Weekend Ag News Recap - June 14-15

UNL Herbicide-Resistant Weed Management Field Days

One of the most daunting challenges to weed management is the continual evolution of weed species with resistance to one or more modes of action. Learn about herbicide resistance and the need for integrated weed management programs to delay the evolution and/or spread of herbicide-resistant weeds.

Programs at both sites will be similar, except where local challenges are addressed
• Glyphosate-resistant waterhemp at Fremont
• Glyphosate-resistant marestail at the UNL Havelock Farm at Lincoln

KEYNOTE: Vince M. Davis, Cropping Systems Weed Scientist and Extension Specialist, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison  --  Topic:  Exploring the connections between 80 years of changing soybean genetics and recent agronomic practices for shaping herbicide resistance management.  Many changes have occurred in soybean production over the last 80+ years, driven by genetic improvements and new agronomic practices. Weed control practic-es have played a major role in shaping agronomic recommendations.  A thorough understanding of these relationships is important to the development of sound agronomic systems and weed management plans that are sustainable by returning economic profts and combatting herbicide resistance. Davis also will discuss valuable research results on these relationships.

FIELD DAY SCHEDULE
8:30 a.m. Registration
9 a.m. Welcome
9:15 a.m. Field Study Tours
12 p.m. Lunch
12:15 p.m. Keynote Speaker
1:30 p.m. Adjourn

FIELD STUDIES ON THE TOUR
•  Glyphosate dose response on waterhemp
•  Understanding weed biology for most efective control
•  Application technology for optimal herbicide performance
•  Volunteer crop management
•  Integrated Management Studies 
o   Roundup Ready systems
o   Liberty Link systems
o   Importance of soil residual herbicides for efective control of glyphosate-resistant species

July 9th at Fremont: Parking is not available at the site. Please park in the Fremont Tractor Supply parking lot, 2350 E. 23rd Ave. N., (next to Walmart), and shuttle buses will transport you the 1.5 miles to the feld day site.

July 10th in Lincoln: The UNL Agronomy Farm is located on the southwest corner of 84th and Havelock streets.

The event is free but preregistration is required by Monday, July 7, so plans can be made for the complimentary meal, teaching resources, and tour logistics.  Go to  http://agronomy.unl.edu/weedresistmgt to register or contact your local UNL Extension office to get a copy of the flyer, fill it out, and sent it in by the deadline. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Lowell Sandell - 402-472-1527 - lsandell2@unl.edu
Greg Kruger - 308-696-6715 - greg.kruger@unl.edu
Stevan Knezevic - 402-584-3808 - sknezevic2@unl.edu
Amit Jhala - 402-472-1534 - amit.jhala@unl.edu



2014 NC Farmer Stockman Tour

The  2014  Nebraska Cattlemen Farmer  Stockman  Tour will  be  held  July  8th  in  the  Thayer County  area.  The  tour  will  begin  at 8:30am starting at Jon Immink’s cattle operation  near  Endicott.    Then  we will  travel  to Endicott Clay Products in  Endicott  and  then  on  to  Reinke Manufacturing Co in Deshler. The last stop  will  be  MetalQuest  Unlimited in Hebron. Lunch  and dinner will be provided  for  all  participants.    If  you would like to attend please call Ashley at the NC office to RSVP by July 1st.  All are welcome to this free event!



Nebraska Catlemen Is Road Trippin’ To A Town Near You!

Join  the Nebraska Cattlemen  staff as  they hit  the  road  to discuss important issues affecting the beef industry.  Topics will include:  A look at the animal health issue of Foot and Mouth Disease - How you can make an impact on your property taxes at the local level - Brand statute changes.

Meetings stops will include:
Monday, July 21
1:00 pm MDT - Alliance
7:30 pm CDT - North Platte

Tuesday, July 22
1:00 pm CDT - Cambridge
7:30 pm CDT - Hebron

Wednesday, July 23
1:00 pm CDT - Wahoo
7:30 pm CDT - Norfolk

Thursday, July 24
1:00 pm CDT - Bloomfield
7:30 pm CDT - Ericson

Watch  your  mailboxes  and  upcoming  NC  Insider’s  for more information. For questions, contact Bonita Lederer at 402.450.0223 or blederer@necattlemen.org.



HERBICIDE CHALLENGES WHEN REPLANTING FOLLOWING BAD WEATHER
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

               Crop disasters like hail, flash floods, and tornadoes can happen any time.  When it strikes, replanting options may be needed.

               After weather disasters strike, replanting a grain crop may be nearly impossible due to herbicide carryover or the late planting date.  As a result, annual emergency forage crops might be your only choice.

               Unfortunately, previous herbicide use may cause even more problems with forages.  Many pre-emerge herbicides for corn and milo will injure teff, pearl millet and foxtail millet.  But, sudangrass, forage sorghum, and sorghum-sudan hybrids will tolerate moderate levels of atrazine; and safened seed can be used if several other herbicides have been applied.  These sorghums also tolerate most herbicides labeled for use with grain sorghum.  Another possible emergency forage crop is short-season corn as silage or as late season pasture, especially if corn herbicides eliminate other possibilities.

               Soybean herbicides that have residual soil activity can cause even bigger problems for replanting to forages.  All summer grasses are sensitive to most soybean herbicides.  Sunflowers for silage and replanted soybeans for hay or silage are among the few alternatives compatible with soybean herbicide carryover.

               Even when you find out that an annual forage will grow, sometimes you may not be allowed to feed it legally.  Many row crop herbicides have specific restrictions or at least lack approval for use with forages.  So check out your options closely and carefully before making your selection.

               Nobody likes to replant, but if you must, select a forage that is compatible with your herbicides and livestock.



7th Annual Western Iowa No-till (WIN) Field Day to Focus on Soil Health

The 7th Annual Western Iowa No-till (WIN) Demonstration Field Day, scheduled for June 17th at the Carstens 1880 Farmstead south of Shelby, Iowa, will address a wide variety of topics for local producers interested in learning more about the practical application of no-till production practices and management of soil heath and fertility. Registration opens at 8 AM with coffee and rolls available. Local agribusinesses will be on hand to visit with producers in the morning and showcase their services/equipment.

The field day program begins at 9 AM with a weather and market outlook from Bryce Andersen with DTN. At 10 AM, rotating breakout sessions will cover nitrogen rate calculation and the evolution of cover crops in corn production. The breakout sessions will be followed by a lunchtime discussion on understanding soil biology and improving soil health. After lunch, keynote speaker Barry Kusel will share his experiences using cover crops successfully in his row crop farm in Carroll County.

Anyone with an interest in the practical application and impact of no-till production, whether looking for ideas to begin adopting no-till practices or a long-time no-till producer looking to improve production results, is encouraged to attend this field day.  Nearly 200 ag producers and ag professionals attended the 2013 event, learning about effective soil stewardship strategies. In addition to the educational sessions at the 2014 WIN Field Day, there will be plenty of time for farmers to visit informational displays, vendor exhibits and network with other producers. 5 hours of CCA Credits have been approved, and will be available at no cost for Certified Crop Advisors needing additional continuing education units this year.

There is no charge to attend this event, but pre-registration is requested to ensure a lunch will be available. A free steak sandwich lunch with sides and dessert will be provided to all attendees, with steaks cooked by the Shelby County Cattlemen. Registration can be completed by e-mailing csgorham@iastate.edu or by calling the Harrison County Extension Office at 888-644-2105. More information is available at many local ISU Extension and NRCS offices, or can be found online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. Walk-In attendees are also welcome on the day of the event, but no lunch will be guaranteed.

The field day is brought to you by NRCS, ISU Extension and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) in Harrison, Pottawattamie, Cass and Shelby Counties, along with many local supporting agribusinesses. 2014 Business Sponsors include Farm Bureau in East & West Pottawattamie, Shelby, Cass & Harrison Counties, Brokaw Supply Company, Sorensen Equipment Co., HTS Ag, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Shelby County State Bank, United Bank of Iowa and Bartlett Grain Co.




Eligibility Requires Acreage Certification with Farm Service Agency

USDA Iowa Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director John Whitaker reminds farmers that planted acres must be reported to FSA by July 15. The Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill) requires accurate and timely filed acreage reports for all crops and land uses, including prevented and failed acreage as well as Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres.

"Historically acreage certification has been a requirement to be eligible for USDA programs and although some federal farm program sign-ups have not yet started, timely acreage reports submitted to your local FSA office will be important to ensuring program eligibility," said Whitaker.

Acreage reports are considered timely filed when completed by the applicable final crop reporting deadline, which may vary from state to state. Prevented acreage must be reported within 15 calendar days after the final planting date. Failed acreage must be reported before the disposition of the crop. Producers should contact their county FSA office if they are uncertain about reporting deadlines.

Producers should visit their county FSA office to complete acreage reporting. For questions on this or any FSA program, including specific crop reporting deadlines and planting dates, producers should contact their county FSA office. More information on FSA programs can be found at: www.fsa.usda.gov. Local FSA office contact information can be found at: offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app. 



Informa Economics Sees More Soybean, Less Corn Acres
Private analytical firm Informa Economics sees USDA increasing soybean acreage by 285,000 acres to 81.78 million acres in its report at the end of the month.  Informa also sees USDA trimming corn acreage by 110,000 acres to 91.58 ma in the June Acreage report, which will be released at 11 a.m. Monday, June 30, along with the quarterly Grain Stocks report.

Soybean production would total a record 3.59 billion bushels, Informa reported, if the national average yield is 44.5 bushels per acre. The report did note that most of the yield-determining growing phases lie ahead, and yield projections could change.

Corn production could total 13.77 bb with a national average yield of 163.5 bpa, the same trendline number USDA analysts use in their estimates.

Overall, Informa's analysis includes 2.5 million more acres for 2014 than USDA implied in March's Prospective Plantings report.



Vilsack Travels to Europe Next Week to Discuss Expanding Trade Opportunities

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Europe this week to meet with agricultural and trade officials and stakeholders to discuss the expansion of agricultural trade, the importance of agriculture's role in the U.S.-European Union (EU) Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP), and the benefits the trade agreement will have to both the American and European economies. The Secretary's trip will include meetings and site visits in Brussels, Luxembourg City, Paris and Dublin.

"The EU is the world's largest importer of food and agricultural products," said Vilsack. "But despite the continued growth of this market, U.S. market share is shrinking because U.S. producers and exporters continue to face numerous trade barriers. The negotiation of the T-TIP offers a major opportunity to address these barriers and expand market access for U.S. farmers and ranchers."

Since 2009, nearly one-third of U.S. economic growth has been due to exports. America has seen record agricultural exports over the past five years, which has been critical to creating jobs in rural America and helping our country's economy recover. Agricultural exports alone reached a record $140.9 billion and supported nearly one million jobs in the United States last fiscal year. U.S. agricultural exports have set a new record every year for the past five years, totaling $619 billion between 2009 and 2013. They are projected to reach another record of $149.5 billion in fiscal year 2014.

"The agricultural sectors in both the U.S. and the EU stand to benefit from a strong T-TIP agreement," Vilsack said. "Reducing barriers to trade in the agreement will be especially beneficial to the small and medium-sized businesses that are the backbone of our respective economies."

In Luxembourg City, Vilsack will address the agriculture ministers from the 28 EU member states. Vilsack will emphasize to his European counterparts the importance of agriculture leaders' involvement in T-TIP negotiations and will urge them to share their expertise with trade negotiators to develop an ambitious T-TIP agriculture package that creates jobs and strengthens rural economies.

In Brussels, Vilsack will meet with EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloş, EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, and EU Parliament Agriculture Committee Chairman Paolo de Castro. He will also meet with Brussels-based U.S. business interests at the American Chamber of Commerce.

While in Paris, Vilsack will address French food and agricultural stakeholders, emphasizing that U.S. and French farmers share more commonalities than differences. He will also meet with Bernard Vallat, director of the World Animal Health Organization (OIE), and Stéphane Le Foll, France's minister of agriculture.

Finally, Vilsack will travel to Ireland, where he will meet with Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and accompany Coveney on a tour of Irish beef and dairy farms.



Proposed Lankford Legislation Unnecessary

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) dismissed Rep. James Lankford’s (R-Okla.) short-sighted effort to undercut the continued growth of renewable fuels by eviscerating the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Rep. Lankford introduced H.R. 4849, the Phantom Fuels Elimination Act that seeks to eliminate the so-called “corn ethanol mandate” and require domestic production of all other RFS blending requirements.

After hearing about the legislation, Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the RFA, said:

“Congressman Lankford should get his facts straight. In dropping this bill, Rep. Lankford suggests ethanol is a ‘phantom fuel.’ Wrong! There is more than enough ethanol to meet the RFS. If it didn’t exist, the oil companies wouldn’t be fighting so hard to protect their monopoly over the nation’s fuel supply.

“Incomprehensibly, Rep. Lankford states that his bill is needed to reduce consumer gasoline prices. Wrong again! Ethanol is the cheapest transportation fuel in the world. Ethanol today is 50–60 cents cheaper than wholesale gasoline, lowering the price at the pump. Moreover, ethanol stretches the domestic fuel supply and reduces the amount of petroleum needed in our gasoline, ultimately lowering the cost of crude oil. Considering this macroeconomic effect, energy economist Philip Verleger found that ethanol saves drivers an average of $1.00/gallon in 2012 and 2013.

“Ethanol puts money back in the hands of consumers, including Rep. Lankford’s constituents in Oklahoma. The rationale behind this legislation is baseless. This phantom exists and is haunting Rep. Lankford’s increasingly scared oil industry.”



Swine Vets, Researchers Encouraged to Submit Proposals for BIVI PRRS Research Awards

The threat from new or evolving swine diseases serves as a daily reminder to producers and veterinarians of the importance of ongoing applied research in finding effective solutions. For a dozen years, the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., (BIVI) Advancement in PRRS Research Awards has helped find practical approaches to managing porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a disease costing U.S. swine producers more than $664 million annually in lost production.

     Since 2003, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., (BIVI) has contributed more than $900,000 through its Advancement in PRRS Research Awards to fund 37 selected research programs. According to Michelle Sprague, DVM, president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), results from the BIVI-funded research studies have contributed significantly to the industry’s understanding of the disease and how to more effectively manage it.

     “After more than 20 years in North America, PRRS continues to be a major disease challenge for swine veterinarians and producers, and during this time we have learned much about the virus, how it is transmitted and how to better control it,” Sprague says. “Collaborative applied field research will provide the keys to effectively control and eradicate PRRS, helping swine producers raise healthier, more profitable pigs.”

     For its 2015 PRRS Research Awards, the company is again seeking study proposals from swine veterinarians, diagnosticians, and public and private veterinary researchers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Selected research programs are designed to investigate new ways to diagnose, control and eradicate one of the world’s most costly swine diseases.

      Boehringer Ingelheim encourages people interested in submitting research award proposals to do so by January 1, 2015, and complete details can be found at www.prrsresearch.com. Research award recipients will be announced at the AASV annual meeting in Orlando next March. Proposals will be reviewed by an independent scientific board and awarded based on established criteria including potential economic impact to the swine industry, originality and scientific quality and probability of success in completing the year-long study.

      This year, BIVI recognized three veterinarians and researchers for the 2014 Advancement in PRRS Research Awards program in Dallas. These recipients were Brad Leuwerke, DVM, Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minn.; Andres Perez, DVM, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, St. Paul; and Jeff Zimmerman, DVM, PhD, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

     To participate in the PRRS research program, submit a proposal, cover sheet, curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendation by January 1, 2015, to:

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
Attn: Trudy Luther
The Advancement in PRRS Research Award
3902 Gene Field Rd
St. Joseph, MO 64506 USA

    For more information and complete submission instructions, please visit the PRRS Research Award website at www.prrsresearch.com.