Tuesday September 6 Crop Progress Report + Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending September 4, 2022, there were 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 47% very short, 37% short, 16% adequate, and 0% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 42% very short, 38% short, 20% adequate, and 0% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 17% very poor, 16% poor, 28% fair, 29% good, and 10% excellent. Corn dough was 95%, near 96% for both last year and the five-year average. Dented was 74%, near 76% last year and 73% average. Mature was 19%, near 17% last year, and ahead of 13% average.

Soybean condition rated 12% very poor, 16% poor, 31% fair, 33% good, and 8% excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 25%, ahead of 19% last year and 17% average.

Winter wheat planted was 1%, equal to last year, and near 2% average.

Sorghum condition rated 35% very poor, 27% poor, 18% fair, 16% good, and 4% excellent. Sorghum headed was 95%, behind 100% last year, and near 99% average. Coloring was 57%, well behind 78% last year, and behind 67% average. Mature was 5%, equal to last year, and near 6% average.

Dry edible bean condition rated 4% very poor, 4% poor, 38% fair, 53% good, and 1% excellent. Dry edible beans setting pods was 90%, behind 99% last year and 98% average. Dropping leaves was 16%, well behind 47% last year, and behind 32% average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 50% very poor, 28% poor, 15% fair, 6% good, and 1% excellent.



Iowa Crop Progress & Condition Report

Continuing mostly dry conditions across most of the State resulted in 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 4, 2022, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork included harvesting corn for silage, cutting hay, seeding cover crops, and preparing equipment for harvest.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 16 percent very short, 30 percent short, 53 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 19 percent very short, 31 percent short, 49 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Moisture levels in the Northwest, West Central, Southwest, South Central and Southeast Districts of Iowa continued to be a concern with over 50 percent of both topsoil and subsoil considered short to very short.

Corn in or beyond dough stage was 96 percent. Seventy-one percent of Iowa’s corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond, 3 days behind last year but 1 day ahead of average. Ten percent of the State’s corn crop was mature, 2 days behind both last year and the 5-year average. Corn condition remained 66 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-seven percent of soybeans were setting pods. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 20 percent, 5 days behind last year and 4 days behind the 5-year average. Soybeans began dropping leaves at 2 percent, 1 week behind last year and almost a week behind the average. Soybean condition rated 66 percent good to excellent.

Oats harvested for grain neared completion at 96 percent.

Seventy-six percent of the State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay was complete, 5 days behind average.

Pasture condition rated 32 percent good to excellent. Producers were supplementing short pastures with hay and grain.



USDA Crop Progress Report Holds Steady on Corn, Soybean Conditions

Corn and soybean conditions held steady, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress report released Tuesday, Sept. 6. The report is normally released on Mondays but was delayed this week due to the Labor Day holiday.

The percentage of corn reaching maturity was just 3 percentage points behind the five-year average, while the percentage of soybeans dropping leaves was four percentage points behind the average pace, NASS claimed.

CORN
-- Crop development: Corn in the dough stage was estimated at 92%, 1 percentage point behind the five-year average. Corn dented was estimated at 63%, 4 percentage points behind the average. Corn mature was estimated at 15%, 3 percentage points behind the five-year average.
-- Crop condition: 54% of corn was rated in good-to-excellent condition, steady with the previous week and 5 percentage points below last year's rating of 59%. The current rating is the sixth lowest going back to 2000.

SOYBEANS
-- Crop development: 94% of soybeans were setting pods, 2 percentage points behind the five-year average. Ten percent of soybeans were dropping leaves, 7 percentage points behind last year's 17% and 4 percentage points behind the five-year average.
-- Crop condition: 57% of soybeans were rated in good-to-excellent condition, unchanged from the previous week and the same as last year's rating at this time.

SPRING WHEAT
-- Harvest progress: Spring wheat harvest moved ahead 21 percentage points last week to reach 71% complete. That is 23 percentage points behind last year's 94%.



