Thursday February 18 Ag News

 Processing Newborn Calves
Connor Biehler, NE Extension Educator, Saunders County
 
 Producers anticipate calving season by working relentlessly to make sure their herd is properly managed, healthy, fed, and vaccinated. Once a cow has calved ideally there is a healthy calf to tend to, and a new set of protocols are administered for raising that calf. Due to the broad scope of the U.S. beef industry, producers’ strategies after weaning may vary. But before that time comes, specific procedures need to be conducted to properly manage the calf through weaning and prepare them for the next stage of production.

Calving should be attempted to be conducted in a clean and dry environment, and out of the elements if possible. Calving in confinement has its advantages, but if the environment is muddy or dirty newborn calves can develop scours or respiratory issues. Once a newborn calf is dry it is important to make sure that they receive colostrum within the first 12 hours of birth to help administer antibodies that calves are born without and will build up their immune system.

Colostrum is a source of immunoglobins, energy, vitamins, and minerals that transfers immunities from the cow to the calf to help prevent illness. Maximum antibody exposure from colostrum is the greatest within the first four hours post-calving. Weak calves should be tube fed stored colostrum if they have not nursed within the first four hours. After 12 hours the offspring’s ability to absorb the immunoglobins in colostrum drastically decreases.  

Producers should work closely with their veterinarian to develop a herd health protocol tailored to their operation. Some protocols that should be administered in the first 24 hours include dipping the newborns navel in iodine, tagging, and weighing the calf. Dipping the navel as soon as possible after birth helps to prevent bacterial infections. Tagging works as a temporary and early identification system to easily determine the dam of a calf if pairs were to get separated. Weighing calves is important for purebred/seedstock producers to record EPDs. Cows should also be checked to see if they have cleaned up their afterbirth. If a cow retains her placenta, contact a veterinarian, or administer a long-acting antibiotic, but DO NOT try pulling it out. Pulling those membranes does more harm than good and can cause issues such as delayed heat cycles.

After 24 hours post-calving, calves should look perky and well fed. Calves will sleep a lot in the first week of life, but when they are up, observe for signs of weather stress, lethargy, or starvation. Remember to check calves more frequently in instances of severe weather. After 72 hours all pairs that are doing well should be moved from calving area to pasture. Keeping pairs on large, well-drained pastures reduces incidence of scours.

For more information on processing newborn calves reach me at my office (402)624-8007 or my cell (402)413-8557 or follow my twitter page @BigRedBeefTalk for more information on Nebraska Beef Extension. Wishing you all a safe and prosperous calving season!



Rural Mainstreet Economy Expands Again: Economic Outlook Soars to Highest Level since 2011
 
For the fourth time in the past five months, the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) climbed above growth neutral. According to the monthly survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of a 10-state region dependent on agriculture and/or energy, the index increased to its highest level since January 2020.          

Overall: The overall index for February rose to 53.8 from January’s 52.0. The index ranges between 0 and 100 with a reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral.

“Sharp gains in grain prices, federal farm support, and the Federal Reserve’s record-low interest rates have underpinned the Rural Mainstreet Economy. Only 8% of bank CEOs indicated economic conditions worsened from the previous month. Even so, current rural economic activity remains below pre-pandemic levels,” said Ernie Goss, PhD, Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business.  

Farming and ranching: For a fifth straight month, the farmland price index advanced above growth neutral. The February reading climbed to 60.0, its highest level since May 2013, and up from 56.3 in January. This is first time since 2013 that Creighton’s survey has recorded five straight months of above growth-neutral farmland prices.

Bank CEOs estimated 2021 cash land rent for non-irrigated, non-pastureland at $218.  

The February farm equipment-sales index rose to 62.7, its highest reading since February 2013, and up from 54.5 in January. After 86 straight months of readings below growth neutral, farm equipment bounced into growth territory for the last three months.    

“As a result of the rapidly improving farm economy, bankers expect farm equipment sales to expand by 3.8% over the next 12 months. This is up significantly from October when bank CEOs estimated that farm equipment sales would fall by an additional 3.1% over the same period,” said Goss.  

