Tuesday September 8 Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending September 6, 2020, there were 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 34% very short, 39% short, 26% adequate, and 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 30% very short, 37% short, 32% adequate, and 1% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 6% very poor, 10% poor, 22% fair, 41% good, and 21% excellent. Corn dented was 84%, ahead of 65% last year and 75% for the five-year average. Mature was 27%, well ahead of 7% last year, and ahead of 12% average. Harvested was 1%.

Soybean condition rated 5% very poor, 10% poor, 22% fair, 45% good, and 18% excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 37%, well ahead of 5% last year and 17% average. Harvested was 1%.

Winter wheat planted was 2%, near 3% last year and 4% average.

Sorghum condition rated 5% very poor, 9% poor, 29% fair, 31% good, and 26% excellent. Sorghum coloring was 78%, well ahead of 50% last year, and ahead of 73% average. Mature was 12%, ahead of 1% last year, and near 8% average.

Dry edible bean condition rated 1% very poor, 1% poor, 14% fair, 66% good, and 18% excellent. Dry edible beans setting pods was 95%. Dropping leaves was 45%, well ahead of 25% last year. Harvested was 25%.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 23% very poor, 26% poor, 26% fair, 22% good, and 3% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION
 
In spite of some locally heavy rain, Iowa farmers had 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 6, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Although drought conditions continue to be a concern for most of the State, some areas of northeast and east central Iowa received over an inch of rain during the week. Field activities included harvesting hay, chopping corn silage and harvesting seed corn. There were reports of high moisture corn and a few soybean fields harvested.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 38% very short, 42% short, 20% adequate and 0% surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 38% very short, 41% short, 21% adequate and 0% surplus. The State’s topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions continue to be over three-quarters short to very short.

Corn was 84% in or beyond dent stage, 18 days ahead of the previous year and 1 week ahead of the 5-year average. Over one-quarter of the crop was mature, almost 3 weeks ahead of last year and just over 1 week ahead of average. Corn condition rated 43% good to excellent, a drop of 2 percentage points from the previous week.

Soybeans coloring or beyond advanced to 58%. That is 2 weeks ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of average. Soybeans dropping leaves reached 19% this week, two weeks ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of average. This is the highest percentage dropping leaves by September 6 since 2005. Soybean condition fell again this week with the crop now rated 47% good to excellent, the lowest level so far this season.

Alfalfa hay third cutting was 93% complete, over a month ahead of last year and 2 weeks ahead of the 5-year average.

Pasture condition fell 4 percentage points this week to just 12% good to excellent. Over half of Iowa’s pastures are in poor to very poor condition. Cattlemen continue supplemental feeding of hay due to deteriorating pasture conditions.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress Report:  Corn, Soybean Conditions Continue to Fall

U.S. corn and soybean ratings fell again last week, according to the USDA NASS weekly Crop Progress report released on Tuesday.

NASS estimated that 61% of the nation's corn crop was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sunday, Sept. 6, down 1 percentage point from 62% the previous week. The crop's current good-to-excellent rating is still tied for the fifth highest in the past 10 years.

The report claimed 97% of corn was in the dough stage as of Sunday, 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Seventy-nine percent of the crop was dented, 8 percentage points ahead of the average. Corn mature was estimated at 25%, 6 percentage points ahead of the five-year average.

Like corn, soybean conditions also declined again last week. NASS estimated that 65% of the nation's soybean crop was in good-to-excellent condition as of Sept. 6, also down 1 percentage point from the previous week. The crop's current good-to-excellent rating is the fourth highest in 10 years. Soybeans dropping leaves was estimated at 20%, 4 percentage points ahead of five-year average.

Spring wheat harvest continued to make steady progress last week, moving ahead another 13 percentage points to reach 82% complete as of Sunday, now bringing it within 5 percentage points of the five-year average.



AFAN celebrates Lincoln Premium Poultry’s one-year anniversary

The Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN) is celebrating Lincoln Premium Poultry’s first year of success in their Fremont, Nebraska plant! LPP has shown resilience and grit through first year hiccups and a worldwide pandemic. On August 31st everything paid off as they finally reached their goal of operating at full capacity.  “In the past year, our team members have worked through a year-long ramp up, kinks being worked out in equipment, a steep learning curve, and a global pandemic! They have continued to show up and get the job done each and every day.  They are an inspiring group and we couldn’t be more proud of them.” Said Jessica Kolterman, Director of Administration at LPP.

