Monday May 15 Crop Progress + Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending May 14, 2023, there were 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 15% very short, 31% short, 50% adequate, and 4% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 33% very short, 39% short, 26% adequate, and 2% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn planted was 76%, ahead of 59% last year and 71% for the five-year average. Emerged was 32%, ahead of 17% last year and 26% average.

Soybeans planted was 62%, well ahead of 42% last year, and ahead of 49% average. Emerged was 18%, ahead of 7% last year and 10% average.

Winter wheat condition rated 17% very poor, 32% poor, 34% fair, 16% good, and 1% excellent. Winter wheat headed was 2%, behind 9% last year, and near 5% average.

Sorghum planted was 10%, ahead of 4% last year, but near 14% average.

Oats condition rated 12% very poor, 25% poor, 35% fair, 27% good, and 1% excellent. Oats planted was 95%, near 93% last year and 91% average. Emerged was 86%, ahead of 71% last year and 72% average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 26% very poor, 31% poor, 32% fair, 10% good, and 1% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

Warm, but wet, weather meant Iowa farmers had just 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 14, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. The warmth helped crop emergence this week; however, the wet conditions marginally slowed planting progress. Farmers were still planting corn, soybeans, and oats during the dry periods of the week. Other reports of interest were concerns for isolated flooding and for a swath of large hail across the central portion of the State.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 14 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 6 percent very short, 23 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.

Eighty-six percent of Iowa’s expected corn crop has been planted, 8 days ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of the 5-year average. Thirty-five percent of the corn crop has emerged, 6 days ahead of last year and 2 days ahead of the average.

One-fifth of Iowa’s expected soybean crop was planted during the week ending May 14, 2023, for a total of 69 percent planted, just over a week ahead of both last year and the average. Nineteen percent of soybeans have emerged, 9 days ahead of last year and 5 days ahead of normal.

Nearly all the oat crop has been planted with 83 percent emerged, 9 days ahead of last year and 5 days ahead of the average. The first oat condition rating of the season was 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 20 percent fair, 64 percent good and 13 percent excellent.

Hay condition improved to 72 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition jumped to 53 percent good to excellent. Reports of livestock turned out to pasture and grazing were received.



USDA Crop Progress Report: Corn, Soybean Planting Slows, But Still Ahead of Average Pace

The pace of corn and soybean planting slowed somewhat last week due to periods of rain across parts of the country, but overall, planting progress for both crops remains ahead of average, with soybean planting still ahead by double digits, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress Report on Monday.

CORN
-- Planting progress: Following a 23-point jump the previous week, corn planting moved ahead at a slower pace of 16 percentage points last week to reach 65% as of Sunday, May 14. That's still 20 percentage points ahead of last year's 45% and 6 points ahead of the five-year average of 59%.
-- Crop progress: 30% of corn had emerged as of Sunday, up 18 percentage points from the previous week and now 5 percentage point ahead of the average of 25%.

SOYBEANS
-- Planting progress: The pace of soybean planting also slowed slightly last week, moving ahead 14 percentage points compared to 16 points the previous week to reach 49% as of Sunday. That is 22 percentage points ahead of last year's 27% and 13 points ahead of the five-year average of 36%.
-- Crop progress: 20% of soybeans were emerged as of Sunday, 12 percentage points ahead of last year's 8% and 9 points ahead of the average of 11%.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Crop development: 49% of winter wheat was headed nationwide as of Sunday, up 11 percentage points from the previous week and now just 1 percentage point ahead of the five-year average of 48%.
-- Crop condition: Nationwide, winter wheat was rated 29% good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week and now slightly ahead of last year's rating at the same time of 27% good to excellent. USDA also said 41% of the crop was rated poor to very poor, down 3 percentage points from last week and even with a year ago.

SPRING WHEAT
-- Planting progress: 40% of the spring wheat crop was planted as of Sunday, up 16 percentage points from the previous week but 17 percentage points behind the five-year average of 57%.
-- Crop progress: 13% of spring wheat was emerged as of Sunday, up 8 percentage points from the previous week and 10 percentage points behind the five-year average of 23%.



Senator Fischer Leads Series of Ag Visits, Discusses Farm Bill Priorities with Family Farmers & Ranchers

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, led a series of roundtable discussions with family farmers and ranchers on Friday to discuss priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill. Senator Fischer also visited with stakeholders at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) facility about their efforts to further cutting-edge precision ag technologies. Senator Fischer hosted U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.), the Senate Agriculture Committee’s top Republican, in joining the group.