Below are the state reports:
Nebraska: The Nebraska RMI for February expanded to 58.4 from January’s 55.6. The state’s farmland-price index climbed to 62.3 from last month’s 56.1. Nebraska’s new-hiring advanced to 55.2 from 45.4 in January. Over the past 12 months, Nebraska’s Rural Mainstreet economy has lost 2.4% of its nonfarm employment compared to a 2.2% loss for urban areas of the state.   

Iowa: The February RMI for Iowa increased to 54.0 from January’s 51.2. Iowa’s farmland-price index rose to 60.1 from 55.9 in January. Iowa’s new-hiring index for February advanced to 53.0 from 46.6 in January. Over the past 12 months, Iowa’s Rural Mainstreet economy has lost 4.1% of its nonfarm employment compared to a 4.2% loss for urban areas of the state.   

Each month, community bank presidents and CEOs in nonurban agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of a 10-state area are surveyed regarding current economic conditions in their communities, and their projected economic outlooks six months down the road. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming are included.   

This survey represents an early snapshot of the economy of rural agriculturally and energy-dependent portions of the nation. The Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) is a unique index covering 10 regional states, focusing on approximately 200 rural communities with an average population of 1,300. It gives the most current real-time analysis of the rural economy. Goss and Bill McQuillan, former chairman of the Independent Community Banks of America, created the monthly economic survey in 2005.



NPPC APPLAUDS USDA FOR EXTENDING COVID VACCINE SUPPORT

Declared essential by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at the onset of the COVID pandemic, hog farmers, veterinarians, livestock haulers, harvest facility employees and other workers across the pork supply chain play a vital role in our nation’s food security and rural economies. Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to deploy qualified personnel across several states to assist in the administration of the COVID vaccine. NPPC applauds the USDA for taking this special action. The following statement is attributable to NPPC President Howard “A.V.” Roth, a pork producer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin.

“The U.S. pork industry takes its role as an essential economic sector seriously and has made considerable investments to ensure the safety of its workers while maintaining its commitment to the nation’s food security. Of course, vaccination is the best defense against COVID-19 and we are grateful to the USDA for making personnel available to accelerate this national priority.”

Yesterday, NPPC launched a campaign, “You’re Essential, So It’s Essential,” to encourage U.S. pork industry workers to get vaccinated as soon as possible. For more information, visit https://nppc.org/essential/.



CattleFax Cow-Calf Survey Released

CattleFax has introduced its annual Cow-Calf Survey. Information requested in the survey provides participants and the rest of the industry with valuable data regarding industry benchmarks and trends.

Survey participants will receive a results summary packet, with useful benchmarking information that will allow managers and owners to evaluate their own operations. Items such as cow-calf profitability, tendencies of high and low return producers, regional data, and other valuable material are included. To receive the summary packet, a valid email address must be submitted. All individual results will be confidential and remain anonymous.

By completing the survey and submitting a valid email address, participants will also be entered in a drawing to win a $700 CattleFax voucher. The credit can be used for any CattleFax memberships, registration fees for education seminars (Corporate College and Risk Management Seminar), and/or registration fees for the annual Outlook and Strategies Session.

The survey can be accessed by going to CattleFax.com, selecting the About tab at the top of the page, and then clicking on 2020 Cow-Calf Survey on the sidebar. The deadline to complete the survey is Feb. 22, 2021.



Grain Bin Safety Week is February 21-27

Grain Bin Safety Week is a collaborative effort with industry leaders and agricultural professionals to raise awareness about grain bin dangers and provide education and share best safety practices to reduce the number of preventable injuries and deaths associated with grain handling and storage.

GRAIN BIN INJURIES AND FATALITIES: THE STARTLING FACTS
         Suffocation is the leading cause of death in grain accidents.
         In four seconds, an adult can sink knee-deep in flowing grain and be rendered unable to free themselves without help.
         Nearly 400 grain entrapments have been recorded in the past 10 years. It’s estimated an additional 30% of cases go unreported.
         In 2019, there were 38 grain entrapment cases – a 27% increase over 2018 and a four-year high.
         70% of grain entrapments have occurred on farms vs. commercial facilities.
         Many of these incidents involve young people who often lack a good understanding of the potential dangers and proper safety procedures.

