Thursday April 28 Ag News

GREEN APPOINTS INTERIM HEADS FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, IANR

      University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor-Elect Ronnie Green announced today he has appointed Marjorie Kostelnik to the post of interim senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and Ron Yoder to the position of interim vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

      The appointments, which are pending approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, will begin May 9 and will fill the two leadership positions Green previously held before he was named the university's next leader.

       "As we work to build UNL's new leadership team, it is critically important that capable, engaged and enthusiastic leaders work together to maintain the university's palpable momentum," said Green, who was appointed chancellor-elect on April 6 and who will assume the role of head of the university on May 8, pending board approval. "Marjorie and Ron are highly respected and trusted academic leaders with accomplished administrative track records at UNL. I look forward to working together with these two exceptional interim leaders in our two chief academic officer positions in the immediate months ahead."

      Kostelnik is currently dean of UNL's College of Education and Human Sciences. She has been at the university since 2000, when she was hired as dean of the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences; in 2003, it partnered with Teachers College to become the College of Education and Human Sciences.

      The senior vice chancellor for academic affairs is UNL's chief academic officer and is the responsible authority in the absence of the chancellor. The Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor is charged with helping the university achieve excellence across all areas of the academic enterprise through oversight of undergraduate teaching and learning; graduate mentoring; faculty development, promotion and tenure; resource allocation; strategic planning; and the development of innovative academic initiatives that will be recognized as unique signature strengths.

      The senior vice chancellor's office also is responsible for the administration, coordination and development of general policies and functions for academic programs.

      Kostelnik earned a bachelor's degree in child development from the University of Pittsburgh and worked with Head Start before earning master's and doctoral degrees in human development and family studies from Pennsylvania State University. She was on faculty at Michigan State University for 22 years as program supervisor of the Child Development Laboratories and chair of the Department of Family and Child Ecology. She has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels and her research focuses on early childhood education and community coalition building; she was vice president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, chair for the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance, a consortium of universities engaged in distance education, and is currently chair of the Educare of Lincoln Partners Board. She recently served on a yearlong Institute of Medicine and National Research Council panel on transforming the workforce for children birth through age 8.

       "I am pleased to serve the university in this way and to help the new administration begin its work," Kostelnik said. "I look forward to working with Chancellor-Elect Green, the deans, faculty, staff and the entire UNL community to advance our academic mission and build on our many strengths.  I am eager to listen, learn and collaborate in support of the chancellor-elect's vision."

      Beth Doll, associate dean in the College of Education and Human Sciences, will be the college's interim dean during Kostelnik's tenure in academic affairs.

      Yoder has been at UNL since 2004 and is currently associate vice chancellor at IANR, the multi-division UNL institute that focuses on agriculture and natural resources. Teaching occurs through the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, research through the Agricultural Research Division and extension education through Nebraska Extension.

      As part of the appointment, Yoder also will serve as interim vice president for agriculture and natural resources with the NU system, where he will oversee the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, the Daugherty Global Water for Food Institute and the Rural Futures Institute.

      Yoder's research focus is in the areas of agricultural water management, measurement and estimation of evapotranspiration and land use impacts on water quality. His more than 30 years of experience in agricultural water management includes extensive field research and work in Brazil, Zambia and China.

      He has worked for the University of Wyoming, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service in Colorado and Washington and for the University of Tennessee. He is a fellow and past president of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering.

      Yoder earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Drexel University, a master's degree in agricultural engineering from Clemson University and a doctoral degree in agricultural engineering from Colorado State University.

       "I am excited to continue building on the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources' clear momentum," Yoder said. "With our excellent team of educators and researchers across the state and with the support of our stakeholders, our research, teaching and extension work contributes significantly to the well-being of Nebraska and Nebraskans."

    Green said the university would open an international search for both positions beginning on May 16 with intent to have the new leaders in place by January 2017.



