Crop News Weekly: U.S. Farmers Prefer Biotech

Have you noticed that, generally speaking, each year about this same time fuel prices start stabilizing? It's pure coincidence I am certain that prices go up just before a major travel holiday and go down almost immediately thereafter. Not that I am complaining, mind you. But there seems to be a pattern here. By way of comparision, imagine if producers could raise the wholesale price of food commodities just before everyone got hungry or went shopping at their local supermarket. There's no moral to this story really. I just find it interesting. In the meantime, we all need to quickly fill up all our tanks before Labor Day (and harvest season) arrives.

We offer up some interesting news and issues this week. Let's get started.

American farmers have adopted biotech crops widely since their introduction in 1996, especially corn, cotton and soybean varieties, according to a new USDA report.

USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) report, Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S. was released July 1, 2009. Key findings include:

* Adoption of biotech soybeans is 91% in 2009.
* Adoption of all biotech cotton reached 88% in 2009.
* Adoption of all biotech corn climbed to 85% in 2009.

Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, executive vice president, food and agriculture for the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), issued a statement in response to the report. - Corn & Soybean Digest

The world’s climate is getting warmer, and that could have a profound impact on U.S. agriculture, says Jerry Hatfield, supervisory plant physiologist with USDA’s National Soil Tilth Research Laboratory at Iowa State University.

While right-wing pundits and even some Democrats, such as Collin Peterson, may scoff, Hatfield says the world can expect warmer temperatures for the next 30 to 50 years, rising carbon dioxide concentrations and increased variability in temperature and precipitation.

Hatfield isn’t some off-the-wall environmentalist with an agenda. He’s a respected scientist who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 and chaired last year’s USDA Greenhouse Gas Symposium. He also says the phenomenon is not new. - Forrest Laws, Farm Press Editorial Staff

I recently wrote in an article that I would sure like to get called out to a “normal-looking” rice field because I have looked at so many messes this year.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the calls I have received from farmers bragging about their crops and inviting me to come look.

The crop is beginning to look like a rice crop and I have been in several areas where it really looks good. I have not enjoyed the late-June heat, but the crops sure have. - Ford L. Baldwin, Practical Weed Consultants, LLC.

We quickly learn in this business that one man’s caviar and Champagne may well be just smelly fish eggs and icky grape juice to another.

In recent weeks, we’ve run articles about land management to conserve and enhance wildlife habitat in order to encourage growth and sustainability of native game populations.

While many farmers and landowners realize significant extra income from these endeavors through fees for hunting, others see burgeoning populations of deer and other game as the path to crop losses and ruined gardens and landscaping. - Hembree Brandon, Farm Press Editorial Staff

The adoption of biotechnology, export expansion, and supplier reliability are crucial components to further bolster the U.S. wheat industry — a $16.5 billion economic powerhouse in 2008.

“Bringing biotechnology into the wheat realm is imperative for a healthy and expanding U.S. wheat industry,” said Michael Edgar, Yuma, Ariz. - Cary Blake, Farm Press Editorial Staff

Agricultural Research Service scientists have sequenced the genome of an invasive parasite called Nosema ceranae that can kill honey bees and is one of the many suspects in the mysterious ailment known as colony collapse disorder (CCD).

USDA-ARS researchers Jay Evans, Yanping (Judy) Chen and R. Scott Cornman also have nearly completed sequencing the genome of Nosema apis, a native “cousin” of the parasite.

“The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 could be the most sweeping conservation legislation enacted in the 21st century," says Jon Scholl, president of American Farmland Trust. "If done properly, this legislation could create incentives to improve stewardship on hundreds of millions of acres of American farm and ranch land and produce low carbon renewable fuels on farms. This would bring new sources of income to producers. We support this bill moving forward to a successful vote on the House floor."

With the recent compromises, and the breakthrough deal for agriculture reached between Chairmen Waxman (D-CA) and Peterson (D-MN), many of the concerns of agriculture appear to have been addressed. "We believe that by maximizing agriculture's opportunities to adopt new conservation practices and technologies and produce low-carbon renewable energy, you maximize the bill's environmental benefits," Scholl adds. He also notes that agricultural lands provide the most available and cost-efficient means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

It may not always pay for ranchers to use herbicides to kill exotic invasive weeds such as leafy spurge, according to a 16-year study by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and colleagues.

Rangeland ecologist Matt Rinella at the ARS Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, MT, and colleagues conducted the study. Data they collected 16 years after a one-time aerial spraying of herbicide showed that the invasive leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L) may have ultimately increased due to spraying. Conversely, several desirable native forbs were still suffering the effects of spraying 16 years after spraying.

Crop prices are beginning the annual meteorological reaction. Adverse weather gives price increase and favorable weather takes it away.

Much of the weather premium was removed from the market in recent price declines. Dollar exchange rates have been volatile and affect prices directly. Beef prices are rising but cattle on feed declined 12 percent in May and another 3 percent in June. Pork exports are increasing but herds of swine and cattle are near a decade low. Fewer animals on feed reduce grain use. Feed remains the number one use of grains and soy-meal. Indian monsoon rains are expected to decrease 32 percent below average. That will limit crop production there and possibly exports. - Ray Nabors, Contributing Writer

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