Monday April 5 Crop Progress + Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending April 4, 2021, there were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 5% very short, 19% short, 74% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 9% very short, 24% short, 66% adequate, and 1% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Winter wheat condition rated 5% very poor, 12% poor, 43% fair, 38% good, and 2% excellent.

Oats planted was 18%, ahead of 12% last year, and near 17% for the five-year average. Emerged
was 2%, equal to last year, and near 1% average.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION

 Warm and dry days allowed Iowa farmers 4.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 4, 2021, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities included applying anhydrous and fertilizer, spreading manure and planting oats.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 8% very short, 25% short, 64% adequate and 3% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 12% very short, 29% short, 56% adequate and 3% surplus.
Twelve percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, 3 days ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of the 5-year average.

Pastures have started to green. Livestock conditions were generally good and producers report calving is going well.



First Crop Progress Report of Season Shows Winter Wheat Conditions Below Last Year

U.S. winter wheat is starting off the 2021 growing season with a good-to-excellent condition rating below last year, according to USDA NASS' first weekly Crop Progress report released Monday.  For the week ended April 4, 2021, winter wheat was rated 53% in good-to-excellent condition, down from 62% at the same time last year. Sixteen percent of the crop was rated poor to very poor, up from 9% at the same time last year.

Nationwide, corn planting reached 2% as of Sunday, equal to both last year and the five-year average pace.

Spring wheat planting was estimated at 3%, the same as last year and near the five-year average of 2%. Sorghum was 14% planted, compared to 15% last year and a five-year average of 14%.

Cotton planting was 6% complete, compared to 7% last year and an average of 5%. Rice was 14% planted, compared to 16% last year and an average of 18%.  Oats were 23% planted as of April 4, compared to 26% last year and an average of 28%. Emergence was at 18%, compared to 24% last year and an average of 25%.

Also notable in this week's report is nationwide soil moisture conditions this spring compared to last spring. In the lower 48 states, 65% of topsoil moisture was rated adequate to surplus. That is down 27 percentage points from 92% adequate to surplus at the same time last year. Subsoil moisture condition was rated 64% adequate to surplus, also down 27 percentage points from 91% last year.



Mead Town Hall: Concerned Locals, State Environmental & Ag Groups Host Discussion on AltEn Ethanol Plant Pollution

An in-person and virtual town hall meeting to discuss community concerns with the AltEn ethanol plant pollution, cleanup, health and environmental impacts, moderated by former Nebraska State Sen. Al Davis and featuring local impacted residents, state scientists and an attorney will be held on Monday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mead Covenant Church, and also offer participation in the Q&A session online, with questions submitted via Facebook or email.

WHAT: Town Hall Meeting in Mead, Nebraska (In-Person & Online Video)
TOPIC: AltEn ethanol plant and community concerns re: ongoing contamination, cleanup, health & environmental impacts
WHEN: Monday, April 12, 7:00 p.m. CT
WHERE: Mead Covenant Church, 1540 County Rd 10, Mead, NE 68041

*We are asking all in-person attendees to wear a mask and practice social distancing inside the church during the town hall event, which is open to the public.

WHO: Former Nebraska State Senator Al Davis (Moderator)
Jody Weible: Local Mead resident within a mile of the AltEn plant, who has experienced health issues, and petitioned state and federal regulators to investigate AltEn pollution; also a former 24-year member of the Mead City Planning Commission.

Paula A. Dyas: Lives just north of Mead, and is a Senior Scientist at Merck Animal Health; solicited a sample of AltEn's soil conditioner for testing after her dogs became violently ill after consuming it.

Leesa Zalesky: Lives near Wahoo, NE, and is a retired investigative journalist and author with 25 years of experience covering the agricultural industry.

Janece Molhoff: Resident of Ashland and former City Council member who initiated a wellhead protection program. Previously completed a water quality study for League of Women Voters that identified gaps in safeguards for Nebraska water.

Dr. Judy Wu-Smart: Assistant Professor of Entomology, University of Nebraska; manager of UNL Bee Lab at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Mead, where every hive deployed since 2017 has collapsed — a total of 36 hives, each containing 40,000-60,000 bees.

