Monday June 8 Ag News

FORAGE FOLLOWING WHEAT
Bruce Anderson, Nebraska Extension Forage Specialist

               Once your wheat is gone, how do you plan to use that ground after harvest?  With good moisture and lots of growing season left this year there are many forage possibilities.

               Wheat harvest soon will be here.  Afterwards, there will be lots of growing season remaining for producing more forage.

               For example, with good moisture an early maturing corn is one possibility for silage if you plant it thick.  A better dryland choice might be a high grain producing forage sorghum if chinch bugs and other insects are not a problem.  Sunflowers can be a surprisingly good choice for a short-season silage.  They survive light frost and yield well under many conditions.

               For hay instead of silage, plant sorghum-sudan hybrids, teff, or pearl or foxtail millet when chinch bugs aren't a problem.  A hay crop exceeding two tons per acre can be grown easily if planted soon after harvest and rain is timely. Another hay or silage alternative is solid-seeded soybeans.  A couple tons of good forage can be grown from taller, full season varieties planted after wheat.  Oats planted in early August is another option.  Yields over two tons are common when moisture is good, fertility high, and your hard freeze comes a little late.

               Definitely consider turnips, as well as oats, for fall pasture planted into wheat stubble in late July or early August.  With a few timely rains in August and September, both oats and turnips produce much high quality feed in a short time.  And, they are relatively inexpensive to plant.

               Don't automatically let your wheat ground sit idle the rest of the year, especially if you could use more forage.  When moisture is available, there are many forage options.  One might be right for you.



Post-Emergence Herbicide Options for Glyphosate-Resistant Marestail in Corn and Soybean
Amit Jhala, Nebraska Extension Weed Management Specialist

Glyphosate-resistant marestail is the most problematic to control this year in Nebraska production fields. This is due to a number of reasons including wet spring weather and marestail's emergence pattern. As marestail emerges from late March through June and from late summer to fall, it can easily escape herbicide applications and be difficult to control, especially plants that emerge in May and June.

A wet cool spring for most of the state reduced early spring and preplant application of herbicides for control of marestail. Even in fields where 2,4-D and other burndown herbicides were applied for control of marestail, wet cloudy weather has reduced the efficacy of these herbicides. We have seen marestail control escapes despite application of burndown herbicides. Additionally, corn and soybean planting were delayed in many fields, providing an opportunity for marestail to grow and establish. Even after planting, many corn and soybean fields were too wet for a pre-emergence herbicide application. Now, post-emergence herbicides are the only option for control of marestail.

Control in Corn
For post-emergence control of glyphosate-resistant marestail in corn, dicamba, Liberty® (only for Liberty Link Corn®), and atrazine are really the only effective options and atrazine alone will not control larger marestail plants. More than 80% control should not be expected with POST herbicides, some of which are listed below:

    Status can be applied to corn up to 36 inches tall or V10 stage. It may provide about 80% control, depending on size of marestail.

    Clarity can be applied up to 16 oz/acre. Apply broadcast up to the 5-leaf stage or 8-inch corn. Apply 8 oz/acre or less broadcast or as a directed spray up to 36 inches tall or 15 days before tassel emergence, whichever occurs first.

    Corn larger than about 8 inches tall is more sensitive to dicamba, and use of a directed spray will reduce the risk of injury.

    DiFlexx is a new formulation of dicamba with CSI safner and it can be applied at a rate of 10 to 12 fl oz/acre up to V10 corn. It will provide better corn safety.

    Liberty can be applied only to Liberty Link corn. It is a contact herbicide, so effective spray coverage is required. (Use a spray volume of more than 15 gallons per acre.) It can be applied at a rate of 29 to 32 fl oz/acre. Liberty can be tank-mixed with DiFlexx to improve marestail control in Liberty Link corn.

    Hornet is a combination of clopyralid and flumetsulam. It can provide up to 80% control depending on size of marestail.

    Some other herbicides such as Realm Q, Capreno + atrazine also may provide about 75% control.

