Thursday May 7 Ag News

July NC Road Trip Planned

Nebraska Cattlemen staff is hitting the road this summer for an educational road trip. NC staffers will discuss various industry issues at six stops across Nebraska July 20-23.

Topics to fuel your mind include an update on this year’s legislative session; hear what happened in Lincoln earlier this year that affects you as a cattleman.

Since Nebraska Cattlemen is a grassroots organization, we will be discussing how policy is written and why it is important for our members to be engaged in the development of our policy.

How much do you know about brand law and regulations? NC will provide members with a refresher course on how brand law works in and out of inspection areas. We’ll also share some legislation
brand issues for next year.

Most importantly, we want to hear from you, our members. How can NC help you and your operation? What can we do better?  The Road Trip Schedule is as follows...

Monday, July 20
            7:00 pm MDT Bridgeport

Tuesday, July 21
            1:00 pm CDT Thedford
            7:30 pm CDT Lexington

Wednesday, July 22
            1:00 pm CDT Deshler
            7:30 pm CDT York

Thursday, July 23
            1:00 pm CDT West Point

For more information about the 2015 NC Summer Road Trip, contact Bonita Lederer, NC Director of Producer Education, at (402) 450-0223 or blederer@necattlemen.org.



NO-TILL ON THE PLAINS WHIRLWIND EXPO JUNE 15 IN STUART, NEBRASKA

No-till on the Plains, Inc. will host a field day for producers to gain a better understanding of the importance of soil health by utilizing continuous no-till cropping systems. Members of the media and the general public are also invited. Funded through a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust and PrairieLand RC&D; No-till on the Plain, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Nebraska Extension are pleased to offer this high-quality educational event to all interested producers.

The Whirlwind No-till Expo will take place on Monday June 15, beginning promptly at 8:30 a.m. at  K&W farms located 1Ž4 mile east of 469th Ave & 887 Road, 6 3Ž4 miles north of Highway 20. The day will begin with a Rainfall Simulator demonstration followed by excellent discussion down in a soil pit. Lunch will be provided at the Atkinson Community Center, followed by a full afternoon of knowledgeable speakers. A $30 registration fee is required by June 10 for attendance.

Featured speakers are Dr. Ray Ward, president of Ward Laboratories and knowledgeable no-till expert from Kearney, Nebraska; NRCS no-till specialist, Dan Gillespie and; University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Engineer Paul Jasa, a great source of information on no-till planting equipment and system management. Continuous no-till producer speakers include Kirk Laux from Bridegport, Nebraska and Rick Beiber from Trail City, South Dakota. These long-term no-till producers will present information about their operations, cropping rotations, no-till under irrigation, cover crops, and livestock integration into their no-till systems.  Dr. Charles Shapiro from the University of Nebraska will make a presentation about soil fertility and the use of manure in no-till operations.

No-till farming systems offer several advantages to producers willing to implement the system. Fewer trips across fields without tillage passes will reduce fuel costs. Increasing crops in rotations will break weed and insect pest cycles. Increased crop residue and root systems will increase soil organic matter and microbiological activity.

Each year No-till on the Plains hosts field events and the annual Winter Conference for producers to gain valuable no-till information. “We’re striving to meet our mission to be a primary resource for no-till information and provide a support network for producers”, says Ryan Speer, No-till on the Plains President.

This event is generously sponsored by the Arrow Seed Company, Green Cover Seed, The Seed House and CHS. For more information on the Whirlwind No-till Expo pre-register online at www.notill.org by June 10, or contact No-till on the Plains at 785-210-4549.



Nebraska Cattlemen Submits Comments on Nation's Dietary Guidelines

Nebraska Cattlemen (NC) has submitted comments to U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell on the recommendations included in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s report issued in February. Public comments were due by May 8.

In its comments, NC said the bottom line is that there is significant scientific evidence to support the inclusion of lean red meat, like nutrient-rich beef, more often as part of a healthy diet. NC urged the Secretaries to have their staff finish the scientific review of red meat's role in a healthy diet and re-instate the 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommendation on lean meat.

