Monday May 8 Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending May 7, 2023, there were 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 26% very short, 40% short, 32% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 41% very short, 40% short, 17% adequate, and 2% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn planted was 56%, ahead of 37% last year and 51% for the five-year average. Emerged was 11%, ahead of 4% last year, and near 9% average.

Soybeans planted was 36%, ahead of 27% last year and 29% average. Emerged was 2%, near 1% last year, and equal to average.

Winter wheat condition rated 18% very poor, 33% poor, 37% fair, 12% good, and 0% excellent. Winter wheat headed was 1%, equal to average.

Sorghum planted was 6%, near 2% last year and 5% average.

Oats condition rated 10% very poor, 21% poor, 36% fair, 32% good, and 1% excellent. Oats planted was 90%, equal to last year, and near 86% average. Emerged was 65%, ahead of 60% last year and 58% average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 25% very poor, 43% poor, 30% fair, 2% good, and 0% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS REPORT

Mostly dry weather and warmer temperatures meant Iowa farmers had 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 7, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Conditions allowed farmers to make significant strides planting corn, soybeans, and oats.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 6 percent very short, 27 percent short, 64 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 8 percent very short, 33 percent short, 56 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.

Forty-one percent of Iowa’s expected corn crop was planted during the week ending May 7, 2023, resulting in 70 percent planted, 12 days ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of the 5-year average. Six percent of the corn crop has emerged, 6 days ahead of last year but a day behind average.

One-third of Iowa’s expected soybean crop was planted during the week ending May 7, 2023, for a total of 49 percent planted, 11 days ahead of last year and just over a week ahead of the average.

Ninety-six percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, just over 2 weeks ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of normal. Oat emergence, at 61 percent, moved from being behind normal a week ago to 9 days ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of the 5-year average.

The first hay condition rating of the season was 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 52 percent good and 10 percent excellent.

Pasture condition rated 43 percent good to excellent. Some cattlemen were still waiting for pastures to put on more growth before turning out their cattle.



USDA Crop Progress Report: About Half of US Corn Planted as of May 7

Corn and soybean planting heated up last week along with the weather, USDA NASS reported in its weekly Crop Progress Report on Monday. Almost half of the nation's corn crop was in the ground by the end of the week.

CORN
-- Planting progress: Corn planting sped up last week, moving ahead 23 percentage points to reach 49% as of Sunday, May 7. That is 28 percentage points ahead of last year's 21% and 7 points ahead of the five-year average of 42%.
-- Crop progress: 12% of corn had emerged as of Sunday, up 6 percentage points from the previous week and still just 1 percentage point ahead of the average of 11%.

SOYBEANS
-- Planting progress: Soybean planting moved ahead 16 percentage points last week to reach 35% as of Sunday, 24 percentage points ahead of last year's 11% and 14 points ahead of the five-year average of 21%.
-- Crop progress: 9% of soybeans were emerged as of Sunday, 6 percentage points ahead of last year's 3% and 5 points ahead of the average of 4%.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Crop development: 38% of winter wheat was headed nationwide as of Sunday, up 13 percentage points from the previous week and 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 35%.
-- Crop condition: Nationwide, winter wheat was rated 29% good to excellent, up 1 percentage point from 28% the previous week and even with last year's rating at the same time.

SPRING WHEAT
-- Planting progress: 24% of the spring wheat crop was planted as of Sunday, up 12 percentage points from the previous week but 14 percentage points behind the five-year average of 38%.
-- Crop progress: 5% of spring wheat was emerged as of Sunday, up 3 percentage point from the previous week and 6 percentage points behind the five-year average of 11%.



CONTROLLING MUSK THISTLE
– Jerry Volesky, NE Extension

Did you have musk thistles last year?  If so, I’m sure you’ll have them again this spring.  And even though you may have done some herbicide control last fall, there are always those that may have been missed.  