“I was happy to host Senator Boozman here in Nebraska as we visited with our farmers and ranchers, as well as ag researchers, to talk about priorities for this year’s Farm Bill. This critical legislation impacts nearly every aspect of our nation’s ag policies for the next five years, and it’s critical that we get it right. That includes preserving important safety nets like crop insurance, improving access to precision ag technologies, and cutting red tape on disaster relief.

“I want to thank Senator Boozman for traveling the state with me, and I look forward to working with him to ensure the needs of Nebraska producers are met as they work to feed and fuel the world,” said Senator Fischer.

Senator Fischer first spoke with farmers in the Valley, Nebraska, area about programs important to Nebraska producers in this Farm Bill like crop insurance. The group discussed how extreme federal and state regulations, like California’s Prop 12, will harm producers and their ability to feed the world. The roundtable also touched on the critical role trade policy plays in Nebraska’s agricultural economy, and the crushing impact inflation is having on input costs and access to credit.

Senators Fischer and Boozman, along with U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), joined a roundtable with stakeholders at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) facility. At the roundtable, researchers talked about their efforts to collaborate with producers and make Nebraska a national leader in precision ag technologies, including the utilization of advanced irrigation techniques to reduce water usage and exciting advancements in sensor-based fertigation management research to boost efficiency and profitability. After the roundtable, the Senators toured ENREEC’s demonstration fields.

Senators Fischer and Boozman visited Mead Cattle Company to tour the company’s feed lots and talk with a group of cattle producers about their operations and key Farm Bill initiatives. On the tour, Senator Fischer emphasized that farmers and ranchers are great stewards of their land and highlighted the need to demonstrate the positive work Nebraska producers are doing every day to feed and fuel the world.



GENE-EDITED CALF MAY REDUCE RELIANCE ON ANTIMICROBIALS AGAINST CATTLE DISEASE

Cattle worldwide face major health threats from a highly infectious viral disease that decades of vaccinations and other precautions have failed to contain. Federal, private-sector and Husker scientists are collaborating on a new line of defense, by producing a gene-edited calf resistant to the virus.

If follow-up research confirms its efficacy, the gene-editing approach offers long-term potential to reduce antimicrobial and antibiotic use in the cattle industry.

The bovine viral diarrhea virus devastates the bovine immune system and can cause severe respiratory and intestinal harm to infected beef and dairy cattle, said veterinary epidemiologist Brian Vander Ley, an associate professor in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

In utero calves are especially vulnerable to infection. If they survive, they can remain infected for life, repeatedly spreading the virus to other cattle.

“They show up as normal cattle but really, they’re shedding a tremendous amount of virus. They’re the ‘Typhoid Marys’ of BVDV spread,” said Vander Ley, assistant director of UNL’s Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center in Clay Center.

The cattle industry has vaccinated against the disease since the 1960s, but “the highly mutable nature of BVDV and the emergence of highly virulent strains of BVDV contribute to limited success of present control programs,” the Academy of Veterinary Consultants has stated.

Scientists identified the specific genetic structure associated with the disease earlier this century. A collaborative project involving scientists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and Acceligen, a Minnesota-based private company, used gene editing to change the small number of amino acids that lead to BVDV vulnerability, while keeping the rest of the protein, CD46, unchanged.

“Our objective was to use gene-editing technology to slightly alter CD46 so it wouldn't bind the virus yet would retain all its normal bovine functions,” said Aspen Workman, a scientist with ARS’ U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska.

A gene-edited calf, named Ginger, was born on July 19, 2021, and transported to UNL a week later for close monitoring by Vander Ley. Throughout, Ginger has remained a “bright, healthy calf,” normal both physically and behaviorally, which included a week with a BVDV-infected dairy calf that was shedding the virus in great volume.

The research findings were published online May 9 by the PNAS Nexus open-access journal, a sibling publication to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Workman is lead author.

Ginger is a Gir, a tropically adapted cattle breed used to develop Brahman cattle in North America. Follow-up research will require experimental replication in other cattle breeds. Ginger also will be monitored through pregnancy, if it occurs.

If the gene-editing approach proves viable, it could potentially reduce the cattle sector’s use of antimicrobials, Vander Ley said.

“The most successful version of the future that I can see is one where we don't have to deal with antimicrobial resistance because we just don't use that many antimicrobials,” he said. “That's better for everyone. That means that we have eliminated the cause of a lot of the antimicrobial use and we've eliminated that expense for livestock producers.”

Michael Heaton, a USMARC researcher for the BVDV project, concurred. This line of research “represents another opportunity to lessen the need for antibiotics in agriculture,” he said.

