Nebraska Agricultural  Summary

For  the  week  ending  September  6,  2009,  another  cool week  slowed  crop maturation and  high  humidity  hampered  producers  trying  to  put  up  hay, according  to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.   Producers are wrapping up  irrigation for  the  season  as  well  as  preparing  machinery  and  bins  for harvest.    In  the west,  the  first  fields  of  dry  beans  and  proso millet were being harvested.   Corn  silage continued  to be cut around the state.
 
Weather  Summary:    Temperatures  averaged  4  degrees below  normal  across  the  state.    The  Panhandle  had  above normal temperatures with highs in the low 90’s, while the rest of  the state was below normal with highs near 80 and  lows  in the 40’s.   Precipitation was mostly  limited  to  the eastern half of the state.  Topsoil Moisture:  3 percent surplus and 75 percent adequate.  Subsoil moisture:  1 percent surplus and 80 percent adequate.  GDD:  Concord, 2171, -621 from normal;  West Point 2330, -538 from normal; and Mead 2423, -521 from normal.  

Livestock,  Pasture  and  Range  Report:    Pasture  and range  conditions  rated  2  percent  very  poor,  4  poor,  20  fair,  57 good, and 17 excellent, above  last year’s 56 percent good or excellent condition.  
 
Field Crops Report:   Corn conditions rated 2 percent very poor,  6  poor,  15  fair,  50  good,  and  27  excellent,  above  last year’s  75  percent  good  or  excellent  rating.    Irrigated  fields rated 80 percent good or excellent, while dryland  fields  rated 72, both above year ago  levels.   Corn  in  the dough stage was  96  percent,  ahead  of  last  year’s  94  but  near  the  97  average.  Corn  in  the dent stage was 69 percent, even with last year but six days behind  the 80 average.   Corn mature was 6 percent, near the 5 of last year but behind the 12 average.
 
Soybean conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 6 poor, 15 fair, 55 good, and 22 excellent, above  last year’s 69 percent good or excellent condition.  Soybeans turning color was 37 percent, ahead  of  last  year’s  24  but  near  the  38  average.    Soybeans dropping  leaves was  2  percent,  near  last  year’s  3  but  behind the 6 average.
 
Alfalfa  conditions  rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 22  fair, 58 good, and 14 excellent, above  last year’s 62 percent good or excellent condition.  Third cutting was 84 percent complete, behind  last  year  and  the  average  of  92.    Fourth  cutting was  17 percent complete, behind last year’s 6 and 18 average.    Sorghum conditions rated 0 percent very poor, 3 poor, 25 fair, 51 good, and 21 excellent, above  last year’s 64 percent good or excellent condition.  Sorghum turning color was 36 percent, behind last year’s 43 and nine days behind the 63 average.   
 
Dry bean conditions rated 1 percent very poor, 8 poor, 22 fair, 60 good, and 9 excellent, above last year’s 64 percent good or excellent conditions.   Dry beans turning color was 64 percent, behind  last  year’s  72  but  even with  the  average.   Dry  beans dropping  leaves was  21  percent,  ahead  of  last  year’s  17  but behind  the 27  average.   Dry beans harvested were 5 percent, ahead of last year’s 3 and near the average of 6.
 
Wheat  seeded was  11  percent  complete,  ahead  of  last  year’s  6 and near the average of 10.
 
Proso millet was 2 percent harvested, behind last year’s 5 and 10 average.



Nebraska Weather & Crops County Comments

BOONE
More rain this week and cooler weather is keeping the crops behind schedule.

CASS
Corn is maturing much faster than soybeans in our county, could see corn and soybean harvest starting at the same time. Rains have assured good test weights.

CEDAR
A good general rain was received over the entire county ranging from 1/2 inch to over 2 to 3 inches in the south part of the county. Pastures are looking good except where over grazing of number of pastures are showing up. The cooler than normal season has corn and soybean producers concerned with corp maturity.

DIXON
Anywhere from an inch to two inches of rain came over the county during the week. Crops continue to mature at a slow pace. Producers continue to prepare for harvest with farm storage being cleared out and new bin construction in the works. A lot of focus on the weather as we look for warmer conditions to help finish up this crop.

DODGE
Crops are still developing slowly as cool, wet conditions occur. It's been another tough week for putting up hay with high humidity.

KNOX
Crops continue to progress. There is concern that an early frost is less than 4 weeks away. Cool season grasses have really picked up with moisture and moderate temperatures.

LANCASTER
We received a good rain on Sept 3 with rainfall amounts from 0.5 inch to 1.5 inches across the county. This rain came too late to affect corn yield but soybeans will utilize the moisture to finish filling the pods in the upper part of the plants.

