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 “Waterhemp is a
significant problem in soybeans, and the potential for it to be an even
bigger problem is huge. I’ve seen a yield reduction of 40 to 50
bushels per acre when it’s taken over the field. It’s one of those
weeds you have to remove from the field—physically remove. If you just
pull it up and leave it there, it’ll re-root and remain or gain as a
problem.” Ken Dahlenburg, grower, central Illinois. Learn more at www.resistancefighter.com
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Logan Hawkes
04/01/09
A practical joke is about the last thing you need
right now considering the ominous instability of the financial markets,
spiraling fertilizer prices, and ever-changing farm legislation, so I'll
hold off on the April Fool's prank idea until next year. But be warned,
it is a traditional day (Wednesday, Apr. 1) for Tom Foolery and
mischief, so don't let your guard down. On the other hand, I can think
of a few choice "pranks" that would certainly rattle the average farmer
these days. So if you're stuck in the tradition of the day, have fun
with it and don't e-mail me until Thursday.
You'll find a lot of information in this issue, from farm legislation to
talk about no-till farming; from energy issues to soybean rust. So
thanks for stopping by, and by all means surf around and enjoy our
interactive newsletter. Check out the featured video of the week, take
our new poll, and enjoy.
Soybean
rust - where from here?
In November 2004, soybean production in the continental
United States was forever changed when soybean rust was detected for the
first time near Baton Rouge, La. Initial response statements suggested
that the fungus that causes the disease was carried into the United
States on Hurricane Ivan.
Historically speaking, prior to 2001, soybean rust had not been detected
outside of the Eastern Hemisphere until it was reported in Paraguay
during the 2001 season. Following that report, the disease moved through
South America’s soybean producing areas quickly and was detected in
the United States within three years. - Tom Allen, Billy Moore, and
Trey Koger - Farm Press Publications
FULL ARTICLE >>
Danger in
single-herbicide weed control
You couldn’t blame farmers for taking a certain amount
of pleasure in being able to kill tall weeds with glyphosate when
Roundup Ready crops first came on the market more than 10 years ago.
Right place for residual herbicides
Herbicide-resistant barnyardgrass in rice
Management programs target glyphosate resistance in cottonSpraying a big
weed with a labeled rate of the product and watching it shrivel up, turn
brown and die was one of the best shows in town until growers began
finding they couldn’t kill some weeds with any rate of the herbicide.
- Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff
FULL ARTICLE >>
Vilsack
extends sign-up deadline
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is extending the sign-up
deadline for the 2009 direct and counter-cyclical payment program from
June 1 to Aug. 14 to give producers more time to analyze their options
under the 2008 farm bill.
Vilsack, testifying before the House Appropriations Subcommittee, said
the move was in response to concerns he had heard from producers who
were worried about making their decisions in time for the June 1
deadline.
“This action should provide producers with sufficient time to learn
about the new ACRE program and to make informed decisions about their
sign-up options,” said Vilsack. The secretary was referring to the
average crop revenue enhancement program that bases counter-cyclical
payments on crop prices and revenues. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
FULL ARTICLE >>
China has
hand in U.S. economy
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says he’s “worried” about
his country’s investments in U.S. Treasury bonds. China, he says, is
watching economic developments in the United States closely.
Currently, China holds about $1 trillion of U.S. debt, which is a lot of
reasons for concern. The $1 trillion represents about half of China’s
foreign exchange reserves, which have been building from its
double-digit economic growth.
The Chinese premier’s comments are somewhat akin to the little boy who
pulls his sister’s hair and then feigns innocence when the sibling
starts complaining. China has contributed more to the current U.S.
economic malaise than any other country. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
FULL ARTICLE >>
Cuba farm
trade barrier targeted
Farm-state members of Congress are trying once again to
force the executive branch of the government to remove barriers to sales
of wheat, rice and other U.S. agricultural products to Cuba.
Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and 17 other members have introduced the
Agricultural Export Facilitation Act of 2009, legislation that would
eliminate the requirement that those products be paid for by the Cuban
government prior to shipment.
Most agricultural products are shipped using letters of credit,
guarantees by banks that the goods will be paid for when they arrive at
their destination. Bush administration officials added the payment in
advance rule for shipments to Cuba in 2005. - Forrest Laws, Farm
Press Editorial Staff
FULL ARTICLE >>
In
payment limit war, farmers win one
The first skirmish in the 2009 version of the battle over
payment limits has been held, and farmers appear to have won.
