ARE TRAITS WORTH THE EXPENSE?

TRAITS CAN BE WORTH THE MONEY, BUT PROFITABILITY DEPENDS UPON PEST PRESSURE AND OTHER FACTORS.

Farmers quickly gobbled up corn and soybean transgenic traits when federal regulators first approved them in the 1990s. Initially, those traits zapped weeds and insects with nary a hitch.  

For the most part, genetically modified traits still work. “Some have struggled with resistance issues, but these traits do what they say they will,” says Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin (UW) Extension agronomist. “Conversely, they are expensive, but with all the licensing and regulations, companies have to make a buck, too.”

Therein lies the rub. As a rule, traited hybrids cost more money than conventional ones.

SO ARE THEY WORTH IT?

Superficially, the decision seems simple. “Buy the traits you need,” says Lauer.

If you farm in east-central Illinois where corn rootworm can swarm cornfields like flies on a rotting animal carcass, a rootworm trait needs to be part of your rootworm-management program. If resistance to one trait has developed, another trait in a pyramid package will do, coupled with tools like crop rotation and a soil-applied insecticide.

Meanwhile, farmers in northern Wisconsin who rotate alfalfa and soybeans every so often with their corn, where rootworm is seldom a problem, likely don’t need a corn rootworm trait. That’s because by themselves, traits don’t increase yields.

Since corn traits hit the market 20 years ago, U.S. annual corn yield gains have clipped along at around 2 bushels per acre. Compare that with the mid-1950s yield gain from .8 bushels to 1.9 bushels per acre as a result of widespread use of hybrid corn, pesticides like 2,4-D, commercial nitrogen fertilizer, and on-farm mechanization.

Although traits have maintained the annual rate of U.S. corn yield gain, they haven’t increased it, says Bob Nielsen, Purdue University Extension agronomist.

“Current transgenic traits protect yields,” adds Lauer. Sill, yields won’t increase if pests are not present.

Seed price, though, complicates matters. Hybrids with trait packages don’t always cost more than conventional hybrids. Often, though, they do.

“With a $100- to $200-per-bag hybrid difference, I question if you can make up that difference through traits,” says Lauer.

YIELD IMPACT

Lauer bases these findings on the Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials dating back to 1973. Each year, this trial tests more than 500 hybrids at 14 sites around Wisconsin with the goal of providing unbiased performance comparisons of hybrid seed corn for the state’s farmers. Lauer began including traited hybrids in the trials when they debuted in 1996. Along with UW agricultural economists Guanming Shi and Jean-Paul Chavas, Lauer conducted a statistical analysis showing that yields of hybrids with genetically modified traits varied widely.

In most cases, higher yields did result with traited hybrids. That was particularly true with European corn borer (ECB)-resistant hybrids. On average, ECB-resistant hybrids outyielded conventional hybrids by more than 6 bushels per acre.

“Hybrids with this trait had no yield drag,” says Lauer. “It (the ECB trait) did well right from the start.”

That’s not the case with corn rootworm traits, though. On average, yields of hybrids with these traits trailed the trial average by 12 bushels per acre.

“As a group, growers need to be careful with rootworm-resistant hybrids,” says Lauer. “Some years they do well, but most years, they don’t.”

Stacked traits helped. One example is a triple stack in which a herbicide-tolerant hybrid is teamed with traits that resist ECB and corn rootworm. In these cases, yields were 2 to 3 bushels per acre higher than those of conventional ones.

Still, that’s good, isn’t it?

On a yield basis, it’s questionable, especially if you’ve paid a hefty premium for the trait package.
“Yield increases have been underwhelming,” says Lauer.

Let’s say you have a triple-stack hybrid that gleans a 10-bushel-per-acre corn yield edge over a conventional one. With $3-per-bushel corn, you can pay up to $30 per acre more in seed costs – or $69 a bag. (This assumes one bag plants 2.3 acres.) If seed costs more than that, be wary.

“The bottom line is that if there is a price difference between hybrid A and B that is greater than $75 per bag, be careful about buying the more expensive hybrid,” says Lauer.

REDUCING RISK

There’s more to your seed decision than yields, though. You’d probably have steam churning out of your ears akin to the cartoon character Yosemite Sam if a hybrid that yielded 250 bushels per acre dropped to 100 bushels the next year.
That’s another perk of traits, as they can reduce this variability. The UW scientists found that even if transgenes produced only slightly higher yields in hybrids, they lower year-to-year yield variability. In a sense, this mimics a slight yield increase. Shi, Chavas, and Lauer found the downside risk of lower pest pressure mimicked a 0.8- to 4.2-bushel-per-acre yield spike, depending on the hybrid.

“Reducing yield extremes is one route in which transgenics can help,” says Lauer.

Lower variability that translates into more consistent yields between years eases agronomic and economic farm planning.

“We’ve considered cutting down or going without traits, but the risk of yield loss is still too great.”   – Ron Moore, Roseville, Illinois

This variance reduction is most pronounced in low-yielding environments, says Lauer. The UW trials show that grain yield rises among lower yielding hybrids with transgenic traits compared to conventional hybrids.
 
Thus, the more transgenes a hybrid contains, the lower the variance, he says.

