Tuesday August 11 Ag News

Clark Joins Nebraska Extension as Dairy Extension Educator

Kim Clark was recently appointed Dairy Extension Educator in Animal Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Clark, a Seward native, will work with dairy producers in Nebraska.  Her responsibilities include communicating with Nebraska dairy producers on the latest research from UNL and the dairy industry, providing them with educational resources for their operation, collaborating with the Nebraska State Dairy Association (NSDA), dairy organizations, universities across the nation, and planning in-state and multi-state programs.  Clark will work with UNL faculty, Nebraska and other state Extension Educators, NSDA and other organizations and for the benefit of Nebraska’s dairy producers.

Clark holds a Master of Agriculture degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she focused her education in dairy nutrition, agriculture economics and agriculture leadership. 
Before joining the Nebraska Extension, Clark worked as Director of Biofuels Development for the Nebraska Corn Board to expand renewable fuels in Nebraska. 

“Joining Nebraska Extension as a Dairy Extension Educator is perfect for me.  It has always been a passion to be part of Extension and work with dairy producers,” said Clark.  “There are great dairy producers and dairy opportunities in Nebraska, and now I will work with and communicate with each of them to magnify dairy production and Extension in Nebraska.”

Clark can be reached via email at kimclark@unl.edu, by phone at 402-472-6065 or Twitter @NEDairyExt.



NEW IANR FACULTY, STAFF TOUR STATE

On Aug. 5-6, 20 new faculty and staff in UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources traveled across the state as part of the IANR Roads Scholar Tour. Among the stops were UNL research and extension facilities as well as businesses and a state historical park.

The annual tour, first held in 2008, helps new faculty and staff learn more about the variety of resources that can be found across Nebraska. The tour also provides new hires the opportunity to meet innovative people in the region.

For Simanti Banerjee, going on the Roads Scholar Tour was an opportunity to see other parts of the state she now calls home. The agricultural economics assistant professor is from an urban area of India and had not explored Nebraska since joining UNL’s faculty last fall.

“I was pleasantly surprised that IANR found a way to not only focus on agriculture, but also highlight all of the other opportunities Nebraska has to offer,” Banerjee said.

Tour stops included the South Central Agricultural Laboratory near Clay Center; Raising Nebraska at State Fair Park in Grand Island; Lindsay Manufacturing in Lindsay; DNA Swine Genetics near Columbus; Ashfall Fossil Bed near Royal; Grove Trout Rearing Station near Royal; Haskell Agricultural Laboratory near Concord; Laurel BioComposite in Laurel; and the Nielsen Community Center in West Point.        

Faculty and staff came from various departments within IANR, including agricultural economics; agricultural leadership, education and communication; agronomy and horticulture; food science and technology; IANR Media; nutrition and health sciences; the School of Natural Resources; and the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Agricultural Research Division Dean Archie Clutter also joined the group.

In addition to providing resources for instructors, the nearly 600-mile road trip gave attendees a significant amount of bus time to form connections.

“It’s good to know more about the place where you live and the people you’re working with,” Banerjee said. “This tour was an enjoyable way to accomplish both.”



THICKENING EXISTING ALFALFA STANDS
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

               Last spring was a tough time getting good new alfalfa stands.  Some older stands also have thinned out.  So  – can you thicken these stands or must you replant?

               New alfalfa fields are expensive to establish. If thin stands can be thickened by interseeding, it would be cheaper than starting over.

               Young fields less than one year old often can be thickened and salvaged fairly easily rather than starting over.  Older fields, though, are a different story.

               Seeding alfalfa into older alfalfa stands to thicken them usually doesn’t work well due to autotoxicity, the build up of diseases, and competition from existing plants.  Most of the time it’s better to seed an entirely new field in a new location.

               Sometimes, though, older stands can be thickened successfully.  The best candidates are fields that are irrigated and on sandy or coarse-textured soils that are very well-drained.