It is the discretion of the Secretaries to accept, modify or reject the DGAC's report.

Reflecting on the committee's recommendations, NC President Dave McCracken said, “We all agree that consumer eating habits need improvement, but the problem certainly is not that they are eating too much beef."  He added, "Americans have already moderated their red meat servings, and science reinforces that current consumption is within amounts needed to promote good health, protecting the population from a shortfall of nutrients and providing a satisfying form of nutrition. Rather than cutting back, Americans need to be encouraged to eat lean meat with more vegetables, fruits and whole grains.”



 Survey Shows Iowa Farmland Rental Rates Down

Rental rates for Iowa farmland decreased by 5 percent in 2015, according to results from the Cash Rental Rates for Iowa – 2015 Survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. This is the second consecutive year of declining rates after a 15-year streak of increasing rental rates, accumulating a 9 percent loss since 2013.

Alejandro Plastina“Average rents were lower in all nine crop reporting districts,” according to Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist with Iowa State University. “The average estimated cash rent for corn and soybean land in the state for 2015 was $246 per acre, a decrease of $14 per acre or nearly 5 percent from last year. Low crop prices for the 2014 crop and small- to negative-profit margin forecasts for this year’s crop put downward pressure on rental rates,” Plastina said.

The largest decreases in land rental occurred in central and west central Iowa, at $24 and $23 per acre, respectively. Those districts had the highest rents among all crop reporting districts in 2014. Northeast Iowa reported the highest average in 2015 at $273, and the lowest district value was $187 in south central Iowa. Grundy County had the highest average rent in the state, at $316 per acre.

“It isn’t a trend yet, but it certainly is a reversal of the 15-year trend we’ve seen of land rental rate increases,” said Plastina. “Land rates and other input costs take time to adjust to lower levels of crop revenue; so if corn and soybean prices don’t improve soon, we can expect land rental rates to continue to decline.”

Plastina indicated the typical rental rates per bushel of corn yield, soybean yield and the average Corn Suitability Rating 2 point were computed for each county. In addition, typical charges for land growing oats and hay, for grazing pasture and corn stalks, and renting for hunting rights were reported.

Rental values were estimated by asking people familiar with land rental markets what they thought were typical rates in their county. Of the 1,437 total responses received, 49 percent came from farmers, 27 percent from landowners, 12 percent from agricultural lenders, 10 percent from professional farm managers and 2 percent from other professionals.

The Cash Rental Rates for Iowa – 2015 Survey is available online as a downloadable document from the ISU Extension and Outreach Store and Ag Decision Maker website.

Other resources available for estimating a fair cash rental rate include the Ag Decision Maker information files Computing a Cropland Cash Rental Rate (C2-20), Computing a Pasture Rental Rate (C2-23), and Flexible Farm Lease Agreements (C2-21). All documents include decision file electronic worksheets to help analyze leasing questions.



Quality assurance sessions scheduled for Iowa hog farmers

The Iowa Pork Producers Association is partnering with the Iowa Pork Industry Center and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to offer free Pork Quality Assurance Plus® (PQA Plus®) and Transport Quality Assurance® (TQA®) programs for Iowa hog farmers.

Special quality assurance training sessions will be hosted at the 2015 World Pork Expo on Wednesday, June 3,and Thursday, June 4. All sessions will be hosted in room A-2 of the Varied Industries Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Interested individuals should pre-register by contacting IPPA at (515) 225-7675 or dricheson@iowapork.org. Session details are as follows:

Wednesday, June 3
PQA Plus 9:15 a.m. - Noon
TQA 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 4
PQA Plus - 9:15 a.m. - Noon.

Additionally, PQA Plus and TQA training sessions will be offered in each of the eight IPPA districts throughout the summer.