In addition to Vander Ley, Workman and Heaton, other study coauthors are Erin E. Jobman, Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center; Gregory P. Harhay, USMARC; private-sector scientists Tad S. Sonstegard, Dennis A. Webster, Luke Sherry, Sabreena Larson, Daniel F. Carlson and Jonathan Bostrom; and Theodore S. Kalbfleisch with the University of Kentucky.



Sizing and Siting a Shade Structure
Rick Stowell, NE Extension Specialist in Animal Environment

With winter reluctantly fading in the rear-view mirror, those hot days of late spring and summer are not very far off for cattle operations here in the Central Plains.  It’s certainly not too soon to take another look at the role that shade can play in limiting heat stress in cattle.  Consider the recently published findings of two studies overseen by Dr. Terry Mader (now retired UNL feedlot environment extension specialist).  In one study, out of four potential measures, the temperature-humidity index adjusted by solar radiation and wind speed (THIadj) and THI estimated using pen surface temperature (THIPST) proved to be practical tools for predicting animal wellbeing. 

The other study highlighted that pen surface temperature can be used to predict daily water intake and tympanic temperature in feedlot steers. For animals in confined settings, shade helps to reduce both the direct solar heat load that cattle experience [when they are under the shade] as well as the indirect solar load [when they return to a shaded area instead of an area where the pen surface has been heated by the sun].  This article addresses two early aspects of planning for shade: how much shade to provide and how to situate shade within an open pen.

Sizing 
The amount of shade provided should optimize the anticipated benefits against the expected costs.  Typically, the recommended amount of shade to provide is based upon the head of feeder cattle in a feedlot pen.  Since not all situations on cattle operations fit neatly in the same category, some discussion is provided across a range of situations that might exist.

15 ft2/hd:  Minimum size for temporary need
Holding pens and some handling areas will typically be stocked at around 15 sq. ft. per head of adult animal capacity.  In these situations, a lot of body heat is being generated in a comparatively small space and the animals may be under other stresses related to handling.  Provision of shade helps reduce their overall heat load.  When such an area is used extensively, it often pays to have a permanent roof or shade structure in place.

In normal pen settings, however, where voluntary access to shade is offered, this low-cost size of shade (15 ft2/hd) may prove inadequate even though, in theory, all the cattle in a pen could fit under the shade.  In practice, lack of space to move around within the shaded area and presence of dominant animals likely will result in some cattle being denied access to shade while others get trapped inside the crowd [with less access to fresh air and water].  The animals most likely to be denied access to or from the shaded space are often also those with greater needs (lameness, lingering respiratory issues, early stages of heat stress, etc.).  Therefore, 15 ft2/hd of shade is suggested only for temporary settings or emergency situations.

20-25 ft2/hd: Common size for voluntary use within a feedlot pen
To allow cattle desired access to and from the shaded area, provision of at least 20 sq. ft. of shade per head is recommended.  Anecdotally, this appears to be the most specified size and utilized range being implemented in Nebraska feedyards.  As reference, this space allowance aligns with that provided in most slatted-floor beef barns.  When cattle approach market weight, there is just enough room for animals to maneuver within the space (or lie down) without being able to see much of the pen floor.

25-30 ft2/hd: Suggested size for high-risk feedlot cattle
In terms of heat stress, ‘high-risk cattle’ includes not only those animals having underlying health issues or experienced other forms of stress, but also those cattle that are above traditional market weight, especially if they are dark-hided and/or fed a hot ration.  It can be unsettling to consider that otherwise healthy cattle are most susceptible to heat stress just before being marketed, after most of their production costs have been incurred.  The risk of cattle death loss to heat stress is probably the main driver now for installing shade and is expected to become even more of a concern if finish weights continue to increase and weather extremes trend toward being more severe.  Provision of more shade in pens having high-risk cattle will help accommodate their additional needs and reduce the risk of death losses, which can help justify the expense.

35+ ft2/hd: Special situations
As shades are made larger, structural and logistical issues also grow, which reduces the cost-competitiveness of providing more-spacious amounts of shade in most outdoor settings.  Special needs areas, such as sick pens, maternity pens in a confined-cow operation, and some limited space for new cow-calf pairs where summer calving occurs might be examples of where more shade could be justified.  In a building, 100 sq. ft. or more of pen space per head would be needed for these animals, so providing a third to half that amount of shade in an outdoor setting could still be a cost-effective way to accommodate smaller numbers of animals resting comfortably under shade.

Otherwise, it becomes challenging to justify providing large amounts of shade, especially when compared to confinement buildings that can capture other benefits for managing animals and manure.

Siting
How to situate shade within an outdoor pen depends on several factors, with primary considerations being pen layout, drainage, and orientation. 