Sources: 2019 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities and United Press International



Green Plains Announces Carbon Sequestration Partnership with Summit Carbon Solutions

Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE), today announced that three of its biorefineries have entered into a long term carbon offtake agreement with Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS), a subsidiary of Summit Agricultural Group. SCS today announced a carbon capture and sequestration project that will create the infrastructure to transport CO2 from Iowa to North Dakota for deposit into geologic storage. Capturing and storing carbon is widely viewed as a key technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combatting climate change. With this announcement, the biorefineries attached to the pipeline can dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of their biofuels. In addition, Green Plains’ Ultra-High Protein, renewable corn oil and other sustainable products will become true low carbon ingredients for aquaculture, pet food, dairy and poultry companies and low carbon feedstocks for renewable diesel.

“The partnership with Summit Carbon Solutions aligns with our ongoing transformation to lead the way in sustainable biorefining,” said Todd Becker, president and chief executive officer of Green Plains. “The future is low carbon, and while we have already made enormous strides in improving the efficiencies and sustainability of our processes through Project 24 and Fluid Quip’s extensive IP suite, taking advantage of the advancements in carbon sequestration is the next logical step of our evolution.”

“By capturing and sequestering the carbon dioxide from our biorefineries, we are able to reduce our CI score by as much as 50%, comparable or lower than other low carbon fuels available in the market today, and position our renewable fuels for low carbon markets globally,” added Becker. “Based on current LCFS markets, we believe we can achieve a minimum of 15 cents per gallon margin uplift as well as potential for carbon credits, 45Q tax incentives and direct returns on our investment in the pipeline and SCS.”

Green Plains will initially connect the biorefineries at Fairmont, Minn., Fergus Falls, Minn. and Superior, Iowa, and have the option to expand to additional locations as the pipeline network grows. When completed, SCS is expected to have infrastructure capable of capturing and sequestering 10 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of removing over two million cars from the road each year.

“Combined with growth in sustainable Ultra-High Protein, clean sugar production and renewable corn oil, carbon capture and sequestration will usher in a new era for our biorefinery products,” added Becker. “We believe this puts ethanol on a path toward achieving carbon neutrality. Collaborating with SCS on this project will help to address the urgent global need for decarbonization, while contributing to the infrastructure necessary to launch full scale carbon capture and sequestration for biorefineries across the Midwest.”

Green Plains will make an initial investment in Summit Carbon Solutions to help fund the development of the project, and expects the pipeline to begin operation in late 2024.



Summit Agricultural Group Announces Creation of Summit Carbon Solutions and World’s Largest Carbon Capture and Storage Project

Today, Summit Agricultural Group announces the creation of Summit Carbon Solutions, a new business platform that will address the global challenge of decarbonization by developing the world’s largest carbon capture and storage project.  In doing so, Summit Carbon Solutions will accelerate the transition toward sustainable, renewable energy by dramatically lowering the carbon footprint of biorefineries and other carbon dioxide emission sources throughout the Midwestern region of the United States.

When fully developed, Summit Carbon Solutions will have an infrastructure network capable of capturing and permanently storing more than 10 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road per year.  In addition to the project’s positive environmental impact, it will enhance the economic sustainability of the biofuels and agriculture industries, while providing tremendous benefits to communities across the Midwest in the form of significant private investment and job creation.  Expected to be operational in 2024, Summit Carbon Solutions will be the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world.

Summit Carbon Solutions has partnered with a select group of leading biorefiners located in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota to execute the first phase of the project, which will put them on the path of ultimately delivering a net-zero-carbon fuel.  In addition to biorefiners, Summit Carbon Solutions will partner with other industries throughout the Midwest that have carbon reduction goals to help them capture and store their carbon emissions.

“This is a giant leap forward for the biofuels industry,” said Bruce Rastetter, CEO of Summit Agricultural Group. “Carbon capture and storage is a future-focused solution that allows the biorefiners to lower their already attractive carbon footprint by up to 50 percent.”

“Simply put, this will be the most impactful development for the biofuels industry and Midwestern agriculture in decades,” Rastetter added. “We are grateful for our partnership with a significant group of forward-thinking biorefiners who have agreed to partner with us on this exciting new venture.”

Summit Carbon Solutions is proceeding with initial engineering, design and permitting associated with the project, which will permanently store carbon dioxide in underground saline geologic formations.

