The Sugarbeet Grower Magazine ~ Vol 49 Number 3 March 2010 by Forum Communications Printing

ASGA President Russ Mauch

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Hilleshög is a business unit of Syngenta Seeds, Inc. HILLESHÖG®, the ALLIANCE FRAME, the HILLESHÖG logo, the PURPOSE ICON and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. ©2010 Syngenta Seeds, Inc. Longmont, CO 80501. All rights reserved.

‘Serving The Nation’s Sugarbeet Community Since 1963’ Volume 49 Number 3 March 2010

Sugar Publications 4601 16th Ave. N. Fargo, ND 58102 Phone: (701) 476-2111 Fax: (701) 476-2182 E-Mail: sugar@forumprinting.com Web Site: www.sugarpub.com Publisher: Sugar Publications General Manager & Editor: Don Lilleboe

Page 8 Page 16

— Feature Articles — Historic City, Historic Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Report from ASGA’s 35th annual meeting in Charleston

‘Speaking With a Unified Voice’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A visit with ASGA’s new president, Russ Mauch

Advertising Manager: Heidi Wieland (701) 476-2003

2010 Focus Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Graphics: Forum Communications Printing

Climate Change Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

ASGA’s Luther Markwart on coming year’s priorities

Why the issue has the beet processing sector concerned The Sugarbeet Grower is published six times annually (January, February, March, April/May, July/August, November/December) by Sugar Publications, a division of Forum Communications Printing. North American sugarbeet producers receive the magazine on a complimentary basis. Annual subscription rates are $12.00 domestic and $18.00 for foreign subscribers. Advertising in The Sugarbeet Grower does not necessarily imply endorsement of a particular product or service by the publisher.

Chaff Trails & N Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Report on first year of Idaho strip-tillage study

— Regular Pages — Dateline: Washington . . . . . . . . . 10 Crop insurance, next farm bill

Visit Our Web Site!

30 Years Ago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Excerpts from our March 1980 issue

www.sugarpub.com

Write Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Beet growers & the health care debate

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

— Front Cover — Russ Mauch of Barney, N.D., is the new president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. See article on page 8. Photo: Don Lilleboe

Historic City, Historic Event ASGA Celebrates 35th Anniversary During 2010 Annual Meeting

With the American Sugarbeet Growers Association celebrating some history of its own, it was appropriate for the group to gather in a very historic city — Charleston, S.C. — for its 2010 annual meeting. ASGA marks its 35th anniversary this year; and with sugar prices strong and a favorable farm bill being administered, there was good reason for an upbeat atmosphere at this winter’s meeting. Nearly 300 growers, spouses and affiliated industry gathered at the event, held January 31-February 2. But the sugarbeet industry is never without serious challenges, and meeting participants heard about them as well. Ongoing legal issues regarding Roundup Ready® sugarbeets and the prospective impact on the beet processing sector of pending climate change legislation were among the important topics covered. House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson addressed the meeting via phone, stating the sugar program is working well. Pictured on these pages are several of the speakers who addressed the ASGA audience. A profile of new president Russ Mauch is on pages 8 and 9, with a summary of executive vice president Luther Markwart’s comments beginning on page 12. Finally, on pages 16 and 17, we carry a synopsis of remarks by Janet Anderson on the impact that climate change legislation could have on the beet sugar sector. (The sugar market commentary presented by the American Sugar Alliance’s Jack Roney was reported upon in the February issue of The Sugarbeet Grower.)

Annual Meeting Photos By Don Lilleboe

Right: Jim Miller, under secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, oversees several of the key USDA agencies whose areas of responsibility directly impact the sugar industry — among them, the Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency and Foreign Agricultural Service. After providing an overview of the challenges and priorities of the Obama Administration, Miller focused on the ongoing implementation of the current farm bill. Noting that “we have a very sizeable [crop insurance] program” for beets, he added that USDA “is in the process of looking at a revenue program for sugarbeets” — an undertaking not without controversy. Miller said USDA believes domestic sugar stocks are adequate for the short term, but that the agency also monitors closely the global shortages that have led to higher world market sugar prices. On the Mexican situation, he reported that U.S. and Mexican government representatives have met — in his office — to discuss the issues of sugar and HFCS trade between the two countries under what is now essentially a “common market” under the terms of NAFTA. Referring to the recommendations of the U.S.-Mexico industry task force, Miller said “we have committed to work with our colleagues in Mexico to provide you with a unified response” — hopefully by this spring. Left: Erik Peterson, senior vice president for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, provided a striking presentation titled “The Seven Revolutions” — a long-term look at major global trends during which he scanned the world out to 2025 and beyond. The Seven Revolutions that Peterson described include: (1) Population — Today the world supports 6.9 billion people; by 2025 it will have 8.0 billion. The population is getting older as life expectancy increases, and it’s also becoming increasingly urban. (2) Resource Management — The agricultural community continues to produce more food, but there are some critical constraints, with the most crucial by 2025 being that of water. (3) Technology — “Deep computing” and “pervasive computing” are ever-intensifying facts of life. (4) Knowledge — The sheer rate of increase translates into less time for making more-complex decisions. (5) Integration — The world is increasingly interconnected, with a fundamental shift occurring in global production/consumption patterns. (6) Conflict — We have moved beyond the Cold War era into one threatened by “terrorist groups with no return address.” (7) Governance — Walmart represents the world’s 31st biggest economy, an example of globalization and its implications for how nations govern. We live in a time of both “promise and opportunity” and “peril and instability,” Peterson stated. The overriding need is for national “leaders, not managers,” with the vision to leverage the positive.

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

Below: Kelly Smith of the American Beverage Association addressed the issue of states implementing new taxes on soft drinks and how her organization is working against them. The severe budget pressures faced by numerous states means “everybody is looking for money,” Smith noted — and new excise and/or sales taxes are seen as one answer. The beverage sector is taking an increasingly aggressive approach in resisting such taxes, she reported.

Above: Jim Wiesemeyer, veteran Washington ag journalist with Informa Economics, provided the ASGA audience with insightful commentary on the overall political scene in the nation’s capital, as well as analysis of the sugar situation. “You had a good year; you’re going to have another good year,” he told sugarbeet growers. Wiesemeyer suggested USDA likely will consider an increase in tariff rate quota levels after April 1, however.

Above: Don Parrish, senior director for regulatory relations with the American Farm Bureau Federation, spoke to the annual meeting audience about facets of the Clean Water Act that affect agriculture, including current legislation covering regional clean water initiatives. He encouraged sugarbeet growers to work closely with other ag commodity groups to monitor and voice their positions on these key issues.

