Tuesday July 20 Ag News

NSB District election ballots have been mailed

The July election ballots for the Nebraska Soybean Board in districts 1 and 3 have been mailed to soybean farmers in those districts. Each district ballot contains important information that will make the voting process easy to complete and return.

If you are a qualified soybean farmer living in one of the election districts, the following candidates are asking for your vote. As a voter, you will learn about the candidates and why they would like to represent you on the board. If you have not received a ballot, please call 402-564-5827 and request one. Ballots must be postmarked by July 30, 2021, to count.

District 1 (Counties of Antelope, Boyd, Cedar, Holt, Knox, Madison and Pierce.)
Anne Meis (pursuing re-election) – Elgin, NE – Antelope County
Brandon Rosberg – Bloomfield, NE – Knox County

District 3 (Counties of Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington.)
Rebecca Kreikemeier – Bellwood, NE – Butler County
Ruth Ready – Scribner, NE – Dodge County

To view farmer biographies and more election info, visit nebraskasoybeans.org/your-voting-guide-for-the-nebraska-soybean-board-2021-elections.

Election results for district 1 and 3 will be announced in August.

The district 6 position on the Nebraska Soybean Board will be taken by Larry Tonniges of Utica. He ran unopposed; therefore, no election will be held.



Central Valley Ag Announces Launch of Growing Agriculture Together

Central Valley Ag Cooperative (CVA) is excited to announce Growing Agriculture Together, a multi-platform campaign centered around education. The campaign consists primarily of videos and free downloadable resources available in an online media center. These resources are available for anyone who wants to grow their knowledge about the agriculture industry, whether in the classroom, at home, or in the workplace.

“Closing the gap between our producers and consumers is critical to the future success of agriculture,” said Carl Dickinson, CEO of Central Valley Ag. “Growing Agriculture Together was built to help consumers understand the producer. We want to start a conversation.”

CVA set out to provide content for people of all ages to expand their knowledge about agronomy, cooperatives, energy, feed, and grain to get the conversation started. Dickinson is optimistic that this new resource will be a valuable tool for agriculture educators and others across the Midwest.

“As an ag teacher, I am excited to use the educational information provided by CVA in my classroom. These resources will be pivotal in my quest to educate about the co-op, grain, agronomy, energy, and feed,” said Jason Hirschfeld, Agricultural Educator and FFA Advisor at York Nebraska High School. “My classroom clientele is changing every day. My students may live in a rural setting, but not everyone has family ties to agriculture. It’s important to teach about these topics and the value local cooperatives bring to our community.”

The content provided by Growing Agriculture Together was developed internally by Central Valley Ag. The marketing department worked closely with CVA employees to create materials that provide the facts about the various divisions within the cooperative. CVA employees, customers, and industry partners all played a valuable role in ensuring the campaign accurately represents modern-day agriculture.

Visit the Growing Agriculture Together website to explore the media center filled with videos and free downloadable resources: www.growingagriculturetogether.com.



SUMMER WEED CONTROL IN ALFALFA
– Brad Schick, NE Extension Educator

When soil moisture is available after a cutting of alfalfa, the grasses and weeds will grow just like their name suggests: like weeds. How can these plants be held at bay?

Thick alfalfa stands will be the first defense against foxtail, crabgrass, pigweed, etc. A good fertility plan to keep stands thick will go a long to reducing weeds. Sandy soils with pH levels above 7.2 may benefit from sulfur application. Conversely, if your alfalfa field pH falls below 6.7; then liming may be needed to prevent sharp yield drops.

Delaying alfalfa harvest until the next shoots are beginning to appear at the crown, may be another option to suppress weed growth. This allows the alfalfa to grow back a bit more quickly after harvest and be more competitive. Unfortunately, this means that the quality of the cutting will be lower since the plants will be more mature.

