Cold Tolerant Berseem Clover Provides Frost Seeding Option

Cindy Zimmerman

As cold as it has already been this winter in so many areas, Frosty Berseem Clover might be just the ticket for farmers and ranchers implementing frost seeding into their hay and pasture systems.

Grassland Oregon was recently awarded a patent for Frosty Berseem Clover, making it the first cold tolerant berseem clover suitable for frost seeding in the United States and Canada, surviving in trials with temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit and zero snow cover. Extended growing seasons, higher yields, increased establishment rates and convenience are just a few of the benefits to frost seeding, according to Jerry Hall, director of research for Grassland Oregon.

“Frost seeding is the broadcasting of seed onto the frozen surface of the soil. Ideally, it is done at a time when there is either no snow or a minimal amount. The freezing and thawing cycle of the soil surface will allow for the seed to work into the top .25 inches of soil,” Hall explains. “Seeds will then germinate and begin growing as soon as weather conditions become favorable – allowing producers to gain a couple of weeks of growth versus waiting for the soil to firm up enough to drill the seed in.”

Hall says Frosty Berseem Clover is excellent for frost seeding into declining alfalfa fields and also blends nicely with alfalfa due to its similar quality and appearance.

Learn more.

AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, ASTA, cover crops, Hay

Agri-Pulse Launches Breeding Edge Editorial Series

Cindy Zimmerman

Agri-Pulse has launched a new seven-part editorial series, “The Breeding Edge,” focused on new scientific discoveries, genetic research, and systems for precision breeding for producing food, protecting the environment, and improving animal health.

“Animal and plant breeders are trying out a set of powerful new tools which have the potential to revolutionize agricultural practices and provide consumers with more healthy and safe food options,” says Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant. “But few people truly understand how these new innovations can help farmers and ranchers and ultimately improve human health. And that’s a big risk when you consider how some previous agricultural innovations have been accepted by consumers.”

“In addition to being more efficient and economical, newer breeding methods hold tremendous potential for both public and commercial plant breeders in developed and developing countries, and can be used across all crops, including food, feed, fiber and fuel crops,” explained Andy LaVigne, President and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). “To ensure the full potential of new and emerging breeding tools, it’s critical that we have a policy environment, both domestically and internationally, that allows for, and encourages, continued innovation.”

ASTA is one of the sponsors of the new series, together with Genus, Syngenta Seeds, National Pork Board, Monsanto, Dupont Pioneer, United Soybean Board, and the National Corn Growers Association. New innovations in agricultural technology will also be discussed at the Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit, scheduled for March 21 in Washington, D.C.

Agri-Pulse, AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, ASTA

Precision Ag Bytes 1/17

Carrie Muehling

  • The Honey Bee Health Coalition announced that it has awarded $40,000 to four innovative projects aimed at improving honey bee nutrition and supporting honey bee and pollinator health. The awards, announced at the 2018 American Bee Research Conference, are part of the Coalition’s inaugural Bee Nutrition Challenge.
  • Syngenta has licensed NRGene’s GenoMAGIC, a cloud-based big data analytics platform, to evaluate, predict, compare and select the best genetic makeup for crop molecular breeding and genomic selection. The agreement is on a non-exclusive, multi-year basis.
  • SkySquirrel Technologies Inc. and VineView Imaging, leading providers of aerial imaging and crop diagnostics for vineyards, have announced a merger of the two companies. The merger is effective Jan. 16, and the companies plan to begin integrating operations, customers, global partners and employees immediately. The combined company, which will operate under the name VineView, uses drone and airplane-based hyperspectral imagery to provide wine growers with essential information about the health of their grapevines. VineView’s specialized data products allow growers to optimize yields, improve grape quality and reduce damage from environmental factors like grapevine diseases and frost.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

NCBA Hosts ARC Internship

Cindy Zimmerman

The Agricultural Relations Council (ARC) is entering year two of its internship program and the 2018 Intern will be hosted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), under the mentorship of Daren Williams, NCBA’s senior executive director, issues management and media relations, and past ARC president.