District 1
Tuesday, July 7
Sioux County Extension Office
400 Central Ave. NW Ste. 700
Orange City

District 2
Wednesday, August 26
Humboldt County Extension Office
727 Sumner Ave.
Humboldt

District 3
Tuesday, August 25
Floyd County Extension Office
112 N. Main St.
Charles City

District 4
Tuesday, August 11
Delaware County Extension Office
1417 N. Franklin St.
Manchester

District 5
Thursday, June 25
Cass County Extension Office
805 West 10th St.
Atlantic

District 6
Wednesday, June 24
Guthrie County Extension Office
212 State St.
Guthrie Center

District 7
Tuesday, August 4
Marion County Extension Office
210 N. Iowa St.
Knoxville

District 8
Thursday, August 6
Johnson County Extension Office
3109 Old Hwy. 218 S.
Iowa City

All district locations offer TQA from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and PQA Plus from 3:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. All sessions are sponsored by IPPA and the Pork Checkoff. Producers are encouraged to pre-register to allow adequate space and materials. To pre-register or for more information, contact IPPA at (515) 225-7675 or e-mail dricheson@iowapork.org.

PQA Plus and TQA are part of the industry aligned We Care responsible pork initiative, which establishes ethical principles for pork producers to produce safe food, protect and promote animal well-being, protect public health, safeguard natural resources, provide a safe work environment and contribute to a better quality of life in their communities.

"Pork producers, their employees and pig transporters continue to show their dedication to continuous industry improvement through certification in PQA Plus and TQA," said IPPA President Dave Struthers. "These programs, along with the We Care initiative, continue to show our customers the strong commitment we have to food safety and animal care."



TWO PROBABLE CASES OF HPAI IN OSCEOLA AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is responding to two probable cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry farms in Osceola and Cherokee counties.  These two new cases would join 35 cases of the disease in Iowa that were previously announced. State officials have quarantined the premises and once the presence of the disease is confirmed, all birds on the property will be humanely euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease.

Osceola 3 – A layer pullet farm with an estimated 100,000 birds that has experienced increased mortality.  Initial testing showed it positive for H5 avian influenza.  Additional confirmatory testing is pending from the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames.

Cherokee 4 – Turkey farm that has experienced increased mortality.  An estimate on the number of birds at the site is still pending. Initial testing showed it positive for H5 avian influenza.  Additional confirmatory testing is pending from the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames.

As the Department receives final confirmations of the disease updated information will be posted to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.iowaagriculture.gov/avianinfluenza.asp.



Checkoff Calling for Nominations for Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards

Award applications for the 10th annual checkoff-funded National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Award now are being accepted.  The 2016 National BQA Awards recognize five winners in the areas of beef, dairy, marketing and education:

-    The BQA Cow Calf, BQA Feedyard and BQA Dairy awards recognize producers that best demonstrate animal care and handling principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their respective operations.
    
-    The BQA Educator Award is open to individuals or companies that provide high quality and innovative training to individuals that care and handle cattle throughout the industry chain.
    
-    The BQA Marketer Award is open to livestock markets, cattle buyers and supply-chain programs that promote BQA to their customers and offer them opportunities to get certified.

BQA award winners will be selected by a committee of representatives from universities, state beef councils and affiliated groups. Nominations can be submitted by any organization, group, or individual on behalf of a U.S. beef producer, marketer or educator. Individuals and families may not nominate themselves, though the nominees are expected to be involved in the preparation of the application.

To submit an application, click here... http://www.bqa.org/2016awardapplications.aspx.  Applications are due via the online submission form by June 20, 2015.



Soybean Checkoff Hopes New Test Gives Farmers Access to More Bridges

There are a lot of factors in agriculture that farmers can’t control. So when a farmer has conquered countless unpredictable scenarios — drought, flood, snow, hail — it only becomes that much more frustrating and expensive when he or she travels to the local grain elevator and comes to an unpassable bridge.

A new soy-checkoff-funded study on rural bridges found that the weight limits that make many of these bridges unpassable for farmers could be too low.

Woody Green, soybean farmer from South Carolina and a checkoff farmer-leader, has experienced this inconvenience firsthand. “We’ve had to change our route completely because of a bridge. The last-minute shift cost us extra time and fuel we hadn’t accounted for. Especially around harvest season, or during a period when we’re shipping a crop, that makes a huge difference.”

