Chemigation permits due June 1st each year
Farmers planning to chemigate during the 2023 growing season must renew chemigation permits by June 1 to meet state deadline requirements, according to Josh Schnitzler, Water Resources Coordinator for the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD).
Chemigation is the application of any chemical, fertilizer or pesticide through an irrigation system. To legally chemigate in Nebraska, an operator must be certified to apply chemicals and obtain a chemigation permit from their local Natural Resources District (NRD).
"Farmers holding chemigation permits, even if they are uncertain whether they will chemigate later this year, should consider renewing their permits by June 1," Schnitzler said. Schnitzler is encouraging area producers to reapply by the state-required deadline to avoid the increased cost and possible delays of an inspection.
An irrigation system that has not been renewed prior to the June 1 deadline cannot apply chemicals through the system until a new permit is obtained. Chemigation renewal permits cost $20. New chemigation permits cost $50, and the applicant cannot use the system until it passes a mandatory inspection. All permits must be submitted to the LENRD office at 1508 Square Turn Boulevard in Norfolk.
By renewing a permit by June 1, a producer may proceed with chemigation. An inspection does not have to be performed prior to chemigation for a renewal application, Schnitzler said. However, a random chemigation inspection may be necessary later in the season as part of the LENRD's routine summer inspections as required by state law.
Applicants must have the signature of a certified applicator on their application form. Schnitzler stated, “In order to be certified, a person must complete a chemigation safety course and pass an exam once every four years.”
If chemigating is necessary, on short notice, emergency permits can be obtained at a cost of $250. Please allow 2 working days for emergency permits.
Approximately 2,103 chemigation permits were approved by the LENRD in 2022. For more information on renewing or obtaining chemigation permits, call the LENRD office in Norfolk at 402-371-7313 or visit http://www.lenrd.org/chemigation.
Supporting NE National Guard with beef jerky from Omaha Steaks
What’s a delicious way to support Nebraska National Guard troops stationed overseas? With beef from Nebraska, of course!
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) asked the Nebraska National Guard for ideas on how to show support for deployed Nebraska National Guard Troops stationed overseas. Sending beef jerky from Nebraska sounded like a good idea to remind Nebraskans overseas that Nebraska is the beef state for many reasons.
When NDA approached Omaha Steaks with the idea, the company, with a long and proud history, stepped up. Omaha Steaks donated 320 packages of their beef jerky, a quality, delicious and popular product that’s rooted in the heartland.
The beef jerky was delivered recently to the Nebraska National Guard. Guard members will include beef jerky on flights carrying supplies to our deployed Nebraska National Guard Troops throughout the world.
This is a small way to show our support to the Nebraska National Guard and to thank them for their service.
Fertilizer-nitrogen Injury to Corn
Javed Iqbal - Extension Nutrient Management and Water Quality Specialist
Laila Puntel - Extension Soil Fertility and Precision Ag Specialist
There have been some reports of corn seedling burn with anhydrous ammonia application in the state. This injury is more likely in areas with limited rainfall after fall or spring anhydrous application, as some parts of the state have received less rainfall than others. Here we suggest some practices to minimize crop injuries.
Causes of Crop Injury
The crop injuries are of three types: ammonia gas injury from applying anhydrous ammonia, very high soil pH following anhydrous ammonia application, and salt damage (Figure 2). Ammonia gas injury is a concern when the germinating or emerging crop is in place during anhydrous ammonia application. Germinating seeds may be damaged or even killed when the band is within four to six inches of the row, depending on the soil sand content and the application rate. If the injection band is shallow and not well covered, especially with dry soil, sufficient ammonia escape can occur to damage plants. Plants may also be damaged if ammonia flow occurs when the applicator is raised from the soil such as at row ends.
Very high and potentially damaging soil pH occurs following anhydrous ammonia application. The ammonia (NH3) quickly reacts with soil water (H2O) to produce ammonium (NH4+). The NH4+ reacts with the negative charge of soil to minimize loss to volatilization and to have low leaching potential. However, the reaction of NH3 with H2O to produce NH4+ results in the release of hydroxyl ions (OH-) and a great increase in soil pH around the anhydrous band. The high soil pH can be damaging to nearby germinating seeds and roots.
The salt effect resulting from band application of fertilizer-N and other nutrients may be of greatest concern. This is addressed in more detail in NebGuide G361 on starter fertilizers. Band application of fertilizer-N results in high concentration of NH4+ plus nitrate (NO3-) with NO3- increasing with nitrification of NH4+. The NH4+ and NO3- react with other ions in soil solution to raise the salt concentration, commonly measured as electrical conductivity (EC). The high salt concentration can be damaging if the fertilizer band is too near the seed and roots of growing plants. The high salt effect is relatively more persistent while the risk of ammonia gas injury is very short and the high pH effect is of intermediate duration.
