Monday June 20 Crop Progress + Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending June 19, 2016, hot conditions continued as temperatures averaged six to nine degrees above normal, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Some relief to dry soil conditions was received with rainfall amounts of an inch or more reported across much of the State. Irrigation was active as a large area of south central Nebraska remained dry. The heat and humidity boosted row crop development and wheat was rapidly turning color in southern counties. Livestock in confined areas were stressed as temperatures reached the upper 90’s. There were 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 3 percent very short, 27 short 66 adequate, and 4 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 1 percent very short, 15 short, 79 adequate, and 5 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 poor, 18 fair, 65 good, and 14 excellent.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 17 fair, 79 good, and 4 excellent. Sorghum emerged was 85 percent, ahead of 69 last year and 78 average.

Soybeans condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 21 fair, 65 good, and 12 excellent. Soybeans emerged was 96 percent, ahead of 84 last year, and near 94 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 26 fair, 50 good, and 12 excellent. Winter wheat headed was 99 percent, equal to last year, and near 96 average. Coloring was 62 percent, near 58 last year, but ahead of 49 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 25 fair, 65 good, and 8 excellent. Oats jointed was 97 percent, near 94 last year. Headed was 76 percent, ahead of 70 both last year and average. Coloring was 25 percent, well ahead of 2 last year.

Alfalfa condition rated 2 percent very poor, 3 poor, 11 fair, 69 good, and 15 excellent. Alfalfa first cutting was 95 percent, well ahead of 70 last year, and ahead of 80 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 15 fair, 68 good, and 15 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 0 percent very short, 4 short, 93 adequate, and 3 surplus.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

 Very warm conditions and spotty rains prevailed across much of Iowa during the week ending June 19, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. High temperatures and lack of precipitation, especially across the lower two-thirds of the State is stressing some crops, causing corn leaves to curl. Statewide there were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included cutting hay, chemical applications, cultivation, and nitrogen side dressing.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 5 percent very short, 19 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 12 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Districts in the northern third of Iowa had the highest topsoil moisture levels with more than 90 percent rated adequate to surplus, while south central and southeast Iowa reported topsoil moisture levels over 50 percent short to very short.

More than three-quarters of Iowa’s corn crop continues to be rated in good to excellent condition.

Soybean emergence reached 97 percent, 11 days ahead of both last year and the five-year average. Soybean condition rated 80 percent good to excellent.

Oats headed reached 81 percent this week, 5 days ahead of last year, and 6 days ahead of normal. Oat acreage coloring reached 4 percent. Oat condition was rated 80 percent good to excellent.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay reached 96 percent complete this week, more than two weeks ahead of the average. The second cutting of alfalfa reached 6 percent. Hay conditions rated 78 percent good to excellent.

Pasture condition fell to 72 percent good to excellent. Some stress on livestock was reported as a result of heat.



IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry J. Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

Rain fell nearly statewide this past week; however, amounts varied considerably. A few locations, mainly in the far west, received heavy rainfall with 4.55 inches reported at Merrill in Plymouth County. However, some other locations received nothing more than sprinkles including Ames, Fairfield, and Keosauqua. The statewide average precipitation was 0.56 inches or one-half of the weekly normal of 1.11 inches. This was Iowa’s seventh consecutive week of below normal precipitation. The past work week began with cooler than normal weather on Monday (12th) and Tuesday (13th). However, temperatures were well above normal in most areas for the remainder of the week. Temperature extremes varied from a 7 a.m. Monday (12th) reading of 43 degrees at Grinnell to a Friday (16th) afternoon high of 94 degrees at Ankeny. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 2.3 degrees above normal, marking the fourth consecutive week with warmer than normal weather.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress

Soybeans reached nearly 100% planted and corn condition held steady during the week ended June 19, according to the USDA Crop Progress report released Monday.

