Weekend Ag News Round-up - March 27

 NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 3%

Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.69 million cattle on feed on March 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 3% from last year. Placements during February totaled 495,000 head, up 13% from 2021. Fed cattle marketings for the month of February totaled 455,000 head, up 6% from last year. Other disappearance during February totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.


IOWA CATTLE ON FEED DOWN 3% FROM LAST YEAR

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 610,000 head on March 1, 2022, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was unchanged from February but down 3 percent from March 1, 2021. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 590,000 head on feed, up 1 percent from last month and up 7 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,200,000 head, up slightly from last month and up 2 percent from last year.

Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during February 2022 totaled 106,000 head, down 4 percent from January and down 5 percent from February 2021. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 71,000 head, down 16 percent from January but up 97 percent from February 2021. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 177,000 head, down 9 percent from January but up 20 percent from February 2021.

Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during February 2022 totaled 103,000 head, up 5 percent from January and up 4 percent from February 2021. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 62,000 head, down 2 percent from January but up 17 percent from February 2021. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 165,000 head, up 2 percent from January and up 9 percent from February 2021. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 7,000 head.



United States Cattle on Feed Up 1 Percent

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 12.2 million head on March 1, 2022. The inventory was 1 percent above March 1, 2021. This is the highest March 1 inventory since the series began in 1996.

On Feed, by State  (1,000 hd  -  % Mar 1 '21)
Colorado .......:                  1,120          102               
Iowa .............:                    610             97                 
Kansas ..........:                  2,510           102               
Nebraska ......:                  2,690           103              
Texas ............:                  2,940           102              

Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.85 million head, 9 percent above 2021. Net placements were 1.79 million head. During February, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 360,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 325,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 505,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 468,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 135,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 55,000 head.

Placements, by State  (1,000 hd  -  % Feb '21)
Colorado ......:                         175           106                  
Iowa .............:                        106            95                  
Kansas ..........:                        430           113                 
Nebraska ......:                        495           113                  
Texas ............:                        350           113                 

Marketings of fed cattle during February totaled 1.83 million head, 5 percent above 2021.  Other disappearance totaled 59,000 head during February, 2 percent above 2021.

Marketings, by State  (1,000 hd  -  % Feb '21)
Colorado ......:                        190           106                
Iowa .............:                       103           104                 
Kansas ..........:                       450           107                 
Nebraska ......:                       455           106                 
Texas ............:                       335           100                



March 29 signing event to expand northeast Nebraska education compact that includes CASNR, focuses on student success

An education compact in northeast Nebraska that includes the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is expanding its number of partner organizations, aiming to boost student success, teacher support and workforce development for agricultural and natural resources careers. The addition of 20 school districts and three Educational Service Units at a March 29 signing event will expand the compact’s reach as far west as Ainsworth and include all of northeast Nebraska’s tribal schools.  

The Northeast Nebraska Agriculture and Natural Resources Education Compact, dating from 2019, is a first-of-its-kind regional educational partnership for Nebraska, and this expansion sets the stage for major collaborative steps forward, leaders with the initiative say.  

Partner organizations will gather on March 29 for a signing event that will begin at 3 p.m. at Northeast Community College in Norfolk.  

The compact’s original membership from 2019 consists of CASNR, Little Priest Tribal College, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, Nebraska Indian Community College, Northeast Community College, Wayne Community Schools and Wayne State College.  

The compact aims to pool resources and promote collaboration among member organizations to boost ag education and strengthen academic transfer processes. Other goals include building relationships with industry and introducing students to the breadth of career opportunities in agriculture and natural resources fields. The initiative will increase the use of expertise and facilities at UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources as a resource for students and teachers.

A survey now underway among K-12 educators in the region will provide important direction in shaping the strategies ahead for the compact.  

CASNR has begun a newsletter that helps compact members understand available resources among the partner organizations, along with events held by the members.  

The Haskell Ag Lab, 15 miles north of Wayne, will be an Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources  site providing experiential learning for students. The 550-acre site includes extensive cropland, farming and ranching facilities, an arboretum, pollinator gardens and beehives.