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Above: Russ Mauch (right), incoming American Sugarbeet Growers Association president from Barney, N.D., presents outgoing president Alan Welp with a plaque in recognition of his outstanding service to the organization during his two-year term. Welp farms near the northeastern Colorado community of Wray. Above Right: The ASGA leadership team for the coming year includes, left to right: Luther Markwart, executive vice president; Russ Mauch, president; Kelly Erickson, Hallock, Minn., vice president; and Mike Wheeler, Declo, Idaho, treasurer. Right: Wayne Tang (left) of Felton, Minn., was one of three outgoing directors recognized by Alan Welp for their service to ASGA. Other exiting board members were Terry Jones of Powell, Wyo., and Jeff Bieber of Fairview, Mont.

Below: John Snyder, president of the Washakie Beet Growers Association, displays sodas containing sugar, not HFCS. Cans of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Throwbackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Pepsi, Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew were bottled and donated by Admiral Beverage of Worland, Wyo., for enjoyment by ASGA members during the Tuesday morning meeting break.

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‘Speaking With A Unified Voice’ New ASGA President Russ Mauch Discusses His Farming Background & Association Role s ironical as it may sound, the new president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association actually placed his college education on hold for this crop. Russ Mauch was a student at North Dakota State University in the fall of 1974 — a time that coincided with the first harvest for growers of the new Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative. Among the original stockholders in the Wahpeton, N.D.based co-op were Mauch’s father and brother, Bernard and Randy. They needed more manpower to bring in that initial beet crop, and Russ made himself available. “So I took off the fall semester of my sophomore year to drive sugarbeet truck,” he smilingly recounts. The Barney, N.D., farmer has been immersed in sugarbeets ever since. Following his graduation from NDSU with a B.S. in animal science, he returned to Richland County and a

career in agriculture. Along with raising beets, corn and soybeans, he, his father and brothers Randy and Bill also operated a large feedlot, running 1,000-plus head of cattle. Though the cattle may be long gone, Russ Mauch’s cash crop enterprise has grown considerably through the years. Today, he and his partner — brother-in-law Rick Bladow — farm about 7,500 acres. Corn is planted on approximately 80% of their acres, with sugarbeets on 15% and soybeans on the remaining 5%. (Like other past and present ASGA

Working with members of Congress and their staffs is ‘a continual education process on how the sugar program works — and why it’s working so well.’

leaders, Mauch is quick to credit the folks at home who keep the farm running while he is absent on sugarbeet business. Without Rick Bladow and Rick’s son, Chris, handling day-to-day operations back in Barney, Mauch affirms, “it would be impossible” for him to serve as ASGA president.) Always ready to innovate, Mauch was among the first in the Minn-Dak area to plant cover crops on lighter ground, back in the latter 1980s. He and brother Bill took an old Alloway planter, removed its units, and installed two S-tines over each row, followed by a set of harrow teeth. The “inverted cultivator” provided what was, in essence, an early form of strip tillage, with the primary motivation being protection against spring wind erosion and the conservation of soil moisture in what were then some very dry years. More recently, Mauch was one of the first Minn-Dak growers to embrace the spreading of spent beet lime on his fields. He began doing so several years ago as a means of combating Aphanomyces. Since then, he’s also come to view the lime as an important component of his fertility program. Today, all of the Mauch and Bladow fields have had lime applied at rates of from four to 12 tons per acre. So what, as of 2009/10, does Russ Mauch view as his most critical sugarbeet production challenge? “Drainage,” is his unhesitating reply. The southern Red River Valley has been going through a wet cycle since the early 1990s, and in some years excess moisture has strongly impacted the yield and quality of a number of Minn-Dak fields — Mauch’s included. “We had terrible sugarbeet yields in the wet years of 2005, 2007 and 2009,” he says. “But we had excellent crops in the [drier] years of 2006 and 2008 — and hopefully we’ll have that again in 2010.” Last year, Mauch was unable to drive equipment through a “preventive plant” field until literally July 20. That day, they disked the old corn stalks. Mauch hired a contractor to tile the field in September — and the tile line water flowed the remainder of the fall. On the field’s sandier portions, the lines were 80 feet apart; on the heavier clay areas, about 40 feet. Mauch has since purchased a drain tile plow, stringer and backhoe, and intends to start installing subsurface drainage on his remaining acreage. “We’re so serious about it that we’re going to go right into standing corn ground [in 2010],” he says. The goal is

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

to have subsurface drainage on all his cropland within five years (subject to approval by any affected neighbors). The result, he’s confident, will be consistently improved yields, quality and disease control. hile that extensive drainage project is getting underway, however, Russ Mauch simultaneously will be busy serving a two-year term as president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. He took over the ASGA reins from Colorado grower Alan Welp during the 2010 annual meeting in early February. The southeastern North Dakota grower had been vice president the past two years. A 12-year member of the Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative Board of Directors, Mauch still serves as the coop’s treasurer. He also has been a director of Minn-Dak Yeast Company and Midwest Agri-Commodities, and currently is a board member of United Sugars Corporation. Like dozens of other sugarbeet growers, Mauch spent part of late February in Washington, D.C., visiting members of Congress and their staffs. Together, he and his fellow beet producers stopped at more than 200 congressional offices, educating Capitol Hill personnel on the sugar industry and the importance of the sugar program. “It’s a continual education process on how the sugar program works — and why it’s working so well,” he affirms. “It has not cost the federal government any money since 2002 — and it is projected not to through 2020.” While certain congressional members and staffs are somewhat familiar with the sugarbeet sector, many are not. “With some of them,” Mauch says, “we have to basically start out with a picture of a sugarbeet and ask, ‘Have you ever seen a sugarbeet? Do you know where sugar comes from?’ Generally, people think sugar comes from sugarcane. But 54% of [domestically produced] sugar comes from beets.” Some congressional office stops generate more interest than others, Mauch concedes. But the fact that the visitors are “bonafide sugarbeet farmers” is usually a big plus. Members of Congress typically “are very interested in talking to people who are trying to make their living out in the country,” he observes. “A lot of congressmen follow (Minnesotan and House Ag Committee Chairman) Collin Peterson’s lead,” Mauch remarks. “They may under-

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

Russ and Mary Mauch, along with daughter Skye, are shown here at the conclusion of the 2010 ASGA meeting in Charleston, S.C. The Mauchs also have raised two other daughters, Tina and Tori, on their Richland County, N.D., farm.