PESTS STILL EXIST

Pest pressure also can determine the trait payoff.  

“Last year, we didn’t see a lot of rootworm pressure in the heart of the Corn Belt,” says Jeff Hartz, director of marketing for Wyffels Hybrids. “That can push some growers toward a double-stack trait (herbicide-tolerant and European corn borer-resistant).”

Just don’t get caught. Corn rootworm still lurks in cornfields, and it can slice yields.

In 2016, the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) On-Farm Network found many eastern Iowa fields had high beetle numbers. If eggs laid last summer hatch this year, it could set the stage for infestations. In some fields last summer, beetle numbers were more than seven times the threshold for adult beetle numbers.

Ditto for ECB. Although it’s almost vanished, ECB can overwinter on 200 types of plants.

“It is still there,” says Hartz. In eastern Iowa, there have been cases where ECB has sliced non-GMO yields by 30 to 40 bushels per acre, he says.

Hybrids high in traits like SmartStax, which contains eight herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant traits, will be under scrutiny by farmers for 2017, says Hartz.

“It will be a harder sell in 2017,” he says. “But farmers also have to make sure they don’t cut too many corners.”

“Farmers also have to make sure they don’t cut too many corners.”   – Jeff Hartz, Director of Marketing, Wyffels Hybrids

In the case of Noah Hultgren and his family, who farm near Raymond in central Minnesota, a diverse rotation (sugar beets-kidney beans-sweet corn-field corn-soybeans) has helped keep insects at bay.
“We have not had to face as many issues as some,” he says. “We have had some glyphosate-resistant weeds, though.”

To counter them, the Hultgrens have planted Liberty Link (glufosinate-tolerant) hybrids on some corn acres before planting LibertyLink soybeans for the first time in 2016. In their Roundup Ready sugar beets, they also have resorted to some cultivation and hand weeding due to glyphosate-resistant weeds.

In the more intensive rotations of the Corn Belt, though, resistance has been more severe.

“We’ve considered cutting down or going without traits, but the risk of yield loss is still too great,” says Ron Moore, a Roseville, Illinois, farmer. In his own neighborhood, ECB infestations have occurred in non-ECB-resistant corn and caused yield losses.

Moore’s concern also extends to weeds. In 2017, Moore plans to plant some Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans accompanied by an approved dicamba herbicide formulation.

“We are seeing some herbicide-resistant weeds,” he says. “Preventive treatments that prevent weed escapes are cheaper than rescue treatments. Traits cost money, but the benefits are more than the cost of seed,” he explains.

In some cases, trait use transcends agronomics. “We have producers who have 50,000- to 60,000-acre grain farms in western Canada,” says Jay Bradshaw, president of Syngenta Canada. “They want technology to control disease, weeds, and insects. But when you talk more with them, it is also about time management. There are fewer people available to do on-farm work. Traits can help them manage their farms.”

SEED FIRST

Think of buying seed like buying a pickup. “You have different options, but at the start, you focus on the truck itself,” says Cole Hansen, portfolio marketing leader for Mycogen Seeds. “You can buy all the traits there are, but it won’t mean increased yield without pest pressure. Selecting the correct hybrid for that individual farm is key before addressing pest concerns.”

Low corn and soybean prices have caused seed firms to ramp up offerings of less-expensive seed.

“We have expanded our trait choices, which include lower-priced options,” says Duane Martin, Syngenta commercial traits lead. When pest pressure is high, stacked traits with multiple modes of action are a sound agronomic choice. Where pest pressure is low, though, a single trait can provide the needed protection, he says.

“With margins like they are, I think farm managers can make a difference by employing field-by-field insect infestation history and by putting the best fitting soybean varieties and corn hybrids on those acres,” he adds. “There are cases where growers want to focus more on genetics and less on traits, and vice versa. We want to make sure those choices are available to growers to help make sound and cost-effective trait decisions.”

TRANSGENIC WILD CARD

Transgenes inserted in seed offerings can often be a yield wild card. “There can be a tremendous yield difference when we switch transgenes in and out of a hybrid,” says Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin Extension agronomist. Swings of 20 bushels per acre or more have occurred either way between conventional and assorted trait packages in Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials.

“There will be interaction between transgenes and underlying genetics,” he says. “The point is, there are yield interactions (including yield drag) that go on. Within trait technologies, there are good and bad hybrids. Each hybrid has to stand on its own.”

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS KEY HYBRID SELECTION

Each year, you spend time deciding whether or not to use products promising to coax just a few more bushels per acre out of your corn. Just don’t let these distract you from spending time on the decisions like seed that can literally cost you your family’s farm.

Each year, the Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials test more than 500 hybrids at 14 Wisconsin sites with the goal of providing unbiased performance comparisons of hybrid seed corn for the state’s farmers. Year in and year out, there’s a 72-bushel-per-acre difference within relative maturities between top and bottom yielding varieties, says Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin Extension agronomist.

So how do you sort out the diamonds from the dogs?

“Use independent yield-trial data and multilocation averages to pick hybrids,” says Lauer. Picking multiple locations is more accurate than on-farm trials, he says.

