Friday April 8 Ag News

Spring Freeze Risk 
Tyler Williams - Extension Educator
Al Dutcher - Associate Nebraska State Climatologist

Soil conditions, the weather forecast, freeze risk and projected days needed for planting are all part of the decision as to when to get into the field. These factors can be highly variable from year to year and it can be challenging to know when we will reach, and maintain, soil temperatures conducive to proper crop germination.

Current seven-day average soil temperatures at 4 inches under bare soil are near normal for most of the state.  Portions of southern and southeast Nebraska are in the mid 50s and northeast and northwest Nebraska are in the mid to upper 40s.  While the soil temperatures may be close to proper germination for corn, the field to field variability and risk of frost may limit the success of crops planted too early.

It is not that uncommon for snowstorms to move through Nebraska in May and cold temperatures to remain for some time. Even though most of Nebraska may have reached adequate soil temperatures for planting corn, it is imperative that you analyze the risk and use current weather trends and climatology to make an informed decision.  There may be some benefit to early planting to capture a longer growing season; however, the risk of freeze damage may outweigh the award. You’ll also want to consider crop insurance initial planting dates (corn, April 10 for southern and eastern Nebraska and April 15 for western and north central Nebraska; soybean, April 25).

Nebraska Average Last Frost Date
The average last frost date is one way to analyze the risk of frost damage to your crops. The median date for southeast Nebraska is the first week or two of April, moving later as you go north and west. During this period the latest date for a 28°F freeze was the second week of May for most of Nebraska; however, freezes did occur in June for locations in the Panhandle. More comprehensive Nebraska freeze data for multiple locations is available from the National Climatic Data Center... https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/. 

Certainly elevation plays a key role in freeze risk during May, so we should not be surprised by how often freezing temperatures occur in May at higher elevations. Also, it should be noted that freezes have occurred in May in three of the last five years across eastern Nebraska. Early April corn planting increases the risk that frost/freeze events can catch corn at the 6-leaf stage and beyond, when the growing point is no longer below the soil surface.

April Forecast
The April Outlook from the Climate Prediction Center gives Nebraska increased probabilities for having above normal temperatures and an equal chance of above or below normal precipitation.  Over the last couple months, most of Nebraska has been relatively dry and warm and some abnormally dry conditions have developed in along the southern tier of the state.  Because this dryness ranks in the lowest 10 percent of historic data, this week the Drought Monitor rated this area as abnormally dry.

Most of the state has above normal moisture for the recharge period dating back to October 1, so the abnormally dry conditions introduced by the Drought Monitor authors this week just reflects short-term dryness leading to concern that surface drying may play a role in early season germination rates if widespread rainfall fails to materialize during April.  The April Outlook does not provide a lot of confidence that these conditions will reverse this month and should be monitored through the start of the growing season.      



Chris Proctor New UNL Weed Science Educator April 7, 2016

The challenges of studying integrated crop production systems sparked an interest in Chris Proctor that led him to expand his career focus in weed science from turf to global agriculture and food production.

The new Weed Science Extension Educator in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Proctor has a 100% extension appointment to develop and deliver UNL research-based weed science information to growers and the ag industry. He will be focusing on resistance management and integrated weed management and coordinating the Nebraska Extension Crop Production Clinics. Proctor also will be a CropWatch contributor.

Proctor received B.S. and M.S. degrees from Washington State University where he studied crop science. In 2013 he completed his PhD in agronomy at UNL, then continued as a post-doctoral researcher with a focus on teaching, molecular physiology, and cover crops. In September 2013 he was on a team of UNL graduate students who traveled to Germany to pitch an idea aimed at addressing global food security. The UNL team brought together students from various backgrounds, including computer engineering, agriculture, chemistry, and chemical engineering, in a multi-disciplinary team to find solutions with real-world applications.  More recently he helped advise UNL students that received an international award for their Farm Profit Calculator app, a tool to give farmers insights into how to maximize their profits. The contest was sponsored by Microsoft and the US Department of Agriculture.

As a weed science educator, Proctor said he hopes to approach weed management with a similar multi-disciplinary systems-based approach.

