Monday September 14 Ag News

 Cover Crop Field Day Sept. 22 near Lincoln

An afternoon field day to see a variety of cover crops seeded after wheat harvest will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the UNL Rogers Memorial Farm just east of Lincoln. The free event will be held from 3 to 6 p.m.

Cover crop topics will include:
    Understanding the goals and objectives of their use
    Selection and management
    Soil health benefits
    Considerations before grazing

Speakers and resource people will include:
    Ray Ward, owner, Ward Laboratories
    Jody Saathoff, CHS
    Mary Drewnoski, UNL Beef System Specialist
    Paul Jasa, UNL Extension Engineer
    Representatives of several cover crop seed suppliers

Visitors will also be able to see corn and soybeans planted into cover crops and observe the soil structure of long-term no-till.

The UNL Rogers Memorial Farm is just east of Lincoln at 18630 Adams Street. A light meal will be provided, but registration is required for a meal count. Register by emailing Paul Jasa at pjasa1@unl.edu by Sept 18.



District 6 Fall Farmers Union Meeting
Thursday, September 24, 2015
The Office Bar & Grill
121 Main Street, Hooper, NE
4:00 PM meeting with supper on your own to follow

AGENDA: select two for NFU Convention delegate, elect officers, nominate Dist. 6 Director,  Director Dennis Buse report.  Pres. John Hansen will report on NFU Fly-In, national & state issues, & organizational activities.  For more information, call Paul Poppe (402) 380-4508. 



NDA STAFF TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AT HUSKER HARVEST DAYS

Information on a wide range of topics will be provided by Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) staff members during this year’s Husker Harvest Days (HHD), being held in Grand Island Sept. 15-17.

Topics of particular interest are the NextGen and Negotiations programs. Information on both programs will be available from NDA staff members at the booth in the Nebraska Farmer Hospitality Tent.

“Our Negotiations program offers farmers and ranchers USDA program or credit conflict resolution through mediation,” NDA Program Administrator Karla Bahm said. “It has been a useful tool in assisting parties to come to successful conclusions.”

Bahm said the NextGen Program utilizes tax credits to cultivate the next generation of Nebraska farmers and ranchers. She said the program has been successful in giving farmers a “boost” in getting their operations started.

Event-goers also will have the opportunity to interact with Lt. Governor Mike Foley, who will be accompanied by NDA Assistant Director Bobbie Kriz-Wickham on the grounds Tuesday. Lt. Gov. Foley just returned from a successful trade mission to Japan, building relationships with key trade partners in one of Nebraska’s biggest meat export markets.

“Farmers and ranchers at Husker Harvest Days will be able to get firsthand insight from the lieutenant governor on how important these trade missions are in securing our export markets,” said NDA Director Greg Ibach, who also made the trip to Japan. “This is an opportunity for our constituents to provide input on important agriculture issues to the lieutenant governor and assistant director.”

In the Commodities Building at HHD, NDA Ag Promotion staff members will be talking to farmers about diversification of their current operation through the addition or expansion of livestock. There also will be discussion about how such diversification can assist in bringing family members back to the farm.

NDA Entomology Program staff will share information about new invasive and exotic plant pests of concern for Nebraska. They can be found in the NRD Building. State Entomologist Julie Van Meter said there has been recent interest in emerald ash borer as it gets closer to Nebraska. Program staff also will share information on the process for exporting plant products and export services provided by NDA.

NDA Pesticide Program staff will be located in the Nebraska Farmer Hospitality Tent with information about pesticide worker safety. Certified pesticide applicators who stop by the booth will have the opportunity to receive a pair of pesticide-resistant gloves for mixing/loading pesticides. Staff also will have information about the DriftWatch and buffer strip programs coordinated by NDA, as well as general information on pesticide use, safety and the environment.

NDA Noxious Weed Program staff will be on hand in the Nebraska Weed Control Association tent to identify noxious and invasive weeds.



Stalk and Crown Rot Diseases Developing in Some Corn
Tamra Jackson-Ziems, UNL Extension Plant Pathologist

Crown and stalk rot diseases continue to become evident in some corn fields in Nebraska. Producers should watch for early symptoms and consider monitoring high risk fields for stalk and ear rot diseases in their corn as harvest approaches.

Stalk and crown rot diseases can cause initial symptoms that are easily misdiagnosed. The earliest visible symptoms are the discoloration or rapid death of the upper leaves or whole plant.  Affected plants may occur in patches where stress occurred or seemingly randomly scattered.  Premature plant or leaf death is due to the stoppage of water translocation up the plant. Unfortunately, submitting just brown, dead/dying leaves to the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic or other diagnostic labs in an effort to identify the cause will not provide enough evidence of stalk or crown rot disease. Instead, be sure to split stalks, especially below the soil line into the root zone to check for crown rot or discoloration. When submitting a sample(s) for diagnosis, collect whole plants, including the root ball and wrap in plastic, to get the most accurate diagnosis.   