‘We’re not a big industry, and small changes in policy could really hurt us. So we’re always monitoring what’s out on the horizon, trying to be proactive.’ stand some things about agriculture and the sugar program — but they rely on Collin’s advice. Having a leader like him in Congress really helps.” While the state of the sugarbeet industry is generally strong right now, ASGA leaders have no intention of becoming complacent. Priorities for 2010 include continued monitoring of the international trade scene, close attention to the legal challenge to the use of Roundup Ready® sugarbeets, the “cap and trade” climate change leg-

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islation proposals, the ongoing administration of domestic sugar policy — and any other emerging issues that may impact beet growers. “We are always concerned about what’s coming up behind and around us,” Mauch affirms. “We’re not a big industry, and small changes in policy could really hurt us. So we’re always monitoring what’s out on the horizon, trying to be proactive.” A key strength of the U.S. sugar industry, ASGA’s new president concludes, is the united voice with which it addresses important issues. “We work together,” Russ Mauch emphasizes. “Any issues that pop up, we resolve internally. We never bring a divided industry to Washington. “Speaking with a unified voice is truly a source of our strength.” — Don Lilleboe ■

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Dateline: Washington 2012 Farm Bill House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson is sending signals to American agriculture that all segments of farm and food policy need to roll up our sleeves and start work on the 2012 farm bill. While no official schedule has been set at this time, indications are that initial committee hearings will begin this spring and early summer, both in Washington, D.C., and around the nation. Next year, Congress will be faced with budget cuts across the board in order to deal with the staggering budget deficits and the interest on the accumulated national debt. It is clear that the nation cannot sustain the spending binge it is on, and all government policies will be under close scrutiny. Chairman Peterson has wisely determined that work on a new bill needs to begin now, with the intent of concluding House action by the end of next year to address any potential funding issues. It is important to note that the bill would essentially be written in a non-election year (2011). This would allow the bill to be reconciled with a Senate bill in early 2012. The Senate Agriculture Committee has not indicated how or when it plans to proceed with delib-

By Luther Markwart

eration of the farm bill. Once the hearing schedule is solidified, our industry will participate where it is appropriate.

Crop Insurance Price Election The Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced an increase in the price election for sugarbeets for the 2010 crop. The initial price election was set at $41 per ton, but after your grower leaders worked with RMA officials in January and February, the RMA adjusted the rate upward to $43.75 per ton. While we believe this is a very conservative adjustment, some uncertainty remains as to if or how much sugar would be imported after April 1 of this year. There is always a concern to not set the price election too high to avoid any incentive to not harvest a difficult crop.

The initial price election was set at $41 per ton, but after your grower leaders worked with RMA officials in January and February, the RMA adjusted the rate upward to $43.75 per ton.

Executive Vice President American Sugarbeet Growers Assn.

Congressional Visits Grower leaders from across the nation made their annual visits to congressional offices in late February and early March. It was an opportunity to visit with staff and members in more than 200 offices to discuss a number of issues important to our industry. This is an annual reminder of the strategic importance of our industry and where we stand on key issues before the Congress, including farm policy, food security, trade agreements, and cap and trade climate legislation. It is also a time for growers to attend timely fundraisers for members of Congress. This is important and productive time well spent by our grower leaders, and we appreciate them taking precious time out of busy schedules to do this good work.

Cleavinger Internship As a reminder, we are accepting applications for the Cleavinger Internship Program until the end of March. This is a wonderful opportunity for a college student to spend up to eight weeks in Washington, D.C., to work in our office. We appreciate financial support from Bayer CropScience to help make this opportunity available to talented young men and women. â&#x2013;

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

Upper Midwest Growers Report on ’09 Weed Control t’s obviously common knowledge within the beet sector; but if there was ever any doubt of how extensively Upper Midwest sugarbeet growers used Roundup Ready® beets in 2009, it was erased by the annual survey of regional weed control and production practices. Results of this 41st survey, conducted by sugarbeet specialists at North Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota, are based on replies received from American Crystal, Minn-Dak and Southern Minnesota growers responding to a September 2009 mailing. Growers planted more than 676,000 acres of beets in the region in 2009. The 187 growers who responded to the September survey represented nearly 14% of total acres planted. Of the acres reported for the past season, 88% were in Roundup Ready beets, and 12% were planted to conventional varieties. This corresponds very closely to the actual amount of Roundup Ready beets planted in the region in 2009, say the survey’s authors. Those growers who planted both Roundup Ready and conventional varieties seeded — as a group — about 60% of their acres to Roundup Ready. Taking into account multiple herbicide treatments on each acre, growers planting only conventional varieties applied herbicides to 299% of their acreage in 2009 (compared to 407% in 2008). Growers planting only Roundup Ready varieties applied herbicides to 225% of their ’09 acreage — the same as in 2008. “The reduction in the percentage of total sugarbeet acreage treated with herbicides is attributed to the increased planting of Roundup Ready sugarbeet and a decrease in the percentage of conventional sugarbeet acreage treated with herbicides,” the survey authors report. “The decrease in conventional sugarbeet acreage treated with herbicides is likely due to late planting, which usually reduces weed density.” Nortron and Dual were the only soil-applied herbicides reportedly used in 2009 in Upper Midwest beet fields. Two decades ago — in 1989 — 47% of the region’s beet acreage received a soil-applied herbicide treatment. In 2009 that level was down to 5%. Postemergence herbicide use for all sugarbeets declined again in 2009, to 224%. That compares with 279% in 2008, 340% in 2007 and 388% back in 2002. The 2009 level was the lowest since 1987, when post use was 229%.

