Monday November 21 Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending November 20, 2016, above normal temperatures continued in the eastern part of the State, averaging six to nine degrees above normal, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation totaled half an inch or less throughout Nebraska, with some of it coming in the form of snow. Producers welcomed the much needed moisture after experiencing very dry soils. In most counties, harvest was nearly complete and fall tillage activities continued. There were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 14 percent very short, 36 short, 49 adequate, and 1 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 12 percent very short, 32 short, 55 adequate, and 1 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn harvested was 96 percent, near 94 last year, and equal to the five-year average.

Winter wheat condition rated 2 percent very poor, 10 poor, 34 fair, 49 good, and 5 excellent.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 5 percent very poor, 12 poor, 32 fair, 47 good, and 4 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 1 percent very short, 14 short, 84 adequate, and 1 surplus.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION REPORT

Harvest activities were virtually completed during the week ending November 20, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Although parts of northwest Iowa received snow, activities for the State during the week included harvesting, baling corn stalks, tiling, terracing, hauling and spreading manure, and anhydrous application.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 3 percent very short, 14 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 2 percent very short, 9 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus.

Ninety-eight percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, 2 days ahead of the 5-year average. Moisture content of all corn for grain being harvested in Iowa was 16 percent. Southwest and south central Iowa were still lagging slightly behind with approximately 8 percent of the corn crop and 5 percent of the soybean crop remaining to be harvested.

Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 51 percent moderate to heavy, down 4 percentage points from the previous week. Off-farm grain storage availability was rated 63 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was rated 58 percent adequate to surplus.

Livestock conditions were described as good and many fields have cows out in the corn stalks.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress

The U.S. soybean harvest is finished for the year in most states, and the corn harvest is nearing completion slightly ahead of the average pace, according to the latest USDA Crop Progress report released Monday.

The nation's corn crop was 97% harvested as of Sunday, even with a year ago and up from the five-year average of 96%. 

Soybean harvest is complete in most states with USDA no longer reporting national harvest progress this week.

The winter wheat crop was 97% planted as of Sunday, up from 95% a year ago, and below the five-year average of 99%. Eight-nine percent of the crop had emerged, even with a year ago and up from the five-year average of 88%.  The condition of winter wheat was rated 58% good to excellent, down 1 percentage point from 59% the previous week.

Cotton harvested was reported at 67%, slightly behind 68% last year and also behind the average pace of 77%. Sorghum harvest was 94% complete, compared to 90% last week, 93% last year and 92% average.



Introducing New NE Extension Crops Specialist Justin McMechan

Justin McMechan started work August 16 as the new crop protection and cropping systems specialist for eastern Nebraska. As part of the UNL Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center, his primary office is at the Agricultural Research and Development Center near Ithaca and his campus office is in 105B Entomology. As an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology, McMechan has a split appointment between research (50%) and extension (50%).

Education and Training
McMechan grew up on a mixed cattle and grain farm in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. A farmer at heart, his parents encouraged him to obtain some post-secondary education before returning to the family farm. This led McMechan to do a two-year agricultural business degree from Assiniboine Community College. It was through this experience that he gained an appreciation for the value of education in agricultural systems. With questions still lingering, McMechan went on to the University of Minnesota Crookston where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in agriculture sciences and crop production in 2009. During this time, McMechan worked as a summer intern in the Plant Pathology and Entomology Departments where he was exposed to the value and opportunities in research and extension. In 2009, McMechan joined the Department of Entomology at the University of Nebraska graduating with his M.S. degree in 2012. McMechan recently completed dual doctoral degrees in the Doctor of Plant Health Program and in Entomology, graduating in May and August of 2016.

As a graduate student, McMechan’s research has spanned various disciplines including plant pathology, entomology, weed science, and plant physiology. As a master’s student, his research focused on the transmission of Triticum mosaic virus, the impact of the virus on the wheat curl mite, and an evaluation of management combinations for the wheat-mite-virus complex. As a doctoral student, he evaluated the window of time for pre-harvest germination of volunteer wheat, the risk of alternative hosts for the wheat-mite-virus complex, and the impact of rainfall on mite populations under field conditions. His Doctor of Plant Health research focused on early season hail damage and disease interactions in corn and primary ear loss in corn.

