February 2004

Number of Nebraska farms declines; size of farms increases

During 2002, the average age of the principal operator was 53.9 years compared to 52.5 years in 1997. The races of the principal operators in Nebraska during 2002 were White, 49,241; American Indian or Alaska Native, 84; Asian, 14; Black or African American, 7; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 2; and more than one race reported, 27. The number of women principal operators was 3,004, up 2% from 1997 and the number of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino Origin principal operators was 287, up 8%.

Data available for the first time in the 2002 Census of Agriculture are total operators on Nebraska farms. During 2002, there were 70,798 total operators of which 23%, or 15,952, were women. More detailed demographic and farm size data are available at www.usda.gov/nass/. Final 2002 Census of Agriculture data at the national, state, and county levels will be released on June 3, 2004.

Monitor and aerate grain to maintain quality

cfm/bu = Cubic feet of air per minute per bushel of grain in the bin The airflow rate produced by a fan is a function of the fan design and the back pressure the fan must overcome. The back pressure is a function of the air delivery system, the type of grain and depth of grain in the bin. Once the type and depth of grain is known, the air flow can be estimated from performance data for the fan. The cubic feet of air per minute produced by the fan, divided by the total bushels in the bin, results in cfm/bu.

Insects become dormant at grain temperatures below 50ºF and many are killed below 32ºF. Mold growth decrease below 50º F and nearly stops at temperatures below 40ºF.

When grain temperature is significantly warmer than the ambient air temperature, convection currents can develop in a grain bin. Air will sink in the cooler grain near the bin wall and rise through the warmer grain in the center of the bin. The warm air moving up through the center carries moisture. When the warm/moist air contacts cold grain at the top surface, some moisture can condense and re-wet the grain. Crusted, moldy grain, sometimes with storage insect activity, can result if this condition is not discovered early and corrected by breaking up the crust and running aeration to equalize the grain temperature throughout the bin.

To reduce convection currents in the grain, uniform grain temperatures need to be maintained throughout the bin and aeration needs to be managed so grain mass temperatures approximate the average air temperatures outside the bin. In the fall, cooling cycles should be pushed through the grain as air temperatures permit to cool stored grain temperatures to 30-40ºF. When cooling grain, be certain that the cooling front is pushed all the way through the grain mass before discontinuing the aeration. A cooling front pushed part way through the grain can result in moisture condensation in the zone where the two temperatures meet. This is especially important if temperature is being lowered more than 20 degrees in one step.

The amount of time required for an aeration cooling cycle depends on the airflow rate. The cooling time can be estimated by dividing 15 by the airflow rate. For example, 150 hours is needed with an airflow rate of 0.1 cfm/bu and 75 hours is needed for 0.2 cfm/bu. Check grain temperature at several locations to determine when the cooling front has been pushed completely through the grain.

If grain will be held into the warmer spring and summer months, it should be re-warmed in early spring to avoid convection currents from developing in the opposite direction. As the air temperature warms in the spring, the grain next to the bin walls will be warmed, but the grain in the middle of the bin is insulated from the outside and stays cold. Air will rise through the warmer grain near the wall and will be replaced by warm, moist springtime air sinking into the grain at the top center of the bin. The moisture in the air that enters the cold grain mass in the center of the bin will condense, forming a wet spot at the top center of the bin. Once again, this can lead to crusted, moldy grain, which can have active storage insect activity.

Grain held until May should be warmed to about 50ºF. Grain held into the summer should be warmed to 60ºF. If there is any chance that grain will be held into the spring, avoid taking the grain temperature below freezing in the winter. If grain temperature drops into the lower twenties, it may be nearly impossible to aerate in spring. The moisture in the spring air can condense or freeze when it contacts the very cold grain, making it nearly impossible to uniformly aerate the grain mass. Imagine the headache resulting from a frozen lump of grain in the middle of the bottom of the bin over the center unloading auger.

