Wednesday September 3 Ag News

At Husker Harvest Days Extension Looking Forward After First 100 Years

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is celebrating its first 100 years by "Always looking forward" at this year's Husker Harvest Days show. The show is Sept. 9-11 near Grand Island.

"We're proud of where we've been and what we have helped this great state and university accomplish, but we're even more proud of what's ahead of us," said dean and director of UNL Extension Chuck Hibberd.

As UNL Extension celebrates its first 100 years and looks to the future, "Always looking forward" will form the theme for this year's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources exhibits at Husker Harvest Days. These exhibits continue UNL's commitment to annually changing themes at Husker Harvest Days that are keyed toward bringing the public the latest and most relevant IANR research and extension programming.

"This year's exhibits focus on extension, research and outreach initiatives that will further position the University of Nebraska, our state's leading agricultural economy, and all of our citizens for continued success and prosperity in the coming decades leading to 2050," said Ronnie Green, NU vice president and IANR Harlan vice chancellor.

"We're very proud of where we've been, but we're even more proud of being in an internationally leading position to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead of us," he said.

Key exhibits this year focus on:
– Using sensors deployed at various levels, from the ground to the sky, to more effectively manage water and nitrogen use on crops. The latest in agricultural use of drones, or UAVs, will form an important part of this exhibit.
– The critical importance of pollinators, such as bees, to the food system and their helping to manage production, as well as their role in protecting and furthering natural environments to ensure their continued sustainability.
– Innovative digital diagnostic technology that allows homeowners and agricultural producers to draw upon a network of experts to identify plants and insects.
– Developing management tools to better understand climate variability and its potential impacts on successful decision-making in agriculture.
– Strategies for using alternative forage sources such as crop residue in Nebraska's thriving beef industry.
– Nebraska's leading role in a national initiative to develop protocols and strategies designed to mitigate the Shiga-toxin producing E.coli bacteria.
– Assessing and developing Nebraska's broadband capability and its importance to economic development and vitality across the state.
– Agricultural literacy, career awareness and career development programs designed to help Nebraska youth better understand where their food comes from and how they can prepare for a career in the rapidly expanding agriculture and natural resources fields.

UNL faculty and staff at a central information booth will be ready to provide assistance in answering questions on a variety of extension and research-related topics, provide copies of helpful NebGuides, and direct those needing further help to extension experts in their local area.

The red Husker building is also the place to learn about the latest opportunities for students at UNL's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis.  College representatives will be available throughout the show to answer questions from potential students. Those interested in the Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education Action Development) program can also visit with a LEAD representative.

IANR's Market Journal team will be at the show, as well, along with information and activities on natural resources and agriculture-related careers.

This is the seventh year IANR's teaching, research and extension exhibits focus on a specific area of importance that is relevant to all Nebraskans and visitors to the red Husker exhibit building on the south side of the showground at Lot 321. There, and in the large white tent next-door, show goers will see many of the ways IANR and UNL Extension are working at "Always looking forward."

IANR has been part of Husker Harvest Days since the first show in 1978.

"Each year, this show becomes a premier venue for us to bring the campus to Husker Harvest Days and seeing all the people that stop in to see us each year," Green said.  "People stop to see what's new, ask us questions and share what they see as Nebraska's main challenges and opportunities.  We are the people's land-grant university."



Eight Nebraska Farmers Union Members Heading to National Farmers Union Fly-In

Eight Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) members will join hundreds of Farmers Union members from around the country for the National Farmers Union (NFU) Fly-In as they travel to Washington, DC September 7-10.  The annual event provides farmers and ranchers the opportunity to visit first hand with Administration officials and Congress about issues important to their farms and ranches. The NFU Fly-In usually includes from 200 to 300 Farmers Union members.

During the Fly-In members will meet with USDA and EPA officials as well as senior White House staff as well as members of Congress about NFU as well as state specific issues. 

This year the NFU primary topics includes keeping COOL (Country-of-Origin Labeling) in place, opposing efforts to weaken or dismantle the RFS (Renewable Fuel Standard), to not support TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) in its current form, and raising the need for Congressional involvement to deal with the impending shipping crisis caused by inadequate rail service for in Midwestern states, including Nebraska.