Soybeans are 96% planted nationwide, compared to 92% last week, 89% last year and a five-year average of 93%. Eighty-nine percent of the crop is emerged, compared to 79% last week, 81% last year and an 84% average. Soybean conditions declined slightly to 73% good to excellent, compared to 745 last week.

Corn condition stayed steady at 75% good to excellent.

Winter wheat is 25% harvested, compared to 11% last week, 17% last year and 28% on average. Winter wheat condition held steady at 61% good to excellent.

Spring wheat is 28% headed, compared to 19% last year and a 14% average. Spring wheat condition declined to 76% good to excellent, compared to 79% last week.

Cotton is 95% planted, compared to 89% last week, 93% last year and a 98% average. Cotton squaring is at 22%, compared to 13% last week, 19% last year and a 21% average. Cotton condition improved to 54% good to excellent, compared to 53% last week. Rice is 8% headed, compared to 5% last year and a 5% average. Rice condition improved to 70% good to excellent compared to 68% last week.

Sorghum is 88% planted compared to 76% last week, 81% last year and an 86% average. Sorghum is 17% headed, compared to 14% last week, 16% last year and a 20% average. Sorghum condition declined slightly to 70% good to excellent, compared to 71% last week.

Oats are 68% headed, compared to 52% last week, 62% last year and a 57% average. Oats condition held steady at 70% good to excellent.

Barley is 23% headed, compared to 31% last year and 17% on average. Barley condition declined slightly to 77% good to excellent compared to 78% last week.

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The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will lead a $20 million, Nebraska-based research effort to improve crop productivity

Funded with a five-year award from the National Science Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, this new project draws upon a range of expertise in Nebraska. UNL is teaming with scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska at Kearney and Doane University on the new Center for Root and Rhizobiome Innovation.

The research uses a holistic strategy to study root and soil microbe interactions and to develop new biological tools to enhance crop performance. The award funds three new faculty positions, two at UNL and one at UNK, to fill critical research needs.

"This research is the new frontier for plant improvement. The root is an understudied plant organ and very important for productivity and for the ability to withstand abiotic stresses, like drought or soil salinity," said project co-leader Edgar Cahoon, George W. Holmes professor of biochemistry and director of UNL's Center for Plant Science Innovation. James Alfano, Charles Bessey professor of plant pathology, co-leads the project.

"Our soils and the crops they produce are invaluable resources for Nebraska and those around the globe who depend on our agriculture food and natural resource system," UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green said. "Innovative, collaborative research like this is why Nebraska is at the leading edge of science aimed at increasing productivity and protecting critical resources."

The team initially will focus on corn, but their findings and biological tools will be applicable to studying and improving other crops, including soybeans, he said.

Taking a systems approach, the researchers will investigate the genetic and metabolic diversity across a wide array of corn varieties. They seek to understand how root metabolism determines the chemical compounds that roots release into the soil and how those compounds affect soil microbes. They'll also study how roots and microbes interact to influence corn health and productivity.

A key aim is developing new biological tools that will allow the researchers to use their findings to precisely modify plant genomes, targeting specific traits such as drought resistance or yield.

The research harnesses technological advances that let scientists gather and characterize large collections of biological data. The ability to both quickly study crop diversity and introduce large numbers of genes into a plant's genome will speed the rate of crop advancements, Cahoon said.

Using UNL's extensive agricultural research facilities, the scientists will test and refine their enhanced crops in the greenhouse and the field.

"UNL's long-term investments in people, technologies, facilities and partnerships enable us to tackle exciting new research in complex areas like the rhizobiome," said Prem Paul, vice chancellor for research and economic development.

In addition to Cahoon and Alfano, 14 UNL faculty from agronomy and horticulture, biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry and plant pathology are co-investigators on the project. Additionally, two faculty at UNMC, two at UNK and two at Doane University will work on the project.

"This award will also help train the next generation of young Nebraskans to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math fields) and contribute to the future economic development of Nebraska," said Fred Choobineh, Nebraska EPSCoR director and Blackman/Lederer Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering at UNL.

