Friday July 17 Ag News

FSA Offices Begin Opening: CFAP Update

County FSA offices across Nebraska, and around the country, have begun re-opening to in-person appointments. A map of the status of each office can be found HERE... https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status. 

Producers are urged to call ahead to be sure of status and openings. According to USDA data, Nebraska was one ofthe leading states in the number of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) applications. USDA has expanded the list of commodities eligible for the program and producers have until Aug 28, 2020 to submit an application. More information can be found HERE... https://www.farmers.gov/cfap. 



Although at Low Levels, Soybean Aphids Are in Northeast Nebraska
Thomas Hunt - NE Extension Entomologist

Soybean aphids are beginning to be observed in northeast Nebraska soybean fields, although at extremely low levels. The infestations appear to have occurred recently, as the aphids were only observed on leaves that had not yet expanded completely. We have monitored soybean fields in past years that were almost devoid of aphids in mid-July, but by mid-August were well over the economic threshold. If you have not yet begun to scout for aphids, start now. The good news is that we also observed soybean aphid natural enemies in these fields, so they may hold the populations in check, or at least slow their population growth.

During the last few years, soybean aphids have been at low levels in many Nebraska soybean fields, but did not reach economically damaging levels in most fields. Soybean aphid natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, and pathogens) are essential to maintaining low, non-economic populations of many soybean pests. Another such soybean pest is the spider mite. Spider mites have been observed at very low levels in some south-central soybean fields. Insecticide treatments applied prematurely may cause population outbreaks for both pests because most natural enemies are eliminated. Early treatment followed by cool, mild temperatures may cause soybean aphid populations to surge. Premature treatment followed by hot, dry conditions may cause spider mite populations to surge (more information is available on spider mites in soybean). Preserving natural enemies should always be a goal under an integrated pest management approach, and treating only when pest populations reach economic or treatment thresholds is the way to let them do their work.



Soybean Aphid Scouting and Management
Wayne Ohnesorg - NE Extension Educator

The current recommended economic threshold for late vegetative through R5 stage soybeans is 250 aphids per plant with 80% of the plants infested and populations increasing. Depending on economic conditions, this generally gives you about five to seven days to schedule treatment before populations reach economically damaging levels.

If populations do not increase during these five to seven days, you may be able to eliminate or delay treatment. Determining if the aphid population is actively increasing requires several visits to the field. Factors favorable for aphid increase are
    relatively cool temperatures,
    plant stress (particularly drought),
    and lack of natural enemies.

Application Timing to Avoid Resurgence
Soybean aphids in Nebraska usually reach the economic threshold and require treatment in late July (rarely) through August, with a few fields requiring treatment earlier in July. Treatment during this period usually is enough to keep aphid populations from resurging because there is not enough time for populations to build-up before they would naturally leave the fields in late August and early September. The earlier a field is treated, the greater the chance that any surviving aphids can later reproduce or new aphids can repopulate the field.

And remember, insecticide treatment also kills many natural enemies, so any aphids that do re-infest a field are not constrained by predators and other natural controls. Even insecticides with a relatively long residual cannot last when insecticide treatment is done in early or mid-July, particularly during a year when aphid populations are thriving. There would also be no residual on new vegetative growth occurring after the treatment was applied. If one has to treat early, make sure to closely monitor the field until early September.

Another practice that can result in aphid population resurgence is unwarranted insecticide treatment, either because fields were treated well before the threshold was met or fields were treated along with an herbicide (in some cases a fungicide), regardless of aphid presence. These treatments kill natural enemies and are usually done relatively early so there is plenty of time for aphids to resurge, or re-colonize a field.

Aphid populations below or even at the economic threshold do not cause yield loss, so treating before populations reach 250 aphids/plant only increases the probability of aphid resurgence. In addition, we have observed that many fields support a non-increasing, low population of aphids (e.g. less than 100 aphids/plant) through August. Treating these fields would be a waste of time and money.

