Wednesday September 2 Ag News

 Cover Crop Forages:  The Nitrate Dilemma
 Amy Timmerman – Nebraska Extension Educator

Planting cover crops such as brassicas and small grains during late summer or early fall   is becoming a more common and accepted practice. These species have been used as high quality forage for many years and often will be grazed as a forage double crop
·    less than 3,000 to 5,000 ppm nitrates as safe for all livestock,
·    over 9,000 to 10,000 ppm nitrates as potentially toxic, and
·    levels in between as risky for pregnant cattle. 

Nitrate concentrations in excess of 20,000 ppm nitrates have been reported for these crops in recent years, especially for brassicas like turnips. Thus, many fields containing these forage double crops have appeared dangerous to use.   Factors like high levels of soil nitrate, mineral imbalances, and growing conditions that slow plant growth like drought, frost, and cloudy weather can increase nitrate accumulation; however, these factors did not seem to fully explain the high levels measured in these cover crops.

Because of these high nitrate levels, many fields with large amounts of high quality, but potentially toxic, double crop forage were left unused. This certainly was a reasonable decision given the potential loss of life and financial loss that may have resulted from using the high nitrate forage.

Some producers, though, did use their forage double crops primarily by grazing despite the high risk of nitrate toxicity.   Since there have been very few reports of losses due to nitrates from using these forages, it is apparent that much remains unknown regarding toxic levels of nitrates and using high-nitrate forages.

Brassicas and small grains should continue to be considered for use as forage double crops.   Samples of the forage should be collected periodically, though, and tested for nitrate content.   If high levels are detected, the safest alternative is to allow these high nitrate crops to remain as traditional cover crops until the next cropping season for soil and moisture conservation.   Much of the N in the nitrates will remain for subsequent cropping systems.  

Recommendations for Grazing High Nitrate Forages
If used as forage, take appropriate steps to minimize losses. Risk of nitrate poisoning can be mitigated several ways.

Nitrate poisoning is dose-dependent—both the amount and concentration of nitrate in the diet as well as how rapidly it's consumed will influence the likelihood of toxicity.   Avoid rapid consumption of high nitrate forages.   Grazing and feeding strategies that either reduce the amount of nitrate consumed or spread its consumption across a longer time will lower the chance of animals being harmed. These strategies include:
·    Adapt animals slowly to high nitrate forages.
·    Graze pastures lightly to allow animals to selectively graze plant parts that are lower in nitrate concentration.
·    Avoid feeding high nitrate forages to very hungry animals.
·    Feed a probiotic that provides the rumen with microbes that convert nitrates to a non-toxic form.
·    Dilute nitrate concentration by feeding with a low nitrate feedstuff.
·    Feed grain to supply energy for rumen microbes to convert nitrate into bacterial protein.
·    Feed frequent, small meals to spread out nitrate consumption.
·    Ensiling forage often, but not always, reduces nitrate concentration 40-60%.
·    Use extra care feeding high nitrate forage that has been ground due to rapid consumption and reduced selectivity.

Even though the potential for nitrate toxicity exists, careful management can be used to reduce livestock losses.

For additional information on high nitrate forages or help with nitrate testing, please contact your local Nebraska Extension educator.



Crossroads GPS Offers Trimble Irrigate-IQ Precision Irrigation Solution for Nebraska Farms

Crossroads GPS Inc. of York, Nebraska announced today that it has been certified as an official reseller for the Trimble® Irrigate-IQ™ precision irrigation solution for the state of Nebraska.

The Trimble Irrigate-IQ solution uses GPS hardware and software to provide nozzle-by-nozzle or span-by-span control of pivot irrigation systems. It is extremely flexible, giving farmers the options to turn off half a span of a pivot, or just a nozzle. In addition, Irrigate-IQ works on irrigators from most major manufacturers and requires no costly panel changes.

With Irrigate-IQ’s Web-based solution, a farmer can see in real time the location and status of the irrigator and a visual simulation of the current water consumption and irrigation patterns. Farmers can remotely stop the pivot; change its direction; turn the water on or off; and change the pivot speed from any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection.