 NEBRASKA POULTRY – 2015 PRODUCTION AND VALUE

The value of egg production in Nebraska during 2015 was $281 million, up $40.5 million from the $241 million in 2014, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Egg production in 2015 was estimated at 2.29 billion eggs, down 569 million from the previous year. Average number of layers for 2015 at 7.70 million was down 1.77 million from one year ago.



STILL TIME TO FERTILIZE SUMMER HAY MEADOWS
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Do you need to grow more hay for next winter?  One way to get that extra hay might be to fertilize your hay meadows this spring.  There’s still time.

               Hay meadows respond well to fertilizer.  But, be sure to use the types and amounts of fertilizer that work best for the plants in your hay meadow.  For example, do you have much clover or other legumes in your hay meadow?  Then fertilize with phosphorus.  A soil test can tell you how much phosphorus to use; usually 20 to 40 pounds per acre will stimulate legume growth nicely in most hay meadows.  These legumes then will help supply some nitrogen to the grasses in your meadow, and the hay you cut from this meadow will yield more and contain more protein than straight grass hay.

               Maybe your meadow already is green and growing well with cool-season grasses like bluegrass, brome, timothy, or wheatgrasses that head out in late May or June.  Nitrogen can increase yield from this meadow, but it must be applied very soon or it will be too late for this year.  The rate to apply declines as we go from east to west — use about 80 pounds of nitrogen per acre in eastern Nebraska but only 30 to 40 pounds in the Panhandle.

               Warm-season grass meadows will soon start to green up, too.  Like cool-season grasses, recommended nitrogen rates decline from 60 pounds in eastern Nebraska to 30 pounds out west.  But be patient.  Do not fertilize quite yet.  Wait until mid- to late May before fertilizing your warm-season grass meadows.

               Good meadow moisture this year plus the right fertilizer can increase hay yields from most meadows.  With low hay carryover, this may be a good year for you to increase your meadow yields.



Witt Joins ISU Extension and Outreach as Field Agronomist

Michael Witt has been hired to join Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s crops team as a field agronomist the university announced today. Witt will be working in Audubon, Crawford, Guthrie, Harrison and Shelby counties.

Witt will also provide assistance to three Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms, providing agronomic crop, plot and on-farm trial support in Boone, Castana and Greenfield.

“Growing up in north central Iowa, I have always had great respect for the work that Iowa State Extension and Outreach personnel do in bringing education and learning opportunities to all Iowans,” Witt said. “I look forward to working with people across my region and the state to bring the new and exciting educational opportunities to their local communities.”

Witt, who holds a Bachelor of Agriculture Education degree from Iowa State University and is pursuing a master’s in Agronomy, has an extensive and diverse background in agriculture.

“Mike is an Iowa State alum with a varied background that includes industry research and on-farm demonstrations,” said Erin Hodgson, associate professor and extension entomologist and crops team leader at Iowa State University. “He is a great addition to the crops team and we look forward to him helping continue to grow ISU Extension and Outreach.”

Witt spent 11 years at DuPont Pioneer, working as a part of the field program management team. Witt’s primary areas of emphasis were inbred discovery and hybrid evaluation, proprietary herbicide development and molecular corn evaluation.

He served as a testing site lead at Beck’s Superior Hybrids for one year, working on the company’s maize and soybean yield testing program with his duties encompassing territory in Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri.



Iowa Cattle Industry Convention replaced by regional BeefMeets

For the past several years, the Iowa Cattle Industry Convention has offered cattlemen in Iowa a chance to learn about the latest advancements in the cattle industry, develop policy for the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and network with other producers. This year, in an effort to provide those opportunities to more cattle producers across the state, the Iowa Cattle Industry Convention has been transformed into Regional BeefMeets.

BeefMeets will take the education, policy-development, tradeshow and networking outside of the Des Moines and into the four quadrants of Iowa. Centrally located BeefMeets will be held in Spencer, Independence, Atlantic and Riverside, making it easier for producers from all areas of the state to attend the events.