"Nebraska has had a reputation of being at the forefront of plant genetic improvement, and this will take us to the next level," Cahoon said. "This project will have considerable benefit for agriculture. It's strongly based in basic science, but it has real-life applicability for making sustainable crop improvements."



OATS NOT PERFORMING AS EXPECTED
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been bombarded with questions about why oats is short and heading out early.  I’m still looking for the answer.

               Oats is becoming more and more popular as an inexpensive, reliable forage crop.  It tends to thrive during cool, wet springs, which basically describes the weather experienced in this region from mid-April through May.  So, with these so-called good conditions, why are oat plants so short this spring and maturing more rapidly than usual?

               Producers, seedsmen, and extension educators have noticed this problem across a large area.  Research plots on campus in Lincoln are at least 18 inches shorter than last spring and 10 to 14 days ahead of maturity.  I’ve discussed it with several other faculty experts and from these conversations have come several suggestions.

               One of the first thoughts was the warm temperatures we all experienced in March and early April.  It seemed logical to think that all those heat units might have caused oats to develop abnormally fast.  Unfortunately, some oat fields were planted after these warm days had past and were still short.  So another idea was needed.

               Was it too wet, we asked.  Maybe in some fields but there were plenty other fields that didn’t have overly wet conditions.  Was it too cloudy?  That could cause short plants but not early maturity.

               How about the cold snaps in early or mid-May?  This has a bit more possibility.  Still, there was a wide variation of morning lows from the teens or low twenties to other areas getting no colder than the upper thirties.

               The bottom line is that we don’t know why oats is short and maturing early.  We are confident that it is a reaction to the weather, but for now, the exact reason will remain a mystery.



RURAL POLL SHOWS SOME GAPS IN INTERNET ADOPTION

    Most rural Nebraskans have mobile and high-speed internet service at home but gaps in adoption of these services still exist by income, age and education, according to the 2016 Nebraska Rural Poll.

    Seven in 10 rural Nebraskans access the internet using a cellphone, and eight in 10 subscribe to a high-speed internet service at home. The examples given for high-speed internet services included cable, DSL, fiber optic and satellite.

    Older people, individuals with lower household income and those with lower education levels are less likely to use mobile and high-speed internet service at home, said Becky Vogt, survey research manager for the Rural Poll.

    Eighty-three percent of people with household incomes of $60,000 or more access the internet using a cellphone, compared to 42 percent of those with household incomes under $20,000. Ninety-three percent of people with household incomes of $60,000 or more subscribe to a high-speed internet service at home, compared to 59 percent of those with household incomes under $20,000.

    About 93 percent of people ages 19 to 39 use mobile internet services, compared to 34 percent of those 65 and older. Similarly, 94 percent of people 19 to 29 subscribe to a high-speed internet service at home, compared to 69 percent of those 65 and older.

    "With most rural Nebraskans using internet services, either by mobile phone or subscribing to services at home, it seems that internet access is just like rural electricity, telecommunications and water were before it – an increasingly necessary utility that is part of the standard cost of living," said Brad Lubben, assistant professor and extension policy specialist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Department of Agricultural Economics.

    The survey also found that most rural Nebraskans are satisfied with their internet services overall and with their reliability, speed and customer service. However, most rural Nebraskans are dissatisfied with the price of their mobile and home internet services.

    There are groups who have issues with various aspects of these internet services. Fifty-two percent of people with occupations in agriculture are dissatisfied with the reliability of their mobile service. And those living in or near the smallest communities are less likely than those living in or near the largest communities to report satisfaction with the speed of their mobile service. People living in the northeast region of the state are less likely than those living in other regions to express satisfaction with the coverage of their mobile service. As for their home internet service, people living in or near smaller communities are less likely than those living in or near larger communities to report satisfaction with the speed of their service.

