Monday February 27 Ag News

 Lower Platte North Local Working Group Meeting - February 28th - 1 to 4 p.m.
Aaron Nygren, NE Extension Educator

If you are a local grower or a land manager and would like an opportunity to be part of a collaborative effort to improve natural resources and support rural communities within your county, you are invited to attend the Lower Platte North Local Working Group Meeting, which will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, February 28th from 1 to 4:00 p.m. at the Lower Platte North NRD Building at 511 Commercial Park Road, Suite 1, in Wahoo.

Attendees are invited to:
    Review performance of the past year’s projects.
    Help shape plans and prioritize future projects.
    Connect with partners and new audiences to seek opportunities to leverage partnership funds.
    Learn about other NRCS programs which may prove beneficial to you.

Please note, Nitrogen Certification will be given to those qualified and in attendance for this meeting.



Viterra brand launches across Gavilon network

Gavilon is pleased to announce that effective today it will be known as Viterra, and the Viterra brand will begin to be implemented across its business in the United States and Mexico. Omaha, Nebraska will continue to be the headquarters for Viterra’s U.S. and Mexico business.

Viterra, which means “life from the earth”, is a world-leading, fully integrated agriculture network connecting producers and consumers to sustainable, traceable, and quality-controlled agricultural products.

“Today’s launch of the Viterra brand across our operations in the U.S. & Mexico sets the stage for the continued growth and investment across our network,” said Rayner Freyberg, CEO of Viterra US & Mexico. “We will continue to look for ways to strengthen our business and create additional opportunities for our employees, producers, and customers.”

“We are proud to implement the Viterra brand throughout our network. This change will not impact who our producers, customers, and vendors work with within our company, nor change the high level of service they have come to expect from us,” added Freyberg.

Today the Viterra name and logo will begin to roll out across the U.S. and Mexico and this process will continue until all aspects of the Gavilon brand have been updated. This change will not impact any open contracts, banking information, or tax identification numbers.



LEGUME FROST SEEDING IN PASTURES
– Brad Schick, NE Extension Educator

Are you looking to increase production from pastures or hay fields? Interseeding legumes might just work in your operation.

Nitrogen is one of the key ingredients for productive pastures. A way to get more nitrogen in a pasture is to plant legumes. Alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, clovers, and other legumes all fix atmospheric nitrogen and can reduce nitrogen costs. These legumes are also very high in forage quality.

Not all pastures are good candidates for adding legumes, however. First, legumes need adequate phosphorus and a pH usually above 6 while some prefer a pH closer to 7. Next, good seed placement is needed. When interseeding with a no-till drill is not an option due to frozen ground or topography, frost seeding is an option to consider. Frost seeding uses broadcasting seed in winter to allow the natural freezing and thawing of the ground to plant the seed for you, resulting in good seed to soil contact. Frost seeding success can vary and while more invasive, drilling is almost always a better option if the pasture would allow it. Because frost seeding requires seed to be close to the soil surface after broadcasting, snow-free or very little snow is preferred.

Lastly, heavy flash grazing several times in the spring will reduce the competition from existing grasses and help promote the legume seedlings. Once the grass is 3 to 4 inches taller than the seedlings, graze quickly until the grasses are grazed down to the height of the legume seedlings.

Legumes can help reduce fertilizer cost and create higher quality pastures and hay. Frost seeding is an economical approach that might work to establish legumes in your operation.



NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending February 26, 2023, topsoil moisture supplies rated 13% very short, 35% short, 44% adequate, and 8% surplus, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 30% very short, 43% short, 26% adequate, and 1% surplus.

Field Crops Report: Winter wheat condition rated 11% very poor, 29% poor, 41% fair, 18% good, and 1% excellent.

The next report will be issued March 27, 2023.



NEBRASKA CHICKENS AND EGGS

All layers in Nebraska during January 2023 totaled 6.21 million, down from 8.43 million the previous year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Nebraska egg production during January totaled 148 million eggs, down from 210 million in 2022. January egg production per 100 layers was 2,378 eggs, compared to 2,496 eggs in 2022.

IOWA: Iowa egg production during January 2023 was 1.06 billion eggs, up 1 percent from last month but down 15 percent from last year, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The average number of all layers on hand during January 2023 was 42.3 million, up 3 percent from last month but down 13 percent from the same month last year. Eggs per 100 layers for January were 2,498, down 2 percent from last month and down 2 percent from last January.

