NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION
For the week ending September 27, 2020, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 20% very short, 40% short, 39% adequate, and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 23% very short, 35% short, 41% adequate, and 1% surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 6% very poor, 11% poor, 20% fair, 44% good, and 19% excellent. Corn mature was 80%, well ahead of 48% last year, and ahead of 65% for the five-year average. Harvested was 14%, ahead of 7% last year, and near 10% average.
Soybean condition rated 6% very poor, 11% poor, 22% fair, 45% good, and 16% excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 92%, well ahead of 69% last year, and ahead of 80% average. Harvested was 29%, well ahead of 4% last year, and ahead of 13% average.
Winter wheat planted was 60%, behind 65% last year and 66% average. Emerged was 15%, near 16% last year, and behind 27% average.
Sorghum condition rated 5% very poor, 8% poor, 29% fair, 35% good, and 23% excellent. Sorghum coloring was 98%, near 97% both last year and average. Mature was 71%, well ahead of 33% last year, and ahead of 56% average. Harvested was 7%, ahead of 1% last year, but near 9% average.
Dry edible beans dropping leaves was 91%, near 92% last year. Harvested was 75%, ahead of 61% last year.
Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 13% very poor, 21% poor, 25% fair, 39% good, and 2% excellent.
IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT
Harvest showed rapid progress as Iowa farmers made the most of 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 27, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities also included drilling cover crops, applying fertilizer and manure, and fall tillage.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 15% very short, 31% short, 53% adequate and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 21% very short, 34% short, 44% adequate and 1% surplus.
Corn was 97% in or beyond dent stage, over 2 weeks ahead of the previous year and 3 days ahead of the 5-year average. Only 18% of the crop has yet to reach maturity, 3 weeks ahead of last year and 9 days ahead of average. Corn harvest for grain reached 12% statewide, almost 3 weeks ahead of last year and 9 days ahead of average. This is the highest percent of corn harvested for grain completed by September 27 since 2012 when 48% of the crop had been harvested. Corn condition rated 42% good to excellent.
Soybeans coloring or beyond advanced to 96%, which is 2 weeks ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of average. Eighty-four percent of the soybean crop was dropping leaves or beyond, 16 days ahead of last year and 8 days ahead of average. Soybean harvest was 30% complete, 19 days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of average. This was the largest proportion of soybeans harvested by September 27 since 2012 when 41% had been harvested. Farmers in northwest and west central Iowa continue to lead the way with almost half of their soybean acreage harvested. Soybean condition rated 47% good to excellent.
Pasture condition rated 20% good to excellent, an increase of 3 percentage points from the previous week. Livestock felt the effect of changing temperatures. Low levels of water in ponds and creeks have made providing water for cows on pasture a challenge for some producers.
USDA: Corn 15% Harvested, Soybeans 20% Harvested
The U.S. corn harvest was slightly behind the five-year average pace while soybean harvest moved further ahead of normal last week, according to the USDA NASS weekly Crop Progress report released on Monday. NASS estimated that, as of Sunday, Sept. 27, 15% of U.S. corn had been harvested, 1 percentage point behind the average pace of 16%. Corn reaching maturity remained 10 percentage points ahead of normal at 75% as of Sunday compared to the five-year average of 65%. NASS estimated that 61% of the corn crop was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, unchanged from the previous week.
While corn harvest continued to run slightly slower than normal, soybean harvest pulled further ahead of the average pace. NASS estimated that 20% of soybeans were harvested as of Sunday, up 14 percentage points from the previous week and 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 15%. Soybean development also remained ahead of normal with 74% of the crop dropping leaves, 5 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 69%. The condition of soybeans was estimated at 64% good to excellent, up 1 percentage point from 63% the previous week.
Winter wheat planting continued to run slightly ahead of the normal pace, at 35% complete as of Sunday compared to the average of 33%. Ten percent of winter wheat had emerged, 2 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 8%.
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Retirement Open House for Larry Howard POSTPONED
The decision has been made that with the rising numbers of COVID cases in Cuming County, Larry’s Retirement Open is being postponed at this time. The event was scheduled for this Saturday afternoon, October 3rd at the Nielsen Community Center in West Point. Staff at Cuming County Extension office will try to host the event in the spring.