Control in Soybean
Effective post-emergence herbicides are very limited in soybean for control of glyphosate-resistant marestail. For example, FirstRate can provide about 80% control of marestail, while other soybean post-emergence herbicides such as Reflex, Flexstar, Harmony SG, Marvel, Torment may provide about 70% control. A sequential application of Liberty will be effective in Liberty Link soybean.

For other herbicide options, refer to 2015 Guide for Weed Management in Nebraska (EC 130). Always read herbicide label before applying herbicides.



 280+ Groups Urge Congress to Reject Effort to Repeal COOL

Today, a coalition of 283 farm, rural, consumer, manufacturer, labor, faith and environmental groups from across the United States delivered a letter to the House of Representatives urging Congress to reject the effort to repeal the country of origin labeling (COOL) law for beef, pork and chicken. Congress enacted COOL for beef, pork, chicken, goat, lamb, seafood, and fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills and expanded COOL to cover venison in the 2014 Farm Bill. Consumers overwhelmingly support these labels.

“If Congress repeals COOL, then the next time consumers go shopping for a steak or chicken for their families, they won’t be able to tell where that product came from,” said Chris Waldrop, Director of the Food Policy Institute at Consumer Federation of America. “That's completely unacceptable. Consumers want more information about their food, not less.”

In 2008, Canada and Mexico challenged COOL at the World Trade Organization (WTO), contending that these commonsense labels were a barrier to trade. Canada and Mexico have threatened an absurdly high penalty designed to frighten the U.S. Congress into rashly repealing COOL rather than allowing the WTO dispute process to be completed.

“There couldn’t be a more clear example of what is wrong with our trade policy than the attack on county of origin labeling,” said Brad Markell, Executive Director, AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council. “American consumers deserve to know where their food was produced.”

Last month, the House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) introduced a bill to repeal COOL for muscle-cuts and ground beef, pork and chicken — even though the WTO ruled that the COOL labels for ground meat were WTO-legal and the dispute never considered chicken.

“In response to this convoluted and obfuscated ruling, Canada and Mexico are making premature threats of retaliation, which is feeding the desires of members of Congress who always opposed consumer disclosure and COOL and just want to reward the powerful meatpacker lobby by capitulating to these scare tactics,” said Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA.

Although Canada and Mexico have implied that they are authorized to levy these high penalties, the WTO has not approved or even considered any penalty. That phase of the dispute has yet to begin and the United States vehemently rejects the assertions and logic of the WTO case.

“Congress should stand with American consumers, not knuckle under to the meatpackers and their big business lobby allies,” said Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. “Congress should let the WTO process run its course and not let meatpackers use this trade dispute as an excuse to gut important consumer protections.”

The next phase of the WTO COOL dispute is expected to take up to six months and will consider the extent to which a simple consumer label has prevented Canada and Mexico from exporting cattle and hogs to the United States. Cattle imports are now higher than when COOL went into effect and hog imports are rapidly rising, severely undercutting the contention that COOL is a trade barrier.

“COOL is extremely important to our organizations and to the American public. We oppose any legislation that would repeal any portion of the COOL law,” the coalition letter stated. “We urge Congress to stand up for America’s consumers, farmers and ranchers by rejecting any effort to unilaterally repeal a popular food label even before the WTO process has concluded.”

18 Nebraska Groups Sign COOL Letter
AFL-CIO of Nebraska
American Corn Growers Institute for Public Policy
Bold Nebraska
Center for Rural Affairs
Communication Workers of America Nebraska State Council
Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
Interchurch Ministries of Nebraska
Nebraska Easement Action Team
Nebraska Farmers Union
Nebraska League of Conservation
Voters Nebraska Sierra Club
Nebraska State Grange
Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society
Nebraska Wildlife Federation
Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics
Nebraskans for Peace
Slow Food Nebraska
Southwest Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics



IOWA LEGISLATURE APPROVES $9.6 MILLION FOR WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today highlighted the Iowa Legislature’s continued commitment to partnering with farmers to make significant long-term progress in protecting Iowa’s soil and water resources. The Legislature approved $9.6 million to support the Iowa Water Quality Initiative in the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.  The legislation now goes to Governor Branstad and must be signed before going into effect.