On-farm trials do have merit. A random hybrid pick has a 50:50 chance of beating the trial average. Meanwhile, planting the best hybrids from on-farm trials can beat trial averages 67% of the time.

However, findings in the Wisconsin performance trials show hybrid selection with a multi-location assessment can beat trial averages 71% to 74% of the time. The more locations you have, the better the odds have been of hybrids beating the trial average, he adds.

Gleaning these results can enable you to concentrate on the top-performing hybrids. “Don’t care about all hybrids, just care about the top-yielding top 20%,” he says.

Look at individual hybrids, too, whether or not they are traited. Lauer notes when traited hybrids were first introduced in 1996, their yields eclipsed those of conventional hybrids.

“But in the last three to five years, conventional hybrids have come back,” says Lauer. We still always find conventional hybrids in the top 10 of the same relative maturities.”

Don’t be distracted by a hybrid family. Seed companies will often sell a new hybrid as belonging to an outstanding family. Like your own family members, though, there can be stark differences among them.

“We see a big difference among individual (trait) technology packages within a hybrid family,” he says. “Each one has strengths and weaknesses. Try to measure just genetics. Hybrids within a family are not the same.”

NIGERIA: BETTER WAYS TO FARM YAM – RESEARCHER

Yam is one of the nation’s most valuable tuber crops. The demand for yam is generally very high in Nigeria.

In some societies in Nigeria, festivals are staged to mark the beginning of yam harvest while some use yam in fertility and marriage ceremonies.

The Minister for State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said at the launch of the maiden set of improved certified seed yams (a 5-year $12 million research programme funded by the Bill and Mellinda Gate Foundation to improve yam seed) last year in Abuja, that yam is cultivated on 3 million hectares of land annually with the certified seed yam capable of generating N2.4billion if sold for N20 each.

He added that “about 48 million tonnes of the tubers are produced annually in the sub-region on 4 million hectares of land. Nigeria alone produces 36 million tonnes on 3 million hectares of land annually accounting for 68% of global production being the world’s largest producer.”

Dr. Nwaogu Edward Ngozi, Head of Station, National Root Crops Research Institute, Nyanya Sub-Station in Abuja, advised farmers to take note of important factors before planting yam.

Site selection:

He stated that yam grows well on upland soils. Being a high nutrient demanding crop, yam requires a soil that is deep, free draining, and relatively high to medium in fertility with loamy sand or clay loam characteristics. Good soil drainage is essential for optimum yields of the crop. Heavy clay soils tend to water-log in the rainy season and are liable to cause tuber rot. Infertile soils are not recommended for yam production because such soils are unable to retain sufficient water or nutrients to produce reasonably-sized tubers. Also, soils that have high amounts of gravels or stones are unsuitable as they constitute a barrier to tuber penetration and root anchorage.

SOURCEAll Africa

Getting more eggs from injected female catfish broodstock

When a female catfish brood stock is injected, depending on the room and water temperature, it starts releasing eggs from the eight hour.

For the average fish breeder, fish is assumed to be available once eggs are seen trickling out. From my own experience, it is better to let the fish stay for not less than 11 hours after administering the pituitary or hormonal injection.

When the eggs start coming out from the eight hour, the first thing a farmer should do is to tactically immobilize the fish by putting it in a large sieve.

Secondly, the eyes of the fish should be covered. Most animals like falcons, eagles, giraffes and fishes usually calm down once their eyes are covered. It has been noted that even man sleeps better in a dark room than in a room with bright lights filtering through the windows or from electric lamps.

So instead of leaving the fishes in water where they can move and ‘waste’ the eggs, it is wise and advisable to adopt the method above in order to have more eggs.

Getting more ‘sperm egg’ available from male catfish broodstock during breeding.

There are times when a 3kg male catfish selected for breeding will not have the anticipated quantity of milt.

In fact, some males have been seen to possess just one single lobe of milt sac, instead of the required two. A big and well matured male catfish can fertilize eggs stripped from five to six females.

When this is to be done, it is advisable to increase the chances of every egg fertilized by the numerous eggs contained in the milt. The simple way a farmer can achieve this is to ‘multiply’ the medium that carries these SPERM eggs.

This can be achieved by emptying the SPERM from the sac into saline water. In pharmacy stores, it is referred to as normal saline. This milt sac is carefully lacerated using a small sharp scissors and the white, milk like fluid is emptied into the saline water.

This does not increase the quantity of eggs in the sperm sac, but increases the chance of an individual sperm egg, getting attached to an individual egg from the female, thereby increasing fertilization rate during the breeding process.

by

Lanre Ogunsina

MAKING MONEY THROUGH GINGER

Nigeria is currently the third largest exporter of Ginger in the world after China and Inida.

The Nigerian ginger is highly regarded in the international market for its quality and highly medicinal value, specifically its aroma, purgency and high oil and Aleoresin content.

SOURCING & PRODUCTION OF GINGER IN NIGERIA

Ginger is produced in six states of the federation namely; Kaduna, Nassaraw, Benue, Niger and Gombe states. With Kaduna being the largest and major state for the farming and production of Ginger.

GINGER PLANTING SEASON

Planting of ginger starts from March / April.

HARVEST

Ginger is ready for harvest in October / November.

