Tuesday April 6 Ag News

 Nebraska Farm Bureau Details Concerns, Seeks Answers on 30x30 Climate Executive Order

Nebraska Farm Bureau is pushing the Biden administration for answers regarding how the president will implement a Jan. 27, 2021 executive order setting a goal of conserving at least 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030 (30x30). The 30x30 order contained few details, in turn raising numerous questions and concerns from farmers, ranchers, and other landowners. Nebraska Farm Bureau President Mark McHargue detailed Farm Bureau member concerns and urged the administration to provide clarity in an April 5 letter to the president.

“Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers remain committed to caring for our environment and utilizing science-based conservation practices. If the administration plans to implement 30x30 by placing additional limits on what farm and ranch families can do with their property, we stand ready to stop it,” said McHargue.

The purchase and expansion of public lands by the government, the use of conservation easements to restrict land use in perpetuity, and the expansion of federal control over private property were among the concerns McHargue detailed in the letter on behalf of Nebraska Farm Bureau members. Concerns about the lack of details in the executive order were only further fueled by the inability or unwillingness of new U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to answer questions about the 30x30 proposal during her confirmation hearing.

“Farm Bureau has a long and distinct history of supporting private property rights and opposing expansion of federal government reach over our nation’s farms and ranches. Healthy land, air, and water are the lifeblood of our rural communities. Nebraska farmers and ranchers work hard to preserve our natural resources for future generations. It’s imperative the administration not only provide clarity as to how they plan to move forward, but it’s vital they make sure that those who will be impacted have a seat at the table to voice what will and won’t work,” said McHargue.

Visit www.nefb.org/action-alert to urge the president to provide clarity on 30x30.

 

FLASH GRAZE TO CONTROL WEEDS IN PASTURES
- Jerry Volesky, NE Extension
 
Pastures are starting to green-up.  That is usually a good sign, except when most of the green is coming from weeds.  
 
In warm-season grass pastures, an abundance of early weeds will remove moisture that could be used for grass growth later on and they remove valuable nutrients from the soil.  Early weeds also can develop so much growth that they can shade, smother, and reduce early growth of your summer pasture grasses.
 
Herbicides like glyphosate and imazapic (Plateau®) as well as prescribed burning can control many early weeds, but I think another method actually is better — grazing.  Heavy, pre-season grazing costs you nothing.  In fact, you get some feed from these weeds while herbicides or burning would only kill and remove growth.  Plus, this early pasture might be especially valuable if it gets your cattle out of mud or saves you from feeding expensive hay this spring.
 
For mixed cool- and warm-season grass pastures, early flash grazing also can be used, but we do want to be a little more cautious as to not overgraze any desirable cool-season grasses.  In areas where cheatgrass or downy brome is a problem, grazing at strategic windows, such as during the cheatgrass elongation phase right before seed set, appears to be the best time to apply grazing.  Grazing at this time matches diet preference by grazing animals with the cheatgrass growth period and limits over use on perennial coo-season grasses growing at the same time. Targeted grazing is a long-term management option that can utilize cheatgrass as a forage resource and limit the potential seed proliferation within a system.
 
While early flash grazing of some pastures will not completely eliminate all the weeds, it can actually make for some pretty timely and valuable pasture.



Deadline extension, lower match for Value-Added Producer Grants announced

The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program available directly to farmers and ranchers, has received a major funding increase, a lower match requirement, and an application extension.

Applications are now due April 29 for those applying online and must be postmarked by May 4 for anyone applying by mail.

Planning grants of up to $75,000 help pay for feasibility studies and business planning that support future financing and business development. Working Capital grants fund up to $250,000 to cover marketing and product development costs. Projects requesting more than $50,000 require a previous feasibility study and business plan to verify viability of the product.

“This versatile grant program is available to individual farmers and ranchers, as well as groups of producers,” said Trenton Buhr, policy associate for the Center for Rural Affairs. “Applicants must develop new products or expand existing markets for value-added products and produce at least 50 percent of the raw agricultural product they plan to add value to.”

Funding for VAPG was increased to $76 million when coronavirus relief legislation was passed by Congress in December.  The first round of applications will compete for $35 million, at a 10% cash match. Those whose application scored well, but did not receive a grant in the first round, will be asked to apply again for the remaining $41 million. This second round will require applicants to demonstrate they can supply a 100% match, or 1-to-1, which can be a combination of cash and in-kind contributions.

