Wednesday September 9 Ag News

WHEN TO ROTATE ALFALFA
Bruce Anderson, Nebraska Extension Forage Specialist

               When should you rotate to a new field of alfalfa?  One obvious answer is when the stand gets too thin.  Okay, then, what is too thin?  One guideline I use is density of alfalfa shoots and plants.  Older, dryland fields should have 25 or more shoots coming from 2 or more plants per square foot to be worth saving.  Irrigated fields need 40 shoots from 3 or more plants.  If your stand is thinner than these guidelines, look for somewhere to start a new field next spring.

               Also look at weed density.  Are your fields getting weedier each year?  Are many of the problems perennial plants like bluegrass, dock, or dandelions?  If so, your alfalfa stand may lack the vigor or density needed to compete.  A new field should be considered.

               Alfalfa stands, though, sometimes last a long time.  But just because your stand is thick and weeds aren’t a problem doesn’t mean you should keep the field another year.

               This is especially true for many older dryland fields.  Once dryland fields exhaust all available subsoil moisture, yields drop even though stands may remain thick.  In these fields, yield is limited to only what annual rainfall can support.  Many dryland fields reach this stage after four or five years.  Rotating to a new field can provide a fresh source of deep subsoil moisture.  And don’t forget that the crop that follows alfalfa will get some free nitrogen as well as a rotation-based yield boost.  Rotating alfalfa through your fields just a little more frequently will give you this boost more often.

               Think about these factors as you decide whether or not to start new alfalfa next year.



NEBRASKA LEAD ANNOUNCES 2015-2017 FELLOWS

Nebraska LEAD Group 35 participants have been announced by Terry Hejny, director of the Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education/Action Development) Program.

The newest members of Nebraska's premier two-year agricultural leadership development program are involved in production agriculture and/or agribusiness in Nebraska.

"We are proud to say that Class 35 appears to be filled with outstanding individuals from throughout the state and I am excited to get started with them," Hejny said.

The two-year program will begin this month.

LEAD Fellows will participate in 12 monthly three-day seminars across Nebraska, a 10-day national study/travel seminar and a 14-16 day international study/travel seminar. The goal of the program is to develop problem solvers, decision makers and spokespersons for agriculture and Nebraska.

Seminar themes include leadership assessment and potential, natural resources and energy, leadership through communication, agricultural policy and finance, Nebraska's political process, global perspectives, nuclear energy, social and cultural issues, understanding and developing leadership skills, agribusiness and marketing, information technology, advances in health care, and the resources and people of Nebraska's Panhandle.

Nebraska LEAD 35 Fellows listed by hometown are:
    Alvo: Melissa Wheeler.
    Arnold: Blake Bierman.
    Aurora: Kim Eberly.
    Bartley: Jason Kloepping.
    Bayard: Leander Hopkins.
    Blue Hill: Sam Krueger.
    Broken Bow: Lloyd Johnson.
    Cambridge: Drew Cramer.
    Crete: Tim Higgins.
    Gibbon: Nate Lehmann.
    Gothenburg: Andy Jobman and Jana Jobman.
    Humboldt: Brenda Dutcher.
    Imperial: Logan Pribbeno.
    Indianola: Tracy Zink. 
    Kearney: Josh Frizzell.
    Lincoln: Seth Davison, Jordan Nun and Matt Wiegand.
    Norfolk: Raymond Morse.
    North Bend: Chris Armstrong and Linda Emanuel.
    Oconto: Curtis Stallbaumer.
    Omaha: Nick Hatz.
    Parks: Sye Tecker.
    Red Cloud: Clint Shipman.
    Sargent: Gerry Sheets.
    Scribner: Steve Niewohner.
    Wahoo: Jon Brabec.
    Wayne: Cale Giese.

The Nebraska LEAD Program is operated by the nonprofit Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council in cooperation with the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and 10 other institutions of higher education throughout Nebraska.



District 7 NeFU Fall Meeting Thursday in Norfolk

The Nebraska Farmers Union District 7 Fall Meeting
Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm
The Lifelong Learning Center, 701 Benjamin Avenue, Norfolk

Topics on the agenda.......
·       A preview of the upcoming NFU Fly-In
·       Election of District Officers
·       Consideration of resolutions to the NeFU Policy Committee
·       Report on NeFU activities
·       Other Business, if any
·       Supper on NeFU!



DEADLINES APPROACHING TO APPLY FOR RESOURCE CONSERVATION FUNDS

Farmers and ranchers interested in soil, water and wildlife conservation are encouraged to sign up now for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP is available from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.  Those interested in applying are encouraged to sign up before Oct. 16, 2015.

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program available to private landowners and operators. Through EQIP, farmers and ranchers may receive financial and technical help to install conservation practices on agricultural land.

According to Craig Derickson, NRCS State Conservationist, there are several options available to producers through EQIP.