MARKETABLE SPECIFICATION

Ginger is sold in the local and international market as wet ginger and dry split ginger. Mainly for export trade dry split ginger is of high demand.

EXPORT DESTINATION OF GINGER FROM NIGERIA

The export market for the Nigerian Ginger include; USA, China, Europe, UK, Russia, Saudi Arabia among other countries.

HOW YOU CAN MAKE MONEY THROUGH GINGER IN NIGERIA (INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES)

1. Ginger Production (Ginger Farming)

2. Ginger Sourcing

3. Ginger Export

4. Ginger Processing (Into packaged dried ginger, ginger smoothie etc)

5. Local Trading of Ginger (Storage and intra country trade)

The Ginger planting season is currently starting. Are you interested in investing in Ginger and any of its value chain; Production, Processing, Export, Local trade, Ginger Sourcing?

What you Must Know

• Quality Standard
• Measurements for local trade and export
• Best Practices for storage
• Export Specifications
• Export Standards and quality
• Pitfalls to avoid
• Cost analysis of Ginger Farming and production
• Opportunities in Ginger processing
• Pricing and how to maximize profit
• Getting buyers (International and local) for your ginger
• How to secure Export contracts
• How to finance your ginger export
• Shipping and Freight Rates
• Export Documentations
• Cost analysis for Export business
• Return on Investment analysis

5 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR YIELDS

FARMERS ON COMMODITY CLASSIC PANEL SHARE WAYS TO BREAK THROUGH YIELD BARRIERS.

Ever wonder how to break though yield barriers? Or maybe how to tweak your crop rotation to make sure it’s firing on all cylinders? A panel of farmers at an event sponsored by Stoller at this week’s Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, did just that.

1. Plant Soybeans Early

So far, a warm winter in many areas may give you the idea to pull out your planter this month. Don’t.

Still, you may be able to plant soybeans earlier than you think. Dan Arkels, Peru, Illinois, has planted soybeans in northern Illinois as early as April 17. That’s two weeks earlier than what is considered normal in that area.

Planting soybeans by that date – protected from early-season stressors by a seed treatment – gets plants off to an early start in soaking up sunshine and churning out photosynthesis. “The faster you can get (to the point) where the plant is blossoming by June 21 (summer solstice), the better off you will be,” Arkels says. In the case of the April 17 planting, plants were setting blossoms by June 9, he says.

Just don’t go overboard. “I would not plant earlier than April 15 in my area,” Arkels says.

2. Scout, Scout, Scout

During the growing season, Zack Rendel, Miami, Oklahoma, checks his fields several times a week. A drone is a tool that enables him to do this. “It can warn you if something bad is going on in the field,” he says.

Still, he says a drone is no substitute for getting out and walking fields. “There are some things that I can’t see with a drone, so I still need to get boots on the ground,” he says.

3. Plant On-Farm Test Plots The Right Way

Perry Galloway, Gregory, Arkansas, has lots of on-farm tests plots on his farm. It enables him to evaluate products touted by companies for performance on his farm. He does it on one condition, though. “If I do it, companies have to be there. I have a lot to do (during test-plot establishment),” he says. Company reps who assist during this busy time can help ensure the test plot is established correctly so it can yield accurate results.

“One way I learn is by side-by-side evaluations with different products,” adds Arkels.

4. Feed Your Corn Several Times

“I am a firm believer in multiple applications (of nitrogen) on corn and not a lot at one time,” says Arkels. “You get the most bang for your nitrogen (N) dollar that way.” Arkels applies liquid UAN preplant and then sidedresses N up to V8 corn, and then he often comes back with a foliar application later in the season.

Manure is also a valuable tool. “Our fields are heavily manured from a nearby dairy,” says Steve Albracht, a Hart, Texas, farmer. Besides fertility, manure also aids soil health, he says. “We have seen it increase organic matter and water-holding capacity,” he says.

5. Scrutinize Your Crop Mix

Low corn prices are making sorghum viable again in some areas. “A lot of people consider sorghum the red-headed stepchild of crops,” says Rendel.  “They just put it out and go.”

Managed properly, though, grain sorghum can play a valuable role in a crop rotation. It’s particularly important to manage it through sugarcane aphid outbreaks with an insecticide, he says. “Sorghum is very similar to corn in how we treat it,” he says. “If we get a drought in mid-August, it will push through and yield. It is a drought-tolerant crop.”

SETTING UP YOUR FARM FOR MAIZE PRODUCTION

Maize one of the most sought after crops in Nigeria can be grown in most parts of the country. It does especially well in areas with medium amount of rainfall of between 800mm and 1100mm per annum.

However, improved varieties like the drought tolerant maize (DTM) and QPM are able to tolerate lower amounts of rainfall and harsher weather conditions found in the northernmost part of the country.

A former programme officer with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), who is also a current director at the Ministry of Agriculture, Katsina State, Alhaji Kabir R. Charanchi, has said, for one aiming to go into maize production, land clearing is location specific. However, the effort one puts in land clearing in the northern part of the country cannot be compared to that of the eastern or southern parts of the country.

He outlined two basic methods adopted in land clearing; cultural method where simple farm tools like hoes, cutlasses and machetes are used for land clearing and the mechanical method which uses machines like tractors and caterpillars depending on the vegetation of the area.