               Begin by harvesting alfalfa that already is there.  If the stand was weedy, control them with herbicides, even if it might injure the existing alfalfa plants.  Then get a drill that can cut into untilled soil and place new seed only about one-quarter of an inch deep.  Usually a grain drill in good condition with a box for small seeds will do.  But sometimes you might need a more rugged no-till drill.

               Drill seed as soon after harvest as possible. Any delay increases the risk of weeds and competition causing a failure.  As existing alfalfa regrows, harvest it again early to help open the canopy so new seedlings get more sunlight.  Also be watchful for weeds.  Several herbicides can control weeds without much injury to new alfalfa.

               All’s not lost when alfalfa stands are thin.  Under many conditions they can be salvaged.



Neely-Kinyon Field Day Features Sustainable and Organic Production

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will co-sponsor a field day to highlight the integration of crops and livestock in sustainable and organic systems Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Iowa State University Neely-Kinyon Farm in Greenfield, Iowa. The field day will begin at 4 p.m. and will end around 7 p.m. with supper prepared by the Adair County Pork Producers and the Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center, featuring locally-grown organic vegetables.

In 17 years of research at the Neely-Kinyon Farm, Kathleen Delate, ISU Extension and Outreach organic specialist, has shown basically equivalent corn and soybean yields between organic and conventional production techniques, along with excellent organic alfalfa performance.

Cindy Cambardella with the National Lab for Ag and the Environment will present results showing higher soil and water quality in organic systems using longer rotations and cover crops, including organic no-till vegetables. These results demonstrate the viability and profitability of organic farming.

Critical to organic crop production is the integration of livestock as a source of on-farm fertility and income. Dale Raasch of Bridgewater Farm will discuss how he scaled-up his organic vegetable and livestock operation (chickens, cattle and hogs) and became certified organic to increase his markets.

Consumer demand for healthier food and environments also are a compelling reason to look at alternative systems and their impacts. Southern Iowa Resource Conservation and Development’s local foods coordinator Alexi Groumoutis of Creston, Iowa will round out the evening with her perspective on growing and marketing vegetables to meet the increasing interest in local foods.

This field day and workshop is recommended for farmers who market crops, livestock, vegetables or animal products, and for processors who add value by baking, canning or processing animal and other food products. Agricultural professionals also will benefit from the latest ISU research demonstrated at the farm. Attendance is free and supported by the USDA-Organic Transitions Program and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. For more information, e-mail Kathy Rohrig, ISU Extension and Outreach in Adair County, krohrig@iastate.edu or Kathleen Delate, kdelate@iastate.edu. Directions can be obtained at 641-743-8412 or 515-294-7069.



ASA Appoints World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program Leaders for 2015-2016

American Soybean Association (ASA) President Wade Cowan has confirmed the election of ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) officers and committee members for 2015-2016. Officers are: Chairman Lucas Heinen (Kan.); Vice Chair Dean Coleman (Iowa); Treasurer Monica McCranie (S.D.); and Secretary Daryl Cates (Ill.)

New WISHH Committee members include: Stan Born (Ill.), George Goblish (Minn.); E.L. Reed (Mo.); Steve Reinhard (Ohio); and James Wilson (Mich.). Other WISHH Committee Members include: Gary Berg. Jeff Lynn and Bill Wykes (Ill.); Levi Huffman (Ind.); John Heisdorffer (Iowa); Ryan Cahoon (N.C.); and Art Wosick (N.D.) U.S. Soybean Export Committee Manager Marypat Corbett is an ex officio member.

ASA and WISHH praise the leadership of outgoing chairman Andy Weldon (Mich.) as well as Members Ron Bunjer (Minn.); Bret Davis (Ohio) and Jack Trumbo (Ky.).

“I want my fellow soybean farmers to know that WISHH is important because it lays the groundwork for our future,” Heinen said. “U.S. soybean growers send WISHH as their trailblazer for trade. WISHH teaches people in their own countries about how to use soybeans in animal feed rations as well as human foods."