Pen layout: As a priority, the shade structure or structures needs to function with, not against, the pen design when it comes to animals being able and encouraged to move freely between water, feeding and resting areas.  While cattle will often prefer to stand (rather than lie down) under shade during hot weather, the shade still needs to accommodate the well-being of resting cattle, so shade should be prioritized for the resting area.

For the typical rectangular pen and a rectangular shade, the long dimension of the shade should align with or parallel to pen dividing fences.  For circular or square shade, this is less of a consideration.  Since mounds are utilized in many open pens for all-weather rest areas, and the pen layout considerations are similar, shades frequently are placed over the mounds.

Pen drainage:  Proper pen design builds drainage into the layout.  In a lot of real situations, though, the existing site or layout presents potential challenges to maintaining good drainage, and adding shade to a pen can exacerbate the risk.  The key thing to keep in mind is that shaded areas will likely experience concentrated animal density, which can lead to erosion and formation of ridges around the perimeter of the shaded area.  As much as possible, locate the shade structure to encourage runoff to flow away from and around the shaded area.

Orientation:  The orientation of a shade structure makes a difference, although ensuring properly functioning pen layout and drainage are usually greater priorities.  When shade is oriented east-west, the area below the shade material is shaded for a longer portion of the day.  Benefits of an E-W orientation include cattle can usually find shade without moving as much, and there may be better exposure to summertime breezes (assuming southerly prevailing winds).  The main disadvantage is that the area under the shade material is more likely to develop into a mudhole.  For these reasons, an E-W orientation is preferred for cattle barns and other situations where animals are confined to the area below the roof and this area has a concrete floor.  When a shade structure is oriented north-south, the shadow will move from west to east over the course of the daylight hours and cattle will need to move periodically to stay in shade.  As a result, foot traffic and manure will be dispersed across the pen, and the entire pen will have some exposure to sunlight, which should help slow down mud development.  In an open dirt lot, a N-S orientation is advantageous, other factors being equal.



USDA SEEKS FEEDBACK FROM PRODUCERS ABOUT 2023 CROPS, STOCKS, INVENTORIES, AND VALUES
 
During the next several weeks, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. The agency will contact producers across Nebraska to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June 1, 2023.

“The June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey are two of the most important and well known surveys NASS conducts,” explained NASS’ Northern Plains Regional Director, Nicholas Streff. “When producers respond to these surveys, they provide essential information that helps determine the expected acreage and supply of major commodities in the United States for the 2023 crop year. The results are used by farmers and ranchers, USDA, businesses, exporters, researchers, economists, policymakers, and others who use the survey information in making a wide range of decisions that benefit the producer.”

Producers can respond to the June Agricultural Survey online at agcounts.usda.gov, by phone, or mail. They will be asked to provide information on planted and harvested acreage, including acreage for biotech crops, and grain stocks. For the June Area Survey, agency representatives will conduct interviews with farm and ranch operators in randomly selected segments of land. Producers will be asked to provide information on crop acreage, grain stocks, livestock inventory, land values, and value of sales.

“NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents by keeping individual information confidential and publishing the data in aggregate form only. This ensures that no operation or producer can be identified,” said Streff. “We recognize this is a hectic time for farmers, but the information they provide is vital in support and promotion of U.S. agriculture. I urge them to respond to these surveys and thank them for their cooperation.”

NASS will analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Acreage and quarterly Grain Stocks reports, to be released June 30, 2023. The survey data also contribute to NASS’ monthly and annual Crop Production reports, the annual Small Grains Summary, annual Farms and Land in Farms and Land Values reports, various livestock reports, including Cattle, Sheep and Goats, and Hogs and Pigs, and USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.

These and all NASS reports are available at nass.usda.gov/Publications/. For more information, call the NASS Nebraska Field Office at 800-582-6443.




Ricketts Introduces Resolution Announcing Renewable Fuels Month

U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a longtime champion of biofuels, led the introduction of a bipartisan resolution to designate May 2023 as Renewable Fuels Month in America.

“Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel are a win for Nebraska and a win for America,” said Senator Ricketts. “This resolution will recognize the essential role that renewable fuels play in lowering fuel prices for consumers, reducing carbon impacts, supporting rural communities, and lessening reliance on foreign adversaries. I want to thank this bipartisan group of colleagues for their support and call on all Americans to continue choosing renewable fuels.”

Additional co-sponsors of the bill include U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley, (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Mike Rounds (R-SD), and John Thune (R-SD).



NCGA Supports New Legislation that Would Level the Playing Field for Ethanol

Legislation was introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives that would remove an outdated provision from the Renewable Fuels Standard that prevents corn ethanol from being categorized as an advanced biofuel. The legislation recognizes the progress made in cutting the carbon intensity of ethanol since the RFS was enacted.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and original cosponsors Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) and Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), would also require that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency use the more modern and accurate Argonne GREET model to assess the carbon reductions from biofuels under the RFS.