Charanchi said once a farm has been cleared, the residues are collected and burnt which has both advantages and disadvantages.

“In areas where you burn to increase fertility to the soil, invariably you are also burning some of the micro nutrients, micro organisms and termites that are very useful to soil formation and aeration of the soil,”  he said, adding that burning is greatly discouraged in order not to destroy the ecosystem of the area.

The former IFAD programmeofficer further disclosed that a farmer needed to take into

cognisance the onset of the rain before commencement of land clearing, adding that in the southern part it may begin from January/February while in the northernmost part it may be around April/ May.

He also explained that the ideal time for planting of maize is when the rain is fully established which is around April/ May in the south while up north it could be around June/July.

“It is always a risk to plant when there is no adequate rain,” Charanchi warned, and advised that only people with large farms should employ mechanical labour to save cost through manual labour.

“I am a practicing farmer. I plant assorted crops on my farms and each land holding does not exceed 1.2 hectares, so the best option for me is the cultural method, because hiring a tractor per hectare would be difficult.

“After land clearing, you go into land preparation, the soil should be harrowed so that it would be tilted and carry a lot of moisture, and then you should make the ridges for planting,” he said.

He further explained that areas that have sandy soil practice zero tillage because the soil cannot be used to make ridges.

Charanchi stated that although the commonest planting is the single row, on the middle of the ridge, a yet to be released research has showed that double row planting of maize on the same ridge guaranteed increase in yield.

Similarly, he revealed that up to 7 tonnes per hectare of maize yield is achievable under the ‘sasakawa’ recommended spacing, which used one seed per hole with closer spacing than the conventional spacing.

A maize farmer, Emma Mamuda, said he paid up to N5,000 for land clearing of his 1.7hectares farm and that ridging of the farm could cost up to N10,000 if he hired five labourers.

Another farmer, Jonah Magaji, who plans to go into maize production this year, said he has a virgin piece of land of about 1.5hectares which could take up to four days to complete clearing by 10 labourers.

Magaji also plans on planting improved variety of maize because it tolerates closer spacing and with adequate fertiliser application, he should be able to get higher yield

SOURCEDaily Trust

Sustainable Agriculture Techniques

Sustainable agriculture provides high yields without undermining the natural systems and resources that productivity depends on. Farmers who take a sustainable approach work efficiently with natural processes rather than ignoring or struggling against them – and use the best of current knowledge and technology to avoid the unintended consequences of industrial, chemical-based agriculture. One important result is that farmers are able to minimize their use of pesticides and fertilizers, thereby saving money and protecting future productivity, as well as the environment.

Below are some of the most common sustainable agriculture techniques employed by farmers today to achieve the key goals of weed control, pest control, disease control, erosion control and high soil quality:

• Crop Rotation
• Cover Crops
• Soil Enrichment
• Natural Pest Predators
• Biointensive Integrated Pest Management

Crop Rotation

Crop rotation—growing different crops in succession in the same field—is one of the most powerful techniques of sustainable agriculture, and avoids the unintended consequences of putting the same plants in the same soil year after year. It is a key element of the permanent and effective solution to pest problems because many pests have preferences for specific crops, and continuous growth of the same crop guarantees them a steady food supply, so that populations increase. For example, right now European corn borers are often a significant pest in the United States because most corn is grown in continuous cultivation or in two-year rotations with soybeans. Four- or five-year rotations would control not only corn borers, but many other corn pests as well. In fact, rotation reduces pest pressure on all the crops in the rotation by breaking the pest reproductive cycles.

In rotations, farmers can also plant crops, like soybeans and other legumes, that replenish plant nutrients, thereby reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. For instance, corn grown in a field previously used to grow soybeans needs less added nitrogen to produce high yields.

On a related note, the importance of crop rotation as a defense against pest infestations should be a key part of any discussion about growing crops for bioenergy purposes. Government policies to encourage bioenergy crops should not inadvertently encourage farmers to forgo crop rotation in favor of planting corn year after year. 

Cover Crops

Many farmers also take advantage of the benefits of having plants growing in the soil at all times, rather than leaving the ground bare between cropping periods, which produces unintended problems. The planting of cover crops such as hairy vetch, clover, or oats helps farmers achieve the basic goals of:

• preventing soil erosion,
• suppressing weeds, and
• enhancing soil quality.

Using appropriate cover crops is worth the extra effort because it reduces the need for chemical inputs like herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers.

Soil Enrichment

Soil is arguably the single most prized element of agricultural ecosystems. Healthy soil teems with life, including many beneficial microbes and insects, but these are often killed off by the overuse of pesticides. Good soils can improve yields and produce robust crops less vulnerable to pests; abused soils often require heavy fertilizer application to produce high yields. Soil quality can be maintained and enhanced in many ways, including leaving crop residues in the field after harvest, plowing under cover crops, or adding composted plant material or animal manure.

Natural Pest Predators

Understanding a farm as an ecosystem rather than a factory offers exciting opportunities for effective pest control. For example, many birds, insects, and spiders are natural predators of agricultural pests. Managing farms so that they harbor populations of pest predators is a sophisticated and effective pest-control technique. One of the unfortunate consequences of intensive use of chemical pesticides is the indiscriminate killing of birds, bats, and other pest predators.

