Friday, Japan's ban remained in effect.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on May 29 it was investigating a discovery of the herbicide-resistant wheat strain, which was developed by Monsanto Co. (MON) and last field tested in 2005, as growers and buyers opposed its plan to seek approval to market the seeds.

Monsanto, conducting its own investigation into the genetically modified grain found at an Oregon farm, said last month it had never sold it commercially. Monsanto conducted field trials of the biotech wheat in Oregon and other states, but not at the northeastern Oregon farm in question.