“The systems-based approach to solving problems is really interesting to me,” he said, “like multiple pieces of a puzzle, we look at how practices and technologies can work together most effectively. For example, determining how crop rotations, equipment technologies, new traits and new herbicides, and cover crops can effectively work together is exciting.”

“An integrated approach requires a longer term view. The payouts aren’t always immediate.”

Farmers with resistant weeds understand the long-term importance of managing resistance. The goal is to help those without weed resistance see the benefit of resistance management before it becomes an issue. Proctor said farmers are some of the most innovative people he’s met and is looking forward to learning from Nebraska farmers about practices and systems that work in their operations. In learning about why something works in one location, further studies could help identify where it might have wider application, he said.

Proctor, who loves rural life and being in the outdoors, grew up in Washington State where his grandfather and uncle raised cattle.



THICKENING OLD ALFALFA STANDS
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               The other day I received a call.  "How can I thicken my old stand of alfalfa with more alfalfa", I was asked.  Let me share with you my usual response to this question.

               Before trying to add alfalfa to alfalfa, first ask yourself "what do you have to gain, and should you even bother."  Alfalfa needs only 2 or 3 healthy plants with 25 to 35 shoots per square foot, for older, dryland stands to achieve top production.  Adding more plants won't increase yield because rainfall won't provide enough moisture for more growth.  Irrigated or subirrigated alfalfa, though, should have 40 to 55 shoots coming from 4 to 6 plants.  With the extra moisture, more plants can be productive.

               Thin stands can be thickened – sometimes.  However, problems can and do occur.  For example, diseases are common in older fields; these diseases can quickly infect your new seedlings and cause the new stand to decline more rapidly.

               Also, existing alfalfa plants and weeds will compete with your new seedlings and might prevent them from establishing.  This competition must be controlled.

               Finally, alfalfa itself produces chemicals that inhibit seedling growth of new alfalfa plants.  This is called autotoxicity.  We can't predict when this will happen or its severity, but it is less of a problem on irrigated sites, especially on light-textured soils.

               If you do try to thicken your alfalfa, make sure you minimize competition.  Herbicides like Roundup and Gramoxone can help.  Also, get your seed in the soil and do it early.  Use a drill that will place seed about one-half inch deep in your soil.

               With some luck you can be successful, but first make sure that rotating to a different crop wouldn't be better.



Bankruptcy Court Issues Order Approving Financing For Restart of Abengoa Bioenergy’s Nebraska Plants

The US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri this week issued an order approving up to $41 million of Debtor in Possession Financing for the six Abengoa Bioenergy companies which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The order provides longer term ongoing financing for the payroll and other ordinary course operational expenses during the pendency of the case, and specifically contemplates funding to resume production operations at Abengoa Bioenergy’s two Nebraska plants located in Ravenna and York, Nebraska.

In its action today, the St. Louis Court granted several motions filed by Abengoa Bioenergy requesting approval of this loan and other typical relief in order to fund ongoing payroll and other ordinary course operational expenses necessary to keep the company in business and allow it to maintain and protect the companies’ assets, including:
    • Authority to pay pre-petition taxes,
    • Final order authorizing utility deposits to maintain utility service,
    • Authority to maintain insurance policies,
    • Authority to continue paying wages,
    • Authority to retain DLA Piper LLP (US) and Armstrong Teasdale and other ordinary course professionals
    • Final approval of Debtor in Possession Financing (DIP), which includes providing the Debtors up to $41 million from the Kimberly Fund LP for ongoing operations and to restart the plants in Ravenna and York, Nebraska, subject to the terms of the DIP.

Antonio Vallespir, President and Chief Executive Officer of Abengoa Bioenergy, said, “We have worked with the Official Committee of Creditors to resolve these issues and achieve this result, and the Court has now approved our requests. Resuming production operations at our Nebraska plants is an important step which we believe will help maximize the value of the assets for the best interests of all stakeholders.”