Practicing Fire Safety at Harvest
John Wilson - NE Extension Educator Emeritus
Each year volunteer fire departments across the state are called to respond to combine or field fires started during harvest operations. The following guides can help ensure a smoother and safer harvest season without fire emergencies.
Combine Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is key to preventing many of the fires that occur on farm equipment.
- Keep all bearings and gears well lubricated to prevent heat buildup and keep lubricants at proper levels.
- Repair any leaks in the fuel system and any damaged electrical wiring.
- Repair or replace damaged or worn out exhaust systems. In addition to a good exhaust system, install a spark arrester to catch burning particles. They are easy to install and require little maintenance.
Before and during harvest operations check for a buildup of combustible crop residue around the engine and exhaust system; concealed drive belts and pulleys that can overheat due to friction when there is an accumulation of crop residue around them; and worn or frayed electrical wiring that can cause sparks and ignite grain dust, crop residues, or fuel vapors.
Refueling Safety
Too often during harvest, safe fueling practices are ignored to save time. The few seconds saved are insignificant when compared to the loss of expensive farm equipment or weeks or even months spent in a hospital burn ward. Follow these safety practices:
- Never refuel equipment with the engine running. Always shut the engine off.
- Allow hot engines to cool 15 minutes before refueling.
- Extinguish all smoking materials before refueling.
- If fuel spills on an engine, wipe away any excess and allow the fumes to dissipate before starting the engine.
Plan to Avoid Emergencies
Being prepared to respond to a fire if one should occur can save critical minutes.
- Start harvesting a field on the downwind side. If a fire does occur, the flames will be pushed toward the harvested portion of the field.
- Always carry a cell phone or alternative for communicating with others in case of an emergency.
- Know the location of the field in relationship to letters or numbers on county roads. This seems obvious, but in the excitement of the moment, it’s easy to not be able to recall this information. More than once volunteer firefighters have been paged for a field fire “northeast of town” and then had to look for the smoke.
- Always carry two fire extinguishers on the combine, one in the cab and one that you can access from the ground. Also, carry a fire extinguisher in your grain hauling equipment.
- If a field or equipment fire does occur, call 911 before trying to extinguish it yourself.
- Have a tractor hooked to a disk near the field you are harvesting, but located where it wouldn't be affected if a field fire should occur.
- If using a fire extinguisher, stay between the fire and your path to safety.
- When using a fire extinguisher, remember to PASS, which stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep.
+ Pull the safety pin on the extinguisher.
+ Aim it at the base of the fire.
+ Squeeze the handle.
+ Sweep the extinguisher back and forth while releasing the contents.
Following these safety tips may seem like common sense, but with the long hours and rush to get harvest done, sometimes these are forgotten. For more information on fire safety at harvest, contact your equipment dealer, your local fire department, or your local Nebraska Extension office.
Ag Sack Lunch Program For State’s Fourth-graders Kicks Off 11th Year.
The popular Ag Sack Lunch Program, designed to increase agricultural awareness among Nebraska fourth-graders and their families, has returned for its 11th school year in 2020-2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, changes have been made to the program this fall. Many classes will not be making the trip to Lincoln to tour the State Capitol Building as part of their fourth-grade curriculum. For that reason, the Ag Sack Lunch program this fall is providing schools with the option of receiving virtual presentations via Zoom this fall. These virtual presentations will focus on about the importance of agriculture to Nebraska’s economy.
“Last spring our program was abruptly ended due to the pandemic,” says Karen Brokaw, Ag Lunch Program coordinator. “This fall we are providing schools the option of receiving their presentations via Zoom if they are opting out of the Lincoln trip. We don’t want the pandemic to prevent us from visiting with fourth-grade students about the importance of agriculture in Nebraska. The presentations are still lively and fun with our Ag Ambassadors providing the students with important ag-related information.” To date, she says, “registrations for the fall semester have been for the virtual presentation, but spring registrations are primarily for the traditional Lincoln visits.”