January Egg Production Down 6 Percent
United States egg production totaled 9.06 billion during January 2023, down 6 percent from last year. Production included 7.76 billion table eggs, and 1.30 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.19 billion were broiler-type and 102 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during January 2023 averaged 375 million, down 5 percent from last year. January egg production per 100 layers was 2,413 eggs, down 2 percent from January 2022.
                                    
All layers in the United States on February 1, 2023 totaled 376 million, down 4 percent from last year. The 376 million layers consisted of 309 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 63.2 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.80 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on February 1, 2023, averaged 77.6 eggs per 100 layers, down 2 percent from February 1, 2022.



Crop Nutrient Guide Updated to Reflect Current Recommendations in Iowa

Newly updated crop nutrient recommendations are available in a recent publication from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Antonio Mallarino, professor in agronomy and extension specialist at Iowa State, announced research-based updates to the extension publication PM 1688 A General Guide for Crop Nutrient and Limestone Recommendations in Iowa, available on the Iowa State University Extension Store and Soil Fertility websites.

The publication provides phosphorus (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn) and lime application guidelines based on soil testing for the major agronomic crops grown in Iowa.

Soil-test interpretations and nutrient application recommendations in this publication always have been based on short and long-term field experiments conducted across Iowa farmers' fields and research farms, from the major soils used for production agriculture in Iowa.

Mallarino said the last update was in 2013, and new recommendations were necessary because of improved crop genotypes that lead to higher yields, and because of changes in farming practices across Iowa.

The updated publication describes new soil-test interpretations and categories of soil testing as well as new suggested nutrient application rates.

“Crops are constantly changing and improving, and so are yields and the ways that Iowans farm,” said Mallarino. “Since 2013, nearly 200 field response trials have been conducted with each nutrient, and the results provide a solid foundation of how much nutrients we should be applying, to each crop and growing practice.”

He added, "However, the basic concept used for developing the new soil-test interpretations and application guidelines remains the same, which is to accomplish long-term profitability and reduced risk of yield loss while improving the sustainability of crop production."

Trials conducted since 2013 included several P or K fertilizer application rates and placement methods at multiple Iowa State research and demonstration farms – in the central, northeast, northcentral, northwest, southeast and southwest regions. The research farms have different soil types and slight weather differences that should be taken into consideration.

“The testing of numerous soil samples has increased our awareness of largely unavoidable, intrinsic variability of soil-test results mainly due to large spatial variability, which should be considered when interpreting test results and making fertilization decisions,” said Mallarino.

Key changes:
    Boundaries of the interpretation categories were adjusted – mainly by moving upward the boundary for the optimum category to make it wider. Removal-based P and K application is recommended to maintain these desirable soil-test values over time.
    The suggested P and K fertilization rates for the very low and low interpretation categories needed to be increased to assure fertilization for these categories maximize yield for most growing conditions and gradually buildup soil-test levels.
    Interpretations for zinc by the Mehlich-3 test were added.

The soil pH and lime management guidelines, which are also included in the publication, were not updated because the recent research has confirmed changes made in 2013.

New physical copies are being printed and will soon be available from the Iowa State University Extension Store.




Iowans Invited to Nominate Conservation Leaders for the 2023 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon invite Iowans to nominate individuals or families in their communities for the 2023 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award.

To be considered for inclusion at the 2023 awards ceremony held at the Iowa State Fair, nominations will be accepted through Monday, May 1, 2023.

Farmers and landowners who invest in conservation and water quality practices and incorporate best management practices into their farming operations to improve and protect the state’s natural resources are eligible for the award. Awardees must also actively serve as leaders in the Iowa agriculture community.

“Iowa farmers have a strong record of conservation and improving water quality. They understand that our land feeds and fuels the world, and provides future generations with the same opportunity,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds. “The 2023 Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards serve as a reminder to celebrate the work our farmers do to preserve our state’s deep farming tradition.”

“Our dedicated farm families work year after year to protect our soil and improve water quality with proven conservation practices and their important work should be recognized,” said Secretary Naig. “These families lead by example and encourage others to adopt similar conservation practices, all of which moves us closer to achieving our Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy goals.”

“We are grateful for these leaders who have gone above and beyond to implement sustainable conservation practices and show their commitment to protecting our natural resources,” said Director Lyon. “We are thrilled to honor them and recognize that their work will have a positive impact on generations of Iowans. Their efforts do not go unnoticed.”

