Tuesday May 18 Ag News

 Jones joins Nebraska Soybean Board as market development coordinator

The Nebraska Soybean Board is pleased to announce the hiring of Catherine Jones as market development coordinator.

In her position, Jones will handle the development of domestic and international marketing programs that the Nebraska Soybean Board invests the checkoff into each year. This role is integral in building and sustaining soybean demand while looking for new opportunities for the many uses that soybeans bring to consumers, customers and industrial industries.

“We are excited to have added such a valuable asset to our team. Catherine’s passion and knowledge for agriculture will help to continue to grow our marketing department,” said Scott Ritzman, executive director of the Nebraska Soybean Board. “On behalf of our staff, we welcome Catherine to be a part of the soybean checkoff team. Her past experiences should serve her well in the market development position.”

Catherine grew up on a small acreage in Bellevue, Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May of 2019 with a degree in Agricultural and Environmental Science Communication. She then went on to earn her Master of Agricultural and Environmental Education from the University of Georgia. Catherine’s educational and experiential background prepared her to be well-rounded in research writing and strategic communication.

“Critically thinking about the presence of the agricultural industry in consumers and farmers lives, along with the many stakeholders invested has always been important to me and I am honored to be part of a team working to enhance consumer education, investigate innovative research and create demand for soybean products,” said Jones. “Through my experiences I have found a passion for research and communication, and I am looking forward to bringing those strengths to my position with the Nebraska Soybean Board.”

Jones started her role on May 17. She can be contacted and welcomed at catherine@nebraskasoybeans.org.



READY FOR FIRST CUTTING?
– Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator

Working on getting corn and beans planted?  Don’t look now, but alfalfa harvest is approaching fast.

With a late start this spring, we’ve been busy planting and turning animals out to grass.  It isn’t time to relax just yet because your alfalfa may soon be ready to cut.

As we look at alfalfa conditions across the state, first cutting of alfalfa should be happening soon.  Folks needing high quality alfalfa for dairy cows or for a cash crop may be looking for the next available good weather period and planning their harvest.

Being aggressive on the first cutting is critical if high forage quality is needed.  Alfalfa’s forage quality changes faster during the first spring growth than at any other time of the year.  Plants are maturing and temperatures are increasing; both causing quality to decline.  So don’t delay your first cutting if high quality is needed.

But what about alfalfa for beef cows?  That might be a little different story, especially if you need to rebuild hay supplies.  Normally we get our highest total yield by waiting until alfalfa is near full bloom.  Not only is yield highest, this also uses available soil moisture most efficiently for alfalfa growth.  Despite some recent rain, some dryland fields may need a bit more rain for good summer and fall harvests since most deep subsoil moisture was depleted last year.  Even if we end up with a dry summer, with a good first cut you will at least have some hay of decent enough quality to feed your beef cows next winter.

Timing of hay harvest is important whether your needs are for high quality or for high yield.  With alfalfa ready to cut soon this spring, don’t miss your best time.



Mental Health Awareness Month: Facing Farm Stress

Families who make their living on farms often are exposed to situations beyond their control, causing them to experience exhaustion and distress. At any time, unstable prices, weather, crop or livestock disease, or equipment and communication breakdowns may make the reality of farm living difficult to deal with.

“May is Mental Health Awareness Month,” said Tim Christensen, farm management specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Farm stress certainly may affect mental health and it’s OK to acknowledge the stress you may be facing.”

Farm stress compounds already tough farm decision making, as high levels of prolonged or acute stress inhibit concentration, planning, calculation, and many skills that are necessary for the profitable management of a farm and the healthy functioning of the farm family, Christensen noted.

“When experiencing high levels of stress, be mindful of the following symptoms — shallow breathing, irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, memory and focus loss — to name a few,” added Larry Tranel, extension dairy specialist.

Individuals who are stressed often feel they do not have time for the things most necessary to manage the stress — deep, relaxed breathing; adequate exercise and healthy eating; meaningful relationships; and using higher reasoning to overcome negative, protective emotions often exhibited during distress, Tranel explained.

“During this mental health awareness month and throughout the year, be mindful of your own mental health needs and the needs of those around you,” said Christensen.

“We can all make a difference by watching out for one another. You never know when a friend, family member, neighbor or community member may need assistance,” said Tranel.

If you would like to be better prepared to help someone in need, ISU Extension and Outreach offers two options.

“Question.Persuade.Refer” is a one-hour virtual course that teaches participants how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help. For more information or to register, go to https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/QPR.

“Mental Health First Aid” is a six-hour virtual course with an additional two-hour self-study pre-course. This training, which is more in-depth, provides participants the skills they need to reach out and provide support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate resources. For more information or to register, go to https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/MHFA.

Both courses are available to anyone wanting to make a difference in their communities. For more information, contact Tim Christensen at tsc@iastate.edu or Larry Tranel at tranel@iastate.edu.

