Monday March 30 Ag News

Assessing Climate Trends, Soil Temperatures, and Planting Risks
Tyler Williams, Nebraska Extension Educator

Planting in proper conditions is a perennial concern for Nebraska farmers.  With planting merely weeks away, analyzing soil temperatures can help determine when conditions are conducive for proper plant germination.  Soil temperatures in Nebraska are highly variable from year to year and location to location, and this year is no different.

Current soil temperatures in Nebraska are 5-10 degrees above normal and the seven-day average temperature at some locations is already above 50⁰F, causing some to ask: Is there a way to take advantage of this early season warming? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer due to extreme variability from field to field and the risk from Nebraska weather.  It is not that uncommon for a snowstorm to move through Nebraska in May, leaving a long cold spell in its wake.

While current soil temperatures may have warmed to adequate temperatures for planting in some areas, it is imperative that growers consider all their risks and current climate trends and information before planting.  There may be some benefit to early planting in order to capture a longer growing season, but you should consider whether the reward warrants the risk.

Last Frost Dates
The average last frost date is one way to analyze the risk of frost damage to your crops.  The median last 28⁰F freeze dates for Nebraska, averaged from 1981 to 2010, and ranging from the first week in April in southeast Nebraska to the second week in May in northwest Nebraska. NebGuide G2122, "Soil Temperature: A Guide for Planting Agronomic and Horticulture Crops in Nebraska," describes the recent shift in soil temperatures. From 2000-2009 soil temperatures of 55⁰F to 70⁰F occurred one to two weeks earlier than they had in the previous decade.  While soil temperatures may have shifted, allowing for earlier planting, the potential for a late spring freeze still exists.

Planting Time Weather Conditions
The temperature outlook for April from the Climate Prediction Center shows Nebraska as having equal chances for above or below normal precipitation. It indicates that the trough pattern that has prevailed over the northeast US for the last couple months will continue to dominate in April.  This means Nebraska will again be in the transition area between warm temperatures out west and cool temperatures in the east.  In March cold temperatures shifted east, but that line may shift back west.  We could see temperature swings and an east to west temperature gradient across the state, which could stall soil warming.  This will make it difficult to forecast more than a week in advance.

Warming Trend Can Still Take a Dip
If we look at current trends, there are a lot of reasons to believe soil temperatures will be adequate for planting over the next couple weeks; however, this trend may not continue.

We have experienced above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation through March, which has allowed our soils to dry out and warm up. While southeast Nebraska has had recent precipitation, most of the warmer, drier soils in southwest, central and northern Nebraska did not receive much precipitation.  Dry soils will warm up faster than wet soils and warm soil temperatures will help to warm the air, compounding the warm-up and creating a situation similar to 2012. If this trend continues, we may have an opportunity to capture a longer growing season; however, forecasts aren't showing much confidence in this trend continuing in Nebraska. Waiting to plant may be the best insurance plan.  As we get into the first couple weeks of April, we may be able to use weekly forecasts to better assess planting risk.



Initial Planting Dates for Spring Crops in Nebraska
Monte Vandeveer, Nebraska Extension Educator

Crop growers thinking about getting a head start on planting this year should remember that their crop insurance policy has an early planting restriction.  This initial planting date is the earliest date they may plant an insured crop and still qualify for a replanting payment if the crop suffers an early loss.

For corn in the eastern two-thirds of Nebraska, the initial planting date for crop insurance is April 10.  For northwest Nebraska, the initial planting date for corn is April 15. 

RMA is concerned about cropping practices that may otherwise increase the chance of a crop loss and hence an insurance indemnity.  Based on agronomic experience, these initial planting dates represent the earliest planting dates which would not pose an unusually high risk of early crop loss, in RMA's judgment.

For more information, view RMA's initial planting dates website (http://www.rma.usda.gov/fields/ks_rso/2015/initial/) for all spring-planted crops in Nebraska, including corn, dry beans, grain sorghum, popcorn, soybeans, sugar beets, and sunflowers.

If you have further questions, check with your local crop insurance agent or the RMA Regional Office in Topeka, Kan., which oversees crop insurance programs in Nebraska.



Nebraska Soybean Board Bullish on Biodiesel

Biodiesel is expected to remain an important driver of demand for soybeans in the future despite market uncertainties and declining production in 2014, according to leaders with the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB). NSB Executive Director Victor Bohuslavsky says the organization’s efforts to promote the biodiesel industry are paying off.

“Biodiesel production has been growing steadily in recent years, which has helped Nebraska soybean growers and the state’s economy,” said Bohuslavsky. “We believe that the long-term trend points towards growth in the biodiesel industry.”