 “With Irrigate-IQ, users have the ability to open the app on their phone, press go and the pivot will start walking on its own. Farmers can save the time and effort of trying to contact someone to visit the field and move the pivot,” said Crossroads GPS Inc. owner Wesley Williamsen. “Crossroads is excited to make Irrigate-IQ available to farmers in Nebraska. Our customers have been really pleased to see how simple, effective and easy the Irrigate-IQ solution is and how efficient it’s making their irrigation operations.”



NeFU Sponsors Renewable Energy Forum at Lifelong Learning Center

Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) President John Hansen announced that his organization is sponsoring a free public renewable energy forum at the Lifelong Learning Center, 701 Benjamin Avenue, Norfolk starting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 10th.  The forum will focus on the importance and potential of farm based renewable energy, including wind and solar from farm to commercial scale use.  He encourages the public to attend.

Neligh area farmer Art Tanderup and his solar installer Martin Kleinschmit of Hartington will discuss the process and financing used to install a solar electric generation system at Art’s farm.  Solar energy is increasingly being used by farmers and small businesses, and in communities around the state.

Lyle Kathol, Dean of the Applied Technology Division of Northeast Community College will discuss the state’s only Wind Energy Technology Associate of Applied Science degree program that his school sponsors for wind technicians needed to operate the growing number of wind farms in northeast Nebraska.

By the end of 2016, 72% the state’s wind energy generation capacity will be located in northeast Nebraska with 952 MW’s of the state’s 1,316 MW’s in the area served by Northeast Community College in Norfolk.  Renewable energy is the fastest growing source of new tax base, farm income, and local jobs in rural northeast Nebraska.  Those 545 area wind turbines need technicians to service them. 

Rev. Kim Morrow, Executive Director of Nebraska Interfaith Power and Light will discuss the importance of renewable energy as part of the religious community’s moral response to the growing challenges posed by climate change.

John Atkeison, a long time analyst, researcher, and writer on renewable energy, climate change, and wildlife issues will present the findings of the University of Nebraska’s report “Understanding and Assessing Climate Change: Implications for Nebraska”.  The report was prepared for the Legislature as a result of LB583 passed in 2013 sponsored by Sen. Ken Haar and signed by Governor Heineman.  

John Hansen, NeFU President and Co-Chair of the Nebraska Wind and Solar Conference will provide an update on the status of wind development in Nebraska, pending renewable energy legislation in the Legislature, and topics to be covered in the upcoming 2015 Nebraska Wind and Solar Conference to be held in Omaha November 4-5th.  Hansen will also highlight the enormous economic opportunities renewable energy offers rural communities struggling to diversify and grow their tax bases, increase farm incomes, and create new good paying jobs that help rural kids stay in the rural communities they love. 



Diverse insect population means fewer pests in cornfields

Cornfields with a more diverse insect population have fewer problems with pests, according to a study done by U.S. Department of Agriculture agroecologist Jonathan Lundgren and South Dakota State University economics professor Scott Fausti.

The two-year project assessed insect populations in cornfields on 53 farms in eastern South Dakota. It is the first to use social network analysis to study insect communities in the corn production system to understand how large groups of organisms interact from an applied angle. The project was supported by a $150,000 National Institute of Food and Agriculture seed grant.

“This research gives farmers a metric whereby they can assess their corn production system,” said Lundgren, pointing out that use of no-till and a diverse crop rotation plan can improve insect diversity.

“It also has implications for costs associated with producing corn,” Fausti added. “A balanced ecosystem can lead to reduced costs associated with insecticides.”

The results are published in the July 31 issue of Science Advances. Philippa Benson, managing editor of Science Advances, said, “This is high quality research that is novel and that moves the field of concern forward meaningfully.”

Lundgren and a team of 10 economics and biology graduate and undergraduate students harvested 50 plants during pollination on each farm. They dissected approximately 2,650 plants and identified more than 37,000 insect specimens.