When not running the aeration system, remember to close roof hatches to prevent rain and snow from getting into the bin. Cover the fan whenever it's not running to prevent problems caused by the chimney effect when moist air is drawn in at the bottom of the bin and up through the grain.

Tom Dorn
Extension Educator in Lancaster County

The class will cover mode of action and plant response for all the major herbicide families, including symptoms of common herbicides, how rapidly symptoms develop and what plant parts express them. The course will explain why herbicides with different modes of action may result in similar plant symptoms.

Other topics will include:

• Herbicide selectivity -- why herbicides kill weeds but not crops
• Why some herbicides are safer than others
• How crop safety and weed control are influenced by environmental conditions
• Why herbicide resistant crops and herbicide resistant weeds are resistant to herbicides
• How safeners and common spray additives work.

The workshop will be held at the University’s East Campus Union in Lincoln from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Instructors will include Alex Martin, extension weeds specialist; Deana Namuth, distance education lecturer in plant breeding and genetics; and Fred Roeth, extension weeds specialist.

Integrated Weed Management (IWM) will be held March 3 at the Lifelong Learning Center in Norfolk from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Five CEU credits or one graduate college credit will be granted.

Those who attend the workshop will study the fundamentals of integrated weed management using practical examples from Nebraska, as well as current issues in weed science, such as weed management strategies to reduce weed resistance to Roundup. Dr. Stevan Knezevic, Extension weeds specialist, said that through lectures and discussions the class will provide key information so students can tailor an integrated weed management strategy to specific field conditions. Students taking the course for one graduate credit will have five additional homework assignments, a special project and an exam, all of which need to be completed by May 1. The one-day class will cover about 10 lectures.

This class will deliver information on the need for and timing of weed control, as well as money- saving strategies that provide for the environmentally sound use of herbicides. Specific topics will include:

• Importance of weed biology and ecology
• Critical period of weed control -- pros and cons
• Weed thresholds
• Weed shifts and weed resistance-- why do they occur
• Biologically effective dose -- save money and environment
• Benefits and concerns with herbicide-tolerant crops
• IWM - basic rules of thumb

The impact of transgenic crops on our nation's food system requires producers, agribusiness professionals, and educators to have a working knowledge of the genetic engineering process and how these crops are different from their conventional counterparts. That is the focus of this class. Topics will include: the steps to develop a genetically engineered crop; key differences between developing new traits with genetic engineering technology and conventional methods; the basis for potential problems such as yield drag, allergenicity, or pest resistance in various genetically engineered crops; the limits of genetic engineering, and the differences among various Bt or herbicide resistance events.

Dr. Don Lee, professor of agronomy, and Deana Namuth, distance education lecturer in plant breeding and genetics, will teach the course. The registration fee is $250 for those registering by March 9 or $300 after that date. Registration includes class materials and resources. Both CEU and graduate credits are available for the workshop.

In addition to lecture and lab activities during the two-day workshop, an instructional Web site on crop genetics will be made available with the registration materials.

Orion Samuelson

The CropTEC Conference is packed with speakers and topics to help producers become more efficient operators and expose them to key elements of successful farming in the 21st century. Hosted by the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, the conference will feature presentations by University of Nebraska and industry representatives and producers and an agricultural trade show.

Samuelson, who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2003, has reported on agricultural issues and markets on WGN radio since the 1960s and has produced and hosted the U.S. Farm Report, a weekly television program seen on 190 Midwest stations, since 1975. Born on a dairy farm near La Crosse, Wisc., Samuelson considered becoming a Lutheran Pastor before deciding on six months of radio school instead. Samuelson will speak over the lunch hour.

CropTEC general sessions in the morning will include:

• Practical Use of Remote Sensing with Jim Schepers, USDA-ARS research leader, Lincoln;
• Innovations in Narrow Row Spacing with Minnesota producer Mark Holy;
• Strip Tillage with Limited Water with Jeff Tichota, agronomic research manager, Monsanto; and
• Water Savings in a Watershed with Dean Yonts, extension irrigation specialist.