    "These findings indicate that some households in the state, particularly those living in or near smaller communities and employed in agriculture, still do not have the speed and reliability of internet service that they desire," said Randy Cantrell, rural sociologist with the Nebraska Rural Futures Institute. "That troublesome last-mile problem appears to be continuing as technology advances."

    Most rural Nebraskans see value in having high-speed internet access. More than seven in 10 rural Nebraskans said it is important or very important for the following items: searching for/applying for jobs (74 percent), children's education (71 percent) and learning new things (71 percent). The two lowest-rated items were monitoring/managing health care (42 percent) and entertainment (52 percent).

    "Entertainment seems to be a major driver of the technology curve and the need for ever-higher internet speeds to stream as many entertainment options as we can at once," Lubben said. "This might continue to leave rural areas behind, at least as far as entertainment is concerned. It might be useful to study the bandwidth necessary to viably serve each of the uses for internet access."

    The Rural Poll is the largest annual poll of rural Nebraskans' perceptions on quality of life and policy issues. This year's response rate was 29 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percent. Complete results are availablehere.

    Although the Grand Island area (Hall, Hamilton, Howard and Merrick counties) was designated a metropolitan area by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2013, the Rural Poll continues to include those counties in its sample. Also, Dixon and Dakota counties were added to the poll in 2014.

    UNL's Department of Agricultural Economics conducts the poll in cooperation with the Nebraska Rural Futures Institute, with funding from Nebraska Extension and the Agricultural Research Division in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.



Northwest Feed & Grain Co & WashCo Feed & Supply 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days

Northwest Feed & Grain Co & WashCo Feed & Supply is announcing their 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days. The event will be held at the Elkhorn Equestrian Center located at 20915 Bennington Rd. Elkhorn, NE 68022 on Thursday, July 7th beginning at 6 PM. Enjoy an evening filled with prize giveaways, food, presentations and demos! Speakers include:
-    Dr. Zink will be on-site with an Equine Chiropractic Demonstration
-    Brett Kriefels will be speaking on all things backyard poultry
-    Kristin Sandstede will provide an on-site dog obedience tips and rally-o demos
-    Fran Minnaert, a Purina Animal Nutrition Specialist, will be speaking on wildlife (deer, fish etc).
-    Steve Probst will be talking with cattle producers about how early weaning puts extra money in your pocket.

Northwest Feed & Grain and WashCo Feed & Supply are multi-species dealers, so attendees will be able to attend more than one demo/speaker the evening of the event. This evening would serve as a great educational event for 4-H Clubs and local FFA Chapters!  Attendees will enjoy complimentary hamburgers and hotdogs, live music and will have opportunities to register in prize drawings! The event will be held indoors, so rain or shine, the event is a go! If planning to attend, please RSVP no later than July 6th by calling (712) 420-3249.

Customers will also have the opportunity to enter in the national 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days Sweepstakes for their chance to win a 2016 John Deere™ Gator TS, a Trip-for-Two to the Purina® Animal Nutrition Center, or Purina® Gear YETI® Tundra Cooler. See store for official rules.

“We are proud to serve the residents of our community and thank them for their continued loyalty,” Steve Probst of Northwest Feed & Grain Co. “We invite everyone to come celebrate our 2016 Purina® Check-R-Board® Days with us!”



Revised Ranges for Manure Nutrient Availability for Crops

Based on current research results from Iowa and neighboring states, the Using Manure Nutrients for Crop Production publication (PMR 1003) was recently updated to reflect new manure nutrient availability ranges for crop production.

Beef cattle and dairy nitrogen availability ranges are now 30-50 percent of the total nutrients applied, and phosphorus ranges are 80-100 percent of total nutrients applied. These ranges increased slightly from 40 percent to 50 percent for the upper end of the nitrogen range and 60 percent to 80 percent for the low end of the phosphorus range.

Manure nutrient availability values are important when it comes to manure application, since the manure rate to supply crop available nutrients is calculated based on the specific manure source being used.