Weakened stalks have become evident in some corn fields.  Remember that high winds can lead to lodged corn where stalks have become weakened by stalk rot diseases and other problems.  Crop stress during the 2015 growing season has and will likely contribute to the development of some stalk rot diseases.  Pay special attention to fields that have one or more risk factors for stalk rot diseases and lodging:
    Higher yielding hybrids
    Lost leaf area (due to leaf diseases, hail, etc.)
    Excessive rainfall/ponding anytime during season
    Stalk wounding, usually by hail
    High planting populations
    Thin stalks

Several fungi are common in our production fields and can opportunistically cause stalk rot diseases in stressed plants. The more common of the fungal and bacterial pathogens that can cause stalk rot diseases are summarized below.

Charcoal rot is one of the few diseases that is more common during drought conditions, and so, is more likely to affect corn in non-irrigated fields or pivot corners. The disease is characterized by the presence of many minute black round structures inside the stalk that can give it a gray to black appearance (hence the name). In addition, the fungus that causes charcoal rot, Macrophomina phaseolina, has a wide host range and can cause the same disease in several crops, including corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa, and others.

Fusarium stalk rot is especially common during damp conditions, but may occur anywhere, including in irrigated fields this year. The pathogen, Fusarium verticillioides, can sometimes be visible as white fungal growth on the outside of stalks at the nodes. Eventually, the disease may cause a pink to salmon discoloration of the inside of stalks.

Anthracnose stalk rot is caused by the fungus Colletotrichum graminicola, which also causes a leaf disease and is a common cause of top rot disease of corn.  In more advanced stages the disease can cause the development of black lesions visible on the outside of the stalk.

Diplodia stalk rot can cause both an ear and a stalk rot. The fungus causing Diplodia stalk rot reproduces with microscopic spores inside minute raised black structures (pycnidia) that can give the stalk a rough/sandpaper-like feeling.

Physoderma brown spot most commonly causes a leaf disease, but under some conditions can cause stalk rot disease. The pathogen causing Physoderma needs a lot of moisture and is more common this year following the frequent rainfall events earlier this year.

Management
Nothing can be done at this point in the season to stop stalk or ear rots as affected plants will continue to degrade over time further weakening them. But, you can work to minimize your losses by identifying which fields have the worst stalk rot diseases and adjust the harvest order of those fields. Consider harvesting or chopping those fields that are heavily impacted by stalk rots first or earlier to minimize losses that can occur after lodging.

If you are in doubt about the identity of a disease or cause of another plant problem, you can submit a sample to the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (P&PDC) for diagnosis.  For more information about these and other plant diseases or for submission forms and submission instructions for the P&PDC, visit the Clinic's Crop Watch website.



New Free Teaching Aid Helps Elementary School Students Learn the Importance of Nebraska Agriculture

The Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA) and the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) have developed a new learning tool to teach second- through sixth-grade students about the importance of pigs and soybean farming in the state. Entitled Short Snoots, Soybean Sprouts, this colorful, four-page worksheet is provided free to teachers by the NPPA and the NSB.

The worksheet uses a variety of interactive exercises, puzzles and story problems to demonstrate how pigs and soybeans are raised in Nebraska. These activities make use of student skills in math, science, and language while teaching important concepts about agriculture in Nebraska. Other topics addressed in the worksheet include how soybeans provide healthy, high-protein food for both pigs and people and how by-products of soybeans and pigs are used for non-food items we use everyday.

The NPPA and the NSB actively work to educate Nebraskans about the importance of animal agriculture to the state’s economic health.

The handout uses a variety of interactive exercises, puzzles and other activities to tell how pigs and soybeans are raised in the state, how soybeans provide healthy, high-protein foods for both pigs and people, and how by-products of soybeans and pigs are used to make many beneficial non-food products. These activities, which make use of student skills in math, science and language, present the important facts in an entertaining way that hold student attention and make learning fun. Also included is an age-appropriate recipe and instructions for baking ham and cheese muffins.

The NPPA and the NSB actively work toward educating Nebraskans about the importance of animal agriculture to the state’s economic health.

