News Update
Jan. 28, 2011

USDA Announces Decision to Fully Deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Jan. 27 announced its decision to grant non-regulated status for alfalfa that has been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide commercially known as Roundup.

“After conducting a thorough and transparent examination of alfalfa through a multi-alternative environmental impact statement (EIS) and several public comment opportunities, APHIS has determined that Roundup Ready alfalfa is as safe as traditionally bred alfalfa,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “All of the alfalfa production stakeholders involved in this issue have stressed their willingness to work together to find solutions. We greatly appreciate and value the work they’ve done so far and will continue to provide support to the wide variety of sectors that make American agriculture successful.”

After releasing a final EIS in December 2010, USDA took another step to ensure that this issue received the broadest examination before making its final decision. USDA brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss feasible strategies for coexistence between genetically engineered (GE), organic, and other non-GE stakeholders. The stakeholders helped to identify areas of consensus; issues where the group disagreed and opportunities for further dialogue exist; and areas where USDA could — or should — play an important and helpful role.

In response to the request for support from its stakeholders, USDA is taking a number of steps, including:

• Reestablishing two important USDA advisory committees — Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture, and the National Genetic Resources Advisory Committee. These two committees will tackle a broad range of issues, from ensuring the availability of high-quality seed, to helping ensure that growers have access to the best tools available to support their production choices, to whether risk management and indemnification options can play a role;
• Conducting research into areas such as ensuring the genetic integrity, production and preservation of alfalfa seeds entrusted to the germplasm system;
• Refining and extending current models of gene flow in alfalfa;
• Requesting proposals through the Small Business Innovation Research program to improve handling of forage seeds and detection of transgenes in alfalfa seeds and hay; and,
• Providing voluntary, third-party audits and verification of industry-led stewardship initiatives.

More information on the areas of support USDA will provide outside of the regulatory arena is available online.

APHIS’ deregulation of Roundup ready alfalfa will become effective upon publication of the Agency’s determination of nonregulated status in the Federal Register. USDA’s Record of Decision on RR alfalfa is available to the public at www.aphis.usda.gov/.

— Release by USDA.

Cows Done in By Bad Spuds

Anyone taking the recent, mysterious deaths of 200 steers in a Portage County, Wis., feedlot as a sign of the apocalypse can rest easy. The cows, according to the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, were done in by bad spuds.

Specifically, the cows were poisoned by a toxin found in moldy sweet potatoes, which apparently were mixed in with potato waste fed to the animals. Tests on feed samples revealed the presence of ipomeanol, a mycotoxin found in moldy sweet potatoes, says Peter Vanderloo, associate director of the lab.

“Based on history, clinical signs, changes in tissue and test results from our lab and a referral laboratory, it is likely that a mycotoxin from moldy sweet potato was a major factor in the disease and deaths of these steers,” Vanderloo explains.

Sweet potato waste was a major component of the animals’ diet at the time of the Jan. 14 incident, he notes. It is a common practice in agriculture to feed animals food that cannot be used for human consumption. In this case, the potatoes were never in the human food supply chain, Vanderloo explains, and there is no risk to human health.

It was first suspected that a virus or other pathogen might have been responsible, Vanderloo says, because the animals exhibited symptoms consistent with pneumonia. However, laboratory tests found no evidence of any of the major viral pathogens that could cause a respiratory disease such as pneumonia. “None of the major respiratory pathogens of cattle were identified in the samples provided to the lab.”

The lab looked for bovine herpes virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine respiratory synctial virus and corona virus and found no evidence for those or any other pathogens, according to Vanderloo.

The deaths of the Wisconsin cattle, reported shortly after other mass die-offs of birds and fish, was reported widely and fueled wild speculation as to the cause, linking the deaths to everything from the end of the Mayan calendar to the second coming and the apocalypse.

— Release by the University of Wisconsin.

Beef Quality Assurance Offered Near Mead

A Feb. 24 Beef Quality Assurance training will be available to cattle producers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead.

UNL Extension in Saunders County and the Saunders County Livestock Association are co-sponsoring the training at the August N. Christenson Research and Education Building.

There are two sessions to choose from. The first session is from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. and the other is from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Cost is $20, which covers all training materials and a proof of certification.

The training will cover best management practices, reducing injection site damage, residue avoidance, record requirements, cattle care, vaccine use and syringe care. There will also be time for questions. Participation in this training will provide BQA certification for two years.

“UNL Extension is pleased to partner with Saunders County Livestock Association to offer this beneficial training to our local beef producers,” said Sara Ellicott, UNL Extension educator. “This program is very good at reminding producers about the best management practices, which demonstrate to consumers that producers continue to learn, have the well-being of their livestock in mind, and, most importantly, provide a safe food product.

“As a producer, participating in the BQA program shows that you are taking the initiative to manage your cattle in a humane and industry-approved manner, which ultimately ensures a safe and wholesome beef product.”

Preregistration is required by Feb. 21. For more information or to preregister, please contact Ellicott at 402-624-8030, 1-800-529-8030 or sellicott2@unl.edu.

Information also is available online at Saunders.unl.edu.

— Release by UNL.

PLC Supports BLM Decision to Deny Pickens’ Proposal for Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary

The Public Lands Council (PLC) yesterday, Jan. 27, 2011, sent a letter to Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bob Abbey supporting BLM’s response to a prospectus submitted by Madeleine Pickens’ Saving America’s Mustangs Foundation (the Foundation) to build and establish an eco-sanctuary for wild horses. PLC President John Falen said the problem of wild horse overpopulation is one that must be dealt with but that creating a horse sanctuary will not solve the problem.

“Wild horse overpopulation poses a threat not only to the health of the range, the rural economies and families making a living off the land, but also to the wild horses themselves,” Falen said. “However, the Foundation’s proposal is not the right solution, and we’re glad the BLM shares our concerns. In addition to sharing BLM’s concerns regarding the nuts and bolts of the proposal with respect to title transfer of the wild horses, the cost of the proposal and the range’s ability to sustain 10,000 horses, we also question the accuracy of some claims the Foundation and Madeleine Pickens made regarding livestock grazing on public lands.”

According to the letter, PLC opposes any agreement that would include increasing any herd management area (HMA) or inflating appropriate management levels (AMLs) beyond what the resources can sustain. Expansion of HMAs to new areas would require an amendment to the Free-Roaming Wild Horse & Burro Act of 1971 and would pose a threat to multiple-use on public lands, the letter says. It goes on to say that converting livestock Animal Unit Months (AUMs) or livestock grazing permits to single-use horse permits or sanctuaries for wild horses would violate the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, thereby jeopardizing grazing permits and presenting opportunities for anti-grazing interests to push for more conversion of livestock allotments to other single uses.

Falen said that while PLC does not believe the overpopulation issue can or should be solved by expanding HMAs or converting livestock grazing permits, the organization supports using science and research to find new, effective ways of decreasing the reproduction rate of the entire herd.

“Decreasing the reproduction rate of the herd is a viable option that should be considered as BLM works to improve the wild horse and burro program,” Falen said. “BLM made the right decision to deny the Foundation’s proposal for a horse sanctuary, and we look forward to working with Director Abbey and others at BLM to find a sustainable, sensible solution for wild horse management.”

— Release by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.