“For manure nitrogen and phosphorus, there is usually a mix of organic and inorganic materials that varies among manure sources, production systems, bedding, storage systems and handling,” said John Sawyer, professor and extension soil fertility and nutrient management specialist at Iowa State University. “These ranges account for the variety of factors that can affect nitrogen and phosphorus availability to crops.”

Additional text describing the table of manure nutrient availability values was added, along with the new URL for the revised Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator website (cnrc.agron.iastate.edu).

The Using Manure Nutrients for Crop Production publication includes information about manure nutrient availability for crops, manure nutrient supply, manure nutrient application recommendations, adjusting for manure nitrogen volatilization, and more. You can download the revised document online for free at the Extension Store.



Future of North America's Beef Industry ...
Glynn T. Tonsor, Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University

I had the pleasure last week to provide a joint talk with Dr. Ted Schroder at the 2016 Beef Improvement Federation Annual Meeting & Symposium.  Our presentation sketched a broad vision of how the integrated U.S. and Canadian beef industry may look in 20 years.  To set the stage for our assessment, we outlined comparative advantages in comparing major global beef producers.

The key comparative advantages currently enjoyed by North America's integrated industry include a strong trust and premium being placed on their grain-finished beef.  The presence of sound and effective infrastructure spanning from physical assets like transportation networks and sophisticate processing facilities to intellectual expertise on issues including genetics and meat quality, along with legal property rights supporting investment are additional global strengths.

Comparative disadvantages are equally important to assess and appreciate in assessing any entity or industry's future.  The North American beef industry is not the lowest price producer globally reflecting differences in production costs not only relative to pork, chicken, and other proteins but also compared to competing beef systems around the world that are not as heavily focused on grain-finished production.  While these production cost differentials may well adjust, they seem unlikely to shrink substantially.  This reinforces the need to appreciate the fragmented nature of many inner-industry discussions and the associated partially effective coordination and signaling that occurs both vertically and horizontally throughout the North American beef industry.  One only has to examine debates around animal identification and traceability, proposed international trade deals, and generic advertising to appreciate this point and the associated challenges with pursuing immense economic opportunities with expected growing global beef demand over the next 20 years.

As noted in past articles specific to individual operations, identifying and effectively acting upon one's comparative advantage is key for successful progression of any industry.  The core goal of this article is to have each reader pause and think critically about two things: 1) how the North American beef industry can best be positioned for success over the next 20 years and 2) how individual actions of stakeholders throughout the industry can help (or inhibit) realization of this success.  It is much more enjoyable, and arguably economically rewarding over the longer-term, to work together and "build a larger pie to share" than to focus on getting the "largest slice of today's pie."



CWT Assists with 6.2 Million Pounds of Cheese and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 10 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and Tillamook County Creamery Association who have contracts to sell 4.209 million pounds (1,909 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese and 1.986 million pounds (901 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, Central America, North Africa, Oceania and South America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from July through December 2016.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 28.098 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 8.635 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) and 20.582 million pounds of whole milk powder to twenty countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 603.894 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.



Pollinator Week Highlights the Importance of Honey Bee Health to Farmers

June 20-27, 2016 is Pollinator Week.  The Honey Bee Health Coalition hopes to draw attention to the importance of honey bees to many agricultural crops and the increased stresses that have been reducing populations in overwintering bees over the last decade.

The National Corn Growers Association is one of nearly 40 organizations involved in the Honey Bee Health Coalition trying to achieve a healthy population of honey bees and other pollinators.

"Corn does not require pollination by honey bees, but NCGA recognizes the integral role they play in a productive agriculture system. We are committed to improving the health and viability of pollinators as part of our overall sustainability efforts," said Chip Bowling, NCGA president and Newburg, Maryland farmer. "We are also engaged to assure steps being taken to help pollinators are well researched and based on science."