An appointed committee representing conservation and agricultural groups will review the nominations and select the winners. The recipients will be recognized on Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, at the Iowa State Fair. Gov. Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Gregg, Secretary Naig and Director Lyon will present the winners with an Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award and a sign sponsored by Bayer.

Since the creation of the award in 2012, 738 farm families have been recognized. The nomination form and a list of previous awardees can be found on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website https://data.iowaagriculture.gov/ifela/.



The Future of Sustainable Pork

Acceligen, a leading innovator in sustainable agriculture, is proud to announce the breeding of gene-edited pigs with resistance to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). This breakthrough represents a significant step forward in the pursuit for sustainable and ethical pork production.

PRRS is the most devastating disease to the swine industry in the United States, affecting not only the productivity of pigs, but also their health and wellness.  This regularly occurring and complex disease has been documented to cause an estimated $500 million USD of losses to the pork producers, thus affecting the food security of countless people around the world.

Deploying protein modifications developed by Kansas State University, Acceligen is able to breed pigs naturally resistant to PRRS.  The use of new breeding technology enabled by gene-editing to prevent PRRS will improve the overall animal well-being leading to healthier animals and a safer food supply. Breeding of pigs naturally resistant to PRRS may reduce the environmental impact of pork production by improving efficiency. The resistance to PRRS virus infection was proven effective through a collaboration with Professor Bob Rowland at the University of Illinois.

"This is an exciting time to be at the forefront of this impactful breeding application in sustainable agriculture," said Tad Sonstegard, CEO of Acceligen. "Our goal is to use the best tools for breeding and selection to create a better future for animals, farmers, consumers and the environment. Gene-editing is one of the most powerful breeding tools that allows us to address some of the biggest challenges facing the pork industry and to create a more sustainable and ethical food system."

About Acceligen
Acceligen is a leading innovator in sustainable agriculture, employing cutting-edge technology to create better and more ethical food systems. We are committed to using the best science and technology to build a better future for animals, farmers, and the environment. Learn more about our company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Recombinetics Inc., at Acceligen.com



Cattle on Feed and Beef Cold Storage Stocks
David P. Anderson, Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

The latest USDA cattle on feed report was released on Friday February 24th and it was largely in line with expectations. The total number of cattle on feed was down 4.1 percent from the prior year. Marketings were up 4.2 percent over the same number of slaughter days in January this year as last year. Placements were 3.6 percent smaller than the year before and were the smallest January placements since 2016.

Each year the February cattle on feed report includes data on the number of feedlots, inventory, and marketings by size of feedlot. The report indicated there were 26,093 feedlots in the U.S. in 2022. That was 1,027 fewer than reported in 2021. The smallest category reported, less than 1,000 head, declined by 1,000 to 24,000 feedlots. Each feedlot size category with fewer than 7,999 head declined in number between 2021 and 2022. Each size category over 8,000 head either had the same number or grew in number over the year. Two more feedlots with over 50,000 head were reported in 2022. Feedlots in that largest category marketed about 35.2 percent of fed cattle marketings, up from 34.6 percent in 2021. The data would indicate a slightly more concentrated feeding sector.

Cold Storage Stocks Remain Large
There was another interesting report released Friday and that was the Cold Storage report. The report indicated 533 million pounds of beef in storage, about 1 percent more than January of 2022, but less than in December. The amount of beef in storage is historically large.

Beef in cold storage has been pretty interesting for a number of months. Cold storage stocks of beef tend to peak in December-January and reach a low in June-July. The seasonal decline in stocks has been, on average, about 82 million pounds over the last 5 years. In 2022, there was very little seasonal decline and supplies grew to 544 million pounds by the end of the year.

Why are stocks so large? One factor is that beef production was a record large 28.3 billion pounds in 2022. U.S. total beef trade, exports plus imports, was also a record large 6.78 billion pounds in 2022. Beef exports were a record large 3.43 billion pounds and imports, 3.35 billion pounds, the most since 2015. That’s a lot of beef moving in, out, and around the country. Putting this level of stocks in context is that 533 million pounds is about 1.6 pounds per person, which is not a lot different than per capita stocks over the last several decades. Per capita cold storage stocks were over 2 pounds back in the early to mid-1970s when the U.S hit peak cattle numbers and beef demand began to decline.



“Onward to Orlando” for 2024 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show

While the largest cattle industry event in the country wrapped up only a few weeks ago, plans are already underway to get “Onward to Orlando.” Mark your calendars for the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show, which is heading to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, January 31-February 2.
 