One more option is the herbicide route. With Roundup Ready varieties, Roundup can be used. In conventional varieties, grass control can be achieved using Select Max, Poast, or Arrow if the grasses are less than 4 inches tall. If broadleaf control is needed, Pursuit or Raptor can be used on established alfalfa before the regrowth has 3 inches of new growth. These will set back alfalfa and the Pursuit label says it cannot be fed, grazed, or harvested for 30 days after application.

Weed problems in summer can be taken care of with herbicides, but shooting for a thick, robust stand will contribute to yield and weed control.



Scout Now for Corn Rootworm Beetles to Assess Potential Risk of Future Damage
Robert Wright - NE Extension Entomologist

Western corn rootworm beetles began emerging in late June-early July in southeastern and south central Nebraska. Beetle emergence will be somewhat later in northeastern and western Nebraska. These beetles can cause potential injury from silk clipping.

During mid-July and August these beetles will lay eggs in corn fields. These eggs overwinter in the soil, hatch into rootworms in the spring, and feed on corn roots if continuous corn is grown. However, not all continuous corn fields have economic infestations of corn rootworms.

Scouting
Weekly scouting of adult rootworm beetles in July and August will provide the information needed to decide whether rootworm control is needed next year.

Start scouting for corn rootworm beetles soon after beetle emergence begins and continue scouting weekly until threshold levels are exceeded or beetle activity stops. Examine 50 plants per field, taking samples from each quarter of the field. Sampled plants should be several paces apart so examining one plant doesn’t drive beetles off the next plant to be sampled. The most reliable method is to examine the whole plant for beetles. Beetles may hide behind leaf sheaths or in the silks, so take care to observe all beetles present.

In continuous corn if beetle counts exceed the thresholds, damaging populations of corn rootworms are possible in that field next year. In first year corn, there is a higher proportion of female beetles, so the threshold is lowered compared to those in continuous corn. The number of beetles per plant to equal a threshold level should be adjusted for different plant populations.

Another scouting method for adult rootworm beetles is to use Pherocon AM yellow sticky traps (unbaited). Traps should be placed on the plant at ear level. In this case the treatment threshold is an average of two beetles/trap/day.

In fields with insect levels over the threshold, next year consider:
    rotating out of corn
    planting a pyramided transgenic corn expressing the Cry34/35 protein and another protein active against rootworms (see Handy Bt Trait Table for more information), or
    using an insecticide at planting on non-Bt corn to prevent economic damage.

Fields remaining below the threshold level throughout the beetle egg-laying period are not expected to have economic populations of rootworms next year.

Adult Beetle Control
For adult beetle control programs, decisions as to whether to treat and if so, when to spray, should be based on information from field scouting. Individuals using adult beetle control programs to reduce egg laying should begin treatments when the beetle threshold is exceeded and 10% of the female beetles are gravid (abdomen visibly distended with eggs). This is an important point since the first beetles to emerge are mostly male, and females require at least 10-14 days of feeding before they can lay eggs. Treatments applied too early may be ineffective if large numbers of females emerge after the residual effectiveness of the treatment has dissipated.

People may want to include an insecticide at tasseling tank mixed with a fungicide to potentially control western bean cutworm and western corn rootworm beetles with one application. The optimal timing for fungicide and insecticide applications may not coincide and not all fields receiving fungicide applications have insect populations exceeding threshold levels. Therefore, it should be carefully considered whether a tank mix application at tasseling will provide an economic return.

Continue to monitor fields weekly after treatment for rootworm beetles. Late maturing fields are particularly susceptible to corn rootworms moving into them from nearby earlier maturing fields, due to the availability of fresh silks, and may need to be retreated.

A variety of insecticides are labelled against western corn rootworm beetles. See the EC 130, or product labels for rates, and restrictions.

Be aware that resistance to the pyrethroid insecticide active ingredient, bifenthrin, has been documented in parts of southwest Nebraska. For more information see the Corn Rootworm Management Update https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2018/corn-rootworm-management-update.



