News Update

News Update
July 11, 2007

NOAA Releases Drought Summary

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a drought summary July 3 depicting varying degrees of drought gathered from its U.S. Drought Monitor, available at www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html for U.S. regions. The following are NOAA findings. (Note: D0-D4 represent drought ratings. Refer to the Drought Monitor for more information.)

The South: A cold front that swept across the region during this period led to helpful showers across the southern drought area, although much more rain is needed. The core of the drought remains in northern Alabama, which still stays at D4 (exceptional drought) status. But the recent rains, which reached 2 to 5 inches (in.) locally in Alabama, have begun to eat away at the drought area, and resulted in a slight shrinking of the D4. The moisture even brought some streams up to normal levels in northeastern Alabama, at least temporarily.

The impact of the drought on farmers remains extremely serious, with Alabama corn still rated 88% poor to very poor, and soybeans at 85% poor or worse. Heavy rains reduced the D3 (extreme drought) in northern Tennessee and also D2 and D1 in western Kentucky. The scattered showers scaled back slightly the D3 in parts of Georgia and the D2 (severe drought) in western South Carolina, with rainfall totals up to 4 in. pulling back the D1 (moderate drought) in central South Carolina. The rains also reduced D1 in south-central North Carolina and the D0 (abnormally dry) region in central Virginia. Heavy rains along the Florida southeast coast removed the D2 and D1 from the coast. West Palm Beach has recorded 14.85 in. of rain since June 1. To the west, however, D2 severe drought remained entrenched over Lake Okeechobee, which dropped to record lows this period. D1 now extends northward into interior central Peninsular Florida.

The Midwest: Frontal passage on Friday, June 29, brought beneficial rains to the Midwest and Ohio Valley. The moisture removed most of the D0 in Illinois and further reduced D0 in western Indiana. D1 retreated southward in eastern Indiana but persisted in southern Ohio. In contrast, dry weather led to expansion of D1 in central and southern Minnesota and D0 across western Iowa and parts of eastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. Rainfall has been under 40% of normal in this region during the past 30 days, leading to rapid drying of soil moisture.

The Northeast: Continued below-normal rains and low streamflows led to the introduction of D1 in western New York. Very low streamflows and low farm pond levels led to D0 development in western New England.

The West and High Plains: Across the interior West, above-normal temperatures and little rain led to persisting drought from the Southwest desert region northward to the northern Rockies and Intermountain region, with D2 and D1 drought expanding northward in eastern Oregon and D1 drought migrating into southern Idaho. Dropping soil moisture levels due to hot, dry weather led to the introduction of D3 drought in western Nevada and adjacent areas of the California Sierra. High temperatures also contributed to some expansion of the D0 dry area in northern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming. Triple-digit heat reached from Colorado into Wyoming on July 2. Dry weather and temperatures averaging close to 4° F above normal led to expansion of D0 northward into southwestern North Dakota from western South Dakota. Drought also extended slightly eastward in southwestern South Dakota. Thirty-day rainfall less than one-half of normal led to D0 in far western Kansas. Flooding rains hit eastern Kansas and Oklahoma and Texas.

Looking Ahead: Weather that could have an impact on dry areas in the next 2 weeks: 1) Maximum daily temperatures averaging as much as 12° F above normal during July 3-8 over the interior West followed by continued above-normal heat through week 2 and minimal rainfall; 2) normal to above-normal rainfall the next 2 weeks over the Midwest, Northeast, and South.

For more information, visit www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html.

K-State Researcher Develops Biodegradable Feeder

Kansas State University (K-State) professor Xiuzhi (Susan) Sun and her colleagues have developed a biodegradable container that is being used to hold nutritional supplements for cattle.

Sun, a researcher and teacher in the Bio-Materials and Technology Laboratory of K-State’s Bioprocessing and Industrial Value-Added Program (BIVAP), developed the product in collaboration with Greg Karr from AgRenew, Inc. It is sold under the name BioBarrel™ Single Trip Container (STC®).

K-State’s BIVAP center, which opened in 2005, was designed to conduct research into new uses for agricultural products and to commercialize them through various ways.

AgRenew is a Manhattan, Kan.-based joint venture that develops and commercializes products and processes based on the use of agricultural waste products and byproducts.

The container, made of ground straw coated with edible adhesive made from soy flour, is marketed to hold Crystalyx® feed supplement. Crystalyx is manufactured by Ridley Block Operations, a division of Ridley Inc.

“We developed the BioBarrel to be a convenient way for producers to feed a nutritional supplement to their livestock. Unlike containers made of steel and plastic, producers do not have to head back out to the pasture to try to locate the container in which it was fed,” said Sun, who specializes in the science and engineering of products made from agricultural feedstocks.

Although the environmentally-responsible container was designed to hold the supplement and not necessarily to be eaten, it can be safely consumed by cattle because it uses no harmful chemicals, Sun said.

“Because the BioBarrel naturally degrades as it sits out in the weather and eventually disappears, producers do not need to return to the pasture to collect them, which saves labor, time and fuel,” Sun said.

As cattle consume the supplement, the sides of the BioBarrel break down naturally. Once the supplement is consumed, the bottom of the container will also degrade over time.

More information about BioBarrel is available at www.crystalyx.com/biobarrel.

Information about K-State’s BIVAP program is available at 785-532-7035 or at www.grains.ksu.edu/BIVAP.

U.S., Korea to Begin Beef Talks in August

South Korean officials reported July 9 their plans to begin new beef talks with the U.S., Meatingplace.com reported.

The two countries are expected to meet sometime in August to revise beef import conditions.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.