ESUs 1, 7 and 8 will join the compact on March 29, along with these school districts: Ainsworth, Allen, Battle Creek, Boone Central, Crofton, Elkhorn Valley, Emerson-Hubbard, Homer, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Neligh-Oakdale, O’Neill, Ponca, South Sioux City, Stanton, Summerland, Umonhon Nation, Walthill, Winnebago, Winside and Wisner-Pilger.  



Starter Fertilizer — When is it Needed?
Javed Iqbal - Extension Nutrient Management and Water Quality Specialist
Laura Thompson - Extension Educator

As planting season begins, farmers often question if starter fertilizer is providing yield and economic benefits. Starter fertilizer is defined as fertilizer applied with the specific purpose of helping the plants acquire more nutrients early in the season. This is in addition to the fertilizer used in the nutrient management program that is based on deficiency correction/sufficiency approaches.

There are two main reasons to use a starter:
-    The best reason is when soil tests indicate the field is deficient in one or more nutrients, and these nutrients are relatively easy to apply with the planter.
-    The field to be planted is covered with more than 70% residue and you expect the soil to be cool and wet.

Additionally, back when most growers cultivated, starter made the young corn plants taller and greener quicker, which allowed cultivation to occur earlier in the season, and resulted in better weed control. Also, phosphorus applied with the planter helps the plants mature earlier which can also result in drier corn.

If starter is going to be placed near the seed, be sure the dose will not hurt germination and stand establishment. (See the NebGuide, Using Starter Fertilizers for Corn, Grain Sorghum, and Soybeans.)

If the soil test levels for the starter nutrients are greater than the critical value for these nutrients, starter will probably not help yields, especially on fine-textured soils (Wortmann et al., 2005). Spending time loading the starter material and making sure all the equipment is working may take valuable time during planting.

Grower Research with Starter Fertilizer in Corn
From 1995 to 2019, farmers working with the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network conducted 35 studies looking at starter fertilizer on corn. The results of these studies can be found in the Results Finder database at http://resultsfinder.unl.edu/. Some were in the same field for a number of years, others moved around. Various starter materials were evaluated, and not all studies reported soil test P levels.

Eighteen of the studies compared a 10-34-0 starter fertilizer in the range of 4-6 gal/ac to a no starter check. Soil P levels were between 4 and 35 ppm; not all studies reported the specific P extractants used. Here we report crop yield response across range of soil P levels:
-    For soils with P soil tests at or below 10 ppm there was an average yield increase of 14.3 bu/ac due to the starter (four sites).
-    For soils with P soil tests of 10-20 ppm there was an average increase of 2.6 bu/ac (five sites).
-    For soils with P soil tests of 20-35 ppm, there was an average increase of 0.3 bu/ac (nine sites).
-    When all the data were combined, regardless of soil test values, there was an average increase of 4 bu/ac.

This analysis disregards statistical analysis. Of the 18 studies, only five had statistically significant differences. Of these five, the average yield increase was 12 bu/acre and the average soil test P level was 9 ppm.

Grower Research with Starter Fertilizer in Soybean
A similar analysis of the soybean on-farm research found six starter studies between 1992 and 2015, with only three sites reporting soil test P, all of which were greater than 17 ppm. Average yields for the no-starter studies were 61.2 bu/ac and for soybeans with starter, 61.3 bu/ac.

Review and Conclusions
Using corn as an example: Results are mostly consistent with our recommendations. (See Nutrient Management Suggestions for Corn.) The University recommends phosphorus based on the following formula for corn following corn or crops other than soybean:
Pounds of P2O5/ac = (25 - Bray-1 P) x 4

For soils in the 15 to 20 ppm Bray 1P range, the recommendation would be for 20 to 40 lb of P2O5. Applying 5 gallons of 10-34-0 would provide about 20 lb of P2O5 and would be economic most of the time. For other recommendation options, see Nebguide: Nutrient Management Suggestions for Corn.

To summarize, when fertilizer is used as a starter (as defined above with soil test levels above the critical value), the data shows that it is largely not effective in terms of yield or economical response; however, if the fertilizer is added to a soil that tests low for soil test P (less than the critical value), a response to that fertilizer is expected.



