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Logan
Hawkes
09/03/08
Crop News Weekly
Labor Day has passed us by and the fall season
is nearing. Are you ready for harvest? Our counterparts in the Southland
are, and for some it has already started. But as cold winter weather is
the bane for Midwest farmers, tropical weather down south is the same
for southern producers. Just ask growers in South Texas or across
Louisiana this week. A little rain is always welcome, and a lot of rain
is sometimes needed. But 30 inches in a week? Not a good thing -
regardless where you farm. In the news this week, Fred Browning is a
sixth generation farmer, studied agriculture in college and has spent
most of his life managing a farm. Still, he says new information is the
key to making critical farm management decisions. And when it comes to
no-till farming, experience is the best teacher. Find out more below.
Also this week, it´s the state flower of Kansas, and at least one ag
agronomist is suggesting that growers across the region should consider
the benefit of growing sunflowers commercially. Elsewhere in the news,
corn and soybean conditions declined last week as dry weather across the
Midwest led to some moisture stress on crops, but U.S. crop ratings
remained above a year earlier. And this in the news this week: Exports
of U.S. agricultural-related equipment to nations around the world has
topped $5.8 billion dollars for the first half of 2008 compared to
mid-year 2007 numbers, for an increase of 30.5%. Finally, research shows
more than two-thirds of giant ragweed seedlings emerge from earthworm
burrows. Scientists have discovered that “underground gardening” by
earthworms is contributing to the spread of giant ragweed, a plant that
causes sneezes and sniffles and is one of the nation’s most irritating
weeds.
You'll find these stories and more in this issue of Crop News
Weekly. Happy reading.
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No-till
farming on-going learning experience
Fred Browning is a sixth generation farmer, studied
agriculture in college and has spent most of his life managing a farm.
Still, he says new information is the key to making critical farm
management decisions. He grows about 1,800 acres of corn, wheat and
soybeans on a farming operation spread out over three counties and on
both sides of the James River near Charles City, Va. Browning is among a
large number of successful farmers who have graduated from North
Carolina State University’s Ag Institute. “It was a great experience
for me — a great learning experience — and I continue to try and
learn as much as I can to try and make as many good decisions as I can
about our crops,” Browning says. - Roy Roberson, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Sunflower
has potential for South Central Kansas
It´s the state flower of Kansas and plenty of them
are grown in the western part of the state, but a Kansas State
University agronomist is encouraging agricultural producers in another
part of the state to give sunflowers a try. Sunflowers can fit well into
a rotation with wheat and other summer annual crops in south central
Kansas, said K-State Research and Extension crops and soils specialist
Stu Duncan. The development of new weed control technologies coupled
with attractive commodity prices have sparked renewed interest in
sunflower production. Early May to early June planting dates are
recommended for south central Kansas, said Duncan, who is based in
northeast Kansas. Duncan, who gave a presentation on sunflower
production at the K-State Agronomy Field Day Aug. 22, referred to data
from studies in the mid-late 1990s at K-State´s South Central
Experiment Field near Hutchinson and the Harvey County Experiment Field
near Hesston. (To read the complete article, click on the headline
above)
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Terral: make
every bushel count
Quick. Name the top four yielding corn-producing
states in 2007. If your answer included states that begin with an I,
you’re only partly right. Two Mid-South states were the third and
fourth highest-yielding (behind Iowa and Illinois) last year. Thomas
Terral isn’t claiming his company’s hybrids were solely responsible
for Arkansas’ and Louisiana’s record-breaking yield performance. But
he believes they helped. “Because of the rising costs, we know our
producers have to make every bushel count,” says Terral, president of
Terral Seed, speaking at the company’s annual Terral Seed Research Day
at its field station near Greenville, Miss. “That’s why we’ve
adopted the theme of ‘Running with the bulls.’ We know what it costs
to grow these crops and that you have to make the highest corn, soybean
and wheat yields possible to make a profit.” (To read the complete
article, click on the headline above)
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Swine
industry vital to southern Minnesota
If someone were to mention what industry in Minnesota
generates nearly $2 billion/year in direct sales, and contributes
approximately $7 billion to the state’s economy, very few people would
guess the pork industry. However, those are the most recent estimates of
the impact that Minnesota swine producers have on the state’s economy.
Minnesota ranks third in the nation in hog production, producing over 15
million hogs/year. The pork industry is extremely important to the
economy of south-central Minnesota. Blue Earth, Nicollet, Martin and
Brown counties are in the top five hog production counties in the state.