Lincoln Premium Poultry continues to share their success with the community of Fremont, Nebraska. Despite whatever challenges arise in the community, LPP is always willing to step up and help. Mayor Scott Getzschman praises LPP for their partnership in the community. “As we approach the first anniversary of Lincoln Premium Poultry/ Costco, Fremont continues to be blessed to have such a wonderful partner. Their team has worked extremely hard to ensure they are meeting and exceeding all the guidance that was discussed during the planning process for this project, they are active in community activities, and they are very Philanthropic when it comes to giving.   We look forward to our continued partnership and their success for many years to come.”

But the success of Lincoln Premium Poultry does not begin and end in the town of Fremont. Springbank Poultry in Allen, near Wakefield in northeast Nebraska is a prime example. Hannah Borg, whose family added a poultry operation, says it has given her the opportunity, as the sixth generation, to return to the family farm for her career. “My parents decided to expand and diversify our crop/ cattle farm operation by building barns for Lincoln Premium Poultry,” she said. "Starting any new business is hard but starting a new business with no existing knowledge is even harder. My mom and I had never stepped foot into a chicken barn before the day we got our first batch of chickens so every aspect of raising chickens was brand new to us. Everything that we do on a daily basis had to be learned. It took us awhile but now we are confident in our abilities to be successful pullet growers. We are proud to be a part of growing chickens for Costco.”

“At AFAN we are constantly working to add value to Nebraska agriculture through projects like Lincoln Premium Poultry. However, these projects become much more rewarding when we can bring generations back to family farms such as the Borg operation,” says Steve Martin, executive director of AFAN. AFAN was an integral part of recruiting this project to the state, helping site barns, attending zoning hearings in support of growers and seeing it to completion. AFAN provides free one-on-one service to anyone interested in expanding or adding livestock to current operations.

Steve Martin commented “We are so excited to celebrate with LPP as they commemorate their first year of business and the exciting news that they were able to reach one hundred percent of internal operations this last week.” Lincoln Premium Poultry will be able to provide Costco with approximately 2 million chickens each week! LPP, in conjunction with their community in Nebraska, are truly doing their part in feeding a small portion of our growing world.



CASNR graduates second-largest class in history

One in four jobs is connected to the agricultural and natural resources industry in Nebraska. Agriculture is not only important to the state of Nebraska, but also to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The agricultural and food sectors hold more than 21 million jobs, and that number continues to rise annually.  

CASNR serves as a hub for preparing students to lead the talented workforce of their generation by attracting change-makers and future leaders to earn their education in Nebraska. The college recently graduated its second-largest class in history, with only two fewer graduates than the largest class.

“The college is committed to ensuring a talented workforce for the state of Nebraska and that starts by helping our students discover their unique strengths and talents,” said CASNR Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss.  

“To guide them on this exploration, we foster an inclusive environment that empowers students to co-create their learning experiences in a manner that will prepare them for a career that aligns with their passion.”

To learn more about the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, visit https://casnr.unl.edu.  



2020 Fall District Meetings Schedules and Invitations

It is time for the NeFU Fall District Meetings.

Thanks, or no thanks to COVID-19, Farmers Union at the national and state level has transitioned all summer and fall in-person meetings to virtual events. Our summer NFU committee and board meetings were held by Zoom or conference call, as are our fall NFU committee and board meetings this week.  Next week, our annual Fall Fly-In will also be held virtually.

In an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our members, our NeFU Fall District Meetings will all be held by conference call.

As of now, the plan is to make our December 4-5 State Convention a Zoom event.  As you do your county meetings, and elect Delegates and Alternates, you will need to keep that in mind.

If you cannot make your District meeting, feel free to visit a neighboring District meeting. All meeting materials will be emailed out to members on our list serve. If you want to attend and want the materials, you can also call the state office at 402-476-8815. Or, the meeting materials will be available on our website at: www.nebraskafarmersunion.org.

The conference call information for all District meetings is: (425) 436-6383. The Access code is 261790#.

District 4                     7:00 pm           Tuesday, September 15
District 6                    7:00 pm          Thursday, September 17
District 7                    7:00 pm          Monday, September 21
District 2                    7:00 pm          Tuesday, September 22
Districts 1 & 3            7:00 pm          Wednesday, September 23
District 5                    7:00 pm          Thursday, September 24

·         District’s 1 and 5 need to nominate candidates to serve on the NeFU Board of Directors. It is a 3 year term. Al Davis is the current District 1 Director and Ben Gotschall is the current District 5 Director.

