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| February 16, 2005 | 050216 |
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Table of Contents Logan Hawkes Conservation Tillage Conference Highlights Budget proposal draws criticism from agriculture 2005 will be year to learn about Asian soybean rust News from the Top of the Hill View From the Left Coast: The Environmentalists U.S. may soon lead world in herbicide-resistant weeds Custom operator matches equipment with new ideas U.S. soon to be world's No. 1 wine market Glyphosate-resistant ragweed found in Missouri NCGA highlights versatility of corn ASA concerned about 2006 agriculture budget ADVERTISEMENT 
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Letter from the Editor Logan Hawkes 02/16/05 Crop News Weekly In The News: Conservation Tillage Conference update; budget criticisms on the Hill; 2005 - year of rust; view from the left coast; U.S. - weed and wine champion; ragweed in Missouri - you'll find these and other stories in this issue of Crop News Weekly. On a personal note, after receiving an email from a loyal reader this past week, I want to make certain I mention that in addition to spring around the corner, the lunar new year, a president's birthday observance and Mardi Gras, last week also marked the start to the Easter season. In an attempt to be politically correct, we sometimes look over the obvious, and this usually ends up offending someone, albiet the intent was never there. Easter is just around the corner - to set the record straight - and thanks for bringing our attention to the obvious. There is a great deal to report this mid-Febraury issue, not the least of which are some of the highlights of this year's Corn & Soybean Digest and Farm Industry News' Conservation Tillage Conference. If this isn't enough, we'll explore the issue of possible ag budget cuts being threatened in our nation's capital, take a harder look at the adverse affects of Asian soybean rust in 2005, take a look at things from the environmentalist's point of view out on the West Coast, and find out why the U.S. is now the leader in herbicide-resistant weeds and may soon lead the world in wine consumtion. It's an information-packed issue of Crop News Weekly. Thanks for joining us this week and happy reading. ADVERTISEMENT Experience in Brazil has shown that soybean rust can be managed, as long as growers act early, decisively and with proper timing of fungicides that control the disease. Talk with your Syngenta retailer or call 1-866-SYNGENT(A) (796-4638) to get a local recommendation. www.soybeanrust.com  
From our Magazines Conservation Tillage Conference Highlights 02/16/05 The Corn & Soybean Digest - Farm Industry News Over 250 farmers attended the first-ever Conservation Tillage Conference, presented by The Corn & Soybean Digest and Farm Industry News magazines. While most attendees were from a six-state area, five attendees came from the Ukraine and one from Japan. The attendees from Ukraine were on an extended trip to North America to gain information on tillage-related topics. The two-day conference was held in Sioux Falls, SD. Farmers who attended expressed appreciation for quality of the presentations and speakers. Major sponsors of the conference were Case IH, Syngenta Crop Protection and Trimble. Here's a snapshot of a some of the major presentations:
"Studies show that if weeds reach even 2 in. tall, you'll lose 5% of your yield," he says. Hartzler says research shows it's important to plant into a weed-free zone. "If you're in a moderate- to high-weedy area, use a pre-emergence program," he says. "A total post program can cost a lot in the long run, so it's high risk to rely totally on a post program." On the glyphosate front, Hartzler says, "It seems inevitable that Roundup resistance will be fairly common in the Corn Belt in the next five years."
"Since tillage influences temperature and moisture, it also effects placement of insects," he says. One of the most frequent questions he's asked is whether tillage has an influence on soybean aphids. His response: "There's no connection to tillage and aphids."
His advice for insect control:
"We find most of our disease problems with moldboard plowing, and some with chisel plowing," he says. Draper says to understand the biology of diseases and educate yourself on the fungicides, seed treatments and tillage options available. "Know your risks and figure out how to minimize them," he says. On Asian soybean rust, an impending problem for many soybean growers, Draper worries that farmers in the northern Corn Belt could be "lulled into complacency." He says: "We do have the right conditions to support rust. And with field-to-field spread, storm systems and jet streams, we could see the spores move 100-300 miles in a day." The good news is that forecasting models and trajectory plans are soon to be released to help growers understand and monitor potential spread of the disease.
"Soil carbon is the priceless key to the health of the planet," he says. "As organic matter is oxidized it's like pouring gasoline on a fire. Residue management (including minimizing tillage) is one of the keys to carbon management." Reicosky also urges growers to be aware of trends in carbon trading. While the Chicago Climate Exchange is currently trading at about $2/ton, carbon is trading for about 8 Euro/ton (about $12). He says carbon trading is something growers may be able to capitalize on in the future.