Crop Symptoms
Typically, roots experiencing excessive concentrations of salts or ammonia will have root tips which are blunted and brown or black. The plants will often be stunted and may have leaves that are purple or reddish-tinted.
How to Minimize the Injury
The salts could be dispersed with rainfall and irrigation. If plants continue to show symptoms of salt damage, irrigate with an inch or two of water if possible. However, the best solution is to avoid creating the potential for damage in the future by keeping fertilizer-N injection bands, other than low-rate starter bands, several inches away from the seedling.
Nebraska Ethanol Board June 9 board meeting to be held in Lincoln
The Nebraska Ethanol Board will meet in Lincoln at 12 p.m. Friday, June 9. The meeting will be at Hyatt Place (600 Q Street) in meeting room one. Highlights of the agenda include:
Budget Report & Budget Planning Fiscal Year 2023-24
Economic Impact Study Update
Fuel Retailer Update
Nebraska Corn Board Update
Renewable Fuels Nebraska Update
Technical & Research Updates
Marketing Programs
State and Federal Legislation
Ethanol Plant Reports
This agenda contains all items to come before the Board except those items of an emergency nature. Nebraska Ethanol Board meetings are open to the public and also published on the public calendar.
The Nebraska Ethanol Board works to ensure strong public policy and consumer support for biofuels. Since 1971, the independent state agency has designed and managed programs to expand production, market access, worker safety and technology innovation, including recruitment of producers interested in developing conventional ethanol, as well as bio-products from the ethanol platform. For more information, visit www.ethanol.nebraska.gov.
Cash Rents Reach New High in Iowa, Survey Shows
Average cash rents in Iowa are the highest on record, according to the Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2023 Survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
The survey shows an increase of 9% in 2023, for a state average of $279 per acre. The new record is 3.3% higher than the previous record set in 2013, when rent was $270 per acre. The increase in rent since 2013 compares to a 2.8% increase in the non-inflation adjusted price of corn, and a 4.4% decrease in the price of soybeans.
Results of the survey are summarized in the May edition of Ag Decision Maker, in an article written by Alejandro Plastina, associate professor in economics and extension economist with ISU Extension and Outreach.
The survey is based on 1,306 usable responses about typical cash rental rates in Iowa counties for land producing corn and soybeans, hay, oats and pasture. Of the responses, 42% came from farmers, 37% from landowners, 9% from professional farm managers and realtors, 7% from agricultural lenders, and 5% from other professions and respondents who chose not to report their status.
Across the state
There was considerable variability across counties in year-to-year changes, as is typical of survey data, but 91 out of the 99 Iowa counties experienced increases in average rents for corn and soybeans. Only Des Moines, Jefferson, Lucas, Muscatine, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren and Woodbury counties saw declines in their overall average cash rents. The complete 2023 summary by county, along with surveys from previous years, can be accessed on Ag Decision Maker.
Average cash rents increased proportionally more for higher quality lands. Low quality land experienced a 6% increase, from $217 per acre in 2022 to $230 in 2023.
Medium quality land saw an 8.6% increase, from $255 per acre in 2022 to $277 in 2023. High quality land saw an 11.1% increase, from $297 per acre in 2022 to $330 in 2023. Corn and soybean yields are provided as a baseline for determining high, medium and low quality acres. These yields, along with five-year average yields for corn and soybeans, are included with the survey results.
Plastina says that survey information can serve as a reference point for negotiating an appropriate rental rate for next year. However, he reminds Iowans that rents for individual farms should be based on productivity, ease of farming, fertility, drainage, local price patterns, longevity of the lease, conservation practices and other factors.
Future projections
Although rents are at a record high, Plastina notes that farm income projections are expected to decline over the next couple of years, putting downward pressure on cash rents.
However, he says landowners who rent their land will also continue to evaluate their own investment, including their rate of return, cost to maintain their land and the conditions surrounding the farmland market.
Additional resources
Additional resources available for estimating cash rents include the Ag Decision Maker files “Computing a Cropland Cash Rental Rate (C2-20),” “Computing a Pasture Rental Rate (C2-23)” and “Flexible Farm Lease Agreements (C2-21).”
These fact sheets and more are on the Ag Decision Maker Leasing web page and include decision tools (electronic spreadsheets) to help analyze individual leasing situations.