Biointensive Integrated Pest Management

One of the most promising technologies is the control of pests through integrated pest management (IPM). This approach relies to the greatest possible extent on biological rather than chemical measures, and emphasizes the prevention of pest problems with crop rotation; the reintroduction of natural, disease-fighting microbes into plants/soil, and release of beneficial organisms that prey on the pests. Once a particular pest problem is identified, responses include the use of sterile males, biocontrol agents like ladybugs. Chemical pesticides are only used as a last resort.

#FACTSFEED

Pigs have a limited tolerance to high temperatures and heat stress can lead to death

8 Rules Every Young Farmer Should Follow

A panel of farm business and financial planning experts spoke to young farmers at the recent Farming for the Future Conference in Ames, Iowa. Condensed from the presentations, here are eight rules every young farmer should follow in 2017.

1. Live below your means. Way below. Build up equity. Don’t buy equipment you don’t need just to avoid paying taxes. Do you need all that rented land? Revise your family living expenses. Downsize.

2. Get along with your family. There’s nothing worse for a farm than a family that doesn’t speak to each other. Communicate about finances with your spouse and other business partners before there is a problem.

3. Know your breakeven. Get accurate, factual data about your costs. Design a marketing plan with price and date targets and stick to it. Lock in margins whenever possible.

4. Cut costs. Revise your scale of operation and fixed costs. Visit with your agronomist, lender, tax advisor, and crop insurance agent. Be very careful with new capital expenditures. Renegotiate land rent. Seek volume discounts in seeds and chemicals. Offload unproductive assets. Extend repayment schedules on equipment and real estate loans.

5. Diversify your income. If you do have an off-farm job, this is not the time to lose it. Consider alternative sources of revenue with your assets, such as custom work, snow removal, truck driving.

6. Write a business plan. Create a formal statement of your business goals. Include the reasons they are attainable and your plans for reaching them. (A budget is not the same thing as a business plan.) Know and respect your customers and your competition. Prepare for the worst. If you partner with your brother and something happens to him, could your farm business survive?

7. Don’t try to do it all. Focus on your top strengths and skills; hire the rest out or partner with someone who has skills you lack. Don’t forget what makes you unique. Take time to assess potential business partners and service providers to make sure they are the right fit.

8. Persevere. Economic turbulence brings opportunity.

Learn more:
Donald Timmins, CPA, Timmins, Jacobsen & Strawhacker, LLP, Des Moines, Iowa,  http://www.tjscpas.com/
Tim Meyer, Producers Livestock Credit Corporation, Omaha, Nebraska,  www.producerslivestock.net, tmeyer@plmcoop.com
Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor, Iowa State University, Ag Decision Maker: www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm, plastina@iastate.edu

source: successful farming

Best ways to farm sweet potato - Expert

Sweet potato is tropical herbaceous plant which, by the nature of its temperature requirement, can be grown throughout Nigeria. States like Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara, and Sokoto in the North-west are currently leading in its production in the country.

A renowned agronomist with the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Bashir Ahmad Babaji, said sweet potato requires soil that is moderately fertile, because high fertility leads to excessive vegetative growth at the expense of tuber formation.

“It requires a soil that is sandy loam; a soil a little bit high in organic matter but that has sand. Because it is a tuber crop, it requires a soil where the tuber can easily grow very well in the soil. Under heavy soil, it may be very difficult for the tubers to grow,” he explained.

On planting season, the agronomist noted that sweet potato can be grown both during the dry season and the rainy season, adding, however, that when temperature is very low, it is not advisable to plant because it may not do well.

“For rain fed farming, planting could be done from May to September while irrigated production is from September to December,” he added.

He, however, noted that one of the constraints to sweet potato production is the planting material.

“Unlike yam and Irish potato which you use the tubers as planting material, for sweet potato you use vines (stems),” he said.

The professor explained that farmers could plant tubers and leave them to sprout for six to eight weeks to get the vines needed for transplanting. The vines should then be cut into about 20cm cuttings with at least two nodes, and placed on a ridge of 30cm to 50cm at a depth of 2cm to 3cm.

“Sweet potato does not withstand weed competition during the early crop’s life, therefore, keep the field weed free during the first six weeks after planting. Pre-planting herbicides such as Roundup or Floumeturon at 5 litres per hectare can be applied,” he added.

On storage, Prof. Babaji advised that sweet potatoes can be left underground, because it has a short shelf life and harvested when the need arises. He, however, pointed out that the Bokolo’ cattle can smell potatoes under the soil, dig it out and consume it.

The don noted that some common local varieties found in Northern Nigeria now are the ‘Dan izala’, and ‘Manja’ which are a newly introduced variety with high vitamin A content. They are also known as the orange-fleshed sweet  potato.

“Most varieties that farmers now use take from three to four months to be ready for harvest. After harvest, sweet potato has a shelf life of about three months,” he said.

Again, he stated that to avoid spoilage, the potatoes can be cut and dried, which some women use in making a local drink, ‘kunun zaki’.