“Now is the ideal time to apply for this grant,” Buhr said. “The additional funding greatly increases an applicant’s chances of success. It also comes at a reduced cost to applicants.”

For more information or to get application materials, contact your state USDA Rural Development office. A list of offices can be found at rd.usda.gov/programs-services/value-added-producer-grants.



TRIBAL WATER AND FOOD SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT IS APRIL 14-15

Nebraska Extension’s Native American Coalition, in partnership with the Nebraska Water Center, is hosting its inaugural Tribal Water and Food Sustainability Summit April 14-15.

The summit, which will be held via Zoom, is geared toward University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty but is open to anyone interested in learning about the following topics:
> Tribal worldviews and relationships with water and the earth;
> Tribal youth programs focused on food and water sustainability;
> Creating relationships between tribal water and earth protectors and university faculty.

Adult tribal leaders will present on the first day of the conference, with youth tribal leaders presenting on the second day. Information on Husker conservation programs will be presented both days. Registration is free.

Nebraska Extension Tribal Educator Ted Hibbeler said he hopes the event — the first the Native American Coalition has held since its founding earlier this year — helps strengthen relationships between Nebraska Extension and tribal communities in Nebraska.

“The Native American Coalition was imagined to build bridges between tribal and non-tribal communities; to facilitate community development and leadership in Native communities; and to bring Native American traditional worldviews, languages, cultures and histories to the University of Nebraska and non-tribal communities,” Hibbeler said. “This event is a starting point for that.”

For more information on the coalition, to view the full conference schedule or to register, visit https://nativecoalition.unl.edu.  



Early Planting Is Possible as Soils Continue to Warm

A warm start to April is giving farmers an opportunity for an early start in the fields. How much to do now depends on where you farm and your level of risk assessment.

According to the April 5 soil temperature map provided by the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, nearly all counties in Iowa are at 50 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer – the minimum for planting corn.

However, agronomists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach say it’s still early, both in terms of the optimum planting window and the risk for spring frost.

Historically, the optimum planting window for Iowa corn has been April 11 to May 18, with a shorter window in the northern part of the state compared to the south. And the risk for a heavy frost (temperature below 28 F) remains above the 50th percentile until about mid-April.

“It looks like we’re setting up for a beautiful planting season, much like we had last year, but we’re still early for the planting timeframe that is considered ‘maximum yield potential’ for Iowa,” said Meaghan Anderson, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

Although soil temperature at planting is important, agronomists advise that the soil temperature should remain at 50 F or trend upward after planting, to prevent cold injury to the seed. A cold rain after planting, with freezing temperatures, can be especially damaging.

Mark Licht, assistant professor in agronomy and cropping systems specialist for ISU Extension and Outreach, said producers might be better tending to other field tasks before putting seed in the ground. He said crop insurance will not cover a replant until April 11, and there is still plenty of time for planting.

“I think it’s safe to say we are not out of the woods on receiving low temperatures in the 30s or even below yet,” Licht said. “Last year northern Iowa had a frost on May 5. And I can remember many of the last 10 years have had frosts the last week of April or first week of May.”

Licht shared his advice in an April 1 blog post on the Integrated Crop Management website, where updates will be provided throughout the growing season.

As for soybean, Licht said he considers “early planting” to be any time between April 11-25, with “ultra-early” being anything before April 11.

Planting soybean before April 25 can result in higher yields, but the yield potential is not consistent from year to year. He said it is more important to make sure soybean is planted before May 20, to avoid late planting yield declines.

“Planting early ensures you will not be planting late, but it does not mean that you will not experience damage or have to replant,” Licht said.

Farmers will face risk no matter when they decide to plant, but a good start to the season, like most Iowans are seeing now, is always favorable. Prices for corn and soybean are also up from past years, adding more optimism to the start of this year’s crop.



NIFA Invests $15.5 Million in Cyberinformatics to Boost Ag Production

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) invested a total of $15M in two key programs awarded through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics and Tools (FACT). NIFA awarded 18 Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics Tools grants totaling $10.4 million to initiate research on big data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and predictive technologies needed to keep U.S. agriculture on the leading edge of food and agricultural production. NIFA also invested $5.1 million for 12 Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems grants to support nanotechnology-based solutions that improve food production, nutrition, sustainable agriculture and food safety.

"Big data and artificial intelligence will increasingly play a vital role in the future of agricultural technologies and innovation," said NIFA Director Carrie Castille. "As we work to enhance farmer profitability and agricultural sustainability and realize precision nutrition for consumers, these technologies will keep research and development moving at a rapid pace to provide the tools needed for success."

