Wednesday June 22 Ag News

 2022 Nebraska Ag and Economic Development Summit Scheduled for August 10 in Kearney

Governor Pete Ricketts, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Diplomats will host the 2022 Nebraska Ag and Economic Development Summit on Wednesday, August 10, at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, Nebraska.

Registration for the Summit is now open, and can be found at https://govsummit.nebraska.gov.

The annual Summit is known as the pinnacle forum for discussing issues relevant to Nebraska’s agricultural and economic development sectors. Featured discussion tracks for 2022 range from entrepreneurship and labor supply solutions to the economic impact of flooding events.

This year’s Summit Keynote Speaker will be Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Daniel Kritenbrink.

The Nebraska Diplomats will host its annual Diplomats Reception/Banquet and awards ceremony on the eve of the Summit, August 9, at 7:00 p.m.

More information about this year’s Governor’s Ag and Economic Development, including a full agenda, can be found on the Summit website at https://govsummit.nebraska.gov/#.



Soybean Gall Midge Alert: June 22nd, 2022
Nebraska Extension

Soybean gall midge larvae were first found on soybean near Mead, NE on June 16th. Over the weekend, larvae were found at research and monitoring sites in Saunders, Lancaster, Cass, and Otoe counties in east-central Nebraska. Larval densities ranged from one to more than 30 per plant with the greatest infestation occurring near Mead, NE. A mix of white (1st/2nd) and orange (3rd) instars were present at several sites. A few wilting plants were observed near Mead, NE on June 19th.

White larvae have also been found in northeast Nebraska near Pilger (Stanton County) on June 19th. Orange and white larvae were also observed near Wall Lake (Sac County), IA on June 20th. On June 22nd, orange larvae were found at Pilger as well as Randolph (Cedar County), NE No larvae have been observed in South Dakota or Minnesota. Adult emergence has not been observed in Minnesota.

The presence of orange larvae in Nebraska and Iowa indicates a change in management with regard to the use of an insecticide. To date, foliar studies have been conducted with the intent to control adults and reduce larval infestation. No foliar studies have been conducted to directly target the larvae once they are feeding within the stem.

If you plan to scout for larvae in your field, be sure to check out the scouting videos at https://soybeangallmidge.org/scouting-for-soybean-gall-midge.

Cages have been placed in the current year’s soybean fields and we are monitoring for first adult emergence from these fields at multiple locations. See soybeangallmidge.org for the latest information and maps on adult emergence.



WINDROW DISEASE IN ALFALFA
– Brad Schick, NE Extension Educator

Alfalfa harvest rarely goes according to plan. Rain, hail, insects, disease, and drought all have major effects on the hay especially once windrowed.

When baling is delayed after cutting or windrowing, the alfalfa field can develop strips of light green or yellow. This occurs because of the lack of sunlight and increased moisture trapped that can create ideal conditions for unwanted diseases. This stresses the alfalfa, resulting in delayed growth and weeds often can invade prompting the need for spraying. The field growth becomes uneven, creating a varied maturity of alfalfa for the next cutting. So what part of the field needs to be looked at to determine the next cutting time?

The health of the stand is one consideration while the use or purpose of the hay is the other. If the stand is already thin or experiencing many other stressors, then waiting a little longer to cut may be the better option. If the stand is strong and vigorous, cutting the stressed areas earlier will be fine.

If the purpose of the hay is high quality hay such as for dairies, the earlier cutting needs to be done, but if hay is for beef cattle let the stunted plants have a chance to grow longer before the next cutting.

Delayed baling will always happen, making a solid management decision for the next cutting will keep the alfalfa strong and the hay useful.



USDA Reminds Nebraska Producers to File Crop Acreage Reports

Agricultural producers in Nebraska who have not yet completed their crop acreage reports after planting should make an appointment with their U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) service center as soon as possible ahead of the upcoming July 15 deadline.

“Many USDA programs require producers to file an accurate crop acreage report by the applicable deadline,” said John Berge, FSA state executive director in Nebraska. “Most of our planting is complete across the state, so we are asking producers to call their local FSA office to make an acreage reporting appointment, if they don’t already have one scheduled.”