The research suggests that it’s not the number of species, but the balance of species within the insect communities that are responsible for pest suppression.

“To understand the ecological community, you need to look at the system in the real world,” pointed out Fausti, who worked with the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council and SDSU Extension to select the sites. Each field had to cover at least 10 acres.

Farms ranged from conventional to organic, Lundgren explained. The variety of crops and landscaping characteristics make the study “a good snapshot of corn production in the state.”

During the last 50 years, American agriculture has moved to a more chemically intensive production system, Fausti explained. In 2013, U.S. farmers spent $3.2 billion to control corn pests. “Unfortunately, the chemicals we use have a negative impact on nontargeted insects.”

The researchers emphasized the need to focus on profitability rather than yields. Farmers that adopt a diverse cropping system can reduce the need for insecticides and thus lower their input costs, according to Lundgren.

In addition, a more diverse cropping system also decreases the revenue variability in farm production, Fausti explained. “It’s about not putting all your eggs in one basket.”

Lundgren is working on similar studies, including a project to assess insects and profitability on farms in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. “This opens a lot of opportunities to apply community ecology in ways never done before.”



National Soy Checkoff Targets Soybean Innovation for Farmer Profit Opportunities

Maximizing the profit potential of every U.S. soybean farmer means seeing beyond today; it means driving soybean innovation in products and services to meet customers’ needs tomorrow.

That’s why the farmer-leaders of the national soy checkoff made driving innovation the center of their new, groundbreaking 5-year strategic plan, which will guide all national soy checkoff investments from fiscal years 2017 to 2022.

“We American soybean farmers have had a good run these past few years, but being profitable in the future will mean something different than being profitable in the past,” said United Soybean Board (USB) Chairman Bob Haselwood, who raises soybeans, corn and wheat on his farm in Berryton, Kansas. “We need to focus on meeting our customers’ changing needs, and giving them a reason to keep choosing U.S. soy over increasing competition. That’s what’s going to help us ensure our children and grandchildren will have the same chance to maximize their profit opportunities that we have had.”

The new plan sets its sights on a future in which the U.S. soy industry increases the value of soybean meal for various species, from poultry to pork to aquaculture, and is recognized by customers for its highly desirable attributes such as its superior amino-acid profile and sustainability. The new plan also prioritizes supporting soybean farmers’ use of technological advances to maximize their on-farm profit opportunities, as well as the ongoing development of high oleic soybean oil to increase soy’s share of the edible-oil market.

“We are intensifying our focus on the areas that matter most to farmer-profit potential,” said USB Vice Chairman Jared Hagert, who led a panel of national- and state-checkoff farmer-leaders in drafting the new plan. “The nine central goals of the plan focus on the areas that stand to bring the most value to U.S. soybean farmers, and we worked with others throughout the U.S. soy value chain – state soybean boards, land-grant universities, extension, processors, buyers and customers – to ensure we’re all aligned for the good of the industry,” said Hagert, who raises soybeans, edible beans, corn and wheat on his farm in Emerado, North Dakota.

“USB has always been forward-thinking and strategic in how it invests farmer checkoff dollars,” said Chairman Haselwood. “But the national soy checkoff has risen to a new level with this progressive framework, and the American soybean farmers we serve – our families, friends and neighbors among them – deserve nothing less.”



EIA: Ethanol Stocks, Demand Higher

U.S. Energy Information Administration released a report midmorning showing ethanol stocks in the United States rose to a four-week high, while implied demand increased to the highest level since the agency started keeping ethanol records in June 2010.

The EIA reported total ethanol stocks surged 374,000 bbl to 19.002 million bbl during the week-ended Aug. 28, with a year-over-year stock surplus at 7.5%. 

Ethanol imports of 12,000 bpd were reported along PADD 5 West Coast.

The report showed domestic ethanol production tumbled to the lowest level since early May, down 4,000 bpd to 948,000 bpd while up 2.9% year-on-year.

Blender inputs, a gauge for ethanol demand, rose last week by 18,000 bpd or 2.0% to a record high of 921,000 bpd while up 4.7% versus a year earlier.