Bridges are typically inspected visually. Because safety is the highest priority when analyzing bridge structure, many err on the side of caution when setting weight limits. The checkoff helped fund a study conducted by the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) to use a more precise test to set bridge restrictions and remove the guesswork from the equation.

The testing method developed by Iowa State University’s Bridge Engineering Center involves attaching sensors to strategic points on a bridge. When trucks move across, the sensors record data on how the bridge responds. By getting a more detailed account of a bridge’s status, there’s potential to remove unnecessary weight restrictions from rural bridges. This information can also help county departments of transportation determine which structures need repairs the most.

National Oilseed Processors Association President, Tom Hammer, says, “The knowledge and methodologies gained from checkoff-funded studies, such as the accurate testing of bridges conducted by the STC, can increase safety and improve efficiency for farmers, processors and communities by providing more accurate testing methods of weight limits on existing bridges.”

In a pilot project by the STC and the Iowa Department of Transportation, each of the three rural-Iowa bridges had its load limit lifted. With nearly three quarters of the nation’s 607,380 bridges in rural areas, similar outcomes in other states could make a big impact on farmers. A longtime checkoff partner, the STC plans to work closely with soybean boards in other states to test more rural bridges.

“If a bridge is closed or load-limited, what would often be a five- or 10-mile journey can easily increase to 20 or 30 miles or longer,” says Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the STC. “Our goal is to see this more accurate way of testing bridges widely adopted in communities where the problem is more pronounced.”

Transportation is a major pillar of U.S. agriculture, and preventing bridges from being unnecessarily closed or made off limits to grain shipments could improve efficiency for farmers. “Soy processing facilities operate 24/7, and our transportation infrastructure is key to continuing to maintain our competitive advantage,” says Hammer.

“Our transportation infrastructure is one of our single biggest factors of success,” adds Green. “The system provides us with a significant advantage over our competitors, and it’s something we can’t allow to deteriorate.”



NCGA Applauds Senate Bill to Extend Volatility Waiver to E15

The National Corn Growers Association today thanked Senators Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) for introducing a bill to expand the volatility waiver for E15 ethanol, ultimately increasing consumers' access higher blends of ethanol year-round.

"We applaud Senators Donnelly, Grassley, and Fischer for their bipartisan efforts to increase the market for ethanol producers and give consumers more choices at the pump," said NCGA President Chip Bowling. "June 1 is rapidly approaching, and we should ensure consumers will continue to have access to energy that is clean, renewable, and American-grown. We urge Congress to pass this legislation."

Reid Vapor Pressure measures the evaporation rate of gasoline. Under current regulations, summertime volatility restrictions are in place from June 1-Sept 15, but E10 receives a volatility waiver. This legislation would extend the same waiver to E15 blends. Similar legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives in April.

NCGA, Others Tell EPA: Don't be Fooled by Big Oil
Today, NCGA and ethanol allies struck back hard against efforts by Big Oil to weaken the Renewable Fuel Standard as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency develops future volume obligations for the biofuels law.

"The RFS program was designed to force the oil industry to change the status quo-not to perpetuate it," a letter sent to the EPA today states. "The entire purpose of this program would be subverted if the oil industry is rewarded for its failure to take the steps necessary to ensure that it is capable of distributing, blending, and dispensing the renewable fuel volumes required under the statute."

Corn growers and the ethanol industry have done their parts - producing more than enough corn for all needs and efficiently and sustainably producing ethanol for markets here and abroad. As EPA continues to develop its Renewable Volume Obligations for 2014 through 2017, NCGA will continue to work with the EPA to ensure the numbers are consistent with the statute passed by Congress and put the RFS back on track.

When the EPA announced its lower volume for 2014, NCGA activated its grassroots membership in a number of ways, and saw the largest response ever seen for a call to action. When the time came for our growers to speak up, they did so - loudly and forcefully. NCGA's growers and allies sent the EPA a clear signal when this proposal was first issued, with nearly 200,000 people responding to the public comment opportunity in opposition to the reduction. Nearly 10,000 farmers called the White House directly.