More Resources
Iowa Concern, offered by ISU Extension and Outreach, provides confidential access to stress counselors and an attorney for legal education, as well as information and referral services for a wide variety of topics. With a toll-free phone number, live chat capabilities and a website, Iowa Concern services are available 24 hours a day, seven days per week at no charge. To reach Iowa Concern, call 800-447-1985; language interpretation services are available. Or, visit the website, www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern/, to live chat with a stress counselor one-on-one in a secure environment. Or email an expert regarding legal, finance, stress or crisis and disaster issues.

Farmstress.org, offered by the North Central Farm and Ranch Assistance Center, shares available resources and research in a convenient, easy-to-access location. The website lists resources by state, including Iowa, and topics, including crisis numbers, telephone hotlines and training resources. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Those in crisis should visit their local emergency department or call 911 immediately.



Piglets Pay the Price of Mom’s Heat Stress

Piglets born to heat-stressed sows may carry the burden of their mom’s discomfort later in life in the form of health complications and diminished performance. Now, this so-called “in utero heat stress” may also hypersensitize the piglet’s immune system, potentially doing more harm than good to the young animals, a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists has learned.

Pigs are more susceptible to heat stress due to an inability to sweat. This places them at greater risk of health and production problems that can add up to millions of dollars annually in revenue losses to swine producers.

Research has shown that pigs experiencing heat stress during pregnancy can predispose their offspring to complications later in life that can lead to diminished performance, including efficient feed use, growth rate and ultimately, pork production. However, less is known about how this heat stress affects their offspring’s innate immunity, or first-line defense against disease-causing bacteria and other pathogens, noted Jay S. Johnson, an animal scientist at the ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana.

To learn more, Johnson teamed with his ARS laboratory colleagues and scientists from the Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana; the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.

Following established animal care and welfare guidelines, the team evaluated two groups of piglets. The first group consisted of 16 piglets born to mothers exposed to stressful temperature cycles ranging from 79 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit during the first half of pregnancy. The second group of 16 were born to moms exposed to a “comfortable” 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

The researchers then simulated a pathogen attack on the piglets using lipopolysaccharide, a molecule found in the cell walls of some bacteria. Blood samples were drawn to monitor certain markers of the piglets’ innate immune response, including glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids, cortisol (a stress hormone) and cytokines (markers of inflammation). These, along with white blood cell counts, were compared to a lipopolysaccharide-free group of piglets used as controls.  

Among their findings, reported in the December 2020 issue of the Journal of Animal Science, the researchers observed:
    The core body temperatures of the in utero heat-stressed and non-stressed piglets given the lipopolysaccharide were about the same.
    However, in utero heat-stressed piglets had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
    These same piglets also had greater cytokine (markers of inflammation) levels in response to the lipopolysaccharide challenge, which provided evidence of a hypersensitive immune response. The researchers worry this could translate to greater risk of pain, infection, organ failure and other complications in such piglets under real-world production systems.    

Johnson said their research dovetails with increasing concern over the potential impacts of global climate change on swine welfare and management—especially in regions of the world prone to frequent or prolonged drought and heat waves.

With support from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the team is also taking a genomic approach to preempting the effects of in utero heat stress on piglets. Of particular interest is using genomic markers to flag traits for improved heat tolerance in sows used for breeding.

“To achieve this goal, we are partnering with two major swine breeding companies,” Johnson said. “Our hope is that completion of this project will provide swine producers with a cost-effective strategy to reduce the negative impact of in utero heat stress on swine in the United States and globally.”



Consider Corn Challenge III Deadline Approaching

Time is running out to submit an application for the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Consider Corn Challenge III. The contest, aimed at establishing novel biomaterials, products, and technologies utilizing corn, closes June 3, 2021.

“If all nine winners of the Consider Corn Challenge I & II reached full commercialization with products available in the marketplace, the potential for additional corn demand could be approximately 2.9 billion bushels,” said NCGA Market Development Director Sarah McKay. “We know there are other technologies out there that can utilize field corn as a feedstock for producing sustainable chemicals and products with quantifiable market demand.”

Learn more about the Consider Corn Challenge III submission process and find out how successful winners have moved closer to commercialization by watching a recent informational webinar. Consider Corn Challenge II winner Derek Wells, CEO and founder of ExoPolymer, participated in the webinar to share his experience of the process and the benefits he’s received from participating in the Challenge.

Specific application areas being considered for this Challenge include:
    Biobased materials from novel mixes of corn-derived plastics
    Compostable plastics with high tensile strength, such as netting or packaging materials
    Heavy-duty fuels or drop-in chemicals (e.g., sustainable aviation fuel; biodiesel derived from corn glucose, bunker fuel, etc.)
    Carbon fiber
    Other high-value molecules

Submissions are due on June 3, 2021, at 4:00 PM CDT. A total prize pool of U.S. $150,000 will be split equally between one to six winners, based on the strength of competing submissions. Details at www.ncga.com.  Winners will be announced in September 2021.