EIA data shows implied demand for gasoline remains volatile, rising 249,000 bpd to 9.438 million bpd, with the four-week average through Aug. 28 4.8% above the comparable year-ago period at 4.8%.



Herd Expansion Underway, But Beef Supplies Remain Tight

U.S. cattle producers are responding to recent record-high prices by expanding their herds, but Americans' appetite for beef will play a crucial role in how the larger supply will play out for the producer's bottom line, according to a Kansas State University agricultural economist.

Demand for beef has been strong the past two years, even in the face of those record-high prices, said Glynn Tonsor, agricultural economist with K-State Research and Extension.

"The consumer has been willing to pay more for beef and pork than we thought they would," he said, noting that consumers are spending a smaller percent of their disposable income on red meat than they used to. "Going forward, hopefully they will continue to pay those prices."

"The importance of demand will be clear over the next two to five years," said Tonsor, speaking at the recent K-State Risk and Profit Conference. "Cattle futures are indicating that prices will move lower, but that doesn't mean that the sky is falling. Prices are still good, just not as good as the record highs of last year."

Producers are retaining heifers to rebuild their herds at "astronomical" rates, Tonsor said, adding that the 6.5 percent rate of heifer retention as beef cow replacements so far in 2015 is the third highest rate since 1974.

"Cattle prices are lower in 2015 compared with the high prices of 2014, but I'm not as bearish as I sound," he said.

The average price for steers coming out of feedlots in the five key U.S. cattle feeding areas in 2014 was $154.56, up almost 23 percent from a year earlier, according to data Tonsor shared that was compiled by the Livestock Marketing Information Center. The five areas are Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Iowa-Minnesota.

The LMIC projected the average price of steers in the five-market area in the third quarter of 2015 at $149 to $151 per hundredweight (cwt), down 5.4 percent from the previous quarter at $158.11. The fourth quarter price is projected at $153 to $156.

Even with herd expansion underway, the average price for 2015 is projected by LMIC at $156 to $157 per cwt, up 1.3 percent from 2014. The average price for 2016 is forecast at $153 to $155, down 1.6 percent from the 2015 projected average.

Unlike the still positive outlook for cattle and beef prices, Tonsor said the outlook for cattle feedlots is rough. The industry has excess capacity, and even with the cattle herd expansion underway, the trend toward negative returns for feedlots is unlikely to change much in the near future. Taking into account the costs associated with cattle feeding, including feeder cattle prices, feed and other expenses, Tonsor said feedlots were losing about $210 per steer as of June 2015.

He posts an updated Kansas feedlot net returns chart monthly on www.agmanager.info.

Going forward, beef producers should be mindful of avian influenza's effect in poultry production, the effect porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) has on pork production and how these could affect the beef market. Mandatory country-of-origin labeling, beef industry infrastructure and other factors should stay on producers' radar.

"Identifying and acting upon comparative advantage will increasingly be key," Tonsor said.



Internship Opportunities Available for the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show
 
Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show internships. If you are a college junior or above and are interested in being a part of the cattle industry’s largest event you are encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA, a passion for the cattle and agricultural industry and the ability to travel to San Diego Jan. 25-30. NCBA President, Philip Ellis, said this internship is a great opportunity for college students to gain first-hand experience and network with leaders from every segment of the cattle and beef industry.

“Convention interns will benefit from a behind the scenes look at the cattle industry’s most prestigious event,” said Ellis. “The skills they are able to take from their experience and the contacts they make during this internship will last a lifetime.”

Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show interns are vital to the success of the event and a valued member of the team. Student interns will help many different NCBA staff members with a variety of meetings and events. Students should be prepared for a wide range of responsibilities from overseeing committee sign-in to working closely with the NCBA Political Action Committee and Cattlemen to Cattlemen television program.

“In addition to working with leaders in the cattle industry, the convention internship gives student the opportunity to meet and work with other young people from across the country,” said Ellis. “I would strongly recommend anyone who is interested to apply for this one-of-a-kind opportunity.”