An acreage report documents a crop grown on a farm or ranch and its intended uses. Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses, including failed acreage and prevented planted acreage, can prevent the loss of benefits, Berge said.

The deadline for acreage certification is July 15, 2022. This includes common spring-planted crops, such as corn, soybeans, dry edible beans and sugar beets, but also includes Conservation Reserve Program acres and perennial grass, such as pastures.

Producers also should report crop acreage they intended to plant, but due to natural disaster, were unable to plant. Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form CCC-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and USDA’s Risk Management Agency.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders should note that the acreage reporting date for NAP-covered crops is the earlier of the date listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvesting of the crop begins.

FSA offers continuous certification for perennial forage. This means after perennial forage is reported once and the producer elects continuous certification, the certification remains in effect until a change is made. Check with FSA at the local USDA Service Center for more information on continuous certification.

New Option to View, Print and Label Maps on Farmers.gov
Producers with an eAuth account linked to their USDA customer record can now access their FSA farm records, maps and common land units by logging into farmers.gov. A new feature will allow producers to export field boundaries as shapefiles and import and view other shapefiles, such as precision agriculture boundaries. This will allow producers to view, print and label their own maps for acreage reporting purposes.

Producers who have authority to act on behalf of another customer as a grantee via form FSA-211 Power of Attorney, Business Partner Signature Authority, along with other signature types, or as a member of a business can now access information in the farmers.gov portal.



Feedlot Short Course Provides Beef Producers with Timely Knowledge

From its first session in 2017, the Feedlot Short Course has provided technical and practical information in real-world settings. It was created with today's feedlot producer in mind and remains true to that premise by adapting and adding content that's requested and relevant.

Erika Lundy-Woolfolk, beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is one of the program organizers and said the course continues to be a source of up-to-date knowledge.

"Based on past participant feedback, this year we're keeping some crowd favorites and bringing in some new topics," she said. "Our limited size of 30 attendees allows us to provide optimal hands-on opportunities and small group learning."

The sixth annual event is hosted and organized by Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University, and will run from 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2 through noon on Thursday, Aug. 4. For questions on the short course content, contact Lundy-Woolfolk at ellundy@iastate.edu or IBC director Dan Loy at dloy@iastate.edu.

The $350 per person registration fee includes program materials and meals listed on the agenda. The registration deadline is midnight, July 27, or when the course limit of 30 is reached. All registrations must be done online.

Content-specific portions of the short course will be held at the Hansen Ag Student Learning Center in Ames, the Iowa State Beef Nutrition Farm near Ames, the Iowa State Meat Lab on the ISU campus, and Couser Cattle Co. in Nevada, Iowa.

New topics:
    A demonstration of beef carcass fabrication in the Iowa State Meat Lab.
    An implant demonstration.
    A session on chute side management tips focusing on foot health.

Other topics:
    Nutrition basics and introduction to feed bunk management.
    Managing feedlot lameness.
    Mixing demonstration and evaluation.
    Managing for carcass quality: Focusing on implants.
    Using and managing data: Program recap.

Presenters are:
    Bill Couser, Couser Cattle Co., Nevada, Iowa
    Garland Dahlke, associate scientist, Iowa Beef Center, Iowa State University
    Terry Engelken, associate professor, Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University
    Terry Houser, extension meat specialist and professor of animal science, Iowa State University
    Shane Jurgensen, Couser Cattle Co., Nevada, Iowa
    Dan Loy, director of the Iowa Beef Center and extension beef specialist, Iowa State University
    Erika Lundy-Woolfolk, beef specialist, Iowa Beef Center, Iowa State University
    Robbi Pritchard, feedlot consultant, Aurora, South Dakota
    Dan Thomson, professor of animal science, Iowa State University

See the short course website for registration information, requirements, and links at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/feedlot.

Participants are responsible for making their own lodging arrangements, if needed. A block of rooms is available at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, 2100 Green Hills Drive, Ames; phone 515-292-8600. Reserve through the short course group room block online reservation link. Deadline for room block and group rate is July 12, 2022.