NDA REPORTS THIRD CASE OF HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing a third confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The third farm, a flock of 400,000 broilers, is in Butler County (referred to as Butler County 2) and is located within the 6.2-mile control zone that NDA established around the farm announced earlier this week (now referred to as Butler County 1). The first farm in Nebraska to report a case of HPAI was a backyard flock in Merrick County that was announced on March 16, 2022.

“The locations of the Butler County farms are in close proximity to each other. This further emphasizes continued diligence of biosecurity and timely response to control this highly contagious disease,” said NDA Director Steve Wellman.

Butler County 2 is under NDA quarantine and the birds will be humanely depopulated and disposed of in an approved manner. Additionally, NDA will be establishing a 6.2-mile control zone around the infected premises. Premises with poultry that fall within that control zone will not be allowed to move birds or poultry products on or off their premises without permits from NDA. These producers should also know the signs and symptoms of HPAI and notify NDA immediately of sick or dying poultry.



NDA EPORTS FOURTH CASE OF HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing a fourth confirmed case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The fourth farm, a small backyard mixed flock, is in Holt County.

According to NDA State Veterinarian Dr. Roger Dudley, the farm has been quarantined and the birds will be humanely depopulated and disposed of in an approved manner. Additionally, NDA will be establishing a 6.2-mile surveillance zone, as is USDA policy, around the affected premises. A surveillance zone means poultry producers should be on heightened alert and practice biosecurity measures to protect their flock. These producers should also know the signs and symptoms of HPAI and notify NDA immediately of sick or dying poultry.



NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CANCELS POULTRY EVENTS IN EFFORT TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HPAI

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) today announced an order cancelling all poultry events across Nebraska due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The order prohibits birds of any type at events including but not limited to fairs, expositions, swap meets, exotic sales and live bird auctions. The order is effective immediately and will be in effect until May 1, at which time the order will be reevaluated.

“The decision to cancel poultry events was not taken lightly but is a necessary step to assure we are doing everything possible to protect our poultry producers, both small and large,” said NDA Director Steve Wellman. “Poultry producers should continue to take biosecurity measures on their farms to help prevent the spread of the disease into their flock.”

At present time, NDA will continue to allow the selling of chicks, ducklings and goslings at farm stores as such birds are hatched in National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) flocks. NDA is encouraging bird owners to prevent contact between their birds and wildlife and to practice strict biosecurity measures. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flock, they should report it to NDA immediately at (402) 471-2351. More information for producers can be found at https://nda.nebraska.gov/animal/avian/index.html or http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.



IDALS, APHIS Confirm Case of HPAI in Franklin County, Iowa

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Franklin County, Iowa. The virus was found in a flock of commercial pullet chickens.

Flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual deaths to state/federal officials. Biosecurity resources and best practices are available at iowaagriculture.gov/biosecurity. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases should also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections in birds do not present an immediate public health concern. No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States. It remains safe to eat poultry products. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses.



ICGA Members Take Their Priorities to the State Capitol

Nearly 100 Iowa Corn Growers Association® (ICGA) members filled the State Capitol rotunda today for the “Iowa Corn Day on the Hill” lobbying event. This delegation included ICGA Board, county leaders, and grassroots members from across the state. Their lobbying efforts focused on the Iowa Biofuels Access Bill, a top priority of the organization. The Iowa Biofuels Access Bill will increase consumer choice at the pump by making E15 an option at many fuel stations across Iowa.

“‘Iowa Corn Day on the Hill’ gives our grassroots members the opportunity to speak directly with their state legislators about ICGA policy priorities and other issues important to their operations and Iowa agriculture as a whole,” stated Iowa Corn Growers Association President Lance Lillibridge, a farmer from Vinton. “Together as members of ICGA, we can help shape real legislation, just like we are doing with our unified voice at the State Capitol.”

“Our focus at this year’s event is the passage of the Iowa Biofuels Access Bill through the Senate,” explained Lillibridge. “This bill will not only provide consumers with a less expensive, cleaner burning and home-grown fuel but also support farmers through an additional 60 million gallons of ethanol demand annually.”