The Senate Budget Committee defeated, by a vote of 13-10, an amendment
offered by Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley that would have capped farm
payments at $250,000 per individual farmer and used the savings for
child nutrition programs.
The Budget Committee, instead, adopted an amendment offered by its
chairman, North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad, that would call for reductions
in funding for crop insurance programs and increased spending on child
nutrition. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff
FULL ARTICLE >>
USDA to
validate payment eligibility
In response to the discovery of nearly $50 million in
payments to ineligible farmers, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) have begun efforts to ensure that high-income
individuals and entities who request USDA payments meet income limits
set forth in the 2008 Farm Bill.
Said Vilsack: "One of the goals of this Administration is to make
certain that USDA payments are not issued to individuals and entities
that exceed income eligibility limits established by law. Once this
verification system is fully operational, high-income individuals and
entities will be identified by USDA before farm program payments are
actually disbursed to them."
FULL ARTICLE >>
Fertility
program crucial to no-till success
When farmers learn how it’s done, most find little, if
any, yield penalty from switching to no-till production practices. And
learning how to fertilize no-till crops is a crucial lesson.
“And they get other advantages,” says Lloyd Murdock, University of
Kentucky Extension soils specialist.”
Murdock discussed advantages and challenges for no-till production
recently at the No-till Oklahoma Conference in Oklahoma City. - Ron
Smith, Farm Press Editorial Staff
FULL ARTICLE >>
Soybeans:
Heart-healthy foods
Hearts everywhere received good news recently as more
potential heart-health benefits for soy were announced.
The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff remain in the
forefront of keeping soy a top-of-mind, healthy product with consumers
not only by promoting soyfoods but also by continually working to solve
the concern of trans fats in edible oils.
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Hong
Kong and published in the European Heart Journal compounds found
naturally in soy, known as isoflavones, increase artery and heart
health. The study was conducted on patients with a history of stroke and
high cholesterol. The results were measured by artery diameter and
cholesterol levels.
FULL ARTICLE >>
Vilsack
announces buy-in details
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says producers can pay a
buy-in fee to become eligible for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance
Program (SURE), Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and
Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP) and Tree Assistance Programs (TAP) for the 2008
crop year.
The buy-in fee was authorized in the recently-passed American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which allows producers to become eligible
for 2008 disaster assistance even if they did not previously obtain crop
insurance from the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. Farmers and ranchers
have until May 18 to pay the buy-in fee. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press
Editorial Staff
FULL ARTICLE >>
Next
Farm
An expert in precision agriculture predicts a new level of
accuracy in input application and information management. Producer Clay
Mitchell of Buckingham, IA, is well known for his knowledge and
extensive use of precision ag technologies. Ask Mitchell to gaze into
precision agriculture's crystal ball, and he'll tell you about new
technologies that will make it possible to apply key crop inputs with
highly precise uniformity, dramatically increasing yields.
He sees a future where small robots, ground-penetrating radar or other
technologies will detect, map and help replace century-old tile lines,
which now crumble unseen, robbing untold yield across the Midwest.
He also envisions technologies that will automatically gather critical
information about a farming operation in real time and provide instant
access to it in the tractor, in the office, or anywhere with Internet
access. A grower will be able to make solid decisions based on
information he didn't even know he had gathered. - David Hest, Farm
Industry News
FULL ARTICLE >>
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Residual control in a glyphosate corn herbicide. Very
unexpected. New Halex™ GT gives you everything your current
glyphosate does, plus residual weed control. It’s the only herbicide
specifically designed to improve your glyphosate corn program whether
you grow AgriSure® GT or Roundup Ready® corn. Halex GT stays in
the soil to take care of continuously emerging weeds. Its residual
control lasts far into the season for better yield potential and a more
convenient, more productive glyphosate program. Try Halex GT on your
farm and see for yourself.
|
AUDIO/VIDEO FEATURES
KENT THIESSE
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Don’t Spray Glyphosate without Adding Callisto Corn
Herbicide for Residual Control
Year after year, growers trust Callisto® corn herbicide for proven
broadleaf weed management. In glyphosate-tolerant corn, combining
Callisto with Touchdown Total® glyphosate herbicide delivers
effective control of emerged weeds plus long-lasting residual control.