2016 FFA Convention Career Fair Showcases Careers in Rural Nebraska

More than 3,000 Nebraska FFA students will engage with more than 40 agricultural companies during the annual State FFA Convention Career Fair April 8.

This event will allow students to explore future career opportunities while helping to address the issues around the shortage of employees in agriculture, which includes rural Nebraska.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), agriculture industries contributed over $800 billion in U.S. gross domestic product. This is promising for FFA members in Nebraska who are prepared for careers in agriculture, food and natural resources.  The USDA expects an average of 57,900 new agriculture related jobs annually between 2015 and 2020. However, only 61 percent of these jobs will be filled with graduates with expertise in food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment. The agriculture classroom, supervised agriculture experiences and the FFA student organization is helping to fill this gap by engaging students in agriculture career opportunities and career readiness skills.

Nebraska FFA industry partners Verdesian Life Sciences and Aurora Cooperative understand the value of connecting early with future potential employees.

“Our [agriculture] industry has emerged from a blue-collar dominated work force to a much more technical and science based background as we move forward,” Dave Schwartz, Verdesian Life Sciences executive vice president of sales, said. “A career in agriculture is something that will be very challenging and rewarding as they grow older and become parents themselves, and there is no better place to settle down and raise a family than a rural community.”

“I truly enjoy working in rural Nebraska.  There are inherent challenges to working in rural Nebraska, such as; having to travel longer distances for certain kinds of shopping, entertainment, medical care and so on,” Dawn Caldwell, Aurora Cooperative communications manager, said. “However, I think most people would say, having neighbors a mile or two away who are always there for you, being able to enjoy the stars at night and knowing you are a part of something much bigger than yourself [contributing to the creation of food, fiber and fuel], is tremendously rewarding.”



USDA Seeks Applications for Grants to Help Agricultural Producers Increase the Value of Their Products

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is making up to $44 million available to farmers, ranchers and businesses to develop new bio-based products and expand markets through the Value-Added Producer Grant program.

"America's farmers, ranchers and rural business owners are innovative entrepreneurs and this program helps them grow economic opportunities for their families and communities by increasing the value of the items they produce," Vilsack said. "The Value-Added Producer Grant program has a great track record of helping producers increase the value of products and expand their markets and customer base, strengthening rural America in the process."

Value-Added Producer Grants may be used to develop new products and create additional uses for existing ones. Priority for these grants is given to veterans, members of socially disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, and operators of small- and medium-sized family farms and ranches. Additional priority is given to applicants who seek funding for projects that will create or increase marketing opportunities for these types of operators.

Two examples of awards from the Value-Added Producer Grant Program in Nebraska are:
·         CornCoctions, LLC in Wood River, Nebraska, received a $30,000 grant to develop a business and marketing plan in order to determine the feasibility of producing value-added products from corn plant material.  The business and marketing plan will focus on the ability to use corn leaves to produce a dry tea, liquid beverage, food additive and/or other food products.
·         Burbach’s Countryside Dairy, LLC in Hartington, Nebraska, received a $240,000 grant to introduce a new product and expand its value-added product line to include yogurt.  The project will commercialize production and sales of this entirely new product, which is expected to reach a customer base of more than 17,000.

More information on how to apply is on page 20607 of the April 8 Federal Register. The deadline to submit paper applications is July 1, 2016. Electronic applications submitted through grants.gov are due June 24, 2016. Additional information and assistance is available through the USDA Rural Development Office serving your county.

Since 2009, USDA has awarded 1,126 Value-Added Producer Grants totaling $144.7 million. USDA awarded 205 grants to beginning farmers and ranchers.



BASF submits regulatory dossier for its newest insecticide active ingredient, Inscalis

BASF announced today the regulatory dossier submission for a new insecticide active ingredient, Inscalis™. Inscalis is the pioneer solution from a novel chemical class, the pyropenes, offering an alternative mode of action for the control of key insect pests and providing an essential tool to farmers for use in resistance and integrated pest management programs. Inscalis controls critical piercing and sucking insect pests such as aphids, whiteflies, psyllids, scales, and leafhoppers. First registration dossiers were submitted to the authorities in the U.S. and Canada for use on a wide range of crops such as vegetables, fruit, row crops, and ornamentals.