“Summit Carbon Solutions is a truly transformational project,” said Summit Ag Investors President Justin Kirchhoff. “This opportunity helps satisfy the urgent global need to decarbonize and meets the ever-growing demand for low carbon fuels by collaborating with leading biorefineries to capture and store carbon on a scale not yet achieved anywhere in the world.”



New CCS Venture Puts Ethanol on Path to Net-Zero Emissions

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement after the announcement of a new carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project called Summit Carbon Solutions:

“ACE welcomes the announcement of this ambitious and important project which recognizes the incredible potential ethanol holds to help achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the U.S. by capturing the CO2 from corn ethanol fermentation and transporting it via pipeline to a final carbon sequestration site.    Given improvements occurring in corn farming and within ethanol facilities, corn ethanol’s carbon intensity (CI) continues to drop, and this project would harness the added benefit of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) which puts ethanol on a path to attain net-zero emissions.

“ACE looks forward to supporting our members who participate in this endeavor to increase the value of their ethanol by improving their carbon footprint, supporting their rural communities, and helping the nation reach net-zero carbon emissions by midcentury.”



Weekly Ethanol Production for 2/12/2021

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending February 12, ethanol production slowed by 2.8%, or 26,000 barrels per day (b/d), to a 20-week low of 911,000 b/d—equivalent to 38.26 million gallons daily. Production remained 12.4% below the same week last year. The four-week average ethanol production rate decreased 1.0% to 929,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 14.24 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks scaled 2.1% higher to 24.3 million barrels, which was 2.0% below a year-ago. Inventories built across all regions except the Rocky Mountains (PADD 4) and West Coast (PADD 5).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, jumped 7.0% to 8.41 million b/d (128.88 bg annualized). Gasoline demand was 5.7% less than a year ago.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol rose 0.5% to 789,000 b/d, equivalent to 12.10 bg annualized. This was 11.9% below the year-earlier level as a result of the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were zero imports of ethanol recorded for the week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of December 2020.)



NBB Calls RFS Waiver Requests Unnecessary, Unjustified

Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) filed comments on requests from refiners, several state governors, and an environmental organization that the Environmental Protection Agency waive 2019 and 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes. Nothing the parties have described in their petitions meets the criteria EPA has established for granting a general waiver of RFS volumes, NBB writes.

Kurt Kovarik, NBB's Vice President of Federal Affairs, states, "It's unclear why EPA – in the final days before the transition to a new administration – invited public comment on these meritless waiver requests. None of the petitions provides the required evidence that the RFS itself is causing economic or environmental harm. In fact, the requests point to the continuing coronavirus emergency as the cause of economic harm, rather than the RFS.

"The argument that the RFS general waiver provision should be twisted to allow specific fossil fuel interests to skirt the program requirements is particularly absurd. It is simply a ploy to continue destroying demand for advanced biofuels like biodiesel, similar to unwarranted small refinery exemptions.

"Biodiesel and renewable diesel production generates economic opportunity for communities across the country. Moreover, cleaner, better fuels provide carbon and criteria pollutant reductions that benefit everyone. The petitions discount the economic harm that small biodiesel producers experience when the RFS program is delayed and destabilized. EPA should reject the petitions."

The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry supports 65,000 U.S. jobs and more than $17 billion in economic activity each year. Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and $780 million in economic opportunity. Biodiesel production supports approximately 13 percent of the value of each U.S. bushel of soybeans.



RFA: RFS General Waiver Requests are Unjustified and Illegal

The Renewable Fuels Association today filed comments with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in response to earlier requests from oil refiners and the governors of six oil-producing states seeking a general waiver from 2019 and 2020 renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“These waiver requests, which were rushed out the door by EPA one day before President Joe Biden was sworn in, never should have seen the light of day,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “They do not satisfy any of the criteria established by the statute and they do not comply with past EPA guidance. Continuing this charade now shows a clear misunderstanding of the statutory waiver provisions and demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge regarding how the RFS actually works. The governors themselves acknowledge that the real source of economic harm experienced by refiners in 2020 was COVID-19, not the RFS. That admission alone should immediately disqualify these requests from any further consideration.”