NeFU State President John Hansen noted that Fly-In participants this year will have the opportunity to hear from Environmental Protection Agency Chair, Gina McCarthy as they share their concerns about WOTUS (Waters of the U.S.).  This topic will undoubtedly generate a lot of interest.

In addition, Farmers Union presidents and members from Corn Belt states will meet with the Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to address the glut of unshipped 2013 crops as 2014 crops are headed for local elevators.  Hansen said “The shipping backlog for grains is creating a series of major economic costs for rural shippers and farmers.  The fees charged for grain cars drives up shipping costs and drives down prices local elevators can pay farmers.  The rail bottleneck impacts the shipment of grains out of the Midwest, ag inputs into rural suppliers and farmers, and can also impact certain fuels including propane.  Rural America is very dependent on reliable rail service in many ways.  We think it is high time for Congress to get involved, hold hearings, and work with the Surface Transportation Board and agricultural interests to find a way to dramatically improve rail service to rural America.  Unless changes in shipping patterns are made quickly, our part of the country is headed for nothing but trouble.” 

Hansen concluded “There is no substitute for farmers and ranchers getting informed and constructively engaged in the public policy and regulatory processes that impact their farms and ranches.  The NFU Fly-In is a great way for folks to meet their state Congressional delegation, have face to face meetings, and become more informed on how they can work together with their neighbors to make sure Congress and government officials know about the issues that are important to rural America.” 



COVER AND FORAGE CROPS FOLLOWING EARLY BEAN AND CORN HARVESTS
Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Forage Specialist
Corn and beans harvested early can leave your ground bare for eight to nine months.  Instead, let’s plant some crops to grow and cover it until next season.

After silage harvest or combining corn or early beans, ground that lies bare has two things working against it.  One is exposure to wind and water erosion.  And two, it isn’t growing anything.  Cover crops might help you overcome both problems.

But what should you plant?  That depends primarily on what you want to achieve with your cover crop.  For example, hairy vetch and winter peas are good cover crops if you want to improve your soil by planting a legume that will produce nitrogen for next year’s crop.  Or maybe use a deep-rooted radish to breakup some hardpans.

Are you still hoping for some feed this fall?  Then oats, spring barley, annual ryegrass, and turnips might be better choices because these plants have the greatest forage yield potential in the fall.  Oats and barley also will die over winter so they won’t interfere with next year’s crop.  But, dead residue from oats and barley is not very durable, so it provides less effective soil protection and for a shorter duration.

For better soil protection, winter rye is the best choice among the cereals.  And cereal rye can provide abundant grazable growth early next spring to get cows off of hay sooner.  Wheat and triticale also can be good cover crops.  Of course, wheat then can be harvested later for grain while triticale makes very good late spring forage.

What is becoming especially popular is planting a mixture of several types of plants to reap some of the benefits of each one.

Cover crops can preserve or even improve your soil, and can be useful forages as well.  Consider them following your early harvests.



Iowa Corn Growers PAC Announces State, Federal Awards

The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) Political Action Committee (PAC) has endorsed 75 state and federal candidates for the 2014 elections. ICGA PAC decisions are made by a bipartisan committee of farmer-members who consider candidates based only on their support of ICGA policies. Candidates are evaluated on priority corn policies such as conservation and water quality funding, Corn Checkoff, transportation, ethanol, farm bill, taxes, trade, and value-added agriculture, including livestock.

"Agricultural policy is critical to the future of our farming operations. The Iowa Corn PAC supports our leaders who have demonstrated their support for ICGA policy positions and priorities," said Mark Recker, a farmer from Arlington, Iowa, and ICGA PAC chair.

ICGA PAC decisions are made through an objective analysis including candidate responses to our survey, voting records, letters and other quantified evidence of support. The ICGA PAC committee members include farmers from across Iowa, with an equal balance of party affiliation to ensure decisions are based only on corn growers' policies. Funding for contributions to candidates from the Iowa Corn Growers Association PAC comes only from voluntary PAC donations by ICGA members. Neither ICGA dues, nor checkoff dollars, are used for PAC contributions.