“Farmers have greatly increased their financial commitment to improving water quality in recent years and I appreciate our state’s leaders doing the same.  Iowa is a model nationally for the progress that can be made on this important issue.  These funds will allow us to continue to expand our water quality efforts and engage more Iowans,” Northey said.

The Legislature provided $4.4 million for water quality in the Agriculture and Natural Resources appropriation bill (SF 494).  In addition, $5.2 million was included in the in Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF budget, HF 650), $450,000 of which will be allocated to the Nutrient Research Center for “nutrient water monitoring network technology and equipment.”

The funds will allow the Department to continue to offer cost share statewide to farmers trying new water quality practices, continue work in targeted watersheds to achieve measurable water quality improvements, expand urban conservation efforts, and develop new programs to help engage all Iowans in improving water quality.

The appropriation for the Department also includes $6.75 million for conservation cost share.  For over four decades, Iowa’s soil conservation cost share program has encouraged the adoption of conservation structures and practices to protect and preserve our state’s natural resources and improve water quality.

$1.92 million was also appropriated to support the closure of eight additional agriculture drainage wells in the state to protect groundwater quality.

In addition to the funds approved for the Department for water quality, $1.35 million was also provided to the Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University to evaluate the performance of current and emerging nutrient management practices and help develop new practices.  Iowa State also received a $1.23 million appropriation for a three-year pilot project to work in partnership with agriculture retailers to quantify infield activities focused on improving water quality.



ONE PROBABLE CASE OF HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA IN SIOUX COUNTY

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is responding to a probable case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Sioux County.  The Department has quarantined the premise 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.

Sioux 18 – Flock that has a variety species and an estimated 3,800 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.

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.



Farm Service Agency County Committee Nomination Period Begins June 15

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that the nomination period for local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committees begins on Monday, June 15, 2015.

“Through the county committees, farmers and ranchers have a voice. Their opinions and ideas get to be heard on federal farm programs,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “It is important for county committees to reflect America's diversity, so I encourage all eligible farmers and ranchers, including beginning farmers, to get involved in this year's elections. We’ve seen an increase in the number of nominations for qualified candidates, especially among women and minorities, and I hope that trend continues.”

To be eligible to serve on a FSA county committee, a person must participate or cooperate in an agency administered program, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area where they are nominated.

Farmers and ranchers may nominate themselves or others. Organizations representing minorities and women also may nominate candidates. To become a candidate, an eligible individual must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. The form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. Nomination forms for the 2015 election must be postmarked or received in the local USDA Service Center by close of business on Aug. 3, 2015.

FSA will mail election ballots to eligible voters beginning Nov. 9, 2015. Ballots will be due back to the local county office either via mail or in person by Dec. 7, 2015. Newly elected committee members and alternates will take office on Jan. 1, 2016.

While FSA county committees do not approve or deny farm ownership or operating loans, they make decisions on disaster and conservation programs, emergency programs, commodity price support loan programs and other agricultural issues. Members serve three-year terms. Nationwide, there are about 7,800 farmers and ranchers serving on FSA county committees. Committees consist of three to 11 members that are elected by eligible producers.



 CWT Assists with 2.6 Million Pounds of Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 3 requests for export assistance for contracts to sell 2.646 million pounds (1,200 metric tons) of butter to customers in the Middle East. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from June through November 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 35.093 million pounds of cheese, 29.238 million pounds of butter, and 20.071 million pounds of whole milk powder to twenty eight countries on five continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.128 billion 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 all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



GENUITY® TECHNOLOGY TOOLS HELP FARMERS MANAGE PEST PRESSURE THROUGHOUT THE 2015 GROWING SEASON

Pest pressure in corn and soybean plants is an ongoing concern for farmers throughout every growing season. Genuity® has launched important updates to two key technology tools, the Genuity Rootworm Manager application and Genuity sponsored InsectForecast.com. These both proved to be valuable resources to farmers last season. Farmers who use these tools as part of a comprehensive integrated pest management approach are able to help maximize their yield potential while reducing their pest risk.