Students interested in a career in agricultural public relations are encouraged to apply for the valuable internship. The winning student will spend the summer in Denver, Colorado working on projects for the beef checkoff issues management and media relations team. The student will participate in daily issues monitoring and assist in responding on behalf of the beef industry, and will attend the 2018 Annual ARC Meeting June 20-21 in Louisville, Kentucky.

The internship is unique in ag communications in that it is a collaboration of the organization (ARC) and the host company. The ARC portion of the funding comes from a grant from Gardner & Gardner Communications to the ARC Foundation. The internship is worth a total of $5,000 — $4,000 stipend and $1,000 to be used to attend the ARC meeting and the intern will spend 80% of his/her time on host organization projects and 20% to support and attend the ARC annual meeting. The internship will be 10-12 weeks long.

Students interested in applying for the ARC Internship should fill out the 2018 ARC Intern Candidate Application and submit it to kristymach@gandgcomm.com by Feb. 28, 2018.

AgWired Animal, ARC, NCBA

Cattlemen Kick Off Campaign to Prevent Regulation

Jamie Johansen

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) kicked off a media campaign aimed at spotlighting and correcting a recent court decision that will require livestock producers to comply with laws that are only meant to apply to highly toxic Superfund sites.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted to provide for cleanup of the worst industrial chemical toxic waste dumps and spills, such as oil spills and chemical tank explosions. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted to ensure that parties who emit hazardous chemicals submit reports to their local emergency responders to allow for more effective planning for chemical emergencies. Both of these laws include reporting requirements connected to the events at hand.

Neither of these laws was ever intended to govern agricultural operations, for whom emissions from livestock are a part of everyday life. To make this clear, in 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule to clarify that farms were exempt from CERCLA reporting and small farms, in particular, were exempt from EPCRA reporting, given that low-level livestock emissions are not the kind of “releases” that Congress intended to manage with these laws.

“This is just another example of radical environmental groups using the courts to wildly distort the original Congressional intent behind legislation,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Craig Uden. “Unless this ridiculous situation is fixed, agricultural producers will soon have their operations treated like toxic Superfund sites, and government agencies like the U.S. Coast Guard will be inundated with unnecessary questions and reports.”

-MORE-


Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, Beef, Environment, EPA, NCBA

Ethanol Report on 2017 Production

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol production averaged over a million barrels per day (b/d) for 44 out of 52 weeks in 2017 which means another record year for the industry. And despite a very average growing season, corn yield for 2017 is estimated at a record high 176.6 bushels per acre, and production was only down four percent because farmers planted less acres.

In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association senior vice president Geoff Cooper talks about the continued trend of higher corn and ethanol production in 2017 and what it means for the industry going forward.

Listen to it here: Ethanol Report 1-15-18

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS
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Corn, Ethanol, RFA

Corn Yields and Soybean Acres Set 2017 Records

Cindy Zimmerman

Corn yields and soybean acreage set records in 2017, according to the Crop Production summary from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) out Friday.

Corn production was four percent lower in 2017 compared to 2016, but a record high 176.6 bushel per acre yield helped to make up a little bit for the five percent drop in harvested acres. The 2017 corn objective yield data indicate the third highest number of ears per acre on record for the combined objective yield states with record high ear counts in South Dakota. Yields were two percent higher than 2016, which NASS attributes to a lack of extreme heat across the Midwest last year.

Meanwhile, the nation’s soybean yield was down 6 percent from 2016, but production reached a record level due to record high acreage. Soybean production for 2017 totaled a record 4.39 billion bushels, up 2 percent from 2016 with harvested acreage at a record 89.5 million acres is up 8 percent from 2016.

All cotton production in 2017 is up 24 percent from 2016, at 21.3 million 480-pound bales. The U.S. yield is estimated at 899 pounds per acre, up 32 pounds from last year’s yield. Harvested area, at 11.3 million acres, is up 19 percent from last year.

Sorghum grain production in 2017 is estimated at 364 million bushels, down 24 percent from 2016. Area planted for sorghum, at 5.63 million acres, is down 16 percent from last year. Harvested area, at 5.05 million acres, is down 18 percent from 2016. Grain yield is estimated at 72.1 bushels per acre, down 5.8 bushels from last year. Record high yields are estimated in Colorado, Georgia, and Missouri.