Farm management field specialists can help with general questions about leasing. Also, an online tool is available to visualize the cash rents by land quality in each county by year, and compare trends in cash rents for a county versus its Crop Reporting District and the state average.
In July and August, ISU Extension and Outreach will hold Farmland Leasing and Management Workshops, with additional opportunities to learn more on leasing trends and topics impacting farmland owners and tenants. The Ag Decision Maker events page will post details as the workshop dates approach.
USDA Invests $8 Million in Four Partnerships to Expand Measurement and Monitoring of Soil Carbon on Working Agricultural Lands as Part of Investing in America Agenda
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $8 million in four partnerships to support and expand measurement and monitoring of carbon in soil on working agricultural lands and to assess how climate-smart practices are affecting carbon sequestration. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will work with Iowa State University, Michigan State University, American Climate Partners and University of Texas at El Paso on regional projects on soil organic carbon stock monitoring.
The selected partners will support implementation of a new Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activity (CEMA) offered by NRCS, which provides financial assistance to producers for measuring soil organic carbon stocks before and after the implementation of a conservation practice or conservation plan. A qualified individual will use a hydraulic probe or excavation method to sample soil to one meter depth or restrictive layer. The soil will then be tested for organic carbon and bulk density to provide organic carbon stock levels to farmers and ranchers. These partners will play a critical role in training individuals on the sampling methodology and informing producers about the CEMA opportunity.
“Healthy soils are a powerful tool when it comes to sequestering carbon. These partners will enhance our measurement tools and eventually become part of our program delivery to advance quantification of the effects that climate-smart agricultural practices have on carbon sequestration,” NRCS Chief Terry Cosby said. “Soil health management practices and activities are a tremendous part of our strategy when it comes to climate-smart agriculture and forestry.”
NRCS is funding four regional agreements:
Iowa State University of Science and Technology – Know Your Carbon Landscape: Data for Consistent Monitoring of Soil Carbon: This $1.99 million four-year project in NRCS’ Central Region will be conducted by an eclectic team of university educators, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers and stakeholders who will design materials and deliver training on NRCS’s Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Stock Measurement standards and the benefits of monitoring SOC stocks using a three-prong approach: website, printed materials and field demonstration sites.
Michigan State University – Soil Carbon IDEA: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access in highly diverse cropping systems and people in the Northeast U.S.: The objective of this $1.95 million four-year project in NRCS’ Northeast Region is to develop comprehensive training in SOC evaluation for diverse groups of farmers, agronomists and agribusiness professionals. The training will include field-days, bulletins, videos, a podcast and a film documentary.
American Climate Partners – Southeast Region Deep Soil Carbon Stock Partnership and Monitoring Project: This $2 million four-year project in NRCS’ Southeast Region will support and increase soil carbon stock monitoring through a public-private partnership between American Climate Partners, land-grant universities and their extension services, Carter Farms, LLC in Orange County Virginia and other organizations providing technical assistance to historically underserved communities. The goal of the project is to train producers on how to assess and monitor the effects of climate-smart practices on soil carbon sequestration and on the benefits of these practices.
University of Texas at El Paso – Dynamic Carbon SMART (Soil Monitoring, Assessment, Research, and Training) Project: This $2 million, four-year project in NRCS’ Western Region will train producers to quantify soil carbon stocks and assess the efficacy of climate-smart conservation practices. The project will facilitate regional capacity-building by recruiting and training local technical service providers and qualified individuals who can effectively recruit underserved producers to participate in NRCS financial and technical assistance for Soil Organic Carbon Stock Monitoring.
All the selected projects include a strategy to reach equity in program delivery in underserved communities by encouraging diverse producers to participate in soil carbon monitoring and other NRCS conservation activities. Project partners will deliver training on soil sampling for soil organic carbon and bulk density, data collection, management and processing methods, and conduct outreach to producers to encourage use of NRCS’ soil carbon monitoring activity.
NPPC Applauds USDA Pork Purchase
This week, USDA confirmed plans for a Section 32 purchase of $50.1 million of pork for distribution to various food nutrition and assistant programs. Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make commodity purchases, entitlement purchases, and disaster assistance using funds appropriated annually from U.S. customs receipts.
The U.S. pork industry faces a challenging market environment resulting in the worst five months of average losses in 20 years. The current decline in producer profitability results from steady to slightly higher hog supplies combined with weaker wholesale pork demand, resulting in lower year-over-year hog prices that are being met with record-high production costs.
This combination of impacts has resulted in more than $1.4 billion in industry losses over the last five months, calculated as the average per-head loss multiplied by the number of hogs slaughtered from November 2022 through March 2023.
An Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Section 32 pork purchase can provide much-needed support to the wholesale pork market, and, therefore, the hog market, while also securing affordable, nutritious pork products for USDA recipient programs.
The National Pork Producers Council applauds USDA’s purchase and looks forward to continuing to work with the administration to identify additional opportunities to find support for U.S. pork producers during these challenging market conditions.
NPPC Wants Kenya to Eliminate Restrictions on U.S. Pork
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released text summaries proposed by the U.S. during the first round of the U.S.-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) negotiations held last month in Nairobi, Kenya. The initiative’s goal is to “increase investment; promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth; benefit workers, consumers and businesses; and support African regional economic integration.”
The STIP’s draft text on agriculture seeks to increase transparency and regulatory certainty for exporters and importers and includes provisions on food safety, plant health and animal health protection. It also covers science-based decision-making to protect human, plant and animal life and health; improve processes and promote cooperation on regulatory and administrative requirements; and facilitate agricultural trade, with provisions related to import licensing, certification requirements and equivalency to ensure that requirements for importation are clearly communicated to agricultural producers.
With a population of about 50 million, an expanding middle class and relatively strong tourism-driven demand from its hotel, restaurant and institutional food service sectors, Kenya has the potential to be a significant export market for U.S. pork products. Currently, though, it has tariff and non-tariff barriers that limit U.S. pork imports.
Clean Fuels Welcomes Final Determination in “Sunset” Review of Duties on Biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia
Today, Clean Fuels Alliance America welcomed the final determination of the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) in its five-year (“sunset”) review of anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia. The USITC found that revocation of the existing orders would likely lead to material injury to U.S. producers through unfair trade practices.
The U.S. Department of Commerce first finalized the orders in 2018, following a lengthy review. Per U.S. law, Commerce initiated a required five-year review in March 2022. Clean Fuels’ Fair Trade Coalition fully engaged in the process and filed substantive responses during the review. On March 29, 2023, Commerce concluded its review, finding that revocation of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of subsidies and dumping.
“Clean Fuels’ Fair Trade Coalition fought hard to protect domestic biodiesel producers from the potential resumption of unfair trade practices,” stated Kurt Kovarik, Vice President of Federal Affairs with Clean Fuels. “Our members have made significant investments to meet growing demand for better, cleaner fuels. We appreciate Commerce and the International Trade Commission carefully reviewing the information provided by the Fair Trade Coalition and preserving trade remedies that have been vitally important to our biodiesel industry.”
USDA Extends Application Deadline for Revenue Loss Programs to July 14
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline for the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase Two and Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP) to July 14, 2023, to give producers more time to apply for assistance. The original deadline was June 2.
Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is partnering with nine organizations to provide educational and technical assistance to agricultural producers and provide assistance in completing an ERP Phase Two application. The extended deadline will give producers more time to work with these partner organizations and apply for assistance.
“Farm Service Agency recognizes that there is a learning curve for producers applying for our new revenue-based programs and we want to make sure producers have the time they need to apply for assistance,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Partnering with these organizations through cooperative agreements provides additional educational and technical assistance to producers who may need help with the Emergency Relief Program Phase Two application process. The deadline extension gives producers more time to locate and work with these organizations to complete their program application.”
PARP Application Assistance
USDA will host a webinar that focus on completing the PARP application form on June 8, 2023 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern with members of the National Farm Income Tax Extension Committee. Register here https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_eBiWrnhXQhyveSyz85BzqQ.
Eligibility
To be eligible for ERP Phase Two, producers must have suffered a decrease in allowable gross revenue in 2020 or 2021 due to necessary expenses related to losses of eligible crops from a qualifying natural disaster event. Assistance will be primarily to producers of crops that were not covered by Federal Crop Insurance or NAP, since crops covered by Federal Crop Insurance and NAP were included in the assistance under ERP Phase One.
To be eligible for PARP, an agricultural producer must have been in the business of farming during at least part of the 2020 calendar year and had a 15% or greater decrease in allowable gross revenue for the 2020 calendar year, as compared to a baseline year.
FSA offers an online ERP tool and PARP tool that can help producers determine what is considered allowable gross revenue for each respective program.
Producers should contact their local FSA office to make an appointment to apply for ERP Phase Two and PARP assistance. Producers should also keep in mind that July 15 is a major deadline to complete acreage reports for most crops. FSA encourages producers to complete the ERP Phase Two application, PARP application and acreage reporting during the same office visit.
More Information
For more information, contact your local USDA Service Center.
No comments:
Post a Comment