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The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments this morning, April 27,
on Monsanto’s challenge to a
three-year ban on genetically engineered alfalfa. We’ll be reporting
on a post-argument panel discussion hosted by the Environmental Law Institute at hayandforage.com. Feel free to
express your thoughts at the end of that story or find us on www.facebook.com/hayandforage.
Or tweet us: @hayandforage.
At issue is a 2007 lower-court ruling that stopped the sale and planting
of Roundup
Ready alfalfa seeds until USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) completed an environmental impact
statement (EIS) on the potential environmental effects of deregulating
the product. Monsanto appealed that decision in 2008 and 2009, but lost
both appeals. The Supreme Court agreed to take the case this past
January. This will be the first genetically engineered crop case ever
heard by the court. See a “Timeline
Of Key Roundup Ready Alfalfa Events” developed by Monsanto.
In a final reply brief filed with the court in mid-April, Monsanto
attorneys said the case is about fairness and choice for farmers. Among
the company’s major contentions:
- The safety and efficacy of Roundup Ready alfalfa was never an
issue in the original lawsuit against USDA; however, the injunction took
away farmers’ rights to choose to plant the technology – without
scientific reasoning.
- Farmers should be able to count on biotech crop approvals issued by
the experts in federal agencies – or at least be confident that
challenges to these decisions require consideration of scientific
evidence.
- Having a sound process for resolving disputed facts, like those in
this case, serves the interests of farmers and the public. Courts should
not substitute facts reviewed by expert agencies, in this case
APHIS-USDA, with their judgment.
A total of 18 agricultural, business and legal groups have filed five
friends-of-the-court briefs in support of Monsanto. Included are the
American Farm Bureau Federation, National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance, the
U.S. American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Home
Builders, Allied Education Foundation and the Pacific Legal Foundation.
See
the briefs and get other information on the case.
In a posting
on its Web site last week, the Center For
Food Safety (CFS) noted that the state attorneys general in
California, Massachusetts and Oregon have filed a brief supporting the
center’s opposition to Monsanto in the case. The brief emphasizes the
“states’ interests in protecting their natural resources and their
citizens’ rights to be informed about the environmental impacts of
federal actions.” CFS brought the original lawsuit that led to the
2007 Roundup Ready alfalfa ban.
Other groups filing briefs supporting the CFS position, according to the
posting, include the Union of Concerned Scientists, the National
Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, the Humane Society of
the U.S., the Center for Biological Diversity, organic businesses,
farmers and more than a dozen law professors, scholars and several
former general counsels of the Council on Environmental Quality.
The court is expected to hand down a final decision in the case by June.
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Agronomy researchers at Purdue University are warning farmers in
the Upper Midwest to be on the alert for signs of sulfur deficiency in
alfalfa, corn and wheat later this growing season.
Researchers Jim Camberato and Shaun Casteel say the problem stems from
the fact that power plants have reduced sulfur emissions in recent
years. Atmospheric sulfur deposition used to be substantial enough to
satisfy crop needs in many areas. They add that the incidence and
severity of sulfur deficiency will likely increase. Sulfur deficiency is
most likely in sandy soil with low organic matter, but can also occur in
silt loam soil with moderate organic matter levels.
Sulfur-deficient crops typically have an overall yellow appearance,
similar to nitrogen deficiency. But since sulfur is not as mobile in the
plant as nitrogen, lower leaves do not show more severe deficiency
symptoms than the upper leaves. The researchers add that, if sulfur
deficiency is misdiagnosed as a nitrogen deficiency, applying nitrogen
fertilizer will make the sulfur deficiency worse. For that reason, they
recommend tissue sampling to positively identify the limiting nutrient.
To correct sulfur deficiency, the agronomists recommend applying sulfur
fertilizer as close to crop need as possible to reduce the chance it
will be lost from the root zone via leaching. Often, including sulfur in
a fertilizer to head off a deficiency is more efficient and less costly
than correcting a problem once it occurs. Typically, soil applications
of 15-40 lbs of sulfate-S per acre are sufficient to prevent a
deficiency.
Read
Purdue’s Soil Fertility Update or Hay & Forage Grower’s
February story, “Yellow
Alfalfa?”
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Hay inoculants can definitely be worth a closer look for hay
growers struggling to get their crops put up without spoilage due to
rain, says University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist Bruce
Anderson.
Legitimate hay inoculants contain bacteria and sometimes yeast or
enzymes that can reduce the growth of microorganisms that cause hay to
mold and spoil. “Be sure to use hay inoculants, not silage inoculants,
as the latter rarely work on hay,” advises Anderson.
He adds that inoculants work best when hay is baled at the highest
moisture possible for safe storage without additives. Since windrows
have uneven moisture and moisture estimates aren't perfect, inoculants
often protect against small errors and allow you to bale hay that is
three to five points higher in moisture than would normally store
safely. “Inoculants tested in university-controlled studies failed
frequently when moisture was over 25%.”
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 Know where to find the best alfalfa seed?
Isn’t it obvious? Syngenta alfalfa varieties offer top yield, high
forage quality and exceptional persistence. Plus all the varieties you
need, available through your Garst seed advisor, Golden Harvest dealer
or NK retailer. Contact them today to place your order.
The Syngenta logo is a trademark of a Syngenta Group
Company.
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- Proceedings of the 2010
Idaho Alfalfa and Forage Conference held in Burley, ID, earlier this
year, are now available online. Topics covered include optimizing
profits by adjusting cutting schedules, what to do with moldy hay,
recent advances in alfalfa tissue testing and center-pivot
design/management for forage production.
- The
U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center has published a new, two-page
fact sheet detailing the benefits of perennial forages to soils, other
crops and water quality. Access a printable
version of the fact sheet.
- A nationwide uptick in milk production, coupled with plentiful
stocks of most dairy products, will limit milk price increases for dairy
producers over the next few months, according to the April USDA Livestock,
Dairy and Poultry Outlook. But rising export prospects and
improved domestic demand could lift prices by year’s end.
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Mississippi
A spurt in ryegrass growth throughout most of the state in the last six
weeks or so has taken pressure off hay supplies, reports Mississippi
State University Extension forage specialist Rocky Lemus.
Ordinarily, ryegrass comes out of dormancy toward the end of December in
the southern part of the state, in mid-January in the north. “This
year, though, we had an extremely cold and wet winter,” says Lemus.
“It didn’t start growing in many areas until late February-early
March. We were a good six weeks behind.”
The production slump set off a scramble for hay; the state hay directory
was flooded with calls. Now, though, the grass has come on to the point
where livestock producers have enough of a surplus to start making hay
and baleage.
Lemus adds that bahiagrass and bermudagrass are also coming on in the
state’s southern regions. “Most people are expecting a good year for
hay production. Our extended weather forecast is for normal rainfall.
Last year, we had a very wet late summer-early fall and a lot of people
couldn’t get that last cutting.”
To contact Lemus, call 662-325-7718 or email rlemus@ext.msstate.edu.
South Dakota
Following a long, snowy winter, spring has sprung big-time in
southeastern South Dakota, reports hay grower Amy Freeburg, Gayville.
“We went into the winter wet, and we had a lot of snow all the way
through February,” says Freeburg, who partners with her husband, Gary,
at Freeburg Hay Farms. “We
thought we might have some problems with flooding on our secondary roads
and muddy fields once we got into the thaw. But it didn’t turn out
that way. Right now, everything seems to be set up in really good shape
for the growing season.”
In a typical year, the Freeburgs put up nearly 2,500 acres of hay. Most
of it is pure alfalfa, marketed to dairies of all sizes from South
Dakota east. They also market grass-alfalfa hay. The majority of their
hay is packaged in 3 x 3 x 8’ bales.
With the favorable weather, they were able to seed 900 acres of alfalfa
during the week of April 13. Barring a late frost, they could be on
track to take a first cutting of alfalfa by mid-May, just a shade on the
early side. “We haven’t had a lot of rain, but we didn’t really
need it. We got some free nitrogen from all that snow this winter, and
that’s helped everything green up. So far in April, we’ve only had
one morning where the overnight temperature was below freezing. But
here, you never know. It can still freeze all the way into May.”
To contact the Freeburgs, call 605-267-4426 or email freeburghay@iw.net.
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 Online
Auction Of Equipment From Hay Operation
Auctioning off hay squeezes, balers, swathers, tractors, trucks,
trailers, tools and much more online from hay operation in Esparto, CA!
There are more than 200 lots in this sale. All equipment will be sold in
this online-only auction at www.WestAuction.com.
Sale starts Tuesday, May 4. On-site preview is available 9 a.m.-3 p.m.,
Friday, April 30, and Tuesday, May 4. Online preview is available now at
www.WestAuction.com.
Phone: 530-661-0490.
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Damage to timothy from timothy mite feeding may have been reduced a
bit in Pennsylvania this spring by unseasonably warm temperatures. But
growers should still scout their fields for signs the pest is present,
says John Tooker, Penn State University
entomologist.
“Look for leaf blades that are rolled up tightly,” says Tooker.
“The mites are microscopic and challenging to see even with good
magnification.”
He recommends treatment if 25% of tillers show leaf curling within
several weeks of green-up. While chemical options are limited, Sevin XLR
has a supplemental label allowing its use against mites on timothy in
Pennsylvania.
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Kansas State University’s Southeast
Agricultural Research Center near Parsons will be the site of a Beef
Cattle and Forage Crops Field Day on May 6.
Presentation topics will include switchgrass cultivars for biofuel
production, optimizing hay quality and storage for wet distiller’s
grain. Industry-related companies will be on hand with displays and will
also sponsor a complimentary lunch. The field day will be held rain or
shine.
For more details, call 620-421-4826.
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 Social Networking For Forage Producers
Hay & Forage Grower content is available on Facebook, a social
networking tool increasingly used by growers. Interact with readers and
editors, participate in discussions and keep up-to-date with industry
happenings. Become
a fan of Hay & Forage Grower!
Hay & Forage Grower is also on Twitter, a micro-blogging site
that provides brief status updates on people, groups or organizations.
Users can "follow" people or groups, including news organizations that
they want to keep up-to-date with.
Follow Hay & Forage
Grower on Twitter!
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On May 13, the Central Georgia
Research and Education Center near Eatonton will host a Field Day
and Pasture Walk focusing on legume management in the Southeast.
Attendees will have an opportunity to select from concurrent sessions
offered in morning and afternoon time blocks. Presentation topics will
include forage legume species for the Southeast, trait development
trends in forage legumes, using forage legumes in grazing systems, an
overview of current research, history of breeding efforts for improved
grazing tolerance and integrating legumes into beef cattle stocker
programs. Following a lunch break, leading Southeastern forage
specialists Don Ball, Carl Hoveland and Garry Lacefield will discuss
“Southern Forages: The First 20 Years.”
For more information and/or to register, go to the Upcoming Events
section of the Georgia Forages
Web site.
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May 15 -- Northeast Washington Hay Growers Association Annual
Field Day, Eric Ostby Farm and JKO Ranch, Chattaroy. Phone:
509-725-4171.
May 19 -- University Of California Alfalfa & Forage Crops Field Day,
UC-Davis Agronomy Field Headquarters, Davis. Get additional details.
June 21-23 -- American Forage And Grassland Council Annual
Conference, University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, MO. Get details.
Aug. 9-10 -- Kentucky Grazing School, Woodford County Extension
Office, Versailles. Preregistration required. See
a brochure.
Sept. 1-4 -- National Hay Association Annual Meeting, Griffin
Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington, KY. Watch for details.
Feb. 24, 2011 -- Kentucky Alfalfa Conference, Fayette County
Extension office, Lexington. Watch for details.
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