KS Wheat Tour releases final projection

The 2015 Hard Red Winter Wheat Tour was full of surprises for participants and led to a sliver of hope for producers statewide. On day three, the participants stopped at 70 fields, an increase from last year's day three total of 45 fields. The daily average was 48.9 bushels an acre, more than an 11 bushel increase from last year.

The official tour projection for total production numbers of hard red winter wheat to be harvested in Kansas is 288.5  million bushels. This number is calculated based on the average of estimated predictions from tour participants who gathered information from 659 fields across the state.

"After these three days on the road, I think that number is pretty accurate," said Daryl Strouts, president of the Kansas Wheat Alliance. "My official projection was not far off. I was hoping that the number would be a little bigger, but I think there is some potential in this crop."

While he remained coy about his predicted number, Strouts emphasized that this year is looking more promising than last year's crop in the majority of the state.

"The main takeaway for producers is that the crop is better than last year," Strouts said. "Now we have moisture, so it's important to protect that yield. The numbers from today confirm that there is yield potential, so if producers haven't taken measures to protect that, they should start considering it soon."

One of the most common factors from all of the six routes was the presence of stripe rust. The disease was found in many fields across the state.

"The stripe rust found was concerning to us," said Aaron Harries. "There were signs of it present in nearly every field we visited, especially in the central corridors of the state. In some fields the disease had even spread to the flag leaf, which can lead to yield loss."

Other issues found statewide throughout the tour were drought stress (despite the rain and sludge during the tour), wheat streak mosaic virus, barley yellow dwarf virus, winter kill and pest infestations such as aphids.

Even with these issues, the 288.5 million bushel projection is a relief for many in the wheat industry. This is an improvement from last year's Wheat Tour prediction of 260 million bushels and actual production of 246.4 million bushels. The 2014 wheat crop suffered from severe drought stress due to lack of moisture throughout the growth stages and an overabundance of it during harvesting time. Many attribute recent rains to be worth millions of dollars for this year’s crop.

"What is different about this year is this last minute moisture," Harries said. "It will be an asset to the wheat during grain fill."

The sudden influx of moisture and extreme weather was exciting for scouts on the tour. After witnessing flooding in Manhattan on Monday, wading through ankle deep mud  and seeing a tornado on Tuesday (possibly a first for the Wheat Tour), participants are quietly optimistic that the wild weather may ultimately make a difference for the wheat they evaluated along the tour.

The Hard Red Winter Wheat tour is sponsored by the Wheat Quality Council. This year's tour hosted 92 participants from across the globe in 21 vehicles while traveling across the state on six routes.



OREGON FARMER CAPTURES 2015 NATIONAL “FARM MOM OF THE YEAR” TITLE

After an intense 11 days of voting, America has selected its national winner in Monsanto’s 2015 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year Contest. Shelly Boshart Davis, who lives in Albany, Ore. and grows grass seed, wheat, radishes, hazelnuts and bales grass straw, garnered the most online votes to capture the national title. She is the first Oregonian to become either a regional or national winner.

Davis was one of five women who were recognized at the end of April as a regional finalist in the program. All of them, including Megan Seibel (Roanoke, Va.), Shelley Heinrich (Lubbock, Texas), Amy Kelsay (Franklin, Ind.), Sara Ross (Minden, Iowa) and Davis, were selected by both the American Agri-Women and Monsanto for their dedication and commitment to their families, farms, communities and the agriculture industry.

From April 24 and through May 5, America had the opportunity to vote for one of the five regional finalists to be named the national winner. All five women will receive $5,000, while Davis will receive an additional $5,000 for securing the most votes.

“All of these women are so passionate about everything they do – from their families to agriculture – that their spirit is contagious,” says Tracy Mueller, corporate brand manager for Monsanto. “They are even more impressive in person than they were represented in their nominations. It’s energizing to be around them, and we’re looking forward to hearing more about them in the coming year.”

About Davis
Davis had multiple nominations for the America’s Farmers Mom of the Year contest. She’s particularly proud of them as they came from people outside of agriculture, showing that people within their community are starting to hear about and understand their farming story.