Topics & Speakers
This year’s BeefMeets, held in late June, will include educational sessions aimed at increasing profitability in the current agriculture economy. Sessions on replacement selection, finances, efficiency, and labor will help producers improve their farm management and their bottom line.

Eldon McAfee, attorney at Brick Gentry, will be the keynote speaker, focusing on the legal climate in Iowa and how it affects agriculture. From the Des Moines Water Works lawsuit to nuisance lawsuits and attorney general referrals, producers need to be up to speed on the legal threats to their livelihoods.

Policy Development
The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association develops its policies and priorities based on the input of its 10,000 members across the state. Each BeefMeet will include a session where cattlemen can voice their opinion and share their concerns. Feedback received during these sessions will help guide the association for the next year.

Cattlemen will also have an opportunity to hear more about the proposed state beef checkoff during a question and answer session with Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council leaders.

Tradeshow & Networking
A tradeshow will be held at all four events and the day’s schedule will allow for plenty of time to check out the products and visit with the vendors. The day will end with a fun social, complete with some tasty beef to cap off the day.

Who should attend?
EVERYONE in the cattle industry! These events will provide education for every sector of the industry, a chance to get to know cattlemen and industry partners, fun and good food!

What’s the cost?
BeefMeets only cost $25 for ICA members and $50 for non-members. (Membership is $75 annually and may be paid at any time.) Students are free.  Prices go up $10 after June 13.

When and Where?
Clay County Regional Events Center, Spencer, IA
Wednesday, June 22, 2016, 8:30 – 5:00 with social following       

Heartland Acres Agribition Center, Independence, IA
Thursday, June 23, 2016, 8:30 – 5:00 with social following

Cass County Community Center, Atlantic, IA
Tuesday, June 28, 2016, 8:30 – 5:00 with social following

Riverside Casino & Golf Resort, Riverside, IA
Wednesday, June 29, 2016, 8:30 – 5:00 with social following

More details at www.iacattlemen.org. 



AFIA Supports UC-Davis Mitloehner's White Paper - Livestock GHG Emissions Small

The American Feed Industry Association is pleased to support University of California, Davis, Professor Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., on the release of his white paper, "Livestock's Contributions to Climate Change: Facts and Fiction." The document dissects animal agriculture and other areas that produce greenhouse gas emissions, with the consensus that the livestock industry is not a driving force in climate change.

"Efficiencies in U.S. livestock agriculture have lowered this industry's combined greenhouse gas emissions to a historic low of about four percent of the nation's total," said Mitloehner. "Furthering recent advances will be paramount to satisfy a growing global demand for animal protein without depleting natural resources."

"With Frank's expertise and years of research, I am glad he is able to provide sound, science-based information to consumers," said AFIA President and CEO Joel G. Newman.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the livestock industry accounts for 4.2 percent of the U.S. GHG emissions. Energy production and transportation are the largest contributors, together equaling more than half of the total U.S. GHG emissions.

In perspective, if Americans practiced "Meatless Mondays" there would only be a 0.6 percent decrease in U.S. GHG emissions. However, replacing incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star bulbs would be twice as effective--1.2 percent.



USDA Meat Animals Production, Disposition, and Income 2015 Summary

Total 2015 production of cattle and calves and hogs and pigs for the United States totaled 76.6 billion pounds, up 6 percent from 2014. Production increased 3 percent for cattle and calves and 9 percent for hogs and pigs.

Total 2015 cash receipts from marketings of meat animals decreased 8 percent to $99.3 billion. Cattle and calves accounted for 79 percent of this total and hogs and pigs accounted for 21 percent.

The 2015 gross income from cattle and calves and hogs and pigs for the United States totaled $99.9 billion, down 8 percent from 2014. Gross income decreased 4 percent for cattle and calves and 21 percent for hogs and pigs from previous year's gross income.

