CROP NEWS WEEKLY Penton Media April 1, 2009 Volume 9 Issue 13 If you want to view this on the web go to: http://enews.penton.com/enews/cropnewsweekly/v/319 ---------------------------------------- ADVERTISEMENT "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 http://www.resistancefighter.com ---------------------------------------- EDITOR'S NOTE 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. FROM OUR EDITORS --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 To view the full article go to: http://deltafarmpress.com/soybeans/soybean-rust-0327/?smte=wl --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 To view the full article go to: http://deltafarmpress.com/soybeans/weed-control-0331/ --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 To view the full article go to: http://deltafarmpress.com/legislative/deadline-extension-0331/ --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 To view the full article go to: http://deltafarmpress.com/cotton/laws-column-0330/ --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 To view the full article go to: http://deltafarmpress.com/news/Cuba-rice-wheat-0327/ --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 To view the full article go to: http://deltafarmpress.com/legislative/Budget-Bill-0327/ --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." To view the full article go to: http://deltafarmpress.com/legislative/payment-eligibility-0326/ --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 To view the full article go to: http://southwestfarmpress.com/news/fertility-program-0326/ --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. To view the full article go to: http://southeastfarmpress.com/soybeans/soybeans-fats-0330/ --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 To view the full article go to: http://southeastfarmpress.com/legislation/crop-insurance-0327/ --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 To view the full article go to: http://farmindustrynews.com/farm-equipment/0401-expert-predicts-accuracy/?smte=wl ---------------------------------------- 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(R) GT or Roundup Ready(R) 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. ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- Don't Spray Glyphosate without Adding Callisto Corn Herbicide for Residual Control Year after year, growers trust Callisto(R) corn herbicide for proven broadleaf weed management. In glyphosate-tolerant corn, combining Callisto with Touchdown Total(R) 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. http://www.farmassist.com/promo/callisto_landing/index.asp?nav=callistoLanding.html ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- Enter the Syngenta Field Performance Sweepstakes for a chance to win a prize package designed to bring you performance on and off the field. Click here to tell your own Plant Performance story and get a shot at the ultimate performance experience. Be among the first 50 to respond and you'll also receive an official NCAA Division I college hat featuring the team of your choice http://plantperformance-sweeps.com ---------------------------------------- KENT THIESSE ---------------------------------------- 2007 AG CENSUS DATA PROVIDES SNAPSHOT Every five years, the USDA conducts a Census of Agriculture in order to count the farms and ranches in the U.S., and the number of people who operate them. The ag census data looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, farm income and other characteristics. The census not only looks at national data and trends for farm characteristics, but also does breakdowns on a statewide and county basis. The 2007 Census of Agriculture data was gathered from farm operators early in 2008, and the results were released in early February 2009. Complete census data is available from the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) web site. http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/kentthiesse/0325-agriculture-census-data/ ---------------------------------------- RICHARD BROCK ---------------------------------------- FARMER PROTESTS IN ARGENTINA Unrest in Argentina is again threatening to disrupt the marketing of farm commodities, most notably soybeans and soybean meal. Many farmers are refusing to sell grain or livestock because the government refuses to lower the levy on soy exports. This battle was fought a year ago and resulted in a slowdown for Argentine exports and may have cost that country market share. Argentina is the No. 1 soybean meal exporter in the world. "Production is falling because we've got dismal agricultural policies and things are going to get worse from now on," says Eduardo Buzzi, president of the Argentine Agrarian Federation. "Prices have fallen but they wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the scourge of these export taxes," he adds. ---------------------------------------- AUDIO/VIDEO FEATURES ---------------------------------------- BUSINESS IS BRISK AT MACHINERYLINK The tight economy has helped demand for leasing combines at MachineryLink. Mark Gabrick reports that business is strong with inventory getting tight already on some machines. He also says this is the perfect time for growers to consider leasing a combine instead of carrying ownership of one. Cash is tight and leasing frees up cash. Hear more from Gabrick on the video at http://farmindustrynews.com/tv/0330-machinerylink-leasing/ ---------------------------------------- MORE MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHTS ---------------------------------------- ROAD WARRIOR: 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%. http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/davidkohl/0325-economic-depressions/ EVERYONE BENEFITS WHEN FARMERS & ENVIRONMENTALISTS WORK 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. http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/ag-issues/0326-farmer-management-strategies/ 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. http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/soybeans/0326-distance-diagnosis-system/ POTENTIAL 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. 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. - from Farm Industry News. http://farmindustrynews.com/tractors/0401-agco-introduces-tractors/ ---------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER You are subscribed to this newsletter as #email# To subscribe to this newsletter go to: http://subscribe.cropnewsweekly.com/?tc=NLSUB To unsubscribe from this newsletter go to: http://subscribe.cropnewsweekly.com/?tc=NLSUB&cid=#message_id#&lid=#list_id#&email=#email# For information on advertising in Crop News Weekly, please contact: Roger Randall at mailto:roger.randall@penton.com For questions concerning delivery of this newsletter, please contact our Customer Service Department at: US Toll Free: 866-505-7173 International: 847-763-9504 or mailto:cropnewsweekly@pbinews.com To get this newsletter in a different format (Text or HTML), or to change your e-mail address, please go to your profile page here: http://subscribe.cropnewsweekly.com/?tc=NLSUB&email=#email# Penton Media | 249 W. 17th Street | New York, NY 10011 Copyright 2009, Penton Media. 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