The free Genuity Rootworm Manager iPad® device application debuted in May 2014 as a first-of-its-kind technology to help farmers asses their risk for corn rootworm pressure and provide field-specific recommendations for the farmer. At the end of the 2014 growing season (March-Sept.), the app had been downloaded almost 750 times and had received a National Agri-Marketing Award (NAMA) for Best Tablet App. During the 2015 season, growers who take advantage of this app will now experience improved ease of use and the ability to backup data through Apple iCloud® storage.

The Genuity sponsored InsectForecast.com monitors corn earworm, Western bean cutworm, corn rootworm and soybean aphids. This tool was developed by climatologist and meteorologist Mike Sandstrom to help farmers understand their current pest pressure and make more accurate predictions for future migrations. During the 2014 growing season, more than 18,000 users accessed the site. Farmers who sign up for this free tool will now be able to experience a more responsive mobile phone and tablet experience with larger map images. Along with the map images, users will now be able to see the migration patterns of all four monitored insects for the past growing season as well as the current season.

“Understanding and managing pest pressures will always be a critical part of any farm operation, but tools like the Genuity Rootworm Manager App and InsectForecast.com have made it easier for farmers to scout effectively throughout the growing season,” says Sean Evans, technology development manager for Monsanto. “I would strongly encourage farmers who haven’t had a chance to utilize these free tools to do so for the 2015 season and integrate them into their pest management strategies for both corn and soybeans.”

Corn and soybean farmers can sign up at www.insectforecast.com to receive free email alerts to pest pressures that pose a risk in their geographic area. Corn farmers at risk for rootworm pressure can visit Genuity.com/RootwormManager or visit the iTunes® App Store for a free download.

For more information on Genuity corn traits, farmers can contact their seed representative or visit www.genuity.com.



Syngenta Rejects Latest Monsanto Offer

Syngenta AG on Monday rejected a second takeover offer from Monsanto Co. that includes a $2 billion reverse breakup fee, saying its U.S. rival continued to underestimate the regulatory hurdles the $45 billion deal would face in creating the world's biggest agricultural company.

In a sharply worded statement, Basel-based Syngenta called Monsanto's new proposal, made over the weekend, was essentially a repeat of an earlier proposal the Swiss agrochemical giant rejected last month. The company said the introduction of the new reverse breakup fee, which would be triggered if regulators blocked the deal, was "inadequate."

"Monsanto's second letter represents the same inadequate price, same inadequate regulatory undertakings to close, same regulatory risks and same issues associated with dual headquarters' moves," Syngenta said, attributed the comments to Chairman Michel Demaré and Chief Executive Mike Mack. "As such, we have reiterated our prior rejection of Monsanto's proposal."

Syngenta's rejection of the new offer suggests Monsanto will now have to consider raising the value or composition of its roughly $45 billion cash-and-stock proposal. Over the weekend, St. Louis-based Monsanto added the break-fee to an earlier offer of 449 Swiss francs ($477.87) for each Syngenta share, a price Monsanto said represented a 43% premium to the Swiss company's share price prior to media reports of a potential deal in late April.

Analysts said the rejection didn't mark the end of the takeover battle, but instead created an opportunity for the companies to begin discussing the price.

"We see the fact that Monsanto came back relatively quickly as a good sign for another (improved) offer which might be interesting enough for Syngenta's management and shareholders," analysts at Baader Helvea wrote in a note. An offer that raises the cash component of the deal, which stands at roughly 45%, or increasing the takeover price above 500 francs a share might entice Syngenta management and shareholders, they wrote.