On fertiliser requirement, Prof. Babaji recommended that 40kg of nitrogen, 40kg to 60kg of phosphorus and up to 100kg potassium be applied per hectare.

He outlined that soils in the savanna areas of the country are mostly rich in potassium, so only farms that have long term cultivation need to apply potassium fertiliser.

Speaking on its diseases, Prof. Babaji said some common diseases affecting sweet potato are the internal cork disease caused by a virus carried by aphids, controlled only by using resistant varieties, and black rot, which can be controlled also by planting resistant varieties, crop rotation and early storage.

He added that in case of fungal disease, a fungicide like Benlace, Dithane or M-45 may be used.

“Other pests affecting sweet potato are weevil (larvae) which bore into the tuber. In this case, you need to get improved varieties and employ crop rotation also,” he advised.

On the health benefits of eating sweet potato, Dr. Chris Isokpunwu, Head of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health, said it was largely rich in carbohydrates, and also rich in vitamins C, E, A and minerals like zinc and iron.

He said the orange-fleshed which is a newer variety has been bio-fortified with vitamin A and is orange in colour.

Dr. Chris explained that sweet potato can be eaten raw, fried, made into chips and flakes or flour used for making buns, pap and pudding.

“It is a very good source of energy and the fibre level is equally very high which ensures easy digestion, bowel movement and helps in weight control because when there is high fibre in the diet it gives a filling effect and so you don’t have to eat much,” he noted.

The President of the Potato Farmers Association, Chief Daniel Okafor, however, expressed worry that government has not been supportive of sweet potato propagation in recent times.

“The struggle is too much, there are a lot of challenges, and farmers need to be supported if they actually want to boost production and make it worth their effort,” he said.

Speaking about the prospects, he said there was a special starch extracted from sweet potato whose price is very high in the international market.

No immediate response was received from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture when our reporter visited yesterday but a source there said there was no specific policy on sweet potato farming by the ministry this year.

He, however, said potato farmers would benefit from other government incentives like fertilizers and other agro inputs.

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Ray Bohacz demonstrates his tip for preventing leaks in oil pans and any other sheet metal parts in your engines. From Successful Farming Episode 1006. Originally aired January 26, 2017

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9 Questions and Answers About Pork Exports for 2017

1. What can we expect from China?

When Dermot Hayes traveled to China last fall, he saw something eye-opening. Pork with the Smithfield Foods label was selling for twice what the local Chinese product was bringing.

Smithfield, which is owned by the Chinese company WH Group, is raising and killing pigs in the U.S. and shipping carcasses to China for processing and packaging in that country. The plan is working.

“Chinese consumers will pay a premium for U.S. product,” says Hayes, Iowa State University professor and Pioneer Chair in Agribusiness. “The Chinese product is heavily discounted.”

Consumers trust U.S. pork more than Chinese pork, where drug withdraws and other regulations are not as well monitored, says Hayes.

2. Will Chinese companies buy more U.S. pork producers?

“I keep waiting for that to happen,” says Hayes. When Chinese investors rank companies they would like to buy, U.S. agricultural companies are often at the top of the lists, he says.

“I suspect there are Chinese investors checking out various large U.S. integrated pork producers right now,” says Hayes. For example, he expects that once Prestage Foods of Iowa builds its new pork packing plant near Eagle Grove in 2018, a Chinese company will swoop in. “They are looking for large private pork producers that have integrated into packing,” he explains.

It is more economical for China to import pork rather than corn or soybeans, says Hayes. “It’s best to import the final product because of transportation costs. When they buy from Smithfield they buy at cost of production.”

The chart below shows Chinese imports of all pork products starting in 1995 (when there was nothing) to 2016. There is lots of potential for the U.S. to sell more to China.

“We are not in that market as much as we could be, so the European pork industry has been kicked back into profitability,” says Hayes. “Europe has been so busy in China we are getting back into our traditional markets of Japan and Korea.”

U.S. pork exports to China jumped up last November and have stayed up. “November was a huge month for exports, and partially responsible for the uptick in hog prices,” says Hayes. He thought the China bounce would happen sooner in 2016.

3. What’s holding us back with exports?

“We saw this China thing coming, but I thought we would get ractopamine out of the system faster than we did.” This feed additive that promotes lean muscle growth has been popular in the U.S. until recently, but is banned in China.

Hayes estimates that half of the U.S. swine industry still feeds ractopamine, especially in the summer when the hog market is traditionally higher, but that number has shrunk in the past year as more packers go “racto-free” in their plants. This is a drastic change from just two years ago when the only U.S. pork company trying to eliminate ractopamine was Smithfield, and that was only on one farm in Illinois, says Hayes.

The ability to export to China if your plant is racto-free means the feed additive is on the wane. Triumph Foods recently went made the switch to eliminate it from its farms and plants.

“I struggle with the ractopomine issue,” says Hayes. “I’m all for science, but the customer is always right. More and more producers will quit using it; that’s already happening.”

4. Will China expand?

“Chinese pork producers are making a fortune, as much as $80 a hog, so you would expect they would increase production,” says Hayes. “However, year over year their sow numbers are going down.”