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will receive funding for its project, "FACT-AI: Cyberinformatic Tools for Exploring and Validating Sow Posture and Piglet Activity."

Example projects funded from the 18 Food and Agriculture Cyberinformatics Tools grants include University of Idaho's project, "Harnessing Artificial Intelligence For Implementing Integrated Pest Management In Small-Grain Production Systems." This project will develop an AI-based decision support system for identifying pests in wheat-based production systems. U.S. Ignite, Inc.'s project, "Platforms for Advanced Wireless: Research Rural Platform," will form a public-private partnership to support creating four at-scale experimental platforms for advancing fundamental wireless research to enable rural broadband to benefit customers in rural communities, and to attract and retain skilled networking jobs in the local community.

Some projects funded from the 12 Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems grants include: Montana State University's project, "Transforming Wood into High-Performance Engineering Material with Cellulose Nanocrystals," to help add value and expand the use of wood, help forest farmers generate additional revenue, and create a new stream of jobs in rural America. Michigan State University's project, "Fully Printed Electronics and Energy Devices via Low-dimensional Nanomaterials for Smart Packaging," will develop a low-cost, wireless smart packaging system based on fully printed self-powered, sensor-based, radio-frequency identification tags to monitor food quality and safety from packaging, transportation, storage, and distribution to retail along the food supply chain.

Auburn University's project, "Cellulose Nanocrystals: A Versatile Platform for the Detection of Allergens and Emerging Contaminants," is focused on developing cellulose nanocrystals as a versatile platform for rapid, low-cost, multiplexed detection of food allergens and emerging contaminants in water and food.

NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and extension across the nation to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. NIFA supports initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of agriculture and applies an integrated approach to ensure that groundbreaking discoveries in agriculture-related sciences and technologies reach the people who can put them into practice. In FY2020, NIFA's total investment was $1.95 billion.



Study Confirms US Beef Industry is the Most Sustainable in the World

A research paper released Monday confirmed U.S. beef production is the most sustainable production system in the world, a fact long understood by America’s cattle producers, who between the 1960s and 2018, reduced the carbon footprint of the industry by 40 percent while producing 66 percent more beef.
 
“We already know a growing global population will require and demand high-quality food, which means we need ruminant animals, like beef cattle, to help make more protein with fewer resources,” said NCBA president and Kansas cattleman, Jerry Bohn. “Cattle generate more protein for the human food supply than would exist without them because their unique digestive system allows them to convert human-inedible plants, like grass, into high-quality protein.”
 
Although the study’s abstract disingenuously advocates for decreased beef consumption, the paper itself repeatedly points out that the advantages of the U.S. cattle and beef production model far outweigh the impacts. The U.S. has been a global leader with the lowest emissions intensity in the world for the past 25 years, producing just 2 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, or 0.5 percent of global GHG emissions.
 
The study examined livestock lifecycle assessments (LCAs) from across the globe to reach its conclusions and pointed out that there is significant room for improvement of global livestock production practices. While it laid out many opportunities for improvement, it also recognized the work already done by the U.S. cattle industry to become the leader in sustainable beef production. Thanks to early adoption of innovative grazing practices combined with advances in cattle breeding and nutrition, U.S. producers have already employed many of the suggested practices that the study suggests employing around the world.
 
While the content of the study repeatedly confirms the U.S. as the leader in sustainable beef and cattle production, NCBA was disappointed to see a statement in the abstract that advocated for a reduction in beef consumption. This statement is not only unfounded but is inappropriate to include in a summary of work that consistently validates American conservation and management practices. Cattle production protects open space, guards against catastrophic wildfire, and protects wildlife habitat across the country. Those benefits, and the practices that underpin them in the United States, further confirm the country’s role as a global leader.  
 
“Beef and cattle production is a critical part of our country’s identity as a global leader in sustainable beef production, but also in our long-held principle that economic, environmental, and community-based sustainability will result in widespread benefits,” said Bohn. “U.S. farmers and ranchers are the best in the world when it comes to producing safe, wholesome and sustainable high-quality beef for American families, and doing it with the smallest possible footprint and we’re committed to continuing on that path of improvement.”



2020/21 Sorghum Quality Report Released By U.S. Grains Council

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has published its 2020/2021 Sorghum Quality Report and for the second year in a row, U.S. sorghum was, on average, graded above necessary requirements for U.S. No. 1.