In the afternoon participants will be able to select among several concurrent sessions:

Block I (1:30-2:30)
Reduced Tillage Equipment Considerations, John Smith, UNL Machinery Systems Engineer; Ron Schlagel, Schlagel Manufacturing, Torrington, WY; and Jim Darnall, Scottsbluff producer.
Nightshade -- How it Grows and How it can be Controlled, Bob Wilson, UNL Weeds specialist

Block 2 (2:45-3:45)
Alternative Crops for Reduced Water Situations with Drew Lyon, UNL Dryland crops specialist; and David Baltensperger, UNL crop breeding specialist;
Prevented Planting in Limited Water Years with Kevin Johnson of Hastings; and Changes in Irrigated Farm Leases with Paul Burgeneer, UNL Agricultural Economic Research Analyst;
Pest Control for Reduced Tillage -- Weeds, Diseases and Insects with Steve Miller, University of Wyoming weed scientist; Bob Harveson, UNL plant pathologist; and Gary Hein, UNL entomologist.

Block 3 (4:00-5:00)
Repeated sessions: Equipment Considerations in Reduced Tillage; Nightshade Control and Pest Control in Reduced Tillage.

The conference cost is $20 for those registering by Feb. 23 and $25 for those registering afterward. For those registering for CCA credits, early registration is $45 and at-the-door registration is $50. Preregistrations are requested. For more information or to register contact Debra Underhill at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center at 308-632-1316. CCA credits are expected to be available.

The afternoon will close with a social hour and exposition.

Bioconfinement recommended for genetically engineered organisms

"Deciding whether and how to confine a genetically engineered organism cannot be an afterthought," said committee chair T. Kent Kirk, professor emeritus, department of bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a former microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Confinement won't be warranted in most cases, but when it is, worst-case scenarios and their probabilities should be considered. Also, progress in research aimed at developing new biological confinement methods will further minimize risks and boost the public's confidence in biotechnology."

Because no single bioconfinement method is likely to be 100% effective, the committee recommended that developers of genetically engineered organisms use more than one method to lower the chance of a failure. It was also clear to the committee that scientists need to do more research to understand how well specific methods work, and that planned combinations of confinement methods will need to be tested in organisms with representative genetic profiles and in a wide variety of field environments.

The report was requested by USDA, which is considering how to regulate a number of genetically engineered organisms that had not yet been developed when the federal government's original 1986 "Coordinated Framework" for regulation of biotechnology products was enacted. Ensuring confinement for some of these new organisms may become one of the requirements for regulatory approval, the committee noted.

Most of Nebraska is experiencing moderate to extreme drought conditions and long-term forecasts don't provide clear precipitation trends for the Midwest, said Al Dutcher, state climatologist in the University's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

One thing's for sure, though: water supplies still will be limited this year, he said.

"Even if we get ample spring rains to fill up the soil (moisture) profile, given drought patterns the last few years, even a full soil profile won't help," he said. "It took us several years to get into a drought, and it will take several years to undo these problems."

Monday's snow storm should improve moisture conditions in areas that received more than 8 inches of snow, Dutcher said; however, western Nebraska, where drought conditions are greatest, received little if any snowfall.

"There was ample snow and wind that deposited snow into low-lying areas," Dutcher said. "This is the kind of activity that we like to see. If we would get two to three more snow storms like this out west, we could see some easing of the conditions."

Dutcher said southeastern Nebraska received good moisture last fall, which gives it a good chance of getting a full soil moisture profile before planting season begins.

"However, these areas stand a good chance of being overwhelmed by the broad area of drought to our west if the weather patterns of the last few years appear once again during the growing season," he said. "Last year, northeastern Nebraska had a good soil profile, but got hammered as summer rains stopped. When Mother Nature shuts off the water, it doesn't take long to use it up."

Areas of drought continue to expand around the country, particularly in states south and west of Nebraska, said Mike Hayes, an IANR climate impacts specialist with the National Drought Mitigation Center.

"In the past couple of years, we've really noticed how big a factor it is locally when the southwestern United States becomes very dry," Hayes said. "This apparently can have a big impact on the Central Plains."