MADISON
Recent rains have improved the topsoil moisture levels. Rain amounts varied with some heavy and others just sufficient to help the crops. Crop maturity is slowed due to the continued cool temperatures. Lower crop conditions are on lighter soils that were under severe stress earlier with the dry weather through July and much of August. Over-all crops look very good with very good potential.

PLATTE
Silage cutting started 9/1/09.

SAUNDERS
More rain last week. Soybeans are turning, depending on when planted and/or variety, some seem to be way ahead, while others are still very green. Silage is being cut.

THURSTON
One to three inches of rain fell at mid-week. There continues to be some spraying of aphids in soybeans as cool and damp conditions continue to inspire the aphid population. Maturity continues to be slow for corn and soybeans. It appears a normal freeze date or later will be very important this year. Movement of 08 grain to markets also has been slow.



CROPS PROGRESS DURING DRY COOL WEEK IN IOWA
 
While  temperatures continued  to stay on  the cool side,  Iowa  received  lower than average  rainfall.   Low humidity and clear skies allowed crops  to make some progress as  the growing  season draws  to a close.   The below average rainfall  has  been  especially  beneficial  to  low-lying  fields  in  Eastern  Iowa where  flooding  continues  to  be  a  concern.    Farmers  again  reported  fungal disease  in  corn  and  soybean  fields.   Soybean  Sudden Death  Syndrome  has been  identified as  the cause of  some  fields  turning color early.   While corn and  soybeans  are  still  rated  in  mostly  good  to  excellent  condition,  crop progress continues to fall behind the five-year averages for most stages.  Hay and  livestock  operations  continue  putting  up  the  last  cuttings  of  this  year’s hay  crop.    Cattle  on  feed  recorded  good  gains  thanks  to  optimal  weather conditions.  
 
There were 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week, compared to the five-year  average of 5.5 days.   Topsoil moisture  rated 1 percent very  short, 11 percent short, 81 percent adequate, and 7 percent surplus across  the state.  Subsoil  moisture  rated  2 percent  very  short,  9 percent  short,  77 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus.
 
Field Crops Report: Corn  at  or  beyond  the milk  stage  reached  97 percent, 1 percentage  point  ahead  of  last  year,  but  7  days  behind  the  five-year average.  Corn  reported  at  or  beyond  the  dough  stage  reached  86 percent, 5 percentage  points  ahead  of  last  year,  but  7  days  behind  the  five-year average.    Corn  reported  at  or  beyond  the  dent  stage  reached  53 percent, 5 percentage  points  ahead  of  last  year,  but  8  days  behind  the  five-year average. Corn reported mature or safe from frost reached 2 percentage points, 1 percentage point behind last year and 15 days behind the five-year average.  Corn condition was rated 3 percent very poor, 5 percent poor, 16 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 25 percent excellent.     
 
Nearly  all  the  soybeans  are  at  or  beyond  the  setting  pods  stage.    Soybean leaves  turning  color  reached  29 percent,  3 percentage  points  ahead  of  last year,  but  17 percentage  points  behind  the  five-year  average.    Soybeans  dropping  leaves  reached 4 percent, on par with  last year, but 10 percentage points behind  the five-year average.   Soybean condition was rated 2 percent very  poor,  5 percent  poor,  18 percent  fair,  55 percent  good,  and  20 percent excellent.
 
Alfalfa  third  cutting  has  reached  72 percent  complete,  9 percentage  points behind the five-year average, but 13 percentage points ahead of last year.  All hay condition was rated 2 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 49 percent good, and 11 percent excellent.    
 
Livestock,  Pasture  and  Range  Report:    Pasture  and  range  condition  rated 1 percent  very  poor,  8 percent  poor,  24 percent  fair,  51 percent  good,  and 16 percent  excellent.    Stress  levels  for  cattle  on  pasture  continue  to  be relatively low thanks to continued cool temperatures and low humidity.              
 
 
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist
 
It was a dry week across most of Iowa.  Rainfall was restricted to far western Iowa  where  showers  and  thunderstorms  brought  some  locally  heavy  rain between Wednesday  evening  and  Thursday  afternoon.    Sioux City Airport reported the most rain with 3.14 inches while no rain was recorded over most of  the  eastern  four-fifths  of  the  state.    The  statewide  average  precipitation was  only  0.09  inches while  normal  for  the week  is  0.88  inches.   This was Iowa’s driest week  in 31 weeks  (early February).   Soils have become quite dry  in  some areas, particularly over northwest and north central  Iowa.   The
past reporting week began with temperatures well below normal on Monday (31st)  and  Tuesday  (1st)  and  gradually  warmed  to  near  normal  by  Sunday (6th).    Temperature  extremes  ranged  from  a  Tuesday  morning  low  of  39 degrees at Elkader  to afternoon highs of 82 degrees at Ankeny on Saturday and  Sunday.    The  statewide  average  temperature  for  the  week  was  5.2 degrees below normal.
 


