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Articles by Quality Declines
Drought Monitor Weekly: Extreme Heat Intensifies ‘Flash Droughts’
Summary Rapidly intensifying “flash drought” — attributed in part to extreme late-summer heat — continued to afflict many areas from the lower Midwest and Mid-Atlantic States to the Gulf Coast. Likewise, an abysmal Southwestern monsoon (to-date) led to increasing drought intensity and coverage in Arizona, while short-term drought persisted across the Hawaiian Islands.
NOAA Seasonal Drought Outlook - Oct., Nov., Dec.
A hot end to the summer along with a generally suppressed convective regime resulted in numerous areas of drought development across the southern Plains, Midwest and Southeast, while spotty convection brought some relief to the areas where rainfall occurred. Larger regions of degradation spread across the Four Corners states. In contrast, above-median precipitation brought drought relief to parts of the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies, and Northern Plains.
Indiana: 34 Farm Fatalities Reported in 2018
Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program released the annual Indiana Farm Fatality Summary with Historical Overview, coinciding with National Farm Safety and Health Week, which has been observed the third week of September since 1944. The program reported 34 work-related, on-farm deaths in the state in 2018. Since data collection began in 1970, annual fatalities have been on the decline, averaging 27.2 over the past ten years.
Arkansas: Winter Cover Crop Planting Considerations
Tillage radish cover crop. Photo: University of Arkansas This season’s weather has been very cooperative for summer cash crop harvest, but unfortunately there were also many fields that were not planted and remained fallow for most of the summer. With harvest in full swing it is time to start considering winter cover crop establishment. Now is the prime window for cover crop establishment in Arkansas.
Moving Grain: Panama Canal Approves Toll Structure Modifications
Panama Canal Approves Toll Structure Modifications Subsequent to the public hearing held on July 24, 2019 on the proposed toll structure modifications and implementation of some of the suggested comments, the Cabinet Council of the Republic of Panama officially approved modifications to the Canal toll structure on September 3.
Mississippi Soybeans: Extension Expands Free Nematode Tests
Southern Root knot Nematode on Soybean. Photo: Travis Faske, University of Arkansas The Mississippi State University Plant Diagnostic Lab is offering free nematode testing for all Mississippi-grown soybeans through Aug. 30, 2020. This season’s testing was expanded to include all soybean nematode pests, not just the soybean cyst nematode, or SCN.
Nebraska: Who Has Hunting Rights for Leased Land?
A written cropland or pasture lease can specify who has hunting rights. If the written lease does not reserve hunting rights to the landlord directly or indirectly, the hunting rights would go to the tenant for the duration of the lease. This surprises most folks who wrongly believe that the landlord automatically retains many property rights that in fact go to the tenant during the period of the lease term (unless the lease specifies otherwise).
Ag Shopping List for Presidential Hopefuls - Commentary
Over the last three weeks, we examined the agricultural and rural policies set forth by the 3 leading candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President. Of the three, Warren has the most detailed plan for commodity policy, though both she and Sanders support supply management policies which is consistent with the New Deal history of the Democratic party. All three have also set forth a number of policy issues to address the challenges faced by rural residents.
Michigan Soybeans: Handling Frost-Damaged Crops
Frost on soybean leaf. Photo: Fred Springborn The late planting season has increased the potential for frost damage to occur in soybeans this fall. The following recommendations will help you reduce the adverse impacts if some of your soybean fields are damaged by frost. Frost-damaged soybeans are generally considered salvageable for grain harvest as long as the plants reached the R6 growth stage at the time the killing frost occurred.
Ethanol Fuels Large-Scale Expansion of Brazil’s Farming Land
A University of Queensland-led study has revealed that future demand for ethanol biofuel could potentially expand sugarcane farming land in Brazil by five million hectares by 2030. UQ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences researcher Milton Aurelio Uba de Andrade Junior said that because Brazil produced ethanol from sugarcane, future biofuel demand would directly impact land use.