McMechan has authored or co-authored nine peer-reviewed journal articles and several extension publications and scientific presentations. He was awarded the Entomological Society of America 2016 John Henry Comstock Award for outstanding graduate student. In addition, he received the outstanding poster award from the Agronomy Society of America in 2015 as well as nine President’s prize awards for posters and presentations during his graduate programs. McMechan has served as the president of the Entomology Department’s Lawrence Bruner Club and has been actively involved in several extension activities and programs.

Research and Extension Goals
McMechan’s research plans include evaluating the risk and beneficial potential of insects in cover crops on corn and soybeans. These fundamental questions will help mitigate risk and determine the added value of this growing area of interest. In addition, his research will focus on the evaluation and management of early and late season hail damage in corn and soybeans through the use of simulated hail machine. By replicating real world conditions, he hopes to provide recommendations and evaluation strategies that reflect and incorporate the complexity of the field environment.

McMechan has a strong passion for extension and encourages his clientele to contact him by phone, stop by his office, or talk with him at field days and field visits. He has a strong belief that collaboration and exchange of information with consultants and producers is critical to fostering a dialogue to determine, address, or develop solutions for key issues in the area.



HIGH QUALITY HAY STILL BRINGS TOP DOLLAR
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Market gurus say to make profits you must buy low and sell high.  What market gives you that opportunity today?  The stock market - no - it's the hay market!

               High rainfall in many areas produced high yields of both grass and alfalfa hay this year.  Combine that with high carryover from last year plus lots of crop residues available and you get an abundance of forage for this winter. And when winter forage is abundant, hay prices go down.

               All this rain also led to some poor hay making weather which has resulted in a shortage of really high quality alfalfa.  As a result, some alfalfa growers in Nebraska are receiving over 150 dollars per ton for superior quality dairy hay and over 100 dollars for other good hay.

               But why should you care?  You don't have any extra alfalfa.  You plan to use all your hay for your own cattle.

               Well, just think about this.  Suppose someone offered you 100 dollars per ton for your better alfalfa.  Could you find other hay nearby that you could make work for your animals that would only cost you 60 or 70 dollars?  If you can, maybe you can sell high, buy low, and pocket the profits.

               So, how do you find these buyers?  You could post notices at truck stops, place ads in newspapers and magazines, or set up a sign by your driveway.  But, there are more effective ways to contact buyers.  One is to place your hay on a computer listing in the dairy states.  Maybe an even better way is to work with dealers or become a member of a marketing group, like the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association, to take advantage of all their market connections.

               You may need some luck and do some work to be able to buy low and sell high.  Smart operators look for these opportunities.



 NEBRASKA POWER FARMING SHOW TOP 10

The Nebraska Power Farming Show – the 2nd largest indoor farm show in the country – will take place at the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln December 6-8. Three times larger than the average Midwestern farm show, the Nebraska Power Farming Show features over 860 farm equipment and agribusiness companies and 2,282 booths spanning 9.2 acres. The show is presented by Farm Credit Services of America and AgDirect.
 
10 REASONS WHY YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS SHOW:                 

10.  GAIN A COMPETITIVE EDGE – Producers come to the Nebraska Power Farming Show to see, touch and learn about the latest products and services offered. Gaining a competitive edge by reducing cost or increasing productivity is the name of the game.

9.     EXCLUSIVE EXHIBITORS – More than half of the Nebraska Power Farming Show exhibitors do not participate in the nearest outdoor farm show. Nearly 70 percent do not participate in the nearest indoor farm show. This is your only chance to see them in Nebraska.

8.     NEW EXHIBITORS – Nearly 20 percent of companies exhibiting are NEW to the Nebraska Power Farming Show.

7.     EXTENSIVE PRODUCT OFFERING – The Nebraska Power Farming Show is the most complete farm show in the area. From the latest equipment and attachments, to inputs and precision ag technology, we have the product you need.

6.     NEW PRODUCTS – Smaller manufacturers (considered the real innovators of the industry) introduce new products at the Nebraska Power Farming Show.

5.     ONE STOP SHOP – Research and compare a variety of ag-related products and services, conveniently located in one complex.

4.     BUY – At the Nebraska Power Farming Show, both manufacturer representatives and dealers are ready to help you make purchases. Exhibitor “show stopper” specials make it even more enticing to shop at the show.

3.     PURE AG SHOW – You won’t find hot tubs and windows at the Nebraska Power Farming Show. Only companies promoting ag-related products are allowed to exhibit.

2.     CONVENIENCE – The Nebraska Power Farming Show is conveniently located on the eastern edge of Lincoln, Nebraska. You won’t struggle with downtown traffic or limited parking options at this show.

