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Bt Corn Plus
Soil Insecticides May Prove Profitable
Prior to last year's rise in corn prices, most
entomologists discouraged using both a soil insecticide at planting and
a Bt corn rootworm hybrid in the same field for corn rootworm control.
However, with corn prices hovering in the $3-4/bu. range, this
two-pronged control strategy may prove profitable in the short-term for
some farmers, says Kevin Steffey, University of Illinois (U of I)
Extension entomologist.
"Right now, with the high corn prices, I would have a hard time arguing
against using both the Bt corn rootworm hybrids and a soil insecticide
at planting, except obviously in Bt corn-rootworm refuge areas, which
require planting a non-Bt corn rootworm hybrid," he says. "Based on root
protection alone, we have generally seen soil insecticides performing
every bit as well as Bt corn rootworm hybrids."
Under certain conditions, however, soil insecticides sometimes provide
more root protection than Bt corn rootworm technology, notes Steffey.
For example, this year's U of I "preliminary root evaluation ratings"
show that soil insecticide applications protected roots just as well as
Bt corn rootworm-resistant hybrids at the Monmouth location, less
effectively than the transgenic corn hybrids at DeKalb, but better than
two Bt corn rootworm-resistant hybrids at Urbana.
"We don't fully know yet how well Bt corn hybrids perform under certain
conditions or why there have been performance differences at some
locations," says Steffey. "We have received two or three reports this
year of greater-than-expected root damage on Bt corn, not just at
Urbana. There are instances of Bt corn failures every year, but they are
still a small percentage, and we still don't know why they occur."
In fields where corn avoids lodging, Bt corn rootworm hybrids
could also yield considerably better -- even with some root damage --
than non-Bt corn hybrids planted with a soil insecticide that have less
root damage, notes Steffey. As a result, "most farmers won't rest easy
with just the root rating information," he adds. "They want yield data.
Later in the year we will be providing that yield data along with our
root rating data."
Farmers who decide to use both a Bt corn rootworm-resistant hybrid and a
soil insecticide at planting would be providing two modes of action that
could help to ensure better overall root protection, depending on
conditions, than one mode of action would provide if working alone,
points out Steffey. "Using two modes of action is an insect resistance
management practice that might slow the resistance to both modes," he
says. "Long-term, relying on just one technology is unwise."
Still, the drawback to using this two-pronged strategy as a long-term
solution, besides the extra time and expense, is that corn rootworm
populations would be exposed to the same two modes of action every year.
If corn rootworms were able to survive this protection, "then we have no
more defenses left to use against them except growing a different crop,"
cautions Steffey.
For more information on U of I corn rootworm product efficacy trials in
2007, click here: www.ipm.uiuc.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=838.
For information from 2006, click here: www.ipm.uiuc.edu/bulletin/article.php?id=635.
By John Pocock
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Local Grain
Basis Prices Fall Below Futures Prices
High prices for grain on the boards of trade don't
necessarily show up at local elevators. Farmers harvesting record yields
this fall are finding cash prices well below futures prices, says Melvin
Brees, University of Missouri economist.
"The price difference is not a grain market collusion; it is simply
supply and demand," says Brees, grain marketing specialist at the MU
Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI).
To read the entire article on corn price supply and demand concerns,
click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/corn/grain-basis-prices-fall-futures/
Source: University of Missouri
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No Field
Evidence Exists To Show Corn Rootworms Are Resistant To
Bt
Despite some recent media reports to the contrary,
corn rootworms have yet to show any resistance to Bt corn rootworm
hybrids in the field, says Kevin Steffey, University of Illinois (U of
I) Extension entomologist.
"We don't have any empirical evidence that western corn rootworms are
becoming tolerant or resistant to Bt," emphasizes Steffey. "However,
there is some scientific evidence that it takes more Bt protein to kill
the variant form of the western corn rootworm in the eastern areas of
Illinois around Urbana than it does to kill the 'normal' western corn
rootworm that populates areas of western Illinois."
Bt corn rootworm-resistant hybrids and most soil insecticides are still
the best choices for protecting roots from corn rootworm feeding, says
Steffey. However, he adds that farmers who do decide to use a Bt corn
rootworm-resistant hybrid must also plant a refuge area to a non-Bt corn
rootworm-resistant hybrid to deter corn rootworm resistance to Bt from
developing.
"The great thing about Bt corn hybrids is that they provide host plant
resistance," says Steffey. "Host plant resistance is a primary
recommendation for insect control -- that's the way we have defeated the
Hessian fly and any number of insects in the past. The only difference
is that the host plant resistance in this case is transgenic."
Farmers who see lodged corn in their fields should check stalks and
roots to determine the cause. "It still may not be too late to examine
lodged corn to determine if lodging was a result of stalk rot, root rot
or rootworm feeding," says Steffey. "Rootworm damage is much more ragged
in appearance than root rot and you can sometimes still see the scars
from feeding."