Cassady Named Dean of SDSU's College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

Joseph Cassady has been named the South Dakota Corn endowed dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at South Dakota State University. John Killefer, the college's previous dean, has accepted a faculty position with SDSU's Department of Animal Science.

Cassady has served as head of the SDSU Department of Animal Science since 2013 and has also served as the college's interim head of the Department of Dairy and Food Science. He received the 2019 Dr. Harold and Barbara Bailey Award for Excellence in Academic Department Leadership.

"We're excited about the future of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences with Dr. Cassady's leadership," said Dennis Hedge, SDSU's provost and vice president for academic affairs. "Throughout his time at South Dakota State University, Joe has developed relationships with many stakeholders in our state and he will utilize those strong relationships to move the college into a bold future.

"Agriculture education, research and outreach has been at our university's core since SDSU was founded in 1881, impacting thousands of South Dakotans and the hundreds of communities in our state. Dr. Cassady will build on the college's tradition and lead the faculty and staff into an exciting future," he continued.

During his time at SDSU, Cassady contributed to the design and construction of the Cow-Calf Education and Research Facility and the Swine Education and Research Facility. Under his leadership, the Department of Animal Science has increased undergraduate enrollment by 15% and doubled graduate student enrollment. The department also established two endowed faculty positions and successfully met the fundraising goal for the Kohler-Gee Livestock Judging Team Endowment.

"I am excited to accept this new role and work with our world-class faculty, field specialists and dedicated staff to advance food production," Cassady said. "Agriculture is instrumental to the South Dakota economy and graduates of our college are working on farms and ranches throughout the state. We are committed to developing the next generation of ag leaders and working with stakeholders to advance best practices to protect our environmental resources. I look forward to those opportunities and working to have a positive impact both locally and globally."

Cassady received his bachelor's degree in animal science from Iowa State University and his master's and doctorate degrees in animal science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Before starting at SDSU, Cassady rose to the rank of professor in North Carolina State University's Department of Animal Science and worked as a research associate in genetics and breeding for the Agricultural Research Service with the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska.



 Fischer’s Bipartisan Cattle Market Reform Bill Passes Ag Committee

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-Neb.) Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act today passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee. The bill passed by voice vote with only two recorded no votes, and is now eligible for a final vote on the Senate floor. Sen. Fischer, along with Sens. Grassley, Tester, and Wyden unveiled the updated version of the legislation in March.

“Our bipartisan bill to facilitate price discovery and bring much needed transparency to the cattle market passed the committee by voice vote with only two recorded no votes. The broad support reflects the importance of restoring market fairness so that every segment of the cattle supply chain can succeed. These reforms are especially needed now at a time when family ranchers and consumers are all struggling to navigate a slow economy and record inflation,” said Senator Fischer, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The updated bill would:
    Require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish 5-7 regions encompassing the entire continental U.S. and then establish minimum levels of fed cattle purchases made through approved pricing mechanisms. Approved pricing mechanisms are fed cattle purchases made through negotiated cash, negotiated grid, at a stockyard, and through trading systems that multiple buyers and sellers regularly can make and accept bids. These pricing mechanisms will ensure robust price discovery.

    Establish a maximum penalty for covered packers of $90,000 for mandatory minimum violations. Covered packers are defined as those packers that during the immediately preceding five years have slaughtered five percent or more of the number of fed cattle nationally.

    The bill also includes provisions to create a publicly available library of marketing contracts, mandating box beef reporting to ensure transparency, expediting the reporting of cattle carcass weights, and requiring a packer to report the number of cattle scheduled to be delivered for slaughter each day for the next 14 days. The contract library would be permanently authorized and specify key details about the contents that must be included in the library like the duration of the contract and provisions in the contract that may impact price such as schedules, premiums and discounts, and transportation arrangements.