Endorsements for the 2014 federal election cycle include the following:
-- U.S. Senate: Bruce Braley (D)
-- U.S. House of Representatives (4): Steve King (R), Dave Loebsack (D), Pat Murphy (D) and David Young (R)

Endorsements for the 2014 state election cycle include the following:
-- Iowa Governor: Terry Branstad (R)
-- Iowa Secretary of Agriculture: Bill Northey (R)
-- Iowa Senate (14): Daryl Beall (D), Rick Bertrand (R), Tod Bowman (D), Bill Dix (R), Bill Dotzler (D), Bob Dvorsky (D), Rita Hart (D), Rob Hogg (D), David Johnson (R), Matt McCoy (D), Amanda Ragan (D), Jason Schultz (R), Joe Seng (D), and Jack Whitver (R)
-- Iowa House of Representatives (54): Rob Bacon (R), Chip Baltimore (R), Clel Baudler (R), Bruce Bearinger (D), Josh Byrnes (R), Dennis Cohoon (D), Peter Cownie (R), Dave Deyoe (R), Cecil Dolecheck (R), Jack Drake (R), Nancy Dunkel (D), Dean Fisher (R), John Forbes (D), Joel Fry (R), Mary Gaskill (D), Tedd Gassman (R), Pat Grassley (R), Chris Hagenow (R), Chris Hall (D), Curt Hanson (D), Jake Highfill (R), Lisa Heddens (D), Lee Hein (R), Dan Huseman (R), Dave Jacoby (D), Ron Jorgensen (R), Bobby Kaufmann (R), Jerry Kearns (D), Jarad Klein (R), John Landon (R), Vicki Lensing (D), Jim Lykam (D), Dave Maxwell (R), Brian Meyer (D), Helen Miller (D), Brian Moore (R), Dan Muhlbauer (D), Kraig Paulsen (R), Todd Prichard (D), Joe Riding (D), Walt Rogers (R), Patti Ruff (D), Kirsten Running-Marquardt (D), Scott Ourth (D), Thomas Sands (R), Mark Smith (D), Chuck Soderberg (R), Quentin Stanerson (R), Sharon Steckman (D), Sally Stutsman (D), Rob Taylor (R), Linda Upmeyer (R), Matt Windschitl (R), and Gary Worthan (R)



FREE Online Beef Quality Assurance Certification!

Thanks to a partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc., your beef checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is again offering free online BQA Certification for approximately two months. This opportunity is open to all beef and dairy producers, veterinarians, allied partners, agricultural friends, and students from September 1-October 31, 2014.

Beef Quality Assurance provides cattlemen with the tools they need to produce the safest, highest quality beef in the world while also looking at ways to make their operations more efficient and productive. The BQA Program is the gold standard of livestock handling and animal welfare programs to demonstrate the industry’s commitment to continually improve the sound production practices most cattlemen use every day to build beef demand.

The online BQA program has customized programs specific to cow/calf, stocker, feedlot or dairy operations. These easy-to-use modules teach sound management techniques they can apply to their operation. The cattle industry has embraced BQA because it is the right thing to do; and it also helps cattle operations tell their story to consumers who might not understand all of the safety measures cattlemen take in producing the food on the table.

Those interested in taking advantage of this free online BQA certification opportunity should start at http://www.beefboard.org/team for the online modules. Click on the Become a Team Member Today link for Beef Quality Assurance and Beef Cattle Care or one of the other eighteen categories available (Comprehensive Beef Quality Assurance–recommended), register using the passcode: BIVIBQA for your payment method. After all videos within a specific category have been observed with quizzes passed successfully, you will become BQA certified!

For more information, contact Doug Bear, Iowa’s BQA Coordinator at doug@iabeef.org or 515-296-2305. 



Zoetis Granted Conditional License for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Vaccine

Zoetis Inc. today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted a conditional license for a vaccine to help fight porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) in pigs. The two-dose inactivated vaccine, licensed for use in healthy pregnant sows and gilts, is designed to help them develop antibodies that can be transmitted to their newborn piglets. Zoetis anticipates the vaccine will be available to veterinarians and pork producers later in September.

