Tuesday January 19 Ag News

FARM CREDIT SERVICES OF AMERICA GIVES $100K TO UNL FOR SCIENCE, AG LITERACY

      To help more Nebraska students of all ages gain an understanding of science and agriculture, Farm Credit Services of America has given $100,000 to bolster the Science Literacy Initiative at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

      The gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation will support the university's efforts to integrate agriculture and natural resource education into pre-K through 12th grade curriculum through a combination of programs and research at the local, state, national and international levels.

      "This gift will significantly enhance the initiative's capacity to foster science literacy in Nebraska and beyond," Cory Forbes, Science Literacy Initiative coordinator, said. "We're deeply appreciative of Farm Credit's generous support and thankful for its shared commitment to this important endeavor."

      About making the gift, Bob Campbell, FCSAmerica senior vice president, said, "The University of Nebraska has a vital role in promoting science literacy as an important means of supporting the country's food and agricultural workforce now and in the future, which makes this contribution and investment especially meaningful for us and all those we serve."

      FCSAmerica is one of the region's leading providers of credit and insurance services to farmers, ranchers, agribusiness and rural residents. Its gift to the Science Literacy Initiative is part of its centennial celebration, which is focused on supporting agriculture for the next 100 years.

      The Science Literacy Initiative promotes a scientifically literate society capable of making decisions grounded in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) so individuals can address challenges associated with food, fuel, water and more. These efforts are being pursued through several multidisciplinary programs, including pre-K through 12th grade programs with learning experiences for students in formal and non-formal settings, professional development programs for teachers and education experiences for future teachers. More information about the Science Literacy Initiative is available at http://casnr.unl.edu/grow-eat-learn.

      The university's science literacy efforts have also received federal support. UNL received a $50,000 grant in 2014 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to launch the National Agricultural Literacy Center. The center works to promote the Science Literary Initiative and to develop K-12 STEM curriculum materials focusing on the science behind agriculture.

    Farm Credit Services of America has had a longtime philanthropic partnership with the University of Nebraska. Past gifts have supported the new Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center under construction in Lincoln, the High Plains Agriculture Laboratory north of Sidney, a new education center building at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, the Feedlot Management Specialization program and the Nebraska Beef Industry Scholarship.



Learn Crop Scouting Basics at the 2016 Field Crop Scout School

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will offer a Field Crop Scout School on Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. Designed for beginning crop scouts, the day-long course features sessions on crop growth and development, weed, disease and insect identification and scouting methods and techniques.

“The school provides a basic understanding of crop pests and how to identify them,” said Warren Pierson, program specialist for the Field Extension Education Laboratory at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “It’s very important to be able to identify insects, weeds and diseases to carry out a successful integrated pest management plan. Especially right now, when margins are tight, you want to make applications that are timely and cost effective.”

The school is a blend of lecture and hands-on small group sessions. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice identifying weeds, insects and diseases and staging corn and soybean during the hands-on portion. Extension specialists and agronomists will be available to review samples and answer questions.

Kollin DeBerg, a senior in ag studies at Iowa State University, attended the Field Crop Scout School in 2015 as an incoming intern for Innovative Ag Services. He believes the hands-on activities and educational materials helped better prepare him for his internship.

“The hands-on sessions were my favorite because we were able to try our hand at identifying weeds, insects and diseases from the samples they provided,” said DeBerg. “I also really liked the discussion on weed identification and learning more about the growth stages of crops. The scout school gives you a good base of scouting knowledge to know what to look for when you are out in the field.”

In addition to lectures and hands-on sessions, field guides and class materials are provided to attendees. This year, participants will receive the following field guides: Corn Field Guide, 2nd Edition; Soybean Field Guide, 2nd Edition; and the Weed Identification Field Guide, 2nd Edition.
   
“I would recommend attending the scout school because it teaches you something new and provides you with useful materials that you can use in the field,” said DeBerg.

Check- in will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 27, with sessions beginning at 9 a.m. and adjourning at 4 p.m. Space is limited, so pre-registration is required and must be completed before midnight, Feb. 19. The registration fee of $100 includes field guides, course handouts, lunch and breaks. Additional information and online registration is available at www.aep.iastate.edu/scout.



Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to Lead Trade Mission to Chile and Peru

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will lead a trade mission March 14 to March 18 to expand export opportunities for U.S. agriculture in Chile and Peru.

"Thanks to existing free trade agreements, the United States enjoys strong trading relationships with both Chile and Peru," said Vilsack. "In addition, both nations are part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which if implemented will boost the Chilean and Peruvian economies and tighten integration with the U.S. economy, helping further expand demand for U.S. agricultural products."

The United States entered into a trade agreement with Peru in 2009 that slashed agricultural tariffs and improved market access for many U.S. products. As a result, U.S. farm and food exports to Peru have nearly tripled, reaching a record $1.25 billion in fiscal year 2015. In the Chilean market, all U.S. products enjoy duty-free access as of 2015, thanks to the free trade agreement enacted in 2004. Since 2004, U.S. exports to Chile have grown more than 500 percent, totaling $803 million in fiscal year 2015.

"In both Chile and Peru, steady economic growth and an expanding middle-class population are fueling demand for high-quality, made-in-America food and agricultural products. Now that the United States enjoys open access to these markets, it's a great time for U.S. companies – especially small- and medium-sized enterprises – to start or expand their exports there," Vilsack said.

USDA trade missions open doors and deliver results for U.S. exporters, giving them the opportunity to forge relationships with potential customers and trading partners, interact with host government officials, and gather market intelligence that will help develop strategies to expand sales in key markets overseas.



Informa Predicts 85.2 MA Soybeans, 88.9 MA Corn

Private analytical firm Informa Economics sees farmers planting 2.6 million more soybean acres in 2016 than last year.  According to its January survey, farmers will plant 85.2 million acres to soybeans and 88.9 million acres to corn, which is 870,000 acres above last year.

All wheat acreage is estimated at 51.1 million acres, down 2.9 million from Informa's December forecast and 3.5 ma below last year. The change largely reflects USDA's winter wheat seedings estimate of 36.6 ma, which was 2.8 ma below the year before.

Included in the report were some initial production estimates based on trend-line yields. Corn production, with a national average yield of 169.2 bushels per acre, came in at 13.8 billion bushels. Soybean production is projected at 3.9 bb with a national average yield of 46.7 bpa.



DTN Retail Fertilizer Trends - Three Fertilizers Lead Prices Lower

Average retail fertilizer prices continued to shift lower the second week of January 2016, according to fertilizer retailers surveyed by DTN. For a third week in a row, some fertilizers registered notable price declines.

Seven of the eight major fertilizers edged lower compared to a month earlier with three fertilizers down by some significance.

DAP prices deflated the most, now down 7% compared to last month. The phosphorus fertilizer had an average price of $495 per ton.

Also moving lower were potash and anhydrous. Both fertilizers declined 5% from a month earlier. Potash had an average price of $391/ton and anhydrous $581/ton.

Four other fertilizers were lower, but none were down significantly. MAP had an average price of $521/ton, urea $381/ton, UAN28 $272/ton and UAN32 $319/ton.

One fertilizer had a slightly higher price compared to last month. 10-34-0 had an average price of $572/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.41/lb.N, anhydrous $0.35/lb.N, UAN28 $0.49/lb.N and UAN32 $0.50/lb.N.

With retail fertilizer moving lower in recent months, all but one fertilizer is now double digits lower compared to a year earlier. The only fertilizer not down much is 10-34-0, which is down 2%.

MAP is now 12% lower than the same week a year ago; both DAP and UAN32 are 13% less expensive; and UAN28 is 16% lower than a year earlier. Both anhydrous and urea are 18% lower, and potash is now 20% less expensive compared to 2015.



FAA Releases 'B4UFLY' Drone Smartphone App

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta announced the public release of the B4UFLY mobile application following an initial beta testing period. B4UFLY tells users about current or upcoming requirements and restrictions in areas of the National Airspace System where they may want to operate their unmanned aircraft system. The app is now available for Apple devices and can be downloaded from the App Store. The FAA also is releasing a beta version of B4UFLY for Android devices, which can be downloaded from Google.