"Price discovery is a public good. Negotiated market participants invest time and resources to discover fed cattle prices for their respective regions and the entire industry. Until price discovery participation is better valued at all points in the supply chain, live cattle market price negotiation will continue to decrease. Eventually, negotiated trade will become too thin to accurately discover price in the physical live cattle market, which will also undermine the functionality of the industry’s primary risk management mechanism – CME Live Cattle futures. We thank Senator Fischer for her continued work and dedication to identifying resolutions to this complex issue,” said Nebraska Cattlemen President Brenda Masek.

“USDA ranks Nebraska first in the nation in commercial cattle slaughter, and second in all cattle and calves, cattle on feed, and commercial red meat production. It is essential for our state that our cattle producers who do the work, invest the capital, take the risk and drive our state’s economy have cattle markets that function as they should to provide true price discovery and value allocation. When Nebraska’s beef sector does well, our state prospers. We thank Sen. Fischer and the Senate Agriculture Committee for their support for the ‘Cattle price discovery and Transparency Act’. This long overdue and badly needed legislation is a giant step forward in the right direction towards more competition, transparency, and fairness in cattle markets. This bipartisan bill deserves the support of all 100 Unites States Senators,” said Nebraska Farmers Union President John Hansen.

“Today’s successful Senate Ag Committee mark-up of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act is a win for Nebraska’s cattle producers who have long asked for additional price discovery and transparency opportunities. Without the hard work and dedication of Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer, this important piece of legislation would not have taken this significant step forward. Nebraska Farm Bureau members from around our great state stand firmly behind Sen. Fischer’s tireless efforts to find compromise on this unbelievably complex issue,” said Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation President Mark McHargue.

“Senator Deb Fischer led the introduction of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act as one of the much-needed solutions to an increasingly consolidated meat industry. Studies have shown that, without government intervention, negotiated trade in the U.S. marketplace will fall to zero percent by 2026 in parts of the country. When producers don’t have the ability to negotiate a fair price for their cattle based on current market conditions, it results in a vertically integrated, corporate-controlled beef supply chain. This threatens the livelihoods of producers and the security of our national food system,” said U.S. Cattlemen’s Association President Dr. Brooke Miller.

“For family farmers and ranchers to thrive, they need markets that offer adequate price discovery and transparency. NFU strongly supports the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022, which will preserve the cash market as an option for cattle producers by establishing regional minimums for cash trades, and through other provisions. We would like to thank Senator Fischer and the cosponsors of the bill for their strong leadership on this issue, and we urge swift passage of this bill by the full Senate,” said National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew.



NCBA Rejects Harmful Cattle Market Mandate Bills

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) once again voiced opposition to the Cattle Price Transparency Act of 2022 and the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022, which were marked up by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

“The U.S. cattle industry is home to one of the most complex set of markets in the world. Rather than embrace the freedom of that marketing system, Congress is instituting a one-size-fits-all policy that will hurt cattle producers’ livelihoods. Cattle markets are finally returning to normal after pandemic-fueled uncertainty, but these heavy-handed mandates will stifle innovation and limit marketing opportunities,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “Cattlemen and women deserve the freedom to market their cattle in whatever way they want.”

The Cattle Price Transparency Act of 2022 would subject every cattle producer in the country to a business-altering government mandate. The bill would severely restrict the use of Alternative Marketing Arrangements (AMAs), which provide stability to producers and allow them to invest in creating higher-quality and specialty products that command a premium. The bill also fails to consider the unique ways producers raise cattle in different regions of the country. Although the bill was introduced when cattle markets experienced uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic, market conditions have improved on their own without heavy-handed government intervention. This legislation would jeopardize that recovery.

The Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022 would create a new special investigator position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate “competition matters.” Unfortunately, the legislation is duplicative and only creates additional bureaucracy for investigating anticompetitive behavior. “NCBA supports oversight of the market, but creating a duplicative, bureaucratic new special investigator role is the wrong approach. Congress should be focused on the issues that are hurting producer profitability now—rising food, fuel, and feed prices,” said Lane.

NCBA’s grassroots policy, which is voted on by individual cattle producers, opposes both bills.