Saunders County Livestock Outlook Meeting

Saunders County Livestock Ass'n Annual Outlook Meeting will be on Monday September 19th 2022, at the Saunders County Fair Grounds 4-H Building, Wahoo, NE.  6:30 P.M. Social, Meal 7:00 P.M. The featured speakers for the evening are Casey Potter, Marketing Consultant with ADM... and Brenda Masek, President of Nebraska Cattlemen. Members are encouraged to attend as this is our last meeting before the start of the fall harvest season.



LATE FALL ALFALFA IRRIGATION
– Todd Whitney, NE Extension Educator
 
Applause to our Nebraska irrigators. This year’s drought weather patterns and alfalfa growing season have been tracking similar to 2012; so it has been an extremely long irrigation season with very little rainfall relief. However, avoid the temptation to shut off your alfalfa irrigation applications too early.
 
Even though, alfalfa is a relatively drought-tolerant forage, surface moisture is still needed to prevent alfalfa roots from drying and dying over winter. Soil moisture will also help moderate soil temperatures and keep alfalfa plants alive.
 
Unlike corn and soybeans, alfalfa is a perennial crop, so developing roots can reach soil depths of 8 feet or more. Thus, possible over irrigation in the fall is less of a problem; since alfalfa plants will likely benefit from extra stored soil moisture next growing season without high water leaching losses. Irrigating now through October and into possibly November until soils freeze will potentially protect plants and improve yields.
 
Irrigation scheduling efficiency can be improved with using ET gages and/or soil moisture monitoring technology. Accurate weather forecasts can also allow growers to take full advantage of possible rainfall and reduce irrigation applications.
 
Daily water use drops into the fall. However, each cutting typically requires 6 to 7 inches of irrigation. Peak water usage is about 1/3 inch per day in July and August, but may lower to less than ¼ inch per day in late fall due to cooler days.
 
More alfalfa irrigation details are on our UNL website: https://water.unl.edu Our NebGuide, G1778, “Irrigation Management and Crop Characteristics of Alfalfa” is a free useful resource.



Upcoming webinars Presented by the Center for Agricultural Profitability at UNL

Estate Planning: A Look at Healthcare
With: Katie Samples Dean, Attorney, Samples Dean Law; and Jessica Groskopf, Agricultural Economist, UNL
Sep 8, 2022 12:00 PM
Knowing that your healthcare wishes will be respected if you cannot speak for yourself brings tremendous peace of mind. Regardless of your age, you should have legal documents outlining who you want to make medical decisions on your behalf and what kind of medical treatment you want. This webinar will review options for getting these important estate planning documents in place. Join Extension Educator Jessica Groskopf and Attorney Katie Samples Dean to discuss using Five Wishes®, or a Power of Attorney for Healthcare and an Advanced Medical Directive.

Inflation Reduction Act: what does it mean for climate change & ag producers?
With: Dave Aiken, Water Law and Ag Law Specialist, UNL; and Brad Lubben, Agricultural Policy Specialist, UNL
Sep 22, 2022 12:00 PM
On August 16, President Biden signed by Inflation Reduction Act, the first piece of climate legislation adopted by Congress. This webinar explores the major provisions of the act, including the climate and energy provisions, and those potentially affecting Nebraska agriculture.

Farm Income Situation and Outlook
With: Scott Brown, Director of the Rural and Farm Finance Center (RaFF), University of Missouri; and Brad Lubben, Ag Policy Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Oct 6, 2022 12:00 PM
Dr. Scott Brown , Director of the Rural and Farm Finance (RaFF) Center at the University of Missouri and Dr. Brad Lubben, Policy Specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Center for Agricultural Profitability, will discuss the current farm income situation and outlook at the national and state level. Recent farm income projections from USDA’s Economic Research Service and the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute show the prospects of increased crop and livestock receipts in 2022 to propel farm income higher, but higher input costs have already tempered some of the gains and could be more significant in 2023 if commodity prices begin to fall back. Work at RaFF and collaboration with Nebraska helps to extend the analysis and outlook to the state level, providing a look at the current situation and outlook ahead for agriculture in the state.