In the early 2000s, forward-thinking U.S. soybean leaders in multiples states recognized that the growing protein demand in developing countries was a driver for their soybean sales. Well-researched studies showed that most future growth in food demand would be in developing and middle-income countries where populations and incomes were both on the rise.

Today, the trends are even clearer, proving that WISHH-founding farmers planned well. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other economic analysis, developing countries dominate world demand growth for agricultural products. USDA projects developing countries' demand for agricultural products will increase faster than their production. As a result, these countries will account for 92 percent of the total increase in world oilseed and meat imports in 2013-2022.

Through WISHH, U.S. soybean farmers diversify their marketing investments. At the same time, WISHH creates economic opportunities in developing countries as they strengthen their agricultural and food supply chains. Lifting low-income consumers out of poverty is the most important factor in future global demand for food. As the world moves toward approximately 9 billion people in 2050, most protein demand growth will come from developing countries.

WISHH helps developing country businesses become more profitable by blending U.S. soy into breads, beverages, meats and more for humans as well as feeds for livestock and aquaculture. In addition to making money, WISHH’s supply chain partners help fill the protein gap that exists in many developing country populations’ diets.

WISHH and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) pave complementary trade routes that grow U.S. soy markets. On Oct. 1, 2015, WISHH will transition its Bangladesh operations to USSEC since the country’s annual U.S. soy purchases have now reached more than $2 million. USDA funding aided WISHH in forging key relationships with organizations like the Bangladesh Bakery Association that signed a February 2015 agreement to conduct soy flour trials under a USDA Quality Samples Program.

After the transition, USSEC will build on WISHH’s work in the human food sector. WISHH will continue pursuing non-soybean farmer funding for work in Bangladesh, especially in aquaculture and livestock, and collaborate with USSEC for project implementation.



"Preg" check and cull “open” replacement heifers
Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist

Many cow herd owners choose to breed their replacement heifers about a month ahead of the mature cows in the herd.   In addition, they like to use a shortened 45 to 60-day breeding season for the replacement heifers.   The next logical step is to determine which of these heifers failed to conceive in their first breeding season.   This is more important today than ever before.

If bulls were removed from the replacement heifers about 60 days ago, this would be an ideal time to call and make arrangements with your local large animal veterinarian to have those heifers evaluated for pregnancy.     After two months of gestation, experienced palpaters should have no difficulty identifying which heifers are pregnant and which heifers are not pregnant (open).   Those heifers that are determined to be "open" after this breeding season, should be strong candidates for culling.   Culling these heifers immediately after pregnancy checking serves three very economically valuable purposes.  

 1)    Identifying and culling open heifers early will remove sub-fertile females from the herd.     Lifetime cow studies from Montana indicated that properly developed heifers that were exposed to fertile bulls, but DID NOT become pregnant were often sub-fertile compared to the heifers that did conceive.   In fact, when the heifers that failed to breed in the first breeding season were followed throughout their lifetimes, they averaged a 55% yearly calf crop.   Despite the fact that reproduction is not a highly heritable trait, it also makes sense to remove this genetic material from the herd so as to not proliferate females that are difficult to get bred.  
 2)    Culling open heifers early will reduce summer forage and winter costs.   If the rancher waits until next spring to find out which heifers do not calve, the pasture use and winter feed expense will still be lost and there will be no calf to eventually help pay the bills.   This is money that can better be spent in properly feeding cows that are pregnant and will be producing a salable product the following fall. 
 3)      Identifying the open heifers shortly after (60 days) the breeding season is over will allow for marketing the heifers while still young enough to go to a feedlot and be fed for the choice beef market.   "B" maturity carcasses (those estimated to be 30 months of age or older) are very unlikely to be graded Choice and cannot be graded Select.   As a result, the heifers that are close to two years of age will suffer a price discount.   If we wait until next spring to identify which two year-olds did not get bred, then we will be culling a female that will be marketed at a noticeable discount compared to the price/pound that she would have brought this summer as a much younger animal.     In today’s market an 850 pound non-pregnant heifer will bring about $1.90/lb. or $1615 per head.   If current prices hold, next spring a two-year old 1000 pound cow may bring $1.15/lb. or $1150 per head.   This calculates to a $465 per head loss plus the expense of keeping her through the winter.