Use of postemergence grass herbicides in 2009 was just 29% of all sugarbeet acreage. That compares to 104% in 2008, 189% in 2007 and 215% in 2006. The rapid decline in post grass product use is due to the rapid adoption of Roundup Ready beets. The most common herbicide treatment in 2009 was glyphosate applied at 0.75-lb acid equivalent per acre (e.g., 22 fl oz of Roundup PowerMAX or WeatherMAX). Glyphosate + Select

and glyphosate + Stinger were the tank mix partners cited most frequently by those growers planting only Roundup Ready varieties. Based on postemergence herbicide applications, only Roundup Ready growers reported “excellent” weed control on 77% of their acres. That compares to 22% of only conventional growers reporting “excellent” control. The corresponding numbers for 2008 were 85% and 34%, respectively. ■

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Ground Broken for Cane Refinery C onstruction is now officially underway on the new state-of-the-art, 3,100-ton-per-day Louisiana Sugar

Refining (LSR) refinery at Gramercy, La., following an early February groundbreaking ceremony. The refin-

ery is a joint venture of Louisiana sugarcane growers and millers, Cargill and Imperial Sugar Company. For the roughly 700 Louisiana sugarcane growers, the sugar refinery means economic stability and teaming with reliable production, marketing and distribution partners, according to grower-owned cane mill group leaders. For Imperial Sugar Company, the new refinery will result in the retirement of Imperial Sugar’s existing refinery, built originally in 1898. Following the startup of the Louisiana Sugar Refining refinery in 2011, Imperial will own or participate in two of the most modern sugar refineries in North America. Imperial Sugar’s other major sugar refining plant is located at Port Wentworth, near Savannah, Ga. Imperial Sugar CEO John Sheptor said construction adjacent to the existing refinery would allow LSR to take advantage of current infrastructure and operational support, and promote an orderly transition from the existing refinery to the new, state-of-the-art refinery while at the same time keeping the option of running the existing refinery longer if needed.” Alan Willits, president and business unit leader for Cargill Corn Milling

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Planter Test Stand Schedule: Part II P rovided here is the second half of the 2010 NDSU planter test stand schedule, from March 19 to conclusion. Sugarbeet growers wishing to have

stand appointment. The 2010 schedule got underway in late February. March 19 — • JD Equipment, Grafton, N.D. March 22 — • Steve Williams Farm, Fisher, Minn. • Betaseed Research, Moorhead March 23 — • Steve Williams Farm, Fisher • Betaseed Research, Moorhead • Oppegard Equipment, Hillsboro March 24 — • Steve Adams Shop, East Grand Forks, Minn. • Oppegard Equipment, Hillsboro March 25 & 26 — • Steve Adams Shop, E. Grand Forks • Evergreen Implement, Warren, Minn. March 30 — • Hefty Seed Co., Pembina, N.D. March 31 & April 1 — • Hilleshog Research Farm, Glyndon, Minn. • Kittson County Implement, Kennedy, Minn. April 5 & 6 — • Cavalier Implement, Cavalier, N.D. April 7, 8 & 9 — • Crystal Seed Plant, Moorhead ■

their planter units checked out for wear and other potential problems should contact their sugar company agriculturist or the host site for a test

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THE SUGARBEET GROWER (Upper Midwest) March 2010

Mich. Study Looks At Effect of Sprayer Track Compaction on Sugarbeet Yields 2009 Michigan study looking at the impact on beet yields from sprayer track compaction found a 1.6ton difference on field strips containing sprayer tracks versus those strips with no sprayer tracks. The study, reported upon in the annual report of Michigan Sugarbeet REACH (Research & Education Advisory Council), was conducted as part of a zone- (strip-) till trial near Breckenridge in Gratoit County, Mich. The field, which has a loam soil, was divided into two sections. One section was disked and chisel plowed in the fall; the other was zone tilled. Both sections had a stale seedbed, i.e., no spring tillage was conducted prior to planting. Beets were planted April 10 in 30-inch rows. In all, seven trips — one for fertilizer application, three herbicide treatments and three fungicide trips — were made by the sprayer during the 2009 growing season. All trips were made in the same track, with both the

sprayer and planter equipped with RTK to avoid running on rows. The grower’s sprayer was a 36-row self-propelled John Deere 4720 with 800-gallon capacity. Data were developed from 12-row strips. In the 12-row strips that included wheel tracks, the average yield was 24.8 tons per acre; in the strips without sprayer wheel tracks, it was 26.4 tons. “The yield loss due to the sprayer on a per-acre basis for a 36-row sprayer was 2.0%, or 0.52 ton per acre, in 26-ton beets,” the REACH report states. “[Had the sprayer been] 48 rows and caused the same damage, the loss would have been 1.5% or 0.39 ton/acre.” The trial harvested 45 consecutive strips using truck weights. The grower, Clay Crumbaugh, said none of the seven trips were made while soil conditions were particularly wet. He described compaction from the sprayer as “light to moderate,” compared to his past experiences. ■

THE SUGARBEET GROWER (Upper Midwest) March 2010

27th International Sweetener Symposium Is July 30-Aug. 4 The 27th International Sweetener Symposium is scheduled for July 30 to August 4 at the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort & Spa in Vail, Colo. The event is sponsored by the American Sugar Alliance. Individual speakers and panels will address several “hot topics,” including the global financial situation, integration of the U.S. and Mexican sugar markets, current world and domestic sugar supply and demand, and the status of international trade issues. Traditionally, about 400 people attend the symposium to hear about significant and timely issues affecting the industry and to network with their sweetener industry colleagues. The schedule allows free time every afternoon to enhance industry relations. For details on the International Sweetener Symposium, visit the American Sugar Alliance website — www.sugaralliance.org — or call the ASA at (703) 351-5055.

Beet Institute Photo Project Benefits RRV Sugarbeet Museum Parents, grandparents and kids visiting the 2010 International Sugarbeet Institute in Grand Forks will have the opportunity to go home with a multi-generation photo of themselves — and contribute to a worthy cause in the process. Their $20 donation will go to help support activities of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Historical Museum at Crookston. The museum, founded in 2004, collects, displays and demonstrates sugarbeet- and other ag-related equipment and memorabilia. It sponsored the 5th annual Harvest Festival this past September. Along with the professionally printed photo, participants also will receive a copy of one of Red River Valley sugarbeet grower and poet David Kragnes’ most popular creations — the poem titled “Farmin’ With My Dad.” Syngenta Seeds/Hilleshög is helping sponsor this special project. The 2010 International Sugarbeet Institute takes place on Wednesday and Thursday, March 17 and 18, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. ■

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THE SUGARBEET GROWER (Upper Midwest) March 2010

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2010 Focus Areas ASGA Executive Vice President Luther Markwart Outlines Association Priorities for Coming Year n what areas will the American Sugarbeet Growers Association be focusing its efforts during the coming year? Luther Markwart, ASGA’s longtime executive vice president, updated members on several of the association’s top 2010 priorities during the group’s annual meeting in early February.