The National Corn Growers Association supports the legislation.

“We applaud Rep. Miller-Meeks and the original cosponsors for introducing legislation that recognizes the declining carbon intensity of today’s low-carbon ethanol and helps level the playing field,” said NCGA President Tom Haag. “Farmers are proud to contribute to lowering ethanol’s carbon footprint through our production practices, and this bill would ensure EPA uses the most recent science and data to accurately measure the greenhouse gas reduction benefits of biofuels.”

Published analysis from the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory concludes corn ethanol’s carbon intensity decreased 23 percent from 2005 to 2019 due to increased corn yield, reduced fertilizer intensity and improved ethanol production efficiency, with corn ethanol now between 44 and 52 percent lower in carbon intensity than the gasoline it replaces. Argonne’s analysis is consistent with recent research from Environmental Health and Engineering, with contributors from Harvard and Tufts Universities, that corn ethanol today is 46 percent lower in carbon intensity than gasoline, with the potential for further reductions from additional corn feedstock and production process improvements.

Begun in 2005 and expanded in 2007, the RFS requires transportation fuel sold in the United States contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels. Under the law, advanced biofuels must deliver a 50 percent or more reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline, a requirement today’s ethanol is capable of meeting.



Growth Energy Applauds Introduction of Fuels Parity Act

Today, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor applauded the introduction of the Fuels Parity Act. This legislation would both allow ethanol from corn starch to qualify for an advanced (D5) RIN and require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adopt the Argonne National Laboratory Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model when conducting lifecycle analyses.

“This bipartisan bill would clear two of the biggest regulatory hurdles that keep the U.S. from unleashing the full carbon-reducing potential of corn ethanol," Skor said. "By both allowing corn starch ethanol to qualify for an advanced (D5) RIN and ensuring EPA uses the gold-standard GREET lifecycle analysis model, the Fuels Parity Act would put biofuels on the same regulatory footing as other fuels, giving them a better chance to compete in the market and more opportunities to decarbonize the transportation sector. We’re grateful to Representatives Miller-Meeks, Hunt, Bice, Budzinski, and Sorenson for introducing this legislation.”

Background
The Fuels Parity Act would allow ethanol from corn starch to qualify for an advanced (D5) RIN, eliminating the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) advanced biofuel corn starch prohibition. The bill would also require EPA to adopt the most recent Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation model (commonly referred to as the “GREET model”) developed by the Argonne National Laboratory.  



$800,000 in Grants Awarded from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) Board approved 15 project applications and 11 supplemental grant requests for a total of more than $800,000 during its quarterly board meeting on May 9. Twelve of the fifteen projects are for E15 infrastructure, three are biodiesel terminals, and the eleven previously funded ethanol projects received supplemental grants of $6,000 each.

The RFIP helps fuel retailers provide higher blends of lower cost Iowa grown biofuels to consumers by incentivizing the installation, replacement and conversion of ethanol and biodiesel dispensing and storage infrastructure. Incentives to upgrade biodiesel terminal and storage facilities are also available. While the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship manages the program, a board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Iowa Senate determines grant allocations on a quarterly basis.

“Consumers save money when they can fill their tanks with higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “By helping fuel retailers install this infrastructure, we are continually increasing the number of Iowa fueling stations where consumers can buy cleaner burning and more affordable homegrown biofuels.”

Counties with locations receiving one or more of the 15 project grants include the following: Story, Polk, Dallas, Linn, Sioux, Benton, Buena Vista, Crawford, Dickinson, Dubuque, Clinton, Howard, and Madison. The complete list of locations can be found here https://bit.ly/RFIFundGrants-May2023.

The supplemental grants were awarded to retailers that have added tanks and associated equipment, including dispensers, for dispensing E15 or higher ethanol blends at additional locations. To receive supplemental grants, retailers must be awarded multiple RFIP grants and complete their projects within one year of the original installation.

To date, $5,755,228 of funding for this fiscal year has been awarded to 119 biofuels infrastructure projects. The program also leverages significant private investment by the participating fuel retailers.

The Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Board will consider additional RFIP grant applications during its next quarterly meeting in July, and the deadline for accepting new applications for that meeting will be Friday, June 23 at 4:30pm. The RFIP grant application is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.

The breakdown of RFIP funding for this fiscal year, so far, is as follows:
    $270,000 to 6 E85 projects
    $3,738,320 to 76 E15 projects
    $1,250,000 to 26 Biodiesel projects
    $430,908 to 9 Biodiesel Terminal projects
    $66,000 to 11 ethanol projects as supplemental grants

Over the history of the program, the state has invested approximately $60 million while private industry has invested over $200 million. To learn more about the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program, visit the program’s webpage on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship's website.



