Crop News Weekly: Asian Rust Spreads In Mid South

While Midwest farmers seem safe for now, Southern soybean growers are beginning to see signs of Asian soybean rust cropping up in fields. The latest to be hit are growers in Mississippi and Arkansas. With a series of new tropical lows developing in the Atlantic and Caribbean, there is some concern that a major storm system could spread the rust to other areas. In the farming business, you know, you never let your guard down.

Take a few moments to catch up with the latest rust news and other issues of interest in this week's Crop News Weekly. Happy reading!

Earlier this summer, after changes to the benefit of agriculture, a climate change bill passed the House. Even with the changes, however, rumblings about the climate legislation continued.

At the time — facing questions about several provisions and the rapid vote to pass the bill — Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., House Agriculture Committee chairman, predicted the Senate would provide legislation even more favorable to agriculture.

The House bill “isn’t becoming law,” he said. “I can guarantee you this will be further refined in the Senate in a way that will be beneficial to (rural states). I have no doubt about that.” - David Bennett, Farm Press Editorial Staff

New automated grain-monitoring systems replace what is typically a seat-of-the-pants operation with solid science that takes the guesswork out of managing stored grain.

Companies offering automated systems say the systems can reduce drying costs, lower the risk of grain going out of condition, minimize shrink and prevent spoilage. And because the systems are automated, they reduce the labor normally required to manage natural air drying and storage. - David Hest, Farm Industry News

A proposed federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2) uses assumptions and methodologies that excludes vegetable oil (including soybean oil), or about 70 percent of all available domestic raw material for biodiesel. Some of the assumptions regarding biodiesel and Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) used have been shown to be false. Fortunately, the biodiesel industry and the soybean checkoff have collaborated on scientific research that is likely to help clarify some of the misinformation about biodiesel and ILUC.

The National Biodiesel Board’s (NBB) Sustainability Analysis and Awareness project, which is partially funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff, helps build on the limited body of data related to the science of attempting to measure indirect emissions.

“It is necessary to use science-based research to help ensure people are well-informed and educated regarding soy biodiesel,” says Chuck Myers, USB Chairman and a soybean farmer from Lyons, Neb. “All Americans can benefit from soy biodiesel, not just soybean farmers. Soy biodiesel remains a critical part of our renewable energy solution this country badly needs.” - Southwest Farm Press

Aimed at enhancing U.S. food safety after a series of high-profile product warnings and recalls, on July 30, the House passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act (HR 2749) by a vote of 283 to 142. If the Senate passes a similar bill, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will have expanded oversight and powers over food safety and food processing facilities will face increased inspections.

The bill’s passage was quickly followed by separate food safety-related announcements from the USDA and FDA. With an increasingly problematic strain of E. coli (O157:H7) appearing in some ground beef, the USDA said there will now be regular testing of meat trimmings, the main suspect of contamination. Some 600 meat processing plants – where inspectors already perform tests daily -- are expected to be impacted.

Meanwhile, the FDA said stricter, mandatory standards for growing, harvesting and processing fruits and vegetables are being developed. It’s expected that the new rules will take about two years to write. - David Bennett, Farm Press Editorial Staff

The U.S. Senate last week overwhelmingly passed a $124.5 billion fiscal year 2010 appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. Mandatory program spending is set at $100.8 billion, while discretionary programs equal nearly $23.7 billion.

With both the House and Senate having cleared their versions of the bills, staff members from both chambers will begin discussing proposals for a final text to be negotiated in the fall by appropriators.

Neither bill proposes statutory changes for crop programs in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.

USDA will began continuous sign-up for the new Conservation Stewardship Program Monday, Aug. 10, with the first signup period cutoff scheduled for Sept. 30.

CSP is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural and forestry producers to maintain existing conservation activities and adopt additional ones on their operations.

“This program will help the nation’s agricultural and forestry producers reach greater levels of conservation performance, which will help protect our land and water,” Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said.

Grain storage entrapments/deaths don’t get much attention in the media because they don’t happen often (a farmer is more likely to be in an vehicle- or farm equipment-related accident), they aren’t high profile, and there has been little university interest and no funded research into numbers/causes.

Still, says Matt Roberts, every year farmers die or narrowly escape death in grain storage bins, and more cases of deaths/entrapments are being reported at commercial grain elevators.

Roberts, an Indiana farmer who himself had a near-miss in a grain bin, undertook an extensive study of grain storage accidents while in a master’s program at Purdue University, and now does safety presentations around the country. - Hembree Brandon, Farm Press Editorial Staff

Asian soybean rust has been found in extreme southeast Arkansas. Hard on the heels of the latest discovery in Mississippi (see Soybean rust in Mississippi), the Arkansas find is of low severity and has not necessitated a blanket recommendation for fungicide applications.

“Rust was found south of Lake Village in Chicot County around Lakeport,” said Scott Monfort, Arkansas Extension plant pathologist, shortly after the disease confirmation. “It’s very close to the Mississippi River on some R-7 soybeans — at full maturity. It isn’t unusual to find rust on mature beans. Since the field has reached maturity the rust won’t harm the crop whatsoever.”

Of the 100 leaves collected in the field, only one leaf was found to have the disease. And on that leaf “there were only a couple of pustules — less than 1 percent severity. That’s a very, very low incidence.” - David Bennett, Farm Press Editorial Staff

Heavy July rains were viewed as a curse or a blessing across the Arkansas Delta, with soybean producers in the northeast citing brutal conditions since spring, while the precipitation was described as “very timely” in parts of Chicot and Desha counties in the southeast corner.

Heavy spring rains made it difficult to plant and some growers didn’t get their crops into the ground until July. Chlapecka estimated that 10 percent of the projected soybean acreage in Jackson County was not planted. Most of the soybean acreage in Jackson County has suffered some damage from being waterlogged. - Larry Fugate, Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service

In the week ending Aug. 7: Palm oil prices reached a two-month high supporting soybean prices. Export demand for vegetable oil is increasing, especially in Asia.

Our soybean crop is late and vulnerable to adverse weather. Only one-third of soybeans are setting pods. Soybean bloom is 10 percent behind average.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that soybean carryover supplies will be tight, assuming the United States has a bumper crop. Old crop ending stocks are anticipated to be the tightest since 1972. New crop soybean carryover stocks are expected to be the largest in four years. - Ray Nabors, Heartland Ag Network

EDITOR'S NOTE

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