Wednesday October 14 Ag News

NEBRASKA ON-FARM RESEARCH NETWORK HELPS GROWERS GENERATE RESULTS

    As corn and soybean growers work to get crops out of their fields this fall, many are beginning to look toward the 2016 growing season. Harvest is the ideal time to consider how on-farm research could benefit farming operations.

    The Nebraska On-Farm Research Network provides an opportunity for growers to get questions answered about their fields. Research typically is conducted with the producer's equipment, on the producer's land and using the producer's management practices. The goal of the network is to address critical farmer production, profitability and natural resources questions.

    Several areas of on-farm research need to be planned now, such as fertilizer and cover crop studies. There are a number of fertilizer decision management tools available that growers could evaluate on their fields. Conducting that type of research requires planning, which is where the research network can provide support.

    "The on-farm research team will help growers develop a custom plan for research experiments to help them get reliable information to use when making future decisions," said Nebraska Extension educator Laura Thompson.

    Current on-farm research topics include optimal planting populations including variable rate seeding approaches, nitrogen management using several new technologies, strip-tillage, evaluation of insect and disease control products, and row spacing.

    Keith Glewen, Nebraska Extension educator, has worked with farm operators conducting on-farm research for many years.

    "The farm operator makes the final decision as to the research topic to be evaluated," Glewen said. "We encourage growers to give careful thought as to what production practice may be limiting profitability or could enhance the use of soil and water resources on their farm."

    Nebraska Extension has 23 cropping system educators who cover all 93 counties in the state. The educators are dedicated to meeting with growers on their farms and helping them answer questions specific to their region.

    "We don't all farm the same soil or in the same climate, so we don't expect the same research questions or the same results across the state," said Nathan Mueller, a Nebraska Extension educator located in Fremont.

    The research network is a collaborative partnership that includes Nebraska Extension, the Nebraska Corn Board, the Nebraska Corn Growers Association and the Nebraska Soybean Board.

    For more information on the project or how to participate, contact Thompson at 402-624-8030 or laura.thompson@unl.edu. Those interested in participating can also contact a local Nebraska Extension office or visit http://cropwatch.unl.edu/farmresearch.



tenBensel Appointed to Serve on Nebraska Ethanol Board

Jan tenBensel, who farms south of Cambridge, Nebraska, joins the Nebraska Ethanol Board as a wheat production representative. He was appointed by Gov. Pete Ricketts Oct. 9.

tenBensel was raised on the family farm and has been farming his own diversified crop operation 25 years. He produces wheat, corn, soybeans and grain sorghum. Currently, he serves on the Cambridge Board of Education and the Cambridge Economic Development Board. tenBensel and his wife, Jodi, have two-year-old twins Gavin and Reese.

Steve Hanson of Elsie, Nebraska, was recognized for his board service from September 2007 to August 2015.  Hanson preceded tenBensel as the wheat representative on the Ethanol Board.

tenBensel joins current board members: Paul Kenney, chairman (Kearney, Neb.); Mike Thede, vice chairman (Palmer, Neb.); Mark Ondracek, secretary (Omaha, Neb.); Galen Frenzen (Fullerton, Neb.); Tod Brodersen (Hastings, Neb.); Tim Else (Belvidere, Neb.); and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chemical Engineering Professor Hunter Flodman, who serves as the board’s technical advisor.

Members of the Nebraska Ethanol Board are appointed by the Governor to serve four year terms.  The seven-member board includes four members actively engaged in farming (general farming, corn, wheat and sorghum), one member representing labor interests, one member representing petroleum marketers and one member representing business. The board’s technical advisor serves as a non-voting member.



Deadline to Apply for Pork Checkoff Board of Directors Nears

The Pork Checkoff’s Board of Directors is now accepting nominations to fill five three-year terms. State pork producer associations, farm organizations or anyone who pays into the Pork Checkoff, which includes pig farmers and pork importers, may submit nominees.

Pork Act Delegates must rank a minimum of eight candidates before being sent to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for approval.

Serving on the National Pork Board is a great opportunity for producers to show their support of the industry, while helping to plan for a successful future. Any person who is a pork producer or importer and has paid all Checkoff assessments due, or is a representative of a producer or company that produces hogs and/or pigs, is eligible to serve on the National Pork Checkoff Board.

The 15 positions on the Checkoff board are held by pork producers or importers who volunteer their time. Seats to be elected in 2016 are currently held by:
    Wathina Luthi, Oklahoma
    Derrick Sleezer, Iowa
    Terry O’Neel, Nebraska
    Mike Wyant, Missouri
    Janet Archer, North Carolina

Candidates are also being sought for three open positions on the Pork Board Nominating Committee. Those appointed to the nominating committee will fill two, two-year terms in 2016 and 2017 and one-one year term in 2017. The Pork Checkoff Nominating Committee will solicit, interview, evaluate and recommend candidates for the Board to the Pork Act Delegate Body at the National Pork Industry Forum.

The application deadline is Nov. 1, 2015, with interviews for each candidate to be held in Des Moines on Dec. 10-11, 2015. Please direct application requests and questions to the National Pork Checkoff Board either by mail to 1776 NW 114th St., Clive, Iowa 50325, by telephone to Ashley Lowrey at (515) 223-2600, or email ALowrey@pork.org. More information and applications are also available at www.pork.org/about-us/get-involved.

The National Pork Checkoff Board consists of 15 members, each serving a maximum of two three-year terms. The Pork Act requires that no fewer than 12 states be represented by the 15 Pork Board members.



Bringing Biotechnology to Life Classroom Resource Launched at World Food Prize Symposium

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and the International Food Information Council Foundation announced the global launch of Bringing Biotechnology to Life, a free educational resource that aims to facilitate learning about agricultural biotechnology and its role in food production. The new curriculum was unveiled at the World Food Prize 2015 Borlaug Dialogue international symposium.

“Bringing Biotechnology to Life is a science-based classroom resource with applicable lessons related to agriculture,” said Julie Tesch, executive director of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. “This resource is fact- and research-based and has been reviewed by an array of scientists, so the science behind it is very sound.”

“Many consumers do not understand the impact biotechnology makes on agriculture and our lives,” Tesch said. “Our goal is to have this resource provide students with the tools they need to make informed decisions about the practical uses of biotechnology. “

 Noted Kimberly Reed, president of the IFIC Foundation, “We are honored to debut this educational resource at the World Food Prize symposium, where the world’s foremost experts are convened to discuss cutting-edge issues in food security. As we mark the 101st anniversary of the birth of Dr. Norman Borlaug, father of the ‘Green Revolution’ and the man who saved a billion lives, we want to engage and inspire students as they consider future careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to help us feed our growing planet.”

 The resource includes seven sequential lesson plans for educators which address national learning standards for 7th to 10th grade students. Lessons focus on topics including the following:
    What is DNA?
    How can we examine DNA?
    What is Selective Breeding?
    What is Biotechnology?
    The Technology of Life
    How is Biotechnology Used?
    How do researchers compare DNA?
    Where would we be without “GMOs”?

A research and public presentation module also is included to encourage students to take what they have learned and present it to an audience outside the classroom.

Bringing Biotechnology to Life guides the learner through the process of understanding DNA, selective breeding, biotechnology and “GMOs.” Students also are presented with tools to evaluate the reliability of information they see and hear.

Tesch and Reed unveiled the new curriculum at a World Food Prize side event hosted by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) honoring 2015 Borlaug CAST Communication Awardee Dr. Channapatna Prakash, College of Arts and Sciences at Tuskegee University. The Borlaug CAST Communication Award is presented annually by CAST for outstanding achievement by a scientist, engineer, technologist, or other professional working in the agricultural, environmental, or food sectors in contributing to the advancement of science in the public policy arena.

The Bringing Biotechnology to Life learning kit is available for download at no cost online at http://www.foodinsight.org/biotech-curricula or http://www.agfoundation.org/images/uploads/EG_Biotech_Final.pdf.



TPP expected to benefit the Iowa beef industry

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association supports the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. On October 5, 2015, TPP was signed by 12 countries on the Pacific Rim including Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States.

The TPP trade agreement will provide a platform for U.S. exports in a region that includes some of the world’s most robust economies, representing nearly 40 percent of global GDP. TPP follows the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) reauthorization in July, which allowed the United States Trade Representative’s Office to be the sole negotiator in TPP discussions on behalf of the U.S. ICA also supported TPA and encouraged Iowa’s delegation to pass the legislation.

Although details of the agreement are still unknown, TPP will reduce tariffs and level the competitive playing field for US beef exports to export markets. In particular, beef’s largest export market, Japan, will see a tariff reduction from 38.5% to 9% over the next 15 years.

Beef exports currently add more than $350 to each head of cattle sold in the U.S. Additional foreign marketing opportunities will allow the U.S. to not only maintain current demand, but potentially add more value to asking price of a fed steer long term.

“This is a good development for Iowa’s beef business. The Japanese like the marbled beef that comes out of Iowa, and we have a lot to gain from this agreement,” says ICA past president Ed Greiman.

The conclusion of negotiations is the first step in a long process. The White House must make TPP text available to the public for a 60 day comment period before Congress has the opportunity to approve the trade agreement.



Kansas to receive $2.25 million for feed laboratory accreditation

The Kansas Department of Agriculture has been selected to receive a cooperative agreement totaling $2.25 million over the next five years from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This FDA grant allows for collaboration between the KDA Agriculture Laboratory and the Dairy and Feed Safety program to expand animal feed testing and safety in Kansas.

The funding provides KDA the ability to implement a feed safety program within the framework of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards set forth by the FDA. This will allow KDA’s laboratory to increase current animal feed testing capabilities which will expand the existing quality system. The cooperative agreement will also allow for the KDA laboratory to expand its ISO 17025 accreditation, establishing a more complete quality system and increasing the quality analytical data collected. ISO 17025 accreditation attests to the competency and technical capabilities of a laboratory to perform certain testing and supports the traceability of any data generated.

“The development and implementation of these standards will help both federal and state programs better direct their regulatory activities toward reducing hazards, consequently improving the safety and security of the animal feed supply in Kansas,” said Sarah DeDonder, KDA Agriculture Laboratory program manager.

Kansas was one of 21 states selected to receive the cooperative agreement. The additional funding will help the agency in achieving its vision of a balanced approach to ensuring a safe food supply, protecting natural resources, promoting public health and safety, protecting animal health, and providing consumer protection to the best of the department’s ability.



Earn Free Beef Quality Assurance Certification This Fall

From now through Nov. 20, producers and those affiliated with the cattle industry can take advantage of free Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) online certification at www.BIVI-BQA.com. This opportunity is possible through a partnership between Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) and the check-off funded BQA program.

BQA helps increase consumer confidence in the beef industry by demonstrating that the industry responsibly raises a safe, wholesome and healthy beef supply. Now is a critical time to reinforce industry best practices for cattle production, as consumers are more interested than ever in where their food comes from.

"We recently asked consumers in a major metropolitan area questions about beef production, and they overwhelmingly wanted greater transparency and more information about how we are treating animals," said Dr. Scott King, director of marketing for the U.S. Cattle Business Segment at BIVI. "BQA certification gives producers an opportunity to talk about their commitment to raising a better quality product."

"Consumers care about where their food comes from and we need to give them that information," agreed Scott Niess, a cow-calf producer and feedlot operator in northern Iowa who serves on the National Cattlemen's Beef Association federation board of directors. "There are a lot of protein choices and I believe that if we as producers become BQA certified we will give consumers confidence that our beef products are high quality and nutritious, and that our animals are treated and processed well."

All segments of the industry can benefit from becoming BQA certified, including producers from cow-calf, dairy, stocker and feedlot operations, and anyone affiliated with those segments. With an overall focus on animal handling and disease treatment and prevention, online certification modules are customized to meet each segment's needs.

More than 22,000 have enrolled in the BQA free certification program since BIVI partnered with BQA in 2013 — an impressive number that reflects both beef and dairy producers’ commitment to producing a quality beef product.



Prepare for PEDv by Updating Biosecurity Steps

Reviewing and refining biosecurity procedures are essential to ensuring the safety of our farms. The recent emergence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) in the last few years has driven efforts to better evaluate and improve biosecurity in the U.S. pork industry.

Paul Thomas, DVM, AMVC Management Services, encourages producers to update their biosecurity programs on a regular basis. Through improved standards of biosecurity on farms, producers can help reduce the risk of spreading disease. Biosecurity also needs to be adjusted routinely to keep up with changes on the farm as well as when risks change.

“For example, when we first started to see PEDv, most producers thought they had good biosecurity practices in place,” Dr. Thomas said. “However, what we quickly learned was that common biosecurity practices were effective for helping to prevent the threat of some diseases, but for PEDv, biosecurity practices needed to be even better.”

Faced with this challenge, producers and veterinarians across the country worked together over the last two years to strengthen farm security measures, which as a result, helped prevent a more widespread outbreak.

“After you’ve experienced a disease outbreak, it’s easy to remember to update and reinforce biosecurity practices,” Dr. Thomas said. “However, if you haven’t had a disease incident on your farm, herd immunity might be lacking, and a focus on biosecurity becomes more important than ever.”

With the help of your farm veterinarian, consider evaluating biosecurity externally and internally to ensure good biosecurity practices are in place.

External biosecurity:  Look at all ways the virus could get on an operation. This can include:

·         Transportation. Make sure trucks are clean and incoming animals are disease-free. Make sure feed and propane trucks, which may have visited another farm first, are following a biosecurity hierarchy, such as visiting sow farms before finishing farms. Give all employees the authority to reject trucks that are not clean.

·         Employees. Help employees understand that biosecurity starts before the farm. It requires constant awareness. Employees should minimize travel to other farms or areas where livestock are kept. Establish clean-dirty lines so any exposure stops at the door. Empower employees to help identify risks for farm safety.

·         Supplies. Have protocols for incoming supplies, such as medication, maintenance materials and feed ingredients. This might include an evaluation and disinfection procedure as well as quarantine time before bringing supplies near animals.

Internal biosecurity
Good internal biosecurity helps keep diseases from moving around a farm. Internal biosecurity includes practices such as separating new piglets from older animals that might not be clinically ill but could be shedding some amount of virus. Setting up boot wash stations within the farm is important. Consider required glove changes as well as protocols requiring employees to move from younger to older pigs.

“Producers did a great job stepping up their biosecurity before last winter,” said Rick Swalla, DVM, Pork Technical Services, Zoetis. “We’ve seen fewer cases of PEDv this year, but there is still a risk, especially as colder weather approaches and the virus is able to live and spread easier. We need to continue to work together to keep up an emphasis on biosecurity again so we don’t see a lot of PEDv outbreaks this coming year.”



Your Life is Worth the Wait: Union Pacific Launches Safety Campaign

It sounds simple. When railroad crossing arms are down or the warning lights are flashing, drivers and pedestrians must wait for the passing train. But last year, Federal Railroad Administration statistics reveal 915 people nationwide were killed or injured trespassing on railroad property.

Union Pacific Railroad this week launched a new campaign exclusively on social media, urging drivers and pedestrians to think about their personal safety first and wait at grade crossings. New videos depict different scenarios in which a jogger, young couple and father and son are stopped, waiting for a train to pass. When the arms lift, each proceeds safely toward a spectacular future.

"Our message is straightforward -- Your Life is Worth the Wait," said Scott Moore, Union Pacific senior vice president -- Corporate Relations. "Union Pacific trains operate in more than 7,300 communities; too often our employees see drivers or pedestrians sneak around the gates. Even after applying the emergency brakes, it can take a mile for a train to stop; the risk is never worth it."

To watch campaign videos and share this important safety reminder, visit up.com.

This is Union Pacific's second safety campaign launched exclusively on social media this year. The first addressed high school photography on railroad tracks.