Celebrate Dairy Month at Open House Events Across Iowa

Iowans of all ages will have the chance to experience modern dairy farming this June, as the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team celebrates dairy month across the state.

Three dairy open houses are planned, beginning with the Iowa State University Dairy Open House, June 2, at the university farm south of Ames.

Visitors here will learn about cow comfort, dairy production and sustainability, view a live milking parlor in action, and take a guided tour of the farm with campus and extension staff. Tours and dairy treats will be available from 7 a.m. until noon.

Milking holstein cows.On June 14, the Western Iowa Dairy Alliance and Hickory Hill Farms will welcome visitors to an on-farm dinner and tour of the Meissner family’s farm, located near Hospers. Participants will learn about the history and growth of this family farm, including the milking parlor and cow barns, from 4-8 p.m.

The Meissners started milking in the 1890s, in Sussex, Wisconsin. Today, Steve and Scott Meissner are milking 4,000 cows two times a day, in a double-32 parlor.

“We are excited to invite everyone to celebrate June dairy month with us by touring the farm and seeing where the dairy products they enjoy get their start,” said Steve Meissner. “Great-tasting dairy products start with healthy, comfortable cows, and we look forward to sharing how we care for animals and the land.”

Breakfast on the farm
On June 24, the public can enjoy Breakfast on the Farm, held from 8:30 a.m. until noon at Iowa’s Dairy Center in northeast Iowa, south of Calmar.

Organizers will serve a wholesome breakfast complete with Dad's Belgian Waffles, sausage and delicious dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream – all locally produced and processed. Visitors can take a guided tour of the farm and there will be activities for all ages, including hand-milking a cow, a petting zoo, story time with a local dairy princess, cow inflatables and educational exhibits.

“The open houses help give everyone a better understanding of the principles and practices we use on modern dairies, including animal wellbeing, environmental care and product quality and safety,” said Gail Carpenter, state dairy specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Dairy is the fifth largest agricultural business in Iowa, generating $5.6 billion a year in economic activity from farming to dairy processing, supplying 22,000 jobs with a labor income of $891 million. The annual economic impact of a single dairy cow is more than $25,400 per cow.

Event details
    June 2, Iowa State Dairy Farm Open House from 7 a.m. until noon, located at 52470 260th St., Ames.
    June 14, Hickory Hill Farms, 4-8 p.m, located at 4045 400th St., Hospers, Iowa.
    June 24, Breakfast on the Farm, at Iowa’s Dairy Center, 8:30 a.m. until noon, located at 1527 Highway 150 S., Calmar, Iowa. Breakfast on the Farm will be held rain or shine. Donations are accepted the day of the event and parking is available on-site.

For more information, contact Fred Hall in northwest Iowa at 712-737-4230 or fredhall@iastate.edu. In northeast Iowa, Jenn Bentley is available at 563-382-2949 or  jbentley@iastate.edu. Gail Carpenter can be reached at ajcarpen@iastate.edu.



BEEF CHECKOFF CALLS FOR ELIGIBLE BEEF INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS AS CONTRACTOR FUNDING CYCLE BEGINS

By law, the Beef Checkoff contracts with national, non-profit, beef industry-governed organizations to carry out promotion, research and education work directed in the Beef Promotion & Research Act and Order (click here to learn about areas eligible for funding).

The Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) invites all eligible beef industry organizations to submit funding requests for programs and projects for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins October 1, 2023. Requests must be in the form of an Authorization Request (AR).   

As outlined by the Beef Promotion and Research Order, eligible groups that may contract for the Beef Checkoff are established national nonprofit industry-governed organizations that:
    are nonprofit organizations pursuant to sections 501(c) (3), (5) or (6) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(c) (3), (5) and (6)); and
    are governed by a national board of directors representing the cattle or beef industry; and
    have been active and ongoing for at least two years.

Organizations must submit a first-round draft of an Authorization Request to the CBB by Friday, June 30, 2023. At the 2023 Summer Business Meeting in San Diego, California, July 24-26, organizations will have the opportunity to present their specific plans and funding requests to various Beef Checkoff program committees. This valuable process allows producers and importers to provide their input on Checkoff-funded programs, build programs free of redundancy, and achieve the strategies outlined in the Beef Industry Long Range Plan (LRP).