Dan Paulsen, area resource conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service from Sioux City, IA, says that if at least 51% of a grower's acres are included in one of the watersheds identified for the 2005 program, their whole farm qualifies for participation. There is a national meeting scheduled for this week to hammer out the details of this year's program, including the new renewable energy component. Paulsen estimates that a signup for this year's program will take place this spring. While he had hoped the signup would take place before planting, he's not sure that it's feasible. For more information about CSP visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp.
The switch has paid off in cost savings from using less equipment, less labor and less fuel. Yet yields are competitive with the farm producing 200+ bu. in 2004, he says. "We still use the same tractors as when we started no-till," he says. "We just don't put hours on our tractors now. And no till is so much less work." Besides saving money and time, Whisney says no-till is good for the soil. "No erosion is acceptable here. I want the best soil quality possible."
He is able to go with a corn-soybean rotation under strip-till or continuous corn on his irrigated fields. The Nebraska grower also plants a corn-wheat rotation with the strip-till method. In the winter, Flaming's strip-tilled acres are grazed by his cattle herd. "Cattle give compaction, but it is shallow," he says. He runs his strip-till 12 in. deep to build a good seed bed and has no problem with the compaction. Every year, he plants corn at a 45-degree angle to the previous year's crop. Since Flaming started strip-tilling, he has noticed a healthy crop of earthworms. The earthworms create pores in the soil that allow good water absorbtion. He says the combination of residue on the surface and earthworms working the soil help stimulate root development in his crops, which in turn produces excellent yields. Budget proposal draws criticism from agriculture Ron Smith 02/11/05 Southwest Farm Press If President Bush was looking for an issue that would create a bi-partisan mood in the U.S. Congress, he found it. Democrats and Republicans alike have united to criticize proposed cuts in the agricultural budget. Commodity associations also decry proposed reductions as unfair to both agriculture and rural America. Representative Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, of the 19th District and a member of the House Agriculture Committee, expresses support for the president's overall efforts to begin the process of balancing the budget but stops short of supporting the deep cuts proposed for the farm program. 2005 will be year to learn about Asian soybean rust Linda Foster Benedict 02/11/05 Farm Press Daily LSU AgCenter scientists are launching a series of research projects in 2005 to learn what they can about Asian soybean rust and how the potentially devastating disease will develop in Louisiana. Meanwhile, they are telling farmers to go about their soybean planting as they have in the past, despite this looming threat. "We don't know when we'll see Asian soybean rust again," said Boyd Padgett, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist. "We don't know how it will react in Louisiana. There's a lot we don't know about this disease." News from the Top of the Hill Scott Shearer 02/11/05 National Hog Farmer President Proposes Budget Cuts for Agriculture - President Bush sent to Congress his $2.5 trillion fiscal year 2006 budget, which proposes cutting farm programs and agricultural discretionary spending. Four noteworthy areas include:
Agriculture Groups Raise Budget Concerns - Reaction to the President's proposed budget for agriculture met with disapproval by many agricultural groups. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) said it would fight the proposed budget "hammer and tong" on Capitol Hill. The National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging Congress to reject the proposed cuts in agriculture. NFU stated: "(it) is wrong for President Bush to try to balance the budget on the backs of rural Americans." The National Corn Growers Association stated they oppose reopening the farm bill before it expires in 2007. Earlier, over 100 agricultural, nutrition, and conservation groups had written Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns stating their concerns with the fiscal year 2006 proposed budget for USDA. The letter from this diverse group of organizations said: "Program reductions and/or restructurings could seriously undermine many nutrition, conservation, crop insurance and farm programs that are important to all Americans." The groups reminded Johanns that agriculture had taken budget cuts in recent years. Organizations signing the letter included: AFBF, NFU, National Farmers Organization, Grange, American Dietetic Association, American Farmland Trust, American Soybean Association, Children's Defense Fund, Defenders of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited, Farm Credit Council, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Milk Producers Federation, School Nutrition Association, United Egg Producers, and USDA Rice Federation. USDA Delays Decision on Older Canadian Beef - Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns announced that USDA would delay the effective date for allowing imports of meat from animals 30 months of age and over. Johanns said, "This action also address concerns over the portion of the minimal-risk rule that would reopen the Canadian border for beef from animals 30 months and over, while keeping it closed for imports of older live cattle for processing in the United States." USDA action will allow the provisions of the rule regarding the importation of live animals under 30 months of age to go into effect on March 7. Canadian Border Legislation - Prior to USDA's announcement, Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) introduced S. 294, which would prevent live animals over 30 months of age or meat from animals over 30-months-old from being included in USDA's rule to reopen the U.S.