The Future of Food: Crisis Prevention

See the linked article for an opinion about what needs to be done in the future to keep food production at pace with demand.

http://www.economist.com/node/18229412

While the author(s) attack subsidies and ethanol, they point out that more research needs to be conducted in the ag sciences. Obviously, I agree with the last point. As far as subsidies, I would argue that subsidies in some form bring about stability in the ag sector and encourages investments by banks in the form of low-interest loans, agribusiness in the form of research and development and landowners in the form of land prices. In my non-economist opinion, subsidies are merely a pass-through for the producer.

The current climate at USDA for research is focused heavily on biotech and cellulosic ethanol production. It is almost impossible to get grant dollars for research on production agriculture, unless you tack on an ethanol project or possibly a small IPM project. Yet, all the companies are telling me that they are looking for production ag people and need more expertise in this area.

I think this underscores the need for you, as producers, to conduct some applied on-farm research. Including replications and data from multiple farms will help all of you. Again, if you have interest in this area, I or others in the universities, are willing to work with you.

Glyphosate and Manganese and Plant Diseases

There have been some news articles about interactions between glyphosate and manganese (Mn). Other articles have discussed possible links between glyphosate and plant diseases.

Bob Hartzler at Iowa State does an excellent job of summarizing the current scientific research on the subject. His summary can be found at: http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/mgmt/2010/glyMndisease.pdf

As Dr. Hartzler states that one common hypothesis is that glyphosate pulls Mn out of the solution in the leaf tissue, causing a Mn deficiency. However, glyphosate does not cause yield losses in replicated trials, and subsequent foliar Mn applications do not increase yields. On the disease issue, some interactions have been documented in the greenhouse, but nothing consistent has been reported in the field. In some cases, such as Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), soybean variety appears to be much more important than whether or not glyphosate was applied.

No doubt more research will be conducted in this area. Many scientists want to understand if and/or when interactions could occur.  While scientists continue to look at this issue, producers should select varieties and hybrids with tolerance or resistance to plant diseases. Producers who use glyphosate for weed control should also rotate or include herbicides that have other modes of action for weed control.

Feb Meeting a Success

The meeting in February was a success for most participants.  Producers discussed soils, managing different soils differently and nitrogen fertilization strategies in the morning. In the afternoon, participants discussed challenges and opportunities within their operations.

While producers were from three different states with different soil types, different climates and different crop rotations, the participants found that they had some things in common. This year, they all see an opportunity to market corn and soybean at higher commodity prices, but they all are facing higher input prices as well.

Purdue Webinar on Risk Management

 Purdue is hosting a webinar on risk management on February 25, 2011. There is no cost.
The information for the webinar is posted at: http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/commercialag/progevents/managingrisk.html

The volatility in the market, higher input prices and higher land rents should make this a timely and informative webinar. 

Best of Both Worlds

See the posting about Adrian Fay regarding farming both in Argentina and the United States.

M.A.I.N. meeting set for Feb 15, 2011

The next M.A.I.N. meeting is set for February 15, 2011 at the Holiday Inn Hurstbourne Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.

Producers from Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Kentucky are expected to attend. Two guest speakers will discuss topics related to soils management.

The meeting starts at 9:00 AM (Eastern Time) with a brief introduction by Adrian Fay. Each producer in attendance will have the opportunity to introduce themselves, where they farm and what they farm. Those will be followed by the presentations on soil management. After lunch, producers will discuss economics and inputs.

Click here for the agenda.