While corn and soybean planting are a top priority for many, this is also a very good time to control musk thistles.  And I’ll also bet that you can get into your pastures to spray at least one or two days sooner than you can get into row crop fields to plant.

The short rosette growth form in the spring is the ideal stage for controlling these plants.  That means spray herbicides soon, while your musk thistle plants still are in that rosette form, and very few plants will live to send up flowering stalks.

Several herbicides are effective and recommended for musk thistle control.  Some popular herbicides include Milestone, Graslan L, and Tordon 22K.  These herbicides will help control other difficult weeds like common mullein as well.

Other herbicides that can control musk thistles in pastures this spring include Chaparral/Oversight, Cimarron, Telar, Transline, Redeem R&P, and Curtail.  A tank mix of dicamba and 2,4-D also works very well.  No matter which herbicide you use, though, be sure to read and follow label instructions, and be especially sure to spray on time.

All these herbicides will work for you this spring if you spray soon, before musk thistles bolt and send up their flowering stalks.  After flowering, though, the shovel is about the only method remaining to control thistles this year.  



Climatologist Behnke is new manager of Nebraska Mesonet weather data network

Ruben Behnke, a climatologist specializing in the practical application of meteorological data, is the new manager of the Nebraska Mesonet. The mesonet is a network of weather stations that collects data widely used for agricultural, environmental, and emergency management.  

Behnke worked more than five years with the South Dakota Mesonet, with duties including station installation, quality control, and writing research proposals. He has a longstanding focus on observational meteorology, including spatial statistics, machine learning, and statistical methods, and taught Climate Risk Management in the Precision Agriculture program at South Dakota State University.  

He earned a B.S. in environmental science and field biology from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; an M.S. in atmospheric and oceanic science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and a Ph.D. in forestry and conservation science from the University of Montana.  

“Basic weather observations still form the basis of current atmospheric science, even in lieu of the most sophisticated weather models,” Behnke notes. Effective weather data collection, he says, involves a range of considerations from “site location to web development and the electronics behind the instrumentation.”

Mesonet data have value for a wide array of users including farmers, natural resources districts, and Nebraska Extension educators. In recent years, the number of institutional clients has grown to include the National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Drought Mitigation Center, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.

The Nebraska Mesonet network, begun in 1981 as one of the first state weather monitoring systems in the nation, measures data including temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, barometric pressure, and soil temperature and moisture levels.

“Farmers often use our data to gauge when planting, spraying, or harvesting conditions are right based on parameters such as accumulated Growing Degree Days or soil moisture,” Behnke says. Emergency managers, NRDs, and local authorities “use our data to predict flooding potential, heat and cold risk/values, and much more.”  

The Mesonet is part of the Nebraska State Climate Office, located in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s School of Natural Resources.   

Current funders for the Nebraska Mesonet include the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and School of Natural Resources, various Nebraska Natural Resources Districts, and individual ag-sector sponsors. Earlier this year, the Nebraska Legislature approved an interim study to look at options for sustainable, long-term funding for the Mesonet.  



Craft Distilleries Will Compete for Title of Best State Whiskey at 2023 Heartland Whiskey Competition

Participating state corn associations today announced that the 2023 Heartland Whiskey Competition will take place August 1-2 in St. Louis, Missouri. This is the fourth biennial Heartland Whiskey Competition that state corn marketing associations have sponsored. The judged competition is sanctioned by the American Craft Spirits Association and strictly limited to craft whiskeys that contain some amount of corn as an ingredient. Any craft distiller in the U.S. is eligible to enter product for judging in multiple whiskey categories (e.g., bourbon, bottled in bond, rye, etc.). The most coveted awards are "Best of State" which are limited to only those states sponsored by their respective corn associations. "Best of Show" which represents the top scoring whiskey across all categories is also limited to sponsored states.