Scoular adds Orlando-based rail trading team

A newly hired rail trade team in Orlando, Florida, will extend Scoular’s reach across the United States and further enhance service to customers.

Omaha-based Scoular announced Tuesday that it has hired a full trading and support team of nine employees from Central States Enterprises. The Orlando-based team will provide rail grain merchandising and supply chain solutions to Eastern U.S. customers.

Internally, the group will be called the Eastern U.S. Rail Trading Team, complementing Scoular’s existing Western U.S. Rail Trading Team and its long history of providing services to central and western U.S. customers. The new team extends Scoular’s geographic reach and furthers its commitment to meet customer needs through its diverse network of operations via truck, railcar and barge.

“This new team brings deep knowledge, energy, and outstanding customer service to Scoular and will help us to continue to better serve our customers and provide creative supply chain solutions,” said Ron Bingham, Scoular Senior Vice President and Grain Division leader. “Hiring this team is another example of Scoular investing in the growth of our core business.”



Extension hosting free cattle risk management workshop in Norfolk

An upcoming Nebraska Extension workshop in Norfolk will focus on the latest strategies for cattle producers to reduce risk exposure and achieve profitability. It will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. July 28 at the Lifelong Learning Center, 701 E. Benjamin Ave.

The workshop will cover existing opportunities in the industry, new trends in regional and county-level grazing land cash rental rates, and utilizing futures, options and insurance to manage price risk.

Jim Jansen, an agricultural economist with Nebraska extension and one of the workshop’s presenters, said that people who attend can expect to leave with confidence to make more informed decisions.

“Producers will learn about current issues facing the cattle industry and about some of the tools available to them that can contribute to profitability in their businesses,” he said.

The presentations will also include information about flexible cash leases for pasture and rangeland, as well as details on how Livestock Risk Protection Insurance can be used to manage risk.

The workshop is free and includes a meal, but registration is required by July 27 with Nebraska Extension in Madison County at 402-370-4040 or https://go.unl.edu/cattlerisk.



Ag Land Management, Leasing Workshops Scheduled Across State

Nebraska Extension and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability will host a series of 12 land management workshops across the state between July 22 and Sept. 8.

The workshops will offer updated leasing information relevant to landlords and tenants, including tips for communication and negotiating. It will address topics like equitable rental rates, managing and adjusting farmland leases, landlord-tenant issues, pasture leasing and other management considerations.

The presentations will be led by Jim Jansen, an extension educator and agricultural economist, and Allan Vyhnalek, an extension educator specializing in farm and ranch transition and succession.

Schedule includes....
    July 28: Columbus
    10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
    Nebraska Extension in Platte County, 2715 13th St.
    Register: 402-563-4901
    *Includes meal, courtesy of Peoples Company

    Aug. 17: Lincoln
    10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
    Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County, 444 Cherrycreek Road
    Register: 402-441-7180
    *Includes meal, courtesy of Peoples Company

    Aug. 24: Dakota City
    1:30-4:30 p.m.
    Nebraska Extension in Dakota County, 1505 Broadway
    Register: 402-987-2140

    Aug. 25: Norfolk
    9 a.m.-noon
    Nebraska Extension in Madison County, 1305 S. 13th St.
    Register: 402-370-4040

    Sept. 1: Omaha
    1:30-4:30 p.m.
    Nebraska Extension in Douglas and Sarpy Counties, 8015 W. Center Road
    Register: 402-444-7804

    Sept. 8: Saunders County
    10:30 a.m.-:30 p.m.
    Nebraska Extension in Saunders County, 1071 County Road G, Room B, Ithaca, NE
    Register: 402-624-8030
    *Includes meal, courtesy of Peoples Company

Other meetings listed here:  https://cap.unl.edu/management/ag-land-management-leasing-workshops-scheduled-across-state.

The meetings are free to attend, but registration is required by calling the local extension office.



