Friday September 8 Ag News

2017 Dodge County Crop Tech Cafe Yield Tour: September 5-7
Nathan Mueller, NE Extension Educator, Dodge County

The 2017 corn preharvest yield estimate was 197 bu/ac, which is up 13 bu/ac from a year ago and similar to 2015 (Table 1 below). Irrigated and rainfed yields averaged 224 bu/ac and 173 bu/ac, respectively. Irrigated yields were 12 bu/ac and 15 bu/ac higher than 2016 and 2015, respectively. However, rainfed yields are up 6 bu/ac from 2016, but 15 bu/ac less than 2015. Ear counts across the county averaged 28,200/acres, which is up from 2016 (July 5 Wind Storm impacted 75,000 acres with green snap) and similar to 2015. Corn maturity is behind from last year but ahead of 2015 (tours roughly the same time each year, so not a perfect comparison).

The 2017 soybean preharvest yield is estimated at 56 bu/ac for the county (averaged across rainfed and irrigated), down 7 bu/ac from a year ago and down 2 bu/ac from 2015 (Table 2 below). The county average for pods per 1/10,000 of acre was down nearly 100 pod from 2016 but similar to the pod count in 2015. Seeds per pod was 2.5 that is similar to the 2.4 in 2016 and 2.6 in 2015. Maturity was only slightly behind from last year, but ahead of 2015 similar to corn.

Click the link to see all the details on each section of Nathan's crop tour, and see the methodology behind the tour.... http://croptechcafe.org/2017-dodge-county-crop-tech-cafe-yield-tour/. 



NDA AT HUSKER HARVEST DAYS

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has an important role at Husker Harvest Days and other ag-related events. This year at Husker Harvest Days, NDA staff will be on hand to share information on farm mitigation and negotiations, livestock development, pesticide management and the NextGen Beginning Farmer program. Husker Harvest Days is celebrating its 40th anniversary Sept. 12-14 in Grand Island.

“Husker Harvest Days is a great opportunity for Nebraska farmers and ranchers to see what’s new and innovative in the way of equipment, supplies and technology,” said NDA Director Greg Ibach. “This long-standing event supports agriculture and gives people the opportunity to expand their knowledge of Nebraska’s number one industry as well as the role of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.”

NDA staff will be at Husker Harvest Days to answer questions and share information about various agriculture programs that affect farmers and ranchers in Nebraska. Here is more information about the NDA programs featured at Husker Harvest Days and where staff can be found.....

-    Farmer mitigation, negotiations and NextGen Beginning Farmer program: Look for NDA staff  in the Nebraska Farmer Hospitality Tent;

-    Animal health: NDA’s Animal Health Protection programs will be represented in the Livestock Industries Building in the northwest corner;

-    Pesticide/fertilizer management: NDA staff from the Pesticide/Fertilizer program will be in the Nebraska Farmer Hospitality Tent (at the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue);

-    Noxious weed control: Staff from NDA’s Noxious Weed program will be at the Nebraska Weed Control Association Tent (Lot 1016, in the northeast part of the grounds); and

-    Livestock development: NDA Ag Promotions & Development will be represented in the Nebraska Commodities Building (Lot 8, at the east end of Main Street).



WEEDS IN ALFALFA MAY SUGGEST RESEEDING
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Did weeds take over your alfalfa this summer?  Well, join the crowd.  So, why were the weeds so vigorous and what might happen to your alfalfa?

               Weeds seemed to show up everywhere in alfalfa fields during August.  And I'm not exactly sure why.  One thing is for sure, though.  The weeds were worst in older fields, thinner stands, and in areas where rainfall was higher than normal.

               Summer weeds that invade alfalfa when rain is heavy isn't unusual, especially if it is wet right after harvest.  Alfalfa stubble just doesn't compete well with weeds, so weed growth gets a jump start on the alfalfa.