·         All Districts need to nominate one or two candidates to run for NFU Convention delegates from Nebraska. The top three vote getters will be delegates and the next three vote getters will be alternates ranked by the order of votes they received.

·         President, Vice President, and Secretary District officers are elected at the Fall District meeting.

If you have questions or need information, call NE Farmers Union at (402) 476-8815.  



Online seminar to cover value of metaphylaxis in high health risk cattle

An upcoming virtual seminar from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will focus on the economic payoffs to matching cattle, season and type of antibiotics used for metaphylaxis on high risk cattle.

The seminar will be presented on Sept. 15, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., by Elliott Dennis, assistant professor of livestock marketing and risk management in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

Dennis will present research and analysis to assist producers and veterinarians in creating health management protocols that effectively target Bovine Respiratory Disease in high health risk cattle.

The seminar is free to attend, but registration is required at farm.unl.edu.



Don’t risk abortions this winter: Double check your cow herd vitamin A supplementation plans
Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist
     
Pasture mature and brown early due to drought?
If so, then don’t forget to make sure you are supplementing enough Vitamin A. Green grass has a lot of vitamin A. In fact, cows typically build up stores over the spring and summer, and those stores along with a little bit of extra supplementation, usually get them through the winter. The most common times that vitamin A deficiency start to pop up is in the winter after a summer drought. This is because brown grass and many stored forages are a poor source of vitamin A. In drought years, cows may have 8 plus months without enough dietary vitamin A to meet their needs, which can result in depleted body stores. Depleted stores can result in vitamin A deficiency symptoms, such as abortion/still births, poor breed up, diarrhea in calves and overall increases in calf sickness. Remember, for many spring calving cow/calf herds, calving occurs right at or before green grass is available, and thus at the time when cows have the lowest vitamin A status.  

How much vitamin A do you need to provide to cows?
The typical vitamin A requirement is suggested to be 42,000 IU/day for a 1300 lb non-lactating cow, and when lactating, her requirement increases to 59,000 IU/d. Therefore, if you are using a 4 oz free choice mineral, it would need to contain 168,000 IU/lb for a dry cow and 234,000 IU/lb for a lactating cow. If you are planning to use a 2 oz a day mineral, then the concentrations would have to be double those listed above. These concentrations in the mineral mix assume cows are eating the targeted amount of mineral. So, if you dilute your mineral with additional salt, don’t count the extra salt in to your intake targets.   You want to be sure the cows are eating the 4 or 2 oz of actual mineral mix per day.   Many free choice minerals are not formulated to fully supply the cow’s needs because they are made for cattle grazing green pasture. Remember green grass is a great source. In fact, it can provide over 10 times the suggested requirement, but in drought years this is likely not the case. If you use a vitamin fortified protein cube, pellet or feed mix, take the cow’s requirement and divide it by the number of pounds you are going to feed. For example, when fed at ½ lb/d the supplement would need to contain 84,000 IU/lb to meet a dry cow’s needs (42,000 IU/d ÷ 0.5 lb/d = concentration needed IU/lb).

Stored forages as vitamin A sources?
A big challenge with hay and silage is that the vitamin A content can be quite variable. It is worth noting that fresh green hay harvested before the plant has matured, can meet 80 to 90% of a dry cow’s vitamin A requirement. However, levels in hay can vary a lot depending on maturity at harvest, drying time, as well as storage time and method. The less mature and less exposure to the sun and moisture the better. Well managed corn silage, can also be a good source of vitamin A, containing about twice as much vitamin A as green hay.   However, like hay it can vary considerably. Some hays and silage, along with dormant range, and corn residue are practically devoid of vitamin A. Bottom-line, if the forage is brown or tan in color, don’t count on it to supply vitamin A. The amount of vitamin A in a drought year hay is another reason why there is an increased risk of vitamin A deficiency. The hay harvested during drought is often lower in vitamin A as plants can be dead or dormant at harvest. 

Why should you change from your normal winter vitamin A supplement plan after a drought?
If you look at what you provided last winter, it may be less than the suggestion above, and you may have gotten along just fine. The key is that the cows likely had good stores of vitamin A going into winter, due to their time spent grazing green pasture, and thus could use those stores along with what was in the diet to meet their needs. This year, cow liver stores going into winter in areas affected by drought, may not be as good, and may not be sufficient to meet the cow’s needs.   So, take a look at your supplement to see if it will meet your cow’s needs without depending on her to use body stores.  