Dr. John Schalles: Professor of Biology at Creighton University, who uses remote sensing and geospatial analyses to assess water quality and the health of inland and coastal waters and wetland ecosystems, and teaches courses in aquatic science, remote sensing, toxicology, and zoology.

Dave Domina: Attorney with Domina Law Group, who has represented Nebraskans, landowners, and cattlemen in matters including class action lawsuits, product liability, wrongful death and serious injury, and a wide variety of complex commercial cases.
 
Mead Town Hall Local Sponsors:
Concerned Citizens of Mead
Nebraska Sierra Club
Bold Nebraska
Nebraska Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters of Nebraska
Nebraska Wildlife Federation
Wachiska Audubon
GC Resolve
Nebraska Communities United
Nebraska Farmers Union
Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light
Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
Nebraska State Grange

(VIEW ONLINE HERE: https://www.facebook.com/events/1174174353008907)



Spring Agronomy Talks Highlight Innovative Ag Systems, Research

Throughout the month of April, topics such as herbicide resistance, plant breeding technology and pasture productivity will be discussed by speakers during the Agronomy and Horticulture Spring 2021 Online Seminar Series. Seminars begin at 3:30 p.m. via Zoom here https://go.unl.edu/agrohortseminar.

Recordings of earlier seminars in Spring 2021, as well as seminars from previous years, are also available in the Agronomy and Horticulture archives.

Remaining Spring Seminars
April 9 — Research @ Scale: Developing Crop Science Products Through Innovative Science and Modern Data Architecture with Ruth Wagner, head of Data Science and Analytics at Bayer Crop Science, St. Louis, Missouri

Bayer is a life science company and a global leader in health care and nutrition whose products support efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. As the industry leader, Bayer Crop Science has a role in helping the world meet the growing challenges and demand for agricultural. In this talk, Drs. Ruth Wagner, Linda Rymarquis and Ian Davis will share how scientific innovations like gene editing and data infrastructure are shaping our Plant Biotechnology R&D pipeline.

Note: This presentation video will not be posted to the website.

April 16 — Management of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds: Challenges and Opportunities with Rodrigo Werle, assistant professor and Extension Cropping Systems weed scientist, agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Herbicide-resistant weeds represent a major threat to sustainability and profitability of row crop production systems in the U.S. Midwest and beyond. Werle will discuss ongoing research efforts in Wisconsin to provide growers and decision influencers with research-based information to be more effective and sustainable integrated weed management systems.

April 23 — From Plant Proteins and Metabolites to Protein Networks and Metabolic Pathways with Sophie Alvarez, research associate professor, agronomy and horticulture, director of the Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Nebraska Center for Biotechnology, University of Nebraska

Proteomics and metabolomics are two of the “omics” technologies that are still underrepresented in plant biology despite their well-recognized value to crop science. With the help of examples, this talk will show how using these approaches contribute to advancing our understanding of plant coping strategies and defense mechanisms when they are under stress.

April 30 — Expanding the Breeding Toolbox to Develop Soybean Cultivars with Asheesh Singh, professor, agronomy, Bayer chair in Soybean Breeding, associate chair for Discovery and Engagement, director of Graduate Education (Plant Breeding), R.F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding, Plant Sciences Institute, Iowa State University, Ames

The soybean breeding program at Iowa State University, through an interdisciplinary effort, is developing strategies and building tools to improve the breeding pipeline. This presentation will explore few emerging technologies and data analytics developed or utilized in our program to study plant traits, and describe their application in phenotyping and cultivar development.

May 7 — Increasing Pasture Productivity and Quality to Support Grazing Livestock with John A. Guretzky, associate professor and Grassland Systems ecologist, agronomy and horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

This seminar will describe the structure and function of cool-season grass pastures in the Midwest including those dominated by perennials and seeded with annuals. Strategies and knowledge gaps to enhancing pasture productivity and quality through cultivar introductions, interseeding, and planting of simple to complex mixtures will be emphasized.