Helena’s BeanWise Program Zeroes in on Soybean Health This Summer

Soybean producers keeping a watchful eye on commodity prices can capitalize on market opportunities with a reproductive management plan. Research shows prioritizing health and nutrition as the season progresses can significantly maximize soybean yield. Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC is sharing its best practices for R-stage growth through BeanWise™ – a program built on agronomic knowledge, experience and the latest technology.

“If we expect more out of our crop at harvest, we have to focus on what we’re feeding it as those beans are developing,” says Dan Scheetz, Helena Product Manager for eastern Iowa and northern Illinois. “The goal of BeanWise is to take the guesswork out of it, and let the crop do the talking. Once we understand the condition of the crop, we can choose products based on need and apply those products when that nutrition is needed most.”  

BeanWise takes a scientific approach to soybean health based on in-season tissue sampling and analysis. The results not only give growers a clearer picture of what’s going on in the field, but they also reveal trends in nutrient consumption at key growth stages.

“We know certain nutrients are required in higher amounts when soybeans hit reproduction,” says Dr. Randy Simonson, Helena Agronomist based in Illinois. “BeanWise helps growers create a plan to keep up with demand by pairing the right foliar nutritionals with other late-season applications.”

Fungicides and insecticides remain the foundation of R-stage applications, but Helena’s experience shows there’s more to be gained during this last push to harvest. With adequate levels of nutrition and the efficiency to use it properly, soybeans can retain more flowers, put on more nodes, hang more pods, and add weight.

While nothing can be done to control the weather and a variety of other external factors, BeanWise can give soybeans every opportunity to grow higher, more productive yields this season. To create a custom BeanWise plan, soybean producers are encouraged to contact their local Helena representative.



Emerge™ provides sustainable, plant-based protein ingredient for pet and aquaculture feed

Scoular on Tuesday announced the name for its new sustainable and innovative barley-based protein source for aquaculture and pet food: Emerge™. Emerge, both traceable and non-GMO, is the only barley-based protein for feed customers.

“As the demand for clean-label protein grows, both the aquaculture and pet food industries are seeking alternative and sustainable plant-based protein sources,” said Scoular manager JC Olson. “Emerge is a high-quality ingredient to meet the demand for the feed ingredient supply chain.”

Barley, an ancient grain, is sustainable because it contributes to water conservation systems and is grown in areas where it does not contribute to deforestation of rainforest ecosystems. In aquaculture, Emerge is highly digestible, helping to reduce phosphate discharge and water pollution.
For pet food, Emerge delivers a neutral flavor and natural color. In dog feeding trials measuring palatability, it was equal or superior to both animal and vegetable protein sources.

Olson said Emerge is created through a patented process that concentrates the protein naturally found in whole barley kernels, creating a nutrient-dense product. Scoular expects to begin producing Emerge in September after completing construction on its manufacturing facility in Jerome, Idaho.



Minnesota-based Zinpro® marks 50th year in business with Founding Day celebration

Zinpro Corporation, the leading provider of animal nutrition solutions, today marked its Founding Day thanks to generous support from employees and customers over the past 50 years. Hundreds of Zinpro employees came together virtually in recognition of the company’s 50th anniversary during a global town hall event broadcast from headquarters, and each region of the company has planned its own unique anniversary celebrations.

“Today we recognize the bold vision and determination that have led this company from its humble Minnesota roots to the global, family-owned business it is today,” said Rob Sheffer, president and CEO of Zinpro. “Zinpro’s founders had an incredible passion for improving animal health and wellbeing through mineral nutrition – and it’s a passion shared by our customers all over the world. We are excited to continue this partnership for the next 50 years and beyond, helping to drive better animal health outcomes, greater resource efficiency and sustainability, and ultimately business success for our customers.”

Zinpro was incorporated in 1971 by Dean and Mary Anderson as a small organic trace mineral company and began marketing their first product, ZINPRO 40 (ZINPRO zinc methionine). Dean Anderson had the vision to use zinc to improve animal nutrition and performance. This process delivered the mineral to the animal’s bloodstream through a unique pathway for absorption – the amino acid transporter – and resulted in exceptional uptake. The early discovery was advanced through further studies and peer-reviewed research and established Zinpro as an authority on science-driven animal nutrition. Zinpro began quickly developing additional trace mineral products and marketing its solutions on a global scale.

Today, Zinpro is a leading global animal nutrition solution provider for ruminants, poultry, swine, equine, aquaculture, companion animals and even humans. The company remains family-owned with a team of world-class animal scientists and 11 regional offices worldwide selling its products in more than 70 countries. Click here to watch a video about Zinpro’s history and vision for the future.

Zinpro recently commemorated its semicentennial milestone with a bold rebrand that represents the company’s passion and renewed commitment for the future: Advancing Performance Together™. This exciting new brand identity showcases Zinpro’s solution and performance-based approach to help improve the health and wellbeing of people and animals. To learn more about Zinpro’s mineral nutrition solutions and company history, visit the recently reimagined zinpro.com.