Applications for the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show internship are due by Oct. 1. For more information and to apply go to www.BeefUSA.org and click on careers. Apply today and get ready to Set Sail for San Diego.



It’s harvest season: Are the children safe?

Keeping children safe while they live, play and work on farms can be challenging. It’s even more difficult during harvest season, peak time for agricultural injuries.

A webinar exploring childhood farm hazards will be presented at noon central time, Wednesday, September, 23, by two members of the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety: Youth Agricultural Safety Specialist Marsha Salzwedel, and Project Manager Bryan Weichelt.

Each year, news headlines tell grim but preventable stories of death and injury. Non-working children, ages 6-and-under, are particularly vulnerable, Salzwedel said. This webinar will describe actual childhood injury incidents and preview an injury news clippings website. Topics covered will include:
-    Tractors and equipment (run-overs and falls, entanglement, etc.)
-    Engulfment and suffocation hazards with grain harvesting and storage
-    Hazards resulting from harvesting crops (picking fruit/vegetables, urban/community gardens, etc.)
-    Exposures/hazards while visiting farms (hay rides, corn mazes, farmers’ markets, etc.)

The webinar will also describe proven safety strategies and resources that farmers, parents and employers are encouraged to use to keep children safe. Time will be provided for questions and discussion.

AgriSafe Network is hosting the webinar as part of its National Farm Safety and Health Week series. To register for the free webinar, go to https://agn.memberclicks.net/live-webinars.

For more information about National Farm Safety and Health Week (Sept. 20-26), go to http://www.necasag.org/.



Russia 2015 Grain Harvest Catching Up With Last Year's Pace

Russia's grain harvest has picked up pace after a slow start due to rainy weather, and is now catching up with last year's levels, though the full harvest is still expected to fall slightly short of last year's total.

Since mid-June, and through Sept. 1, Russia has harvested 72 million tons of grains on 27.1 million hectares, with an average yield of 2.66 tons a hectare, the Agriculture Ministry reported Wednesday.

For the same period last year, the harvest was 75.3 million tons on 26.6 million hectares with an average yield of 2.83 tons/ha.

In terms of wheat, Russia has harvested 49.1 million tons on 16.5 million hectares with the average yield of 2.98 tons/ha. That's ahead of the 47.9 million tons harvested last year, though yields were higher in 2014 at 3.27 tons/ha.

The barley harvest totaled 14.4 million tons on 6.1 million ha with the average yield of 2.37 tons/ha. On the same date last year the barley harvest stood at 17.3 million tons on 6.9 million ha with the average yield of 2.52 tons/ha.

The ministry estimates this year's total grain harvest will be 102.9 million metric tons, slightly lower than last year's harvest of 105.3 million tons of grain.

The ministry expects a wheat harvest this year at 59.8 million tons compared with 59.7 million tons last year. The barley harvest this year is expected at 17.4 million tons compared with 20.4 million tons last year. The corn harvest is expected at 13 million tons compared with 11.3 million tons last year.



FMC Extends Authority Brand Herbicides Partnership with Monsanto

FMC Corporation and Monsanto Company announced today an expanded agreement to continue their participation in the Roundup Ready PLUS Crop Management Solutions platform. The exclusive agreement includes FMC's Authority brand sulfentrazone herbicides, and adds FMC's Capture LFR insecticide as a soil-applied insecticide for corn in the Monsanto recommendation platform as a qualifying brand.

When launched, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans will be the first biotech-stacked soybean trait with tolerance to both dicamba and glyphosate. The patented Roundup Ready 2 Xtend trait is built upon the high-yielding Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean trait technology. FMC's Authority herbicide brands provide broad-spectrum control of weeds on a wide range of soil types, geographies and weed conditions. The Authority herbicide brand platform utilizes several premixes to provide pre-emergence weed control included within Roundup Ready PLUS Crop Management Solutions.

Monsanto anticipates the new Roundup Ready 2 Xtend trait technology will be available to soybean growers in 2016. Post-emergence use of dicamba herbicide within the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System is pending regulatory approval.