New for the 2023 competition is a national, "cross-category" award: Top Farmer-Distiller. This award will go to the top-scoring whisky across all categories that is produced by a distillery whose owner(s) operates a working farm. The first three competitions saw farmer-distillers walk away with scores of medals and trophies including several "Best-of-State". The new farmer-distiller award recognizes the heritage of craft distilling and farming, and offers the opportunity for one accomplished distiller to earn bragging rights.

"We are pleased that as our craft spirits industry expands -- the number of craft distillers has grown by 54% since the inaugural 2017 competition -- corn growers across the heartland have stood behind us and sponsored this important competition," said Margie A.S. Lehrman, Chief Executive Officer of ACSA. "Most craft distilleries source corn grown nearby for their mash and that amount has grown considerably in recent years. It's exciting to add a new award for best farmer-distiller which recognizes the critical relationship of our two, overlapping industries."

Competition awards such as medals and trophies are important to craft distillers because they recognized great product which positively influence consumer retail purchases.

ACSA will select judges from accomplished industry professionals and mixologists who have demonstrated experience with craft spirits. The actual judging will occur on August 2nd and winners will be announced by early September.

Sponsoring State Corn Associations
The following state corn marketing associations collectively sponsor the 2023 Heartland Whiskey Competition and state-level competitions in 21 states representing more than 75% of all U.S. craft distillers:
Colorado Corn Growers Association
Illinois Corn Marketing Board
Indiana Corn Growers Association
Iowa Corn Promotion Board
Kansas Corn Growers Association
Kentucky Corn Growers Association
Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board
Corn Marketing Program of Michigan
Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council
Missouri Corn Merchandising Council
Nebraska Corn Board
New York Corn & Soybean Growers Association
Corn Growers Association of North Carolina
Ohio Corn Marketing Program
Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association
Texas Corn Producers
Tennessee Corn Promotion Board
Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board



Moo University Webinar to Focus on Progressive Milk Pricing Reform

The I-29 Moo University 2023 Dairy Webinar Series continues Thursday, June 22 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT with a focus on milk pricing reform insights and other federal policy updates. The program will be presented by Lucas Sjostrom and Karen Gefvert from Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative.

“Listeners will gain a better understanding of what is going on in the national milk pricing discussion,” said Fred Hall, dairy specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “In discussing national milk pricing reform, these Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative presenters will focus on strengthening the relationship between farmers and processors in a way that increases transparency, fairness and competition, and gives farmers a reasonable amount of price certainty.”

Dairy cows being milked.The cooperative’s emphasis is on two principles ― flexibility and fairness. The speakers will take a deeper dive into these priorities, provide a legislative status update, and share farm bill and federal policy issues specific to dairy.

Lucas Sjostrom serves as managing director of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and Minnesota Milk Producers Association. Sjostrom has worked in dairy policy and communications for the past 10 years.

Karen Gefvert is the director of public affairs for Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. She has more than 12 years of experience in the federal agriculture policy space, including an emphasis on dairy policy. This will be her third farm bill.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, preregistration is required at least one hour before the webinar. Preregister online at https://go.iastate.edu/GXKBSQ.

For more information, contact: in Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230; in Minnesota, Jim Salfer, 320-203-6093; or in South Dakota, Patricia Villamediana, 605-688-4116.



New Research Reveals How Grazing Management Practices Affect Cattle Weight Gain by Altering Foraging Behavior

Rotational or continuous grazing? Which system allows for more sustainable and profitable free-range livestock production?

Ranchers often rotate cattle seasonally among different pastures on their operations but may allow cattle to graze season-long in a single pasture.  Implementing a more intensive rotational system within the growing season—dividing the pasture into smaller areas, or paddocks, and shifting a herd of animals throughout the season—has been suggested to offer a greater chance for more sustainable grazing management.  However, there have been very few experimental studies testing these ideas in extensive grazing systems.

A team of researchers at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service is completing a 10-year study on how grazing practices used in these two systems affect cattle foraging behavior, diet quality, and yearly weight gain in semi-arid, extensive rangelands.

The team started by exploring the efficiency of using cattle global positioning system (GPS) tracking collars, combined with activity sensors, to monitor the animals' grazing activities.