1.     IT’S FREE – Admission to the Nebraska Power Farming Show is FREE! That, combined with plenty of FREE parking makes the Nebraska Power Farming Show hands down, the best value around.

For more information, visit nebraskapowershow.com.



Southeast Nebraska Successful Farmer Series Starts Dec. 16

Agriculture is a challenging and complex industry requiring farm owners and operators to understand and make decisions on a wide range of topics.

This winter the Successful Farmer Series will focus on several of these timely topics in workshops featuring experts from the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Friday morning workshops offer a relaxed setting to hear from the speakers and discuss that week's topic with producers and landowners, as well as UNL and industry experts. Grab a cup of joe and a roll, and pick up some educational handouts when you join southeast Nebraska growers for one or all of these workshops.

Workshops will be held every other Friday (except December 30) from December 16 through March 3. Each workshop starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. and is held at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherry Creek Rd, Lincoln. The cost is $5 for each workshop or $15 for the entire series. Cash or check is accepted at the door.

Topics & UNL Speakers
    December 16 — Cover Crops and Wheat (Speakers: Roger Elmore, Paul Jasa, Teshome Regassa)
    January 6 — Ag Management Technology (Speakers: Joe Luck, Wayne Woldt, Tyler Williams)
    January 20 — Farm Financial Management (Speakers: Tina Barrett, Cory Walters)
    February 3 — Soils and Climate (Speakers: Humberto Blanco, Al Dutcher, Tyler Williams)
    February 17 — Soybeans (Speakers: Amit Jhala, Michael Rethwisch, Patricio Grassini)
    March 3 — Corn (Speakers: Tamra Jackson-Ziems, Haishun Yang, Robert Wright)

For more information, call 402-441-7180 or email tyler.williams@unl.edu. To preregister go to go.unl.edu/farmerseriesregistration.



Water for Food Global Institute releases 2016 conference proceedings

The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (WFI) at the University of Nebraska has published the proceedings from its 2016 Water for Food Global Conference, held in association with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation April 24-26 at Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.

The report summarizes three days of presentations and discussions surrounding the major aspects of the conference theme, "Catalytic Collaborations: Building Public-Private Partnerships for Water and Food Security."

More than 360 individuals from throughout the U.S. and 15 countries attended the institute’ s seventh signature event, including practitioners, scholars, farmers and thought leaders in the water and food sectors.

The 2016 Water for Food Global Conference sessions focused on leveraging public-private partnerships (PPPs) to address our world’s pressing water and food security challenges, highlighting successful models of PPPs around the world, as well as possible challenges and pitfalls.

Additionally, this year’s conference featured the premiere of the documentary film “Thirsty Land” and a workshop on the “Opportunities and Challenges of Expanding Smallholder Irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa,” co-convened by the Gates Foundation, KickStart International and WFI, in partnership with CGIAR Research Program in Water, Land and Ecosystems.

Conference topics covered in the report include, among others:
- Irrigation research and technology for smallholder farmers, including remote sensing and apps that help farmers target water usage to maximize yields
- Agricultural solutions in both crop development and management; and livestock
- Information technology to improve water and agricultural productivity
- Food processing advancements to reduce water use in the food and beverage sector
- Public health and its important role in water and food security
- The role of social entrepreneurship projects as PPPs
The 2016 conference proceedings are available online and videos of all the conference sessions are archived on WFI’s YouTube channel.

To request a hard copy of the report, contact Dana Ludvik at dludvik@nebraska.edu or (+1) 402.472.9510.  For more information on the conference, visit waterforfood.nebraska.edu/wff2016.



Farm Finance and Ag Law Clinics in December

Openings are available for one-on-one, confidential farm finance and ag law consultations being conducted across the state each month. An experienced ag law attorney and ag financial counselor will be available to address farm and ranch issues related to financial planning, estate and transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, water rights, and other relevant matters. They offer an opportunity to seek an experienced outside opinion on issues affecting your farm or ranch.

Clinic Sites and Dates
    Fairbury — Thursday, December 1
    Grand Island — Friday, December 2
    North Platte — Thursday, December 8
    Ainsworth — Friday, December 9
    Lexington — Thursday, December 15
    Norfolk — Friday, December 16

To sign up for a clinic or to get more information, call Michelle at the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.  The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska sponsor these clinics.