Davis has a unique perspective on agriculture as her family not only grows their product themselves, but through their trucking company, is able to transport it to the coast and ship it overseas to international markets they helped develop. As one of her nominators pointed out, it highlights Davis’ experience and love for the industry as well as the future of her community.

“Most recently Shelly has been on the forefront of trying to resolve the Northwest port crisis,” wrote Janet Steele, president of the Albany Chamber of Commerce. “Helping her family run their business, Boshart Trucking, she learned first-hand the havoc the slowdown and closures have had on the ag industry and other businesses. She's been a strong and vocal advocate, testifying at the state level and helping find a solution that will bring the ports back to their full strength.”

Davis is involved in her local community and the ag industry in a variety of ways, including participating in the Adopt-a-farmer program, consulting with Oregon State University, and speaking publicly at events.

“Shelly is a silent giant who walks amongst us all and never brings attention to herself,” wrote Greg Roe of United Way of Linn County. “She always has a hand out to help, give, do or listen. Her days are 16 hours on a normal basis, but she will take on more.”

But with all of that, it’s clear Davis places the highest importance on her partnership with her husband, Geoff, and her role as mom to her three daughters – her “most important crop.”

To learn more about Davis, her fellow 2015 regional Mom of the Year winners or winners from years past, visit www.AmericasFarmers.com. To request a list of winners by mail, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to America’s Farmers Mom of the Year, Attn: Sue Dillon, 349 Marshall Ave. Ste. 200, St. Louis, MO 63119.



Summit speakers: It’s about putting a face to agriculture and having a dialogue

“It’s about having a dialogue, not just telling a story,” said Cameron Bruett, chief sustainability officer and head of corporate affairs for JBS USA, Inc. at the 2015 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit.  “We have this huge modern disconnect with agriculture; most of the consumers’ interaction with agriculture is the grocery store.”

A disconnect with consumers was a common talking point for all of the first-day Summit speakers noting that the agriculture industry has a great story to tell, but there is a lack of engagement with the audience that couldn’t survive without the farmers and producers. When there is no dialogue and engagement, consumers’ perceptions about our food supply will hinder the move towards a more sustainable and efficient future for everyone.

Another overarching topic was defining what sustainability actually means. “Sustainability means something different for whoever is talking about it,” Bruett said.

“Simply defined, sustainability is responsibility meeting the needs of the present while improving the ability of future generations to responsibly meet their own needs,” Bruett said. He added that it’s more about finding a balance between three things: social responsibility, economically viable and environmentally sound.

John Graettinger, director of food chain affairs at Merck Animal Health discussed the topic of consumer trust on a panel alongside Mandy Hagan, vice president of state of affairs at Grocery Manufactures Association.

“We need to show our face because people like people,” Graettinger said. “If you put that face on our production facilities, we are going to go far.”

Hagan followed by introducing the notion that the agricultural industry needs to make the conversation about the consumers and show how agriculture benefits them, not just the companies, especially when talking about technology in agriculture. Hagan gave the example of GM crops and how adding vitamin A to a developing world’s staple food could save lives.

“Our side of the story is much more complicated,” Hagan said. “If it’s a benefit for the consumer then the dialogue will change. I don’t think it’s too late.”

To close out the first day, two bloggers from the Alliance’s blogger tour took the stage and shared their personal experiences as well as how their new role in the industry can have a positive impact for farmers and consumers.

Ilina Ewen, writer for the blog Dirt & Noise, said that the experience for her was very “eye-opening” and said the agriculture is really about family, people and culture. “Food in this country is something we take for granted and [the tour] made me value our food system,” Ewen said. “The passion that is demonstrated in ag is unparalleled to any other industry.”

Lisa Frame, writer for the blog A Daily Pinch, shared that she came from a farming family and that agriculture is really about “becoming part of a family” and that her experience made her and Ewen a part of the family. “We are vested in your fishbowl now,” Frame said.

The Summit continues today through noon in Kansas City, Mo. To learn more about the event sessions, please visit www.animalagalliance.org/summit. You can also follow along with the live Twitter feed at #AAA15.



