Tuesday June 1 Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending May 30, 2021, there were 3.9 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 2% very short, 10% short, 82% adequate, and 6% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 3% very short, 17% short, 78% adequate, and 2% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1% very poor, 1% poor, 10% fair, 63% good, and 25% excellent. Corn emerged was 84%, near 86% last year, but ahead of 78% for the five-year average.

Soybeans planted was 94%, equal to last year, and ahead of 80% average. Emerged was 69%, near 71% last year, but ahead of 50% average.

Winter wheat condition rated 5% very poor, 9% poor, 33% fair, 44% good, and 9% excellent.  Winter wheat headed was 49%, ahead of 38% last year, but behind 57% average.

Sorghum planted was 45%, well behind 77% last year, and behind 58% average.

Oats condition rated 2% very poor, 5% poor, 43% fair, 44% good, and 6% excellent. Oats emerged was 96%, near 94% last year and 93% average. Headed was 29%, ahead of 14% last year and 22% average.

Dry edible beans planted was 19%, well behind 40% last year, but ahead of 13% average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 2% very poor, 5% poor, 45% fair, 34% good, and 14% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS REPORT

 Beneficial rains helped stimulate crop growth and cool, cloudy conditions allowed needed moisture to stay in the soil during the week ending May 30, 2021 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Below normal overnight temperatures, primarily in low-lying areas, resulted in scattered reports of frost. Statewide there were 3.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. In addition to planting, field activities included spraying, side dressing and chopping cover crops.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 1% very short, 14% short, 76% adequate and 9% surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 10% very short, 28% short, 58% adequate and 4% surplus.

Corn planting is virtually complete. Corn emergence reached 87%, 5 days ahead of the 5-year average. Iowa’s corn condition rated 81% good to excellent.

Ninety-three percent of the soybean crop has been planted, 12 days ahead of normal. Farmers in southeast Iowa have just over one-quarter of their soybean crop remaining to be planted. Soybeans emerged reached 72%, 9 days ahead of the 5-year average. Iowa’s first soybean condition rating of the season showed 0% very poor, 1% poor, 23% fair, 60% good and 16% excellent.

Oat emergence is nearly complete with 21% of oats headed, 5 days ahead of normal. Iowa’s oat condition rated 70% good to excellent.

Seventeen percent of the State’s first cutting of alfalfa hay has been completed, 2 days behind the 5-year average. Iowa’s hay condition was rated 62% good to excellent.

Pasture condition improved to 54% good to excellent. There was little stress on livestock although some feedlots remain muddy.



First Emergence of Soybean Gall Midge Detected in Nebraska
Justin McMechon, NE Extension Crop Protection & Cropping System Specialist

On May 31st, 2021 three male soybean gall midge adults were collected south of Syracuse, Nebraska in Otoe County, NE, and on June 1st, a single male was collected near Pilger, NE in Stanton County, NE. We do not recommend taking any action at this time. No emergence has been detected in Iowa, Minnesota, or South Dakota. You can continue to follow adult emergence updates at all locations through soybeangallmidge.org. Cages are being checked daily in east-central Nebraska.

Although soybean gall midge adults have been collected in the field, the vast majority of soybean fields are not a stage where they are susceptible to infestation. Planting date studies at six sites in east-central Nebraska show that sites planted around May 1st are still at the V1 stage. Only those planted around April 22nd and 23rd have passed the V2 stage. If your soybean are not at the V2 stage there is no need to take any management action on soybean gall midge at the moment. First adult emergence this year was early than expected with first adult emergence occurring on June 14th in 2019 and June 10th in 2020.  

