News Update
March 6, 2012
Early Wheat Greenup Creates Concerns about Crop
Unusually warm weather in late February and early March and good topsoil moisture levels, except in far southwest Kansas, have caused wheat in much of Kansas to break dormancy and start greening up, said Jim Shroyer, K-State Research and Extension crop production specialist.
"This is a scenario somewhat reminiscent of 2007, which was a year with severe spring freeze injury. Hopefully we will avoid that this year," Shroyer said. "The wheat has begun to grow as a result of several days with temperatures in the 60s and nighttime temperatures above freezing. It would be much better if temperatures were colder."
Plants growing at this time of year use valuable soil moisture, he said. Even though topsoil moisture is adequate in most of Kansas, the moisture would be better used later in the growing season.
In addition, plants will have lost some of their winter hardiness, he said.
"This won't be a problem if the weather never turns extremely cold again this month or if temperatures cool down gradually, so the plants can regain some of their winter hardiness. If the wheat is green and growing, however, and temperatures suddenly go from unusually warm to extremely cold, freeze injury could occur," Shroyer said.
The warm weather could also result in early-season insect and disease problems.
"Army cutworms are sometimes a problem in wheat fields during March. Other early-spring insects to watch include winter grain mites and greenbugs. Early-season disease concerns include powdery mildew and tan spot," he said.
"Producers should watch their wheat crops for insects and diseases, and make every effort to get on their topdress nitrogen soon, before the crop reaches the jointing stage — if they haven't already done so," Shroyer advised.
"Other than that, there's not much that producers can do to stop the development of the crop. Grazing the wheat can hold back its development, but grazing may not be possible much longer this winter. Cattle should be pulled off before first hollow stem, and this will be occurring soon in southern Kansas, if it hasn't already occurred."
The longer temperatures remain above normal, the more susceptible the wheat will be to a sudden temperature drop to the single digits or below, Shroyer said.
Impacts of Consolidation in the Cattle Industry
Consolidation of the beef industry was on the mind of cow-calf producers as they gathered at the annual Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 1-4. Last year was a challenging year for cattle producers in the Southern states as they faced a monumental drought, one that will go down in the record books as the driest year on record in Texas. The impact of the drought of 2011 further accentuated an already declining U.S. cow herd. The USDA reported the Jan. 1 cattle inventory for all cattle and calves totaled 90.8 million head, 2% below 2011's Jan. 1 report of 92.7 million. This is the lowest Jan. 1 inventory of all cattle and calves since 1952, which recorded 88.1 million cattle, and extends the trend, making this the 14th out of the last 16 years in which beef cow numbers have declined.
Reports measured more than 600,000 head of cows left the nation's top cow-calf state of Texas, primarily due to the drought. USDA indicated the shrinking cow numbers in Texas was the largest single-year decline for the Texas beef industry, even ahead of a large decline during the dust bowl years of 1934. David Anderson of Texas AgriLife Extension Service believes 150,000 head left the state to access areas of the country with sufficient pastures and moisture. The majority of these cows moved out of Texas between August and October. Anderson reports that fewer heifers were also held back to enter the cow herds because with limited feed cattle, producers were cautious to take the gamble that they would have adequate feed supplies. South Dakota was one of several states that became a destination for Texas breeding cattle.
In addition to the large number of southern cows leaving the drought-stricken region in search of feed, more cows went to market in Texas due to the tight feed resources. However, as we look ahead in 2012, cow-calf producers are seeing strong incentives to expand their herd. CattleFax told attendees at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association convention that expansion has already begun in the Northern Plains. The Jan. 1 cattle inventory report confirmed this new focus on heifer retention with heifer replacement numbers up slightly. However, these numbers represent larger increases of heifer retention in South Dakota along with Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Iowa, primarily. Favorable weather conditions in 2011 in these states and access to forage supplies, along with profit opportunities, has sparked this opportunity. Heifer retention provides the opportunity for expansion of the record-low cow herd, but it will also result in a reduction of per-capita beef supplies.
In conclusion, cow-calf producers were told by CattleFax analysts that they will face excellent profit opportunities even during this time of high input costs. The record high prices will offset higher input costs and encourage restocking.
For additional news from the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show, visit the newsroom at www.4cattlemen.com.
USDA Seeks Applications to Create Jobs in Rural Areas
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the USDA is seeking applications for loans and grants to help rural businesses create jobs and spur economic development. The funding is being provided under the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program.
"Boosting access to capital sparks job creation and revitalizes the rural economy," said Vilsack. Eligible recipients are USDA rural utilities program borrowers. Those recipients pass the funds to local organizations. The funding is leveraged to create projects that retain or create jobs and upgrade public infrastructure. The maximum amount of funding for any one project is $1 million for loans and $300,000 for grants.
Organizations use REDLG funds to create jobs and improve services.
USDA plans to award up to $79 million in loans and $10 million in grants through the program. The deadline for submitting applications is the last business day of each month through Sept. 30, 2012. Applications must be submitted to the Rural Development state office where the project will be located. A list of these offices is available on the USDA Rural Development website, www.rurdev.usda.gov/StateOfficeAddresses.html, or on page 12792 of the March 2 Federal Register, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-03-02/pdf/2012-5043.pdf.
John Deere Introduces Mobile Weather
For private and commercial applicators who need precise weather information in order to make proper product application and other weather-related decisions, John Deere introduces John Deere Mobile Weather.
Mobile Weather uses a third-party weather sensor connected to the Application Controller 1120 to display real-time weather information, including wind speed and direction, Delta T, and temperature and relative humidity on the John Deere GreenStar 2 or GreenStar 3 displays. However, only the GreenStar 3 2630 Display is capable of documenting (recording) weather data, which can be transferred to Apex or other third-party farm management software for analysis and recordkeeping.
According to Janae Althouse, product manager with the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, John Deere Mobile Weather enables operators to make in-cab product application decisions based on location-specific weather data. In addition, operators don't have to rely on handheld devices or make multiple stops to manually check and record weather conditions when applying product.
John Deere Mobile Weather can be mounted on any John Deere 4940, 4930, 4830 and 4730 self-propelled sprayers, with GreenStar displays. It can be programmed to warn the operator when weather conditions are outside of preset parameters for optimal spraying.
For more information about John Deere Mobile Weather, contact your local John Deere dealer, AMS specialist or visit www.JohnDeere.com.
Groundwater Awareness Week Set for March 11-17
"Groundwater is important to you!" is the core message of National Groundwater Awareness Week 2012, March 11-17. Now well into its second decade, Groundwater Awareness Week spotlights one of the world's most important resources — groundwater.
"Groundwater remains critically important, whether you're on a public water system or a private well," said American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman. "Everyone can play a role in preserving and protecting our nation's precious groundwater," Stallman said.
Farm Bureau supports National Groundwater Awareness Week because of the vital importance of groundwater to farmers and ranchers, who use it to irrigate crops and water livestock they're raising for food. In addition, 96% of rural Americans depend on groundwater for their water supply, according to Stallman.
How individuals store, use and dispose of hazardous household substances or agricultural products can affect groundwater quality. In the same manner, whether homeowners and farmers regularly maintain their water wells and septic systems, or properly decommission abandoned wells affects the groundwater that serves as others' water supply.
"This is more than just a rural issue. Public water systems and heavily populated urban areas can do much to harm groundwater quality," Stallman said. "We all need to do our part to protect groundwater."
National Groundwater Awareness Week is sponsored each year by the National Ground Water Association. Visit www.ngwa.org for action steps everyone can take to protect and conserve ground water.
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