Tank- mixing insecticides with glyphosate or other herbicides can be problematic because application methods for herbicides (e.g. lower pressures, large droplet producing nozzles) are not optimal for good insecticide efficacy. Tank-mixing with fungicides can be effective because application methods for fungicides and insecticides require high water pressure for adequate penetration and coverage, however, only conduct this practice if soybean aphid thresholds are met.



 Southern Rust of Corn Confirmed in Southeast Nebraska
Tamra Jackson-Ziems, NE Extension Plant Pathologist

Southern corn rust was confirmed on corn leaf samples from Fillmore, Nuckolls and Johnson counties  in southern Nebraska this week. The disease had been confirmed in several states south and east of Nebraska during the prior weeks and has been active in deep southern states for several weeks.

The disease is currently at very low incidence in the fields from where samples were submitted. Warm, humid conditions may favor disease development, so fields in this area and elsewhere (especially in southern Nebraska) should be monitored frequently in the coming weeks for southern rust development. Due to low disease incidence and severity, we are not recommending fungicide applications for control at this time. We recommend scouting fields. Southern rust can become severe in susceptible hybrids, but may take up to several weeks to do so depending upon weather conditions, hybrid resistance, and other factors. Also of note are growth stage variations within fields this year. While portions of fields may be tasseling, others portions may still be in the vegetative stages. This is important as we think of adjuvant loads in pesticide applications just prior to tasseling as ear abnormalities can result.

Southern rust is caused by an aggressive fungus that can rapidly cause disease in susceptible corn hybrids under favorable weather conditions. The disease can cause significant yield loss in susceptible hybrids if it becomes severe, so producers and crop advisors should monitor closely for this disease. Disease development is strongly impacted by weather conditions and sometimes does not become widespread or severe.

Southern rust does not always require treatment, making scouting and disease monitoring critical. It may take two or more weeks under favorable weather conditions for the disease to become more severe and widespread. Severe disease that impacts a large percent of leaf area can impact yield and stalk strength (standability) at the end of the season.



Nebraska Farm Bureau Offers List of Priorities as Senate Looks to Finalize the Next Round of COVID-19 Aid

As the Senate meets next week to consider a second stimulus package, farmers and ranchers continue to deal with the fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to Nebraska’s U.S. Senators, Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) President Steve Nelson offered a list of priorities to consider as the Senate looks to finalize the next round of COVID-19 aid.

“While this list isn’t meant to be all-encompassing, these are what we believe must be included in the final bill in order to aid Nebraska farmers and ranchers who have suffered significant economic harm due to the pandemic,” Nelson said.

The next round of COVID-19 aid must include additional funds targeted at providing direct monetary relief to Nebraska’s farm and ranch families.

“Securing these funds for farmers and ranchers should be the number one priority as Congress finalizes this legislation. According to estimates compiled by NEFB, Nebraska’s agricultural economy could face nearly $3.7 billion in losses due to COVID-19 in 2020, if economic conditions do not improve. These losses have the potential to devastate the number one industry in our state and must be met with funds targeting both crop and livestock producers. More specifically, these losses will likely have a significant impact on younger farmers and ranchers who have fewer resources to fall back on during these difficult times,” he said.   

NEFB also is urging Congress to reform the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. Both programs have been very helpful to many small businesses including farmers and ranchers. Yet, both programs need several important reforms.

In the letter, Nelson reiterated an ask from earlier this year to reform SBA’s, PPP and EIDL programs to better fit farm and ranch businesses. Those changes for PPP include:
•             allowing sole-proprietors to apply based on gross receipts to allow those with negative income figures to qualify for the program,
•             ensuring that all expenses paid with PPP loan funds be eligible for a business income tax deduction,
•             making all business-related rental payments eligible for loan forgiveness, and
•             expanding the list of what counts toward loan availability to include typical farm/ranch expenses.

For EIDL, Congress “must ensure continued access for farmers and ranchers while at the same time, making sure the program does not negatively impact their ability to secure loans from local lenders,” Nelson said

Nebraska Farm Bureau also asked for assistance for very small, small, and medium sized meat packing facilities.