This year also will show how dependent Nebraska is on other states for its water supplies, he said. The mountain snow pack in Colorado and Wyoming, which is important for Nebraska's river flow, has been falling behind, he said.

"Things started out great, but now snow pack has fallen to about normal to slightly below normal," Hayes said. "There is still a lot of winter left, though. It could go back up, but it also could fall behind."

Even if snow pack in the mountains is good, water systems and reservoirs are so stressed, it's unclear how much water will be available to Nebraska.

Lake McConaughy near Ogallala will have to go up more than 15 feet just to reach its maximum level for last year, Hayes said.

"At the current rate it's filling, that's not going to happen, unless something happens snow pack-wise or we get heavy rains during the spring and summer," he said.

Western Nebraska has received less than an inch of moisture since Oct. 1, Dutcher said.

Harlan Reservoir near Alma also is in an extremely bad situation. Water deliveries are likely to be significantly impacted and it's possible no water will be delivered unless significant improvements in the Republican River stream flows develop during the next three to four months.

"You're looking at 26,000 acres of farmland without water if Harlan shuts down," Dutcher said. "That means yield losses could potentially total 4 million bushels if corn isn't irrigated and dryland crops fail."

It's even worse for smaller reservoirs in southwestern Nebraska, he said. Also, record low water levels on the Missouri River may soon start affecting barge travel from Kansas City to Omaha and Sioux City, Hayes said.

For the 2004 crop, Alliance accounted for 13.6% of the acreage while Millennium was planted on 11.1%. Pronghorn was planted on 10.4% with 2137 in fourth place at 7.8%. Arapahoe continued to decline and finished fifth with 6.8%.

When the numbers are broken down by reporting district, the most popular wheat variety in the northwest and southwest districts, where more than 70% of Nebraska's wheat acres are grown, is Alliance. Wesley was the most popular in the north, east, and southeast districts. Jagalene was the most popular in the central district while 2137 topped the list in the south. Millennium's strong presence in the northwest, southwest and south propelled it to second overall, while Pronghorn's second place finish in the northwest kept it third overall.

Of the total hard white winter wheat acreage reported on this survey, 75% was planted to Platte, 11% to Trego, and 11% to NuPlains. The remaining 3% was unspecified or too small to publish. Supporting funds for this report, "Nebraska Wheat Varieties" were provided by Nebraska Wheat Board from wheat producer check off funds. This data was provided by the voluntary reports of over 1,000 Nebraska wheat producers who responded to the 2003 Fall Agricultural Report.

Mycotoxins are natural -- yet potentially toxic -- compounds produced by some fungi. Occurring on corn, cottonseed, wheat and other crops, they can cause serious illness in animals and livestock and are considered carcinogenic to humans. Thomas C. Pearson adapted a commercially available grain sorter to detect two types of mycotoxins that commonly infest corn: aflatoxin, which is produced by some strains of the fungus Aspergillus flavus, and fumonisin, produced by fungi of the genus Fusarium.

Pearson found that two bands of infrared light are needed to detect almost all kernels of corn contaminated with alflatoxin and fumonisin. He equipped a grain sorter with a pair of filters corresponding with these wavelengths. The grain sorter is manufactured by Satake USA Inc. of Houston, Texas. The new method, which can process 260 bushels of corn per hour, can be used to segregate individual corn kernels. Upcoming studies will examine how the machine can be calibrated to detect mycotoxins on white corn intended for human consumption and on wheat.

Soil scientists Donald L. Tanaka, Stephen D. Merrill and colleagues at the ARS Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory in Mandan, N. Dak., began their study in 1994 on plots laid out on former wheatfields that had been seeded to a grass-alfalfa mixture under the CRP program in 1989.

In 2000, Merrill, Chi-hua Huang, a soil scientist with the ARS National Soil Erosion Research Lab in West Lafayette, Ind., and others twice repeated a three-year rotation of spring wheat, winter wheat and dry pea for a total of six growing seasons.