New Energy Freedom refinery to produce carbon-negative fuel from America’s ag wastes

New Energy Blue announced its planned construction in Iowa of a biomass refinery designed to produce renewable carbon-negative automotive fuel, which replaces gasoline.

“Our Iowa project can keep one million tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere every year–like taking 200,000 cars off the road,” says Thomas Corle, CEO. “Future refineries are expected to be twice the size of the first.”

The company is developing New Energy Freedom biomass refinery on a 155-acre site near Mason City, Iowa. 275,000 tons of crop residue (cornstalks and wheat straw) will be locally sourced, then converted into 20 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol and 95 tons of lignin, a solid biofuel and natural binder. Half the greenhouse-gas reduction comes from replacing petroleum products, the other half from sequestering soil carbons through best farming practices.

“Our cellulosic fuel can exceed California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard policy and its rigorous air quality requirements,” says Corle. “Other states continue to adopt similar policies, which drive the growing global demand for carbon-negative transportation fuels.”

Strong demand is also expected for the refinery’s lignin. Produced by a clean process, it can replace oil-derived bitumen as the binder in asphalt. “A greener way to pave roads and shingle roofs,” Corle says.

Besides being one of America’s first carbon-negative refineries, New Energy Freedom represents the first large-scale use of Inbicon bioconversion technology outside of Denmark. New Energy Blue’s team is a spin-off of the technology’s development. The company purchased exclusive rights to license and build-out refineries from Ørsted in 2019. Freedom’s CapEx is about $200 million, about the same amount invested in Inbicon’s 15-year development. Ørsted built and operated a demonstration refinery for five years, supplying 2G ethanol to Danish petrol stations.

New Energy Blue has completed process engineering around several different feedstocks and is now completing a site-specific design for construction next year in Iowa. The company plans to build four more biomass refineries over the next 6 years.

Albury Fleitas, company president, is leading the financing of the project. “We’ve gained equity and debt interests to build-out multiple refineries from private and institutional sources,” Fleitas states. “What’s more, the USDA greenlighted the project under phase-one section 9003 for a construction loan guarantee.”

The refinery breaks down plant fiber into lignin and two sugars, which are currently fermented into fuel-ethanol. The technical flexibility of the process allows project owners to capitalize on dozens of downstream opportunities as they arise. Utilizing non-GMO feedstocks like grain straws is being evaluated for future sites. Because the hemicellulose can be processed into a sought-after sugar substitute, xylitol, snack-food makers who use it can market their products as a healthier choice. The two sugars can also be turned into polyethylene and replace a popular plastic now made from oil.

Besides saving carbons and cutting pollution, the refineries will create new green jobs, give growers additional income, and pump millions of dollars through local economies.



NGFA, ag transportation groups echo Biden’s call to increase rail-to-rail competition

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today urged the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to resume its consideration of a proposed rule that would enable agricultural shippers to request bids from nearby rail carriers.

In an NGFA-led letter to the STB on July 20, members of the Agricultural Transportation Working Group (ATWG) noted that President Biden’s July 9 executive order encourages the STB to resume its consideration of a proposed rule on “competitive switching,” which has been pending since 2016. Competitive, or “reciprocal,” switching would allow shippers served by a single railroad to request bids from a nearby competing railroad. The order also directs STB to consider rulemakings pertaining to any other relevant matters of competitive rail access, including bottleneck rates and interchange commitments.

“We believe that enhanced competition is an important vehicle through which the Board can address pervasive challenges faced by rail shippers, including poor rail service, and unreasonable rail rates and practices,” noted the letter signed by 27 ATWG members. They urged STB to adopt initiatives that the order identifies “to enhance rail competition and prevent railroads from abusing their market dominance.”

Over the past 40 years, railroad mergers have shrunk the number of Class I railroads from 33 to seven, and two major duopolies have formed in the eastern and western halves of the United States.

“While these mergers succeeded in rationalizing rail capacity, they increased railroad market power such that many shippers no longer have access to competition necessary to promote efficient service, reasonable rates and charges, and fair practices,” the letter noted.