-Canadian border to live animals under 30 months and meat from animals over 30 months. NPPC Urges Producers to Sign Up Air Emissions Consent - The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is urging producers to sign up to participate in the air emissions consent agreement with EPA. A copy of the agreement can be found at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/agreements/caa/cafo-agr-050121.pdf. Signed agreements are to be sent to: Special Litigation and Projects Division (2248A), Attention: Air Compliance Agreements, Office of Regulatory Enforcement, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, US EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. 2006 Senate Elections - Senator Mark Dayton (D-MN) is the first U.S. Senator to announce that he will not seek re-election in 2006. Dayton is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. View From the Left Coast: The Environmentalists Dave Kohl 02/09/05 The Corn & Soybean Digest This past week I was on the 'left coast' and spent time in the Central Valley, and, yes, Hollywood, California. There are some interesting situations occurring there that may ripple throughout America. My first stop was in the Central Valley, and, boy, is this a 'red' area, contrary to popular belief that California is a 'blue state.' I spoke to the producers of Hilmar Cheese in Turlock. This company was started by entrepreneurs that desired to produce a product that met emerging consumer trends, that being cheese consumption... U.S. may soon lead world in herbicide-resistant weeds David Bennett 02/10/05 Farm Press Daily While newly-arrived Asian soybean rust hogs the media spotlight, a home-grown monster patiently awaits its turn. If weed scientists are correct, the monster won't have long to wait. "Very shortly, I think, the impact of herbicide resistance is going to be huge," says Ford Baldwin, veteran Arkansas weed scientist and Delta Farm Press contributor. "I've been saying so for a while, now. So have others. (With recent discoveries of resistant weeds) we've already had a little taste of what's to come, but it's going to be much worse... Sometimes it's hard to break through with bad news. Folks don't want to hear it because they really like newer technologies like Roundup Ready. But it's coming." Custom operator matches equipment with new ideas Wayne Wenzel Farm Industry News The Rolling Dairy country near Shippensburg, PA, is a patchwork of small farms punctuated by large dairy operations. It's not the kind of place you'd expect an inventory of big, expensive machines to make financial sense for individual farmers. But there's still hay to cut, corn to harvest, manure to pump...and opportunity for Martin Custom Farming. A decade ago, the Martin family started offering custom farming services with one combine, a tractor and a manure tank spreader. U.S. soon to be world's No. 1 wine market Harry Cline 02/10/05 Western Farm Press By the end of this decade, the U.S. will be the largest wine consuming nation in the world, according to respected wine market analyst Jon Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson and Associates. That's total consumption, not per capita consumption where the U.S. lags far behind European countries. When the U.S. passes France and Italy as the largest wine consuming country on the planet, the big question will be how much of the world's No. 1 wine market will be supplied by California and U.S. wines and how much will be taken by the so-called New World wines from Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and other non-European nations. Glyphosate-resistant ragweed found in Missouri 01/31/05 Farm Industry News Monsanto recently announced that a common ragweed in one field in central Missouri is resistant to glyposate. Monsanto reported that the resistant determination was made jointly by the company and University of Missouri weed scientist Reid Smeda. The resistant ragweed was confined to a 20-acre section of the field, according to the Monsanto news release. Common ragweed now joins some biotypes of marestail and ryegrass shown to be resistant to glyphosate. Monsanto points out that these resistant cases are managed with tank mixes, which is the suggested treatment for common ragweed. ADVERTISEMENT "Growers are losing profit by having to pay for extra applications of glyphosate," says Norris, "and they're losing yield due to the increased weed competition that's robbing plants of the moisture and nutrients they need." Denver Norris, crop specialist, Harvest Land Co-op, Eaton, Ohio For more information on this story and the most up to-date information on glyphosate weed resistance go to http://www.WeedResistance.com 
From the News Wire NCGA highlights versatility of corn 02/14/05 NCGA Bews Corn producers are continually rethinking the role of their product in the world, redefining its potential and researching new ways it can help meet world challenges. The National Corn Growers Association's (NCGA) 2005 "World of Corn," an 18-page source of useful corn statistics and industry information, looks at the many ways in which corn growers are rethinking America's top crop. The annual full-color guide is a one-stop resource, containing a wealth of statistical data on corn production and consumption, outlined in seven pages of detailed charts and graphs. This year's publication, themed "Rethink," also features information on new uses of corn, the importance of the agriculture sector to the quality of life in America and the corn industry's impact on rural economies. ASA concerned about 2006 agriculture budget 02/09/05 American Soybean Association The American Soybean Association (ASA) has expressed concerns regarding the White House's 2006 budget proposal for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ASA has labored hard to work with the U.S. Congress and USDA to create programs in the Farm Bill that not only work for soybean producers within the specific budget limits provided by Congress, but which also play a critical role in the country's economy and provide a wide range of benefits to all Americans. |
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