“EQIP is one of our most versatile programs. It offers cost share and technical assistance to apply conservation measures on cropland and rangeland, as well as for animal feeding operations and establishing or enhancing wildlife habitat. There are many opportunities available, and NRCS staff can help landowners and operators sort out their EQIP options,” Derickson said.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program has become one of the most widely applied conservation programs in Nebraska; enrolling over 300,000 acres in 2015 with more than 1 million acres currently under contract statewide. The goal of EQIP is to provide a financial incentive to encourage landowners to install conservation practices that protect natural resources, resulting in cleaner air and water, healthy soil and more wildlife habitat.

Individuals interested in entering into an EQIP agreement may apply at any time, but the ranking of applications on hand to receive funding will begin Oct. 16, 2015. The first step is to visit your local NRCS field office and complete an application.

For more than 75 years, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has helped agricultural producers design and install conservation plans. NRCS Conservationists work with landowners on their farm or ranch to develop a conservation plan based on resource goals. Conservation planning assistance is free and does not require participation in financial programs.

For more information about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and other conservation programs, visit your local NRCS field office or www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov.



USDA Releases Results of First IA Farmland Landlord Survey Since 1999

There were 16.3 million acres of farmland rented out by landlords in Iowa, according to the results of the 2014 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey released August 31, 2015, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

NASS conducted the survey in cooperation with the USDA’s Economic Research Service to get a better insight into who owns U.S. farmland. TOTAL was the first time NASS surveyed farmland landlords since 1999. The survey results provide analysis of rented farmland by acreage, as well as by landlords, which include individuals, as well as ownership arrangements such as partnerships, corporations, trusts, and other types of ownership.

According to TOTAL findings, there were 105,194 farmland landlords in Iowa. Of these, 20,453 were farmers (operator landlords), while 84,741 were non-farming landlords. Cropland made up 92 percent of all Iowa farmland rented, 6 percent were pasture acres rented, and 2 percent were other acres rented, including acres used for forests and other land uses.

Iowa landlords received $3.74 billion in rent, the second highest in the U.S. behind Illinois.



Confined Spaces Are Hazardous for Farmers
Farm Safety and Health Week is Sept. 20-26

Farmers are exposed to various types of confined-space hazards during normal working conditions. However, it is possible to avoid being injured if proper steps are taken. During National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 20-26, agriculture engineering experts at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach suggest farmers plan ahead for hazardous situations that may occur in confined spaces.

Agricultural confined spaces can include manure pits, milk tanks, silage bunkers and grain bins. The definition of a confined space is one or more of three fundamental characteristics: it is not designed for regular occupancy by people, it has a limited entryway and/or exit, or it contains a hazardous material or atmosphere.

During harvest time, farm safety concerns focus on confined spaces such as grain bins, transport vehicles and other grain storage structures. Grain bins are not designed for human occupancy and they typically have limited entry and exit points. However, the real danger in a grain bin is the physical hazard for humans of being entrapped in grain.

Grain entrapments can happen quickly. To ensure an even flow of grain from the silo or wagon through a small opening at the unloading gate, workers will walk on top of the flowing grain and become trapped within seconds. “Grain is like quicksand,” said Charles Schwab, professor and extension specialist in agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State. “And the more you struggle, the deeper you are pulled downward.”

Even when the grain has stopped flowing, Schwab said it is difficult to rescue a submerged victim. “For instance, if someone is buried up to their chest in corn, even victims with great upper-body strength would still be unable to pull themselves out. Grain has a tremendous force of friction that most people don’t understand unless they’ve experienced it,” said Schwab.

According to Schwab, a common misconception is that people can climb up and out once they are sucked down into the grain. However, the strength required to lift a 165-pound person out of shoulder-deep grain is more than most people can handle – about 625 pounds of force is needed to pull someone out of the grain. As a person sinks deeper, the grain exerts friction and pressure, requiring easily up to 2,000 pounds of force to raise an adult.

The key is to avoid the hazard by following standard procedures while handling, transporting and storing grain:
-    Always lock all access doors to grain storage structures.
-    Never allow anyone to play or ride on grain wagons or be in the grain work area.
-    Lock out power to all types of grain-handling equipment when entering storage bins.
-    Notify a second person of where you are at all times when loading or unloading grain.

“With the variable weather this summer and leftover quality issues from last year’s harvest, expect inconsistent grain quality this fall,” said Gretchen Mosher, Iowa State assistant professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering. “Historically, quality issues in grain lead to higher incidents of grain entrapments, both on the farm and at the grain elevator. While good-quality grain can engulf a person just as quickly as poor-quality grain, when we manage grain quality adequately, there is less reason to enter a confined space grain bin,” she said.