• Crop Insurance — ASGA has worked for several years toward the removal of stages for sugarbeet crop insurance. That effort, which began with a pilot project in Minnesota, has now culminated in stage removal in all U.S. sugarbeet states except California (whose growers typically do not take out crop insurance on beets). As to price election for the 2010 sugarbeet crop, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced in late November 2009 that it would be set at $41 per ton. (The 2009 crop level was $43.) In early January, ASGA leadership met with top officials at RMA to present information in support of an upward adjustment in the election price. “We did not give them a specific number, but said we could expect beet payments to be in the $50 or higher range — so the price election should be somewhere near [that level],” Markwart reported. An RMA decision on the adjusted level was expected in late February. (See update on page 10.) “We have to be careful with this,” Markwart added, “because we don’t want to get the price election too high

Luther Markwart so it creates an incentive for a producer to walk away from a crop if it gets a little difficult to harvest. As cooperative owners, you want as much volume moving through those factories as possible. And if some people don’t harvest, that’s going to affect your bottom line to some extent.” Actual revenue history (ARH) was another topic of discussion during the January meeting with RMA. It’s unclear as to how soon that could become a reality, due to funding issues. “We fall under ‘administrative pay-go,’ ” Markwart noted. “So if a revenue program is going to cost more money, they (RMA) need to find other money to cut in order to fund this program.” While there’s no guarantee, ASGA’s hope is to

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have some type of ARH policy in place for 2011. Finally, ASGA has been investigating the possibility of getting crop insurance extended to include beets that have been harvested — but, due to field conditions or another obstacle, could not be trucked from the field to a piling site. Currently, coverage ends once the beets are harvested — regardless of whether they are hauled away or left at the edge of a field in “clamps.” Including clamped beets in one’s insurance coverage “would perhaps allow us to help farmers who might [otherwise] lose a crop or let a crop go [unharvested] because of a fear of losing their insurance,” Markwart said. RMA, of course, needs to know how covering clamped beets would affect the loss levels that may be incurred. Depending on that answer, this may be an opportunity to increase coverage without raising premiums. For now, it is too early in the process to predict whether clamped beet coverage will actually come to pass, Markwart emphasized. • Biotech Front — The ASGA has been extensively involved, along with other segments of the sugarbeet industry, in the legal challenge to the use of Roundup Ready® beets. Judge Jeffrey White of the U.S. District Court (9th Circuit) was scheduled to hear plaintiffs’ arguments on March 5. “Clearly, working through all of our legal issues is our number one priority,” ASGA’s executive vice president told his annual meeting audience. “We do feel good about that; but we have to get through those issues.” On another Roundup Ready-related item, Markwart referred to the numerous comments and questions he has received from growers upset about the technology provider’s (Monsanto) increase in the tech fee for 2010. “My ears are still ringing [from calls received] from growers around the country,” he quipped. “This is a long-term relationship we have with our seed and technology providers,” Markwart continued. “It’s 18 years from the time that patent begins [until] it stops. Over that period, we’re going to transfer about $1 billion from growers to the tech provider and the seed companies in order to have that technology available and to benefit from it. “With that long-term relationship, we need to make sure it is right, it is positive — and that we’re able to maximize the technology,” he stated. “Any issues relating to the tech fee have to

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

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be dealt with by the individual cooperatives with the tech provider and the seed companies. It is not an issue that can be addressed by ASGA.” • Sugar Policy — Though the ’08 farm bill has been operative for some time, the administration of its details by USDA continues to evolve. Plus, the next farm bill is on the horizon. Always seeking to be proactive rather than reactive, the American Sugarbeet Growers Association annually brings in dozens of its grower-leaders to Washington, D.C., to visit with members of Congress. During a twoweek period in late February and early March of this year, ASGA members would be visiting about 220 different congressional offices, Markwart noted. “We need to continue to put the ‘grower face’ on our issues — and to constantly tell our story,” he emphasized. “This is not a sprint that we do in the year the farm bill is actually under consideration. This is a marathon that we have to work at all the time.”

thing [that has] commercial value.” • International Trade Issues — The U.S. sugar industry continues to be very focused on Mexico. With the two nations now being essentially a common market in sugar, the level of sugar production in Mexico and how much will be moving into export are questions of paramount importance for the U.S. sugar sector. Other trade issues — such as WTO — are relatively quiet at present. “But just because they’re quiet does not mean they’re going away,” Markwart stressed. “We’re always monitoring them” for signs of activity that could impact the domestic sugar industry. • Political Action — With 2010 being an election year — and with many House and Senate race outcomes being far from predictable — many of the current and potential members of Congress are open to talking with groups like ASGA. “Why? Because we have political action funds,” Markwart stated. “We have the capability to help support their campaign.” So association leaders are spending a lot of time visiting with candidates, exchanging points of view and determining whether there is much in common. “If we think we have something in common, we’ll try to work with them. If we don’t, it’s ‘thank you and good-bye’ — and we hope they don’t win,” Markwart said with a smile. “It’s going to be a very busy year.”

• Climate Change — Referring to the ASGA meeting presentation by Janet Anderson (see page 16) on current climate change legislation proposals, Markwart bluntly stated, “When you stare at that problem, it is a ‘death sentence’ for this industry going forward, if those kinds of proposals are put in place.” How so? “We are trying to explain to members of Congress that, with most of our ag commodities, when they n closing, Markwart praised outgoing leave the farm gate, you can sell them ASGA president Alan Welp of to anybody you want to,” the ASGA Colorado for his dedication and leaderleader explained. “But that is not the ship the past two years. “He has case with sugarbeets. worked for this organi“First of all, the zation with great ‘This is not a sprint that integrity,” Markwart beets are of no value we do in the year the until you get the sugar, noted. “He has set the pulp and molasses out farm bill is actually under bar high — and leaves with the industry in of them. And you only consideration. This is a great shape.” have one place you can Referring to incomtake them to for promarathon that we have ing president Russ cessing — a factory to work at all the time.’ Mauch, vice president that is owned by growKelly Erickson and ers. So sugarbeets do new board members, ASGA’s executive not become commercially viable until vice president added, “We have another they’ve been processed.” For that reagreat leadership team coming in. The son, beet factories should be included secret of a successful organization is to under the “agricultural exemption” have one leadership team and be able within the current group of climate to transition to another — and never change proposals. see the difference.” “A little piece of that factory really Part of that success also is due, he ‘belongs’ on your farm,” Markwart emphasized, to his fellow ASGA staff illustrated, “because the factory is an members: Ruthann Geib, Pam Alther extension of your farm. and Brianne Blevins — “a hard-work“Only once those beets have gone ing, talented team.” ■ through the factory do you have some-

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THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