“Insect species causing crop damage are extremely diverse and adaptable,” said Livio Tedeschi, Vice President Global Strategic Marketing, Insecticides, BASF’s Crop Protection division. “That is why developing new insecticides is critically important for the sustainable management of devastating pests, especially those that have developed resistance to other insecticides. We are excited to bring this important innovation another significant step closer to market introduction.”

Inscalis has a favorable environmental profile and low acute toxicity to important beneficial arthropods, including pollinators. Extensive research has demonstrated its excellent selective performance against a range of damaging insect pests. The new insecticide will be available in several high-performing formulations to provide farmers optimal new solutions for insect control. Inscalis, co-developed with the Japanese company Meiji Seika Pharma Co. Ltd., will play an integral role in BASFʼs insecticide portfolio both as a solo product and as a mixing partner, and will be marketed in a large number of countries worldwide. Pending regulatory approval, first market introductions of Inscalis-based products are expected in 2019.



Warm Soil Temperatures Lead to Early Emergence of Annual Weeds

Warm soil temperatures and minimal moisture are creating the perfect storm for heightened weed pressure this spring. As a result, annual weeds are likely to emerge earlier than the past few years because soil temperatures are already warming up, says Kent Bennis, market development specialist, Dow AgroSciences.

“Lambsquarters is germinating in some fields and will come up quickly with giant ragweed soon to follow,” Bennis says. “Growers should continue to be vigilant and have a management plan in place to stay ahead of early germinating weeds.”

The threat of winter annual weeds is much larger this year compared with the last few years, Bennis says. The probability of both increased weed pressure and larger weeds earlier in the season increases the need for a strong burndown herbicide program and a preemergence herbicide application, Bennis says. Left uncontrolled, species such as marestail, chickweed and waterhemp can compete with soybean crops for vital nutrients and moisture during early germination.

“If growers incorporate preemergence herbicides, such as Sonic or Surveil, it is recommended to run the tillage equipment a maximum of 4 inches deep to keep the herbicide in the top inch or two of soil,” Bennis says.

There are several advantages to managing early season weeds this spring — including the opportunity to plant into a cleaner seedbed, which can result in timelier planting under dry weather conditions, Bennis says.

Weather permitting, corn and soybean grower Jay Wilburn of Laddonia, Missouri, plans to plant soybeans toward the end of April. Even with untimely spring rain in 2015 that delayed soybean planting, Wilburn was able to keep his fields free of weeds due to the performance of his preemergence herbicide program.

“We have been using pre’s for the past four to five years,” Wilburn says. “When glyphosate quit working, we had to find a different way to control weeds. Pre’s were the answer for our area.”

Last year, due to the wet weather, Wilburn had 300 acres slated for soybeans that were treated with Sonic® preemergence herbicide, but not planted. He says Sonic controlled weeds late into June.

“We’ve been putting Sonic down as a pre and using the full rate,” Wilburn says. “We put it down and it kept the ground bare for about a month and a half, even with nothing planted on it.”

Although Wilburn implemented a preemergence herbicide program and applied Sonic last year, not all growers were able to apply a herbicide due to rain delays. Soybean acres that did not receive a preemergence herbicide application to control weeds last season may have increased weed pressure this growing season.

Since soil temperatures have also warmed quickly this spring, weeds are likely to emerge early. For optimized weed control, scout for winter weed species such as chickweed and marestail, and early germinating annual weeds, such as lambsquarters and waterhemp. Follow up with a preemergence herbicide to control them early so they do not become a larger issue later in the season.

“There’s a good amount of resistant waterhemp across Iowa,” Bennis says. “The best way to manage waterhemp and other yield-robbing weeds is to use soil-applied herbicides before the weed is out of the ground.”

When it comes to early season weeds, Wilburn says, if there are weeds in the field, yield potential is being robbed.

“If you don’t control them early, especially waterhemp, it's almost impossible to control them at all,” Wilburn says. “You need to control weeds to have a successful crop.”