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Articles by Long-Term Research
Research Associate, Long-term Research & Monitoring
Research Associate, Long-term Research & Monitoring Background The Nature Conservation Foundation recognizes that long-term research and monitoring are essential for understanding complex socio-ecological systems and form a key component of science-based conservation. We are looking to hire a Research Associate who will work with multiple NCF programmes to synthesize existing long-term datasets, and to develop a vision and strategy for future long-term research and monitoring within NCF.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Limited Relief for California
Most of this week’s precipitation across the CONUS fell on portions of the Pacific Northwest, Southeast, and Northeast. Typical of La Nina conditions, the northward displacement of the storm track across the West so far this season has resulted in near to above-normal snowpack across the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, and below-normal southward.
DTN Grain Closing: Strong Finish Ahead of Christmas
Freshly harvest soybeans loaded in truck for transport to grain elevator. ©Debra L Ferguson Soybeans, Corn, Soy Oil Finish Strong Ahead of Christmas Despite some good overnight rains in the key Brazilian producing area of Mato Grosso and a wetter forecast for Argentina in the week ahead, the soy complex continued its ascent into new high territory. Soybeans rose for the sixth straight day and bean oil and meal also both scored new contract highs.
DTN Grain Closing: Corn and Beans Up
Pesticide sprayer in corn field. Photo: Michelle Wiesbrook, University of Illinois Corn, Soybeans Up at Midday In midday trade Thursday, March corn is up 1 3/4 cents, March soybeans are up 8 1/2 cents, March KC wheat is unchanged, March Chicago wheat is down 3 1/2 cents and March spring wheat is up 2 cents.
DTN Cotton Open: Robust Exports Bolster Overnight Trade
Cotton modules lined up in a gin yard. ©Debra L Ferguson The cotton market stayed higher overnight, still rejoicing about robust export sales data. Wednesday was the third straight week that sales were over 450,000 bales and was the highest since September and the second highest since the marketing year began. Cumulative sales for 2020/21 have reached 11.117 million bales, surpassing last year’s 11.093 million bales and the highest since 2010/11’s 13.444 million bales.
DTN Fertilizer Trends: Prices Moving Higher
Dry fertilizer spreader. ©Debra L Ferguson Stock Photography Retail fertilizer prices were higher across the board for the third week of December 2020. It’s the second week in a row that all eight major fertilizers were higher than the previous month. Three fertilizers were up a significant amount, which DTN designates as 5% or more. MAP, potash and anhydrous were all 7% more expensive compared to the prior month.
DTN Grain Open: Soybeans Push Holiday Tradition Aside, Trade Higher
Photo: Iowa State University Pre-6 a.m. Globex Prices: March corn is up 1 cent, March soybeans are up 12 cents and March KC wheat is up 1/4 cent. CME Globex Recap: Early Thursday, March soybeans continue to push into new high ground, disregarding the typical expectation for prices to be quiet and mixed in the week before Christmas. U.S. grain and livestock futures will close early Thursday for Christmas eve, at 12:05 p.m. CST for most and at 12:15 p.m. for Minneapolis wheat.
DTN Livestock Closing: Prosperous Day for Contracts
Cattle feeding. Photo: ©Debra L Ferguson Livestock Contracts Felt the Christmas Spirit It was a prosperous day for the livestock contracts considering that the market could have easily traded doggishly lower leading up to the Christmas holiday. GENERAL COMMENTS: It was a great day for the live cattle contracts and phenomenal day for the cash cattle market as both markets head into Christmas Eve fully higher.
Moving Grain: USDA Releases Report on Highway Freight
USDA Releases Report on Highway Freight On December 17, USDA released a new study, The Importance of Highways to U.S Agriculture. The report gives stakeholders a strategic overview of the challenges and opportunities for moving freight across the Nation’s highways.
Livestock: USDA Wants One-Stop Biotech Shop - DTN
Photo: United Soybean Board Just a week after the Food and Drug Administration approved genetically altered pigs for food and medical use, USDA announced Monday the department is soliciting feedback to take over authority for overseeing regulations for animals produced through genetic engineering. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) already oversees biotechnology for crops.
Sorghum Yield Contest Sees New Record - DTN
Mature sorghum heads. Photo: Lindsay Pace, Mississippi State University Pennsylvania isn’t necessarily the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of sorghum fields, which are so well suited to the semi-arid regions of the Southern Great Plains.