"The primary objective of the study was using the sensors to measure the steers' foraging behavior, and relate this to how they are gaining weight," said David Augustine, a research ecologist with the ARS Rangeland Resources & Systems Research in Colorado.

The collars collected precise data based on the animals' feeding habits per day, such as how much time was spent grazing every day, how many steps were taken (grazing speed), the shape of the foraging pathways, and how long each animal lowered their head as a sign of eating (representing the length of meals).

Even though the accuracy of the application is still being refined, results showed that the technology can inform livestock managers about animal distribution and foraging behaviors of free-ranging cattle in extensive rangelands. Being able to monitor foraging behavior continuously in turn allows managers to make more timely decisions on how, when, and where to move cattle within their operation, or to sell cattle at optimal times.

The researchers then applied the same technology in a range-scale experiment where steers were either divided into smaller herds in the paddocks of a non-rotational (season-long) grazing system or managed as a single large herd in a multi-paddock rotational system (using a collaborative and adaptive rangeland management approach). The first five years of data showed that the rotationally managed cattle gained, on average, 14 percent less weight than cattle in the season-long management system.

"Cattle did not have as much freedom to roam and be more selective on what to eat, so they ended up eating what was available in front of them, which was lower quality forages with less protein, and they gained less weight as a result. These behaviors were directly correlated to the average of 14 percent reduction in steer weight gain in the multi-paddock rotating system compared to the non-rotational continuous system," explained Augustine.

The study showed herds in the multi-paddock rotating system feeding in more linear pathways instead of moving around looking for greener grass and selecting bites of more digestible vegetation. They also fed slower, spent more time on the same patch of grass, and didn't turn their heads around much while feeding, compared with steers in the continuous grazing system. These behaviors of less selective foraging resulted in a lower diet quality, which led to reduced weight gain during the growing season.

Results, published in Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment, show that large herds grazing in small, homogenous paddocks have little opportunity to move around in ways that let them feed on high quality diet.

The collaborative experiment was conducted at the Central Plains Experimental Range, an ARS Long-term agroecosystem research network site in Colorado.



Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Holds Second Meeting

On Wednesday, May 10, HHS and USDA will host the second meeting of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The committee will be tasked with reviewing the current body of science on key nutrition topics and developing a scientific report that includes its independent assessment of the evidence and recommendations for HHS and USDA as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The committee’s review, public comments, and input from other federal nutrition experts will help inform HHS and USDA as the departments develop the 10th edition of the DGA.

The guidelines are updated every five years and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition programs and policies, providing food-based recommendations to help prevent diet-related chronic diseases and promote overall health.

A public comment period officially opened in late January and will remain open throughout the duration of the committee’s work. HHS and USDA encourage the public to participate in the process by viewing the committee meetings virtually and submitting public comments. To register to view the meeting, visit DietaryGuidelines.gov.



Thompson, Scott Announce Farm Bill Feedback Portal for Members

Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15) and Ranking Member David Scott (GA-13) launched an online portal to solicit Farm Bill feedback from Members of the House of Representatives, regardless of membership on the House Committee on Agriculture.

This portal provides members the opportunity to share the unique experiences and priorities of the farmers, ranchers, foresters, producers, and consumers they represent.

"In order to craft a comprehensive, effective Farm Bill, we must hear from stakeholders across the country," said Chairman Thompson. "Members understand the needs of their districts best and can provide crucial insight that supports our nation's providers."

“The Farm Bill touches every district across America, from urban city centers to rural farming towns,” said Ranking Member Scott. “To ensure the 2023 Farm Bill is as strong as it can possibly be, I encourage every Member of the U.S. House to convey the agriculture and nutrition priorities of their district using this innovative online portal.”

The portal is open to member offices and receiving comments until June 9, 2023. Stakeholders and private citizens can submit feedback here https://agriculture.house.gov/forms/form/?ID=2&Preview=true.