“The more students know about how important agriculture is in this state, the more they’ll appreciate the work Nebraska farmers do every day to provide healthy food for their dinner tables,” says Kyla Habrock, the NPPA’s youth leadership director. “Short Snoots, Soybean Sprouts is an excellent tool for teachers to use to give students a picture of how animal agriculture and farming work hand-in-hand to produce our food and strengthen Nebraska’s economy,” she says.

“We want to provide students with a better understanding of where their food comes from,” according to Teri Zimmerman, NSB education and outreach manager.   “Since most of the soybeans harvested in the state are used for livestock feed, pig farmers are a significant market for our crops. Short Snoots, Soybean Sprouts is a great resource that utilizes student skills while presenting information about Nebraska-grown commodities. 

Other educational materials provided free to the state’s elementary schools by the Nebraska Soybean Board and the Nebraska Pork Producers Association include: a Bingo card game that teaches students about pork and soybean farming; Food For Thought, an animated video package that gives students a look at how pork is produced in Nebraska; Producers, Pigs & Pork, a series of lessons that teaches students about our food supply system, centering on pork production; and Pigmania, a six-lesson package that teaches students the basics about pork production.

Teachers can order Short Snoots, Soybean Sprouts at no cost at www.nebraskashortsnootssoybeansprouts.com. Quantities are limited, so teachers are urged to order immediately.



GRAZE TO KEEP GRASS HEALTHY
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

               Pastures sometimes have lots of weeds remaining this time of year.  It’s tempting to graze hard enough to use those weeds, but is this actually good for the pasture?

               Many pasture weeds can provide satisfactory protein and energy for cattle when eaten, but cattle avoid them due to poor palatability.  That’s why they’re weeds!  If pressed hard enough, though, cattle will eat many of them when there is nothing else to eat.  While this gets rid of the weeds temporarily, if might not be healthy for the pasture.

               Every pasture has millions of weed seeds in the soil and the potential to become weedy.     Since some pastures stay relatively clean while other pastures become weedy, other factors undoubtedly influence the weed population.  Simply grazing or controlling weeds by spraying or cutting does little to prevent weeds from coming back again unless these other factors are changed to better support desirable plants.

               To control weeds, it is much more important to manage grazing to support healthy desirable plants than to weaken or remove unwanted weeds.  Grazing that allows sufficient leaf area to remain following grazing that supports rapid regrowth, allows good winterizing, and holds snow and rain moisture on the land rather than running off will benefit the desirable grasses and legumes.  Giving pasture plants adequate time to recover after grazing before grazing again is another way to improve or maintain pasture health and strengthen the competitive ability of desirable plants.

               Weeds in a pasture can indicate that the pasture itself and the desired plants in it are not in a healthy condition.  For improvement to occur, controlling weeds is not enough.  Changing management to strengthen desired grasses and legumes also is essential.



POLL: RURAL NEBRASKANS READY TO ACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Many rural Nebraskans are concerned about potential weather problems in their area and most believe the state should develop a plan for adapting to climate change to reduce its impact on agriculture, communities and natural resources, the Nebraska Rural Poll shows.

    Forty-eight percent of rural Nebraskans are concerned or very concerned about more severe droughts or longer dry periods in their area. Fourty-one percent are concerned about insect-borne diseases such as West Nile virus and 39 percent are concerned about more extreme summer temperatures.

    Most support a plan for adapting to climate change, regardless of whether they attribute change in climate to natural cycles or human activity. Sixty-one percent agree or strongly agree that Nebraska should develop a plan for adapting to climate change to reduce its impact on agriculture, rural communities, forestry and natural resources. Seventeen percent disagree with the statement. Sixty-three percent agree or strongly agree that the University of Nebraska should be helping agricultural producers, rural communities and others to adapt to climate change. Fifteen percent disagree with that statement.

    "These results show that Nebraskans are ready to move forward on climate preparedness," said Tonya Haigh, rural sociologist at the UNL National Drought Mitigation Center.

    Rural Nebraskans are also very supportive of renewable energy sources. Eighty percent agree that more should be done to develop solar or wind energy in Nebraska, and 59 percent think more should be done to develop ethanol or biodiesel energy in the state. Furthermore, about three-quarters believe the state should invest more in both wind and solar energy. One-half think more should be invested in hydroelectric energy.

    "Rural Nebraskans have consistently expressed support for wind and renewable energy in previous polls," said Randy Cantrell, rural sociologist with the Nebraska Rural Futures Institute. "This year's findings demonstrate that again."

    Other poll findings show mixed opinions about the health impacts of climate change. Few reported their household experiencing health problems during the drought of 2012. However, 38 percent of persons with occupations in agriculture experienced increased anxiety or stress during the drought.

    Similarly, many do not believe climate change is harming their health or members of their family's health now. However, opinions are mixed on whether that will happen within the next 25 years.