30 Years Ago Heussner Elected President of ASGA — “John Heussner, Marlette, Michigan, was elected President of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association at their annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas. . . . “Heussner has grown sugarbeets for 40 years on his 1,100-acre farm near Marlette. He has been president of his local grower board for the last 18 years, and is presently serving as president for the 3,000 sugarbeet growers in Michigan and Ohio. He has been a strong voice for the industry in Michigan for many years. His experience, knowledge and dedication will help to maintain a viable domestic industry.” Pepsico, Inc., to Use HFCS — “Pepsico, Inc., the nation’s second largest soft drink company, said on March 4 it will use 55 percent high fructose corn syrup to replace up to 50 percent of the sugar used in its Pepsi Cola syrup. “The move was expected by the industry in light of Coca-Cola Co.’s decision in January to use 55 percent high fructose for up to half the sugar needs in its Coke soft drink. A spokesman for [Pepsico] said it was not immediately clear how much of the company’s sugar needs will be cut by the change.” U.S.-Latin Debate Hinges on Sugar — “The beginning of a bitter debate between the U.S. and Latin America is the result of the rejection by Congress to implement international coffee and sugar agreements. “While the U.S. has voiced concern for the welfare of Latin America, the action of Congress has scarred what good intentions the U.S. may have claimed. And with the Carter Administration guaranteeing a stabilization in the distressed Caribbean and Central America regions, the dispute over the agreements has created an obvious tension. “It seems probable that these areas will continue to wear a frown in response to the refusal by Congress to implement legislation of the sugar agreement, and because comparable legislation of the International Coffee Agreement has stagnated. . . . “A large percentage of the job market in Central America exists in the coffee industry. Likewise, over 10 million Latin American workers depend on the sugar business.” Top-Rate Weed Control Job in Sugarbeets Pays Dividends — “Keeping weeds down in sugarbeets is an expense every grower faces. The first step in holding down costs is doing a top-rate weed control job on all crops in the rotation, not only sugarbeets. Herbicides

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

Excerpts from the March 1980 Issue of The Sugarbeet Grower

and hand hoeing needed to keep sugarbeets weed-free are expensive. ‘It just makes good sense to keep weeds from going to seed in crops like sorghum and wheat where herbicides are relatively cheap and hoeing is not necessary,’ says Dr. Allen Wiese, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researcher from Bushland, Texas. “He gave this advice to sugarbeet growers during the spring sugarbeet meeting at Hereford, Texas, on February 19 “Picking a field without perennial weeds is the second step to economical weed control in sugarbeets, according to the researcher. Combining good culture, hoeing and herbicides will not control perennial weeds like johnsongrass, field bindweed, Texas blueweed or lakeweed at a reasonable cost in a sugarbeet field. These weeds must be controlled in other crops or during fallow periods in the four- or five-year crop rotation used with sugarbeets. . . . “In 1980, [Texas sugarbeet] growers will have several herbicides available. RoNeet and Nortron are preplant herbicides. Betanal and Betanex in a 50-50 mix called SN503 is a good postemergence herbicide that controls a variety of weeds. Treflan and Eptam are labeled for layby. Antor, a good preplant herbicide for controlling grasses, may be labeled for 1981.” Root Maggot, Cutworm Control Cleared for Red River Valley — “A relatively new product has been added to the arsenal of insect weapons available to Red River Valley sugarbeet growers. It’s Lorsban 15G, cleared for use in North Dakota and Minnesota early last year. The Special Local Need registrations cover at-plant application to control both sugarbeet root maggots and cutworms, or postemergence application (up to 2-4 true leaf stage) for maggot control. To date, it’s the only product labeled for early season application to control cutworms. “ ‘Sugarbeet root maggots remain the number one insect problem for most sugar producers in the Valley,’ reports Larry Kennedy, manager of Simplot Soilbuilders in Grafton, North Dakota. ‘The university reports an estimated 65 to 70 percent of our total sugarbeet acreage is treated for this pest every year.’ “ ‘Less prevalent and far less predictable are cutworms, which show up somewhere every season, but not as consistently as root maggots. Quite often, cutworms will totally wipe out a certain section of the field, but leave the rest with little or no damage. There’s just no solid pattern to them. I do know that a lot of growers are scouting for cutworms more closely now, because even a relatively light infestation can cut into yields.’ ” ■

Climate Change Legislation Why the Beet Sugar Processing Sector Is So Concerned “What makes climate change a problem for burning fossil fuels is that [doing so] increases the concentration of greenhouse gases — in particular, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide and a few other trace gases,” Anderson observed. There is scientific consensus that an increase in greenhouse gas concentrations of more than two times that of “pre-industrial” levels carries with it dangerous consequences for Earth’s climate, she added. The concentration of CO2 has gone from 280 parts per million in pre-industrial times to now 380 Janet Anderson ppm — “and the globe is very much on track to hit 550 ppm in short order,” Anderson stated. Since the early 2000s, a number of legislative proposals have come forth in the U.S. Congress on this nation’s role in addressing climate change. Some of those proposals remain “on the table” as of 2010. The majority have focused on market-based programs — i.e., “cap and trade” bills that offer industries

hy should beet producers be interested in — and concerned about — pending climate change legislation? That was the question Janet Anderson sought to answer in her presentation at the early February annual meeting of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association. Anderson, who is senior technology and policy advisor for the Washington, D.C., consulting firm of VanNess Feldman, focuses on providing government policy counsel in the areas of global climate change, efficiency, clean technology and air quality. Anderson outlined the two-decade history of international climate change discussions and agreements under the auspices of the United Nations. In 1992, she pointed out, the United States was one of the signers of the binding — but unenforceable — Rio Earth Summit agreement that essentially created the UN framework. “All the [signers] agreed they would stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that would prevent dangerous manmade interference with the climate system,” she said. Conferences of the parties (COPs) have been held regularly since then — among them, the familiar Kyoto summit of 1997.

Below: This chart compares the levels of annual greenhouse gas emissions (as of 2007) that come from various industries, including sugarbeet processing. The beet sugar sector — at 4.3 million metric tons of CO2 — is very minor compared to the other noted industries, both “covered” and “not covered.”