DTN Grain Closing: Higher on the End
DTN Grain Closing: Higher on the End December 23, 2020 By DTN Contributor Soybean harvest. ©Debra L Ferguson Grains End Higher With Risk-On Commodity Performance Grains got off to a bullish start Wednesday morning and stayed higher, posting new contract highs in March corn and soybeans. March Chicago wheat led percentage gains among Wednesday’s grain sector, closing up 12 3/4 cents after the CME reported deliverable stocks of SRW wheat 6% lower than last year’s tight supplies.
DTN Grain Midday: All Grains Soaring
Soybean harvest. ©Debra L Ferguson Corn is 4 to 5 cents higher, soybeans are 14 to 16 cents higher, and wheat is 8 to 10 cents higher. The U.S. stock market is firmer with the Dow up 200. The dollar index is 35 lower. Interest rate products are weaker. Energies are firmer with crude up 1.20. Livestock trade is mostly higher. Precious metals are firmer with gold up $6.50. CORN Corn trade is 4 to 5 cents higher, scoring fresh highs again with support from soybeans and firmer spread action.
DTN Livestock Midday: Livestock Catching More Support
Photo: Kansas State University Livestock Contracts Catch Another Gust of Support The livestock contracts are more than willing to trade higher into Christmas Eve, and the cash cattle market is especially thankful to see the board support as it’s helped the South trade $2.00 higher. Though the livestock contracts trailed into Wednesday with a shaky start, the market leans into the afternoon fully higher.
DTN Cotton Closing: Cotton Holding Bullish Poise
The cotton market ended sharply higher Wednesday as the fall of the dollar and strong export-sales data encouraged speculative buying. After the release of USDA’s robust sales, the market quickly jumped into triple-digit gains and never looked back. Heading into Thursday’s abbreviated session, March cotton is down 1.13 cents, a result of Monday corrective break, but up 3.88 cents on the month and 5.25 cents for the year. The market will halt trading at 1:05 p.m. eastern time.
DTN Cotton Open: Market Rebounds on Strong Sales
Cotton modules lined up in a gin yard. ©Debra L Ferguson The cotton market is staging a decent recovery Wednesday morning. Outside markets such as the Dow, grains, energies, and metals all have a positive cast Wednesday morning, while the U.S. dollar is negative. Thus, a strong cotton trade is being encouraged. USDA issued an exceptionally strong weekly export sales report and that data is undergirding the cotton market.
DTN Grain Open: Row Crops Higher, Wheat Softer
©Debra L Ferguson Stock Images Pre-6 a.m. Globex Prices: March corn is up 2 1/2 cents per bushel, January soybeans are up 10 1/4 cents, and March KC wheat is down 1 1/4 cents. CME Globex Recap: Soybean oil is exhibiting the largest gains, following Malaysian palm oil which was up 3.5-4.0% overnight. We would expect lighter volume to keep the ag space whippy today, although trends clearly remain higher.
DTN Livestock Open: Limited Interest Trickles into the Christmas Holiday
DTN Livestock Open: Limited Interest Trickles into the Christmas Holiday December 23, 2020 From DTN ©Debra L Ferguson Stock Photography Although markets are open for another two days before the Christmas break, it is very evident that the holiday season is here with limited trade activity allowing for moderate price shifts without much significant changes in market direction.
Arkansas Cotton: Rain Eclipses Record Potential
Defoliated cotton field ready for picking. Photo: Lance Clemmons, GW Farms. Arkansas’ cotton crop got off to a slow, cool and wet start, endured a pandemic and the remains of two hurricanes, hinted at record yields and inexplicably ended the season with prices hitting a high note. “By May 18, only 47 percent of the crop had been planted,” Scott Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said.
Arkansas Corn, Sorghum: Contract Prices Promise Brighter 2021
As with many of the state’s commodities, Arkansas corn, wheat and other feed grains took 2020 on the chin. Arkansas corn saw a significant drop off in acreage, falling from growers’ stated planting intentions of 800,000 acres to 620,000 acres planted.
Arkansas Soybeans: Against All Odds, Crops Enjoy Steady Year
Mature soybean field. ©Debra L Ferguson If there’s one thing Arkansas soybean growers can say when no one else can, it might be this: 2020 has been a pretty good year. Despite an overly wet spring, delayed planting, and a slow-rolling harvest, the crop saw subtle increases in both acreage and average yield, bringing the state’s total production up from about 127.9 million bushels in 2019 to about 139 million in 2020.
DTN Livestock Closing: Uneventful Markets for Tuesday
Photo: Kansas State University Cattle Sink Lower While Hogs Battle for a Higher Close Tuesday’s market was mostly uneventful with cattle contracts trading lower and cash cattle trade yet to really test the market, but the lean hog market was able to close slightly stronger. GENERAL COMMENTS: It was a downward sliding day for the cattle contracts, but the lean hog market was able to secure a slightly higher close right before the day’s end.