Certainly the percentage of open heifers will vary from ranch to ranch.   Do not be overly concerned, if after a good heifer development program and adequate breeding season, that you find that 10% of the heifers still are not bred.   Resist the temptation to keep these open heifers and “roll them over” to a fall-calving herd.   These are the very heifers that you want to identify early and remove from the herd.   It just makes good economic business sense to identify and cull non-pregnant replacement heifers as soon as possible. 



EIA: 2015, 2016 Ethanol Output Steady

Ethanol production, which averaged 935,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2014, is forecast to remain near current levels in 2015 and 2016, with four-week average output through July 31 at 971,000 bpd, the Energy Information Administration said on Tuesday.

For demand, EIA expects ethanol consumption, which averaged 878,000 bpd in 2014, to average about 900,000 bpd in both 2015 and 2016, estimating ethanol would account for a 9.9% share of the total gasoline pool during these years. EIA does not expect significant increases in E15 or E85 consumption over the forecast period.

EIA said these expectations are modeled off the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule setting Renewable Fuel Standard targets for 2014 through 2016 issued on May 29.

The proposed RFS targets are expected to encourage imports of Brazilian sugarcane ethanol, which were 3,000 bpd in 2014. Because of the expected increase in ethanol gross imports, net exports of ethanol are forecast to fall from 51,000 bpd in 2014 to 43,000 bpd in 2015 and to 37,000 bpd in 2016.

EIA said it expects the largest effect of the proposed RFS targets to be on biodiesel consumption, which contributes to meeting the biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel RFS targets.

Biodiesel production averaged an estimated 81,000 bpd in 2014 and is forecast to average 91,000 bpd in 2015 and 98,000 bpd in 2016.

Net imports of biomass-based diesel are also expected to increase from 16,000 bpd in 2014 to 24,000 bpd this year and 35,000 bpd in 2016.

"EIA expects that a combination of higher biomass-based diesel consumption, higher consumption of domestic and import ethanol, and banked Renewable Identification Numbers will help meet the newly proposed RFS targets through 2016," according to the latest Short-term Energy Outlook.



Grant Awarded to Improve Rootworm Management Tools, Techniques

In an effort supported by the National Corn Growers Association, the Monsanto Insect Management Knowledge Program awarded Dr. Jeffrey Gore, from Mississippi State University, a grant for the proposal entitled "Quantifying the Role of Helicoverpa zea Host Plants in Bt Resistance Management." 

NCGA believes farmers should have as many options as possible to control pests. As a major pest impacting corn, cotton and soybeans in the United States, corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, research will benefit farmers across the country. This proposal addresses the role that cultivated and non-cultivated host plants play in the population dynamics of corn earworm.  By better understanding how corn earworm utilizes all hosts, scientists can identify best management practices that will ensure the long-term effectiveness of Bt crops and make informed decisions about resistance management.

Understanding how insect resistance develops helps shape best management practices and mitigation actions that prevent the weakening of the technology's effectiveness, thus NCGA continues to work with industry and government on resistance management.

The Monsanto Insect Management Knowledge Program, a ten-member advisory committee consisting of academics and growers, provides merit-based awards for outstanding research that will not only enhance the collective understanding of insect management but also address significant challenges and issues in agriculture. NCGA Director of Research and New Uses Dr. Richard Vierling serves on the grant review committee to ensure the projects will develop tools that meet farmers' needs. The research addresses the following areas: development of predictive models of resistance; farmer education and training; and sustainable pest management. The program originally started in 2013 as the Corn Rootworm Knowledge Program but expanded its focus to include insects that are economically damaging to any U.S. row crop.



Fertilizer Purchases on Hold

Average retail fertilizer prices remained fairly steady the first week of August 2015, falling only slightly since last week, according to fertilizer retailers surveyed by DTN.