Selected Greenhouse Gas Emissions, By Industry (2007) electricity generation transportation chemicals petroleum refining beet sugar (4.3 Mmt CO2)

cement production oil production wells natural gas wells coal mining Million metric tons CO2

500

1000

covered by climate bill

1500

2000

2500

not covered by climate bill

economic incentives to cut their greenhouse emissions — and, as well, disincentives if they don’t. Over time, newer legislative proposals have tended to be more stringent than their earlier counterparts. So what, about all this, is of such concern to the sugarbeet industry? Legislation working its way through Congress addresses both “covered” industries and “uncovered” sectors. Industries like electrical generation and petroleum refining fall within the “covered” category, while production agriculture is among the “uncovered” ones. The difference between being in one sector versus the other generally lies in the difficulty in measuring and accounting for a certain type of emission and in administering enforcement, according to Anderson. Agriculture is “uncovered” since it is virtually impossible to accurately keep track of emissions from their sources, e.g., individual farms. About 15% of the overall U.S. economy consists of uncovered sectors. “The over-arching goal of a cap-andtrade system — or basically any CO2 regulatory program — is to shift the economy, including manufacturing, away from existing practices, to practices that emit less CO2 per unit of economic output,” Anderson explained. For the beet processing sector, that would equate to less CO2 per ton of sugar produced. he sugarbeet processing sector is at risk for this primary reason: About 90% of U.S. beet processing factories are coal-fired. That’s in sharp contrast to the domestic sugarcane industry, where most cane mills use large quantities of bagasse — a cane byproduct — to fuel their boilers. Compared to an industry like electricity generation, the amount of CO2 emitted by the nation’s sugarbeet factories is very small. (See chart at left.) The combined beet processing sector emits about 4.3 million metric tons per year — roughly the same as a single medium-sized (600 megawatt) coalfired power station, Anderson noted. But because beet factories fall into the “covered” industry category, they must surrender allowances (a type of “getout-of-jail-free card”) to EPA equal to the volume of their on-site emissions. The picture gets quite complicated, with different “allowance prices” depending on whether an industry is considered EITE (energy-intensive and trade-exposed) — which sugar is. The bottom line is this: The beet sugar processing sector’s cost of complying with legislation passed by the U.S. House

Source: EPA & EIA Data

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

Below: This chart shows the estimated costs sugarbeet processors could be expected to incur under provisions of the Kerry-Boxer bill that has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. Under the “no international” allowance-price scenario, the annual cost would be about $30 million in 2014, rising to nearly $125 million as of 2025. It’s based on U.S. sugarbeet factories, as a group, emitting about 4.3 million metric tons of C02 annually. The scenario under the Waxman-Markey bill, which has passed the U.S. House, is fairly similar.

Projected Cost Impact to Beet Sugar Processors of Cap & Trade Surcharge 5.0

$140

Sector Emissions

4.5

$120

Million Metric Tons CO2

4.0 $100

Rebate Allowances

3.5

3.0

$80

2.5

2.0

Cost of Purchased Allowances

"No International" Allowance Price

$60

1.5

he sugarbeet industry is not rolling over and waiting for the axe to fall as Congress continues its deliberations of climate change legislation. It is working with similarly affected ag industries to make sure its concerns are heard in Congress. (See Luther Markwart’s comments on page 14.) Noting that no legislative package has yet come out of Congress, “this is still a good time for your industry to be work-

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

Millions $ (2007)

last June — the Waxman-Markey bill — would start out at around $20 million in 2014 and rise to about $80 million annually by 2025. Under less-optimistic assumptions regarding the price of emission allowances (the “get-out-ofjail-free card”), those costs would start at about $30 million in 2014 and end up at about $125 million by 2025. Meanwhile, the sugarcane industry’s cost for compliance would be much less (due to its use of bagasse) — thus placing the beet sector at a severe competitive disadvantage. Should such legislation be passed, “it [basically amounts to] a 10-year orderly shutdown of your industry,” Anderson stated. “After ‘free allowances’ disappear, it would become extremely difficult for beets to compete with cane.”

$40

1.0

EIA "Basic" Allowance Price $20

0.5

0.0 2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

$0 2025

Source: VanNess Feldman

ing on this issue,” Anderson stated. It’s also important for the sugarbeet industry to stay alert to state and regional climate programs, she added.

Examples are those developing for California, for a consortium of northeastern U.S. states, and the Midwest Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord. ■

Chaff Trails & N Applications Results from Year One of Idaho Strip-Tillage Study By Amber Moore, Don Morishita & Oliver Neher*

he introduction of strip tillage to sugarbeet production in southern Idaho has brought challenges as well as opportunities to local beet growers. One challenge is accounting for chaff (residue) trails left behind by combines. These trails create uneven distribution of residue throughout the field, which can be a challenge for ensuing crop production with strip tillage. Specifically, growers are concerned that the areas with little residue will be droughty and more susceptible to weed growth, while areas with heavy residue coverage may have more fertilizer and herbicide binding in the residue â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and more soil-borne disease pressure under a cooler, more-moist and higher-carbon soil environment. Another major hurdle in striptillage systems is nitrogen application. Because broadcast fertilizers can no longer be incorporated into the soil, growers have to either (1) broadcast nitrogen fertilizers and rely on irrigation to move the fertilizer into the soil, or (2) shank in (knifed or banded) the nitrogen fertilizer simultanuously during a spring strip tillage pass.

Surface-applying nitrogen fertilizers increases the potential for volatilization losses (conversion of fertilizer ammonium to ammonia gas) and binding with surface residues. Shanking is effective for avoiding these issues, but it may be costly for the grower to outfit tillage equipment for fertilizer applications. Using recommended fertilizer rates may also be problematic for shanking, as the concentrated band of nitrogen can potentially burn roots.

o address these concerns, we developed a study with varying amounts of barley residue cover, nitrogen application methods and applied nitrogen rates for sugarbeet production. Crop residue levels in this study ranged from 0.8 to 7.7 tons/ac. Nitrogen application methods used were: (1) broadcast granular urea fertilizer without incorporation; (2) shanked liquid urea-ammonium-nitrate (UAN) to a depth of 4.0 inches using strip-tillage equipment; and (3) no applied nitrogen. A four-row Strip Cat implement by Twin Diamond Industries was used for fertilizer application and seedbed preparation. Nitrogen application rates of 71 and 142 lbs N/ac were based on an application goal of 4.0 and 6.0 lbs of nitrogen per ton of beets.