The absence of effective competition in the rail industry also has a significant impact on prices for the agricultural industry, resulting in decreased farm-gate prices for crops and increased crop-input and feedstock prices, the groups said.

In addition to resuming the competitive switching proposal, the groups urged STB to finalize proposed regulations creating a Final Offer Rate Review (FORR) process for small rail rate disputes and to support shippers’ ability to challenge unreasonable rail rates.

“To maintain the ability of U.S. agriculture to remain competitive in a very dynamic domestic and world market and to be positioned to capture new market opportunities, the Board must address the serious issues posed by the lack of effective rail competition,” the letter stated. “Pragmatic reforms to make the rail industry more competitive will strengthen this vital transportation sector, both to the benefit of rail carriers and their customers.”



Germany Confirms Another ASF Case in Farm Pigs

A third case of African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed over the weekend in farm pigs in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, German authorities said.

The case was on a small farm with four pigs inside the restriction zone where the disease is common among wild boar, the Brandenburg state health ministry said.

Reuters reports that ASF was found in two nearby farms late last week. China and a series of other pork buyers banned imports of German pork in September 2020 after the first case was confirmed in wild animals.

The discovery in farms is not expected to have a major market impact as German pork exports are already subject to bans from many importers outside the EU, experts said on Friday.

The disease is not dangerous to humans but it is fatal to pigs. Many countries impose bans on pork from regions suffering from the disease.



FARM AID MUSIC AND FOOD FESTIVAL RETURNS LIVE TO CONNECTICUT ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 25

Farm Aid’s annual festival — a full day of music, family farmers, HOMEGROWN food and a HOMEGROWN Village with agrarian experiences — is returning to Hartford, Connecticut, this year live and in-person on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Xfinity Theatre. Tickets for Farm Aid 2021 go on sale to the public on Friday, July 23, at 10 a.m. EDT.

After hosting a virtual festival in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Farm Aid 2021 will reunite family farmers and musician activists, with performances by Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson & Family, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, and Margo Price, as well as Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Bettye LaVette, Jamey Johnson, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Allison Russell, Particle Kid, and Ian Mellencamp.

“The experience of the past 18 months has reminded us how much we need each other,” said Farm Aid President and Founder Willie Nelson. “I’m so glad that music is bringing us all back together at Farm Aid 2021 to celebrate family farmers. When we combine music, family farmers and good food, we have the power to grow the kind of agriculture that strengthens all of us.”

Hartford festival attendees will experience the abundance of family farm agriculture firsthand via HOMEGROWN Concessions® featuring a diverse, fresh menu with ingredients that are produced by family farmers, using ecological practices, with a fair price paid to the farmers. In addition, Farm Aid’s HOMEGROWN Village features hands-on activities designed to engage festivalgoers in learning about soil, water, energy, food and farming. Festivalgoers can hear farmers and artists educate and inspire on the FarmYard Stage and learn agrarian skills and celebrate the cultures of agriculture in the HOMEGROWN Skills tent.

Agriculture in the Northeastern United States is diverse, value-add oriented, and economically important to its communities. New England is home to 32,300 farms across six states ― Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island — with an additional 33,438 farms in New York State. The Northeast is a hotbed for innovative progress in agriculture, including local and regional food systems, organic production, work to advance racial justice in agriculture, and regenerative agriculture methods of the Indigenous Americans who farmed this land first. The Northeast includes some of the top states for new and beginning farmers, as well as female farmers. Challenges of farmers in this region include access to farmland and credit, fair prices (particularly in dairy) and climate change.

“Live performances by artists who are passionate about agriculture and good food are the deep roots that sustain Farm Aid’s year-round work for family farmers,” said Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar. “We’re thrilled that Hartford is welcoming Farm Aid back again after our successful 2018 event. We’re grateful to the management and staff at Xfinity Theatre for working hand-in-hand with us to ensure the safety of our artists, crew, volunteers, farmers and fans.”