In fact Martin County is in the top 10 hog producing counties in the
U.S., producing over 1.5 million hogs/year. - Kent Thiesse, Corn &
Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Corn
and soybean ratings decline
Corn and soybean conditions declined last week as dry
weather across the Midwest led to some moisture stress on crops, but
U.S. crop ratings remained above a year earlier. Crop development
remained clearly behind normal after the slow start to the growing
season. A lack of moisture slowed development in some areas. U.S. corn
conditions were rated 64% good/excellent as of Sunday, down from 67% a
week earlier, but up from 59% a year earlier, according the USDA’s
weekly crop update. - Richard Brock, Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Report:
Farm machinery exports gain 30.5 percent
Exports of U.S. agricultural-related equipment to
nations around the world topped $5.8 billion dollars for the first half
of 2008 compared to mid-year 2007 numbers, for an increase of 30.5%,
according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The North
American-based international trade group produces a quarterly
global-markets report for members consolidating U.S. Commerce Department
data. Asia and Central America recorded modest gains while all other
major world regions reported substantial growth, led by
Australia/Oceania and South America. - Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Earthworms
spreading ragweed
Research shows more than two-thirds of giant ragweed
seedlings emerge from earthworm burrows. Scientists have discovered that
“underground gardening” by earthworms is contributing to the spread
of giant ragweed, a plant that causes sneezes and sniffles and is one of
the nation’s most irritating weeds. “Earthworms help ragweed thrive
by systematically collecting and burying its seeds in their burrows,”
says Weed Ecologist Dr. Emilie Regnier of Ohio State University. “In
fact, we’ve found that more than two-thirds of all giant ragweed
seedlings emerge from earthworm burrows.” - Corn & Soybean
Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Latest
volume of pesticide efficacy reports
Plant Disease Management Reports (PDMR), an online
resource developed to give growers, consultants, pesticide applicators
and Extension specialists the latest information in disease management
effectiveness, has published its 2008 volume. This latest volume
contains more than 560 searchable reports on the effectiveness of
fungicides/nematicides, resistant varieties and biological controls
against soybean rust, gray leaf spot on corn, soybean cyst nematode and
other pests. - Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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ROAD
WARRIOR: Agricultural Risk Assessment
Dave Kohl writes: "The other day a lender group
in Duluth, MN, asked me to rank the risks in agriculture. While this
list may not be comprehensive or in alignment with your area, it should
provide some food for thought. The four risks that would get a five-star
high-profile rating are: weather, input costs, currency and food vs.
fuel. One only has to examine the results of too much rain in the Grain
Belt to see the influence on price and cost levels in the livestock
industry. Currency levels are having a dramatic impact on input cost. If
the dollar was par to the euro, oil prices would be in the
$70-80/barrell range, and gasoline and fuel would cost about
$3.25/gal..." - Corn & Soybean Digest
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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CSD LIVE: Hedging
bets through added value
Starting a value-added business represents a different
way of thinking for most farmers,” says Keith Gelder, who farms in
North Central Iowa. This type of thinking outside the norm is a hallmark
of value-added businesses launched through Ag Ventures Alliance, a Mason
City, IA, ag business development incubator. Watch the latest video from
Susan Windsor and Corn & Soybean LIVE. (To rsee the video, click on
the headline above)
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Bull corn
market gone kaput?
Is another bull market in the running for corn despite
bearish news from USDA for higher ending stocks and production? It’s
apparently a tough question for analysts to answer. USDA’s Aug. 12
corn production estimate of 12.3 billion bushels was higher than the
trade expected, due in part to higher expected harvested acreage and
yields. Good corn-growing weather in the Midwest has boosted the
crop’s yield potential significantly. “But it’s important to note
that most of that unexpected production gain was offset by higher
demand,” said Richard Feltes, grain analyst with MF Global, speaking
at a CME Group’s press briefing. He noted that ethanol usage, pegged
at 4.1 billion bushels, “inferred to me that ethanol demand would be
at least 4.5 billion bushels for 2009. This suggests that we indeed will
have to come up with more acres for the corn and soybeans combined. -
Elton Robinson, Farm Press Editorial Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Pioneer
corn: history and future
A wall of exotic corn varieties — some towering,
some odd-looking — was the backdrop for a stop at the recent field day
on Kip Cullers’ Stark City, Mo., farm. The varieties illustrated
“some historical lines of corn down to what we’re selling,” said
Bill Niebur, who is based in Iowa as Pioneer vice president of crop
genetics research and development. Before domestication, corn started
out as a grass with kernels that looked like “little rocks. As corn
has been domesticated over thousands and thousands of years, it slowly
separated. The male portion, the tassels, slowly came to the top and the
ear moved to the center.
“One of the intermediate stages is this pod corn, where every kernel
on this ear is surrounded by blooms,” said Niebur, holding up an ear.