Corn, Cotton, sorghum, Soybean, USDA

Animal Ag Bites 1/15

Carrie Muehling

  • The American Angus Association announces the addition of Kathy LaScala as Angus Productions Inc. corporate sales manager. LaScala began her role Jan. 3 and will be overseeing industry sales operations to ensure profit maximization and realization of sales targets.
  • The Missouri Department of Agriculture is spearheading an initiative to get more beef in schools across the state, with support from local beef producers, meat processors, Opaa Food Management, and the Missouri Beef Industry Council. MoBeef for MoKids connects local schools with area producers and processors that donate beef products to be used in the school lunch program.
  • Two men who dedicated their lives to furthering the American wool industry have been chosen as 2018 recipients of the Wool Excellence Award. Mark Kent and Dr. Carl Menzies were selected for the annual honor by the Wool Roundtable and will be recognized at the 2018 ASI Annual Convention in San Antonio. Kent will be honored posthumously as he died unexpectedly at age 55 on Sept. 24, 2017. He became President of Kent Manufacturing Co. at age 29 and was the fifth generation in his family to lead Kentwool. Menzies served as director of research at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo from its opening in 1971 until his retirement in 1996.
AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

ZimmCast on January Ag Events

Cindy Zimmerman

2018 has already started off with a bang at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention in Nashville with the first appearance by a U.S. president in over 25 years and some pretty exciting mainstream media news coverage of agriculture.

Jamie was there to take it all in and she talks about the experience in this edition of the ZimmCast, which also includes previews of two other big events happening this month – the 25th National Biodiesel Conference in Fort Worth, and the Cattle Industry Conference and NCBA Trade Show coming up at the end of this month in Phoenix.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 571 on January Ag Events

Subscribe to the ZimmCast podcast here. Use this url in iTunes or your favorite news reader program/app.

The ZimmCast

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AFBF, Biodiesel, NCBA, ZimmCast

Proud Part of the Cattle Community? Attend #CattleCon18

Jamie Johansen

There is no question cattlemen and women across the country are in need of some sunshine. I fit into that mix and know where we all can get some in just a few weeks. Let’s all Blaze a Trail to Phoenix, AZ for the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show January 31 – February 2. Believe it or not, it’s not too late to register. We just spoke with NCBA’s ‎Senior Vice President, Industry and Member Services, Marvin Kokes, to get all the details.

Prior to the actual kickoff of the event will be the 25th Anniversary of Cattlemen’s College. “We have sessions that really help producers learn from experts across the industry. Topics include everything from genetics to managing calves to forage production. People can take home really practical information and that is what we really pride ourselves on,” said Kokes.

Attendees will also be treated to the Pioneer Women, Ree Drummond, who is the opening general session speaker. (Who do I need to talk to for a chance to interview her?…wink, wink)

“CattleFax will be doing a three-hour outlook session on Thursday morning, helping people really understand what is going on in this market, what are some of the things cattle producers can look forward to in the coming months,” Kokes said. Attendees will also hear from former MLB Pitcher, Jim Abbott, who will share his motivating story of success, despite having been born without a right hand.

To engage cattle producers, NCBA has held a couple of contests over the course of the year. One was the National Anthem Contest where a young lady from Western Kansas won. She will be singing it a couple times during the convention. A Cowboy Poet Contest ties into the Comedy Club taking place Friday night and I believe voting is still taking place for members to vote for their favorite.

Business also takes place. Committees meet on all topics including environmental issues, taxes, and the international market. Kokes reminds us those meetings are open and anyone can attend and stay up-to-date on the beef community.

Many aspects to the event draw different attendees, but they all make a point to visit the trade show a number of times during the three-day event. Kokes said space has actually been sold out for over six months, over seven acres in size. Still wondering if the trade show deserves your attention? Here are 40 reasons NCBA thinks you should stop by!

Join us in Phoenix as we bring you the official Virtual Ag Newsroom for #CattleCon18 and listen to Chuck’s complete chat with Marvin here: Interview with Marvin Kokes, NCBA

Ag Groups, AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Beef Checkoff, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA