Monday June 27 Crop Progress & Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending June 26, 2022, there were 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 20% very short, 37% short, 42% adequate, and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 21% very short, 35% short, 43% adequate, and 1% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 3% very poor, 9% poor, 24% fair, 51% good, and 13% excellent.

Soybean condition rated 4% very poor, 8% poor, 26% fair, 50% good, and 12% excellent. Soybeans emerged was 97%, near 98% last year, and equal to the five-year average. Blooming was 6%, behind 20% last year and 15% average.

Winter wheat condition rated 16% very poor, 18% poor, 44% fair, 19% good, and 3% excellent. Winter wheat harvested was 1%, equal to last year, and near 2% average.

Sorghum condition rated 1% very poor, 10% poor, 27% fair, 57% good, and 5% excellent. Sorghum headed was 1%, equal to last year, and near 4% average.

Oats condition rated 11% very poor, 16% poor, 24% fair, 45% good, and 4% excellent. Oats headed was 93%, near 92% last year, and ahead of 87% average.

Dry edible bean condition rated 1% very poor, 6% poor, 23% fair, 58% good, and 12% excellent. Dry edible beans planted was 96%. Emerged was 85%, near 89% last year.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 12% very poor, 29% poor, 33% fair, 24% good, and 2% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Mostly warm and dry conditions resulted in 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 26, 2022, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities included cutting hay and spraying crops.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 6 percent very short, 22 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 5 percent very short, 22 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.

Corn condition rating was 80 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-seven percent of soybeans have emerged, 4 days behind last year but 3 days ahead of the 5-year average. Two percent of soybeans were blooming, 12 days behind last year and 1 week behind the average. Iowa’s soybean condition rating remained 80 percent good to excellent.

Eighty percent of the oat crop has headed, 2 days behind last year. Twelve percent of oats were turning color, 6 days behind last year. Iowa’s oat condition was 81 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-one percent of the State’s first cutting of alfalfa hay has been completed and the second cutting has started with 6 percent complete. All hay condition rated 72 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 62 percent good to excellent.



USDA Crop Progress Report: Corn, Soybean Condition Ratings Drop 3 Percentage Points

U.S. corn and soybeans were developing at a near-average pace, but conditions for both crops slid again last week for the second week in a row, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress on Monday.

CORN
-- Crop development: 4% of corn was silking as of Sunday, June 26, according to NASS. That is equal to both last year's pace and the five-year average.
-- Crop condition: 67% of corn was rated in good-to-excellent condition, down 3 percentage point from 70% the previous week but up from 64% a year ago.

SOYBEANS
-- Planting progress: 98% nationwide as of Sunday, up 4 percentage points from the previous week, and 1 percentage point ahead of the five-year average of 97%.
-- Crop development: 91% of soybeans had emerged nationwide as of Sunday, equal to the five-year average. Seven percent of soybeans were blooming, 6 percentage points behind last year's 13% and 4 percentage points behind the five-year average of 11%.
-- Crop condition: 65% of soybeans were rated in good-to-excellent condition, down 3 percentage points from 68% the previous week but up from 60% last year.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Crop development: 98% of the winter wheat crop was headed nationwide as of Sunday, equal to the five-year average.
-- Harvest progress: 41% of the crop was harvested as of Sunday, 10 percentage points ahead of last year and 6 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 35%.
-- Crop condition: 30% of winter wheat was rated good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week and below last year's rating of 48%. That portion of the crop rated very poor to poor remained unchanged at 43%.

SPRING WHEAT
-- Crop development: 98% of the crop had emerged as of Sunday, 1 percentage point behind the five-year average of 99%. Only 8% of the crop was headed, 37 percentage points behind last year and 26 percentage points behind the five-year average of 34%.
-- Crop condition: 59% of the crop was rated in good-to-excellent condition, unchanged from the previous week and well above last year's rating of 20%.

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Free Farm and Ag Law Clinics Set for July

Free legal and financial clinics are being offered for farmers and ranchers across the state in July. The clinics are one-on-one in-person meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor. These are not group sessions, and they are confidential.

The attorney and financial advisor specialize in legal and financial issues related to farming and ranching, including financial and business planning, transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, debt structure and cash flow, agricultural disaster programs, and other relevant matters. Here is an opportunity to obtain an independent, outside perspective on issues that may be affecting your farm or ranch.

Clinic Dates
    Tuesday, July 5 — Fairbury
    Friday, July 8 — Norfolk
    Friday, July 22 — Grand Island
    Wednesday, July 27 — Norfolk
    Thursday, July 28 — Valentine

To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.  Funding for this work is provided by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska.



Watch for Aphids and Potato Leafhoppers in Nebraska Alfalfa
Tom Hunt - Extension Entomologist

Several species of aphids may occur in Nebraska alfalfa. We have received a report of high numbers of spotted alfalfa in one field in the Scottsbluff, Nebraska area seen at first cutting. There are four aphids commonly seen in Nebraska alfalfa — pea aphid, spotted alfalfa, blue alfalfa aphid and cowpea aphid. They differ in their seasonal occurrence and damage potential.

Insecticide options for Nebraska alfalfa can be found in 2022 Guide for Weed, Disease, And Insect Management, Nebraska Extension Circular 130.

Nebraska Extension Educator Nathan Mueller reported seeing potato leafhoppers in Gage County on June 15. Potato leafhoppers have the potential to injure alfalfa in Nebraska every year. They don't overwinter in Nebraska but rather are brought in on southerly winds. Generally, they are a second and third cutting pest. If you have not yet started to scout for potato leafhopper, now would be a good time to begin.

These small (1/8 inch long), bright green, wedge-shaped insects may cause severe damage to alfalfa. This feeding results in a distinctive yellow or purple triangle shape at the leaf tip. First year, spring planted alfalfa fields are particularly attractive to and vulnerable to potato leafhoppers, as are fields planted last year. In older fields, these insects are usually a problem on second and third cuttings.



Application deadline approaching for 5th annual IAWA Iowa Watershed Awards

Nominations and applications for the IAWA Iowa Watershed Awards are due this Thursday, June 30th. You can apply at IowaWatershedAwards.org.

If you know someone who is making an impact on Iowa’s water quality, nominate them or encourage them to apply! The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) and partners want to recognize them through three different awards for their exceptional work to help implement the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

Here is a brief summary of the awards:
    Watershed Coordinator of the Year – an award specifically for watershed coordinators in Iowa. One person will receive $6,000 for their watershed and professional development.
    Impact Award for the private sector – an award recognizing one person in the private sector for the work they do to improve water quality. This could include but is not limited to conservation agronomists, farmers, business leaders, land improvement contractors, etc.
    Impact Award for the public sector – an award recognizing one person in the public sector for the work they do to improve water quality. This could include but is not limited to environmental specialists, biologists, researchers, program staff, etc.

If the honoree cannot accept outside funding for professional development, the funding will go toward the local watershed project.

The awards program is a partnership among IAWA, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI).

“It’s inspiring each year to discover and share the highly effective and unique ways that Iowa’s watershed coordinators and other water quality professionals in the public and private sectors are working with local stakeholders to improve Iowa’s water quality and help advance implementation of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy,” said Sean McMahon, Executive Director of IAWA.

Winners will be announced at the 2022 Iowa Water Conference in September, hosted by the Iowa Water Center. Honorees will be notified in advance.

The Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) is increasing the pace and scale of farmer-led efforts to improve water quality in Iowa. Founded in 2014 by the Iowa Corn, Iowa Soybean, and Iowa Pork Producers Associations, IAWA builds public-private partnerships focused on implementing water quality solutions. Learn more at www.iaagwater.org.



 Supreme Court Rejects R-CALF Lawsuit, Ending Effort Against Beef Checkoff
 
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States denied R-CALF’s lawsuit against 13 state beef councils and the Beef Checkoff. This ruling effectively ends yet another R-CALF attack on the Beef Checkoff and prevents the activist attorneys at Public Justice, from further diverting Checkoff and beef industry resources.

“For too long we have allowed R-CALF and their attorneys to divide our industry and draw attention away from the important job of beef promotion and research. The Supreme Court’s rejection of R-CALF’s petition confirms the Beef Checkoff, and its overseers, are adhering to the letter and spirit of the laws that protect and guide producer investments in the program,” said NCBA CEO Colin Woodall.

NCBA intervened in the lawsuit in its early days to help defend state beef councils from R-CALF and their activist attorneys, who falsely attacked state beef councils and the cattlemen and women who volunteer their time to support the industry as Checkoff leaders. Multiple court decisions rejected these allegations and reaffirmed the work and direction of the Beef Checkoff and those who guide it.

“R-CALF has repeatedly attacked the Beef Checkoff, engaging lawyers who are closely aligned with extremist animal rights groups like PETA and others, in an attempt to further their efforts,” said Woodall. “It’s time that our industry stands up to R-CALF and insists that they end these attacks on the Beef Checkoff and the volunteer cattle producers who direct it.”



Another Record Cattle on Feed
David P. Anderson Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

The latest USDA Cattle on Feed report (June) reported another record number of cattle on feed for a June 1, 11.846 million head. That was 142,000 head more than in June 2021. While a record for the month, following a number of monthly record large on-feed numbers, it’s worth recognizing that the total number of cattle on feed is declining, and has been since February. The decline in cattle-on-feed is fairly normal, but it usually really ramps up after June. Over the 2016-2020 five-year average, the number of cattle on feed has declined 542,000 head from June to September. Last year, on-feed numbers declined 630,000 head over the same period. Typically, over the summer months, on feed numbers decline as placements moderate and marketings grow.

More lighter weight cattle were placed, under 700 pounds, while fewer heavier cattle were placed. The result was a 2.1 percent decline in total placements. Half of the increase in light weight placements were in Texas. Each of the weight categories heavier than 699 pounds were below a year ago. Over 700 pound placements declined 5.5 percent from last year.  

Marketings were 2.6 percent greater than last year in May. While the year-over-year increase is positive for overall market conditions, daily average marketings might also be considered a little disappointing. There was one more slaughter day in May compared to last year resulting in a 5 percent increase in “slaughter days” but a smaller increase in actual slaughter.

What to watch for in next month’s report? The quarterly number of heifers on feed will be released. That will mean more evidence of herd liquidation and reflects how there continues to be record large number of cattle-on-feed given a smaller cow herd. The total number of cattle in feedlots should begin to decline sharply. And will the current trend of increasing light weight placements continue?



ASA Now Seeking Nominations for Annual Soy Recognition Awards

The American Soybean Association (ASA) wants to recognize exceptional soy volunteers and leaders—and we need your help. During 2023 Commodity Classic, individuals will be recognized and honored for state association volunteerism, distinguished leadership achievements and long-term, significant contributions to the soybean industry. The nomination period is open through Oct. 24, 2022.

The Recognition Awards categories are:
    Outstanding State Volunteer Award–Recognizes the dedication and contributions of individuals who have given at least three years of volunteer service in any area of the state soybean association operation.
    ASA Distinguished Leadership Award–Distinguished and visionary leadership of ASA or a state soybean association is recognized with this award to either a soybean grower-leader or association staff leader with at least five years of leadership service.
    ASA Pinnacle Award–An industry-wide recognition of those individuals who have demonstrated the highest level of contribution and lifetime leadership within the soybean family and industry.

For more information and to submit nominations, click here https://soygrowers.com/about/awards/asa-recognition-awards/.

All nominations must be received online no later than Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. Nominations by telephone, email or fax will not be accepted. A judging committee will make final selections.

Awards will be presented to the winners at the 2023 Commodity Classic, March 9-11, in Orlando, Florida.



Scoular updates facility in Missouri

Scoular has completed an extensive upgrade to its grain handling facility in western Missouri that triples grain unloading speeds for farmers and expands storage space in time for wheat harvest.

Scoular built the facility in Adrian, Missouri, in 2012. This expansion is the second major addition since inception. Increased yields and strong demand for soybeans, especially for renewable diesel, have driven the upgrades. The latest upgrade brings Scoular’s total investment in the facility over the past decade to more than $15 million. Scoular’s Matt O’Hern has managed the facility during its decade of growth and all phases of construction.

“This investment is critical to better serving farmers and strategically enhancing our network in the region,” said Ron Bingham, Scoular Senior Vice President and Grain Division Manager. “Matt and his team have done an outstanding job serving our customers, and this upgrade demonstrates our commitment to providing a modern, efficient facility for them.”

The latest upgrade (compared with initial construction):
    Triples grain unloading speed.
    Quadruples upright storage space to 1.2 million bushels.
    Doubles ground storage.
    Quadruples track capacity to 110 cars.

An hour south of Kansas City, the facility is strategically located on the MNA short line railroad and serves multiple markets including soybean processors, poultry feeders and flour mills, providing producers efficient access to regional, domestic and export markets.

Along with wheat, the facility handles corn and soybeans. The facility is part of Scoular’s Midwestern grain handling network that includes over 50 facilities in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska.  



Growth Energy Challenges EPA’s Decision to Excuse Refineries from Biofuel Obligations

Growth Energy filed petitions for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to excuse certain refineries from their obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a decision announced this April, EPA reversed 31 small refinery exemptions (SREs) it had previously granted for the 2018 compliance year but declined to hold affected refiners accountable for meeting any blending obligations for that year. Instead, EPA crafted a novel ‘alternative compliance’ approach that excused these refiners from ever having to comply with their 2018 blending obligations. In June, EPA reaffirmed this approach when it excused additional refiners whose petitions for 2016 and 2017 SREs it denied for the first time.

“EPA’s ‘alternative’ approach to RFS compliance provides no actual alternatives for refineries to meet their biofuel blending obligations,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “It’s a mistake that needlessly pulls EPA off the forward-looking path this administration set under the new 2022 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO). As President Biden said in Iowa, ‘you simply can’t get to net-zero by 2050 without biofuels'. To take full advantage of the carbon reductions and cost savings offered by biofuels, EPA must hold refineries accountable to their blending obligations.”

Background:
In August 2019, the Trump administration’s EPA approved an unprecedented 31 SREs for the 2018 RVO compliance year with only a cursory, two-page decision. A coalition of biofuels and ag leaders, including Growth Energy, filed a petition in the D.C. Circuit Court challenging EPA’s decision. The coalition asked the court to stay the 2018 SRE case in November 2019 pending the outcome of related litigation in both the 10th Circuit and D.C. Circuit Courts. In January 2020, the 10th Circuit ruled in Renewable Fuels Association et al. v. EPA that EPA has no power to ‘extend’ an exemption that had lapsed. The Court also held that EPA lacks the authority to grant an exemption based on hardships not caused by RFS compliance, and also found that it was arbitrary and capricious for EPA to ignore its own prior studies showing that refiners recoup RFS compliance costs.

On June 25, 2021, in HollyFrontier v. Renewable Fuels Association, the Supreme Court vacated the 10th Circuit’s holding that EPA may only ‘extend’ continuously pre-existing exemptions but the other two holdings from the 10th Circuit decision remained intact. Thus, EPA had the opportunity to apply the other two 10th Circuit precedents not challenged in the HollyFrontier case and request a remand and vacatur of the 31 SREs at issue in the D.C. Circuit. However, on August 25, 2021, EPA instead filed a motion to remand the SREs without vacatur. In response, the D.C. Circuit remanded the exemptions back to EPA, but, as a result of this biofuel coalition’s motion in opposition, required the agency to make new determinations on the contested SREs no later than April 7, 2022.

On April 7, 2022, EPA denied all 31 SREs on remand. Instead of requiring the affected refineries to blend biofuels or purchase RINs, however, EPA issued an “Alternative Compliance Demonstration Approach” document that allowed the affected refineries to “resubmit their 2018 RFS annual compliance reports with zero deficit carryforward and no additional RIN requirements,” effectively nullifying the refineries’ obligations for the 2018 compliance year, even though their SREs were denied.  Rather than require these refineries to blend biofuel or purchase additional Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) as obligated to do under the RFS, EPA’s alternative compliance simply cites a litany of unconvincing “insurmountable obstacles” to ensuring compliance.

On June 3, 2022, EPA reaffirmed its “alternative compliance demonstration approach” by granting the same relief to three refineries that had sought SREs for the 2016 and 2017 compliance years. Unlike the 31 SREs denied upon remand for the 2018 compliance year, these three refineries had never previously been granted the SREs.



Joint Statement on FDA's Drought Tolerant HB4 Wheat Safety Conclusion

Joint Statement by U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conclusion that it has no further questions regarding the safety of drought tolerant HB4 wheat developed by Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp.
The finding by the FDA is not an approval for this or any other transgenic wheat to be planted for commercial sale in the United States. To date, the HB4 wheat has been approved for commercial production within a closed system in Argentina only. The trait has been approved for human consumption by regulators in Brazil in the form of flour, and in Australia, New Zealand and now in the United States. Bioceres recently announced it will seek approval to plant HB4 wheat in Australia, but it has not announced plans to commercialize the in the United States.

With global demand for wheat increasing every year the need to produce more wheat in sustainable ways is clear. Drought had already reduced world wheat supplies and pushed prices higher before the invasion of Ukraine cut off supplies from the world’s fifth largest wheat exporting nation. A trait such as drought tolerance in wheat could help wheat growers in increasingly arid regions be more productive and ease food security concerns. Bioceres says the HB4 drought-tolerance technology has been shown to increase wheat yields by an average of 20% in water-limited conditions.

The U.S. wheat industry recognizes the benefits and value that can be created through the prudent application of modern biotechnology. USW and NAWG are guided by jointly approved “Wheat Industry Principles for Biotechnology Commercialization,” which lay out specific steps expected from plant breeding companies if they wish to commercialize transgenic wheat in the United States.

In addition, USW and NAWG support the ability of domestic and overseas customers to make purchases based on their preferences for specific wheat traits, classes, qualities and characteristics.



Northern Corn Leaf Blight Identification and Management

Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) is a foliar disease that, if left untreated, can cause significant yield loss. Yield losses are most severe when NCLB infects corn plants early and reaches the upper leaves by the beginning of ear fill.

While it can be found wherever corn is grown, three main factors lead to NCLB infection: air temperature, high humidity and leaf wetness hours. Early NCLB symptoms appear as long, narrow, tan lesions that form parallel to leaf margins. The cigar-shaped lesions produce olive-green or black fungal spores when humidity is high, which can give the lesions a dark or dirty appearance.

Disease spores are spread locally by rain splash, where primary infections are produced. Secondary spread occurs from plant-to-plant and field-to-field as spores are carried long distances by the wind. It has also spread in recent years due to major weather events, especially hurricanes, which carry the organism from southern climates to North America.

Infections generally begin on lower leaves and then progress up the plant. However, in severe NCLB outbreak years (that have high spore levels), infections may begin in the upper plant canopy.

“We really want to protect the ear leaf and the upper third of our crop canopy in order to maximize our crop health,” said Adam Owens, Pioneer Field Agronomist.  

Yield loss from NCLB occurs when lesions reduce the leaf area of the plant that carries out photosynthesis. The more lesions on a plant and the earlier in the season the lesions develop, the greater the loss of photosynthetic area and the greater the potential yield loss.

Effective NCLB management practices include selecting resistant hybrids, reducing corn residue in the field, timely planting, and applying foliar fungicides.

Decisions to use a fungicide should be based on the disease risk factors of the field, including hybrid susceptibility, cropping sequence, tillage system, location, disease history, yield potential, the price of corn, and expected weather during reproductive development.