The activist community has been spearheading efforts to blame neonicotinoid seed treatments as a primary factor in bee colony collapse despite a lack of credible evidence documenting the connection. The Honey Bee Health Coalition is approaching the problem in a more holistic manner looking at a broad range of stresses potentially responsible for bee deaths.

"What we know so far is that there are a handful of issues that can cause problems for bees.  Severe weather, pests and disease, lack of forage and nutrition, lack of genetic diversity and incidental pesticide exposure may all be causing problems," said Carson Klosterman, a farmer from Wyndmere, North Dakota and member of NCGA's Production and Stewardship Action Team.

Klosterman says neonicotinoid seed treatments are actually a good way to limit incidental pesticide exposure because of how and when they are used. For instance, farmers are switching to a pinpoint treatment of insecticide on seed at planting time, rather than a broad spectrum treatment later in the growing season when bees are more active.

The neonicotinoids had three other distinct advantages:
-    They are much safer for humans to use.
-    They are absorbed by plants and translocated via the vascular system, giving effective control of sap sucking and boring insects which other sprayed insecticides might not contact.
-    They can be applied as seed treatments, so the accurate placement allows less insecticide to be used which is better for the environment.

Klosterman urge farmers to be proactive by being more aware of bees and getting to know local beekeepers.  Proactive communication between growers, applicators and beekeepers is essential to protect honey bees from unintended pesticide exposure. Beekeeper and landowner cooperation based on mutual interests is important to mitigate risks of pesticide exposure to pollinators and to assure continued access to important tools used by farmers.

The Honey Bee Coalition aims to provide the best available tools and resources for improving honey bee health and they are coordinating distribution to a variety of audiences free of charge. You can learn more on the web site http://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/ or at www.ncga.com. 



NFU Supports Efforts to Ease Regulatory Burden on Landowners Participating in USDA Conservation Programs

The National Farmers Union (NFU) was pleased by the recent introduction of The Improving Access to Farm Conservation Act of 2016 (H.R. 5451), which would ease burdensome reporting requirements for landowners participating in voluntary U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs.

“Historically, family farmers and ranchers have been our best soil and water conservationists, and I’m pleased to see bipartisan legislation aimed at removing onerous barriers that might discourage landowners from participating in beneficial USDA conservation programs,” said NFU President Roger Johnson.

The bill, introduced by Representatives Ann Kuster (D-N.H.) and Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), would exempt recipients of USDA conservation assistance from needing to register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. The current law requires this reporting in order to receive financial assistance from federal agencies.

“Restrictive reporting requirements erode economic incentives and restrict flexibility for landowners to participate in USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service programs that help foster sustainability and sound conservation practices. We offer our support of initiatives that would lessen the regulatory burden on conservation incentives for our nearly 200,000 family farmer and rancher members,” Johnson concluded.



NFU Celebrates Youth Leadership and Education at 80th All-States Camp  

Farmers Union youth members from across the country will gather in Bailey, Colo. this week to attend the 80th annual National Farmers Union (NFU) All-States Leadership Camp. Hosted each June at the NFU Education Center, All-States Camp encourages youth to explore their leadership potential, discuss issues important to their generation, and identify ways to effect positive change in their communities.

Throughout the week, 51 campers between the ages of 17 and 20-years old will participate in programs that emphasize leadership, teamwork and cooperative education while also enjoying traditional camp activities. New this year to the camp program is a local volunteer opportunity at Sprout Urban Farms in Denver.

“We are excited to be celebrating the 80th year of All-States Leadership Camp, a proud Farmers Union tradition. It is inspiring to see the youth of our organization – our next generation of leaders – come together to grow their leadership skills and interact with their peers in a week of fun and learning at camp,” said NFU President Roger Johnson.

Johnson, a former All-States camper, will join Olympic Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner, past NFU Beginning Farmer Institute alumnus Eric Kornacki, and retired CHS, Inc. Vice President William Nelson to share their experiences and personal stories of leadership with this year’s camp class.