Get more information  on these webinars and register for them individually at https://cap.unl.edu/webinars.



Green Plains, Tallgrass and PNNL Awarded DOE Funding for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Technology

Omaha-based Green Plains Inc., Tallgrass, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) today announced they have been awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to advance sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology as part of the federal agency’s effort to support the development of valuable biofuels and bioproducts for the clean energy economy.

“Developing and deploying new technologies to produce sustainable aviation fuel is part of Green Plains’ ongoing transformation and this grant will help fund catalyst optimization which can lead to a pilot facility and beyond,” said Todd Becker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Green Plains. “We believe the PNNL technology can be a game changer in efficiently converting low-carbon alcohol to sustainable aviation fuel.”

The DOE award will support Green Plains and Tallgrass in funding the demonstration of an innovative process developed by PNNL to convert ethanol to SAF via ketone intermediates, a critical step in proving the scalability of the technology. Green Plains and Tallgrass currently hold the option to exclusively license the PNNL SAF technology globally. They will jointly pursue the production of SAF from cellulosic and corn ethanol and intend to commercialize PNNL’s production process upon successful completion of the pilot project.

“New alcohol-to-jet pathways are necessary to achieve the ambitious volume targets for SAF, and our rapidly-evolving biorefinery platform is well positioned to help meet and exceed these targets,” added Becker. “Our collaboration with Tallgrass and our work with PNNL on state-of-the-art technologies positions Green Plains at the forefront of SAF commercialization which is supported by the expansion of policy to economically develop and deploy novel SAF technology.”

“This partnership represents the type of cross-industrial collaboration that is required to achieve meaningful decarbonization rapidly,” said Matt Sheehy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tallgrass. “At Tallgrass we believe it is critical to develop and invest in the infrastructure to produce and transport the next generation of clean fuels. We are excited to work alongside Green Plains and PNNL to advance this pioneering SAF production technology and the infrastructure to commercialize large-scale SAF production.”



Reynolds Signs Harvest Proclamation

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation relating to the weight limits and transportation of agricultural commodities on state highways during the fall harvest.

The proclamation is effective through Oct. 1. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage and stover to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.

This proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.



Naig Encourages Farmers, Rural Residents to Place Propane Orders, Take Deliveries

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is urging farmers, agribusinesses, and rural residents to begin evaluating how much propane they will need to meet grain drying and home and livestock heating demands this fall and winter. Propane users should anticipate, and suppliers should make plans to accommodate, increased propane demands this fall.

“The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has been working closely with the Governor’s Office, the Iowa Propane and Gas Association, and other industry stakeholders to monitor growing season conditions and potential impacts to the harvest season,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “It’s important for farmers and rural residents to start evaluating their propane needs early and get contracts in place with their suppliers now. I also encourage farmers to take advantage of early booking discounts and fill their propane tanks before harvest begins.”

Data released on August 31 for the week ending Friday, August 26, shows U.S. propane stocks were at 72.2 million barrels (mb) or 96.9 days of supply. This is an inventory increase of 4.2 mb from the previous week. The U.S. propane inventory is expected to build over the next few weeks to peak between 75 and 83 million barrels. Midwest (PADD 2) propane supplies stand at 21.5 mb, up 0.5 mb from a week ago but lower than a year ago when supplies stood at 22.6 mb.

Planning Resources for Farmers
High-moisture corn must be dried before the grain can be stored in the bin to prevent grain quality issues. The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Grain Drying Economics Module helps farmers work through corn drying and marketing decisions.

The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) has created a grain dryer propane use calculator to help crop farmers determine how much propane they may need this fall. Enter the number of crop acres, the average anticipated yield per acre, and how much moisture may need to be removed from the crop to estimate how many gallons of propane may be needed.

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Grain Quality Initiative also has resources to help agricultural decision-makers work through grain drying, storage and quality considerations.

Iowa Propane Stakeholders Group
In the fall of 2019, Iowa experienced some propane supply challenges because grain drying demands caused by the late planting season coincided with an early cold snap that increased livestock and home heating needs.

Naig and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship have regularly convened a group of propane stakeholders, including the Iowa Governor’s office, members of the Iowa Legislature, Iowa Propane Gas Association, propane suppliers, and several agricultural groups, to anticipate and take action to prevent future propane supply chain issues.

If farmers or agribusinesses experience propane shortages, they should notify Paul Ovrom at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at 515-242-6239 or paul.ovrom@iowaagriculture.gov.



TQA® Receives Silver Award for Best Certification Program

The National Pork Board’s Transport Quality Assurance® (TQA) certification program was recently awarded the silver award for Best Certification Program by the Brandon Hall Excellence Awards.  
 
TQA is a certification program that trains pig transporters, producers and handlers how to handle, move and transport pigs. It includes training on the potential impacts transporting can have on pig well-being and pork quality.
 
Nearly 30,000 individuals are trained and certified pig handlers and transporters. Proper animal handling results in easier pig movement, reduced stress, decreased transport losses, reduced weight loss and better meat quality.



Meet the Members Who Could be Next National FFA Officers

Thirty-five FFA members have been selected to vie for national office at the 95th National FFA Convention and Expo this October.

The process to become a national officer is arduous, with the candidates -- each state FFA association can submit one individual member annually -- taking part in an extensive interview process with the National FFA Officer Nominating Committee. The committee is comprised of students who interview and select the national officers.

The following members will run for a position on the 2022-23 National FFA Officer Team:
- Will Aycock, Alabama
- Josie Kelly, Arkansas
- Tyler Martinez, Arizona
- Montana Goodman, Colorado
- Kendall Metz, Delaware
- Emma Poole, Florida
- Karter Goforth, Georgia
- Gracie Murphy, Illinois
- Derick Williams, Indiana
- Mia Gibson, Iowa
- Elizabeth Sturgis, Kansas
- Bethany Fields, Kentucky
- Kaleb LeMoine, Louisiana
- Stephanie Harvey, Michigan
- Kyle Thomas, Minnesota
- Colin Wilburn, Missouri
- Colton Young, Montana
- Ellie Wanek, Nebraska
- Kailee DiRienzo, New Hampshire
- Hannah-Rose Foote, New York
- MacKenna Clifton, North Carolina
- Stetson Urlacher, North Dakota
- Branson Van Fleet, Ohio
- Karstyn Cantrell, Oklahoma
- Justin Sharp, Oregon
- Jess Herr, Pennsylvania
- Sofia Muniz-Ferrer, Puerto Rico
- Cayden Gates, South Carolina
- Hunter Eide, South Dakota
- Katelyn Wattenbarger, Tennessee
- Ryan Williamson, Texas
- Andrew Seibel, Virginia
- Emily Yates, West Virginia
- Ben Styer, Wisconsin
- Cameron Magee, Wyoming

It takes a highly motivated person to become a successful National FFA Officer--an opportunity afforded to few members. Becoming a national officer requires members to learn about their passions and gain a better understanding of what life as a national officer is like. The life of a national officer is nonstop hard work and never-ending commitments, but it is a life-changing experience--one they will cherish forever.



Comparing Beef Cow Slaughter to 2011
David P. Anderson, Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

A lot has been written about beef cow culling this year due to widespread drought in the Western half of the country and high costs relative to calf prices. Most of that has focused nationally. This article focuses on cow slaughter in the Southern Plains. Federally inspected beef and dairy cow slaughter is reported regionally, with states grouped into roughly geographical regions. Region 6 includes Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico.

Cow packing plants in region 6 have processed 668,000 beef cows this year, up 31 percent (or 157,000 head) from last year. They have processed 217,000 dairy cows this year, just slightly below last year.