For the third consecutive week in a row, all eight of the major fertilizers dipped lower in price compared to a month prior, but these moves to the low side were slight. DAP averaged $567 per ton, MAP $591/ton, potash $482/ton, urea $464/ton, 10-34-0 $628/ton, anhydrous $677/ton, UAN28 $318/ton and UAN32 $354/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, urea averaged $0.50/lb.N, anhydrous $0.41/lb.N, UAN28 $0.57/lb.N and UAN32 $0.55/lb.N.

Only one of the eight major fertilizers is double-digits higher in price compared to August 2014. 10-34-0 is 13% higher compared to last year. Potash runs 2% higher.

Retail prices of all the other types fertilizers are down compared to a year earlier: Urea is 10% lower, UAN28 and UAN32 are both 6% lower, DAP is 4% lower, MAP is 3% lower. Anhydrous is slightly lower than last year.



ABA Conference: Ag Bankers Prepare for Volatile Times Ahead

The agricultural economy and the possibility of volatile times ahead will dominate the conversation at the American Bankers Association’s 2015 National Agricultural Bankers Conference. The conference, now in its 63rd year, will be held at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo. Oct. 25 -28.

This year’s event, “Position to Transition: How to Navigate Volatile Times,” will shed light on managing risk, working smarter and strengthening customer relationships. Attendees will have unmatched access to industry experts, academics and peers willing to share strategies for success.

“For more than 60 years, this conference has brought ag bankers together to educate and motivate them about the challenges and opportunities in rural communities,” said Steve Apodaca, senior vice president of ABA’s Center for Agricultural and Rural banking. “With the uncertainty facing the ag economy, it’s a critical time for ag bankers to unite to better serve our nation’s farmers and ranchers.”

A new addition to the conference this year is the “New Ag Banker Track,” which features targeted sessions for young bankers with one to seven years of lending experience or professionals transitioning into ag banking from other careers. Sessions include:
-    Navigating Through Difficult Times: Lessons Worth Learning from the 80s
-    Know Your Documentation: The Top 10 Things Every Banker Needs to Know
-    Making Good Loans: The Fundamentals of Credit Analysis
-    Distressed Agricultural Loans: How Do You Minimize Losses and Survive the Workout

The conference will feature a general session with David Kohl, Ph.D., professor emeritus, agricultural and applied economics, Virginia Tech and Barry Flinchbaugh, Ph.D., professor, agricultural economics, Kansas State University. The professors will address the most commonly asked questions by agricultural bankers, producers and industry leaders. The session will begin with an outlook of the U.S. agricultural economy by Michael Swanson, Ph.D., ag economist at Wells Fargo Bank.

Other conference highlights include a keynote address on managing weather risk from Eric Snodgrass, director of undergraduate studies, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Attendees will also hear from Nathan Kauffman, assistant vice president and Omaha branch executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas.

The conference will close with an inspirational story of turning challenges into opportunities from thirteen time All-Star baseball great, George Brett of the Kansas City Royals.

Experts spanning the agricultural spectrum will lead more than 30 sessions including:
    Credit Impacts of the Commodity Price Roller Coaster: A free pre-conference seminar looking at key components in analyzing ag credits and current observations;
    Land Values Outlook: Retired Iowa State Economist Mike Duffy will provide an outlook on land values; and
    Lenders through the Ages:  Bankers Making Bankers Better Bankers: Panelists Sam Miller, managing director, group head, agricultural banking, BMO Harris Bank; Caleb Hopkins, loan officer, Westside State Bank; Dinese Watson, vice president, ag lending, Merchants Bank of Indiana; and Keith Phillips, senior vice president, First Bank and Trust Company will discuss the challenges of working with colleagues of various ages – and stages in their careers – and how to improve communications.

Registration for the conference is $975 for ABA members and $1,465 for non-members. Special discounts are available for early bird registration before Aug. 28 and attendees from the same member organization who register together. 

For additional schedule information or to register for the conference, call 1-800-BANKERS or visit http://www.aba.com/AgConference.