* Amber Moore is extension soils specialist, Don Morishita is extension weed scientist, and Oliver Neher is extension sugarbeet specialist/plant pathologist at the University of Idaho-Twin Falls.

veraged across residue levels, beet yield did not increase significantly

Table 1. Yield, Beet Quality & Emergence Response of Sugarbeets Cultivated in a Strip-Tillage System / Kimberly, Idaho / 2009* N Appli. Method

N Rate

Soil N + Beet Est. Rec. Sugar Brei Emerg- Beet Wt. Applied N Yield Sugar Content Nitrate ence

Lbs/Ac

Control Broadcast

0 71 142

69 140 211

T/Ac

Lbs/Ac

ppm

25.8 25.0 25.8

7,248 6,780 6,989

15.9 15.6 15.4

56 86 120

55 45 31

Beet Count

Lbs/Beet Beets/Ac

6.8 7.4 8.3

7,792 6,814 6,174

7,248 15.9 56 55 6.8 7,792 0 69 25.8 9,109 15.7 69 60 9.3 7,275 71 140 32.9 Shank 7,301 15.3 142 57 8.6 7,065 142 211 27.2 * Data are averaged over residue levels ranging from 0.8 to 7.7 tons per acre. Control

with added broadcast urea up to 142 lbs N/ac (Table 1). However, emergence and beet count decreased significantly while beet weight trended higher with increasing broadcast urea rates â&#x20AC;&#x201D; suggesting that seed burn caused by contact with granular urea prevented seed germination. The surviving plants in the broadcast urea plots increased in beet weight with higher fertilizer rates, suggesting that if the seeds can make it past germination, they do very well. Plants receiving 71 lbs N/ac as shanked UAN increased in yield from 25.8 to 32.9 tons/ac. However, yields decreased to 27.2 tons when rates were increased to 142 lbs N/ac (Table 1). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely the concentrated UAN in the soil is burning the roots of the plant, thus lowering beet counts and beet weights. Excluding controls, stunting rates also were highest for the high-shank N treatment (data not shown). Sugar content was not affected by application method, but it did drop significantly as nitrogen rates increased (Table 1). Increasing residue levels from 0.8 to 7.7 tons/ac decreased beet yields for broadcast urea treatments and the 142lb N/ac rate for shanked UAN; however, yields increased slightly for the 71-lb N/ac rate with increasing residue (data not shown). For the broadcast treatment, it is likely the higher carbon amount in the residue would immobilize the surface-applied N. The cause of the contrasting yield responses for the shanked low- and high-N treatments has not yet been determined . At a depth of 0-12 inches, soil bulk density did not appear to be affected by residue level. This was expected, as tillage effects often take several years before impacting soil density. Gravimetric and volumetric soil moisture content trended 1% higher in mid-April for high-residue plots (3.9-7.7 tons/ac) compared to low-residue plots (0.77-1.71 tons/ac), but showed no effect in mid-October. This suggests that greater residue cover prevents some evaporation of soil water earlier in the season, likely prior to row closure. At the 3.0-inch depth, maximum soil temperatures appeared to decrease from 83 to 81 degrees and minimum temperatures increased from 44 to 46 with increasing residue levels (0.8-7.7 tons/ac), indicating that greater residue coverage has a buffering effect on soil temperature. Average soil temp did not appear to change with residue level. o stand reduction or root diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens were observed during the growing sea-

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

son. The absence of soil-borne pathogens was probably related to water management. The plots were irrigated at optimum levels and not over-irrigated, which would have increased disease potential. Also, no effects of residue levels and weed densities in regard to increased pathogen pressure or disease occurrence were observed. Seedling emergence was uneven and stretched out over multiple weeks, and was probably more related to the shank treatment than to soil-borne pathogens or residue levels. As noted, the plots were strip tilled when the soil was wetter than it should have been. This sometimes left a visible crack in the soil three to four inches deep, where some of the seeds were deposited during planting. eed control was not significantly affected by crop residue level, nitrogen rate or application method (broadcast versus shanked). Evaluated weed species included common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, kochia, common mallow, annual sowthistle, green foxtail and barnyardgrass. The study area was overseeded in late fall with Russian thistle, hairy nightshade and all of the species previously mentioned (with the exception of annual sowthistle and common mallow). Though the study site was sprayed with glyphosate in the fall to control volunteer wheat, common mallow that had survived through the summer was not controlled, and we anticipated problems controlling this weed the following spring. Glyphosate was applied three times at 22 fl oz/ac (0.75 lb ae/A) with ammonium sulfate at 17 lbs/100 gallons of spray mixture (3.5 lbs/ac). The first glyphosate application was made on May 23 when the crop was in the twoleaf stage. Subsequent applications were made June 3 and June 30. Weed seedling emergence was counted on June 23 to see if any differences in weed populations by species and density could be seen among the crop residue levels and nitrogen application rates and methods. The only differences observed in weed seedling emergence was with redroot pigweed, i.e., redroot pigweed densities were higher in the low-straw-residue treatments compared to the high-residue treatments.

Write Field

By David Kragnes

lans are underway to repeat this study again in 2010 to further evaluate the interactions between residue cover and nitrogen application in a ■ strip-till system.

THE SUGARBEET GROWER March 2010

Put A Farmer In Charge just can’t hold back any longer. I need to weigh in on the health care debate. Right there is a large part of the problem: They aren’t debating healthcare. Congress is only arguing about who will pay the bill. No, I admit I haven’t read the 2,000 pages, but the news is only about the bitter posturing. Let me go back 20 years for a moment. I had taken the family to Florida. We went to an alligator farm to see the show. At the end, a member of the audience asked, “Weren’t alligators almost extinct? What happened to make this great comeback?” The show man said, “We let farmers start raising them. American farmers will overproduce anything.” So I come back to my premise: Stop all the biting and snapping and put some farmers in charge. We will produce so much health care the price will drop to a point where anyone can afford it. In the time it takes to get a “crop” through med school, we would have so many heart surgeons we’d be trucking semi loads of them around the country, looking for extra storage. Outdoor sporting events would get H1N1 vaccinations

from a spray plane. There would be vasectomy futures trading on the Chicago Board of Trade. The only downside might be if we let some big company start GMOing our kids to resist cancer. Wait, that will take some extra thought. n another note, I hope many of you come to the International Sugarbeet Institute and stop by the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Museum booth. Syngenta Seeds/Hilleshög has agreed to help us out with a fun project. For a donation of $20 to the Sugarbeet Museum, you can pose for a multi-generation picture that will in turn be professionally printed for you, along with my poem, “Farmin’ With My Dad.” Bring dad, grandpa and the kids. Just a reminder, by the way: The 2010 International Sugarbeet Institute takes place on Wednesday and Thursday, March 17 and 18 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D. ■

David Kragnes farms near Felton, Minn. He is a former chairman of American Crystal Sugar Co., and currently serves on the board of directors of CoBank.