First, they grew the crops under both no-till and moderate conventional disk tilling. Then they used rainfall simulation equipment to compare the soil erosion that occurred with each of those tillage methods, with erosion caused on plots left in grass and harvested for hay once a year. The researchers found that growing the crops with no-till caused no more erosion than occurred when grass was harvested annually for hay. They also showed that both the land cropped with a wheat-pea rotation under no-till and CRP grassland annually harvested for hay had one-sixth as much erosion as did land cropped with moderate conventional tillage.

Don Comis
USDA ARS writer

In August 2003, a federal court ruled a South Dakota law banning corporate ownership of farms unconstitutional. Similarities between the South Dakota law and Nebraska's Initiative 300 prompt the question: Can "I-300" stand? David Aiken, University of Nebraska ag and water law specialist, talks about the status of the law and explains some of the reasons why it continues to face intense scrutiny. David Aiken, University of Nebraska Extension ag and water law specialist, reports on the status of the current law and provides some insight into what may be in store for the future. a synopsis of the ag-related legislative issues likely to be discussed and acted on during this year's legislative session.

This week's program also will include an interview with Rob Robertson, vice president for governmental affairs of the Nebraska Farm Bureau. He'll talk about some of the ag-related issues before the Nebraska Legislature, including property and other taxes, a revision of the state's livestock waste management rules, implications of the Nebraska Water Task Force Report, and a potential short-fall in state funding of ethanol incentives.

The previously announced shop on crop production with limited water supplies will be aired in early February.

“Market Journal” is a 30-minute television program produced by the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and presented by Cooperative Extension and the Department of Agricultural Economics. The program is hosted by Doug Jose, extension farm management specialist.

The program is scheduled for Fridays at 12:30 p.m. on Dish Network channel 9411 and Time Warner Cable (Lincoln) channel 21; Saturdays at 6:30 a.m. on Nebraska Educational Television; and Sundays at 9:00 a.m. on NETV2, all Central Time.

An Employee Management in Agriculture workshop will be held Feb. 9-10 at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff. The two-day program will begin at 10 a.m. Feb. 9 and 8 a.m. Feb. 10.

“Personnel management isn't a strength of most livestock producers," says Lon Larson, ranch manager and chairman of the Nebraska Cattle Cow/Calf Council. "This program will allow participants to better understand labor management and compensation to improve their success with employees."

Program sessions will include: finding employees in a tight market, hiring the right employee, communication, orientation and training; working together as a family; keeping good employees and letting go of poor ones; and critical documents in the employee handbook. Presenters will include Bernie Erven, Ohio State University, and Sara Fogleman, Kansas State University, both of who are known nationally for their work in employee management. They are familiar with the agricultural employment issues and use practical examples similar to what participants may face. Other speakers will address new regulations regarding hiring young students plus worker's compensation responsibilities.

Registration is $75 plus $55 for each additional person from the same operation or business. Registration includes program materials, lunch and dinner for the first day. For more information or to register, contact your local University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Educator or one of the following Cooperative Extension program hosts Brent Plugge at 800-657-2113, Dennis Bauer at 800-334-8951, Tom Holman at 308-632-1480 or Rick Rasby at 402-472-6477.

Presenters will include university scientists who will provide research-based support and mentor producers who will be matched with participants to provide help with production and management decisions based on their experience with alternative crops.

Crops to be included in the program include grain and forage peas, chickpea (commonly called garbanzo bean), specialty millets, sunflowers, perennial grass seed, and brown mustard (used for biodiesel fuel production).

In addition to support from university scientists and mentor producers, the program will provide financial incentives to help offset seeding and other participatory costs. The program will be conducted for three years, with enrollment limited to 25 new producers each year. If you have any questions regarding the meeting or program, please contact David Baltensperger at (308) 632-1230, Jim Margheim at (308) 632-1287 or your local county extension office.