For more information on managing the western corn rootworm variant,
click on this pdf Web link from the U of I: ipm.uiuc.edu/fieldcrops/insects/western_corn_rootworm/wcr.pdf.
By John Pocock
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Watch For
Damage And Disease When Harvesting Corn
Wet conditions and damage to corn caused by high winds
or hail damage likely will increase diseases in corn both before and
after harvest, says Tamra Jackson, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln
(UNL) plant pathologist.
Contact with soil and crop residue exposes the ears and stalks to more
pathogens than normal. This can result in ear- and stalk-rot diseases in
the damaged corn. Ear rotting fungi also can cause problems during
storage if good storage conditions are not maintained, adds Jackson.
"Remember, grain quality does not improve during storage," she says.
"Under the best conditions, grain will maintain its quality but is more
likely to decline as fungi continue to grow in the bin."
The UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic has seen corn with Fusarium
stalk rot and anthracnose stalk rot. Fusarium stalk rot often can be
recognized by the presence of cottony white, pink or peach colored
fungal growth around the nodes of the plants or by the presence of pink
or red discoloration inside the stalk. Shiny, black lesions visible on
the outside of stalks are characteristic of anthracnose stalk rot.
For more information about mycotoxin contamination and the ear rot
diseases that lead to grain molds and mycotoxins consult UNL Extension
NebGuide G1408, "Grain Molds and Mycotoxins in Corn," available at a
local UNL Extension office or online at www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp?what=publicationD&publicationId=319.
Source: University of Nebraska Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources
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Soybean
Rust Confirmed For First Time In Kansas
For the first time ever, Asian soybean rust has been
confirmed in a Kansas soybean field.
Kansas State University (KSU) researchers and the Kansas Department of
Agriculture (KDA) have confirmed that a leaf sample from a soybean plant
collected from a sentinel plot in Montgomery County has the disease. The
site where the positive sample was found is one of 20 that the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, working with KDA and KSU, planted around
Kansas to monitor for the disease.
"For this year, this will only be a problem in late-planted soybeans,"
says KSU plant pathologist Doug Jardine. "There are 300,000 to 400,000
acres of late-planted soybeans this year that are potentially in danger.
This represents about 10-15% of the state´s crop."
K-State Research and Extension has developed a calculator spreadsheet to
assist producers in making the decision on whether to spray. It is
available on the AgManager Web page in an Excel program as "Economics of
spraying soybeans" at: www.agmanager.info/crops/prodecon/production/decision/.
Growers can access information about fungicides currently registered for
use in Kansas from the Kansas Department of Agriculture Web site at www.ksda.gov/pesticides_fertilizer/content/288.
For photos and further information on the disease´s symptoms, click
on this University of Missouri pdf Web link:
www.extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/crops/g04442.pdf
Additional information on soybean rust can also be found on the Plant
Management Network´s Soybean Rust Information Center at
www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/infocenter/topic/soybeanrust/.
Source: Kansas State University and the Kansas
Dept. of Agriculture
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It's Time To Negotiate Land Rents
Fall is generally when many land rent negotiations
take place. Landowner and tenant alike often find this task a bit
daunting.
In Minnesota, there is no statute that sets a specific time for
notification to the tenant regarding a change. A good rule of thumb is
to write any of those types of provisions into the rental contract.
Provisions might include a final date by which the landowner will notify
the tenant if there will be a change of tenants.
Other provisions might include rent payment dates, plow-back provisions
if there is a change in tenants and reimbursement for crop inputs if the
tenant or landowner requests a change of tenants after inputs have been
applied. A written rental contract is needed. If there is no written
contract or the contract has no specific date, common sense would
dictate that the landowner notify the tenant of a change by the end of
harvest at the latest. Notification should also be in written form.
A second issue this past year is flexible lease contracts. FSA states
that if a landowner utilizes a flexible lease based upon the tenant's
yield and price received, the landowner is eligible for a portion of the
commodity payments. This can be troublesome for both landowner and
tenant.
However, there is a way around this rule and a form of flexible lease
can be utilized. For the yield portion of the lease, tenant and
landowner can use a yield such as the average National Agricultural
Statistical Service (NASS) yield for the county where the land is
located. For price, they can use the average price at the local elevator
over a given period of time. As long as neither the contract yield nor
the contract price are tied directly to the tenant's actual yield or
price, FSA will accept the lease as being a cash contract. Note that
this is the ruling under the current farm bill. The drafting of a new
farm bill may change this, so be aware of rental provisions in any new
legislation.
FSA also requires that all contract information, including land
rent contracts, be completed and submitted to the FSA office by Sept.
30. If the deadline is not met, the tenant will not receive FSA
payments. Tenants may want to set an earlier deadline to ensure all
forms are in on time.