               If the alfalfa plants are healthy and vigorous, though, this weed invasion should be just a temporary problem.  After the next cutting, or maybe as late a next year, most weeds will disappear and the alfalfa will take over again.

               What I'm more concerned about are your older fields, those fields starting to get a little thin.  I've noticed this year that many alfalfa fields seemed to be getting weaker and weaker as the year went on, especially if they were harvested within a month of the previous cut.        What I think is happening is that alfalfa plants in many fields have slowly been weakened naturally by root and crown diseases, but they weren't killed.  Then, as the summer went on, the weakened root systems eventually couldn't handle the stress caused by frequent harvesting.  So plants slowly died.  And weeds invaded the open areas.

               If this scenario describes one or more of your alfalfa fields, check it closely this fall.  It might be time to reseed.

               Preparing to reseed now will help avoid bad surprises next spring.



Striking Conservation Conversations

We know that Nebraska farmers and ranchers go to great lengths to protect the land and animals in their care, all while raising safe and nutritious food to help feed America and beyond.

It was that focus on stewardship that drew the Aliiance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN) to help promote the inaugural "Conservation in Agriculture Day" at the Nebraska State Fair this year.

As part of its outreach to help Nebraska farmers and ranchers achieve viability and opportunity for long-term growth, AFAN worked with the Sand County Foundation to promote a series of State Fair presentations by conservation experts.

"The messages to consumers who stopped in to listen to the 'lightning talks' focused on the importance of conservation of water, soil and wildlife to our world's future," said AFAN Livestock Development Coordinator Emily Skillett.

"It was a great opportunity for experts to share sound research and stories about all of the things that farmers and ranchers do to protect the land, animals and resources they steward on a daily basis," she said. "I think some consumers are surprised to hear the truth about agricultural conservation when they're faced with emotionally charged misinformation in mainstream media and life every day."

Participants in the lightning talks at the fair got information firsthand from not only representatives of respected organizations such as The Nature Conservancy , the Nebraska Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Nebraska Land Trust, and University of Nebraska Extension, but also directly from Nebraska farmers, including The Kalkowski Family Ranch in north Central Nebraska; Patrick Peterson of Gordon, Nebrask a's Plum Thicket Farms; and Rose, Nebraska rancher Homer Buell (pictured, above).

"Nebraska's is the only state fair presenting this kind of conservation program," Skillett said. "It was exciting to see consumers engaging on these important topics and speaking one-on-one with conservation experts. We hope this is just the first of many such opportunities to come at the Nebraska State Fair."

The priorities of Kalkowski Family Ranches featured during the talks do a good job of summarizing the importance of agricultural conservation: "We will remember that we are only stewards of the soil and have a grave obligation to conserve all natural resources and do everything possible to protect and preserve the land."



2017 Iowa Farm Bureau Summer Policy Conference Held This Week

The voting delegate body of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the state’s largest grassroots general farm organization, met in West Des Moines this week to develop the legislative policy direction on issues important to members statewide.  The voting delegates, representing each Iowa county, again is making conservation a priority, seeking to maximize the environmental benefit of conservation programs.  Members also approved policies to protect taxpayers and combat the spread of Palmer amaranth. 

“IFBF’s annual, two-day Summer Policy Conference provides our organization with a clear policy direction for the upcoming year to serve our membership,” says IFBF President Craig Hill.  “IFBF’s year-round policy development process is truly grassroots with engagement and input from members in each county of the state culminating with the Summer Policy Conference.  This process helps to ensure a strong, unified voice on behalf of our membership to support Iowa agriculture.”  

The delegates affirmed support for conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and will seek to maximize the environmental benefit of the program and also create opportunities for young and beginning farmers.    

Palmer amaranth, an invasive weed which can devastate corn and soybean yields, was a major concern for the delegates. The weed has spread rapidly across Iowa and caused a significant economic impact for Iowa farmers.  The planting of native grasses to promote pollinator habitat has inadvertently brought the noxious weed to the state and has spread from just five Iowa counties in 2016 to as many as 80 today.