"We expect B4UFLY will help raise public awareness about what it means to operate unmanned aircraft safely," Huerta said at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "It is another important part of our education and awareness efforts to foster a culture of safety and accountability for the UAS community."

The B4UFLY app includes a number of enhancements the FAA developed as a result of user feedback during the beta testing announced in May 2015. Within two taps, users know if it is safe to fly at their current location. The app provides a status indicator that tells users: 'Proceed with Caution,' 'Warning-Action Required,' or 'Flight Prohibited.' The app also features a planner mode that allows users to select a different time and location for an upcoming flight and determine if there are any restrictions at that place and time.

By law, hobbyists who want to fly within five miles of an airport must notify the airport operator and the air traffic control facility (if there is one) prior to flying. For now, B4UFLY will ask users who are supposed to notify the airport before flying for voluntary information about their planned flight.



Agroconsult Ups Brazil Soy View

The return of rains across Mato Grosso and the eastern Cerrado prompted Agroconsult, a leading local farm consultancy, to raise its Brazilian soybean crop forecast in January.

The decision to bump its figure slightly from 99.0 million metric tons (mmt) to 99.2 mmt runs against the trend for analysts to lower their forecasts in recent weeks amid concerns about the impact of previously dry weather in the Cerrado, particularly in Mato Grosso.

Agroconsult pegs production 2% higher than the 97.2 mmt registered last year.

Area is pegged at 81.2 million acres, up 3% from the year before. The consultancy lowered its area forecast by 500,000 acres in December because of the late arrival of rains in the Mato Grosso and the eastern Cerrado, which caused some farmers to abort planting this year.

Agroconsult forecasts Brazil will produce 85.6 mmt of corn in 2015-16, up slightly from 84.7 mmt last year, based principally on a 6% increase in second-crop production to 57.7 mmt.

Delays in the soybean harvest will reduce the second-crop planting window, but farmers will likely plant late anyway because prices are currently attractive due to the devaluation of the real.



USDA Expands Microloans to Help Farmers Purchase Farmland and Improve Property

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin offering farm ownership microloans, creating a new financing avenue for farmers to buy and improve property. These microloans will be especially helpful to beginning or underserved farmers, U.S. veterans looking for a career in farming, and those who have small and mid-sized farming operations.

"Many producers, especially new and underserved farmers, tell us that access to land is one of the biggest challenges they face in establishing and growing their own farming operation," said Harden. "USDA is making it easier for new farmers to hit the ground running and get access to the land that they need to establish their farms or improve their property."

The microloan program, which celebrates its third anniversary this week, has been hugely successful, providing more than 16,800 low-interest loans, totaling over $373 million to producers across the country. Microloans have helped farmers and ranchers with operating costs, such as feed, fertilizer, tools, fencing, equipment, and living expenses since 2013. Seventy percent of loans have gone to new farmers.

Now, microloans will be available to also help with farm land and building purchases, and soil and water conservation improvements. FSA designed the expanded program to simplify the application process, expand eligibility requirements and expedite smaller real estate loans to help farmers strengthen their operations. Microloans provide up to $50,000 to qualified producers, and can be issued to the applicant directly from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

This microloan announcement is another USDA resource for America's farmers and ranchers to utilize, especially as new and beginning farmers and ranchers look for the assistance they need to get started. To learn more about the FSA microloan program visit www.fsa.usda.gov/microloans, or contact your local FSA office. To find your nearest office location, please visit http://offices.usda.gov.



Wheat Yield Contest Highlights Sustainable Practices

The National Wheat Yield Contest will be conducted for the first time in 20 years, and winners will be announced nationally at the 2017 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas. The contest consists of two primary competition categories: winter and spring wheat. All state wheat organization grower-members are encouraged to participate.

“We are excited about the benefits this competition will bring to our nation’s wheat growers individually and to our country’s wheat industry collectively,” commented National Wheat Foundation (NWF) Chairman Dusty Tallman. “We anticipate many of our growers will participate, and we look forward to seeing the positive results this has on the wheat industry, especially when it comes to improving crop management practices on the farm.”