“The Zoom presentations have gone really well,” says Ag Ambassador Abby Durheim, a UNL agricultural education major from Sunbury, Ohio. “The kids seem to really enjoy it, and they ask a ton of questions at the end.”
Registrations are still being accepted for both fall and spring presentations for both virtual or in-person State Capitol visits, according to Brokaw. “It is important teachers make their reservations as soon as possible to ensure availability,” she said. Reservations can be made online at www.agsacklunchprogram.com .
“Over the last 10 years, the Ag Sack Lunch Program has been successful in helping our fourth-graders understand where their food comes from and how Nebraska’s farm production methods help protect the environment while ensuring food safety and promoting animal health,” says Kelly Brunkhorst, Nebraska Corn Board executive director. “Participating teachers continue to tell us how their students learn so much from the presentations.”
Since the first Ag Sack Lunch program during the 2010-2011 school year, over 46,000 students have participated in the event. The program provided 5,250 lunches to students during the 2019-2020 school year.
The program is sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board, the Nebraska Soybean Board, the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, Nebraska Beef Council, Midwest Dairy and Nebraska Poultry Industries.
USDA Designates Six Nebraska Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated six Nebraska counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Colfax, Cuming, Dawes, Dodge, Stanton and Thurston counties who suffered losses caused by recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.
This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.
Producers in the contiguous counties listed below are also eligible to apply for emergency loans:
Nebraska: Box Butte, Burt, Butler, Dakota, Dixon, Douglas, Madison, Pierce, Platte, Saunders, Sheridan, Sioux, Washington and Wayne
Iowa: Monona and Woodbury
South Dakota: Fall River and Oglala Lakota
The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is May 11, 2021.
FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program.
Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.
Market Your Crop Residue Using the Crop Residue Exchange
Daren Redfearn - NE Extension Forage Crop Residue Specialist
The Crop Residue Exchange (cropresidueexchange.unl.edu) came online in August 2017 and was designed to increase the convenience and accessibility of grazing crop residues. This online exchange assists corn and other crop producers to market crop residue to cattle producers. This interactive, online tool helps farmers and cattle producers connect and develop mutually beneficial agreements to use crop residue and forage cover crops for grazing.
Getting Started with the Crop Residue Exchange
After establishing a log-in account, farmers can list cropland available for grazing by drawing out the plot of land available using an interactive map and entering basic information about the type of residue, fencing situation, water availability, and dates available. The land available for grazing is described as “Residue Type” (corn, wheat, sorghum, other). Pricing can be listed as a “cost per acre” or a “cost per head per day”. Farmers can also provide their preferred contact information. Livestock producers can search the Crop Residue Exchange database for grazing available within a radius for the location of interest, but must be logged in to view the contact information attached to each listing.
Crop producers who have previously listed crop residue available for grazing are encouraged to log in and update their listings on the Crop Residue Exchange for the 2020-2021 fall and winter grazing season. Livestock producers can save their searches and receive an email notification when a crop producer lists something matching their criteria. In the past, there has been more searching for crop residue than available crop residue listings. When a crop producer creates a new listing, odds are good that livestock producers will receive an email letting them know.
The Crop Residue Exchange has expanded the geographical reach to include large portions of the states that surround Nebraska. Crop producers in much of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota can now list fields they have available for grazing. This makes it easier to use and link cattle producers with available grazing resources.
FORAGE TEST OPTIONS
Megan Taylor, NE Extension Educator, Platte County
Testing forages gives you answers when it comes to utilization, but what test is right for your operation?
The two primary components that any forage test needs to supply are a measure of energy and protein content. Energy is usually measured in Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) and protein is labeled as is, or crude protein (CP). Because moisture content of samples can vary widely, the focus of the results should be on the dry matter basis. Most lab analysis will provide these measures in a basic forage analysis package.
In certain circumstances, producers may test for key minerals or nitrates. A mineral package may not be required for every sample submitted, but can be crucial. In cases where minerals are oversupplied, a custom mineral supplement may omit the unneeded mineral, saving cost. Both over and undersupplied key minerals can cause a host of production and reproductive issues that knowing about, we can plan ahead to address. Stressed plants, especially annual crops, have the potential to accumulate high levels of nitrate, so running an additional nitrate test on these species is crucial.