Soybean Gall Midge: Should I Spray Checklist
❏    Soybean gall midge adults have emerged in my area
❏    My soybean field is at the V2 stage
❏    I observed soybean gall midge injury in the adjacent field last year

For soybean growers near the site with activity and that have had issues with soybean gall midge, they can consider making an application if emergence continues when their soybean fields have reached the V2 stage. Based on two years of data, soybean plants prior to the V2 stage generally lack the presence of cracks or fissures at the base of the stem. Plants without fissures are not considered to be susceptible to soybean gall midge infestation. If growers have fields at VC or V1, we recommend waiting until V2 to make an application if they are in a high-risk area and have adult activity occurring. With only a few years of observations of adult emergence, you should check the soybeangallmidge.org website to determine if emergence is still occurring when your soybean reach the V2 stage.

In 2019, pyrethroid insecticides applied at different timings relative to adult emergence showed a significant yield response in Nebraska when applied up to 10 days after the first emergence was detected. This was not the case in 2020, with most foliar insecticides having a limited ability to mitigate yield losses from soybean gall midge. Insecticide results have been variable over the past two years. As a result, efficacy is not guaranteed. Since soybean gall midge is a field edge infesting pest, growers may only need to treat the first 60 to 120 feet of a field edge that is directly adjacent to a field that was injured by gall midge the previous year.

Why do adult males emerge first?
Adult male emergence prior to females is common in insects and is known by the term “protandry” (Peterson 1892, Demol 1908, Peterson 1947). Wiklund and Fagerstrom (1977) summarized the hypothesized that males emerging prior to females could serve to; (1) prevent inbreeding (Peterson 1947), (2) ensure that only the fittest males survive long enough to mate with a female (Demol 1908), (3) ensure that females become fertilized immediately after emergence to reduce pre-reproductive death (Ford 1945), and (4) males emerging prior to females had a greater chance of mating with more than one female (Peterson 1947). One of our common agricultural pests of corn, the western corn rootworm, exhibits protandry.



DELAYED ALFALFA CUTTING: RAISE CUTTING HEIGHT?
– Brad Schick, NE Extension Educator

If rain or other setbacks has caused the first cutting of alfalfa to be delayed, raising the cutting height may help the rest of the year.

In some areas of Nebraska, the alfalfa is slower to bloom, but the growth may be very thick and lush. If your alfalfa harvest has been delayed, some of the next cutting may be already starting to grow. Now would be a good time to scout alfalfa fields for this new growth. One can also be scouting for insects at the same time.

Try to look at the base or crown of the plants and search for new, short shoots that are growing. The new shoots are the second cutting already growing. If the shoots are still below the regular cutting height, there is no need to raise the cutting height if the first cutting will happen soon. If the shoots are taller than the regular cutting height, consider raising the cutting height. Plants that have new shoots that are cut off may have to grow all new shoots for the second cutting and delay the second cutting.

Raising the cutter height a couple inches will reduce yield slightly, but the quality of the very lowest part of the plant is the lowest quality. Usually cutting lower is suggested because more yield can be captured and the regrowth isn’t affected, but with new shoots being cut, regrowth will be affected.

Scout out the field and double check cutting height on fields that may be slightly delayed this year.

 

Questions about Soybean Emergence and Stands
Aaron Nygren - Extension Educator

Q: What’s Causing Problems with My Soybean Emergence and Stands?
A: What we’ve specifically seen in field situations in 2021 is generally harder soils due to lack of freeze/thaw this winter and crusting due to some hard rains/wind. Management options for helping soybeans in these situations include rainfall, irrigation and lightly running various types of equipment to scratch the soil surface.  

However, there could be other factors to consider such as PPO herbicide, seedling disease and seed corn maggot damage.  

What to Do?
First determine the cause of emergence/stand problems by digging up plants in areas with “skips”. Examine what the plants look like. Are they kinked over with some part of the hypocotyl (portion of stem between the taproot and cotyledons) that is thickened from pushing? Did the cotyledons break off below ground? Was something eating the seed or newly germinated seed? What do the emerged plants look like? Do they look relatively healthy or do you notice any dark lesions on the hypocotyls?