Callisto also provides another mode of action, which helps manage
against weed resistance and delivers improved activity on broadleaf
weeds not currently controlled by glyphosate alone.
|
RICHARD BROCK
MORE MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS
 ECONOMIC
DEPRESSIONS
Everywhere I go people are discussing the fallout of the economy,
whether it is taxicab drivers, flight attendants, pilots, farmers or
lenders. One lady, age 72, on a redeye flight in the seat behind me
chose to invest all her money in gold. I only hope it was not with
someone like Bernie Madoff. Others are asking more questions about a
possible depression. It is time to examine the subject of economic
depressions to put this economic variable into context.
First, let’s define a depression. It is defined as a decline in
per-person GDP or consumption by 10% or more. Two depressions have
occurred in the U.S. since 1870. The Great Depression from 1929 to 1933
showed a macroeconomic decline of 25%. Another depression was post-World
War I from 1917 to 1921, with a 16% decline. GDP for the last quarter of
2008 was revised down to negative 6.2%.
MORE
FARMERS
& ENVIRONMENTALISTS WORKING TOGETHER
Farmers and environmentalists can both benefit from the adaptive
management strategies for crop nutrient management that have been
developed as part of the Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network,
according to Suzy Friedman, ag projects manager and Regional Director of
the Chesapeake Bay for the Center for Conservation Incentives at the
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in Washington, D.C.
“Farmers and environmentalists need to work hand-in-hand to create a
science-based solution to the nation’s water quality and crop nutrient
management issues,” she says.
Friedman notes that growers in Iowa and in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
have used a model developed by the On-Farm Network that allows crop
producers to optimize yields and minimize nutrient use through use of
stalk nitrate testing and field-scale replicated strip trials that
compare the growers’ normal nitrogen rates with a reduced rate.
MORE
U
OF I EXTENSION'S "DISTANCE DIAGNOSIS"
What's chewing on your garden plants or ailing your soybeans or ruining
the apples on your backyard tree? Now there are 50 University of
Illinois (U of I) Extension professionals ready and able to answer those
and other questions through the Distance Diagnostics System.
"Using digital imaging equipment, local Extension office staff can take
high-quality images of plant and pest problems," explains Dennis Bowman,
a U of I Extension crop systems educator who oversees the system. "The
images, along with background information about the problem, are
submitted to Distance Diagnostics. Appropriate experts are instantly
notified.
MORE
POTENIAL
ENERGY CROPS
On the University of Illinois (U of I) South Farms, 320 acres are
devoted to the largest biofuels research farm in the U.S., growing crops
that could be used to produce renewable energy. Last year the farm
planted miscanthus, switchgrass, corn and restored prairie as bioenergy
crops. The goal is to compare insect and disease challenges,
environmental benefits, profit opportunities and potential energy per
acre of each.
MORE
NEW POLL - CAST YOUR
VOTE
Become interactive with Crop News Weeekly and the Corn & Soybean Digest!
Check out our new question: What is your main limiting resource?
--Time?
--Operating capital?
--Know-how on using new technologies?
Take a moment and cast your vote, and check out the results so far as
well.
VOTE HERE
INNOVATION
REQUIRED FOR ENERGY ISSUES
Innovative companies will help make renewable fuels part of our future.
For example, Verenium Corp. and Alfa Lavel are working together to make
biodiesel production from edible oils more efficient. Verenium Corp. is
a manufacturer of specialty enzymes and is working on enzymes to degum
the oils. Alfa Laval, the dairy specialists, is lending engineering help
for the process.
Read more HERE
BIG
TIME PLAYER
AGCO introduces new high-horsepower row-crop tractors under the
Challenger, AGCO, and Massey Ferguson brands.
Five years ago, multi-brand machinery maker AGCO Corporation shifted
strategy by focusing less on company acquisitions and more on product
development. The company wanted to consolidate its rainbow of 21
different brands and market products in North America under three
cornerstone distribution networks: AGCO dealers, Challenger dealers, and
Massey Ferguson dealers.
The first products streamlined under this new plan were the Challenger
4-wd tractors, axial and transverse-rotor combines, and large square
balers. - Jodie Wehrspann, Farm Industry News MORE
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