“Palmer amaranth spreads so much faster than any other weed,” said Jason Russell, a voting delegate from Linn County.   “If your neighbor makes a mistake letting Palmer amaranth get established, it becomes your problem as well.  That’s why I feel that better labeling should be required.  Let’s not dance around it; let’s make sure we know what we’re doing.”

The delegates enacted policy for all CRP seed mixes to be certified noxious weed free, to eliminate the possibility of unintentional planting of the weed when establishing pollinator habitat.   

The IFBF Summer Policy Conference is the culmination of a year-round grassroots policy process in each of the 100 county Farm Bureaus across the state.  National policies are subject to debate during American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) policy discussions, which will take place at the AFBF Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, January 5-10, 2018.



Management Recommendations, Scouting for Fall Corn Diseases

As the 2017 growing season comes to an end, agronomists and farmers are reminded to scout for stalk and ear rots of corn as harvest nears. According to Alison Robertson, professor and extension crop plant pathologist at Iowa State University, stalk rots may be more prevalent this year, due to the stressful growing season across most of Iowa.

So far, Robertson has started seeing some anthracnose and Fusarium stalk rot, along with some Gibberella and Fusarium ear rot. While Robertson believes the moisture that Iowa has received over the past two weeks has likely mitigated some risk, she recommends farmers and agronomists begin scouting now.

“Farmers should start scouting for ear and stalk rots from approximately the one-half milk line and onwards,” said Robertson. “If less than 10 percent of plants in the field are affected, they should think about scheduling an earlier harvest.”

To help farmers and agronomists identify, scout and manage corn diseases, a new Corn Diseases booklet, published by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is now available to crop producers and industry professionals. The up-to-date publication provides current recommendations for management, along with identification and scouting information. Also included are illustrated disease cycles for primary diseases, a foliar disease estimation chart and corn growth and development and staging information.

“We update these publications every so often to make sure they remain current with new information and to increase the usefulness to farmers and ag business personnel,” said Adam Sisson, extension specialist for the Integrated Pest Management Program at Iowa State. “The revised Corn Diseases publication includes many new images and updated disease listings such as bacterial leaf streak and tar spot.”

The Corn Diseases publication is available to purchase online at the Extension Store. A hard copy of the publication costs $5; boxed quantities of 50 for a reduced price of $3.50 per publication also is available. Printable downloads are $2.50 each.

To stay updated on specialists’ findings of crop diseases, insects and weeds across Iowa, visit Integrated Crop Managment Blog, and look to Integrated Crop Managment News for management recommendations based on current conditions.



ROUND TWO OF NAFTA TALKS COMPLETED

The United States, Mexico and Canada completed the second round of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks, a five-day meeting that ended on Sept. 5 in Mexico City. While media reports suggested considerable differences on key issues, the lead negotiators signaled solid progress.

At a press conference following the talks, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said, “I am hopeful we can arrive at an agreement that helps American workers, farmers and ranchers, while also raising the living standards of workers in Mexico and Canada."

The third round of talks is set to take place Sept. 23-27 in Ottawa. Retaining zero tariff rates and the enormous benefits realized by the U.S. economy and agriculture are among top trade advocacy priorities. The National Pork Producers Council says withdrawing from NAFTA would cost the U.S. pork industry $1.5 billion.  



NPPC JOINS CALL FOR INCREASED USDA MARKET DEVELOPMENT FUNDING

Members of the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports were among the signatories to a letter to the House Committee on Agriculture this week emphasizing the need for enhanced international market development. The coalition is calling for increased U.S. Department of Agriculture funding for the agency’s key export programs: the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) initiative. The coalition asked the committee to consider $400 million and $69 million of increased annual funding for MAP and FMD, respectively, through the 2018 Farm Bill. These programs have not seen budget increased since 2002.