2021 Nebraska Cover Crop and Soil Health Conference Presentations Available Online  

The 2021 Nebraska Cover Crop and Soil Health Conference presentations are now available online at:  https://enrec.unl.edu/nebraska-cover-crop-conference/.

Topics and presenters include:   
    Soil Sensing and Soil Health - Kristen Veum, Research Soil Scientist at USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit, University of Missouri-Columbia
    Optimizing Your Cover Crop ROI - Rebecca Clay, Strategic Initiatives Agronomy Coordinator at Practical Farmers of Iowa
    Using Aerial Imagery to Determine Cover Crop Impacts on Cash Crop Growth and Development - Dr. Andrea Basche, Assistant Professor, Agronomy & Horticulture University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    Experiences and Economics Using Cereal Rye as a Cover Crop - Chad Bell, Farmer
    Pathway toward a Healthy and Resilient Soil to Achieve Optimum Productivity and Environmental Quality: Cover Crops are Key! - Jerry Hatfield, Retired Director, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment
    On-farm Research of Incorporating Cover Crop into a 3 Crop Dryland Rotation, Ken Herz, Owner/Operator of Herz Land and Cattle
    Cover Crop Panel - discussion with growers, landowners, and consultants

The conference was held in February and is sponsored by Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Soybean Board.  Nearly 300 people participated online and another 41 attended the webcast at Beatrice, Central City, Hastings, Holdrege, North Platte, Syracuse, and York.



Nebraska Water Center works with partners to enhance water knowledge

The Nebraska Water Center (NWC) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has collaborated with partners across Nebraska since its founding in 1964. Examples include extension research to benefit individual producers, equipping budding water professionals with employable skills and engaging Nebraskans around water issues through tours, conferences, presentations and publications. Key to this work is a strong relationship with Nebraska’s state agencies.

For years, NWC has organized a brown bag lunch series that provides a stage for Nebraska faculty and researchers to share their work with professionals who manage the state’s water resources. This spring, NWC and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) are partnering for a virtual series showcasing the university’s deep well of water and natural resources experts.

The series – held every other Thursday at noon via Zoom – continues April 15 with Jodi Delozier, a doctoral candidate in Nebraska’s School of Natural Resources. Delozier and her advisor, Dr. Mark Burbach, recently published a paper based on her PhD research. The paper, “Boundary Spanning: Its Role in Trust Development between Stakeholders in Integrated Water Resource Management,” explores the role of trust in managing complex water challenges and is the focal point of her brown bag presentation.

“As natural resource challenges become more intense, state and federal agencies are searching for strategies to develop better working relationships with local organizations, community members, and citizens,” said Delozier.

“Our research has found that boundary spanners play an important role in creating conditions that encourage trust building, thus increasing the opportunity for greater cross-disciplinary collaboration and an exchange of knowledge between stakeholders.”

Boundary spanners reach across organizational borders to build interconnections that help manage complex problems, inform policy and share knowledge. In his role as NDEE’s Water Quality Assessment Section Supervisor, Ryan Chapman spans boundaries between agencies, academia and citizens to elevate water quality. He also coordinates his agency’s participation in the brown bag series.

“NDEE has a long history of collaboration, and I am delighted that we are able to continue building relationships through this series. These partnerships help make it possible for Nebraskans to live, work, and enjoy a healthier environment,” said Chapman.

Upcoming brown bags include:
    April 29 with Dr. Javed Iqbal on “Nutrient Management to Improve Crop Production and Environmental Performance in Nebraska
    May 13 with Dr. Jesse Bell on “Water, Climate and Health in Nebraska”
    May 27 with Carla McCullough on “Watershed Science Education”
    June 10 with Balkissa Ouattara on “Age-adjusted Pediatric Cancers Incidence Related to Nitrate Concentration Measured through Citizen Science in Nebraska Watersheds”



Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board Issues Statement on the National Ag Statistic Survey 2021 Projected Planting Report

On Wednesday, March 31, the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) released the report on 2021 Prospective Plantings. The report, based on survey responses from agricultural producers, indicates a significant increase in sorghum acres planned for Nebraska in 2021.