    Most receive information about climate change from traditional media sources such as newspapers, television and radio. Many also read information from an article or story they found on the Internet. Seventy percent trust University of Nebraska experts, 61 percent trust scientists in general and 55 percent trust doctors and other public health experts as sources of information about climate change. Many also trust television weather reporters, state agencies, environmental organizations and federal agencies. However, most rural Nebraskans distrust social media and online blogs and podcasts as sources of information about climate change. Many distrust the mainstream news media as well as radio talk show hosts.

    "These results underscore the fact that the University of Nebraska is widely respected as a source of unbiased, valuable information," Haigh said. "It shows that the university has a critical role to play in our state's adaptation to changing climate conditions in the years ahead."

    The Rural Poll is the largest annual poll of rural Nebraskans' perceptions on quality of life and policy issues. This year's response rate was 32 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percent. Complete results are available online at http://ruralpoll.unl.edu.

    "With its 20-year history, the poll has a collection of data about rural trends and perceptions that is unmatched in the country," said Becky Vogt, survey research manager who's been working on the Rural Poll since its second year.

    Although the Grand Island area (Hall, Hamilton, Howard and Merrick counties) was designated a metropolitan area by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2013, the Rural Poll continues to include those counties in its sample. Also, Dixon and Dakota counties were added to the poll last year.

    The university's Department of Agricultural Economics conducts the poll in cooperation with the Nebraska Rural Futures Institute with funding from Nebraska Extension and the Agricultural Research Division in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.



Taiwanese and U.S. Industry Sign Letter of Intent for $1.23 Billion in U.S. Grains Sales

A Taiwanese delegation in Washington, D.C., this week will sign a letter of intent with the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) committing to purchase 5 million metric tons (197 million bushels) of U.S. corn and 0.5 million tons of U.S. corn co-products valued at $1.23 billion by 2017 as part of the Taiwanese Agricultural Goodwill Mission. The letter is evidence of Taiwan’s commitment to strengthening trade ties and maintaining the well-established partnership between the United States and Taiwan.

Taiwan is an important buyer of U.S. agricultural products, especially U.S. corn. For the 2014/2015 marketing year, Taiwan was the sixth largest market for U.S. corn, third largest market for U.S. barley and a top buyer of U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a co-product of ethanol production that is a high-protein feed ingredient for livestock.

“The Council has been involved in Taiwan for 42 years and has watched it grow into a steady, reliable buyer of U.S. coarse grains and co-products,” said USGC Chairman Alan Tiemann, who farms in Nebraska. “This mission helps maintain an open dialogue between U.S. and Taiwanese government officials, traders and end-users, which is key to maintaining a healthy trade relationship with this top buyer.”

While in Washington, members of the mission are scheduled to meet with the Council, U.S. Wheat Associates, the U.S. Soybean Export Council, the North American Export Grain Association and the National Grain and Feed Association as well as U.S. government officials. The mission delegates will also sign letters of intent to purchase U.S. wheat, soybeans and co-products with U.S. Wheat Associates and U.S. Soybean Export Council.

Following a signing ceremony at the U.S. Capitol complex on Wednesday, members of the Taiwanese delegation will tour the U.S. Grain Belt to see U.S. farms and grain elevators firsthand. While in the Midwest, they will meet with government officials, farmers, agriculture groups and other important international organizations in Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky and Minnesota.



FAO Food Price Index Registers Sharpest Fall in Seven Years

International food commodity prices continued to decline in August as ample supplies, a slump in energy prices and concerns over China's economic slowdown all contributed to the sharpest fall of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Price Index in almost seven years. The index averaged 155.7 points in August 2015, down 5.2 percent from July, the steepest monthly drop since December 2008, with virtually all major food commodities registering marked dips.

The trade-weighted FAO Food Price Index tracks international market prices for five major food commodity groups: cereals, meat, dairy products, vegetable oils and sugar.

In August, the cereal price index averaged 154.9 points, down 7.0 percent from July and 15.1 percent from last year - a decline driven by falling wheat and maize prices that reversed two consecutive months of modest increases. Continued improvements in production prospects for 2015/16 were largely behind the cereal price slides.

The vegetable oil price index averaged 134.9 points in August, down 8.6 percent from July, and its lowest level since March 2009. The fall primarily reflected a six-and-a-half year low in international palm oil prices, mainly the result of slowing import demand, notably by India and China, amid expectations of rising production.

A substantial drop in prices for milk powders, cheese and butter pushed the August dairy price index down by 9.1 percent to 135.5 points, with much of the weakness attributed to softening import demand from China, the Near East and North Africa.