University of Nebraska researchers will discuss the following topics:

“A new predictive technique for sugarbeet root diseases,” and “What to do with the root disease complex including Aphnomyces and Rhizoctonia,” with Robert Harveson, extension plant pathologist;
“Early season cutworm control in sugarbeets with Mustang MAX,” and “Managing sugarbeet root aphid,” with Gary Hein, extension entomologist.
“Soil temperature and soil moisture for 18-inch versus 30-inch row systems,” and “Influence of irrigation on sugarbeet emergence,” with Dean Yonts, extension irrigation engineer;
Planter inspections, including the seed tube, help sugarbeet seed spacing performance,” and “18-inch versus 30-inch row sugarbeet yield in University of Nebraska field strips,” with John Smith, Machinery Systems Engineer.

The book is a collaborative effort between the University of Nebraska and Nebraska Department of Agriculture to provide key information to farmers, ranchers, and homeowners, as well as more technical information for botanists. It features detailed narratives of more than 400 plants; line drawings of 266 weeds; large colored photographs and close-ups of weed flowers, seedlings and key identification characteristics; identification methods to distinguish similar species; historical attributes and uses of each plant; and plant habitats and descriptions of growth forms.

The authors include Dr. James Stubbendieck, professor of agronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Mitch Coffin, Noxious weed Program Manager for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture; and Lori Landholt, Research Technologist for the UNL Department of Agronomy.

Dr. Jean Beyer, PhD and registered nurse from Dalton, will be the luncheon speaker. Her presentation, “SPISE and Serenity” explains the need for participants to take care of themselves as well as the others in their lives. The primary focus is to encourage participants to keep themselves healthy, hopeful and harmonious in today’s complex and chaotic times. Conference speakers include a panel of value-added agriculture entrepreneurs: Ava Hawthorne, Deadhorse Creek Market, Chadron; Darlene Armstrong, Purty Punkins, Big Springs; and Dixie Kripal, Nebraska Gatherings, Lodgepole. Other presenters include Jim Goeke, UNL hydrogeologist in North Platte; Bob Goodwin, attorney, Sidney; Jeana Harms, financial officer, Farm Credit Services of America, Scottsbluff; and Carla Mahar, extension educator, Deuel and Garden counties.

The early bird registration of $15 is available until February 13 and includes lunch and materials. After February 13 registration is $20. Local financial institutions and businesses are providing support for the conference. For more information, contact Karen DeBoer at the Cooperative Extension Office in Cheyenne County at (308) 254-4455 or toll-free at (866) 865-1703 or Kathy Buttle at the Natural Resource Conservation Service at (308) 254-4507, ext. 3.

Pig Handler's Clinic will be 1-4 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Lifelong Learning Center at Northeast Community College, 201 E. Benjamin Ave., Norfolk. The clinic will focus on handling pigs, loading and unloading pigs,transporting pigs and biosecurity.

"Demand for quality pork products is increasing worldwide," said Duane Reese, a university swine specialist. "Yet, every year the American pork industry loses tens of millions of dollars because of poor quality pork products that are the result of mishandling and bruising during transport. You can help change things and enjoy the increased profits the pork industry can generate by delivering a healthy and safe load of pigs that will generate better quality pork products."

The workshop is presented by Reese and Mark Klassen of Elanco Animal Health.

Trucker Quality Assurance Certification from the National Pork Board also can be obtained. Participants who pass a written test will earn certification.

For more information, contact Reese at (402) 472-6425, e-mail dreese1@unl.edu or e-mail Klassen at Klassen_mark_a@lilly.com. To register, call (800) 767-5287.

This free program is sponsored by Nebraska Cooperative Extension, Nebraska Pork Producers Association and Elanco Animal Health.

Grand Island - Feb. 3

Alliance - Feb. 5

Beatrice - Feb. 6

North Platte - Feb. 10

Norfolk - Feb. 12

Lexington - Feb. 17

Ainsworth - Feb. 24

Norfolk - Feb. 25

The contact for the Farm Mediation program at the Nebraska Department of Agriculture is Marian Beethe (402-471-6890) or marianjb@agr.state.ne.us

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