Of particular interest is a comparison of cow culling this year to that of 2011 and 2012, during the last major drought in Texas and other parts of region 6. So far, in region 6 this year, 8,000 more beef cows have been slaughtered than in 2011. Slaughter this year is 164,900 head more than in 2012. The 217,000 dairy cows processed this year is well above the 130,200 head slaughtered in 2011, but close to the 213,800 in 2012. It’s worth noting that Texas had 200,000 more dairy cows on January 1, 2022 than on January 1, 2011.

The states in region 6 reported 8.4 million beef cows on January 1, 2022. Those states had 8.8 million beef cows on January 1, 2011. While cows may come into the region for slaughter, it’s likely that a larger proportion of the herd has been culled this year than in the last major drought. Of course, nationally, beef cow slaughter is up 300,000 head this year over 2021 and 263,500 over 2011.

Significant rainfall in parts of Texas over the last couple of weeks may restrain culling in the near future. The rain has also brought more moderate temperatures, providing another boost. Watch national and regional beef cow culling over the next 6 weeks to better gauge the impact of these storms. Seasonally, the largest cow culling weeks of the year nationally occur in October and November. Rain and earlier heavy culling rates could pull back slaughter and boost prices.



HPAI Outbreak Reported in Midwest States

HPAI has returned to the Midwest earlier than authorities expected after a lull of several months, with the highly pathogenic disease being detected in two commercial turkey flocks in western Minnesota, a hobby flock in Indiana, and a backyard flock in Wisconsin.

The disease was detected after a farm in Meeker County reported an increase in mortality last weekend, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health said. The flock was euthanized to stop the spread. The board later reported that a second flock in the county tested positive Tuesday evening.

They were the first detections of avian influenza in Minnesota since May 31, when a backyard flock was struck in Becker County. Indiana's case was its first since a backyard flock there tested positive June 8, which had been the last detection in the Midwest before this week.

However, there have been several detections in western states in July and August, including California, where a half-dozen commercial farms have had to kill more than 425,000 chickens and turkeys since last week. There have also been cases in Washington, Oregon and Utah, plus a few in some eastern states.



Vytelle Awarded for Global Sustainability

Today, the Business Intelligence Group named Vytelle a Sustainability Leadership Award winner in the 2022 Sustainability Awards program. The Sustainability Awards honor those people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission.

The global cattle industry is facing what Vytelle calls the triple challenge. Farmers are facing a growing demand for global protein driven by the upsurge of consumers who are demanding meat and milk be produced sustainably. This means farmers must improve and increase productivity, while also improving efficiency by producing with less. Vytelle has built the first integrated livestock technology platform to accelerate genetic progress in cattle. Farmers who use the platform to identify their most valuable and elite genetics will increase the reliability of their intended mating decisions and accelerate their genetic outcomes. It’s through this platform Vytelle is able to help producers with the two high-stake decisions to accelerate genetic progress: mating selection and reproduction method. The state-of-the-art reproduction method now available to farmers to reduce labor, stress associated with handling of the animal, and increase genetic progress is hormone-free in vitro fertilization (IVF).

“Our mission is clear; we must sustainably deliver more protein, ensuring meat and milk are viable food choices for future generations,” said Kerryann Kocher, Chief Executive Officer, Vytelle. “We’re honored to receive the Sustainability Leadership Award and continue our partnerships with progressive cattle farmers to deliver our mission.”

“We are proud to reward and recognize Vytelle for their sustainability efforts,” said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer, Business Intelligence Group. “It was clear to our judges that their vision and strategy will continue to deliver results toward a cleaner, more sustainable world. Congratulations!”

About Vytelle
Vytelle is a precision livestock company reshaping how cattle producers worldwide optimize their herds. Through Vytelle’s integrated technology platform, generations of genetic gains can be made in just a few years. This allows producers to sustainably deliver more protein with fewer inputs, helping to ensure meat and milk are viable, competitive food choices for future generations.