Thousands of cattlemen and women will gather to learn, conduct business, network and have fun. In a city known for sun and family fun, entertainment will also delight kids of all ages. Cattlemen’s College, which immediately precedes convention, will bring thought-provoking, stimulating sessions that provide producers with information they can put to work on their farms and ranches.
 
The award-winning NCBA Trade Show will feature a new layout with several acres of indoor and outdoor displays as well as live cattle handling demonstrations, educational sessions and entertainment. Trade show exhibitors will offer products and services such as animal health products, equipment, irrigation technology, software, trailers and so much more.
 
Additional information will be available soon at convention.ncba.org.



New University Study: Ethanol Cuts Gas Prices by 77 Cents per Gallon

Adding low-cost ethanol to the nation’s gasoline supply improves energy security and saves the average American household more than $750 per year, according to a new study conducted by energy economists from the University of California-Berkeley and leading universities in Brazil and the Czech Republic.

The analysis concluded that “adding ethanol to gasoline decreases the price paid by U.S. drivers at the pump. We estimate the average discount per gallon to be $0.77 between 2019 to 2022 and averaged across our models. …this would add up to total savings of $95.1 billion per year for U.S. consumers.”

Spread across 124 million U.S. households, this equates to an average annual savings of $767 per household. Adding ethanol to gasoline reduces demand for petroleum, which in turn puts downward pressure on prices for crude oil and refined products. In addition, ethanol is typically priced below other octane boosters and gasoline blendstocks at wholesale terminals where fuels are blended. The combination of ethanol’s lower cost and its ability to pressure oil prices by extending fuel supplies results in large savings for consumers. The authors of the new study attribute much of this benefit to the Renewable Fuel Standard, which created the investment certainty needed to rapidly expand ethanol production.

“The accessibility of renewable fuels limits the bargaining power of the largest oil producers and brings about a higher degree of fuel security to the U.S.,” the study’s authors concluded. “We estimate that blending roughly 330 million barrels of ethanol into U.S. gasoline lowers global crude oil prices as well as retail gasoline prices. The main conclusion is that the RFS program has lowered the prices of gasoline at the pump at a statistically significant level.”

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said the study’s results come at a critical time for U.S. policymakers. “American consumers would be paying much higher prices at the pump if not for the inclusion of more than 14 billion gallons of low-cost, low-carbon ethanol in our nation’s gasoline supply each year,” Cooper said. “This new study confirms that adding ethanol to gasoline is a proven solution for significantly reducing gas prices and providing economic relief to American families. As war in Eastern Europe continues to wreak havoc on global energy markets, and as abnormally high inflation rates continue to bedevil the U.S. economy, the Biden administration and Congress should take note of this study’s findings. And they should act immediately to allow increased use of higher ethanol blends, like E15 and E85, year-round and nationwide.”

The new study was commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association.  



NACD Releases 2023 Farm Bill Recommendations

Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) released policy recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. Over the last year, NACD’s Farm Bill Task Force has convened more than a dozen times to review USDA conservation programs and consider policies to strengthen support for voluntary, locally led conservation efforts. The recommendations were recently approved by NACD’s Board by Directors at NACD’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

NACD’s most important priority is for Congress to keep conservation investments provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in farm bill conservation programs. The 2023 Farm Bill provides Congress with an important opportunity to integrate IRA conservation funding into the conservation title to administer these investments over a longer period of time, make bipartisan decisions on the exact funding allocations within the title, and eliminate administrative and management redundancies. This request is critical to addressing the high unmet demand for NRCS conservation programs, which are currently only able to serve about one in every three eligible producers.

To support locally led conservation efforts, the recommendations also push back against one-size-fits-all policies, the addition of national carve-outs within programs, and limitations on conservation practices. NACD also calls on Congress to provide strong support for historically underserved producers, tribes, and the development of our nation’s conservation workforce.

“NACD will continue to work with a wide range of stakeholders and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to develop an inclusive farm bill that provides strong support for conservation,” said NACD President Kim LaFleur. “The 2023 Farm Bill provides an exciting opportunity to strengthen federal conservation programs, bolster our local conservation delivery systems, and support our nation’s producers.”

“As Chair of NACD’s Farm Bill Task Force, I am proud of the work we’ve done over the past year to review conservation programs, consider input from our members and other stakeholders, and develop policy positions that support sustainable, productive working lands'' said NACD’s Immediate Past President Michael Crowder. “I look forward to advocating for an effective, locally led approach to conservation as Congress develops the 2023 Farm Bill."