Protein content in sorghum was up eight percent year over year, with readings coming in at 11.2 percent, almost a full percentage point jump above last year’s content.

“Protein content in sorghum is really what can set it apart from other coarse grains,” said Reece Cannady, USGC manager of global trade. “When evaluating sorghum in animal diets, it’s important to consider the value of this protein, particularly when every percentage point of protein is so precious with rapidly rising costs.”

The report, funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA’s FAS) Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) program, provides international customers and other interested parties accurate, unbiased information about the 2020 U.S. sorghum crop.

To generate the report’s findings, a total of 108 samples were collected from 13 participating elevators located in Texas, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota between Sept. 30, 2020 and Feb. 23, 2021 and were analyzed by the Amarillo Grain Exchange and the Cereal Quality Lab at Texas A&M University. Scientists there calculated averages and standard deviations for each quality factor tested and reported results for the U.S. aggregate.

Total sorghum damage came in at just 0.0 percent in the aggregate, and broken kernel and foreign material (BNFM) was only 1.6 percent, both similar to last year’s results, highlighting how hard the grain is and how well it holds up during handling and storage.

For the second year in a row, 100 percent of the samples tested undetectable for tannins.

“A common misconception is that if sorghum is red, it has tannins in it, since that is the case in other major sorghum producing regions like Argentina, Africa and Australia,” Cannady said. “But, in the U.S., we grow a non-tannin red variety. Nutrient absorption can be problematic with high-tannin varieties, essentially depleting the value of the grain, so using a low-tannin, U.S.-grown seed yields great results in animal diets.”

This report is the second in a row completed since the 2016/2017 sorghum crop. The Council plans to roll out the information through webinar distribution around the world to all sorghum consumers and it will be a part of the Chinese corn export cargo report rollout in the near future.

“This report is helping fulfill the Council’s mission to provide the latest information for end-users around the world interested in understanding how U.S. sorghum differs from other varieties,” Cannady said. “We hope the 2020/2021 Sorghum Quality Report provides valuable information about the quality of U.S. sorghum and shows our valued trade partners that the United States is a trusted supplier.”



Drone Operators Cautioned to Not Disrupt Low-Flying Ag Aircraft

As the nation enters the upcoming growing season in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the National Agricultural Aviation Association is asking all Unmanned Aircraft System operators to be extra mindful of low-flying manned agricultural aircraft operations.

"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declared crop input services to be an essential service during the pandemic." NAAA CEO Andrew Moore said. "Aerial applicators are inputting nutrients, seeds and crop protection products to crops that will become consumers' food and fiber supply. We cannot afford even a small disruption in the nation's food supply chain during this critical time,"

"Agricultural aviators perform applications on 28% of cropland nationwide, and their work cannot be delayed because of an unidentified UAS not yielding to them, as is required by law."

Agricultural aviators fly as low as 10 feet off the ground, meaning they share airspace with UAVs that are limited to flying no more than 400 feet above ground level. For this reason, NAAA is asking UAV operators to do everything they can to avoid ag aircraft doing important, low-level work.



CommonGround Webinar Series Offers Insight, Connection

While volunteers from across the country have not been able to meet in person nationally, CommonGround continues to offer opportunities to learn more and hone skills online through a second online training series. This series of three webinars, which launched last week, builds upon the series of learning and networking opportunities offered online over the summer of 2020.

The first session welcomed new volunteers to incredible work being done by more than 200 farm women like them across the country. Through state associations' support and hard work, these women serve as resources for consumers who have questions about how their food is grown.

Additional sessions are planned for April 21 and May 19, featuring Roxi Beck of the Center for Food Integrity to update the pandemic’s impact on consumer food trends and a social storytelling workshop on May 19.

Sharing their personal stories, the volunteers who make up this grassroots movement foster conversations based on shared values that help moms off the farm discover that they can feel good about the food they feed their families. America’s farm families provide an amazing array of options, but honest questions are understandable with so many competing claims. By serving as resources, these women have shared their unique understanding of important topics, such as the difference between organic and conventional crops and how ranchers care for their animals, more than a billion times since 2010.