Modern pig farms are under scrutiny in China, he says. “People are getting fed up with pollution and a lot of modern hog facilities are right in the heart of cities. The pigs are in the wrong place. The fundamental problem is pigs and people are in the same places.”

The central government slapped a duty on all pork and gave permission to local governments to shut down facilities, killing 10 million sows, says Hayes. “The government is trying to shut down smaller units, has been for the past seven years. They are finally getting rid of the last of the backyard units.”

In one province, the Chinese government forcibly closed 70,000 pig farms producing 5 million pigs, says Hayes. “About 10,000 sows were dumped in a river.” There is a national ban on pork production near markets or highways and restrictions on how to dispose of manure.

“However, the pig producers located farthest away from people are making so much money it’s crazy,” says Hayes.

5. How easy is it to expand in China?

“In areas where the government wants them to go, I suspect expansion is easy,” says Hayes. One challenge to increasing pig numbers is “their sows are just not very productive, mainly because of disease pressure,” he explains.

China doesn’t want to drive imported pork prices too high because their volume of demand is so big. “When they do buy they shoot themselves in foot because they cause prices to be more expensive,” says Hayes.

China is comfortable importing 5% of its muscle meat needs, he says. That may sound small, but they were importing less than 1%. And 5% of China’s protein needs is a lot. “They are going to need to import 10 million tons of meat,” says Hayes. This includes pork, poultry, and beef. Poultry will be difficult due to trade restrictions. China lifted trade restrictions on U.S. beef last year, but there is no beef moving there yet.

History shows if a developing country gets access to pork it starts importing pork instead of importing corn and soybeans, explains Hayes. This happens in about a 10-year period. “If that happens with China you can see more pig farms being put into the Dakotas and Kansas.”

6. Are there countries outside of China we should be watching?

“Vietnam is like a small China 10 years behind, but it’s so hot there they will never have productive sows,” says Hayes. That means we may have access to 100 million people who are going to eat a lot more pork in their future.

Central and South America will see trade increases, he predicts. Southern Brazil imports corn and that’s where the good pork producers are located. “But production costs are not any better than ours,” he says. Western and Central Brazil have foot and mouth disease. They vaccinate swine herds, but because cattle and wild animals are infected, “there is no solution.”

Mexico will grow in pig numbers, says Hayes. “Mexico is growing as an importer and as an exporter. It’s possible some boneless hams they export came from U.S. originally, but we will never know because there is a substantial transformation so it’s Mexican product.” Mexico has cheap labor to remove the bone.

Mexico bought a lot of U.S. pork last November, helping our hog prices, says Hayes. “One thing I learned talking to exporters, they look at the forward curves in futures. It was telling them to fill their freezers in November. Mexico was down all year in imports and suddenly in November and December they are back up. They saw what going on in our futures market.”

Canadian hog production is growing, too, he says. Over 300,000 more feeder pigs came into the U.S. from Canada last year than in 2015. The exchange rates and strength of the U.S. dollar have helped.

The U.S. is lagging behind where we should be in exports to China, says Hayes, and “Canada is taking advantage of this. Canadian exports are really high right now.”

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) hurt Canadian pork producers, he says. “The fact that we would do that damaged their confidence.” When the final rule amended the regulations to remove beef and pork from mandatory COOL requirements (along with the cheap dollar and general profitability in North America), Canadian hog farms geared up.

7. What should concern us?

One concern with Mexico, says Hayes, is if President Trump gets in a border war. “We export more than 10% of our pork to Mexico. He talks loosely about slapping duties on things like cars coming in from Mexico. He can’t do that, because they retaliate against where you are weak. It would be crazy to do that. But just because it’s crazy, doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”

In November, for example, we exported 28% of the pork we produced,” says Hayes, “so we can’t afford a disease or a trade war.”

A border adjustment tax, where a tax is levied on imports, is being considered and could be controversial, says Hayes. “When we export pork to Europe, China, and Japan, as soon as it lands there is a value-added tax put on it. If they export pork to us they get a refund on their value added tax. We are thinking about switching over to that system.”

8. What about domestic markets in 2017?

November and December were expected to be a really bad time for U.S. pork producers, due to a record supply of hogs and pork, and suddenly we got this bump in exports, says Hayes.

Lee Schulz, assistant professor and Extension livestock economist at Iowa State University, was watching the domestic market closely. “Producers were aggressively marketing hogs throughout the fall, expecting the historical price crash post Thanksgiving,” says Schulz. “We were able to pull some of those hogs forward and spread out supply, and didn’t stress capacity as much. It’s amazing that the industry collectively was able to do that. Packer margins were strong so they had incentive to kill those hogs earlier and pay higher prices to do that. They didn’t want to pay overtime, so they spread out the supply a little bit more.”

Hayes agrees. “It was beautiful how the market told us we were going to have a problem, we saw the problem coming, and we fixed that.”

9. What is the good news?

“We have two large plants coming online in 2017, and another in 2018,” says Schulz. “When they open, packers are going to have to get after those hogs.

They want to operate near capacity level to spread out their fixed costs, so it is going to put a little bit more leverage in the hands of producers. They want their pork to be on shelves, on food-service menus or in shipping containers going for export, so that is setting up competition and support for prices later in 2017. Until then it’s still a demand story.”

source: successful farming