Cattle Prices Remain at Record Highs

With the U.S. House and Senate considering legislation to intervene in beef and cattle markets, prices for cattle are at or near record highs calling into question the need for heavy-handed government interference.

"Just last week one cattle marketing analyst described the high prices as 'stratospheric,'" said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the North American Meat Institute. "As many industry economists have said, the beef and cattle markets are continuing to behave predictably given supply and demand and do not need government mandates and intervention. "The Grassley-Fischer bill being marked-up in the Senate Agriculture Committee this week will cost producers in the largest cattle producing region millions of dollars, and producers around the country will lose the ability to market their cattle as they choose.

She adds that the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator bill would establish a Special Investigator at the same time the U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to change the longstanding rules under the Packers and Stockyards Act. Establishing a new enforcement office at the same time USDA is changing the rules to be enforced is ill conceived: the regulated community would be subject to increased enforcement simultaneously with legal uncertainty.

The latest USDA annual report. on livestock income shows cash receipts for the sale of cattle and calves increased 16 percent, from $63.1 billion in 2020 to $72.9 billion in 2021.

Prices for cattle rose to seven-year highs in 2021, and now in 2022 prices are 17.5 percent above 2021 prices.



NFU Statement on Senate Agriculture Committee Markup

Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee favorably reported S. 3870, the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022 and S. 4030, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022. Both NFU-supported bills will foster much-needed competition in the meat and poultry sector.

“For family farmers and ranchers to thrive, they need markets that offer adequate price discovery and transparency,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “NFU strongly supports the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022, which will preserve the cash market as an option for cattle producers by establishing regional minimums for cash trades, and through other provisions. The move to advance the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act, on the heels of action by the House Agriculture Committee to do the same, is also a welcome move towards boosting enforcement of competition laws that get to the bottom of abusive market practices.

“Today’s passage of these two bills is a very important step towards fairness for farmers. I’d like to thank Chairwoman Stabenow for her leadership in supporting and moving these bills forward. I would also like to thank Senators Fischer, Tester, Grassley, and Wyden for guiding the progress of Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, and greatly appreciate the cosponsors of each of the bills. NFU urges for swift passage of both S. 3870 and S. 4030 by the full Senate.”

Today’s successful markup is another sign of momentum on issues facing farmers and ranchers after decades of consolidation in the livestock industry. These bills, paired with the recent House passage of the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act are great strides forward in NFU’s work for Fairness for Farmers.



Dairy Farmer Reinforces Value of Safety Net, Calls for FMMO Update During Farm Bill Hearing

Seventh-generation Pennsylvania dairy farmer Lolly Lesher emphasized the importance of the farm bill safety net program and called for milk pricing improvements today during a House Agriculture Committee hearing. Lesher, a member-owner of Dairy Farmers of America, testified on behalf of the cooperative and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) during a congressional review of dairy provisions in the Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill, a twice-a-decade reauthorization of USDA programs, encompasses a variety of provisions important to dairy farmers including risk management, pricing policy and support, conservation, trade promotion, nutrition and rural development programs.

Lesher thanked Ranking Member G.T. Thompson (R-PA) for his years of advocacy on behalf of dairy farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond, and for his key role in overhauling the dairy safety net during the last farm bill. She also expressed her gratitude to Chairman David Scott (D-GA) for his work and for convening today’s hearing.

Revised at the urging of NMPF in the 2018 Farm Bill, USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage program offers effective margin protection for small and mid-sized farms and affordable catastrophic coverage for large farms. Lesher, whose family milks 240 cows in southeastern Pennsylvania, said in her written testimony that the program “has provided important security to [her] family’s farm.” She urged the committee to make additional updates to reflect current production, so the program remains a viable safety net.

Lesher also highlighted the need for improvements to the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) system, as evidenced by the heavy revenue losses incurred by dairy farmers nationwide from a milk pricing change made in the previous farm bill. “The change made to the Class I mover combined with the government’s heavy cheese purchases cost dairy farmers over $750 million in revenue in the last six months of 2020 alone,” she said.

The dairy industry, under NMPF’s leadership, is seeking consensus on a range of FMMO improvements, including the Class I mover, that can be taken to USDA for consideration in a federal order hearing. “We recognize that for our efforts to succeed, we must all work together, giving a bit to get a bit. It’s just too important for our future,” Lesher added.

“We appreciate the opportunity to share what has worked well—and what needs to be modernized—to meet the needs of dairy farmers in the 2023 Farm Bill,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “As outlined by Lolly Lesher during today’s hearing, dairy producers need continued access to an effective safety net, flexible risk management tools that protect all farmers, and an update to the FMMO system that addresses the unequal risk dairy farmers bear compared to processors during unusual market volatility. We look forward to our continued work with the House Agriculture Committee and USDA on these and other farm bill priorities in the coming months.”  



U.S. Solicitor General Supports AFBF Challenge to California Proposition 12

The U.S. Solicitor General, one of the highest ranking officials in the Department of Justice, filed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a challenge to California’s Proposition 12. The state law seeks to ban the sale of pork from hogs that don’t meet California’s production standards, even if the pork was raised on farms outside of California. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) filed the challenge, arguing Proposition 12 violates the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

In the amicus brief, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argues that AFBF and NPPC have stated a valid claim that Proposition 12 violates the constitution and will create burdens in interstate commerce. “Other States might well condition in-state sales on even more square feet of space per hog, or on compliance with requirements concerning animals’ feed, veterinary care, or virtually any other aspect of animal husbandry. The combined effect of those regulations would be to effectively force the industry to ‘conform’ to whatever State (with market power) is the greatest outlier.”

AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “The Solicitor General provides a powerful argument against the arbitrary production standards imposed by Proposition 12. It’s significant to have the Justice Department recognize the validity of our concerns and realize the unintended consequences of this misguided law.

“We share the goal of ensuring animals are well cared for, but Proposition 12 fails to advance animal health or food safety. Instead, it will make caring for animals more difficult and drive up the cost of food for families across America.”



Grow More Experience sites demonstrate the importance of agronomist expertise

To help growers address challenges this season, Grow More™ Experience sites across the U.S. are showcasing how agronomist expertise and flexible, innovative crop protection practices may help improve yield potential, economic return and crop safety.

“Being flexible is one of the most important aspects of this season,” says Jami Loecker, Syngenta agronomy service manager. “One of the benefits of the Syngenta Crop Protection portfolio is we can adapt the timing of our applications or the product depending on which disease or insect pests actually show up throughout the season.”

From overly wet conditions across much of the eastern half of the country to drought plaguing the western half, unpredictable early-season weather delayed planting and made it difficult for growers to stick with their initial plans. And while commodity prices are good, the cost of doing business is on the rise. This emphasizes the need for growers to be even more flexible when making choices for their crop inputs under the many variables in production this year, in order to maximize potential return on investment.

Growers should consider these tips from Syngenta experts to help combat weather-related difficulties this season:
    Scout early and often for key pests. Unfavorable early-season conditions are likely to cause difficulties in herbicide activation, contributing to an increased risk of poor stand establishment, which can lead to heavy pest pressure and potentially higher than average levels of disease.
    Consider the importance of overlapping residuals and managing herbicide resistance by using products with different sites of action. When determining a management plan, growers should take a holistic look at the common weed problems they have seen over the last several seasons.
    Avoid shortchanging fields with rigid program bundles, and research products to determine the best fit for each field’s needs to get the most yield potential out of every acre.
    Keep in regular contact with local experts and growers in the area who can provide insight into new pest pressures and management options.

“Having a trusted agronomic adviser will be even more crucial this season,” says Leon Hunter, Syngenta agronomy service manager. “When plan A doesn’t work out, a local expert can help brainstorm a plan B to help manage a wide range of yield robbers.”

Growers and retailers looking to connect with an agronomic expert can visit their nearest Grow More Experience site to get a firsthand look at Syngenta and competitor product trials and learn about new technologies.

Those in the Midwest and Plains regions can also access insights any time through the Grow More Experience Virtual Tours. The content features local agronomic videos, photos, trial data and results.