Aside from all the rules and deadlines, mutual respect and good
communication go a long way in land rent negotiations. Tenants need to
take care of the land that the landowner has loved all these years. That
means keeping the fertility up and the weeds down. Tenants need to pay
rent on time and in the event of a good year -- perhaps a gift of some
sort to the landowner is in order.
Tenants may also want to share how input costs have changed over the
past three years. Some tenants do this by way of a newsletter to their
landowners. Landowners need to look not at how much rent they can get
but rather at the character of their tenant and the nature of that
relationship. Considerations include: does the tenant pay the rent on
time, take care of the land, send a present when they have a good year
and share some of the challenges being faced regarding crop production?
University of Minnesota Extension has a publication, "Cropland Rental
Rates for Minnesota Counties," dated June 2007. It's available to review
in pdf format at www.cffm.umn.edu/Publications/pubs/FarmMgtTopics/RentalRates.pdf.
By Gary A. Hachfeld, University of Minnesota
Extension
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Trait Rates
(Why Prices Are Up)
Producers have ever-increasing options when it comes
to buying seed in 2008, but those new traits are expected to come with a
higher price tag.
Corn and soybean seed prices are expected to increase once again for
2008, fueled by an increase in the costs of royalties for genetics and
technology (traits), as well as strong underlying commodity prices.
How much prices will increase has yet to be determined, as seed
companies and technology providers finalize pricing schedules, but early
indications are that fees on some traits could see a big jump.
The sharp increase in the price for underlying commodities -- corn and
soybeans -- also means that seed companies are competing for seed
acreage. "Costs are going up," says Chuck Lee, head of Syngenta's corn
product line. "There is a significant increase in the costs of planting
crops, it costs more to register products worldwide, and there are more
regulatory approval costs."
To read the rest of this article on seed costs, click here: farmindustrynews.com/seed/trait-rates-prices/.
By Mark Moore
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Harkin:
'Payment Limit' Fight May Go To Senate Floor
Senate Agriculture Committee members appear to be at
loggerheads on new payment limit language in the 2007 Farm Bill, a
situation that could mean any new rules would be debated on the Senate
floor.
Committee Chairman Tom Harkin reportedly has told fellow Iowa Sen.
Charles Grassley he will include Grassley's payment limitation
legislation in the chairman's mark he presents to the committee in
October.
The legislation, which has been introduced in previous years by Grassley
and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-ND, would bar any farmer and his spouse from
receiving more than a total of $250,000 in direct, counter-cyclical and
marketing loan gains or loan deficiency payments per year.
To read the full article on payment limit possibilities, click here: deltafarmpress.com/news/070921-Harkin-FB/.
By Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial
Staff
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NCGA Wants
You ... To Share Farm Bill Facts
The National Corn Growers Association wants help
contacting lawmakers and the media about farm bill legislation and other
issues currently being decided in Congress. To learn more about farm
bill legislation and what you can do to help move the best legislation
forward, click here: www.ncga.com/growersresources/sharefacts/FarmBill.asp.
Source: NCGA
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Natural, Corn-based Deodorants
Available
The DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products joint venture
recently announced that it is providing its innovative Zemea product to
Terra Naturals Inc., a personal care company that has developed a line
of natural deodorants that are corn-based and aluminum- and
petroleum-free.
Zemea is a 100% renewably sourced ingredient made from corn sugar. The
Terra Naturals GREEN line includes deodorant sticks, sprays and roll-ons
for men, women, teens and sport uses. These products offer odor
elimination with a non-sticky residue. The GREEN line products are free
of petroleum-based chemicals, free of synthetic parabens and aluminum
and use only plant-derived ingredients.
Under the branded GREEN line of products, the deodorants are distributed
through United Natural Foods in the U.S. and Purity Life in Canada and
also are available at the Terra Naturals Web site, www.terranaturals.com.
Source: DuPont
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Who Do You
Trust?
The editors of The Corn And Soybean Digest
(CSD) would like to know who you rely upon for trustworthy farming
advice. Do you call on an independent crop consultant, a university
expert, another farmer or a farm management consultant to improve your
bottom line?
If you have relied on someone consistently as a mentor to help you be
more profitable or to help provide clarity in making farm management
decisions, please tell CSD their name, how they've helped you and
how CSD can contact them (and you). Who knows, they could end up
being recognized in a future issue of the magazine.
Please send your nominations via email to csd@csdigest.com or mail to Editor,
The Corn And Soybean Digest, 7900 International Drive, Ste. 300,
Minneapolis, MN 55425.
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Note From The
Corn E-Digest Editor
I recently received a question from one Corn
E-Digest reader about the pros and cons of using anhydrous ammonia
vs. 28% nitrogen and from another reader about tips on baling corn
stalks for cattle feed. Look for advice on those questions in next
week's Corn E-Digest. If you have any other ideas on what you'd
like to see covered in a future issue of the Corn E-Digest, or if
you have concerns or questions about this issue, please write me (John
Pocock) at: jpocock@csdigest.com.
As always, thanks for your readership.
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