USDA Designates 13 Iowa Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 13 Iowa counites as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Adair, Audubon, Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Dallas, Greene, Guthrie, Sac, Shelby and Webster counties who suffered losses due to 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 Iowa counties of Adams, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Hamilton, Harrison, Humboldt, Ida, Madison, Monona, Montgomery, Pocahontas, Polk, Pottawattamie, Story, Union, Warren, Woodbury and Wright are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is April 26, 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.



Farm Advocates & Plant Operators Press President Trump to Defend Biofuels

In a letter today, 93 farm organizations, biofuel stakeholders, and plant managers from across the country called on President Trump to “stand up against an urgent threat facing rural communities” and reject oil industry exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

“Our communities are still working to rebuild America’s agricultural supply chain in the wake of COVID-19,” wrote the farm and biofuel supporters. “Recent storms that swept the Midwest, impacting millions of acres, only add greater urgency of the situation. The last thing we can afford is more needless uncertainty fueled by an endless battle with Washington bureaucrats.”

“We’ve seen too many plants shut down, too many jobs lost, and too many farmers deprived of vital markets,” they added.

The letter was offered in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ongoing consideration of nearly 100 refinery exemptions, including 67 retroactive ‘gap-year’ petitions designed to circumvent a court decision restoring integrity to the nation’s biofuel targets.

“America’s farmers and biofuel workers need to see the White House finally put an end to EPA’s demand destruction,” says Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “These so-called ‘gap-year’ exemptions represent a clear attempt to sidestep the law at the expense of rural communities. Every day the EPA does not act, the agency is injecting more uncertainty into the market and threatening the rural recovery.”



CFAP Sign Up Deadline is Friday

Farmers have until this Friday, September 11, to sign up for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).

CFAP provides much-needed assistance to begin to help farmers and their customers recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The $16 billion program is intended to support farmers and ranchers, maintain the integrity of the food supply chain, and ensure Americans continue to receive and have access to food. As of August 31, the program has provided $9.44 billion in direct payments to farmers, including corn farmers.

Corn farmers have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. NCGA analysis projects an $89 per acre average revenue decline for 2020, compared to pre-COVID-19 projections.

Farmers who have yet to sign up can visit farmers.gov/cfap to apply or can call the Farm Service Agency office at their local USDA Service Center.

Details regarding the second round of CFAP could be announced by USDA later this week.



USDA Reminds Farmers of September 30 Deadline to Update Safety-Net Program Crop Yields

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farm owners that they have a one-time opportunity to update Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program yields for covered commodities on the farm. The deadline is September 30, 2020, to update yields, which are used to calculate the PLC payments for 2020 through 2023. Additionally, producers who elected Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) should also consider updating their yields.

“The last time farmers could update yields for these important safety-net programs was in 2014,” said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce. “It is the farm owner’s choice whether to update or keep existing yields. So, if you rent, you’ll need to communicate with your landlord who will be the one to sign off on the yield updates.”

Updating yields requires the signature of one owner on a farm and not all owners. If a yield update is not made, no action is required to maintain the existing base crop yield on file with FSA.

For program payments, updated yields will apply beginning with the 2020 crop year which, should payments trigger, will be paid out in October of 2021.

Determining Yield Updates
The updated yield will be equal to 90% of the average yield per planted acre in crop years 2013-2017. That excludes any year where the applicable covered commodity was not planted and is subject to the ratio obtained by dividing the 2008-2012 average national yield by the 2013-2017 average national yield for the covered commodity.

If the reported yield in any year is less than 75 percent of the 2013-2017 average county yield, the yield will be substituted with 75 percent of the county average yield.

More information
PLC yields may be updated on a covered commodity-by-covered commodity basis by submitting FSA form CCC-867 to include a farm owner’s signature.  For more information, reference resources, and decision tools, visit farmers.gov/arc-plc.



American Dairy Coalition Applauds Congressman Mike Gallagher for His Efforts to Fix the 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines

The American Dairy Coalition appreciates the efforts of Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) for spearheading a bipartisan effort in the state of Wisconsin, asking the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to remove the current caps on saturated fat and allow schoolchildren and others the opportunity to drink whole milk and other full-fat dairy products while attending school each day. The current proposed 2020-25 Draft Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are once again not allowing full-fat dairy products into schools. Under Rep. Gallagher’s leadership, a bipartisan group of Wisconsin legislators including Congressmen Glen Grothman (R-WI), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Ron Kind (D-WI) asked USDA and HHS to address concerns that the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) failed to consider a massive body of recent peer-reviewed research showing that longstanding caps on saturated fats are no longer supported by science.
 