          In 2020, Nebraska’s sorghum acres totaled 195 thousand acres. Per the NASS report, Nebraska will see an increase of 105 thousand acres, bringing total acres planted for grain sorghum to 300 thousand acres; Up 54% from the previous year. This increase is largely due to rallying market prices for sorghum. Many bids in the state for 2021 crop are $1 per bushel or more over corn, and even higher in states adjacent to Nebraska. The price of corn is used as a benchmark reference point for sorghum, since sorghum is not traded on the Chicago Board of Trade.

          It is notable that demand for sorghum in the domestic and international markets continues to grow. Much demand for sorghum in 2020 went unmet due to lower supply, which contributed to the rise in the sorghum price.

          “We are pleased to see an increase in sorghum acres projected for the 2021 growing season,” stated Nate Blum, Executive Director of the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board. “Additional acres of sorghum in Nebraska mean additional opportunities for increased on-farm revenues and water, wildlife, and soil conservation. Many new producers should note that research shows an average 8% increase in corn yields when following sorghum in rotation.”  Blum continued, “Nebraska’s new and returning sorghum producers should know that the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board is committed to continuing our work to develop value-added domestic and international markets on their behalf. Additionally, Nebraska Sorghum has multiple resources available to producers throughout the growing season and on-demand at www.nebraskasorghum.org.”



'Thank You to Denison' Emphasizes Community
    
It’s time to celebrate community.  On Monday, April 5, the Denison community was the focus of a “Thank You” celebration from Iowa's pig farmers for the support shown to those who work in bringing food from farm to table.
 
“Lifting spirits on challenging days and providing inspiration to help others clear the hurdles in front of them are ways you have touched the hearts of farmers,” said the president of the Iowa Pork Producers, Dennis Liljedahl of Essex. “The way you make people feel matters. And the Denison community showed up to support every segment of the food supply chain - farmers, plant workers, and those working in grocery stores and restaurants. Thank you.”
 
As part of their “Thank You” celebration, the Iowa pork producers donated $500 to the local Temporary Aid Program (TAP), which is a food pantry in Denison that works to alleviate hunger. The pork producers also provided pork coupons seven local grocery stores for consumers to use, and pork thank-you baskets to local first responders.
 
The day wrapped up with a giveaway of nearly 6000 pounds of pork to Denison-area residents. That giveaway equals almost 24,000 meals or servings of pork. This took place in a drive-through event at the United Presbyterian Church in Denison. Families each received a four-to-five-pound pork loin, and a package of bacon. The pork was made available through donations from both Smithfield Foods and Quality Food Processors.
 
Brian Rank, the hog procurement business manager at Smithfield’s Denison plant, said the company owes a debt of gratitude to the farmers and food workers who kept working this past year to make sure there was food to put on the table for everyone. "Feeding the hungry is a cornerstone of Smithfield's work," he said, pointing out that the company provided $1.6 million in charitable donations in Iowa this past year, and providing pork donation to provide 220 million pork servings across the nation.
 
Eric Kohler, the general manager of Quality Food Processors, expressed his appreciation not only to pig farmers, but to the Denison and other surrounding communities for their support. "We just do bacon, and there was great demand for it this past year," he said. The company processed 90 million pounds of bacon in 2020 and its goal is to produce 110 million pounds in 2021.

"Our business is reliant on those farmers and food workers who are working every day to help fight against hunger," Kohler said.
 
The past 12 months have reminded us about the importance of community when times are challenging and uncertain. Uncertainty and challenges are still ahead. “It matters that we all work together in keeping people safe as our work continues to feed your families, neighbors, and others,” Liljedahl said.

IPPA will hold similar Thank You events in Ottumwa, Sioux City and Storm Lake. A Thank You event was also held in Waterloo on March 23 and in Marshalltown on March 31.



The Potential for Corn and the Animal Ag Sector Through Next-Generation DDGS

Opportunities for new corn fractionation technologies at dry mills create value by further separating out the various components of corn to allow differential utilization of the subsequent product streams. Feed rations and specific ingredients for animals can be optimized by separating corn into its most valuable components.

Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGs) are a co-product of the ethanol production process and used 1.075 billion bushels of corn in 2020. DDGs are a valuable feed ingredient for cattle, swine, poultry, and aquaculture as they are rich in the protein, fat, minerals, yeast, and vitamin that animals need.

DDGs were never initially engineered, as they were an accidental discovery derived from the ethanol manufacturing process. As these next generation DDGs products become increasingly competitive in their nutritional composition, ethanol manufacturers have the opportunity to diversify their portfolio, plugging into newly created revenue sources. If an ethanol plant is experiencing a lull in liquid fuel demand, they could offset this loss or risk by continuing to produce specialized feed products for livestock, poultry and aquaculture producers as well as the pet food industry. This heightened level of confidence and corn demand consistency at a local ethanol plant could translate to additional dollars back on the farm.

Cattle are a very important customer of DDGs, accounting for nearly 80 percent of consumption, with 50 percent attributed to beef cattle and 30 percent attributed to dairy cattle. Approximately 40 million metric tons of DDGs are produced annually. DDGs are nutritionist tested and farmer approved. “We use modified distillers in our grower and finisher diets,” said Clark Price, a corn grower and cattle producer from Washburn, North Dakota. “Depending on the price of the product, we use it as an energy source first, which at 20-to-40 percent in the ration, provides us with all of the protein requirements also. The modified distillers also work as a ration conditioner which binds the ration together and eliminates cattle sorting as well as a rumen conditioner due to its bypass protein.”



NMPF:  DMC Margin Falls Further in February

February’s margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage program dropped $0.92/cwt below January’s to $6.22/cwt. Of that decline, $0.40/cwt was due to a lower milk price, which was $17.10/cwt for the month, while the rest was generated by a higher feed cost calculation, almost all due to a higher price for corn that was slightly offset by a lower soybean meal price. The February payment for $9.50/cwt DMC program coverage is therefore $3.28/cwt.

Current futures prices indicate that the February margin may be the lowest for the year, and that the margins going forward should rise above $9.50/cwt sometime around mid-year.



First Quarter 2021 CWT-Assisted Export Sales Top 42 Million Pounds of Product

In the first three months of 2021, CWT assisted member cooperatives in securing 218 contracts to sell 11.8 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 8.8 million pounds of butter, 3.6 million pounds of anhydrous milkfat (AMF), 13.5 million pounds of whole milk powder and 4.4 million pounds of cream cheese. The milk equivalent of these 2021 contracts is 540 million pounds on a milkfat basis. The product is going to over 100 customers in 26 countries around the world. All the product will be delivered in 2021.

The year-to-date totals include March contracts for 3.7 million pounds of cheese, 1.5 million pounds of butter, 1.6 million pounds of AMF, 7 million pounds of whole milk powder and 901,691 pounds of cream cheese.

Assisting CWT member cooperatives gain and maintain world market share through the Export Assistance program expands the demand for U.S. dairy products. This, in turn, positively impacts all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



FARM to Resume On-Farm Evaluations; Adds Animal Care Task Force Members

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program plans to resume program on-farm evaluation activity on Sept 1, while reinstating deadlines nationwide. FARM also approved nominations for new Animal Care Task Force members.

Effective Sept. 1, evaluation and corrective action plan deadlines will be reinstated and all recommendations to forego on-farm activities related to the FARM Program will be rescinded. Also, program cycles are now extended to June 30, 2024, for all program areas (Animal Care 4.0, Environmental Stewardship 2.0 and Workforce Development 1.0). Resources for evaluators can be found on the new Evaluators and Trainer page on the FARM website in addition to events, training information, and FAQs.

Meanwhile, the NMPF Animal Health and Well-Being (AHWB) Committee approved nominations for the FARM Animal Care Task Force members who will serve as FARM Animal Care Version 5.0 discussions commence. Stakeholders across the U.S. dairy industry nominated the new members to fill existing vacancies on the task force, formerly called the Technical Writing Group.

The task force now consists of five farmers of varying operation size and geography, five representatives from co-ops and processors, four veterinarians, four academics, and one representative from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.