If you missed this Day on the Hill event, we encourage you to contact your legislators by participating in calls to action or attending local townhalls. To see ICGA’s full list of state and federal priorities for 2022, visit iowacorn.org/policy.



Handy Bt Trait Table Updated for 2022 Corn

The Handy Bt Trait Table https://agrilife.org/lubbock/files/2022/02/BtTraitTable-March2022.pdf was updated in March 2022 by author Chris DiFonzo, Michigan State University. It lists the types of Bt hybrids present in all commercialized corn in the U.S. in a concise two-page format. It presents the trade names for hybrids with Bt traits, Bt event, protein(s) expressed, targeted insects and herbicide traits.

The table is a useful reference to help understand which hybrids have which traits (both Bt and herbicide tolerance traits). This table can help avoid the development of resistance from using the same traits repeatedly (even if you change hybrids) and will be useful during the field season as you troubleshoot insect injury, or prepare to apply herbicides.

Now in its 20th year, this table has become the standard as an authoritative reference to Bt toxins in corn.



Clean Fuels Comments on Deadline for 2021, 2022 RFS Rules

Today, Clean Fuels Alliance America filed comments supporting the proposed consent decree in Growth Energy v. Regan (D.D.C. No. 1:22-cv-00347), which would establish a June 3, 2022, deadline for the Environmental Protection Agency to finalize the 2021 and 2022 Renewable Fuel Standards. Clean Fuels emphasized in its comments that U.S. producers need certainty and depend on the market signals from the RFS to continue investing in increasing production.

"Our growing contribution to U.S. fuel supplies over the past half-decade reduced diesel prices by an average 3.23% each year," Kurt Kovarik, Vice President of Federal Affairs for Clean Fuels writes in the comments. "Reducing the availability of biodiesel and renewable diesel right now would impose higher costs on American consumers -- both in the price of fuel and other goods today and in terms of health tomorrow."

Kovarik adds, "Right now, America is facing a shortage of diesel fuel, high prices at the pump, and high transportation costs that are adding to supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures. The Renewable Fuel Standard is crucial to sustainably meeting America's growing demand for better, cleaner fuels. We stand ready to work with EPA to get this program back on track."



John Deere Enters New Joint Venture with SurePoint Ag Systems

Deere & Company has entered into a joint venture with SureFire Ag Systems and its subsidiary, SureFire Electronics, a leader in planter fertilizer and sprayer mixing systems based in Atwood, Kansas. The joint venture will operate under the brand name SurePoint Ag Systems and SurePoint Electronics.

SurePoint designs and manufactures liquid fertilizer application and spray tendering systems, and anhydrous and irrigation injection equipment. The company excels at building customized kits to upgrade fertilizer application technology on planters, with instructions and teams that can help dealers install kits for customers. SurePoint works across brands, providing producers with increased options for planter fertilizer systems and access to new technology. Through the joint venture, SurePoint will have access to select Deere technologies to enhance productivity across a wide range of products.

SurePoint was founded in 2007 as SureFire Ag Systems by Josh and Lisa Wolters, Blaine and Erin Ginther, and Matt Wolters, who saw an opportunity to help producers better apply fertilizer, chemicals, and other crop inputs. In 2012, SureFire Electronics was created to address the need for electrical components to support precision. Together, the companies have over 80 full-time employees.

“Producers are continually looking for opportunities to upgrade existing equipment with new technology to enhance productivity, sustainability and reduce costs,” said Miles Keaton, Director, Performance Upgrades at John Deere. “We appreciate SurePoint’s focus on providing modern technology for existing equipment with the customization needed to easily install valuable solutions.”

“The SurePoint team remains committed to helping customers across all brands of equipment and is excited to be able to work with more producers to adopt and utilize more leading technology,” said Josh Wolters, Chief Executive Officer at SurePoint Ag Systems. “Growing this business continues to be important to us. We look forward to growing further with a market leader.”

SurePoint will retain its employees, brand, and sales channels, and will continue to operate from its current location. Employees, customers, and business partners should notice little change in daily operations. Financial terms of the agreement are not being made public.