Laurie Fischer, Founder and CEO of the American Dairy Coalition states, “We must not implement the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans until the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services certify that the information in this report is based on the most up-to-date scientific research and unbiased review protocols, as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). This entire process has been flawed for many years. The DGA should include the most current scientific studies on nutrition, including the most recent publications and reviews on weight loss, carbohydrate restriction, and saturated fat intake to determine the dietary needs of all Americans. Utilizing flexibility in the choice of full-fat dairy foods, such as a glass of whole milk for schoolchildren, is a necessary part of a balanced, healthy diet for all Americans. We should not wait another 5 years to address this broken process."
 
The American Dairy Coalition and the producers that they represent across the nation appreciate Congressman Gallagher and the fellow signees of his letter for understanding how important this issues is to farmers. They pride themselves in providing quality, delicious nutrition for children across the nation, but the current caps prevent their most nutritious and best-tasting product from reaching children in schools. Denying kids full-fat dairy based on outdated science is irresponsible.
 
As JJ Pagel, a Wisconsin Dairy Farmer states, "We are grateful for our Congressman, especially my very own Rep. Gallagher, for taking the lead on this important issue. I'm proud to be a dairy farmer in the heart of America's Dairyland, producing wholesome, safe, affordable milk each and every day. But the ban on whole milk and whole fat dairy foods needs to end. It's time that we are able to offer our best-tasting, most nutritious product as a choice- especially for our kids in schools. We need to get this right."
 
The American Dairy Coalition urges the USDA and HHS to heed the requests on Representative Gallagher and his fellow Congressmen. Our nation’s children deserve the access to choose high-quality, nutritious, and great-tasting whole milk in schools. We cannot wait another 5 years to get this right.



Farmers Union to Host Family Farmers for Virtual Fly-In

As a global pandemic and extreme weather events batter an already weak agricultural economy, hundreds of farmers, ranchers, and rural residents will gather online next week to speak directly with their elected representatives and administration officials as part of National Farmers Union’s (NFU) virtual legislative fly-in.

Advocates from across the country will campaign for policies that support pandemic recovery, reduce chronic overproduction, restore competition to agricultural markets, strengthen rural healthcare, improve access to broadband internet, ensure the success of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), help farmers and ranchers implement climate-smart practices, and expand the market for homegrown biofuels.

NFU will kick off the virtual fly-in on Monday, September 14, with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) briefing, during which participants will hear from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and and Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand.

The event will continue the following day with a Congressional briefing featuring Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture Collin Peterson, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senator Jon Tester, and Representative Frank Lucas. Throughout the week, participants will also join small-group meetings with congressional offices, a panel discussion on USPS, and a virtual social gathering.



USDA Seeks Nominations for the Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality Research

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the invitation for nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for a two-year term on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality Research. The Task Force advises the Secretary on air quality and its relationship to agriculture based on sound scientific findings and review of research on agricultural air quality supported by federal agencies.

“The Task Force is another example of USDA’s continued commitment to developing science-based solutions and conservation measures that not only reduce the agriculture industry’s environmental impact but, in many ways, enhance our natural resources through improved agricultural practices,” Secretary Perdue said. “Bringing together a variety of perspectives and scientific insights to this Task Force will help reach solutions to resolve air quality challenges.”

Background:
Earlier this year, Secretary Perdue announced the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a department-wide initiative to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will stimulate innovation so that American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 percent while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050. Read more about the Agriculture Innovation Agenda.

Created by the 1996 Farm Bill, the Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality Research promotes USDA research efforts and identifies cost-effective ways the agriculture industry can improve air quality. The Task Force has historically consisted of agricultural producers, agricultural industry representatives, researchers and scientists and members of the health and regulatory committees. The Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will chair the Task Force.

USDA is committed to ensuring that the Task Force is composed of a wide diversity of people who have interest and expertise in air quality issues related to agriculture. Equal opportunity practices, in line with the USDA policies, will be followed in all appointments to the Committee.