Finally, what type of test needs to be completed? In some labs, wet chemistry tests are the only option. These are the traditional method for determining nutrient levels and are arguably the most accurate option available, especially for mineral analysis. However, may labs have begun offering near-infrared spectrometry (NIRS). These tests use a laser to “read” the sample and compare it to a databank of known similar samples built upon regression calibration that can approximate wet chemistry tests quickly and cheaply. NIRS works best with single species samples and is more accurate with popular forages.
Ultimately, which test you choose depends on number of samples, cost, species, and ability of labs to test samples. NIRS would work well if you were testing many samples, needed quick results, and a pure stand of a popular forage, like alfalfa. Wet chemistry would work well if you had fewer samples, were testing for minerals, and were working with a more novel forage.
State Senator Joni Albrecht Receives Nebraska Farm Bureau-PAC Endorsement
Nebraska State Senator Joni Albrecht has received the endorsement of the Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Political Action Committee (NEFB-PAC) in her bid for re-election to serve the citizens of Legislative District 17. The NEFB-PAC endorsement is based on candidate’s positions on agriculture and rural issues and recommendations from district evaluation committees.
“Joni has first-hand experience with how farm and ranch families are impacted by state policies and regulations. It is critical to have people like Joni elected to the Legislature who know agriculture and the important economic role it plays in rural communities and our state’s broader economy,” said Mark McHargue of Central City, chairman of NEFB-PAC and first vice president of Nebraska Farm Bureau.
According to McHargue, Albrecht has been a strong advocate for Farm Bureau priorities such as lowering property taxes, working to expand broadband and e-connectivity, and growing opportunities for economic development in rural areas.
“We’re pleased to support Joni as she seeks re-election. We look forward to continuing to work with her for the betterment of Nebraska,” said McHargue.
State Senator Bruce Bostelman Receives Nebraska Farm Bureau-PAC Endorsement
Nebraska State Senator Bruce Bostelman has received the endorsement of the Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Political Action Committee (NEFB-PAC) in his bid for re-election to serve the citizens of Legislative District 23. The NEFB-PAC endorsement is based on candidate’s positions on agriculture and rural issues and recommendations from district evaluation committees.
“Sen. Bostelman has been an advocate for reducing the property tax burden on Nebraskans from the first moment he stepped foot in the legislative chamber. Property tax relief and tax reform is of the highest priority to our members. We greatly appreciate his work and commitment in this area,” said Mark McHargue of Central City, chairman of NEFB-PAC and first vice president of Nebraska Farm Bureau.
According to McHargue, Bostelman has provided a strong rural voice in the body, at a time when fewer and fewer Nebraskans have a direct connection to the day-to-day issues that face Nebraska’s farm and ranch families.
“Bruce brings real-life agriculture experience to the State Capitol. The importance of that cannot be understated. We are pleased to count Sen. Bostelman among those receiving the NEFB-PAC endorsement,” said McHargue.
Former State Senator Mike Flood Receives NEFB-PAC Endorsement
Mike Flood, a former State Senator and a candidate to represent District 19 in the Nebraska Legislature, has received the endorsement of the Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Political Action Committee (NEFB-PAC). The NEFB-PAC endorsements are based on candidate’s positions on agriculture and rural issues and recommendations from district evaluation committees.
“Having former experience as a state senator and serving as the Speaker of the Legislature during his previous term make him a great candidate to represent the people of District 19. Mike is a businessman and understands the important role agriculture plays in the state’s economy,” said Mark McHargue of Central City, chairman of NEFB-PAC and first vice president of Nebraska Farm Bureau.
According to McHargue, Flood’s proven leadership as a former Speaker of the Legislature and his continued support of obtaining tax relief make him well qualified to serve in the Legislature.
“Mike shares our member’s belief that reforms are needed in Nebraska’s tax system and we are pleased to share our support for Mike as he seeks to represent District 19 in the Nebraska Legislature,” said McHargue.