Cattle and Calves: Cash receipts from marketings of cattle and calves decreased 4 percent from $81.5 billion in 2014 to $78.2 billion in 2015. All cattle and calf marketings totaled 52.4 billion pounds in 2015, down 1 percent from 2014.

Hogs and Pigs: Cash receipts from hogs and pigs totaled $21.0 billion during 2015, down 21 percent from 2014. Marketings totaled 36.2 billion pounds in 2015, up 9 percent from 2014.

USDA Milk Production, Disposition, and Income 2015 Summary
Milk production increased 1.3 percent in 2015 to 209 billion pounds. The rate per cow, at 22,393 pounds, was 134 pounds above 2014. The annual average number of milk cows on farms was 9.32 million head, up 60,000 head from 2014.

Cash receipts from marketings of milk during 2015 totaled $35.7 billion, 27.6 percent lower than 2014. Producer returns averaged $17.21 per hundredweight, 28.5 percent below 2014. Marketings totaled 207.7 billion pounds, 1.3 percent above 2014. Marketings include whole milk sold to plants and dealers and milk sold directly to consumers.

An estimated 969million pounds of milk were used on farms where produced, 0.5 percent more than 2014. Calves were fed 91 percent of this milk, with the remainder consumed in producer households.



Senate Committee Releases Draft WRDA Bill
(from the American Soybean Assoc. newsletter)

The Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee this week released a draft two-year Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization bill, scheduled for mark-up on April 28.  Following an overdue comprehensive act in 2014, Congress is attempting to return to the regular order of reauthorizing the WRDA every two years.

The 2016 WRDA released by the EPW Committee authorizes 25 critical Army Corps projects. These projects, which have completed reports of the Chief of Engineers, will strengthen infrastructure, maintain navigation routes for waterways commerce and restore ecosystems.

The bill also provides investment in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including funds to respond to the drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich. and other similar communities across the country facing drinking water contamination.

Of particular interest to the soybean industry, is the authorization of projects to improve ports and inland waterways. The bill builds on the reforms in the 2014 WRRDA to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) by clarifying the targets for increased HMTF funding.

The bill authorizes critical flood control and coastal protection projects across the country, including system-wide flood protection in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, rebuilding levees in Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas and providing hurricane protection in Louisiana.

The bill does not adjust the threshold for major rehabilitation as recommended by the Capital Development Plan and the Waterways Council.



IGC Sees Modest Soybean Production Hit from Argentina Floods

The International Grains Council on Thursday cut its forecast for global soybean production in 2015-16, following flooding in Argentina, but said output will remain near record levels.

The London-based IGC said the soybean crop will come to 318 million metric tons, 5 million tons less than it had predicted in March.

Despite the damage caused in heavy rain in Argentina, which caused a rally in prices across the grains and oilseeds markets, the harvest will be just 2 mt smaller than the previous year's record.

Looking ahead to 2016-17, the IGC lifted its monthly forecast for total grains' production by 9 mt to around 2.01 billion tons, roughly in line with 2015-16.

"Beneficial weather is improving the outlook for wheat, including in the E.U. and Russia, while maize forecasts are raised for a number of countries," it said.

The IGC lifted its grain consumption forecast by 3 mt to 2 billion tons, up from 1.99 billion in 2015-16.

Grain trade volumes are forecast at 315 mt in 2016-17, up 1 mt from last month's forecast but down from 323 mt in 2015-16. That reflects reduced shipments to China, where political reforms are expected to increase consumption of home-grown grain.



Rain Continues To Hurt Argentine Soy

Rain continued across the key soybean-producing parts of Argentina over the past week, exacerbating the damage caused by the remarkably heavy precipitation since the start of April.

With three-quarters of the crop still in the fields, the excessive rain when the soybeans are already mature, waiting for harvest, has reduced yields and sharply cut quality across large portions of big-producing provinces like Cordoba, Entre Rios and Santa Fe, as well as parts of Buenos Aires.