“While we appear to be moving in a positive direction in terms of packing plant operations, the closure of these facilities over the past several months have highlighted the need to expand overall packing capacity. Now is the time for Congress to provide direct assistance and regulatory relief to smaller meat packing facilities to help create more competition in this very consolidated industry. Existing stand-alone bills which should be included in the final package include, the Small Packer Overtime and Holiday Fee Relief for COVID-19 Act of 2020, the RAMP-UP Act, and the DIRECT Act,” Nelson said.

Expanding rural broadband capabilities within rural areas of Nebraska is also a high priority for NEFB. According to data compiled by Nebraska’s Rural Broadband Task Force, rural Nebraskans continue to have less access to broadband coverage than most of our neighboring states in both fixed and mobile services.

“To eliminate this gap, which limits our state’s economic and educational future, we support investment directed at broadband infrastructure expansion, implementation of the Broadband DATA Act, support for the Universal Broadband Act, and the Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility (E-BRIDGE) Act. These measures will help provide more connectivity in rural areas of the state,” Nelson said.



This week's Drought Monitor from UNL
droughtmonitor.unl.edu

The active Atlantic hurricane season continued (with respect to number of named storms) as minimal Tropical Storm Fay formed off the Carolina coast, moved northward, and made landfall in New Jersey. Rainfall from Fay was beneficial for parts of the Northeast, especially the Delmarva Peninsula, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and western New York, where 2-3 inches of rain, locally to 7 inches, brought widespread relief from growing short-term dryness and drought. Lighter totals also fell on most of New England, but most areas did not receive enough rain to make any marked improvements. Elsewhere, a series of slow-moving fronts drifted across the lower 48 States, generating MCCs (Mesoscale Convective Complexes) with swaths of decent rain across parts of the central Plains, Midwest, and Southeast. Several fronts produced scattered but heavy thunderstorms across the upper Midwest. Unfortunately, many areas received little or no precipitation this week, including much of the West (from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast), the southern Plains, lower and middle Mississippi River Valleys, and most of the Appalachians and Piedmont. Unfortunately, the dryness was accompanied by excessive heat (weekly temperatures averaged more than 4 degrees F above normal) in the southwestern and northeastern quarters of the Nation. For example, Borger, TX, set an all-time record high of 116 degrees F on July 11. The combination of heat and minimal rainfall was a concern for many agricultural areas as crops are at critical stages of growth and reproduction, and with high evapotranspiration rates during the summer heat, topsoil moisture can become rapidly depleted and stress the crops. In contrast, the Northwest recorded subnormal temperatures (2 to 6 degrees F below normal), along with some light precipitation in northernmost regions. In Alaska, light to moderate precipitation fell on southern, central, and southeastern sections, while Hawaii saw some windward showers early in the period but not enough for any improvement. Heavy rains (2-5 inches) fell again on non-drought portions of northwestern Puerto Rico and along eastern sections (2-6 inches), slightly trimming away some of the D2 there.

Midwest
Just like the Southeast and South regions, the Midwest also saw areas with heavy rains, and others with nothing. Unfortunately, a big concern was short-term (30-days) dryness combined with above-normal temperatures and evapotranspiration (creating high weekly EDDI values) during the critical time for crop growth and pollination. In addition, some states have vulnerable soil characteristics (e.g. sandy, high clay, or shallow rocky) to flash drought situations. With respect to rainfall, light to moderate totals (1-3 inches, locally to 6 inches) fell on portions of the upper Midwest (Minnesota and Wisconsin), and parts of the Ohio Valley (east-central Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, eastern Ohio) where improvements were made if totals were significant (>2 inches). However, little or no rain was measured in the southern half of Iowa, much of Missouri, western Illinois, and scattered locations in eastern Kentucky, central Indiana, central Ohio, and northern lower Michigan. Accordingly, D0 was expanded in parts of Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, and Iowa, with D1 developing in portions of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, and expanding in western Iowa. USDA/NASS crop conditions as of July 12 rated poor or very poor have reached or surpassed 10% for corn in Indiana and Ohio, and soy in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Although some light scattered showers fell on lower Michigan and there is a wet signal at 60-days and beyond, recent excessive heat produced very high ET rates (and high QuickDri and EDDI values). This heat impacted Michigan’s corn and soybeans, with July 12 crop conditions rated poor or very poor at 17% and 13%, respectively, with pastures similarly rated at 28%.