DuPont Pioneer Commits $300,000 to Food and Agricultural Education Grants

DuPont Pioneer and the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) announced today that for the third year in a row, Pioneer will award $300,000 through grants totaling up to $5,000 to fund training and classroom resources that will help implement advanced agriculture curiculums.

Grant recipients are public and private schools and universities whose teachers are implementing Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) in their classrooms. CASE is a multi-year approach to agriscience education with rigorous educator training requirements and hands-on, inquiry focused learning activities. Teachers will use the grants to attend training, purchase equipment and materials, and conduct end-of-course assessments.

“We expect agriculture teachers to be ‘jacks-of-all-trades’ as they must teach a variety of agricultural and natural resources related subjects while enhancing core-academic disciplines, such as science and mathematics,” said Dan Jansen, CASE project director. “However, our agriculture teachers have minimal resources to equip themselves and their classrooms to provide rigorous instruction. Funding provided by DuPont Pioneer is essential for teachers to gain cutting-edge professional development experiences with CASE to enhance their teaching practices and implement STEM-based agriculture courses. The long-term impact of this support will benefit hundreds, if not thousands, of high school agriculture students.”

“Ensuring there is enough safe, affordable and nutritious food for all will require that more students understand agriculture and become future leaders in food production,” said Robin Habeger, Academic Outreach manager for DuPont Pioneer. “We know that we cannot do this alone and are working with others in agriculture and education to give teachers the best resources to encourage children to understand agriculture and consider careers in the industry.”

The DuPont Pioneer Global Giving Program is intended to improve food security by advancing agriculture through science, education and innovation and to enhance the quality of life for farmers and their communities globally. Addressing the unique challenges of our local communities promotes economic growth, improved health and overall quality of life – all factors important to a healthy and strong business climate.



Cargill Expands in Egypt

Cargill has announced it is spending $100 million to double capacity at a soybean crushing facility in Egypt to meet increasing demand for soybean meal and vegetable oil in that country.

A spokeswoman for Cargill says the crushing facility in Borg El Arab near Alexandria, Egypt, sources soybeans from North America, Latin America and the Black Sea region.

The expansion of the soybean crush plant will had a 3,000 metric ton production line to the facility and allow Cargill "to leverage its existing crush capabilities to maximize economies of scale and efficiencies in its production process for both soybean meal and oil," the company stated.

Along with doubling the crush capacity, Cargill will also build an additional 42,000 metric tons of storage capacity at the port of Dekheila in Alexandria.

Construction on the crush plant will begin in November and should be operational in mid-2017. The storage facility should be operational by the end of 2016, Cargill stated.

Cargill has been operating in Egypt since 1994 and owns a majority stake in the National Vegetable Oils Company as well as owning a majority share in the national Stevedoring Co. at the Dekheila port.



New Campaign Shows Chipotle Serves B.S. With Every Burrito

The Center for Consumer Freedom is launching a new campaign Thursday targeting Chipotle’s “Food with Integrity” marketing manipulation that sells consumers empty promises. The launch, which comes just days after Chipotle was slapped with a class action lawsuit for misleading advertising, includes a full-page ad in the New York Post and a new website, ChubbyChipotle.com.

Chipotle uses claims like “GMO-free” to make its food seem better, however genetically improved foods are overwhelmingly recognized by scientists to be just as healthy and safe as conventional food. But Chipotle’s burritos aren’t exactly the paragon of health food: The typical order at Chipotle has about 1,070 calories, according to The New York Times.

The site also takes aim at Chipotle’s hypocritical and shifting stance on antibiotic use and animal housing.

“Chipotle claims to be ethical but its ‘Food with Integrity’ marketing doesn’t have any filling. It’s an empty ploy that is highly unscientific and harms animal welfare,” Will Coggin, director of research at the Center for Consumer Freedom, said. “Considering how Chipotle ignores scientists and experts, ‘Food with Hypocrisy’ would be more honest slogan.”