The rain damage prompted Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange to last week lower its soybean view from 60 million metric tons to 56 mmt, while Rosario Cereals Exchange dropped its figure to 57 mmt.

In a report Thursday, the Buenos Aires exchange reported a loss of one million hectares (2.47 million acres) due to the rain and warned of a serious risk that further losses will be registered.

Rain fell strongest over the last week in central-east Cordoba, central and southern Santa Fe and northern Buenos Aires, which delayed harvesting.

Fieldwork moved forward 7.8 percentage points last week to reach 24.2% complete, said the exchange. That's well back on the 61.8% registered at the same point last year.

The rain during the harvest period is causing rotting pods, sprouting and reduced grain weight, as well as greater losses during harvesting.

Corn has not been that seriously affected by the wet weather because we are in the spell between first- and second-crop harvesting for the most part.

The Buenos Aires exchange maintains its corn-crop forecast at 25.0 mmt.



Heed This Advice on Anaplasmosis

It is difficult to quantify the risk of anaplasmosis in any given herd in any given time of year, but when an outbreak occurs, it can result in devastating consequences for a cow/calf herd.

Anaplasmosis is most commonly caused by Anaplasma marginale, a microorganism that invades red blood cells and causes severe anemia. Transmitted through the blood, the main culprits in spreading the disease include biting flies or ticks or infected blood transferred on contaminated needles or other equipment. The disease can result in death, aborted calves, bull infertility, weight loss and diminished milk production as well as additional treatment expenses. The risk for disease increases when mixing noninfected cattle with those that carry the disease or when environmental conditions favor increased activity of biting flies or ticks.

“Anaplasmosis is sporadic, not all factors that cause outbreaks in a herd are known but when they occur, consequences can be significant,” said Daniel Scruggs, DVM, managing veterinarian with Zoetis.

Anaplasmosis causes special concern for cow/calf producers since mature animals have higher susceptibility to the disease than younger animals. Cows in the late stage of pregnancy and those nursing calves have particularly high death loss.

Signs of anaplasmosis can include:
·         Orange-yellow coloration of the mucous membranes
·         Thin, watery blood
·         Slow, reluctant to move or short of breath cattle
·         Aggressive behavior shortly before death
·         Sudden, unexplained death of adult cattle
·         Abortions

One of the most commonly used and predictable methods of controlling anaplasmosis includes incorporating a feed-grade chlortetracycline, such as AUREOMYCIN®, in the animal’s feed or mineral supplements. In endemic regions where ticks and flies remain active all year, AUREOMYCIN administration can occur year-round in feed or minerals. In other areas, producers often focus on late spring through fall, the time of highest transmission.

“It’s really a factor of diligence in making sure cattle are protected,” Dr. Scruggs said. “With spring-calving herds, the bulls are out during the spring and summer vector season. When bulls are experiencing an acute infection of anaplasmosis, and they become anemic or dead, they’re not good at settling cows. Whether a producer is running a spring-calving or fall-calving herd, there’s never a good time to go to sleep on anaplasmosis control.”

Producers should consult with their feed or mineral supplier to ensure their mineral mix containing AUREOMYCIN delivers adequate levels for their herds’ needs.

Adding AUREOMYCIN offers one of several measures producers can take. Preventive measures include:
·         Implementing fly and tick control to help reduce transmission
·         Changing needles and disinfecting instruments between cattle when working cows and bulls
·         Consulting your veterinarian early for diagnostics on unexplained death seen in adult cows or bulls

“If you believe you can control anaplasmosis by just controlling flies, ticks and horseflies, you probably believe in the Easter Bunny, too,” Dr. Scruggs said. “It’s important to keep anaplasmosis control top of mind to help avoid unnecessary surprises and run a healthy, profitable cattle operation.”



Bunge Earnings Top Views Though Revenue Continues Slide

Bunge Ltd. on Thursday reported its earnings easily topped expectations, but it posted a steeper-than-anticipated slide in revenue, dragged by weakness in its core agribusiness and nearly all other segments.