A sharp fall in the sugar price index - down 10.0 percent from July to an average of 163.2 points in August - was largely the result of the continued depreciation of the Brazilian Real against the US Dollar and firmer expectations that India, the world's second largest sugar producer, will become a net exporter in the current 2015/16 season.

In contrast to the general downward trend, meat prices in August remained virtually unchanged from the previous month.



CWT Assists with 1.4 million Pounds of Cheese and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 7 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Michigan Milk Producers Association, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), and Tillamook County Creamery Association who have contracts to sell 315,261 pounds (143 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese, and 1.098 million pounds (498 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from September 2015 through March 2016.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 44.131 million pounds of cheese, 19.376 million pounds of butter and 33.832 million pounds of whole milk powder to thirty-three countries on five continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.090 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis. Totals have been adjusted for contract cancellations.

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.



Consumers Invited to Help Define Transparency within the Food System

As consumer interest in food system transparency increases, The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) is on a mission to better define the term for farmers and food companies, retailers and restaurants, knowing transparency means different things to different people.

CFI launched The National Food Transparency Project late last year, beginning with consumer focus groups and following with extensive consumer research in 2015 to zero in on the information consumers most want about products, policies and practices in each segment of the food chain.

Now, CFI is inviting consumers to weigh in directly by logging on to www.TransparencyTable.org and sharing with CFI what information will meet their desires for greater transparency in the food system. Responses will be tabulated and included in the key learnings at the 2015 CFI Food Integrity Summit, November 17-18 in New Orleans, where results of The National Food Transparency Project will be unveiled.

Transparency is a key component of building consumer trust, as demonstrated by CFI’s groundbreaking research-based consumer trust model. CFI’s 2013 research went further by identifying the principles of transparency. This past research lays the foundation for the 2015 work, which includes a guidebook of best practices to achieving greater transparency.

The National Food Transparency Project demonstrates the desire of CFI members, which includes farmers and ranchers, food processors, restaurants, retailers and food companies, to satisfy consumers’ hunger for more information in a thoughtful, meaningful manner. 



Bats Worth Over $1 Billion to Corn Industry

In the grassy cornfields of Southern Illinois bats are on the hunt for insects, and according to new research, farmers have more than a billion reasons to be grateful for it.

Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences today confirms that bats play a significant role in combating corn crop pests, saving more than $1 billion a year in crop damages around the world. Bat Conservation International funded the two-year experiment in cornfields near Horseshoe Lake in Southern Illinois, conducted by graduate student Josiah J. Maine and his adviser at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Justin Boyles.

To investigate the value of bats as agricultural pest control, Maine used custom built “exclosures” – netted structures aimed at keeping bats outside of them and away from the corn.

“The main pest in my system was the corn earworm, a moth whose larvae cause billions of dollars’ worth of damage to corn, cotton, tomatoes, and many other crops,” Maine said. “The larvae feed on corn ears, causing direct damage to yield, but they also can introduce an avenue for infection of the corn ear by fungi, which produce compounds that are toxic to humans and livestock.”

Keeping the bats out meant pests, such as the corn earworm, were largely free to reign havoc on the corn crops. But bats are not the only predators of these agricultural pests.  To ensure only bats were excluded by the exclosures Maine moved the structures twice daily so birds could forage normally.

After analyzing the results, Maine said he found nearly 60 percent more earworm larvae inside the exclosures – protected from the hungry bats – than in the unprotected control areas. He also found more than 50 percent more corn kernel damage per ear in the corn inside the exclosures.

“By consuming crop pests, bats have tremendous ecological impacts in crop fields. Based on the difference in crop damage I observed, I estimated that bats provide a service to corn farmers worth about $1 billion globally” Maine said.

In addition to controlling pest populations, bats were also found to suppress pest-associated fungal growth found in corn— a money-saving agricultural service not reflected in Maine’s suggested estimate.

“This was sort of a serendipitous discovery of this research,” Maine said. “I found that [bats] seemed to be suppressing the population of crop pests and thereby suppressing the abundance of the toxic fungus and also the toxins produced by that fungus.”

The implication of these findings serves as great news for agriculture and bat conservation alike said BCI Executive Director Andrew Walker. “Corn is an essential crop for farmers on over 150 million hectares globally. This research shows that by protecting bat species and their habitats we are not only furthering conservation, but also helping to secure a vital food source for communities worldwide.”

Boyles also hailed the study and its implications. “[This research] highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy and high functioning ecosystem,” said Boyles. “Bats are much maligned, but deserve protection if for no other reason than the ecosystem services they provide to humans.”