“This vaccine is an important part of our commitment to working with veterinarians and pork producers to help minimize the impact of PEDv on pigs in their care,” said Gloria Basse, vice president, U.S. Pork Business Unit, Zoetis. “To achieve the best possible results, producers should work closely with their veterinarians and the Zoetis technical services team to implement the new vaccine into their biosecurity programs.”

The vaccine is given as a 2 mL intramuscular (IM) injection to sows or gilts prior to farrowing.  Two doses given three weeks apart are recommended, with the second dose given two weeks pre-farrowing. Previously vaccinated sows should receive a single dose given two weeks before farrowing.

To receive the conditional license, the vaccine was shown to be safe in a field safety study, and a reasonable expectation of efficacy was demonstrated. Zoetis is working to complete the studies necessary to obtain full licensure in the United States.  

“We at Zoetis are proud to provide our customers with a vaccine to help battle this devastating disease,” said Catherine Knupp, executive vice president and president, Zoetis Research and Development. “Bringing this vaccine to market quickly — in a little more than a year since the disease was identified — exemplifies our commitment to supporting veterinarians and livestock producers with high-quality vaccines to rapidly respond to and help control the evolving and complex threat of emerging infectious diseases.”

Zoetis continues work with Iowa State University on a second vaccine approach to help control PEDv. The results from these vaccine research programs could have applicability in countries outside the U.S. where PEDv has been identified and is threatening swine herds and the livelihoods of producers.

“From death loss to employee morale, we know the impact PEDv has had on the swine industry over the past 15 months,” said Rick Swalla, DVM, Pork Technical Services, Zoetis. “We look forward to bringing solutions to and working with veterinarians and producers to help combat this disease.”

In the meantime, ongoing efforts to slow the spread of PEDv continue to focus on improving biosecurity measures. From the farm to transport trucks, stepped-up efforts include additional sanitation, better control of access points and review of employee protocols. All of these steps have been demonstrated to help mitigate the risk of the virus entering a farm.



Fertilizer Prices Barely Budge

According to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the fourth week of August 2014, fertilizer prices continue to be mixed.  Five of the eight major fertilizers prices edged lower compared to last month but none were down any important amount. DAP had an average price of $587/ton, MAP $607/ton, urea $516/ton, UAN28 $333/ton and UAN32 $377/ton.  The three remaining fertilizer priced gained slightly compared to a month earlier, but again neither were up amounts of any consequence. Potash had an average price of $476/ton, 10-34-0 $555/ton and anhydrous was $699/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.56/lb.N, anhydrous $0.43/lb.N, UAN28 $0.59/lb.N and UAN32 $0.59/lb.N.

Fertilizer prices remain robust compared to big plunges in commodity prices in the last 12 months. Just one of the eight major fertilizers is now double-digits lower in price compared to August of 2013: Potash is 11% less expensive compared to a year ago.  In contrast, urea is now 7% higher compared to last year, DAP has increased 4%, MAP and anhydrous are both 2% more expensive and 10-34-0 is now 1% higher. Both UAN28 and UAN32 are 3% lower.



CWT Assists with 2.9 Million Pounds of Cheese and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 9 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 2.26 million pounds (1,025 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda, Monterey Jack cheese and 617,294 pounds (280 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, South America and Oceania. The product will be delivered August 2014 through February 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 84.3 million pounds of cheese, 48.188 million pounds of butter and 20.494 million pounds of whole milk powder to 43 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 2.012 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. Numbers are adjusted for cancelations that occurred during the month.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program, in the long-term, helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them in the rapidly growing world dairy markets. This, in turn, positively impacts U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



Bayer CropScience Plans 2015 Release of New Corn Herbicide

Bayer CropScience announces their plans to release a new broadleaf corn herbicide, DiFlexx*. DiFlexx will offer growers flexibility for a broad range of application while also fitting a variety of soil and weather conditions. DiFlexx will be available to growers in 2015, pending regulatory approvals.

DiFlexx is a blend of dicamba and Crop Safety Innovation (CSI) Safener technology, which enables corn plants to better withstand herbicidal activity, for excellent crop safety. With a liquid formulation, DiFlexx will have a wide window of application from burndown to V10. More importantly, DiFlexx will effectively target tough weeds like Palmer amaranth, lambsquarters and waterhemp while also targeting more than 100 annual and perennial weeds, including those resistant to glyphosate-, PPO-, and ALS-based herbicides.