"In the first quarter, our agribusiness team managed markets, margins, and logistics very well in a challenging environment," Chief Executive Soren Schroder said. Over all, results were better than expected and "we feel confident about growing earnings in 2016," he said.

Like other companies in the agriculture space, Bunge has grappled with softer commodity prices and weaker global demand.

Bunge, one of the world's largest traders and processors of agricultural commodities, saw poor profit results all but one of its business segments in the latest quarter.

In its core agribusiness division, earnings dropped 15%. Profit from edible oil edged 2% lower while milling products and sugar and bioenergy plunged 21% and 24%, respectively. Meanwhile, fertilizer swung to a profit.

Over all, the company reported a profit of $235 million, or $1.54 a share, down from $263 million, or $1.67 a share, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings fell to $1.41 a share from $1.58 a year earlier.

Revenue dropped 17% to $8.92 billion.



AGCO Reports Lower Sales, Earnings During First Quarter

AGCO reported net sales of approximately $1.6 billion for the first quarter of 2016, a decrease of approximately 8.4% compared to net sales of approximately $1.7 billion for the first quarter of 2015.

Reported net income was $0.09 per share for the first quarter of 2016 and adjusted net income, excluding restructuring and other infrequent expenses, was $0.11 per share. These results compare to reported net income of $0.34 per share and adjusted net income, excluding restructuring and other infrequent expenses, of $0.43 per share for the first quarter of 2015.

Excluding unfavorable currency translation impacts of approximately 5.2%, net sales in the first quarter of 2016 decreased approximately 3.2% compared to the first quarter of 2015.

Lower industry demand for farm equipment across all regions is expected to continue to negatively impact AGCO's sales and earnings for the remainder of 2016.

AGCO's 2016 net sales are expected to reach $7.0 billion. Gross and operating margins are expected to be below 2015 levels due to the negative impact of lower sales and production volumes, a weaker sales mix and increased investment in product development.



Syngenta geneticist contributes ag insights at Conference on World Affairs

Earlier this month, industry leaders and luminaries convened at University of Colorado’s 68th annual Conference on World Affairs to discuss and reflect on some of the most pressing matters in society today. Contributing insights on the significance of agriculture and biotechnology advances was Joseph Byrum, Ph.D., MBA, PMP, head of soybean seeds and traits R&D at Syngenta.

Throughout the five-day conference, Byrum drew upon his extensive background in plant genetics to help bring context and credibility to discussions on various topics, including technology, environmental health, and the benefits of leveraging big data and crowdsourcing in research initiatives.

“Agriculture continues to represent one of the most impactful and emotional areas of global significance, and it is increasingly important for the ag industry to provide transparency and science-based facts regarding biotechnology,” said Byrum, who leads global soybean breeding, trait research and product development efforts at Syngenta. “The Conference on World Affairs provided an ideal forum for this dialogue, and it was an honor to exchange ideas with such a distinguished group of thinkers.”

The annual conference is renowned for bringing together global experts representing a diverse cross-section of humanity—from artists and musicians to business leaders and social workers—to discuss, as the conference theme implies, “everything conceivable.” 

Among Byrum’s notable industry contributions include serving as the chief architect of a Syngenta initiative that resulted in the development of analytics tools that help plant breeders develop highly productive seeds more efficiently and strategically than ever before. This initiative was awarded the 2015 Franz Edelman prize, in recognition of excellence in operations research and the management sciences. Byrum’s contributions to making plant breeding more efficient—and ultimately delivering improved genetics and trait technologies to soybean growers—reflect Syngenta’s commitment to helping growers produce crops to feed the growing population in an economically and environmentally sustainable way.

This engagement marks Byrum’s first appearance at the conference, held April 4‒8 in Boulder. The event was organized by student and community volunteers, and featured 200 diverse panels, plenaries and performances.