According to McHargue, Flood has been a strong advocate for Farm Bureau priorities such as lowering property taxes, working to expand broadband and e-connectivity, as well as growing opportunities for economic development in rural areas.
“We’re pleased to support Mike as he seeks election in District 19. We encourage Nebraska Farm Bureau members to support Mike and we look forward to working with him for the betterment of Nebraska,” said McHargue.
National Organic Standards Board New Members Announced for 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of five new members to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). “It’s always hard to say goodbye to outgoing members who have given so much of their time as volunteers. We appreciate their great service and contributions to the organic community,” said Deputy Administrator Jennifer Tucker, who heads the USDA National Organic Program. “And, it’s always exciting to welcome new members. They always bring so much passion and fresh energy to the table.”
The NOSB is made up of 15 volunteer members representing the organic community. New members announced today will serve five-year terms beginning in January 2021.
Amy Bruch is a sixth-generation farmer and president of Cyclone Farms, an organic family farm in York, Nebraska. She has nearly 20 years of experience in agriculture, including agricultural business management, regulatory compliance, operational improvements, and transitioning farms to new crops and to organic production. Career highlights include interning at the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, working as a systems engineer at General Mills, and consulting internationally. Bruch holds a BS in Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering from Iowa State University. She has a background and expertise in certification, compliance, crops, and National List materials. Bruch will serve in a Farmer seat.
Logan Petrey is a fourth-generation farmer from South Georgia. She is the southeast organic ranch manager of 2,000 acres for Grimmway Farms locations in Georgia and Florida and has grown over thirty different organic crops. Prior to Grimmway, she worked as an agronomist and organic farm manager with Generation Farms; and as a field technician for Robinson Fresh where she worked with farms along the East Coast and Midwest. She serves on the Board of Directors for Florida Organic Growers and is a member of the United Fresh Working Group. She has a B.A. in Biology from Valdosta State University and a Master of Plant Protection and Pest Management from the University of Georgia. Petrey will serve in a Farmer seat.
Dr. Carolyn Dimitri is an applied economist and is currently a member of the faculty at New York University. She has extensive experience with the USDA, working for more than a decade at the Economic Research Service where she authored numerous reports on many aspects of the organic sector, including consumer expectations and attitudes about organic food. She currently serves as an Executive Board member for the Organic Farming Research Foundation, as a scientific advisor to the Organic Center, and is knowledgeable about many of the most pressing issues related to the organic standards and National List materials. Dimitri will serve in a Public/Consumer Interest Seat.
Brian Caldwell has been involved in organic agriculture for more than 40 years as an educator, researcher, and farmer. In 1983, he served as a founding member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) and has remained active in the organization serving as staff from 2002-2005, an educator at winter conferences, and a member. He spent many years working for Cornell University, first as the vegetable and fruit specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension, and then as a field manager and researcher for the Cornell Organic Cropping Systems project. Mr. Caldwell has operated an organic farm in West Danby, NY since 1978 and has a deep understanding of organic standards. As an educator, farmer, and longstanding NOFA-NY member, he understands consumer perspectives well. Caldwell will serve in a Public/Consumer Interest Seat.
Kyla Smith is the Certification Director for Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO), a USDA-accredited certifying agent. In this position, she assures that PCO and its mission, programs and services are consistently presented with transparency and integrity to relevant stakeholders in adherence with PCO’s strategic plan, as well as oversees the certification, inspection and material teams. During her 17-year tenure with PCO, she has also worked as an organic inspector, materials specialist, and reviewer; and held leadership positions for six years as the chair and vice chair of the Accredited Certifiers Association Board of Directors. She has extensive knowledge of the USDA organic regulations and the work of the NOSB. She holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Smith will serve in the USDA-accredited certifier seat.
About the NOSB
The NOSB is a Federal Advisory Board established under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. The Board operates in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act to assist in developing standards for substances used in organic production and to advise the Secretary on aspects of the National Organic Program. Learn more about NOP and the Board on our website at www.ams.usda.gov/organic.
Organic Outlook: U.S. Organic Industry Growth Looks Strong for the Year Ahead
As the number of certified organic farm in the U.S. continues to grow, so too has organic consumer demand. The gap between these two will be critical over the year to come.