House Members Hold Meeting with Federal Maritime Commission on Shipping Delays Impacting Ag Sector

House Agriculture Committee Members Rep. Jim Costa (Chair of Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture) and Rep. Dusty Johnson (Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture), with Rep. Salud Carbajal (Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation)  and Rep. Bob Gibbs (Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation), released the following statement in response to a meeting with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Dan Maffei and Commissioner Rebecca Dye on their efforts to mitigate ongoing shipping delays impacting American farmers, ranchers, and agriculture sector:

“We appreciate Chairman Maffei and Commissioner Dye for taking the time to provide these important updates to us and look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that these shipping delays are ended expediently. As Chairs and Ranking Members of Subcommittees closely following the direct impacts of this situation, we are committed to resolving this issue in a timely manner and making sure that America’s farmers and ranchers can compete on the global stage. We will continue to follow this issue and look forward to a bipartisan dialogue between Congress and the Federal Maritime Commission.”

This meeting comes after a March 9th bipartisan letter sent to the FMC over mounting concern over reports that certain vessel-operating common carriers (VOCCs) are declining to ship U.S. agricultural commodity exports.



Growth Energy Calls on Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to Veto Attack on E15

Today, Growth Energy sent a letter to Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb urging him to veto SB 303, legislation intended to destroy demand for E15, a fuel blend with 15 percent ethanol.

“Make no mistake, SB 303 was designed to stall new competition at the fuel pump and prevent more consumers from saving three to 10 cents per gallon on a lower-carbon, higher-octane fuel blend,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “In the wake of COVID-19, the last thing Indiana’s economy needs is an assault on ethanol producers and our farm suppliers across the entire state. If the governor allows this anti-E15 bill to become law, Indiana farm families are going to be reminded of it every time they fill up at the pump.”

According to the letter, “SB 303 seeks to limit sales of E15, a 15 percent ethanol fuel blend, by mandating unnecessary warning labels on E15 fuel dispensers that serve only to confuse consumers and add completely unnecessary redundancy to already burdensome federal labeling requirements. This legislation also muddies key regulations in a manipulative attempt to obstruct additional retailers from offering E15.”



4 Tips for stopping mastitis in wet weather
Juan Rodrigo Pedraza, DVM, Dairy Technical Services, Zoetis

Don’t let the old adage “April showers bring May flowers” become “April showers bring May mastitis” on your dairy. Dealing with seasonally wet weather can create environmental mastitis challenges if you aren’t using best management practices. Let me share four key focus areas that can help set you up for success during wet weather.

    Provide clean, dry bedding. While facility type can have a significant influence on how you protect against wet weather, keeping bedding clean and dry is a best practice, because mastitis pathogens can thrive in wet bedding. I suggest increasing the number of times you add new bedding during rainy seasons in order to keep it dry. If you are concerned about having enough additional bedding materials, consider reducing the amount of material you put on at each opportunity. For example: If you normally put four inches of sand on a bed once a week, consider putting one inch of sand on every other day. This will allow you to maintain the dryness of the bed with the same amount of material.

    Test your waste management. Wet weather can really be a litmus test for how good your waste management is. It is important to make sure alleyways are clean so cows are not dragging manure back into stalls. This also will help keep their feet clean and prevent contaminating the udder. Remember, cleaning the back of the stall is a must — someone must rake stalls when cows are away for milking and make sure the alley is clean. Additionally, if your cows are in dry lots, pay close attention to the areas that are undercover — animals may be congregating there and creating a very muddy area as well as increasing the risk of udder injuries due to crowding. Daily pen management is crucial to provide cow comfort and keep dry lots clean.

    Watch out for heat stress. Just because the weather is wet doesn’t mean it’s cold, and heat and dampness can be a perfect environment to increase infection risk. Heat-stressed cows have depressed immunity. If the udder is exposed to bacteria due to muddy conditions, a heat-stressed cow may not be able to fight off the infection.

    Fine-tune your vaccination protocol. Coliform mastitis vaccinations, such as Enviracor® J-5, can help reduce the effects of environmental mastitis. While you may typically administer the vaccine during the dry period, it is worth revisiting your vaccination protocol with your veterinarian to account for increased pressure from environmental pathogens.

Finally, if you are facing increased infections due to wet weather, remember that Spectramast® LC (ceftiofur hydrochloride) Sterile Suspension is a broad spectrum antibiotic labeled for the treatment of clinical mastitis associated with coagulase-negative staphylococci, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Escherichia coli and the treatment of diagnosed subclinical mastitis associated with coagulase-negative staphylococci and Streptococcus dysgalactiae.

Your Zoetis representative and your herd veterinarian can help you learn more about treatments as well as determine a proper wet-weather mitigation plan for your dairy.  



