Wednesday March 30 Ag News

NDA MAGAZINE TELLS STORY OF NEBRASKA AGRICULTURE

Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Greg Ibach has announced that the fourth edition of the popular magazine, Nebraska Agriculture and You, is now available in both print and digital formats.

“This magazine has been a great platform for our department to share interesting and factual articles about the agriculture industry in Nebraska,” said Ibach. “Small communities and farm families are still the fabric of agriculture in our state and we have features of both in this issue. Consumers are also becoming more and more interested in how their food is produced and where it comes from and we make sure to tell those stories as well.”

The magazine will be distributed over the next few weeks at several locations throughout the state including office waiting rooms, extension offices, libraries, businesses and chambers of commerce. The digital version of the magazine is currently available by visiting www.nda.nebraska.gov and clicking on the magazine cover.

Nebraska Agriculture and You is produced by NDA in partnership with Journal Communications. Production costs are covered by support from advertising sponsors.

“We have had great support from many businesses, commodity groups, farm organizations as well as farmers and ranchers that has allowed us to produce a quality publication with no direct costs to the department,” said Ibach. “The magazine is a great communications tool for us to tell the true story of Nebraska agriculture.”



GRAZING DURING AN EXTRA EARLY SPRING
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Spring pastures are growing fast and early.  Since spring management affects your production all year, stay tuned as I share some early grazing thoughts.

               Spring pastures ready to graze several weeks earlier than usual is nice, but it also raises some questions about management and risks.  For example, if you wait to turn animals out to pasture until close to your normal beginning date, chances are the grass will get so far ahead of your animals that it quickly will become stemmy and low quality.  However, if you start grazing today as you normally would when you begin, any cool temperatures might slow grass growth so much that your pastures will run short way before summer even begins.  So what should you do?

               First, go ahead and start grazing early, but use fewer animals than usual.  Try to match your stocking rate with the growth rate of the grass.  It may be better to under stock early than over stock; you can add more animals later as growth begins to accumulate.

               Since this early grass has quite high forage quality, use animals that can make use of better quality feed.  And give them access to some hay to reduce scours and help them adjust to this new, green feed.

               Also, rotationally graze through pastures very rapidly.  Just top off the pasture, allowing lots of leaves to remain ungrazed.  This will keep your pasture growing as fast as possible.  If it’s too difficult to rotate animals rapidly through all your paddocks, put some animals in each paddock if you can or open the gates.

               Finally, as grasses start to elongate, begin slowing rotational grazing to ration out remaining grass and to guarantee that plants get enough rest for regrowth.  Good luck, you can do it.



Control Calf Scours in Midwest Beef Cattle Farms

Producers looking to minimize the problem of calf diarrhea (scours) in their herds should look beyond vaccine programs to the common causes and solutions to prevent spread of the disease, according to a new Iowa State University Extension and Outreach publication titled “Control of Calf Diarrhea (Scours) in Midwest Beef Cattle Farms.”

Because scours are typically caused by pathogens shed in manure, producers should treat the clinical signs while the calf recovers from the pathogens. Cow health ahead of calving, good hygiene, segregation of calves by age, immunization, and biosecurity all play a part in halting the spread through other calves.

This publication is authored by Grant Dewell, associate professor in beef production and extension beef veterinarian, and Vicki Cooper, senior clinician and diagnostic pathologist. It can be accessed online at the ISU Extension and Outreach Store.

“An outbreak of calf scours can be devastating to a cow-calf operation and even a few cases can cause problems for the best producers,” Dewell said. “Good management before and after calving is critical for calves to thrive in the first few weeks of life.”

This new publication will help producers identify signs of scours so they can treat calves effectively and learn a variety of management methods to help minimize future problems.



Treat, Prevent Hypomagnesaemia (Grass Tetany) in Beef Cattle

Hypomagnesaemia (grass tetany) is caused by low magnesium in the blood, and most commonly found in older, lactating cows feeding on lush spring grass. Producers should monitor their herds for signs of tetany, be ready to treat it and work to minimize the causes of the disease, according to a new Iowa State University Extension and Outreach publication titled “Treatment and Prevention of Hypomagnesaemia (Grass Tetany) in Beef Cattle.”

Before physical signs are obvious, cows may have a grass tetany in beef cattledecrease in milk production and udder edema. Physical signs of grass tetany include irritability, twitching, incoordination, staggering, collapse and paddling. Cases left untreated will lead to coma and death. However, prevention can be accomplished by delaying turnout until grass is taller than six inches and supplementing magnesium in the diet.

This publication is authored by Grant Dewell, associate professor in beef production and extension beef veterinarian, and Steve Ensley, senior clinician and veterinary toxicologist. It can be accessed online at the ISU Extension and Outreach Store.