Kentucky Hemp: Corn Earworm Outbreaks
Industrial hemp. Photo: Clemson University Helicoverpa zea (formerly Heliothis zea) is an insect that affects many crops and is known with different common names, depending on the crop it affects: cotton bollworm, soybean podworm, tomato fruitworm, or corn earworm. The larva of this noctuid moth is polyphagous and feeds on many other crops, including industrial hemp plants. In this article, we are going to use the name utilized in corn production.
ARC-CO - Program Changes in the 2018 Farm Bill
Hail damaged corn. Photo: University of Minnesota Farmers and landowners can now make the decision between farm programs, receiving commodity title payments from either Agricultural Risk Coverage at the county level (ARC-CO) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for each covered commodity with base acres on the farm; the Agricultural Risk Coverage at the individual level (ARC-IC) is also available but must be elected for all covered commodities with base acres on the farm.
Nebraska Corn, Soybeans: Late-Maturing Crops and Insects - Podcast
Nebraska Corn, Soybeans: Late-Maturing Crops and Insects – Podcast September 18, 2019September 18, 2019 By Michael Sindelar and Robert Wright, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Specialists ©Debra L Ferguson Stock Photography In this month’s CropWatch Podcast Extension Educator Michael Sindelar is joined by entomologist Robert Wright to discuss insect issues in late maturing corn and soybeans.
Georgia: 23rd Annual Plains Peanut Festival, Plains, Sept. 28
The 23rd annual Plains Peanut Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28 in Plains, Georgia, home of President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter. The event highlights the harvest of its cash crop, peanuts, which has big potential across the globe by providing a sustainable and nutritious product and fighting malnutrition. Georgia leads the nation in annual peanut production, accounting for nearly half of all the peanuts grown in the United States.
World Rough Rice Prices Unchanged
The Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation today announced the following prevailing world market prices of milled and rough rice, adjusted for U.S. milling yields and location, and the resulting marketing loan gain (MLG) and loan deficiency payment (LDP) rates applicable to the 2019 crop, which will become effective today at 7:00 a.m., Eastern Time (ET). Rough rice prices for both long grain and medium/short grain remain unchanged from the previous announcement.
Nebraska Soybeans: Late Season Diseases Widespread
Soybean plant exhibiting Sudden Death Syndrome. Photo: Pennsylvania State University Record rainfall during August and continued wet conditions into September are much to blame for the flush of diseases Nebraska’s soybean crop has been experiencing. The following describes some of the more common diseases diagnosed by the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic in samples from across Nebraska.
Ohio: Wheat After Wheat - Managing Take-All and Other Diseases
Young wheat. I never recommend planting a small grain crop after another small grain crop, as planting wheat after barley for instance or barley after wheat increases the risk of diseases such as head scab and take-all. However, this year, some growers do not have much of a choice; soybean will not be harvested in time in some fields for them to plant wheat, so they will either have plant wheat after corn harvested for silage or after wheat.
Oklahoma: 5 Counties Designated Natural Disaster Areas to Drought
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated five Oklahoma counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Comanche, Cotton, Jackson, Kiowa, and Tillman counties who suffered losses due to recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters.
Guava Root-Knot Nematode: Clemson Armed with $7Mln to Combat Pest
Large knots and bumps on a sweet potato are an indication of an infestation by guava root-knot nematodes. Photo: Charlie Overstreet/LSU AgCenter Clemson University researchers, led by nematologist Paula Agudelo, are armed with close to $7 million to design protocols for managing invasive guava root-knot nematodes.
Louisiana: 2 Parishes Designated Natural Disaster Areas from Floods
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated two Louisiana parishes as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses due to two separate disaster events may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters.
Virginia Cotton: Weather Looking Better for Defoliation
Photo: University of Tennessee The weather this week seems like a gift compared to what the forecast said last week. Hey, nobody is complaining even though peanuts that have missed all of the hurricane rain and all the showers last week would like to see a little bit of rain to help the digger. It’s like a gift. Now the forecast indicates about 3 days of fall like conditions for the end of this week before turning back warm for the rest of the month.