In his comments, Cooper laid out several reasons why EPA must reject the waiver requests, including the following:
-    The harm experienced by refineries in 2020 was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, not the Renewable Fuel Standard itself. EPA requires petitioners seeking a general waiver to show that the RFS caused severe harm to the economy of a state, region, or the United States.
-    The request by a group of small refiners that they alone be excepted from RFS requirements is clearly contrary to the law, which states that any waiver be national in scope.
-    A waiver would have no impact on renewable fuel volumes or transportation fuel prices during the compliance years for which it was requested, since they are in the past. A substantial inventory of renewable identification numbers (RINs) was carried over into 2019 and 2020 that would be available to small refineries and other obligated parties to use for compliance.
-    Academic research and the EPA’s own statements establish that refiners pass along the cost of RINs via the price they charge for fuels in the wholesale market.
-    The petitioners did not provide any economic analysis substantiating the need for a waiver, as explicitly required by the EPA’s 2008 guidance on future requests for waivers.

“It’s time for refiners to stop playing games and deal with the reality that the Renewable Fuel Standard is the law of the land—and has been so for 15 years now,” Cooper said. “The RFS promotes energy security, boosts the rural economy, and has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by almost 1 billion tons just since 2008. We are confident that the new administration will implement the RFS as intended by Congress and finally put an end to the refiners’ efforts to skirt their renewable fuel obligations.”



ACE Urges EPA to Ditch Unwarranted RFS Waiver Petitions

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) request for comments on petitions received for a waiver for refiners from their blending obligations under the 2019 and 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). EPA is not proposing to grant any of the waiver petitions but is rather seeking comment to “inform future decision-making.”

In ACE’s comments, CEO Brian Jennings highlighted the lack of merit behind the petitions from refiners, oil-state governors, and the National Wildlife Federation to waive the RFS and detailed how these requests fail to satisfy the statutory evidentiary requirements and precedent from 2008 and 2012 which require EPA to determine that the RFS itself must be proven to be the cause of “severe economic harm” to justify a waiver, not outside factors such as the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the primary argument made by the parties.

Jennings noted, “the pandemic-related shutdowns caused comparable economic harm to ethanol producers and virtually every other sector of the U.S. economy,” and further described the devastating impacts on the ethanol industry, mentioning ACE’s April 3 letter outlining three immediate steps EPA could have taken under the Trump administration to help curb the economic losses but ultimately did nothing.

ACE detailed the following topics in its comments to help inform future EPA decision-making regarding the RFS:

    Existing precedent regarding the “severe economic harm” criteria in the general wavier authority compels EPA to reject recent waiver petitions because COVID-19 is the latest cause of economic harm.
    RIN prices are not the cause of severe economic harm to these refineries and cannot be used as any justification to trigger the general waiver provision of the RFS.
    Prior abuse of small refinery exemptions undermines arguments for general waivers.
    The RFS reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, and EPA should replace its wildly outdated corn ethanol lifecycle analysis with the latest GREET model assumptions.



NMPF Statement on Proposed Immigration Reform Legislation

In response to the immigration bill introduced today in Congress, NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern offered the following statement:
 
“As a leader in agricultural labor reform efforts, NMPF knows all too well that immigration policy is one of the most controversial and difficult issues to solve. We applaud President Biden, Representative Sanchez, and Senator Menendez for stepping up and leading with the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, making clear that immigration legislation is a significant, immediate priority. Still, reforms to our immigration system must include changes crucial for the dairy workforce. These include extending to current workers and their families the legal protections they have earned and enabling dairy farmers to use a guest worker program to supplement their domestic workforce when needed.
 
“NMPF looks forward to continuing to work with our policy champions in Congress in a bipartisan manner, as well as the administration, to get ag labor reform across the finish line and secure the stable, legal workforce dairy needs to continue producing affordable nutritious food to feed our country and our world.”



Study Shows Grain Exports Support $64.5 Billion In Economic Output, 295,000 Jobs

Access to international markets for U.S. grain supported an additional $41.8 billion in business sales during 2018 over and above the value of the grain sold, according to a study commissioned by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) - highlighting the importance of new market access and robust market development for the profitability of U.S. grain farmers.