High Plains
Northern and western states had seen an improvement trend the past several weeks as wetter and cooler conditions have gradually eased drought and dryness from Montana and the Dakotas. However, southern states have seen a gradual deterioration this summer, with some or most of Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas in drought (D1 or drier). Fortunately, several MCCs formed in the north-central and central Plains this week, bringing welcome rainfall (1-3 inches, locally 5 inches) to southern South Dakota, central Nebraska, and central Kansas. As a result, some D0 was removed from northern and eastern Montana, southwestern South Dakota, and parts of central Nebraska and Kansas. D1 was improved to D0 in northern and western North Dakota, southwestern South Dakota, northeastern Nebraska (but expanded into eastern Nebraska and western Iowa), and southeastern Kansas. Lighter amounts (an inch or less) also fell on northern and eastern Montana, most of the Dakotas and Nebraska, northeastern Colorado, and most of Kansas. However, high heat negated the effects of the rain in the southern and central High Plains, causing expansion of D0 and drought (D1-D3) in much of Colorado, southern Wyoming, western Nebraska, and western Kansas. According to USDA/NASS on July 12, topsoil moisture rated short to very short was at 74% (WY), 60% (CO), 47% (NE), 45% (KS), and under 25% in the Dakotas and Montana. Similarly, pasture and range conditions rated poor to very poor was 44% in Colorado, 36% in Wyoming, 22% in Kansas, and 18% in Nebraska. Montana and the Dakotas were also in the teens, but these numbers have fallen (improved) the past few weeks in response to the favorable weather.

Looking Ahead
During the next 5 days (July 16-20), WPC’s QPF forecasts light to moderate (1 to 3 inches) rains across the middle Mississippi River Valley, upper Midwest, and southern Florida. Lighter totals are expected in the southern Rockies and south-central High Plains, along the central Gulf Coast, and in the Appalachians. Little or no rain is anticipated in the West, southern Plains, portions of the Southeast, and along the Northeast Coast. Most of the lower 48 States should expect above-normal temperatures, with subnormal readings limited to the northern Plains.

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook (July 21-25) favors above-normal rainfall across the northeastern quarter of the contiguous U.S., along the western Gulf Coast, in Arizona and Utah, and in western Alaska. Odds for subnormal precipitation are likely in the Pacific Northwest, the central Plains, and along the southern coast of Alaska. A tilt toward above-normal temperature probabilities were found across much of the lower 48 States and along Alaska’s southern coast, but highest odds were found in the central Plains and northeastern quarter of the Nation. Subnormal readings were limited to the northern two-thirds of Alaska.



2020 Virtual Field Day - Management of Resistant Palmer Amaranth in Corn

Join Amit Jhala, UNL associate professor and Nebraska Extension weed management specialist for a virtual field day on management of atrazine, glyphosate and ALS inhibitors-resistant Palmer amaranth in corn. Research funded by the Nebraska Corn Board.

https://agronomy.unl.edu/2020-virtual-field-day-management-atrazine-glyphosate-and-als-inhibitors-resistant-palmer-amaranth



USDA Reapportions Cattlemen's Beef Board Membership

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is adjusting membership on the Beef Promotion and Research Board to reflect shifts in cattle inventory levels since the last board reapportionment in 2017, as required by the rules governing the board.