“BASF is pleased to partner with the National Wheat Foundation on the Wheat Yield Contest,” said Luke Lathan, product manager for wheat, BASF Corporation. “Lessons from this yield contest can help all wheat farmers with information about new innovations for production acres and sustainable farming practices.”

Through the contest, NWF is encouraging growers to achieve the best yields and quality from their crop, and highlight the sustainable practices America’s wheat farmers use every day to provide a consistently healthy product to the world. Tallman said U.S. wheat farmers use conservation efforts for the betterment of the environment and to maintain and improve farm productivity for future generations. Wheat growers participate in USDA conservation programs, reduce tillage and use crop rotations.

NWF hopes that by participating in the contest farmers will share knowledge to drive further innovation in sustainability for the entire industry.

Early registration deadlines are April 1 for winter wheat and June 15 for spring wheat. The entry fee for early registration is $100 per seed entry. After the early registration deadline, the entry fee is $125 per seed entry. All completed entry forms and contest fees must be submitted online by 5:00 p.m. Eastern time on May 1 for winter wheat or August 1 for spring wheat to be eligible to compete.

For full contest rules and to enter the 2015-16 National Wheat Yield Contest, go to the NWF website at wheatfoundation.org and click on the contest button on the home page.



CWT Assists with 2.4 million Pounds of Cheese, Butter and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 9 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), Michigan Milk Producers, and Tillamook County Creamery Association who have contracts to sell 766,547 pounds (348 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese, 1.543 million pounds of butter (700 metric tons), and 110,231 pounds (50 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia and the Middle East. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from January through July 2016.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 2.857 million pounds of cheese, 2.866 million pounds of butter and 507,063 pounds of whole milk powder to eight countries on four continents. The sales are the equivalent of 96.651 million pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

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.



NMPF Welcomes Paul Bleiberg as New Senior Director of Government Relations

Paul Bleiberg, formerly a top legislative staffer for Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI), has joined the National Milk Producers Federation as Senior Director of Government Relations.

Bleiberg brings 10 years of government and agriculture policy experience to NMPF. For the last five years, he’s worked for Rep. Ribble as both legislative director and later deputy chief of staff. His duties included managing Ribble’s legislative operations in the House of Representatives, and advising him in the areas of agriculture, trade and transportation. Bleiberg has played a significant role in several pieces of legislation, including 2015’s massive transportation reauthorization bill. In 2014, he worked with Rep. Ribble to secure the inclusion of the Wisconsin dairy industry’s priorities in the 2014 farm bill conference report.

Prior to his position in Ribble’s office, Bleiberg worked for two years as a consultant to agriculture and food industry clients regarding dairy policy, nutrition and food safety, among other topic areas. He also worked as a legislative assistant in the Capitol Hill offices of former New York Republican congressmen Randy Kuhl, Jr., and Sherwood Boehlert.

“Paul is widely recognized as one of the go-to staffers on dairy policy in Congress,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “His connections to farm policy, our member co-ops and rural America make him a valuable addition to our team.”

Bleiberg is a native of New Hartford, N.Y. He graduated from Hamilton College with a bachelor’s degree in government.



BVD Forum Helps Producers Save Money, Save Cows

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture plans to host a one-day forum for beef producers and veterinary practitioners on handling the disease.

This is an important symposium as BVD is extremely problematic and costly for both beef and dairy producers. BVD affects the production abilities of cows and can cause the loss of calves. Transient infection symptoms include diarrhea, decreased milk production, reproductive disorders, increased occurrence of other diseases and death. Fetal infection can cause abortions, congenital birth defects, abnormally weak and small calves, persistently infected (PI) animals. PI animals represent an important source of disease risk both within the herd and across the industry.

According to the USDA, acute BVD outbreaks can cost producers between $50 and $100 per cow.

The NIAA Forum will educate attendees on the importance of greater attentiveness toward BVD, similar to what has been done for Johne’s disease, to increase the welfare of their animals and reduce the economic losses associated with BVD.