September 28, 2020 (SILVER SPRING, MD) – More land and operations have converted to USDA certified organic production over 2020, expanding the footprint of organics within U.S. agriculture according to the newly released Mercaris Commodity Outlook for 2020/21.
Mercaris, the nation’s leading market data service and online trading platform for organic, non-GMO and certified agricultural commodities, today released its annual outlook.
“The role of organic in U.S. agriculture continues to expand, bolstered by growing consumer preferences and challenging markets for conventionally grown commodities,” said Ryan Koory, Director of Economics for Mercaris. “And 2020 appears to be a clear reflection of this, as many crops are projected to see harvested acres reach record levels this year.”
In total, Mercaris estimates U.S. harvested organic field crop area will exceed 3.4 million acres over the 2020/21 MY, up 4% y/y. In addition to more harvested acres, the 2020/21 yield outlook for many key U.S. organic crops is expected to rebound following 2019/20’s dismal planting and harvest weather conditions.
With larger U.S. organic commodity supplies on the horizon, growth in organic livestock production and feed demand will be critical over 2020/21. Following the rapid global spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, supply chains, trade partners, and U.S. households found themselves in an unpredictable new world. Despite this, U.S. organic consumer demand appears to have held up over 2019/20, with both organic broiler and turkey meat production achieving y/y growth.
“The expansion in organic turkey production this year has been nothing short of phenomenal. We estimate the daily rate of organic turkey slaughter jumped 147% over the past year. From 5,600 head per day over August 2019, to 13,800 head per day over August 2020. Maintaining Augusts’ slaughter rate alone is enough to significantly expand total organic turkey slaughter over 2020/21” said Koory.
Furthermore, Mercaris anticipates that U.S. consumer markets for organic protein will continue to expand in the 2020/21 MY, however this outlook is largely dependent on the strength of the U.S. economy and consumer demand over the year to come.
Additional findings from Mercaris Commodity Outlook include:
Mercaris estimates the number of certified organic operations in the U.S. will reach 19,888 over 2020/21, a 4% increase y/y.
Organic corn livestock feed use is projected to increase 6% y/y over the 2020/21 MY as organic poultry production continues to boost demand for U.S. organic grain feed.
U.S. organic soybean crush is projected to increase 13% y/y over 2020/21 as organic soybean meal imports plateau, and livestock feed demand continues to expand.
U.S. non-GMO soybean planted area expanded 19% y/y over 2020.
U.S. non-GMO corn planted area increased 8% y/y over 2020.
Bayer’s XtendFlex Soybeans Gain Final Key Regulatory Approval
Bayer announced today that the European Commission has authorized XtendFlex soybean technology for food, feed, import and processing in the European Union. This milestone represents the final key authorization for XtendFlex soybeans. With this approval in hand, Bayer can now look forward to a full launch in the United States and Canada in 2021 and expects to be in a strong position to supply 20 million U.S. soy acres when the selling season arrives.
“XtendFlex soybeans will be Bayer’s second major product launch in soybeans in the last 5 years,” said Lisa Safarian, President of Crop Science North America. “The upcoming launch in 2021 highlights the strength of the Bayer soybean pipeline, as well as the investment that Bayer continues to make in our soybean portfolio and the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System. XtendFlex soybeans are the latest example of Bayer developing innovative products to help farmers meet challenges on their farm.”
XtendFlex soybeans, Bayer’s newest soybean technology, are built upon the high-yielding Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean technology that growers have grown to trust with the additional tolerance to glufosinate herbicides. XtendFlex soybeans provide growers with additional flexibility to manage tough-to-control and resistant weeds.
“We’ve seen great demand for XtendFlex soybeans from our customers,” said Lisa Streck, Bayer soybean launch lead. “Based on that demand, we’ve developed a supply plan to meet the market demand in 2021, across all maturities, Bayer brands and licensees. We expect the launch of XtendFlex to match the launch scale of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans, which were planted on 20 million acres in their first year of commercial availability. This technology offers outstanding yield potential and weed control flexibility that will benefit soybean farmers across the U.S.”
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