Arkansas Peanuts: Slow Start, Strong Finish
Despite a plant-then-replant start, the 2020 Arkansas peanut growing season ended with a smoother harvest than in previous years thanks to weather and a couple of new buying points, Andy Vangilder, an extension educator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said. The season was also marked by peanuts’ expansion out of northeastern and east central Arkansas, adding interest and at least one grower in southeastern Arkansas.
Arkansas Rice: Strong Year Despite Slow Start, Prolonged Finish
Rice variety trial. Photo: Mary Hightower, University of Arkansas It almost goes without saying that 2020 will be a year to remember — even if many across the country may already be dreaming up ways to forget it. For Arkansas rice growers, the year proved to carry burdens both familiar and novel. Throughout the late winter and early spring, wet weather across much of the Southern Plains prevented almost all early planting in Arkansas rice.
Ag Economy: COVID Related Impacts on Rural America
Last week, the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) released its annual report exploring characteristics and economic indicators associated with Rural America: “Rural America at a Glance: 2020 Edition.” This year’s edition of the report focused on COVID-19 related conditions and the pandemic’s impact on the rural economy. Today’s update includes highlights from the report, which was written by John Cromartie, Elizabeth Dobis, Thomas Krumel, David McGranahan, and John Pender.
Biotech Cotton Key to Eliminating Devastating Pest from U.S., Mexico
The pink bollworm, a voracious caterpillar pest, quickly evolved resistance to two Bt proteins produced by biotech cotton in India, but it continues to be suppressed in Arizona after more than 20 years. (Photo: Alex Yelich, University of Arizona) For much of the past century, the invasive pink bollworm wreaked havoc in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico – inflicting tens of millions of dollars in damage annually to cotton on both sides of the border.
USDA: Weekly National Peanut Prices
The following prices are effective from Wednesday 12/23/20 at 12:01 am Eastern Time until midnight Tuesday 12/29/20. The next announcement is scheduled for Tuesday 12/29/20 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time. * $424.55 per ton for Runner peanuts * $415.57 per ton for Spanish peanuts * $428.74 per ton for Valencia peanuts * $428.74 per ton for Virginia peanuts These NPP are based on the loan rates for 2020-crop peanuts announced on July 9, 2020.
Pennsylvania: Insect Damage to Corn; Minor and Unrelated to Yield in Organic
Organic grain sorghum under conventional tillage planted in College Station. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Dr. Nithya Rajan) The growing demand for organic livestock, poultry, and eggs is driving Pennsylvania’s #3 ranking for organic sales in the U.S., following #1 ranked California and #2 Washington. The demand for organic feed and forages to support these organic production sectors currently outstrips the domestically-produced supply, with the result that much of organic feed grains are imported.
Pennsylvania: Interested in Cover Crop Interseeding?
Vegetative corn field. Photo: Paul Esker, Pennsylvania State University In the coming year(s), Penn State will be leading a regional, SARE-funded project to better understand the agronomic, environmental, and economic challenges that prevent the adoption of cover crop interseeding in field corn. Our team is comprised of Penn State and Cornell University researchers and extension educators, the New York State IPM program, and several cooperating Soil and Water Conservation Districts in PA and NY.
Pennsylvania: 2020 Soybean Variety Trial Results Available
The 2020 soybean variety trial results are now available for viewing online . This year’s trials were conducted at 3 locations across the state, testing 98 varieties from 13 different seed companies. For the full season trials, each location includes and early and late maturity trials. The top yielding varieties in the state were observed at our Lancaster County location, where yields were greater than 80 bushels per acre. The trials are viewable as Excel files.
DTN Livestock Open: Positive Market Tone Continues
DTN Livestock Open: Positive Market Tone Continues December 22, 2020 From DTN Photo: Texas AgriLife Extension Trade activity is expected to remain subdued Tuesday and through the rest of the week with the focus on the Christmas holiday Friday. This should put the focus on cash market development over the next couple of days.
DTN Grain Open: Weaker as Volatility Heightened
Pre-6 a.m. Globex Prices: March corn is down 1/2 cent per bushel, January soybeans are down 1 cent, and March KC wheat is down 10 cents. CME Globex Recap: Grain markets are mostly weaker across the board overnight as the strength witnessed Monday cannot be maintained completely. Leading losses are wheat contracts which should come as no surprise when row crops are not leading the charge higher.
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