“The industry has done a good job of increasing awareness of BVD on the health and economic impacts, but the planning committee saw a need to renew that effort,” Nevil Speer, U.S. Operations-AgriClear Inc.says. “There is a very real health cost from the animals which get sick, but also from other surrounding animals. Producers are constantly having to fight that.”

“This forum has been developed by and for producers,” Speer says. “There will be a detailed review on BVD, so producers and practitioners will learn from each other to find new ways to help their business.”

The forum will be held April 7, 2016, in conjunction with the NIAA Annual Conference which runs April 4-7, 2016 in Kansas City, Mo. at the Downtown Marriott. For more information, visit animalagriculture.org or contact the NIAA by calling 719-538-8843 or emailing niaa@animalagriculture.org.



Precision Planting Launches FurrowJet™, for Ideal Starter Placement.

Precision Planting has developed a new planter fertilizer attachment called FurrowJet, which accurately places liquid fertilizer in ideal locations for nutrient absorption.  The attachment integrates dual-band near furrow (¾”) placement with optional third band in-furrow for maximum plant uptake, rate flexibility, and suited for a wide range of liquid product options.   

The attachment mounts behind the seed tube to Precision Planting’s quick-attach Keeton® firmer bracket.  It rides in the furrow right behind an integrated seed firmer with wings that slice the furrow sidewall to apply liquid fertilizer ¾” away from the seed on both sides of the furrow. 

According to Jason Stoller, FurrowJet Product Manager, “FurrowJet is a game changer, creating an entirely new category of planter starter placement.”

Stoller explains that FurrowJet rides in the furrow just above the seed and has wings that angle downward to cut into the sidewall and place fertilizer in a dual-band ¾”away, far enough to avoid seed burn and optimal for both the seedling and crown roots to access the nutrients. 

Today, yield response from starter is limited by the current in-furrow and 2x2 attachments.  Due to fertilizer salt burn risk, rates for in-furrow pop-up attachments are very limited, capping the yield opportunity.  Starter fertilizer placed by using 2x2 attachments is just too far away from the plant roots to be effective during early root development.  

By being near-furrow, FurrowJet’s placements give the seedling and crown roots immediate and continuous access to the nutrients.  And combined with accurate placement, FurrowJet enables increased rates of common starters to be applied safely, avoiding seed burn risk. 

Ian Radtke, Lead Design Engineer, states, “Like all Precision Planting products, we designed FurrowJet for simplicity and flexibility.  FurrowJet splits the fertilizer as either dual-band or as tri-band to include in-furrow.  You can even run a different fertilizer in-furrow if you choose.”



Precision Planting launches vApplyTM and vApplyHDTM, highly accurate and flexible fertility control systems for your planter, sprayer or sidedress bar.

Precision Planting is launching a suite of fertility control products that allow a grower to select from an implement-wide control system (vApply), or scale to a highly accurate row-by-row liquid system (vApplyHD).  These products will allow growers to execute their fertility plan across the entire range of application rates for all passes through the field.

vApply is an implement-wide control system for liquid or granular applications, allowing 20/20 SeedSense® SRM customers to control their fertility applications for both static and variable rate prescriptions. 

vApplyHD is the industry first, on-row liquid control product which incorporates flow measurement and control into a single device.  Its row by row features include turn compensation, swath, automatic flow balancing, and variable rate prescription execution.  The module is easy to install, simple to use, and designed with industry leading flexibility.  The vApplyHD module is used, without modification, from the lowest pop-up rates on the planter to the highest sidedress rates, across the full range of speeds. vApplyHD can be installed as row-by-row control or as section control.

Additionally, Precision Planting will be offering FlowSense™ , a flow sensor integrated with 20/20 SeedSense, to monitor and map row-by-row product application for existing liquid systems. 

Justin McMenamy, Engineering Lead at Precision, says “Today, a liquid system is a highly customized collection of components tailored to a specific fertility pass.  With increased visibility to information on your farm, fertility plans need to remain flexible throughout the crop year, and from season to season.  vAppy HD combines the precision application of liquid fertility with the flexibility needed to execute an ever-evolving fertility program.”