Bohuslavsky cited a recent study showing that soybean farmers in Nebraska receive an additional $.74 per bushel due to increased demand generated by biodiesel production. “Those dollars received by soybean growers are spent at local businesses,” Bohuslavsky said. “If biodiesel production leads to higher prices for soybeans, it has a positive impact on the local economy.”

Bohuslavsky says Nebraska livestock producers also benefit from biodiesel. As more soybeans are processed to meet the demand for soybean oil, the supply of soybean meal used in livestock feed grows, leading to lower feed prices for livestock producers. According to the United Soybean Board, Nebraska cattle, hog and dairy producers saved more than $60 million from 2005–2009 due to lower soybean meal prices as a result of biodiesel production.

But there are challenges ahead. Figures from the Environmental Protection Agency show that U.S. biodiesel consumption has declined slightly, from 1.8 billion gallons in 2013 to 1.75 billion gallons in 2014. Of that, 1.4 billion gallons were produced in the U.S. Soybean oil makes up the largest source of biodiesel fuel, contributing about 5 billion pounds of soybean oil to biodiesel production.

Industry analysts say uncertainty about the future of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is having an impact on production of biodiesel. The Environmental Protection Agency has not set volume requirements for biodiesel production under the RFS since 2013, and some interest groups want to repeal the RFS.

Nevertheless, biodiesel proponents like soybean producer Greg Anderson of Newman Grove, Neb. believe the advantages of biodiesel will eventually lead to more growth in the industry. “The biodiesel industry is sound, growing and here to stay,” said Anderson. “Research and marketing initiatives funded by the soybean checkoff fueled expansion of biodiesel from a niche market 15 years ago to widespread use today.”

Anderson serves on the National Biodiesel Board and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Soybean Board. He points to developments such as the increased use of biodiesel in heating oil and city vehicles in New York City as positive signs for the future of the fuel. The state of New York recently approved a requirement for all heating oil to contain at least a five percent biodiesel blend. Anderson expects that figure to increase in the future. “Biodiesel burns much cleaner than petroleum-based diesel, but there’s no real difference in the way it performs as a heating oil or motor vehicle fuel. As more cities and states strive to reduce emissions, biodiesel is poised to be a bigger part of the mix.”



Chemigation Training - Last local in-person opportunity
Nathan Mueller, UNL Cropping Systems & Agricultural Technologies Extension Educator

Nebraska Extension will conduct a chemigation certification training session at the ARDC near Mead on April 3rd at 9:30 a.m.

Producers who plan to apply crop nutrients and pesticides through irrigation systems during 2015, including those whose 2014 permits expired Dec. 31, are required to attend a training session and pass the test administered afterward.  Requirements for initial certification and recertification are the same.

Licensed chemigators can apply pesticides or fertilizer through their irrigation systems.  You must attend the entire class and pass a 50 question multiple choice test to be eligible for certification.  Upon successful completion of the class, chemigators may renew individual site permits administered by the local Natural Resource District (NRD) office.

Review of study materials prior to the training session is encouraged.   If you have misplaced your chemigation notebook you may request materials from one of the instructors at the bottom of this page.  Individuals attending for the first time are encouraged to request training materials prior to training.

Training and testing will take approximately 3 hours. On the day of training please bring your Chemigation Training Manual, Calibration Workbook, a No. 2 pencil, and a calculator. There is no charge for the manuals or training.



PLAN HERBICIDE USE FOR LATER FORAGE CROPS
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

               Got your herbicides selected for your corn, beans, and other crops?  Better double check if a cover crop, pasture, or hay planting is a possibility during the next year and a half.

               Many of our biggest success stories with forage and pasture crops recently have come from using annuals.  No matter when you could use something to graze, including winter, an annual plant could be found that would work well if managed properly.

               Many times a small grain like oats or rye fit our needs.  Other times it’s been a brassica like turnips and forage rape.  Once in a while we’ve used millets.

               But there have been frustrations.  One of the biggest frustrations has been herbicide limitations.  Many forages are affected by herbicide carryover, such as from atrazine.  Often we identify a forage or cover crop to plant but the risk of failure is too high due to herbicides.  This problem isn’t limited to annual forages, either.  Perennial grasses and alfalfa also are sensitive to herbicide carryover.

               Legal replant and rotation restrictions also cause herbicide limitations.  With many herbicides it may be okay to plant a cover crop, but that cover crop cannot be used legally as a forage.

               So, is this important to you?  Do you want to fly rye or turnip seed into your standing corn later this year for extra fall pasture?  How about planting triticale this fall or oats next spring?  Or maybe irrigated pasture or alfalfa?

               These options may not be available if you use many common herbicides.  Keep you options open.  Rethink your herbicide plans.  Maybe you can control weeds and maintain the flexibility to plant any forage just by making a small change in the herbicides you use now.

               Then you, too, can build a success story from annual forages.



Ethanol Maintenance Managers Share Experiences, Meet Vendors

Ethanol maintenance managers met in Des Moines for their semiannual gathering to meet with vendors and learn from each other. In the best attendance yet, nearly 50 maintenance managers from plants in 12 states gathered, along with 85 vendors, for TEAM M3 March 24 to 25. The full name explains the group's goal: Today's Ethanol Advanced Management, Maintenance Managers Meeting.

"The meetings had a very modest beginning when they started in 2006 at Amaizing Energy in Denison, Iowa," said Darrell Pedersen, maintenance manager at Corn LP, Goldfield, Iowa, and the organizer of the Des Moines meeting. The meetings started with a small group of managers from ICM/Fagen plants who got together to discuss problems and successes at their newly built plants. Also, at the beginning, many of the managers were coming from other industries and needed to learn about the ethanol process. Today, the group is open to all, regardless of the process technology or builder. Multiple plants have hosted the meetings, often at the plant itself.

TEAM M3 meetings are informal, with most of the time on the first full day left open for managers to meet with vendors. Short meetings are held with technical presentations from invited vendors, many of whom provide parts, repairs and maintenance services, along with new technologies and equipment. The second day is devoted to a long discussion session, where managers bring up specific questions or issues with things like blower fans, evaporator maintenance, centrifuge issues, pump alignment and vibration technologies, and more.

Recently, one of the group's members, Tom Boekman with Louis Dreyfus Commodities developed a website, www.ethanolnetworks.com to host forums for maintenance managers, as well as plant and laboratory managers, as another way of sharing questions and expertise.



NFU Joins Diverse Coalition Urging Congress to Reject COOL, GIPSA Riders in 2016 Ag Appropriations

National Farmers Union (NFU) joined a diverse coalition representing family farmers, ranchers, consumers and rural affairs in submitting testimony urging Congress to reject the inclusion of any policy riders in the FY2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill that would weaken or rescind Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) or limit the rulemaking authority of the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Agency (GIPSA).

“Opponents of basic rights for producers and consumers have repeatedly chosen the appropriations process as a mechanism to preempt the World Trade Organization (WTO) process on COOL and to limit the agriculture secretary's authority to address anti-competitive market concerns,” said NFU President Roger Johnson. “NFU urges Congress to reject policy riders that would undermine the effectiveness of COOL and GIPSA.”

The testimony was submitted late last week to the Subcommittee of Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies on potential COOL and GIPSA policy riders. The testimony notes that opponents of COOL are urging the appropriators to include language that would rescind COOL in the event of an adverse WTO ruling.

“It is still premature to unconditionally surrender to Canada and Mexico’s threats of tariff retaliation,” notes the testimony. “Congress should not prejudge the outcome of the dispute and allow the WTO process to come to its conclusion before revisiting COOL.”

The testimony also notes that the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 is the nation’s primary statute providing basic protections for livestock and poultry growers against fraudulent, deceptive, and retaliatory trade practices by meatpackers and poultry companies. The 2008 Farm Bill required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to write regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act to provide for these basic protections.

“Any provision gutting the Packers and Stockyard Act through the so-called GIPSA rider is unconscionable to America’s family farmers and ranchers,” said Johnson. “It would deny farmers protection from retaliation when they use their First Amendment rights to speak with congressional representatives, deny them the right to a jury trial, and deny them the right to request information on how their pay is calculated.”



February Farm Prices Received Index Up 3 Points

The February Prices Received Index (Agricultural Production), at 100, based on 2011=100, increased 3 points (3.1 percent) from January. At 85, the February Crop Production Index is up 2 points (2.4 percent). At 115, the Livestock Production Index decreased 5 points (4.2 percent). Producers received higher prices for eggs, tomatoes, oranges, and hay but lower prices for broilers, cattle, hogs, and lettuce. In addition to prices, the indexes are impacted by the five-year average monthly mix of commodities producers market. Increased monthly movement of cattle, milk, broilers, and hogs offset the decreased marketing of soybeans, corn, and wheat.

The Prices Received Index is down 7 points (6.5 percent) from February 2014. The Food Commodities Index, at 108, decreased 1 point (0.9 percent) from the previous month and 9 points (7.7 percent) from February 2014.

Crop Production:
The February index, at 85, increased 2.4 percent from January but is 11 percent below February 2014. Increased marketing of fruits & tree nuts and vegetables more than offset lower movement of oilseeds, feed grains, food grains, and other crops.

Feed grain: The February index, at 64, is unchanged from last month but is 12 percent below a year ago. The corn price, at $3.79 per bushel, is down 2 cents from last month and 56 cents below February 2014. At $7.86 per cwt, sorghum grain is up 46 cents from January and 21 cents above February a year earlier.

Food grain: At 84, the index for February is 5.6 percent lower than the previous month and is 13 percent below a year earlier. The February price for all wheat, at $5.89 per bushel, is down 25 cents from January and 61 cents below February 2014.

Oilseed: At 79, the index for February is down 3.7 percent from January and 24 percent lower than February 2014. The soybean price, at $9.92 per bushel, decreased 38 cents from January and is $3.28 below February a year earlier.

Livestock Production:
The index for February, at 115, is 4.2 percent below the previous month and down 5.0 percent from February a year earlier. Compared with a year ago, prices are lower for milk, hogs, and broilers but higher for cattle, calves, market eggs, and turkeys.

Meat animal: At 125, the February index is down 4.6 percent from the previous month but 5.0 percent higher than a year earlier. At $50.40 per cwt, the February hog price is down $7.00 from January and $15.10 lower than a year earlier. The February beef cattle price of $159 per cwt is down $5.00 from the previous month but is $15.00 higher than February 2014.

Dairy product: The index for February, at 84, is down 4.5 percent from the previous month and 32 percent lower than February a year earlier. The February all milk price of $16.80 per cwt is down 80 cents from January and $8.10 from February 2014.

February Prices Paid Index Unchanged
The February Index of Prices Paid for Commodities and Services, Interest, Taxes, and Farm Wage Rates (PPITW), at 109 (2011=100), is unchanged from January 2015 and February 2014. Higher prices in February for herbicides, LP gas, Insecticides, and potash & phosphates offset lower prices for feeder cattle, complete feeds, feeder pigs, and diesel.



CWT Assists with 4.1 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 18 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), and Tillamook County Creamery Association who have contracts to sell 3.976 million pounds (1,803 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack cheese and 121,254 pounds (55 metric tons) of butter to customers in Asia, the Middle East, and Central America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from March through September 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 23.437 million pounds of cheese and 24.333 million pounds of butter to 22 countries on five continents. The amounts of cheese and butter in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 763.819 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

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. This, in turn, positively impacts U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



Global Alltech Research Alliance meeting identifies six agricultural issues to be addressed

Top agribusiness companies, research institutes and universities from nine countries met in Beijing, China, this week to review their current activities with the Alltech Research Alliance and left with six new agricultural production issues to tackle in the next year.

The Alltech Research Alliance program was designed to stimulate multi-discipline teamwork, to provide access to joint funding, research efforts and intellectual property and to contribute to science and education initiatives with its partners. Since the program’s inception in 2004, the Alltech Research Alliance has built collaborative research curriculums with 12 universities and seven global agribusinesses or research institutes from China (eight), Japan, Australia, the United States (three), Ireland, Norway, the U.K., India and France. Alliances continue to be made as Alltech deepens its research partnerships throughout the world

“The alliances represent a very unique approach to the involvement of industry with academia, moving beyond a contractual basis to where our partners are a fundamental part of our innovation strategy,” said Dr. Karl Dawson, Alltech's chief scientific officer and global research director.

The Alltech Research Alliance meeting highlighted the following key issues: 
-    Fertility and increasing offspring per breeding animal
-    Novel feed analysis systems that contribute to improved production efficiency
-    Gut health management tools and disease models for defining immunity, productivity
-    Antibiotic-free animal production programs
-    Nutritional enrichment tools for improving meat, milk and eggshell quality
-    Defining alternative ingredients and processes that improve aquaculture diets

“Through research on these issues, the Alltech Research Alliance hopes to address real needs and become the most productive innovator, implementing both new technologies along with systems and services to achieve sustainable profitability for our customers,” Dawson said.

Alltech, an innovator in its field with more than 35 years of research in animal nutrition and health, develops and manufactures innovative and natural feed supplements designed to improve animal performance, the feed industry and the farmer's bottom line.  The company’s philosophy, supported by the entire global organization and central to all company initiatives in displaying primacy in science through scientific advancement and research, is based upon four pillars: education, innovation, application and involvement.