“The goal is to make farms a safer place to live and work,” Schwab said. “Now is the time to share the concern and understand the danger of grain entrapment hazards during the 72nd observance of National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 20-26.”

More information about agricultural confined spaces is available at nasdonline.org.



Cargill, Inc., Agrees to Settle Clean Air Act Violations at Vitamin E Manufacturing Facility in Eddyville, Iowa

Cargill, Inc., a Delaware corporation, has reached an administrative civil settlement with EPA over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its Vitamin E manufacturing facility in Eddyville, Iowa.

Cargill’s Eddyville facility uses the hazardous air pollutants methanol, methyl tertiary butyl ether, and formaldehyde to produce Vitamin E and similar compounds from soybean byproducts.

Facility inspections and record reviews by EPA showed Cargill failed to comply with specific requirements of the Clean Air Act’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Pharmaceutical Production at the plant. Specific violations included failure to comply with regulations designed to prevent leaks of air pollutants from equipment at the facility, and failure to identify wastewater at the facility subject to air pollutant emission control requirements.

Cargill’s failure to comply with the standards created the potential for excess emissions of hazardous air pollutants at its facility or at additional facilities that handle Cargill’s wastewater.

Under terms of an administrative civil settlement filed by EPA in Lenexa, Kan., Cargill will pay a $110,000 civil penalty to the United States, and will perform an Enhanced Leak Detection and Repair project at the Eddyville facility for a period of one year. The project will raise the quality and effectiveness of the plant’s hazardous air pollutant leak detection program, reducing unanticipated emissions of hazardous air pollutants. Cargill’s program will be subject to third-party auditing.

Additionally, Cargill has agreed to spend at least $155,000 on a supplemental environmental project to incorporate sealless pump technology at its facility. Through this project, Cargill will replace certain mechanical seal pumps that have the potential to leak hazardous air pollutants and/or volatile organic compounds, such as ethanol. The project will be completed within a year.



Vilsack on New Data Showing National Food Security Rate is Strongest since before the Recession

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today issued the following statement on the release of the USDA Economic Research Service analysis Household Food Security in the United States in 2014:

"Today's report is a positive signal that reflects a recovering and growing economy. Food security for households with children, and households overall, is the strongest it's been since before the Recession. Two million fewer people live in a state of food insecurity today compared to 2011. This report also reflects the continued importance of anti-poverty and nutrition programs, including SNAP and healthier school meals, which help to keep food insecurity from rising, and efforts to improve employment and training programs that help low-income people obtain the skills they need to find good paying jobs so they can provide enough healthy food for their families."



US Ethanol Output Seen Over 950,000 BPD

The Energy Information Administration said ethanol production, which averaged 934,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2014, is forecast to average more than 950,000 bpd in both 2015 and 2016.

Ethanol consumption, which averaged 877,000 bpd in 2014, is forecast to average slightly more than 900,000 bpd in both 2015 and 2016, resulting in an average 9.9% ethanol share of the total gasoline pool. EIA does not expect significant increases in E15 or E85 consumption over the forecast period.

"On May 29, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule setting Renewable Fuel Standard targets for 2014 through 2016. Although these targets could be modified before the final rule is issued, they are used in developing the current STEO," EIA said.

The proposed RFS targets could encourage imports of Brazilian sugarcane ethanol, which were 3,000 bpd in 2014.

EIA reiterated that 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, slightly higher than last month's estimate, and 98,000 bpd in 2016, steady with the August STEO.

Net imports of biomass-based diesel are also expected to increase from 15,000 bpd in 2014 to 23,000 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."



US Ag Centers’ YouTube channel ready for National Farm Safety Week, Sept. 20-26

The 10 U.S. Agricultural Centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are uniquely positioned to promote safety solutions during National Farm Safety and Health Week (September 20-26), and year round.

The centers have pooled their expertise on a YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/USagCenters, featuring 80 videos. The videos can be used by Extension agents, agricultural science teachers, producers, first responders, families and others interested in agricultural safety best-practices.

The videos have undergone formal review and only the best are put on YouTube. Popular topics include grain bins, dairy, tractor rollovers and heat illness. Five new videos were added recently, including four on needlestick injuries (two Spanish, two English), and one on hearing protection.

Agriculture is among our most hazardous industries, with a work-related death rate of 22.2 deaths per 100,000 workers annually, according to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, far ahead of transportation (13.1/100,000) and mining (12.3/100,000).

The ag centers were established by Congress in 1990 in response to evidence that agricultural workers were suffering substantially higher rates of occupational injury and illness than other U.S. workers.

NIOSH, within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), funds nine regional Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention and one national center to address children’s farm safety. The NIOSH Agricultural Centers are distributed throughout the nation to be responsive to the agricultural safety and health issues unique to the different regions. Links to these centers can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/agctrhom.html.