Sources: Harkin to Take Over Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair

Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, will leave the chairmanship of the Agriculture Committee to take over the chairmanship of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, high-level congressional sources said late Tuesday.

He is likely to be replaced as agriculture chairman by Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.

The change in chairmanships follows the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who chaired the HELP committee. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., was first in line to chair the HELP Committee, but he decided to remain chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the sources said.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., is ahead of Lincoln in the seniority lineup to head Agriculture, but Conrad would have to give up the chairmanship of the Senate Budget Committee to take Agriculture. Conrad used the Budget chairmanship in 2008 to provide additional money for the farm bill and uses that chairmanship to influence budget matters in other legislative areas as well.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., are also ahead of Lincoln in seniority, but they chair, respectively, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, two of the most prestigious committees in the Senate.

None of the senators involved were willing to confirm the changes on the record Tuesday evening, but announcements are expected Wednesday.

Kate Cyrul, Harkin's communications director and a former Senate Agriculture Committee press secretary, told DTN in an email, "Senator Harkin does not have a decision to make until Senator Dodd announces his intentions."



Irrigation Variance Application Deadline

Anyone wishing to apply for a variance to add an irrigation well or add irrigated acres on their farmland will need to contact the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District office for an application form. The application deadline for landowners within the 10/50 area is October 1st. This applies to anyone wanting to add acres for the 2010 growing season. Test hole data and gallons per minute calculations are also required for an approved variance. Applications will be ranked with a scoring system and variances will be approved by December 31st. Stop by the Lower Elkhorn NRD office in Norfolk and visit with Rick or Brian or give them a call at 371-7313. LB 483 only allows the District to develop 2500 acres annually. Remember to apply for your variance before October 1st.



Plot Tour & Field Day

The Northeast Nebraska Corn Growers invite all corn producers to attend the annual Plot Tour & Field Day on Friday, September 11th, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Tour & Field Day is located on Hwy 51, just 1 1/2 miles east of Junction Hwy 9 & 51.  Lunch will be served & equipment will be on display.  This Tour & Field Day is sponsored by 7 companies & Metzger Farms.



PrairieLand RC&D Annual Meeting/Banquet Sept. 15

The PrairieLand Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council’s monthly meeting will be combined with the annual banquet on Sept. 15. The business meeting and officer nominations will be conducted by consent agenda. The banquet will be held at the new Greek restaurant in Newman Grove and will begin at 5:30 p.m.. Paul Hosford will entertain during the social hour and give an overview of Albion area projects after the banquet.

The public is invited to attend Tuesday night’s banquet to celebrate another successful year & to learn more about the many community projects currently being completed by PrairieLand RC&D. PrairieLand RC&D is helping concerned citizens complete vital rural development projects in Nance, Boone, Platte, Madison, Colfax and Stanton Counties.

Dues paying Council members are encouraged to attend monthly meetings to exercise their vote during Council business proceedings. Everyone is encouraged to participate in active projects, propose new projects and attend meetings. Contact the office at 402-454-2026 for more information.



Soybean Checkoff Farmer-Leaders Respond to USDA Offer

Last Friday, the members of the United Soybean Board (USB), St. Louis, executive committee discussed a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offer regarding mediation between USB and the American Soybean Association. The 11 U.S. soybean farmer-leaders who serve on the USB executive committee agreed to recommend that USB’s full board move forward with a mediation process, but only under very specific parameters for discussion as well as issues to be mediated.

“I want to be clear regarding farmer-leader concerns about this process and the next steps that must happen in order for our full board to make a fully informed decision on behalf of the nearly 600,000 soybean farmers in this country,” said USB Chairman Chuck Myers, a soybean farmer from Lyons, Neb. “As we previously communicated with USDA, we remain very uncomfortable with positioning this process in such adversarial terms as ‘mediation.’"

Members of the USB Executive Committee requested a face-to-face meeting with USDA officials. This will allow USB to gain a better understanding of the exact parameters for discussion, issues to be discussed and the process USDA plans to carry out these discussions.

“Our farmer-leaders, who are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and who take an oath to uphold the Soybean Checkoff Act and Order, cannot negotiate anything inconsistent with our roles and authority within the federal law that created the soybean checkoff,” said Myers. “We cannot allow other organizations to unduly influence national soybean checkoff decisions and responsibilities that remain the sole responsibility of USB board members.”

The consensus of USB executive committee members was to recommend to the full Board to move forward with the proposed mediation once checkoff farmer-leaders fully understand all the issues and parameters. That information will then be shared with the full USB board to make an informed decision on behalf of every soybean farmer in this country.