Alabama Hemp: What Insects Did We See This Year - Video
Alabama Hemp: What Insects Did We See This Year – Video September 17, 2019 By Katelyn Kesheimer, Alabama Cooperative Extension Industrial hemp. Photo: Center for Crop Diversification, University of Kentucky Alabama Cooperative Extension System entomologist Dr. Katelyn Kesheimer gives an update on insects impacting industrial hemp. VIDEO Posted in Alabama, Agricharts|No DTN, MobileTagged Alabama, pest management, Katelyn Kesheimer, hemp, industrial hemp, hemp news
Texas Field Reports: Wheat Acres Expected to Go Down, Production Up
Texas wheat acres are being prepared and planted, and despite fewer acres, projections are for a high-yield 2020. U.S. Department of Agriculture planting projections suggest producers will plant 1% less wheat than last year nationally. Last year, around 4.5 million acres of wheat were planted in Texas. But the USDA expects acres to produce significantly higher yields compared to 2019.
Southern Plains: Research to Boost Rainfed Ag - Improving Efficiencies, Soil Health
Kansas State University is leading a multi-agency team focused on improving water and nitrogen use efficiencies and improving soil health in the semi-arid southern Great Plains. The nearly $10 million five-year research effort is led by K-State University Distinguished Professor Chuck Rice and includes a transdisciplinary team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Oklahoma State University and the University of Maryland.
Soy-Based Products on the Leading Edge of Sustainable Housing
Higher performance, increased sustainability and lower cost — these are just a few of the demands that today’s modern customers expect from the home improvement industry. For companies relying on petroleum or formaldehyde in their products, this can seem like a challenging ask. But many find their sustainable solution in soy. “Choosing soy is a win-win,” said Lee Walko, biobased business developer and technical advisor to the United Soybean Board.
Georgia Pecans: Leaf Drop, Scorch - What’s Causing It?
We have reached the time of year when we begin to see a lot of odd things happening to the foliage of pecan trees. The long season is coming to a close and the trees are beginning to shift gears a little as some nutrients have moved from the leaves to the nuts and others will soon be going from the leaves to the roots. I have had a number of calls beginning around the middle of last week regarding some leaf scorching/dropping.
Texas: Rolling Plains Summer Field Day, Chillicothe, Sept. 24
The annual Rolling Plains Summer Field Day, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Vernon, is set for Sept. 24 at the agency’s Chillicothe Research Station, 1340 Farm-to-Market Road 392, Chillicothe. The free program will begin with registration at 8 a.m. followed by the field tour from 9-11:30 a.m. Lunch will be served, and three general Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered.
Biofuels: Progress on Tentative Blending Agreement
Reuters writers Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw reported last week that, “White House officials on Wednesday urged U.S. biofuel producers and oil refiners to accept a deal to lift biofuel blending mandates in 2020, saying overlong negotiations could make it hard to enact the change in time for next year, sources familiar with the discussions said.
North Carolina Field Reports: Corn Harvest Continues, Quality Declines
Corn harvest. Photo: University of Arkansas Crop Progress and Condition for the Week Ending September 15, 2019. County Extension Comments Stanley Holloway – Yancey County Extension Another unseasonably warm week with well above normal high temps in the upper 80’s. Some scattered rain showers/thunderstorms brought some relief to parts of the county; however, precipitation levels were highly variable.
Rice Weekly Market Report, Sept. 16 - USDA
Rice Weekly Market Report, Sept. 16 – USDA September 17, 2019 From USDA Rice heads at sunrise. Photo: University of Arkansas In the south, long and medium grain milled rice prices steady. Parboiled prices steady. Second heads and Brewers prices steady. Rice by-products: Rice Bran, Millfeed and Rice Hulls steady. In California, medium grain milled rice prices steady. Second heads and Brewers mostly steady. Rice by-products: Rice Bran prices and Rice hulls steady.
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