"Bayer CropScience is excited to offer growers innovative solutions to help them control their most troublesome weeds," said Jeff Springsteen, Bayer CropScience US Product Manager. "Once commercialized, DiFlexx will offer growers the option to use an effective broadleaf herbicide from pre-plant burndown through post-emergence, improve overall plant health and ultimately increase yields."

DiFlexx with CSI Safener technology will work to improve soil and foliar uptake of plants. DiFlexx will also have the capability of being applied to all soil types making it applicable for silage, white corn, seed corn and popcorn crops. Additionally, DiFlexx can be safely combined with MSO (Methylated Seed Oil) or COC (Crop Oil Concentrate) for improved weed control as compared to non-safened dicamba.

When applied as a pre-emergence herbicide, DiFlexx will safen amide products applied in the same tankmix. When applied postemergence, DiFlexx can be tankmixed with other postemergence herbicides, such as Capreno or Laudis. Such a postemergence tankmix will provide an additional mode of action to further control herbicide-resistant weeds.



Firm Plans to Add E15, E85

Protec Fuel plans to open 28 E15 and E85 dispensers at existing retailers in the southern United States to be completed by the close of the first quarter of 2015, the company said in a news release Tuesday.

E15 fuel is a blend of 15% ethanol with gasoline and E85 is a blend up to 85% ethanol with gasoline. E15 is allowed by an Environmental Protection Agency waiver to be utilized in vehicles for model year 2001 and newer. E85 can only be used in flexible fuel vehicles.

Protec said these first 28 stations are part of a multi-phase introduction in areas such as Texas, Florida, and Virginia, Protec said. The locations of the first 28 stations were not disclosed in the news release.

Protec Fuel is a fuel distribution and management company based in Boca Raton, Florida. Its alternative fuel division specializes in turnkey ethanol programs for retailers, fleets and fuel distributors throughout the U.S.



The Land and Water Conservation Fund at 50: As Important Today as Ever
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

Today, September 3, 2014, marks two important 50th anniversaries: the signing of the Wilderness Act and the establishment of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Since President Lyndon Johnson signed both pieces of legislation in 1964, Americans in all 50 states, across thousands of rural and urban communities, have reaped the benefits of accessible outdoor recreation opportunities and protected natural areas.

Together, these landmark pieces of legislation helped to usher in a new era for conservation.

The Wilderness Act protects wild and scenic undeveloped land across the United States for the benefit of all. Today, the National Wilderness Preservation System includes more than 750 wilderness areas covering almost 110 million acres.

The Act works alongside the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which supports federal, state and local governments in purchasing priority recreation and wildlife habitat lands and waters from willing sellers. Nationwide, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has supported over 40,000 state and local projects, protecting seven million acres of working forests and ranches, wilderness, and world-class recreational lands.

For example, the Land and Water Conservation Fund helps to support an ongoing Forest Service purchasing program to acquire wetlands in the North Florida Wildlife Corridor, which provides freshwater supplies for nearly 20 million Floridians and Georgians and provides habitat for migratory waterfowl, bobcat, black bear and many species of threatened or endangered wildlife. The Fund helps to protect these natural resources while also benefiting local communities that depend on the 800,000-plus tourists who visit these public lands and waters each year. More than 40,000 acres within the 170,000-acre wildlife corridor have been protected, thanks to the Fund.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund achieves results while using no taxpayer dollars. Instead, the Fund uses earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help protect sensitive lands.

That’s good, but since its inception, the program has been consistently underfunded. A 2009 analysis by the Trust for Public Land indicates that that every dollar invested in land conservation through the Land and Water Conservation Fund creates $4 in economic value—imagine what could be done if the Fund was used at its full potential.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, we look back to successful conservation efforts, but we also look forward to the needs of growing numbers of Americans who want to enjoy America’s great outdoors. That is why President Obama has called on Congress to fully and permanently fund this important law so that even more can be done to ensure that future generations have protected and accessible places to play and that rural and urban communities can continue to benefit from the economic opportunity provided by proximity to premiere natural and recreational lands.