IANR Vice Chancellor and NU Vice President Owens to Step Down in June 2010

John Owens, Harlan vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will step down June 30, 2010.

Owens has been vice chancellor since January 2001. He also serves as the University of Nebraska's vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

Owens, 65, said two recently diagnosed heart arrhythmias contributed to his decision. He noted, too, that by the time he steps down, he will have been a dean, vice president or vice chancellor in the land-grant university system for 25 years, longer than anyone else currently serving as an administrative head of agriculture.

"It's time," Owens said of his decision.

After a period of faculty development leave, Owens plans to remain with UNL as a UNL Extension professor of entomology.

UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman said Owens will be missed.

"John has made many significant contributions to the institute and to agriculture in Nebraska. More than that he has been a personal friend and colleague," Perlman said. "I am pleased he is staying at the university so I can continue to draw on his knowledge and experience. We will quickly initiate a search for his successor as vice chancellor and vice president."

NU President James B. Milliken said, "Throughout his tenure, John Owens has demonstrated that he cares deeply about agriculture and he understands its importance in the 21st century. His passion and enthusiasm for his work is evident to all around him, and he has been a tireless promoter for IANR and Nebraska agriculture. We will miss his leadership but welcome his continued contribution as a faculty member."

"I'm really proud of the strides IANR has made in the last 8 1/2 years and, just as important, very excited about what the future holds for the institute," Owens said. "But let me be clear: This isn't about what I've accomplished as vice chancellor and vice president. This is about the achievements of our faculty, staff, and students.

"And it's those faculty, staff, and students who are the key to the institute's future, which I'm convinced is very bright despite the very real challenges public universities face," Owens added.

Owens said stakeholder support also has been key. The Ag Builders of Nebraska, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, the Nebraska Cattleman, and others contribute great ideas and energy, and Owens said he has appreciated their effectiveness as spokespersons for IANR and the university as a whole.

During Owens' tenure at IANR, which comprises the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, UNL Extension, the Agricultural Research Division and parts of the College of Education and Human Sciences, there have been a number of accomplishments for which he credits many people.

-- Owens made increasing enrollments in CASNR and at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) at Curtis a priority when he arrived in January 2001.

From fall of 2004 through fall of 2009, CASNR saw a 44 percent increase in enrollment, to 1,758. "That's a remarkable achievement," he said, and he credits CASNR Dean Steven Waller, faculty, staff, students, and supporters for the increase.

Enrollment also is up this year at NCTA to the highest number ever in its history as a college, to about 425 under the leadership of NCTA Dean Weldon Sleight.

-- New educational offerings within IANR during Owens' tenure include the Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine, a partnership with Iowa State University that represents "the most cost-effective veterinary medicine program in the United States," Owens said.

-- During the fiscal year ending June 30, IANR faculty were awarded nearly $62 million in external grants and contracts to support research, teaching, and extension.

-- Extension's importance to Nebraska is exemplified, among other things, by the fact that the state leads the nation in the percentage of its eligible youth who are enrolled in 4-H. About 135,000 participate in the program. "That makes it the largest single educational enterprise in the state of Nebraska," Owens said.

-- IANR's agricultural scientists are among the most-cited in the world. Latest figures rank UNL scientists 14th in the world in the number of times their articles are cited by other authors.

-- Owens successfully pushed for establishment of the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, a partnership of UNL's School of Natural Resources, the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resource Discipline, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Wildlife Management Institute. Nebraska's is the only such unit Congress has established at a university this decade.

IANR's progress since 2001 "has been accomplished in the face of withering budget cuts faced by the University of Nebraska," Owens noted.

"This is one competitive academic unit full of highly accomplished people," he said, "and I think IANR's future is bright, which is good for Nebraska agriculture and natural resources, which in turn is good for Nebraska. As the university looks to hire the next vice chancellor, that person will come into a successful institute, well-positioned for further advancement and achievement."

Owens, a Texas native, spent 23 years at New Mexico State University before his arrival at UNL.



Bovine Semen Sales Dip

Total bovine semen sales from all reporting National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) members declined 4.7% during the first six months of 2009, reports Gordon Doak, NAAB president.  Doaks made his comments at the NAAB annual meeting in Kansas City in late August.The sales figures include both dairy and beef semen.  This follows a very strong sales year in 2008, when semen sales increased nearly 10% to 43,218,000 units. Of this, 35%, or15.1 million units, were sold to export markets. Last year, semen export sales increased 19.9%.

Dave Thorbahn, Select Sires, was elected NAAB Board Chairman at the annual meeting. Ole Meland, Accelerated Genetics was elected vice-chair, and Robert Welper, Alta Genetics, is the third member of the Executive Committee.