“Grass tetany is a recurring problem for spring calving cow herds and loss of a cow during early lactation is costly and leads to orphan calves,” Dewell said. “Proper care of pastures beforehand and careful attention to cows is critical to prevent death loss.”

This new publication will help producers identify signs of hypomagnesaemia in order to initiate treatment quickly, and provides advice on monitoring forages and magnesium supplements.



Branstad, Reynolds Remind Iowans of Future Ready Iowa Summit

Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds are reminding Iowans from all over the state to sign up before Monday, April 11, 2016, in order to secure their spot at the Governor's 2016 Future Ready Iowa Summit which takes place on April 19 at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines.

The purpose of the summit is to elevate the statewide conversation about how to close the skills gap, one of the biggest challenges Iowa faces. It's critical to build on efforts already under way to assure that students and workers have the career opportunities they deserve, and business and industry can hire the skilled employees they need.

The all-day summit is open to the public, with space for about 1,000. Branstad and Reynolds hope to attract a broad cross section of Iowans, including business, labor and nonprofit leaders; educators, students and parents; and state and local policy makers. The summit website, which includes information on how to register, is available at https://futurereadyiowa.gov.

Additionally, an active campaign on twitter will be using the hashtag, #FutureReadyIA, at the summit.



NH3, UAN28 and Urea Race Higher

The average retail price of some nitrogen fertilizers accelerated during the fourth week of March 2016, while the price of other fertilizers held steady, according to retailers surveyed by DTN.

As was the case last week, five of the eight major fertilizers edged higher compared to a month earlier. Both anhydrous and UAN28 were 6% higher compared to last month, while urea was 5% higher. Anhydrous averaged $569/ton, UAN28 $276/ton and urea $390/ton.

Two other fertilizers were also higher in price but the move to the high side was fairly slight. MAP averaged $501/ton while UAN32 averaged $312/ton.

Prices for the remaining three fertilizers slipped compared to last month but again the move was fairly minor. DAP averaged $475/ton, potash $371/ton and 10-34-0 $561/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the urea averaged $0.42/lb.N, anhydrous $0.35/lb.N, UAN28 $0.49/lb.N and UAN32 $0.49/lb.N.

Despite the recent rally in some fertilizers, all products remain double digits less expensive compared to a year ago, with 10-34-0 now 12% lower.

MAP, urea and UAN32 are all now 16% lower while both DAP and UAN28 are 17% less expensive from a year previous. In addition, anhydrous is 19% lower and potash is 24% less expensive compared to a year earlier.



USDA Announces $5.2 Million For Nanotechnology Research

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced an investment of more than $5.2 million to support nanotechnology research at 11 universities. The universities will research ways nanotechnology can be used to improve food safety, enhance renewable fuels, increase crop yields, manage agricultural pests, and more. The awards were made through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation's premier competitive, peer-reviewed grants program for fundamental and applied agricultural sciences.

"In the seven years since the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative was established, the program has led to true innovations and ground-breaking discoveries in agriculture to combat childhood obesity, improve and sustain rural economic growth, address water availability issues, increase food production, find new sources of energy, mitigate the impacts of climate variability and enhance resiliency of our food systems, and ensure food safety. Nanoscale science, engineering, and technology are key pieces of our investment in innovation to ensure an adequate and safe food supply for a growing global population," said Vilsack. "The President's 2017 Budget calls for full funding of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative so that USDA can continue to support important projects like these."

Universities receiving funding include Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.; Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, Conn.; University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla; University of Georgia in Athens, Ga.; Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa; University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass.; Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss.; Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.; Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va.; and University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis.

With this funding, Auburn University proposes to improve pathogen monitoring throughout the food supply chain by creating a user-friendly system that can detect multiple foodborne pathogens simultaneously, accurately, cost effectively, and rapidly. Mississippi State University will research ways nanochitosan can be used as a combined fire-retardant and antifungal wood treatment that is also environmentally safe. Experts in nanotechnology, molecular biology, vaccines and poultry diseases at the University of Wisconsin will work to develop nanoparticle-based poultry vaccines to prevent emerging poultry infections. USDA has a full list of projects and longer descriptions available online.

Past projects include a University of Georgia project developing a bio-nanocomposites-based, disease-specific, electrochemical sensors for detecting fungal pathogen induced volatiles in selected crops; and a University of Massachusetts project creating a platform for pathogen detection in foods that is superior to the current detection method in terms of analytical time, sensitivity, and accuracy using a novel, label-free, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) mapping technique.



Brazil Opens Two New Rail-Port Grain Terminals in North

VLI, a Brazilian logistics operator, announced it had opened two new grain terminals in the northern state of Tocantins, continuing the improvement in logistics in Brazil's expansion regions.