The number of Beef Checkoff contracting organizations changes from year to year, as does the available amount of funding, which is based on the annual Checkoff collection. In September 2022, the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) approved nine contractors to conduct Beef Checkoff work in the amount of $38.5 million for the 2023 fiscal year. If your qualified organization is interested in submitting an Authorization Request to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board for the 2024 fiscal year, contact Sara Arp, CBB Director of Operations, by Monday, May 22, 2023 at 303-220-9890 or sarp@beefboard.org.

The deadline for draft Authorization Requests is Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

Final ARs must be received by the CBB office by Monday, August 7, 2023, to be considered by the BPOC.

Learn more about the funding process and the Beef Checkoff at DrivingDemandforBeef.com.
Please note: Authorization Requests must specify estimated costs of all activities that will be conducted throughout the program, and expenses are reimbursed on a cost-recovery basis. Organizations are not provided funds in advance, but are reimbursed for actual, approved expenses already incurred (excluding project mark-ups/profits).



New ASA/WISHH Committee Members Highlight World Trade Month!

In conjunction with World Trade Month this May, the American Soybean Association has announced two new members have been appointed to its World Initiative for Soy in Human Health program committee. Soybean growers Heather Feuerstein of Belding, Michigan, and Daniel Adams of Eddyville, Kentucky, join WISHH in support of its work connecting trade and development through global food security. ASA also confirmed past WISHH Chair Gerry Hayden as an ex-officio member.

“U.S. farmers are true brand ambassadors for WISHH and U.S. soy abroad,” said ASA President Daryl Cates. “Adding two committee members who understand the role WISHH plays in diversifying soybean markets is tremendous. I fully expect Heather and Daniel will join Gerry as invaluable voices for WISHH moving forward.”

Feuerstein is part of a fourth-generation farming family and serves as president of the Michigan Soybean Association. She expressed a desire to work more closely with WISHH after having admired the work of the program while serving as an ASA director.

“U.S. agriculture feeds the world, and WISHH emphasizes this fact by bridging business and development with global food security,” said Feuerstein, who noted she was in part inspired to join WISHH because other soybean growers in her state have been active supporters. Feuerstein took interest after fellow Michigan farmer Doug Darling, who also serves on the WISHH committee, spoke to Latin American soy food business leaders about the sustainable ways U.S. farmers grow soy.

New appointee Adams is likewise eager to highlight the importance soybean trade plays to the U.S. economy and rural farmers. He and his wife, both of whom graduated from the ASA-Corteva Young Leaders program, quickly realized how trade works to diversify markets.

“I’m a first-generation farmer. I started with nothing,” said Adams. “The first year I put out a crop of soybeans, I got $11 a bushel and then the next year $8.70 a bushel. That experience makes me thankful for a program like WISHH that works to diversify the markets for U.S. soy.”

Adams first heard about WISHH from Hayden. “I didn’t know a lot about WISHH,” he explains. “After going to a few meetings, my eyes were opened to the scope of what the program does. From learning about trainings that teach food safety to hearing about the installation of new technology in places like Ghana and Cambodia, my head is still spinning. It is truly amazing.”

WISHH works in 28 countries, contributing to food and feed projects on three different continents. Both Feuerstein and Adams stress their appreciation of how WISHH’s work fuels U.S. soybean growers’ “eyes wide open” approach to exploring new markets for soy.



Should You Make an Early Fungicide Application?

An early fungicide application gives farmers another tool for safeguarding plant health and yield potential. “A fungicide application doesn’t add yield. It protects the yield potential that’s there,” explains LG Seeds Agronomist Jed Norman. “The goal is to make sure the corn plant doesn’t have a bad day. Applying an early-season fungicide at the V4 to V8 development stage extends your plant protection.”  

An early fungicide application isn’t a silver bullet, nor should it be viewed as a replacement for a fungicide application when the crop is tasseling. Norman emphasizes Midwest farmers will still likely get their biggest return on investment from an application when the crop is tasseling. But there are scenarios where an early-season fungicide application can pay off.   

Candidate fields for early-season fungicide
“Where I have seen an early fungicide application work the best is on continuous corn, especially in fields with a history of disease,” Norman says. In a similar vein, he notes Corn Belt areas with a history of heavier disease pressure may also benefit from an early-season treatment.  

 “It all comes down to the disease triangle,” he says, adding it depends on the weather and when diseases arrive.  

“Tar spot could have another aggressive year in Iowa if conditions are right,” Norman continues, noting some areas were hard hit last season. He points out tar spot takes advantage of stressed plants – whether that’s due to crown rot, northern corn leaf blight, hail damage or some other threat. Farmers looking to up their defenses might consider an early fungicide application, in addition to planting a diverse selection of tar spot-tolerant hybrids.  