“It’s kind of like a wheat kernel.” (To read the complete
article, click on the headline above)
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Higher
farm prices bring new uncertainties
In the words of that wise old sage, Kermit the Frog,
who once lived on the banks of Deer Creek near Leland, Miss., “It
isn’t easy being green.” For years, farmers were told to become more
environmentally friendly by adopting cleaner-burning, more
energy-efficient fuels along with soil- and water-saving production
practices. Farmers began to plant no-till and spray fewer pesticides and
to grow more corn and soybeans for cleaner-burning, more
energy-efficient ethanol and biodiesel. And what did they receive for
their trouble? After an all too brief “honeymoon” period for
renewable fuels, many believe the urban world has turned on them. How
did farmers go from being heroes to bad guys in such a short time
period? Part of it is due to the oil industry seeking to divert
attention from the record profits of companies like Exxon-Mobil. But
it’s also because of the shifting nature of the U.S. agricultural
economy. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Ag
Lenders Conferences set for Garden City
The Kansas State University Agricultural Lenders
Conferences will be in the eastern and western parts of the state this
year to accommodate as many participants as possible, regardless of
where they live and work. The first conference is set for Oct. 1 at the
K-State Southwest Research and Extension Center at 4500 East Mary St. in
Garden City. The second conference is Oct. 8 across from K-State´s
Snyder Family Stadium in the International Grains Program Conference
Center at 1980 Kimball Ave. in Manhattan. Early registration deadlines
are Sept. 25 for the Garden City conference and Oct. 2 for the Manhattan
program. The cost for early registration is $80. Registration at the
door the day of the conference is $90. The fee includes lunch at the
selected location. (To read the complete article, click on the
headline above)
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U.S.
agriculture dodges Doha bullet
Talk about your no-win situations. That’s what the
Bush administration found itself in the Doha Round negotiations that
collapsed when China and India demanded the United States make
“unacceptable” concessions on market access and farm subsidies.
Although U.S. officials appeared willing to make even more reductions in
U.S. farm subsidies going into the negotiations in Geneva in late July,
the governments of China and India and other developing countries were
unwilling to match those with increases in access to their markets. In
fact, says Bill Gillon, the National Cotton Council’s trade counsel,
WTO officials seemed intent on forcing the U.S. to cut its subsidies by
70 percent while allowing developing countries to have special product
exemptions from tariff reductions for up to 13 percent of their product
lines. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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Hydrogen-producing
bacteria provide clean energy
A new "green" technology developed cooperatively by
scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and North
Carolina State University (NC State) could lead to production of
hydrogen from nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Renewable sources of energy —
such as hydrogen — that don't produce pollutants or greenhouse gases
are needed to solve global energy shortages. Fossil fuels such as coal,
oil and natural gas are non-renewable energy sources implicated in
global warming. The invention holds promise as a source of hydrogen for
use in fuel cell technology. Fuel cell devices combine hydrogen and
oxygen to produce electricity and water, and are considered efficient,
quiet and pollution-free. Fuel cells are now being tested in a range of
products, including automobiles that release no emissions other than
water vapor. - Rosalie Marion Bliss, United States Department of
Agriculture
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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New
farm bill changes disaster assistance
With the hurricane season entering its peak period,
Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H.
Bronson is reminding agricultural producers they must have crop
insurance or non-insured crop disaster assistance coverage (NAP) to be
eligible for compensation under the government’s disaster programs. A
provision of the 2008 farm bill, which was enacted into law in June,
requires that farmers and ranchers carry one or the other of the two
insurance programs to be reimbursed for agricultural losses. Prior to
the law’s enactment, such coverage was not mandatory. Because the law
took effect after application periods expired for the insurance
programs, producers have until Sept. 16 to take advantage of a waiver
that permits them to pay a “buy-in” fee to be eligible for disaster
assistance. Producers can contact their local FSA County Office to file
the waiver application and pay the applicable fees. (To read the
complete article, click on the headline above)
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Dramatic
price increases on the way
Get ready for another big increase in production
costs. Gary Schnitkey, farm financial management specialist at the
University of Illinois, forecasts that corn and soybean producers will
see significant price increases for all input costs next year. “For
corn, 2009 non-land production costs are projected at $529/acre, a
$141/acre increase from 2008 levels,” Schnitkey says. Non-land
production costs averaged $286/acre between 2003 and 2007, so that puts
2009 production costs $243/acre higher than that five-year average, an
increase of 85%. The increase is just as dramatic for soybeans. Non-land
production costs for 2009 are projected at $321/acre, up $82/acre from
2008 costs. The 2003 to 2007 non-land costs averaged $180/acre, putting
2009 production costs $141 above the 2003 to 2007 average, an increase
of 78%. - Farm Industry News
(To read the complete article, click on the headline above)
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