Applying for Membership:
The Federal Register notice announcing the request for nominations to the Task Force contains information about how to nominate an interested person for membership. Interested candidates may nominate themselves. Nominations should be typed and include the following:
    A brief summary (two pages or less) explaining the nominee’s qualifications to serve on the Task Force
    A resume providing the nominee’s background, experience and educational qualifications
    A completed background disclosure form (Form AD-755) (PDF, 2.1 MB) signed by the nominee
    Any recent publications by the nominee relative to agricultural air quality (if appropriate)
    Letters of endorsement (optional)

Nominations can be submitted to Greg Zwicke, the Designated Federal Officer for the Task Force, by either:
    E-mail: greg.zwicke@usda.gov
    Mail or Hand Delivery: Mr. Greg Zwicke, Designated Federal Officer, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA-NRCS, West National Technology Support Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building A, Suite 314B, Fort Collins, CO 80526

For more information, visit the Task Force homepage... https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/air/taskforce/.  



Farmers gain more flexibility and confidence in their weed management systems with Enlist E3® soybeans

With the vacated registrations of three dicamba herbicides this summer, including XtendiMax®, Engenia® and FeXapan®, farmers are looking for additional soybean weed management options. Those options start with seed. Golden Harvest offers farmers the broadest choice of soybean herbicide tolerance trait platforms, including a strong supply of Enlist E3® soybeans for 2021 planting.

For the past two years, Enlist E3 soybeans have been a critical part of the Golden Harvest soybean portfolio by providing farmers with more flexibility and confidence in their weed management programs. Enlist E3 soybeans contain the most advanced trait technology available in soybeans, delivering outstanding weed control with reduced application restrictions and application risks. By offering tolerance to 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate, Enlist E3 soybeans provide a complete system to manage tough weeds.

"As we go into next season, we know farmers are concerned about the availability of non-dicamba herbicide options," said Stephanie Porter, Golden Harvest soybean product manager. "Having a strong supply of Enlist E3 soybeans for 2021 allows us to provide farmers with more choices and the flexibility to employ multiple herbicide sites of action for effective weed control."

Enlist E3 soybeans provide excellent yield potential and agronomics, while offering superior application flexibility and tank mix options to manage resistant weeds. Looking ahead to 2021, farmers can be assured Golden Harvest is well positioned with its supply and knowledge of Enlist E3 soybeans to select the best varieties to meet their needs.

"Seed choice is among the most important decision farmers make each year," said Porter. "Golden Harvest is committed to doing whatever it takes to help farmers choose which trait options will best fit their unique farm logistics and field needs. With more choices available, we can help them better navigate these regulatory changes."

For 2021, Golden Harvest expanded its product portfolio with the release of 22 new soybean varieties. In addition to Enlist E3, it offers farmers access to Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans and LibertyLink® GT27™.  

The 22 new varieties for 2021 range in relative maturity from 0.05 to 5.1 and provide advanced trait technology for maximum soybean yield potential.
    14 varieties include the Enlist E3 trait technology with three modes of action.
        3 offer Sulfonyl-Urea Tolerant Soybeans (STS®) herbicide tolerance and may increase tolerance to ALS-inhibitors, allowing higher application rates on select herbicides.
    6 varieties include Roundup Ready 2 Xtend trait technology.
    2 varieties include LibertyLink GT27 trait technology.

In addition to seed selection, it is equally important farmers consider their weed management strategy and start the season clean.

"We recommend farmers implement an integrated approach to weed management that includes starting strong by using a preemergent herbicide, such as BroadAxe® XC or Boundary® 6.5 EC, and then following up with an early post-emergent herbicide application, such as Sequence® plus Enlist One®," said Bobby Bachman, herbicide product marketing lead for Syngenta. "This approach allows the crop the ability to maximize yield potential, while also utilizing the trait technology to fight back against tough to manage weeds."



New Test Detects Canola Engineered With Gene-Editing Technology

A coalition of civil society groups in Europe has announced the development of a new test for detecting genetically engineered (GE) canola developed with a gene-editing technique, demonstrating that crops developed with newer forms of genetic engineering can in fact be detected in the food supply, and require labeling under U.S. law.

“Gene-edited foods must be labeled as GMOs under the U.S. National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Act,” said Bill Freese, Science Policy Analyst at Center for Food Safety. “The approach used to develop this new test can be applied to develop detection methods for most, if not all, gene-edited crops, demonstrating that there is no longer any excuse for food companies to evade the law by claiming gene-edited ingredients are undetectable,” he added.   

The test method was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Foods, and has been validated by the Austrian Environmental Protection Agency, the Umweltsbundesamt.

The GE gene-edited canola was developed by the biotechnology company Cibus to withstand direct application of certain herbicides, and is grown on a limited basis in the U.S. and Canada.