The study - the fourth in a series conducted by Informa Economics/IHS Markit - pegged the direct value of U.S. corn, sorghum, barley, the grain components of ethanol, distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and certain meat products at $22.7 billion, for a total economic output of $64.5 billion in 2018.

This analysis and that preceding it based on 2014, 2015 and 2016 sales help make the case for trade as a top priority for U.S. agriculture and the new administration's outreach to the global community.

"Exports are a driver for our economy in general, but nowhere is that more important than in agriculture," said Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO of the Council, which works in more than 50 countries to build export markets for U.S. grains and grain products.

"We know that demand today from our overseas customers helps support price and basis for farmers throughout the United States. Demand tomorrow will come from the growing populations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Putting a dollar figure to the impact that demand has here at home just highlights how important it is to keep working with our customers around the world."

The study showed in detail the importance of grains exports to the U.S. economy and jobs. It determined the export of grain products supported U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by $27 billion over what would have occurred without such exports, with roughly 295,000 jobs linked directly or indirectly to grain exports.

“This look at the economic contributions provided by each U.S. state and 52 Congressional districts will allow NCGA and our corn grower members to effectively demonstrate to lawmakers the need for policies that support U.S. agriculture’s competitiveness around the world,” said NCGA CEO Jon Doggett.

U.S. food and agriculture support up to 20 percent of all U.S. economic activity, making the industry one of the country's most important. The grain industry data show the positive impacts of grain exports extend well beyond the farm gate into wholesale trade, real estate, oil and natural gas extraction and pesticide and chemical manufacturing as well as local hospitals and restaurants supported by dollars that start with agricultural producers.

"Grains exports are a way to bring the wealth of the world home to U.S. farmers' local communities," LeGrand said. "We often tell our farmer members that the world is their market, and this study goes a long way to proving that.”

Telling the story of trade’s impact on the farm sector and the wider economy is a critical part of gaining support for trade policy enforcement and development as well as engagement with overseas customers.

“Agriculture trade is a great story for the American farmer. We’re optimistic about the many opportunities to expand our trading relationships before us today that will continue to enable U.S. agriculture to be a vital part of the U.S. economy,” Doggett said.    



Helena Readies Production of Empyros Corn Herbicides

Corn weed control gets a fresh take this season as production starts on three Empyros™ corn herbicides from Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC. Empyros, Empyros Triad and Empyros Triad Flex recently received federal registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These groundbreaking pre- and early post-emergence herbicides provide excellent control of broadleaf weeds and grasses with novel combinations of the newest HPPD inhibitor to hit the U.S. corn market.

Empyros corn herbicides are built on tolpyralate, or what Mark Wayland, Manager of Herbicide Brands at Helena, calls a “backbone chemistry.” It’s combined with industry-standard herbicides, s-metolachlor and atrazine, to create exclusive two- and three-way pre-mixes. Together, these highly complementary active ingredients broaden the weed control spectrum and offer more versatility across geographies and planting conditions.

“When we talk to customers about what they want in a new herbicide, they often tell us flexibility, and that’s what we’re providing with the Empyros family,” says Wayland. “Each formulation is tailored for different needs across the country, and with long application windows, they can be applied on your schedule.”

Empyros is a pre-mix of tolpyralate and s-metolachlor, while Empyros Triad and Empyros Triad Flex add atrazine to the mix. Three years of research show Empyros herbicides rival and often exceed the performance of market-leading two-, three- and even four-way corn herbicide pre-mixes. With the introduction of tolpyralate, Empyros herbicides take a different approach to weed control with selectivity that provides strengths lacking in other corn herbicides.  

“Tolpyralate is very strong from a post-emergence perspective, so along with activity on pigweeds, ragweeds and other common broadleaf weeds, we’re also able to get really good grass control that you don’t see with some of the other HPPD herbicides currently in the market,” says Dr. Michael Cox, Crop Protection Specialist for Research and Development at Helena. “When we couple that with a residual herbicide, we get a really complete product that gives a nice punch from one formulation.”

Empyros, Empyros Triad and Empyros Triad Flex will be available for the 2021 growing season, pending approval by state regulatory agencies. Customers are encouraged to contact their Helena representative or an authorized Empyros dealer to secure their orders now. Empyros herbicides are labeled for use in pre- and early post-emergence applications in corn.