Monday October 09 Ag News

 SOYBEAN RESIDUE FOR FORAGE
– Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator

Bean fields are opening up after harvest and cows may be moving in to get them off pasture when other forage options are unavailable. Soybean residue or stubble can occasionally be baled and used in rations.  Before we use it however, we need to set expectations.  Is soybean residue a quality forage?

Soybeans themselves are very high in protein and fat. They are about 40% Crude Protein and about 20% fat which is why soybean residue can be perceived as great feed.  With such a high fat content, too may beans can cause issues with the rumen, so any spilled piles should be cleaned up before animals are sent out to graze.

Soybean residue itself however has a much different feed composition. The empty pods and stems contain only 4 to 6% CP and the TDN is only 35 to 45%. The leaves are slightly higher in protein at 12%, but break down quickly after plants reach maturity and harvest has taken place.

These feed values will not begin to support the nutritional requirements of a dry cow even if there is some grain left in the field. So, while soybean residue can be grazed and can be used to move animals from overused pasture, supplemental feed is required.

When baled, soybean residue can be worked into a ration as a roughage source if other sources are less available. Just like grazing, baled soybean residue does not even come close to providing the feed value of corn stalk bales. Producers should also consider if removing litter from already lightly covered bean fields is worth the effort.

Soybean residue may not be the quality we often think. Residue alone will not even meet a dry cow’s nutrient requirements, so supplementation will be need.



2023 Nebraska FFA Foundation Grant Recipients Announced

Nearly $97,000 Awarded From Nebraska FFA Foundation Grant Program Thirty-four Nebraska FFA chapters, agricultural classrooms or FFA members were awarded funds through the Nebraska FFA Foundation grant program with nearly $97,000 awarded in total grant funding.

This grant program, in its seventh year, supports Nebraska agricultural education classrooms, FFA programs and individual student entrepreneurship Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE). Each year, funds are provided by the Nebraska FFA Foundation and its general fund donors. Many other generous supporters partnered this year and are listed below. This year we received 67 grant applications with 39 of those applications being for SAE projects and the rest for agricultural classrooms, FFA chapters or school based enterprises.

"We are committed to growing support of FFA members innovative Supervised Agricultural Experiences are local FFA and/agricultural education classroom needs. Funding these needs are critical to building students' success toward career ready skills and our future workforce," said Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director.

Agricultural Classroom, FFA Chapter and School Based Enterprise:
● Perkins County, Animal Learning Lab
● Norris, Finishing Touches - Adding Color to Metal Projects
● Banner County, Greenhouse
● Weeping Water, Limestone Coffee Co Trailer School-Based Enterprise
● Central City, Welding Upgrades
● Gothenburg, Recycle Gothenburg
● Boyd County, Laboratory Updates
● Rock County, Shop Updates
● Plainview, FFA Winter Market

Supervised Agricultural Experiences:
● Ben Haschke, Wayne FFA Member, Mobile Coops, Poultry Production Entrepreneurship
● Alex Lechtenburg, Boyd County FFA Member, Lechtenberg Dairy Goat Production, Agricultural Processing Entreprenurship
● Jacob Lind, Elkhorn Valley FFA Member, NEdrone.co, Agricultural Services Entrepreneurship
● Jacob Pekarek, East Butler FFA Member, J & M Flowers Wholesale Expansion, Diversified Horticultural Entrepreneurship
● Bennet Flenniken, Summerland FFA Member, Shiny Solutions Detailing, Agricultural Services Entrepreneurship
● Keigan Kocian, East Butler FFA Member, Goat Facilities Expansion, Goat Production Entrepreneurship
● Kaden Van Winkle, Tri County FFA Member, KVW Outdoors, Agricultural Communications Entrepreneurship
● Isabelle Martin, Minden FFA Member, Flora and Foliage, Diversified Horticulture Entrepreneurship
● Henry Holtmeier, Tri County FFA Member, Minnow Production and Sales, Agricultural Sales Entrepreneurship

Cooperative Producers, Inc. Grant:
● Superior, Greenhouse Renovation
● Blue Hill, AOK Freeze Drying

Farmers Cooperative Grant:
● Fillmore Central, Plasma Cutting Table
● Norris, Finishing Touches - Adding Color to Metal Projects
● Beatrice, New Chapter Curriculum and Resources

Central Valley Ag Grant:
● Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Greenhouse
● High Plains, Livestock Learning Lab Continuous Fencing Project

Farmers Mutual of Nebraska Grant:
● Boone Central, Bovine Artificial Insemination Model
● Deshler, Greenhouse
● Lutheran High Northeast, Raising and Butchering Broilers

Constellation Energy Grant:
● Kaden Van Winkle, Tri County FFA Member, KVW Outdoors, Agricultural Communications Entrepreneurship
● Parker Person, Tri County FFA Member, Parker's Repair, Agricultural Mechanics Repair and Maintenance Entrepreneurship
● Zach Spohn, Exeter-Milligan-Friend FFA Member, Vantage Pro2 GroWeather Cabled Sensor Suite Weather Station, Diversified Crop Entrepreneurship
● Noah Miller, Hampton FFA Member, Noah's Crickets, Agriscience Research-Animal Systems
● Fillmore Central, Plasma Cutting Table
● Holdrege, Duster Welding Upgrade
● Norfolk, Panther Sausage

Many of these grant recipients will be showcased on the Nebraska FFA Foundation website and social media through the next couple of years. Applications for the 2024 Nebraska FFA Foundation Grant Program will open in April.