Campers will also elect their peers to NFU’s National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC), which represents thousands of Farmers Union youth across the country. NYAC participants will further hone their leadership skills at a learning session in Washington, D.C., and presentations at the NFU 115th Anniversary Convention, as well as plan the next year’s All-States Camp.

To celebrate the 80th anniversary and the history of All-States Camp, NFU captured camp stories of past attendees from 1937 to present. Many campers attributed their first leadership experiences to the camp or serving on NYAC. The stories will continue to be featured on the NFU website at nfu.org/campstories.

The 80th NFU All-States Leadership Camp will take place from June 21-25.



Farmers take note: SCN-resistant soybean seeds not immune from pest

Many soybean farmers don’t realize their fields may be a buffet for soybean cyst nematodes (SCN), despite the use of SCN-resistant soybean varieties.

These microscopic, parasitic worms lurk beneath the soil and can feed off soybean plant roots for some time, before any above-ground crop damage is noticed. By then, the SCN population has grown much more numerous and stronger, becoming difficult to control as well as a huge economic threat to soybean farmers.

“In recent years, an increase in aggressive SCN populations, which can feed and reproduce on resistant varieties, has been widely documented throughout the north central U.S.,” said Sam Markell, Ph.D., associate professor and Extension plant pathologist at North Dakota State University.

Soybean farmers are used to selecting a resistant variety and assuming SCN will be managed in their field. Most are totally unaware of the slow-moving disaster posed by the changing pathogen.

A survey of 1,100 soybean farmers across 17 states, conducted in late 2015, identified SCN as one of the biggest foes of soybean crops. Of those surveyed, 63 percent indicated they were growing SCN-resistant soybean varieties, while the majority of respondents knew only “a little” or “nothing” about SCN. Worse yet, 66 percent were not scouting or sampling for SCN.

Syngenta collaborated with five land-grant universities to design the survey, following their July 2015 meeting to dissect the biology and manage SCN. Other findings from the survey showed:
·         60 percent who grew SCN-resistant soybeans were growing them on all soybean acres
·         68 percent who grew SCN-resistant soybean varieties didn’t know the source of resistance in the varieties
·         69 percent of growers didn’t think SCN-resistant varieties were less effective today than in the past, contrary to widespread evidence of SCN populations adapting to genetic resistance

“Using the same source of resistance for more than 25 years has reduced the efficacy today, in a similar way as if we used the same herbicide over and over again,” said Greg Tylka, Ph.D., professor and Extension nematologist at Iowa State University.

The SCN populations are changing all around the country, but the way we manage SCN is not. “We are on the front end of a crisis similar to herbicide-resistant weeds and even costlier to farmers,” said Shawn Conley, Ph.D., professor and Extension agronomist at University of Wisconsin-Madison. “From an agronomic point of view and to keep productivity high, this is alarming.”

Like herbicide resistant weeds, the looming SCN crisis will not be averted if everyone doesn’t come together for a common goal.

“It’s going to take a group effort like the ‘Resistance Fighter’ campaign from Syngenta for herbicide resistance to prevent an even larger crisis with SCN,” said Seth Naeve, associate professor and Extension agronomist at University of Minnesota.

With Resistance Fighter, Syngenta and key universities were joined by grower groups in an urgent effort to educate farmers, as well as seed and herbicide suppliers, how to manage and delay the looming threat of herbicide resistance. Diversity was the key to success.

“The time is right to do something similar for SCN,” said Palle Pedersen, Ph.D., head of Seedcare product marketing for Syngenta. “We are standing at the edge of a cliff right now and none of our tools can do it alone.”

To preserve the effectiveness of SCN-resistant varieties, Pedersen recommends farmers implement a multipronged solution that includes technologies like seed treatments, with a completely different mode of action.

“We know what happens when only one mode of action is used to manage weeds, so let’s not head down that road and hit those same potholes,” said Pedersen.

More research is underway to document the importance of using alternative solutions to slow down the development of SCN resistance.