The 2015 theme for National Farm Safety and Health Week is, “Ag Safety is not just a slogan, it’s a lifestyle.” For more information on National Farm Safety and Health Week, and safety resources, visit the website of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, http://www.necasag.org/.



Larger Brazil Soy Area Seen

With just a week to go before Brazilian farmers are allowed to plant their 2015-16 soybeans, new estimates underline prospects for a larger crop.

On Tuesday, INTL FCStone forecast area would rise 4.4%, principally due to expansion in traditional summer corn areas. For example, the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, the home of summer corn, is now increasingly a soybean state too.

Early Wednesday, local forecaster Celeres also released their numbers, forecasting a more modest 2.3% increase to 79.5 million acres, based on much more limited growth in the Cerrado.

Celeres predicts a crop of 97 million metric tons (mmt), while FCStone says historic yield averages suggest output can top the 100-mmt mark.

Planting is not expected to get off to a flying start next week, though, principally because of the weather.



All Fertilizers Drift Lower

Retail fertilizer sellers tracked by DTN for the first week of September 2015 show prices still are on the decline.

All eight of the major fertilizers slid lower in price compared to a month earlier. As was the case for the last several weeks, both urea and UAN28 registered significant price decreases.

UAN28 was 8% less while urea was 5% lower compared to a month earlier. UAN28 averaged $304/ton and urea $$439/ton.

The remaining six fertilizers had lower prices but these moves were fairly slight. DAP averaged $564/ton, MAP $583/ton, potash $471/ton, 10-34-0 $602/ton, anhydrous $659/ton and UAN32 $349/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.48/lb.N, anhydrous $0.40/lb.N, UAN28 $0.54/lb.N and UAN32 $0.55/lb.N.

With retail fertilizer moving lower in recent weeks, only one fertilizer is now higher compared to a year earlier. 10-34-0 is 9% above last year.

The remaining seven nutrients are now lower compared to retail prices from a year ago. Potash is 1% lower, both MAP and DAP are 3% less expensive, anhydrous is 4% lower, UAN32 is 7% less expensive, UAN28 is down 8% and urea is 15% less expensive versus a year ago.



API: Another Day, Another Lie

Renewable fuel opponents are continuing their attempts to restrict American consumers’ choices. Today’s stale talking points from the American Petroleum Institute aren’t new—in fact they’ve been disproven time and time again. We’ve seen the oil industry repeatedly oppose efforts to improve air quality impacts from our motor fuel supply, denying that it’s the right thing to do and making wild, doomsday predictions about the economic consequences that have never come true while arguing for policies that only hurt Americans.

Oil companies like API have resisted removing leaded gasoline, cancer-causing benzene, and MTBE, a carcinogenic ground and drinking water contaminant, from our motor fuel supply, claiming that it would spell economic disaster. That never happened. And when it comes to the RFS, a recent memo from the EPA discussed on a Fuels America conference call shows that adding ethanol to gasoline under the Renewable Fuel Standard does not increase – but actually works to decrease – retail gas prices.

Significantly, gas retailers have repeatedly told the real, on-the-ground story about the benefits of higher blend fuels. “When consumers have a choice, there is no blend wall,” said Dave Sovereign, owner and operator of the Cresco Fast Stop.

“We need to be supporting homegrown renewables. We need to be blending more ethanol into our fuel supply, not less,” said Cheryl Near, owner of Jump Start gas station in Wichita, Kansas. “We need blender pumps, we need to buy direct from the ethanol plants, and then we can pass our savings on to the consumers.”

Studies from the U.S. Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, and the University of Illinois at Chicago have disproven API’s false claims about ethanol time and again—and proven the benefits of higher renewable fuel blends at the same time. DOE research found that using ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent on average compared to regular gasoline. And in 2014 alone, ethanol blended gasoline decreased greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 40 million metric tons – the equivalent of taking more than 8 million cars off the road. Independent research also shows that using E15 decreases the risk of cancer, displacing toxic emissions from regular gasoline and reducing cancer risk by 6.6 percent.

Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy today stated, “While API and its allies attempt to keep America hooked on dirty and dangerous foreign oil, consumers are paying the price. Americans deserve market access to renewable fuel, and a cleaner, less expensive choice at the pump. Ethanol blends like E15 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make the air we breathe cleaner. And despite what API claims, over 84 percent of cars on the road today are approved to use E15.”

“Even as API and other special interests aim to protect their stranglehold over 90 percent of our fuel market, Americans realize that ethanol-blended gasoline is a cleaner, less expensive motor fuel that’s increasing our energy independence and security,” said Buis. “It’s time to put an end to the oil industry’s lies. A strong RFS is good for drivers, America’s economy, and our future.”

API has spent millions of dollars on false ads claiming that ethanol blends like E15 cause engine damage. In reality, oil companies are jeopardizing consumers by restricting choice at the pump to a dirty, more expensive fuel.