Lonely Oak Distillery Named Iowa’s Top Craft Whiskey at the 2023 Heartland Whiskey Competition

In a blind judging competition supervised by the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) in St. Louis, Missouri, Lonely Oak Distillery’s (Earling, Iowa) Steeple Ridge Single Barrel Bourbon was judged Iowa’s best craft whiskey. The competition, sponsored in part by the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, drew entries from more than half the U.S. states with only those entries containing corn in their mash bill eligible to enter, and only entries from sponsored states eligible for Best-of-State.

“With this sponsorship, our objective is to communicate the diversity of products in which corn is found, and the fact that Iowa corn farmers deeply appreciate our customers and their loyalty to our product in all forms,” Ryan Sauer, Vice President of Market Development at Iowa Corn. “We are pleased that Iowa performed well at the competition, and we encourage all our neighbors to sample our state’s craft spirits products responsibly.”

Judges were chosen by ACSA for their expertise in craft whiskey and the blind competition was supervised by Chris Montana, owner of Du Nord Social Spirits in Minnesota. The day-long competition required that judges evaluate each spirit within its category (Bourbon, Rye, etc.). Best-of-State trophies were awarded to those products that earned the highest scores in their respective states, regardless of category.

“Heartland Whiskey Competition thanks the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the other state corn groups for supporting craft distillers,” Kirkpatrick added. “Craft spirit products are made from grain, largely from the states in which they distill, and many craft distillers are owned by farmers, including multiple winners from this year’s competition.  The continued interest and support from Iowa Corn Promotion Board helps distillers to better market their products.” 



2024 NCBA Redbooks Now Available

The 2024 edition of the Redbook is now available to help cattle producers effectively and efficiently record their daily production efforts, which can enhance profitability and reduce stress levels. The pocket-sized booklet, developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, helps cattle producers simplify their recordkeeping.

In addition to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) practices and proper injection technique information, the 2024 Redbook includes a section on building a biosecurity plan and has more than 100 pages to record calving activity, herd health, pasture use, cattle inventory, body condition, cattle treatment, AI breeding records and more. It also contains a calendar and notes section.

Redbooks can be purchased online at https://store.ncba.org/ for $8.00 each, plus shipping. Customization, including adding a company logo on the cover, is available in quantities of 100 books or more. For more information on custom orders, contact Grace Webb at gwebb@beef.org or (303) 850-3443.



What to Consider Before Applying Fall Nitrogen

As harvest wraps up, many growers will turn their attention to 2024 field preparations. One of the most important decisions will be whether to apply nitrogen (N) in the fall or wait until planting.

Benefits of applying N in the fall include lessening spring workload and applying N in more favorable soil conditions.

Traditionally, fall application of N is practiced in areas where soil temperatures usually remain below 50°F from late fall to spring. Lower soil temperatures reduce the activity of nitrifying soil bacteria that convert ammonium to nitrates. However, if soil temperatures rise above 50°F, N is at risk of loss through leaching or denitrification.

Anhydrous ammonia, urea, and urea-ammonium nitrate solutions are the most commonly used nitrogen fertilizers for North American corn production. Nitrogen in ammonium form is traditionally recommended for fall applications because it is held in the soil and not subject to movement with water.

To minimize N loss, fall applications should be carefully managed.

“Growers should really pay attention to soil type,” said Mike Koenigs, Corteva Agriscience Marketing Development Specialist and member of the Corteva Nutrient Maximizer team. “Course or sandy soil cannot hold a fall application of nitrogen through the winter.”

While soil type is important to fall applied N, utilizing nitrogen stabilizers or additives can help keep N in the soil through the winter.

Nitrogen stabilizers, like Instinct®  and N-Serve®, slow the conversion from ammonium to nitrate and therefore reduce the risk of loss. Corteva Agriscience field trials conducted over several years found that the use of nitrification inhibitors increased corn yield by an average of around six bu/acre.

Because the risk of nitrogen loss is always present, growers should take precautions to reduce losses when possible. When applying fall N, selecting the appropriate nitrogen source and using a nitrogen stabilizer can help protect that investment.

Growers should consider the risk of loss for a particular field, including local climatic conditions, topography, soil type, residue level, form of nitrogen fertilizer applied, and timing of application relative to crop growth prior to making any N decisions.