New tool empowers corn farmers with custom prescription seeding rates

Golden Harvest® corn farmers now have access to the Seeding Rate Selector, a digital tool that helps farmers estimate the most economical seeding rate for individual hybrids and yield environments. The Seeding Rate Selector is another example of Golden Harvest's commitment to delivering data-driven solutions to farmers.

"Golden Harvest makes an extensive investment in agronomic research, and this tool is an example of how we bring our data and research to life to benefit our farmers," said Bruce Battles, technical agronomy manager at Syngenta Seeds. "The Seeding Rate Selector will help farmers act upon the data we've gathered by creating customized prescription seeding rates for specific hybrids in their specific environments."

Seeding rate calculations are based on two or more years of data per hybrid, collected at 70 or more trial locations each year. Trialing across many environments increases the ability to predict how individual corn hybrids should be spaced and managed.

The free, easily accessible Seeding Rate Selector allows farmers to enter several variables, including hybrid, input costs and yield goal, to determine the optimal seeding rate per acre. Insights from the tool enable farmers to enhance return on investment potential by identifying opportunities where yields might be negatively impacted by over- or underseeding.

"Farmers shouldn't have to guess at what their seeding rate should be," said Battles. "All fields and hybrids are different, and a generic seeding rate recommendation in a seed guide isn't sufficient. The Seeding Rate Selector takes this into consideration, providing farmers with specific rate prescriptions so that they can have the best experience with our products in relation to their local conditions."

Golden Harvest Seed Advisors can help fine-tune seeding rate estimates even further and build planter seeding rate scripts within the E-Luminate® digital agronomy platform. To learn more about the Golden Harvest corn Seeding Rate Selector and develop a customized prescription seeding rate, contact a Golden Harvest Seed Advisor or visit www.goldenharvestseeds.com/seeding-rate/.



As Grain Costs Rise, Corteva Agriscience Advises Cattle Producers Look to Their Pastures

Grain prices are projected to remain high this year. While this boon to crop producers is putting pressure on livestock feeders, the upswing presents an opportunity for savvy cattle grazers.

“Rising corn and soybean prices, along with drought-tightened hay inventories and market uncertainty, are giving cattle producers ample incentive to maximize pasture production this grazing season,” said Jeff Clark, Market Development Specialist at Corteva Agriscience. “Growing more, high-quality grazed forages presents an excellent cost-containment strategy. For 2021, it could pay off on the income side of the ledger, too.”

With market factors signaling continued support for grain prices, many ag economists point to opportunities to add pounds in the pasture this grazing season. For cattle feeders, buying heavier weaned calves and feeding less high-priced grain enhances profit potential. That likely means increased demand for heavier weaned calves and a chance for grazers to capitalize.

“Ensuring your grazing acres are at peak production is a good place to start,” Clark said. “Growing more grass and managing it well can help you ramp up per-acre beef production. Whether that’s through improved daily weight gains or by extending the grazing season, it’s hard to go wrong with lower-cost gains on pasture.”

Start Fast, Finish Strong
Season-long success in the pasture starts early and continues through the summer. It’s not a turn-’em-out-and-forget-it enterprise, Clark says. He offers several tips that can help maximize pasture productivity:
    Evaluate last year’s successes and challenges and adjust grazing plans accordingly.
    Scout early and often. Catch small problems, like thistle patches, before they become larger headaches.
    Don’t forget soil fertility. Fertilizing according to soil test and experience can increase forage quality.
    Control broadleaf weeds early to increase grass production and utilization.
    Go gentle on drought-stressed areas. Overgrazing through over stocking and grazing length will prolong drought recovery.

“Annual and biennial broadleaf weeds can green up even before pasture grasses. Once growing, weeds steal moisture, nutrients and sunlight,” Clark said. “Catching weeds early gives pasture grasses a competitive advantage.”

Early in the season means when weeds are small and growing. They’re easier to cover and control, and they haven’t robbed much from the grass yet. If weather or spring workloads conspire against early spraying, treatments — and their forage-boosting benefits — can continue into summer. Just remember to adjust herbicide rates accordingly, Clark said.

Using a residual product, such as DuraCor® herbicide, early in the season stops that first weed flush while providing control of those that germinate later. This extended control will help stop weeds throughout the season, preserving moisture and allowing grasses to get a head start on the weeds.

“Remember: Every day grazed is money in your pocket,” Clark said. “That rings especially true this grazing season.”