Irrigation expansion can provide the water necessary to increase food production for our growing world. It can also be a means for moving farmers from simply producing enough food for their families to generating more income through domestic markets or export of additional production.
However, increasing use of irrigation can have varying impacts on the nutrition of the local communities and it’s important to consider these costs and benefits when striving to reduce poverty, end hunger and protect our water resources.
In this episode of the Water for Food Podcast, DWFI Director of Communications and Public Relations Frances Hayes talks with experts in irrigation and nutrition as they dive into the interconnectedness of irrigation, water availability and nutrition. Guests include Dr. Piyush Mehta and Assistant Professor Dr. Kyle Davis, both in the Department of Geography & Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware.
View the research mentioned in the episode here.
Listen here or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform:
DWFI podcast episode 38 23:55
The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.
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Minnesota Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz brought the farm bill into the debate Tuesday night, in answer to a question about when he was in China.
Walz was asked about a discrepancy between when he said he was in Hong Kong in the spring of 1989 during the Tiananmen Square protests and media reports that he was not there until August of that year. “I have poured my heart into my community. I’ve tried to do the best I can,” said Walz. “Those same people elected me to Congress for 12 years and in Congress I was one of the most bipartisan people working on things like farm bills that we got done.”
Walz also brought up farmers earlier in the debate during a question about climate change. “My farmers know climate change is real,” said Walz. “They’ve seen 500 year droughts, 500 year floods back-to-back. But what they’re doing is adapting. And this has allowed them to tell me, “Look, I harvest corn, I harvest soybeans and I harvest wind, we are producing more natural gas and more oil at any time than we ever have. We’re also producing more clean energy.”
Gov. Walz debate comments 1:34Four years ago this month, Gov. Walz spoke at the groundbreaking of the Ag Innovation Campus (AIC) processing plant, a facility spearheaded by Minnesota soybean growers which held its grand opening just over a year ago. However, last week the AIC announced the closing of the facility:
We must announce with deep regret that the operations of the Ag Innovation Campus (AIC) processing plant have come to an end.
At our groundbreaking event, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz recognized that this was a bold idea. It certainly was and everyone involved gave it a valiant effort that we are all proud of.
…While our Board of Directors strongly believes in the AIC mission and has put in years of volunteer effort to advance the AIC mission, it has come time to bring the process to an end.
Harvest is now in full swing around the country and for many farmers it’s a Golden Harvest kind of year.
Golden Harvest had lots to talk about at the 2024 Farm Progress Show – already a month ago now! – including 14 new corn hybrids and 27 new soybean varieties for 2025, new traits, zero percent Golden Advantage financing, and agronomic research. Learn more about what’s new with Golden Harvest in these interviews from the show.
Heather Volpe, Golden Harvest Brand Marketing Manager
FPS24 - Interview with Heather Volpe, Golden Harvest 2:21
Rex Gray, Golden Harvest Corn Product Manager
FPS24 - Interview with Rex Gray, Golden Harvest 3:03
Ryan Dunsbergen, Golden Harvest Soybean Product Manager
FPS24 - Interview with Ryan Dunsbergen, Golden Harvest 3:21
Adam Haag, Golden Harvest Agronomy Manager
FPS24 - Interview with Adam Haag, Golden Harvest 4:11
David Schlake and Joe Bollman, Golden Harvest Corn Technical Product Leads
FPS24 - Interview with David Schlake and Joe Bollman, Golden Harvest 3:35
Poultry houses damaged by Hurricane Helene in Georgia/Photo by Angie O’Steen
At a press conference Sunday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said they expect the damage toll to be worse than Hurricane Michael in 2018. “We know we have 107 poultry facilities damaged or totally destroyed, 15 dairies that have been affected and dozens and dozens of other facilities,” said Kemp. “Literally every commodity in the state has been damaged by this storm.”
Rep. Austin Scott speaks about hurricane damage
State agriculture commissioner Tyler Harper said they are working to assess losses as quickly as possible but he stressed that farmers need to document any damage. “We’re going to do everything we can to get our ag industry back on its feet as quickly as possible,” said Harper, urging others to “pray for our farm families…we have a lot of folks hurting across our state.”
Agricultural damage is also being evaluated in Florida, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Read more about the damage in Georgia in this post from Jennifer Whittaker, Georgia Farm Bureau, and listen to comments from Gov. Kemp, Rep. Scott, and Commissioner Harper below.
GA Gov. Brian Kemp - Helene damage (:30)
Changing precipitation patterns continue to challenge farmers across the Corn Belt, according to Dennis Todey, director of USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub.
“As the agricultural landscape evolves, it’s vital to keep farmers informed with the latest data and insights,” said Todey. “Understanding changes in weather patterns and other factors empowers them to make better decisions and optimize their operations.”
Todey recently spoke to farmers in the Pivot Bio booth at the 2024 Farm Progress Show on a range of topics, from the potential threat of an early freeze to the changing dynamics of precipitation and its implications for growing seasons. Three of his main points were:
1. Early-Freeze Concerns Are Minimal
Todey reassured farmers that based on current weather models and historical data, there is no imminent threat of an early freeze this season. He highlighted that freeze-risk assessments are generally guided by trends such as seasonal temperature patterns and climatic conditions, which currently do not indicate a high probability of frost.
2. Growing Seasons Are Extended Due to Warming Trends
Warming trends have resulted in longer growing seasons, with the average dates for last spring and first fall freezes shifting. This provides more time for crop growth but also introduces new challenges for farmers, such as an increase in insects and weeds.
3. Rainfall Patterns Are Shifting
The Corn Belt will still experience moderate rains; however, farmers should expect larger intense rainfalls. These heavy rainfalls, especially in the spring, can lead to rapid soil saturation, runoff, and potential erosion, impacting crop health and soil structure. Todey says this change in rainfall distribution affects soil-moisture levels. Additionally, rainfall is becoming more variable as to when or where it occurs during the year.
“While farmers in the Corn Belt faced many challenges this year, the potential for nitrogen loss through leaching and denitrification was especially prevalent during the early planting season, when there was so much rain,” said Clayton Nevins, Ph.D., Pivot Bio senior agronomic scientist. “Our goal at Pivot Bio is to help farmers solve for a percentage of nitrogen loss by diversifying their fertilizer sources with nitrogen-fixing microbes that live on the plants’ roots and provide consistent access to nitrogen.”
Learn more about what Pivot Bio can do for nitrogen loss in this interview with agronomist Karen Zuver from Farm Progress Show.
FPS24 - Interview with Karen Zuver, Pivot Bio 4:30