Soybeans are highly resilient and can compensate for reduced stands. After determining the cause of emergence problems, it’s important to take stand counts in several parts of the field to determine what average population is in the field. Stand counts can be done by using a tape measure for 1/1000th of an acre or hula hoop method for narrow row beans. As you assess plant stands, keep in mind that a gap in one plant row will be compensated by plants in the adjacent flanking rows. They will form extra branches to take advantage of the sunlight. Thus, single-row gaps may not be as yield-reducing as you might think, especially in narrower row spacings. There’s also an app from the University of Wisconsin called BeanCam that allows you to compare plant stands obtained with potential yield of the current and potential replant stands.

Recommendations
    A general guideline is to leave a field alone if plant populations are greater than 50,000 plants per acre, the stand is fairly uniform and the field can be kept fairly weed free. We realize that can be hard! University of Wisconsin found only a 2 bu/ac yield increase when replanting early soybeans between 50,000 and their optimum stand of 100,000-135,000 plants/acre.
    For stands less than 50,000 plants per acre, plant a similar maturity into the existing stand; don’t tear out or kill an existing stand as early planted soybeans have a higher yield potential.
    If you consider replanting, consider leaving some check strips and/or consider an on-farm research study. Please contact your local Extension educator if you’re interested in this.



Ricketts Announces “Stop 30 x 30” Town Halls in Wahoo & Broken Bow on June 7th

Governor Pete Ricketts recently announced that he will be hosting a series of “Stop 30 x 30” town halls across Nebraska.  President Joe Biden’s 30 x 30 goal aims to permanently protect in its natural state 30 percent of the nation’s land and waters by 2030.

At the town halls, Gov. Ricketts and others will deliver remarks about the 30 x 30 plan, and how Nebraskans can push back on President Biden’s radical climate agenda.  Details for the Governor’s town halls in Clay Center and Norfolk on June 3rd and Wahoo and Broken Bow on June 7th are below.  An additional announcement is expected shortly.

Stop 30 x 30 Town Hall in Clay Center
When: 9:30-10:30AM CT on Thursday, June 3, 2021
Where: Clay County Fairgrounds (Main Building), 701 N. Martin Ave., CLAY CENTER

Stop 30 x 30 Town Hall in Norfolk
When: 1:00-2:00PM CT on Thursday, June 3, 2021
Where: Johnny Carson Theater, 801 Riverside Blvd., NORFOLK

Stop 30 x 30 Town Hall in Wahoo
When: 9:30-10:30AM CT on Monday, June 7, 2021
Where: Saunders County Fairgrounds (4-H Building), 635 E 1st St., WAHOO

Stop 30 x 30 Town Hall in Broken Bow
When: 1:00-2:00PM CT on Monday, June 7, 2021
Where: One Box Convention Center, 2750 S 27th St., BROKEN BOW

More information about Governor Ricketts’ opposition to 30 x 30 can be found at www.Governor.Nebraska.gov.

 

Scoular creates Emerging Businesses Division

Omaha-based Scoular on Tuesday announced that it has created a new division to lead its businesses in the early stages of development and to serve as an incubator for strategic investment opportunities. Scoular Senior Vice President Ed Prosser will lead the new division, called “Emerging Businesses.”

“Scoular employees have always explored possibilities across the agricultural supply chain, imaginatively creating solutions for our customers,” said CEO Paul Maass. “As the industry evolves at a rapid pace, we will continue to seize opportunities that position Scoular for long-term success.”
The Emerging Businesses Division will include business activities focusing on biofuels, renewable energy, carbon markets, investments in agricultural technology, such as Roger LLC, and other future growth ventures.

“Scoular can more strategically capture emerging opportunities when these business activities are aligned within the same division, which can support their unique capital, technology and talent needs,” said Prosser, who formerly served as Scoular’s Senior Vice President of Risk Management and as Scoular’s Interim Chief Information Officer. Prosser also was instrumental in the recent creation of Roger, a technology solution for the dry bulk freight industry.

Maass also on Tuesday announced three internal promotions to Scoular’s Senior Leadership Team:
• Joe Andrus has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Feed Division Manager. He succeeds John Messerich, who retired May 31. Andrus, based in Minneapolis, previously served as Vice President and General Manager for the High-Nutritional Value Proteins business unit;

• Ron Bingham has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Grain Division Manager. He succeeds Bob Ludington, who retired May 31. Ludington will continue to serve on Scoular’s Board of Directors. Bingham, based in Overland Park, Kansas, previously served as Vice President and General Manager for the Wheat business unit;

• Amy Patterson has been promoted to President of Petsource, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Scoular. Patterson, based in Omaha, previously served as Vice President and Petsource General Manager.

“I am thrilled to promote Joe, Ron and Amy to our senior executive team, and to see Scoular’s robust talent management and development practices at work as we elevate these outstanding leaders,” said Maass. “I am confident that under their leadership Scoular will continue to define what is possible for our customers and achieve growth well into the future.”



Nebraska Energy
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer

If you care about sustainability, I have good news: There are proven ways to make traditional energy better for the environment.

Gasoline mixed with ethanol has been shown to burn cleaner than normal gas, and corn-based ethanol lowers gasoline’s greenhouse gas emissions by 46%. Congress recognized ethanol’s importance to a greener world when it passed the Energy Policy Act in 2005. This bill authorized the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum amount of renewable fuels such as ethanol.

The Environmental Protection Agency enforces this by requiring fuel refiners and importers to blend a certain amount of biofuels into their products. If they don’t, they have to purchase credits to offset the extra emissions.

The EPA offers what are known as Small Refinery Exemptions, or SREs, which allow small refineries to not abide by this requirement if they can show that complying with it would cause them to suffer “disproportionate economic hardship.” This was intended to give small refiners more time to prepare for compliance, not to permanently exempt these facilities from the blending requirements. The SREs were also never intended to be used by large refineries as a way to avoid costs. Unfortunately, the EPA has allowed this to happen by granting SREs with little to no public transparency or congressional accountability.

I recently reintroduced the RFS Integrity Act with Senator Tammy Duckworth to address this problem. Our bipartisan bill would require companies to apply for exemptions before June 1 of the prior year, which would give the EPA enough time to account for them in the overall biofuel blending requirements they set each November. That would bring much-needed certainty to ethanol producers and corn farmers, many of whom call Nebraska home.

Our bill would also require the EPA to publish the name of every refinery granted an exemption, as well as the number of gallons of biofuels the EPA is allowing them to bypass, at the time the refinery is notified they have received a waiver. These two changes would bring transparency back to the SRE process and help it work as Congress intended.

Ethanol supports more than 1,400 Nebraska jobs and brings billions of dollars to our state every year. If the EPA doesn’t account for the exemptions it grants, our friends and neighbors who work in this vital industry are left with nowhere to sell their products, to say nothing of the added strain on the environment.

Also, in Nebraska we are hoping to grow a more robust biodiesel industry. That is why I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Act. Led by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Washington State Senator Maria Cantwell, this legislation would extend the current federal biodiesel fuel tax credit through 2025. This extension would help ensure this industry can continue to grow in Nebraska and across the country.

All of these bipartisan proposals would uphold the integrity of the RFS and promote growth in key areas, and I remain committed to working with my colleagues to advance them through the legislative process.



Competitive Bidding Pushes Land Prices Higher

Interest in purchasing agricultural land has grown since a coronavirus pandemic-induced slowdown blanketed the land market last spring. Farmers are feeling more financially secure as very strong commodity prices arrived on top of large government payments in 2020. This is propelling farmers to bid more aggressively for additional land than has been the case during the past six years.

“Farmland sales prices are up 5 to 15 percent in the past six months with most of the increase coming since the first of the year,” said Randy Dickhut, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company. “Competitive bidding among interested buyers is really pushing land prices right now.”

Individual investors, both first-time, and experienced buyers, are stepping into the land market as they search for a safe, long-term real estate investment in a low interest rate environment. Investor buyers seldom outbid farmer-buyers for a good farm unless they have 1031 tax-deferred exchange funds to spend in a short time period.

The increase in ag land prices is happening in most areas of the Grain Belt and with most types of land.

“At Farmers National Company auctions, we are seeing competitive bidding push prices for good cropland to levels approaching 2014 values,” Dickhut said. “Average to lower quality farms are experiencing stronger sales prices, too, while pastureland increases are more modest.”

Currently, the demand for good farmland is outstripping the supply of farms for sale. During the previous few years, the number of farms for sale has been lower but there remained enough demand in the farmland market to balance the lower supply resulting in steady land prices. At this time, the strong demand to own farmland is one of the main factors pushing prices higher.

“In order for the seller to get top dollar in the current land market, they have to ensure there is true competitive bidding,” said Dickhut. “Farmers National Company and its agents employ the most comprehensive platform of competitive bidding systems available in order to get the best price for sellers including public outcry auctions, a full array of online and simultaneous live auctions, various written bidding mechanisms, and other bidding or listing platforms.”

Higher land values will bring more sellers into the market as estates, trusts, recent inheritors and family groups will decide to sell the farm or ranch and capture the higher prices. Also, uncertainty surrounding future tax policies will trigger a sale sooner than later for some.

Landowners who are thinking of selling their farm are now factoring in both the higher proceeds they would get from the sale and what potential tax obligations might be due.

The land market will be balancing increased demand for good cropland against what might be an increasing supply of farms for sale.

“Our agents are fielding an increased number of calls from landowners who want to sell because of the aforementioned reasons. Our pipeline of sales activity for summer and fall is filling up.” Dickhut said.

Farmers National Company’s land sales activity has already been very brisk and above the market the past seven months with dollar volume of land sold up 60 percent over last year and up 67 percent over the average of the past three years. The number of acres sold in this time period is up 64 percent from last year.

In a rising land market, it becomes more difficult to predict what a farm will actually sell for on any given day especially when there is demand from both farmers and investors, Dickhut said.

“The best way to sell cropland in the current market is to take it to auction or some form of competitive bidding that brings together the potential buyers and lets them push the price,” he said.  



USDA Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production

Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 464 million bushels in April 2021. Total corn consumption was down 2 percent from March 2021 but up 55 percent from April 2020. April 2021 usage included 90.6 percent for alcohol and 9.4 percent for other purposes. Corn consumed for beverage alcohol totaled 3.66 million bushels, down 2 percent from March 2021 and down 12 percent from April 2020. Corn for fuel alcohol, at 410 million bushels, was down 2 percent from March 2021 but up 67 percent from April 2020. Corn consumed in April 2021 for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was 91.2 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively.

Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 1.79 million tons during April 2021, down 1 percent from March 2021 but up 76 percent from April 2020. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 1.08 million tons in April 2021, down 3 percent from March 2021 but up 51 percent from April 2020.

Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 291,558 tons during April 2021, up 9 percent from March 2021 and up 26 percent from April 2020. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 202,491 tons in April 2021, down 2 percent from March 2021 but up 10 percent from April 2020.

Soybeans crushed for crude oil was 5.10 million tons (170 million bushels) in April 2021, compared with 5.65 million tons (188 million bushels) in March 2021 and 5.50 million tons (183 million bushels) in April 2020. Crude oil produced was 1.99 billion pounds down 10 percent from March 2021 and down 5 percent from April 2020. Soybean once refined oil production at 1.64 billion pounds during April 2021 decreased 6 percent from March 2021 but increased 30 percent from April 2020.



NCBA Pushes Congress to Address Areas of Concern in the Cattle Industry

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) led a letter with the support of 37 affiliate state cattle organizations, urging the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees to address critical areas of concern in the cattle and beef industry.
 
Specifically, NCBA pushed Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Rep. David Scott (D-GA-13), and Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15) to consider swift Congressional action to
    Expand beef processing capacity
    Broaden labor policies to strengthen the beef processing workforce
    Increase transparency in cattle markets by reauthorizing Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR)
    Support industry efforts to reform “Product of the USA” generic labeling
    Ensure proper oversight of cattle market players by concluding the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the meatpacking sector

This grassroots letter comes as cattle producers across the country express mounting frustration at the persistent imbalance in the markets. As much of the country lifts pandemic restrictions, consumer demand for U.S. beef remains strong. Producers also have a high supply of cattle to meet demand. Despite this, producers in the cow-calf and feeder sectors of the industry are facing significant challenges. The profits yielded by high boxed beef prices are not being passed on to the producers supplying live cattle, and the supply chain is being choked by a lack of processing capacity.
 
“Cattle producers are frustrated, and with good reason. In sale barns and state meetings across the country, we’re hearing the same story of sky-high input costs and intense market volatility. Across the industry, there’s a consensus that market dynamics which consistently squash producer profitability are not sustainable for live cattle or beef producers,” said NCBA President Jerry Bohn. “As members of Congress create policy that directly impacts business conditions for our producers, it is critical that they consider the grassroots input and firsthand experiences of folks on the ground. Our letter provides that perspective and reinforces how urgently we need something to shift here to strengthen the security of the beef supply chain. NCBA has strong working relationships with members on both sides of the aisle, we have grassroots policy to back the actions we outlined today, and we hope the conversation in Washington around these critical policy areas will progress quickly.”
 
The letter is the latest move in NCBA’s longstanding efforts to secure greater processing capacity, increase transparency, fight for the future viability of family farms and ranches, and increase opportunities for producer profitability.



NCGA Launches New Uses 101 Materials: NCGA’s Role In Supporting Bio-Based Product Development through Innovation and Policy

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has launched a new series of one-pagers, diving into the importance of new uses for corn and why corn should be the commercial feedstock of choice. From renewable plastics to novel chemicals, corn is competitively positioned as the commercial feedstock of choice thanks to its sustainability, abundance, and affordability.

“NCGA has a lot of great work going on in the new uses space, these materials will serve as a great introductory tool for individuals interested in learning more,” said NCGA Market Development Manager Michael Granché. “There are many frequently used terms, acronyms, and definitions that can make this space a little confusing at times if you don’t happen to have a Ph.D. in chemistry, and I certainly don’t, so these one-pagers will be a helpful resource for our industry.”

New uses efforts are overseen by NCGA’s Market Development Action Team (MDAT). One of MDAT’s goals is to identify new and  support existing industrial uses of corn. You can find all of NCGA’s new one-pagers, along with information on the Consider Corn Challenge I, II, and III here. And don’t forget, the deadline for Consider Corn Challenge III is June 3!



Producers with Crop Insurance to Receive Premium Benefit for Cover Crops

Agricultural producers who have coverage under most crop insurance policies are eligible for a premium benefit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) if they planted cover crops during this crop year. The Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP), offered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), helps farmers maintain their cover crop systems, despite the financial challenges posed by the pandemic.

The PCCP is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, a bundle of programs to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions.

“Cultivating cover crops requires a sustained, long-term investment, and the economic challenges of the pandemic made it financially challenging for many producers to maintain cover crop systems,” said RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy. “Producers use cover crops to improve soil health and gain other agronomic benefits, and this program will reduce producers’ overall premium bill to help ensure producers can continue this climates-smart agricultural practice.”

About the Premium Benefit
PCCP provides premium support to producers who insured their spring crop with most insurance policies and planted a qualifying cover crop during the 2021 crop year. The premium support is $5 per acre, but no more than the full premium owed.

Illinois, Indiana and Iowa have existing programs for producers to receive a premium benefit for planting cover crops. In these states, participating producers will receive an additional benefit.

All cover crops reportable to FSA are eligible and include cereals and other grasses, legumes, brassicas and other non-legume broadleaves, and mixtures of two or more cover crop species planted at the same time.