Advantages of an early fungicide application
An early fungicide application can help crops get off on the right foot. “There’s a lot going on with corn at the V4 to V8 development stages,” Norman explains.  

The shorter stature of the crop at these stages also offers some advantages. “You can scout more efficiently when corn is waist high or shorter,” Norman observes. “Another thing farmers like about an early fungicide application is they can usually spray it themselves. That lends some cost efficiencies and gives them more control over the application itself.”  

Fungicide can be bundled with a nutrient pack or herbicide during an early application, allowing the farmer to apply several products in one trip.  

Get the most bang for your buck
If you opt for an early fungicide application, Norman says knowing field history and looking at prior year scouting notes can be helpful. Choosing products with multiple modes of action is also important for near-term effectiveness and preventing resistance issues down the road.  

When it comes to spraying, Norman says good coverage should be a priority. “Make sure you use adequate carrier volume, use nozzles that produce finer droplets, and make sure every square inch of the plant is covered.” He also warns farmers combining an early fungicide with other products like a surfactant or crop oil not to spray beyond the V8 stage.  

Norman says farmers should “follow the label and be prepared to adjust to whatever Mother Nature throws their way.”



What to Watch for with Early Season Soybeans

Early planted soybeans can have a few unique management challenges. Soils are often colder and wetter at planting, leading to increased potential for seedling diseases.

Diseases such as Pythium and Phytophthora, as well as pests such as seed corn maggot, wireworms and white grub, can reduce soybean stands if left unattended.

Seed corn maggots are often detected in early planted fields when cool, wet periods delay germination.

Wireworms are often found in manured fields or fields with sod in rotation. These pests bore into the germinating seed or the base of the seedling plant, killing or weakening it, and leaving it vulnerable to diseases.

Pathogens such as Pythium, Fusarium, Phytophthora and Rhizoctonia can lead to damping off – the rotting and death of seeds and seedlings. Damping off can affect soybean plants prior to or immediately after emergence. These pathogens generally favor wet soils following planting, putting early planted soybeans at risk.

“Pythium really likes soil temperatures around 52°F to 57°F,” said Emily Huber, Pioneer Field Agronomist. “As soil temperatures rise, Pythium could be a real problem around emergence.”

Rhizoctonia root and stem rot can also attack soybeans as the weather warms up. It is more common in wet soils when germination is slow or emergence is delayed.

Phytophthora is also associated with wet soil and commonly occurs on heavy, poorly drained or compacted soils. This disease is characterized by rapid decay, wilting and plant death.

Management of seed and seedling disease is best achieved through sound planting practices to minimize stress and the use of fungicide seed treatments. Adding an insecticide to the treatment can help prevent insect feeding that provides an entry port for disease infection.



John Deere debuts new 4075R Compact Utility Tractor and MY2024 upgrades for 3R- and 4-Series models

Offering premium power and versatility to its customers, John Deere debuts its 2024 model-year upgrades on its lineup of 3R- and 4-Series compact utility tractors. In addition, John Deere unveils its latest 4-Series model, the 4075R Compact Utility Tractor, equipped to tackle jobs for customers in the commercial snow removal and large-property owner markets. Highlighting increased reliability and technology readiness, the updated 4R-, 4M- and 3R-Series machines feature a variety of improvements to help elevate tractor performance and operator experience, especially in heavy-duty work applications.

“Our customers are always seeking solutions to help get the job done faster and with more ease. Our MY24 compact utility tractors are equipped with game-changing features to help do exactly that,” said Mark Davey, go-to-market manager, John Deere. “By taking our customer-trusted models, and elevating their comfort and performance features, we are setting our customers up for success year-round, even in the most challenging conditions.”
 
Built with heavy-duty applications in mind, the new 4075R Compact Utility Tractor boasts a 75-horsepower engine and heavy-duty front axle for ideal power and endurance on the job. Building on operator comfort and convenience, the 4075R, along with the full lineup of MY24 4R cab machines, boasts an electrohydraulic (EH) rear hitch control, promoting simplified operation for precise control and repeatability during rear-implement applications. To further elevate performance, packages designed specifically for snow application are available on the 4R cab models to help ensure optimum operation and performance in even the most severe winter weather conditions.
 
Adding to the full suite of trusted John Deere technology solutions, the latest 4-Series models provide an ideal operator experience with the inclusion of technology-ready capabilities, including integration into the already existing Tractor Plus application.
 
Keeping visibility in mind, all MY24 3R- and 4R-Series tractors, as well as heavy-duty 4M models, feature lighting enhancements, including LED headlights, LED work lights and an LED beacon light option for cab models. Also new for MY24, customers can benefit from elevated creature comforts, including Bluetooth Radio on the 3R- and 4R-Series cab models.