The total board membership would increase by two members, from 99 to 101, and include the following changes:
- Domestic cattle producer representation on the board shall increase from 92 to 94 members.
- The states of Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin will each gain one member.
- The Southeast Unit, made up of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, shall be dissolved.
- Alabama and Georgia shall become stand-alone states due to each having enough inventory to qualify for a position on the board.
- South Carolina shall be added to the Mid-Atlantic Unit, which would then consist of South Carolina and West Virginia, and would qualify for one member.
- Maryland will move from the Mid-Atlantic Unit to the Northeast Unit, which shall then consist of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont, and qualify for one member.

The revised representation will be effective with nominations in 2020 for appointments effective early in 2021.

These adjustments are based on requirements of the Beef Promotion and Research Order, authorized by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985. The order provides for a review of geographic distribution of U.S. cattle inventories and the volume of imported cattle, beef and beef products at least every three years but not more than every two years. After the review, board membership must be reapportioned accordingly.

A state or unit must have an inventory of 500,000 head of cattle to be represented on the board and is entitled to an additional member for each additional 1 million head of cattle. In considering reapportionment, the board reviewed cattle inventories and cattle, beef and beef product import data from 2017 through 2019.

The final rule for this action was published in the Federal Register on July 1, 2020, with an effective date of July 31, 2020.



Iowa Beef Checkoff Partnered with New York Beef Council to Host Virtual Farm Tour

Iowa Beef Industry Council in partnership with New York Beef Council (NYBC), live-streamed a virtual farm tour connecting consumers to a New York cow-calf operation and an Iowa feedlot. The fifty-minute-long Facebook Live Stream introduced attendees to Betsy Hicks of Maple Acres Farm located in McGraw, NY before virtually traveling to Nate Graham’s finishing lot in Cherokee County, Iowa.

The virtual tours included an overview of the beef life cycle including an up-close look at cow/calf pairs. The tour also introduced attendees to what cattle eat, and how farmers manage their land through rotational grazing. Additional topics discussed were cattle identification, record keeping and herd health management. Graham Feedlots is a fourth-generation family farm that takes great care in producing high-quality feed for their cattle and works to provide the highest quality care to their cattle which is highlighted throughout the tour.

Due to COVID-19, the trip was streamed live across Facebook and on the NYBC website allowing for students learning virtually, as well as, any interested consumers to watch. The trip hosted on June 11th garnered a reach of more than 11,000 people and been viewed 5,000 times with more than 1,000 engagements on social media.

This trip provides attendees with an especially unique opportunity to follow the beef lifecycle from birth to finish. New York is a high population state with over 19.6 million consumers and, despite being home to over 628,000 dairy cows, beef production in the state primarily focuses on the cow-calf segment of direct-to-consumer marketing. There are only 7,300 beef farms in NY. In contrast, Iowa is home to more cattle than people with a staggering 3,900,000 head of cattle in the state. Beef production in Iowa widely focuses on the finishing phase utilizing the primary cropland and corn production in the region.

“Iowa has a unique opportunity with its state to state partnerships. Collectively Iowa consumers are more directly connected to agriculture than consumers of some other states and have a positive perception of the beef industry overall,” said Nate Graham. “Therefore, the ability to offer resources to areas where consumer populations are higher with a greater disconnect to where their food comes from has become increasingly important in recent years.”

A recording of the trip is available on the Iowa Beef Council Facebook page and the NYBC YouTube page.



Study Quantifies Value of Red Meat Exports to U.S. Corn, Soybeans

Since 2015, indirect exports of corn and soybeans through beef and pork exports has been the fastest-growing category of corn and soybean use, delivering critical returns for corn and soybean farmers. These producers support the international promotion of U.S. beef, pork and lamb by investing a portion of their checkoff dollars in market development efforts conducted by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

USMEF has released an updated version of the independent study aimed at quantifying the value red meat exports provide to U.S. corn and soybean producers. The original study was conducted in 2016 with updates also released in 2018 and 2019. Key findings from the latest version, which utilizes 2019 export data, include:

Value of Red Meat Exports' Feed Use of Corn and Soybeans
    In 2019, U.S. beef and pork exports used 480 million bushels of corn. Corn revenue generated by pork exports totaled $1.8 billion (480 million bushels x average annual price of $3.75/bushel).
    In 2019, U.S. pork exports used 2.12 million tons of soybean meal, which is the equivalent of 89.2 million bushels of soybeans. Soybean revenue generated by pork exports totaled $751.7 million (89.2 million bushels x average annual price of $8.43/bushel).
    Beef and pork exports also used about 3 million tons of distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in 2019 at an annual average price of $137/ton. This generated $411.8 million in revenue for ethanol mills' co-products.

Value to U.S. Corn and Soybean Crop from Red Meat Exports
    In 2019, beef and pork exports contributed more than 12% of the per bushel price of corn ($0.46/bushel) of an annual average price of $3.75/bushel. With total production of 13.62 billion bushels, the value of pork exports to the U.S. corn crop was $6.26 billion.
    In 2019, pork exports contributed 9% of the per bushel price of soybeans ($0.76/bushel) of an annual average price of $8.43. With total production of 3.55 billion bushels, the value of pork exports was $2.7 billion to the U.S. soybean crop.

"The value of red meat exports to corn is higher than the previous year, both in cents per bushel and percentage of total price," explained Dave Juday, senior analyst for World Perspectives, Inc., who conducted the original study and subsequent updates. "Soybean prices last year trended lower overall, so the total value of pork exports to U.S. soybeans - in terms of cents per bushel - is not as large as in our last update. But the value added as a percentage of the per bushel price remained steady."

USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said quantifying the value delivered by beef and pork exports is reassuring to corn and soybean producers, who provide critical support for USMEF's efforts to expand global demand for U.S. red meat.

"These are challenging times for everyone in U.S. agriculture, with producers facing difficult choices every day," Halstrom said. "USMEF greatly appreciates the foresight and confidence shown by the corn and soybean sectors when they invest in red meat exports, and this study provides a detailed analysis of the value delivered by that investment."



DOT EXTENDS HOURS OF SERVICE WAIVERS FOR LIVESTOCK, FEED
NPPC newsletter

On Monday (July 13), the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended its COVID-19 emergency declaration for Hours of Service (HOS) waivers for the transportation of livestock and livestock feed. HOS governs the amount of time commercial truckers can drive their loads and when they are required to rest between drives. The waivers remain in force through Aug. 14.




APHIS Seeks Public Comment on Transition to RFID Official Identification Tags

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking public comment on a proposal where APHIS would only approve Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) as the official eartag for use in interstate movement of cattle that are required to be identified by the traceability regulations.

An official eartag is defined as an identification tag approved by APHIS that bears an official identification number for individual animals. Regulations allow APHIS to approve tags that can be used as official identification, and both metal and RFID tags are current options.

A transition to RFID tags would support APHIS’ ongoing efforts to increase animal disease traceability by more accurately and rapidly allowing animal health officials to know where affected and at-risk animals are located. While this would not prevent disease outbreaks, it would allow animal health officials to more quickly contain outbreaks early before they can do substantial damage to the U.S. cattle industry.

APHIS is also seeking comment on a proposed timeline for implementation, which the agency would use if this transition occurs. The timeline would make RFID tags the only option for use in cattle and bison requiring official identification on January 1, 2023. APHIS would “grandfather in” animals that have metal tags already in place on that date – their metal tags would serve as official identification for the remainder of their lifespan.

This transition timeline would not alter the existing regulations. The cattle and bison that must be identified will not change, nor will the option for animal health officials in shipping and receiving states to agree to accept alternate forms of identification, including brands and tattoos, in lieu of official identification.

Public comments will be accepted through October 5, 2020 at the following site: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2020-14463. After reviewing all comments, APHIS will publish a follow up Federal Register notice. This notice will respond to any such comments, announce our decision whether to only approve RFID tags as the only official identification devices for cattle, and, if so, provide the timeline for such a transition.