Helena Boosts Crop Health with Two New Products: Receptor™  and MicroMerge® 55441SP

Helena Chemical Co. is helping agricultural producers maximize yields and efficiency by introducing two new products: Receptor™ and MicroMerge® 55441SP, designed to enhance soil health, nutrient availability and fertilizer performance.

Receptor is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered plant growth regulator with state registrations pending. As an Advanced Nutrient Catalyst, it is labeled for increased fertilizer uptake and efficiency. It features a unique combination of three well-known plant growth regulators—IBA, gibberellic acid and kinetin. When applied with liquid fertilizers, Receptor enhances root system development and contributes to a stronger, faster growing plant resulting in increased nutrient and moisture uptake which improves plant tolerance of early season growing stresses.

Three years of extensive field research has shown that Receptor provides specific and unique benefits when blended with many fertilizer elements; either separately or together. With nitrogen, Receptor reduces nitrate leaching and increases plant uptake, while buffering the effects of salts. With phosphorus, or phosphorous blends, Receptor increases availability by protecting phosphorus from binding with calcium, aluminum and iron. Receptor can also solubilize soil-bound phosphorus and buffer the salt effects of starter fertilizers. Receptor can be applied at low use rates on a variety of labeled crops with liquid fertilizers and plant nutritional products.

MicroMerge 55441SP is a granular micronutrient mix that enhances soil fertilizer programs with a better balance of nutrients. MicroMerge blends are precisely formulated to prevent or correct micronutrient deficiencies. The new 55441SP formulation is designed for turf applications. It provides a combination of five essential micronutrients: iron, magnesium, manganese, sulfur and zinc. Together in a granular form these play a vital role in many important plant functions that contribute to strong, healthy plant growth and development.

MicroMerge 55441SP is ideal for blending with mixed fertilizers and is designed to provide uniform distribution of nutrients in soil applications. The granule size and bulk density of MicroMerge 55441SP matches most dry fertilizers, resulting in a more uniform application. As part of a balanced fertility program, MicroMerge 55441SP can be blended and applied with other granular fertilizers according to specific agronomic recommendations.



BASF and University of Göttingen scientists find new specific insecticide target protein

Scientists from BASF Crop Protection and the University of Göttingen in Germany have found a new insecticide target protein. The discovery marks the first identification of vanilloid receptors, the TRPV ion channels (transient receptor potential vanilloid), as insecticide targets. The results, published in the scientific journal Neuron on May 6, 2015, could help to better manage insecticide resistance and have implications for research and insecticide usage.

In their study, the scientists focused on the mode of action of the insecticides pymetrozine and pyrifluquinanzon. They identified a novel TRPV ion channel complex as the target protein of the two substances. In insects, two TRPV channels exist, which occur together in certain stretch receptors that are present in joints, for example in the antennae and legs. By sensing mechanical stimuli, these stretch receptors provide insects with their senses of balance, hearing and coordination. The two insecticides only act selectively on these stretch receptors because they activate an ion channel complex formed by the two TRPV channels. By activating this TRPV channel complex, the insecticides overstimulate the stretch receptors, disturbing insect locomotion and feeding. Substances with this mode of action are effective against many plant-sucking pests, particularly whiteflies and aphids.

By knowing the exact target of pymetrozine and pyrifluquinazon, the industry can now provide better advice on spray programs to farmers. “For instance, we would not want to treat fields with these two substances one after the other. The more you attack one particular target site, the faster insects will become resistant. The findings help us to use insecticides more wisely and more sustainably,” concluded Vincent Salgado, biologist at BASF Crop Protection.

“The fact that the two insecticides target a TRPV channel complex is particularly interesting,” says the Göttingen neuroscientist Prof. Dr. Martin Göpfert. “For a long time we thought that the two insect TRPVs might form a complex in those stretch receptors, but only the insecticides allowed us to show that this is what they do.”

The study thus encompasses exciting biology: It identifies a novel ion channel complex that plays a key role in the detection of mechanical stimuli. Furthermore, the methods employed by the study can be applied to other insecticides, and they may help in the identification of new insecticides with similar modes of action.