Venue and Farm Aid staff are following the latest CDC guidance and industry best practices related to limiting the transmission of COVID-19, including various precautions across the operation. Farm Aid will continue to monitor the situation closely and update protocols as warranted leading up to Sept. 25.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, July 23, at 10 a.m. EDT. Ticket prices range from $65 to $305 and will be available for purchase at LiveNation.com. A limited number of pre-sale tickets will be available beginning at 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 20, at farmaid.org/festival.

Farm Aid will be offering rare and unique artist-signed memorabilia items, including guitars and prints, with proceeds to benefit Farm Aid. The silent auction will run at farmaid.org/auction Sept. 25–Oct. 8.

For event updates, follow Farm Aid on Twitter (@FarmAid), Facebook (facebook.com/farmaid) and Instagram (instagram.com/farmaid), and visit farmaid.org/festival. Festivalgoers are encouraged to use the hashtags #FarmAid2021 and #Road2FarmAid to join the conversation on social media around this year’s festival.

Farm Aid welcomes the participation of the business community and offers corporate sponsorship and VIP hospitality opportunities. For more information, contact Glenda Yoder at glenda@farmaid.org.

Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price host an annual festival to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. For more than 35 years, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $60 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.



Exclusive genetics, high-demand trait platforms anchor all-new soybean lineup

To help farmers achieve the highest yield potential, Golden Harvest is launching its first-ever Gold Series, a line of soybeans that feature exclusive genetics in high-demand trait platforms. Available for the 2022 season, the new lineup includes Enlist E3® soybeans and XtendFlex® soybeans.

Gold Series soybeans include exclusive genetics from Syngenta Seeds, which has one of the longest-running soybean breeding programs in the United States. Syngenta Seeds’ elite pool of exclusive genetics enables Golden Harvest to offer farmers many of the industry’s highest-yielding and leading defensive soybean varieties with flexibility in herbicide trait choice. The diversity of the Gold Series portfolio provides farmers with tailored solutions for their challenges.

“We’re thrilled to launch our first line of soybeans with exclusive Syngenta Seeds genetics,” said Stephanie Porter, Golden Harvest soybean product manager. “Our Gold Series soybean varieties offer farmers not only choice of trait platforms, but also choice of genetics. More choice means farmers have more ways to manage risk and diversify their operations.”

The 34 new Gold Series varieties range in relative maturity from 0.09 to 5.7 and combine Syngenta’s high-performing germplasm with in-demand traits for maximum soybean yield potential.
    12 varieties include the Enlist E3 soybean trait platform with tolerance to three herbicide modes of action: 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate.
        Three varieties offer Sulfonyl-Urea Tolerant Soybeans (STS®) herbicide tolerance and may increase tolerance to ALS-inhibitors, allowing higher application rates on select herbicides.
    22 varieties include the XtendFlex soybean trait platform, offering tolerance to dicamba, glyphosate and glufosinate.
        Two varieties offer STS herbicide tolerance.

In addition to the 34 Gold Series exclusive soybean products, Golden Harvest will also offer five new Enlist E3 soybean varieties, for a total of 39 new soybean products for the 2022 season.

The Gold Series lineup looks to continue and expand upon the strong performance for which Golden Harvest® soybeans are known. In 2020, Golden Harvest soybeans secured two “1st Place” finishes, 24 “Top 3” finishes and 70 “Top 10” finishes in the F.I.R.S.T (Farmers Independent Research of Seed Technology) trials.

“Farmers can count on the new soybean products to maximize yield potential as Golden Harvest soybeans are proven performers,” Porter said. “Golden Harvest soybeans undergo rigorous performance testing, and the Gold Series soybeans are specifically bred and selected for the Golden Harvest soybean portfolio. Our commitment to research and development has enabled us to create a portfolio of soybean solutions that puts our farmers’ yield potential first.”