USDA Announces More Resources to Increase and Expand Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the launch of the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA) to provide technical assistance to meat and poultry grant applicants and grant-funded projects. Processors and applicants involved with the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program and the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) can access this technical assistance. USDA also announced it is now accepting applications for $23.6 million in competitive grant funding available through the MPIRG program.

Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA)
As part of Biden-⁠Harris Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has established cooperative agreements with three non-profit organizations to coordinate and provide technical assistance utilizing a wide range of expertise and outreach strategies. These organizations will also establish a national network of support for meat and poultry grant applicants to navigate the application process, and to assist grant recipients throughout their project.

“This is a true partnership to help meat and poultry processors and grant applicants diversify processing ownership throughout the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Meat and poultry processing is a complex sector that requires significant planning and forethought to manage economic viability concurrently with worker, food, and environmental safety. We are pleased to partner with these initial organizations, given their deep technical expertise and demonstrated service to underserved communities, as part of our support for fairer, more competitive, and resilient meat and poultry supply chains.”

Taking the lead role, the Flower Hill Institute, a native owned nonprofit based out of the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico, will serve as the MPPTA Technical Assistance Coordinator for this multi-year program. In close cooperation with AMS, they will connect USDA grant applicants and grant-funded project managers to the experts best suited to support a project’s needs. They are joined by Oregon State University’s Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network and the Intertribal Agricultural Council. USDA is also pursuing agreements with the American Association of Meat Processors, the American Meat Science Association, and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute to expand assistance and provide the depth and capacity needed for meat and poultry projects nationwide. All MPPTA organizations will use both in-house resources and their connections within the industry, academia, and state and federal government to connect stakeholders to four distinct technical assistance scopes: federal grant application management; business development and financial planning; meat and poultry processing technical and operational support; and supply chain development.

To learn more about the MPPTA program, or to initiate a request for technical assistance under this program, visit the AMS webpage www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/mppta. For information on MPIRG, MPPEP, and USDA’s other Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Initiatives, visit www.usda.gov/meat.

Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants (MPIRG)
AMS is accepting applications now through May 24, 2022 for a second round of MPIRG program funding totaling $23.6 million.

“We are building on the success of the first round of our MPIRG program to build capacity and increase economic opportunities for small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors and producers around the country,” said Secretary Vilsack. “In the MPIRG program’s first round, we provided $32 million in funding to cover the costs for necessary improvements to achieve a Federal Grant of Inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act, or to operate under a state’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. And the second round will help us continue to help processors grow.”

USDA encourages grant applications that focus on improving meat and poultry slaughter and processing capacity and efficiency; developing new and expanding existing markets; increasing capacity and better meeting consumer and producer demand; maintaining strong inspection and food safety standards; obtaining a larger commercial presence; and increasing access to slaughter or processing facilities for smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, and veteran producers.

Eligible meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities must be operational and not have a Federal Grant of Inspection or comply with the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program at the time of application. These entities include commercial businesses, cooperatives, and tribal enterprises. MPIRG’s Planning for a Federal Grant of Inspection project type is for processing facilities currently in operation and are working toward Federal inspection. Applicants can be located anywhere in the states and territories. MPIRG’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment Compliance project type is only for processing facilities located in states with a Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) CIS program. These states currently include Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. Applicants must be working toward CIS program compliance requirements to operate a state-inspected facility or make a good faith effort toward doing so. Potential applicants should contact FSIS to determine the expenses necessary to obtain a Federal Grant of Inspection or comply with the CIS program.

Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 24, 2022. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. Read more in AMS Late and Non-Responsive Application Policy (PDF, 246 KB).

AMS offers webinars for new applicants to help walk them through the application process while also providing helpful hints on what has made past recipients successful. Additionally, grants management specialists are standing by to answer any incoming questions and emails during regular business hours. For more information about grant eligibility and previously funded projects, visit the MPIRG webpage, or contact us at mpirg@usda.gov.

USDA is also extending to May 11, 2022, the application deadline for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP), which provides funding to expand meat and poultry processing capacity. For additional information, applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to visit the MPPEP website: rd.usda.gov/mppep. Questions may be submitted through the website or sent to MPPEP@usda.gov.