CWT Assists with 2.6 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 11 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Foremost Farms, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and United Dairymen of Arizona. These member cooperatives have contracts to sell 1.517 million pounds (688 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese, and 1.091 million pounds (495 metric tons) of butter to customers in Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from November 2016 through February 2017.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 47.316 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 12.718 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) and 21.316 million pounds of whole milk powder to twenty-three countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 878.496 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.



NGFA urges STB to focus on providing grain shippers a workable procedure to challenge unreasonable rail rates

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) recently urged the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) to refocus its efforts on creating a workable procedure that grain and agricultural shippers can use to challenge freight rail rates they believe are unreasonable.

The Association on Nov. 14 submitted its statement in response to the STB's advance notice of proposed rulemaking requesting comments on establishing a new rate-challenge methodology that would be available to all commodities (including non-agricultural products), but only for a small subset of rate cases involving "very small disputes" - a phrase the agency did not define. The NGFA in particular objected to the STB's proposal to broaden its original proceeding that focused solely on creating an accessible and workable process for grain shippers to challenge unreasonable rail rates of all sizes, noting that no other group - agricultural or non-agricultural - had advocated such a change in direction.

"The (STB) has elected to take its eye off the ball and divert its focus from resolving the primary problem identified by grain and other agricultural shippers - the uselessness of the (agency's) existing rate rules and procedures to agricultural shippers, regardless of the size of a rate dispute, and hence their lack of access to a workable rate-challenge methodology," the NGFA said. "We respectfully urge the (STB) to refocus its efforts in this proceeding...and return to the original task of creating an appropriate, workable and reasonably accessible rate-challenge methodology that grain and other agricultural shippers can utilize to challenge railroad rates they believe are unreasonable, regardless of the size of their potential case."

Fourteen other prominent national agricultural producer, commodity and agribusiness associations, as well as the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, joined as signatories in supporting the NGFA's statement. Sixteen state and regional agribusiness associations affiliated with the NGFA also joined.

The NGFA and the other agricultural organizations pointed out several major reasons why rail grain movements were unique from non-agricultural commodities, such as coal and chemicals.

The NGFA's statement also cited a 2015 study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences' Transportation Research Board (TRB) that documented that rates for both small and large shipments of grain and oilseeds increased by more than 70 percent between 2002 and 2013, despite market factors that otherwise would have seemingly produced lower rates were it not for the market power exerted by rail carriers. The TRB study also found that while real rates for most commodities increased between 15 and 25 percent during that time span, grain rail rates increased by a whopping 40 percent.

The NGFA and other agricultural organizations also provided input on several specific aspects of the STB's proposed concepts for creating a new rate-challenge methodology. View an outline of NGFA's full comments online.

"We urge the STB to now move expeditiously to develop and propose rate-challenge methodology rules and procedures appropriate for grain and agricultural shippers," the NGFA and other agricultural groups concluded. 



Syngenta unveils new fungicide product line: Miravis™

This week, Syngenta announced Miravis™ fungicide as the brand name for the fungicide product line containing the new active ingredient, Adepidyn™ fungicide, which is currently under regulatory review.

As the first member of a new chemical group within the carboxamide class, Adepidyn fungicide marks the latest disease control innovation from Syngenta.  Aiming to tame some of the most destructive diseases growers encounter, Syngenta leveraged global resources and expertise to design a highly effective active ingredient with multiple benefits. Upon regulatory approval, the Miravis fungicide family of products is expected to directly benefit growers by:

·       Providing the most activity amongst all chemical classes against leaf spots and powdery mildew. Combined, these two groups of pathogens are among the most common growers face.

·       Offering high efficacy against difficult-to-control diseases where growers have limited options, including Botrytis, Sclerotinia and Corynespora, which cause significant yield loss in crops as diverse as grapes, peanuts and potatoes.

·       Delivering groundbreaking control of Fusarium, including Fusarium head blight (head scab) in cereals.

“Not only will Adepidyn fungicide provide exceptional control of common yield and quality limiting diseases, but it will also deliver crop enhancement benefits in row crops that growers have seen with our other products,” said Eric Tedford, technical product lead at Syngenta. “This chemistry and its performance in field trials has been impressive and I think growers will be excited when they see the Miravis family of products in action at our Grow More Experience sites in 2017.”

Upon registration, multiple brands containing the active ingredient Adepidyn fungicide will be marketed under the Miravis product line. Specific formulation brand extensions for corn, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, potatoes, grapes and other crops, will be announced in 2017.