The terminals serve the north-south railroad, also essentially controlled by VLI, on which beans and corn from Maranhao, Tocantins, Piaui, Bahia and eastern Mato Grosso will be transported to the northern port of Itaqui.

The R$264 million ($73 million) investment will increase grain capacity along the north-south route by up to 6 million metric tons (mmt), estimates VLI.

One of the facilitators of future growth in Brazilian grain production will be improved rail and barge transport to northern ports, which will replace expensive road freight from the isolated Cerrado region in the center of the continent.

VLI's main shareholder in miner Vale, who runs the final part of the rail link that also serves Carajas, one of the world's largest iron ore mines.

Grain traffic via the center-north corridor, as VLI calls the railway route, has risen from 2.6 mmt in 2012 to 4.2 mmt n 2015

With the expansion and the opening of new terminals at Itaqui, the volume could rise to 10 mmt.

VLI will invest R$1.7 billion (472 million) in the center-north corridor, including investment in terminal infrastructure, waggons and other modifications.

Soybean area has been growing quickly over the last decade across the eastern Cerrado, which the rail link serves. However, expansion will likely pause next year due to limited credit and a more cautious approach after three years of drought losses in various parts of the region.



Syngenta R&D investment to yield 16 product launches in 2016     

Syngenta will launch 16 new crop protection products in 2016, with multiple launches expected over the next five years, according to Jeff Cecil, head of crop protection product marketing for Syngenta, North America.

In total, Syngenta has some 50 or more new crop protection innovations in the U.S. pipeline alone, including 19 new active ingredients with potential for in North America, 15 label or use expansions, and at least 10 new premixes.

“That’s pretty remarkable,” Cecil said. “I’ve been in this industry for more than 20 years, and I’ve never seen this kind of pipeline coming out of any company.”

The pace is, in large part, due to the investment Syngenta makes in research and development (R&D)—more than $1.3 billion globally each year. That translates into more than $3.5 million every day, Cecil noted.

Most of the new 2016 crop protection product introductions will stem from the active ingredients from three new product registrations introduced in 2015:

·         Acuron® herbicide contains four active ingredients, including the 2015 introduced active ingredient bicyclopyrone, and three complementary, overlapping modes of action for multi-targeted control of the most difficult weeds in corn.

“Acuron is a step change in control of large-seeded broadleaf weeds like giant ragweed, and it’s also providing benefit against other weeds that have become resistant to certain chemistries in the marketplace,” said David Laird, head of product biology for Syngenta, North America. “It’s really a new standard for residual herbicide weed control in the U.S.”

A 2016 product built on this technology is Acuron Flexi corn herbicide. Developed for growers who need to control difficult weeds with added flexibility, it features three active ingredients, including bicyclopyrone, and two modes of action. Where registered, growers can use Acuron Flexi without geographic or soil-type restrictions and can mix it with atrazine (AAtrex® brands) or glyphosate herbicides, depending on farming practices.

·         Solatenol® fungicide offers residual disease control in corn, soybean, wheat, peanuts, potatoes, and various fruit and vegetable crops.

“We’ve launched four new products based on Solatenol technology alone,” Cecil said. “Trivapro™ is our fungicide for row crops. In dozens of 2015 trials, it lasted longer and worked harder than competitive programs.” The other Solatenol-based products are Aprovia® fungicide for apples, grapes and pears; Aprovia® Top fungicide for fruiting and cucurbit vegetables; and Elatus® fungicide for peanuts and potatoes.

·         Orondis® fungicide contains the active ingredient oxathiapiprolin and offers a new mode of action for controlling economically devastating soil and foliar diseases on a variety of crops. In 2016, Syngenta will offer this fungicide in three multipacks of separately registered products: Orondis Opti, a combination of Orondis and chlorothalonil fungicides for long-lasting, broad-spectrum control of foliar diseases in potatoes and vegetables; Orondis Ultra, a combination of Orondis and mandipropamid fungicides for control of downy mildews on leafy vegetables and other crops; and Orondis Ridomil Gold® SL, a combination of Orondis and mefenoxam fungicides for best-in-class protection against devastating soil-borne diseases in tobacco and vegetables.

“Orondis provides excellent systemic control and can be used at very low use rates,” Laird said, adding that it’s been about 30 years since agriculture has seen a product with this level of oomycete activity and movement in the plant.

In agriculture, increased yield is a constant goal, noted Cecil. But factors, such as resistance, environmental conditions and pest shifts, can complicate growers’ efforts in the field. “That’s why we are committed to a robust pipeline of new technologies that will help resolve challenges and make increased yield a reality,” he said.