To receive the benefit for this program, producers must file a Report of Acreage form (FSA-578) for cover crops with USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) by June 15, 2021, which is distinct from the normal acreage reporting date. The normal acreage reporting deadline with FSA has not changed, but to receive the premium benefit, producers must file by June 15. The cover crop fields reported on the Report of Acreage form must match what the producer reported to their insurance company for crop insurance policies. To file the form, producers must contact and make an appointment with their local USDA Service Center.

Program Details
Certain policies are not eligible because they have underlying coverage, which would already receive the benefit or are not designed to be reported in a manner consistent with the Report of Acreage form (FSA-578). PCCP is not available for Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, Enhanced Coverage Option, Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index, and Supplemental Coverage Option. Stacked Income Protection (STAX) and Margin Protection (MP) policies are only eligible for PCCP when insured as a standalone policy. STAX and MP endorsements to underlying policies are not eligible for PCCP.

PCCP does not change acreage reporting dates, reporting requirements, or any other terms of the crop insurance policy.

Cover Crop Conservation Practice Standard
Meanwhile, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has made the determination not to update its conservation practice standard for cover crops. NRCS originally proposed restricting mechanical harvest of cover crops, but after reviewing input from agricultural producers and groups, NRCS recognizes this could present challenges for producers who use this important conservation practice. The latest version of the conservation practice standard can be found in the Field Office Technical Guide under Section IV, Conservation Practices and Supporting Documents, by State.

More Information
A Notice of Funding Availability was posted on the Federal Register today. Additional information on PCCP, including frequently asked questions, can be found at farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance/cover-crops.



NACD RESPONDS TO USDA'S PANDEMIC COVER CROP PROGRAM

Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) released a statement applauding the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s announcement that producers will receive a crop insurance premium for cover crops.

“Cover crops are essential for holding the soil and improving its water retention,” NACD President Michael Crowder said. “NACD applauds USDA for bolstering payments for these important practices to incentivize further adoption.”

As part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers Program, the agency is introducing the Pandemic Cover Crop Program (PCCP) to allow producers who insured their spring crop and planted cover crops during the 2021 crop year to become eligible for a premium benefit. All cover crops reportable to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are eligible and the premium support is $5 per acre, but no more than the full premium owed.

“The PCCP program recognizes early adopters and producers who prioritize soil health management systems,” Crowder said. “NACD is also pleased by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)‘s decision not to modify cover crop practice standards. These forward-thinking decisions by USDA will have lasting impacts to increase cover crop adoption across the U.S.”

Producers should contact their USDA service center to learn more.



USDA Announces June 2021 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced loan interest rates for June 2021, which are effective June 1. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures, or meet cash flow needs.

Operating and Ownership Loans
FSA offers farm ownership and operating loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers, whether multi-generational, long-time or new to the industry, obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation. For many loan options, FSA sets aside funding for historically disadvantaged producers, including beginning, women, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic farmers and ranchers.

Interest rates for Operating and Ownership loans for June 2021 are as follows:
    Farm Operating Loans (Direct): 1.875%
    Farm Ownership Loans (Direct): 3.250%
    Farm Ownership Loans (Direct, Joint Financing): 2.500%
    Farm Ownership Loans (Down Payment): 1.500%
    Emergency Loan (Amount of Actual Loss): 2.875%

FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders.
You can find out which of these loans may be right for you by using our Farm Loan Discovery Tool.

Commodity and Storage Facility Loans
Additionally, FSA provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade on-farm storage facilities and purchase handling equipment and loans that provide interim financing to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are low. Funds for these loans are provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and are administered by FSA.

Commodity Loans (less than one year disbursed): 1.125%
    Farm Storage Facility Loans:
        Three-year loan terms: 0.375%
        Five-year loan terms: 0. 875%
        Seven-year loan terms: 1.250%
        Ten-year loan terms: 1.625%
        Twelve-year loan terms: 1.750%
    Sugar Storage Facility Loans (15 years): 2.000%

Disaster Support
FSA also reminds rural communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses affected by the year’s winter storms, drought, and other natural disasters that USDA has programs that provide assistance. USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices are prepared with a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to residents, agricultural producers and impacted communities. Many programs are available without an official disaster designation, including several risk management and disaster assistance options.

Pandemic Support
Through September 1, 2021, FSA’s Disaster Set-Aside provision is available to direct loan borrowers who have been impacted by the pandemic. This enables an upcoming annual installment to be set aside for the year and added to the final installment. For annual operating loans, the loan maturity date may be extended up to twelve months in order to set aside the installment. This provision is normally used in the wake of natural disasters, and a second Disaster Set-Aside may be available for direct loan borrowers who already have a DSA in place on a loan due to another designated natural disaster.

More Information
Producers can explore available options on all FSA loan options at fsa.usda.gov or by contacting your local USDA Service Center.



Meristem Launches Homestretch HarvestShield foliar biostimulant geared to push high yields

HOMESTRETCH HARVESTSHIELD™ is the new, unique biological and foliar nutrition product announced here today by Meristem Crop Performance as the latest addition to their robust HOMESTRETCH family of foliar nutrition products.

“Given current commodity prices, our farmer-customers are asking us for more solutions to feed the crop all season long and help them gain higher yields,” said Mitch Eviston, founder and CEO of Meristem. “We are thrilled to announce the addition of HARVESTSHIELD to the HOMESTRETCH line-up. We now have seven top quality options for high-yield farmers.” Eviston also took the opportunity to stress Meristem’s commitment to helping farmers.

“We’ve held our prices to make it easier for farmers to win with foliar applications,” he said, pointing out that farmers can still get HOMESTRETCH™ for less than $6 per acre.

“We feel foliar nutrition is a key ingredient to raising a successful crop,” said Nathan Forkner, who grows “a few thousand” acres of corn and beans near Richards, Missouri. “We used HOMESTRETCH ULTRA™ last year and were pretty happy with the results we’ve seen with that product. It tank-mixed well and we didn’t have any problems whatsoever.”

Eviston said growers like Forkner are seeing results with all of Meristem’s foliar products because of their unique, highly-soluble formulations. “These molecules are formulated for better nutrient uptake and movement in the plant,” he explained. “They are designed to mix well and not get bound up with other chemistry. The micronutrients, like zinc, actually help reduce crop stress.”

Crop stress is an issue that comes with high-yield crop production according to Larry Fiene, field agronomist and founder of Planet Earth Agronomy, Middleton, Wisc. He said HARVESTSHIELD and foliar nutrients help solve this plant-stress problem by supplementing the plant’s own abilities, whether it’s corn or soybeans.

“Higher plant populations and more intensive practices will create more stress for the plant,” says Fiene. “The special amino acids and other components of HARVESTSHIELD help the plant produce more of its own defensive compounds to cope with the adversity it’s facing, whether it’s heat, drought, nutrient deficiency or pesticide stress.”

HARVESTSHIELD™, said Fiene, has components vital to stress mitigation and cell division. Different components to the product help the plant in different ways.
   •   Polyphenols protect the plant from oxidation caused by environmental stresses or stresses on the plant during rapid growth stages.
   •   Auxins are known to stimulate cell division.
   •   Betaines keep water content stable in plant cells.
   •   Arginine is an amino acid building block for polyamines. Polyamine production increases during times of environmental stress including drought, heat and high salinity levels in soil.
   •   Tryptophan is an amino acid building block for Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and assists plants in cell expansion and cell division.

All of it can add up to stronger plants and higher yields, said Fiene. “In corn our stress-plot data is showing yield advantages of 7 to 10 bushel per acre at the low end,” he said. “In high-yield situations we’ve seen combine yield monitors show an advantage of 10 to 20 bushel per acre.”