Corn tab 2014

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014

A SPECIAL AG SUPPLEMENT • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26

INSIDE: This section looks at corn’s impact and issues related to growing corn.

Area options for corn grown in North Iowa, see C3.

It’s a sweet deal on this farm, see C5.

Salute to Corn 2014 &

C2 ✦ Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 Britt News Tribune • Forest city summit A Salute to Corn

Bt-resistant corn rootworm a worry evolved resistance to these transgenic technologies have been found in Iowa and other Corn Belt states.

Sixty-nine percent of AMES — I owa farmers are farmers responding to well aware that populathe 2013 Iowa Farm and tions of Bt-resistant corn rootworm have been found Rural Life Poll indicated in the state, and more than that they were aware that half are concerned that the populations of Bt-resistant corn rootworm had been pest will become a major found in Iowa. Fifty-three problem here, according to the 2013 Iowa Farm and percent were concerned that Bt-resistant corn Rural Life Poll. rootworm would become a “We wanted to betmajor problem in the state, ter understand farmers’ Arbuckle said. perspectives on the threat Thirty-eight percent of Bt-resistant corn rootof farmers said they had worms and various manpercent indicated that they changed their approach agement practices,” said don’t comply, and 31 perto rootworm manageJ. Gordon Arbuckle Jr., a cent indicated they didn’t sociologist with Iowa State ment during the past five know,” Arbuckle said. years, and 77 percent of University Extension and “We also asked farmthose who planned to plant Outreach. Arbuckle coers whether they had directs the annual poll with corn in 2013 reported that used particular practices they would use a rootPaul Lasley, also an ISU to reduce the risk of corn worm-resistant variety, Extension and Outreach rootworm larvae damage to Arbuckle said. sociologist. corn plants, and how effecOne method for mainThe questions were taining rootworm suscep- tive the practices were,” developed in partnership Arbuckle said. tibility to Bt toxins is to with the ISU Department Ninety-three percent of of Entomology. Only farm- establish “refuge” areas farmers said they rotated of corn plants that do not ers who planted corn, express Bt genes. If farmers corn and soybeans, and 86 soybeans or other row percent planted rootwormdo not follow the refuge crops in 2012 were asked resistant corn. These two recommendations, rootthese questions, Arbuckle most commonly used said. The survey data were worms can rapidly evolve strategies for preventing resistance to Bt. collected in February and injury to corn by rootworm “We asked farmers March of 2013. larvae were also rated as whether other farmers in “Corn rootworm is their area generally comply either effective or very becoming a more promieffective by more than with refuge requirements. nent issue for Iowa corn 80 percent of farmers, Sixty-three percent growers. We’ve seen perArbuckle said. reported that farmers in formance problems with “The single most their area comply, seven Bt traits in continuous cornfields since 2009,” said Erin Hodgson, an associate professor and extension entomologist who was part of the research team.

Bt corn has been genetically modified to express genes from Bacillus Britt 641-843-3813 thuringiensis (Bt). Farmers Leland 641-567-3321 plant this type of corn to prevent injury by larvae of Thompson 641-584-2271 the western corn rootworm in the Midwest. However, Rake 641-566-3351 western corn rootworm populations that have

Bt-resistant corn rootworm, the 2013 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll asked for farmers’ opinions on climate change, rented land, herbicide resistant weeds, and soil health and compaction.

The 2013 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll summary report (PM 3061) and previous Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll summary and topical reports are available to download from the ISU Extension and Outreach Online Store,https://store. extension.iastate.edu/, and

From Iowa State University Extension

effective thing farmers can do to manage corn rootworm is to rotate away from corn. Planting soybeans, alfalfa or any other crop will starve corn rootworm larvae,” entomologist Erin Hodgson said. “We strongly encourage farmers to assess root injury in every cornfield, every year. Looking for rootworm feeding is an important step in evaluating Bt efficacy.”

About the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll Arbuckle said 1,209

farmers participated in the 2013 Farm Poll and on average they were 65 years old. Because the Farm Poll is a panel survey, in which the same farmers participate in multiple years, participants are somewhat older on average than the general farmer population. Fifty-two percent earned more than half of their income from farming, while an additional 17 percent earned between 26 and 50 percent of their household income from the farm operation.

In addition to

Extension Sociology, http://www.soc.iastate. edu/extension/ifrlp/about. html.

Conducted every year since its establishment in 1982, the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll is the longest-running survey of its kind in the nation. ISU Extension and Outreach, the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the Iowa Agricultural Statistics Service are all partners in the Farm Poll effort.

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Britt News Tribune • Forest city summit Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 ✦ C3 A Salute to Corn

Locally grown corn has local market options Broesder and Allen said.

Broesder said about Much of the corn grown 45 percent of his corn in the area stays in the area goes to ethanol plants in although the final destina- the region.

Farmer’s Cooperative tion varies. sell grain mainly to ethanol Roger Allen of the plants in Hanlontown and MaxYield Cooperative Lakota, Broesder said. branch in Britt most The cooperative also of the corn hauled this sells about 10 percent of year to Britt went to the its corn via the railroad to Christensen Farms Mill markets outside the region near Thompson. and most of that goes to “That’s where 90 perethanol plants, Broesder. cent of our corn went this “Ethanol plants are still year,” Allen said.

The Farmer’s Coopera- our biggest market,” Broesder said of the local martive Association elevators kets and those in eastern in Kiester and Forest City Iowa or western Illinois. also sent a lot of grain to MaxYield sells to ethanol the Christensen Feed Mill, plants in the region includgeneral manager Randy ing Hanlontown, Lakota, Broesder said. but also Mason City and “About 25 to 30 perGoldfield, Allen said. cent,” Broesder said.

Allen and Broesder said The facilities in Kiester local markets are imporand Forest receive about tant to the farmers and 7 million bushels of corn the elevators. in an average year, Broes“They are very critical,” der said.

MaxYield handles about Allen said. “It gives us beta 1 million bushels of corn a ter (prices). It helps out our local farmers.” year, Allen said.

“Local markets are Ethanol plants in the very important,” Broesder region are also more local said. “Just the ethanol market for area corn, Rae Yost

2014 Salute to Corn‌

and the demand and fuel usage helps.”

Broesder said the corn prices would have been lower this past year and now, if not for the ethanol and overall local market.

“The exports weren’t real good this year,” Broesder said.

The 2013 weather and field conditions caused much less corn to be planted and reduced the yields of much that had been planted in the Farmer’s Cooperative service area. Broesder said the facilities handled about 4.5 million bushels of corn this year.

The MaxYield service area faired better than some other areas, Allen said.

“There was a lot more corn out there than (we) thought,” Allen said.

Farmers had yields that were 18 to 20 percent lower than in an average year, Allen said.

“It wasn’t like it was a bin buster harvest,” Allen said. But, it wasn’t as bad as expected, he said.

Facts about ethanol’s impact on the economy Ethanol production is a domestic energy industry, creating jobs and economic vitality all across America—especially in rural areas of the nation.

In 2012, the U.S. ethanol industry helped support nearly 400,000 jobs.

Ethanol contributed $43.4 billion to the Gross Domestic Product and added $30.2 billion to household income.

This generated $8.5 billion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments.

From the National Corn Growers Association

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A combine is ready to harvest corn in the fall of 2013. There are several local options for corn grown in the area.

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C4 ✦ Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 Britt News Tribune • Forest city summit A Salute to Corn

Association offers tips on insect management From the National Corn Growers Association

Insect Resistance Management Crops with a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) trait have been modified to produce a protein that is toxic to various forms of insect larvae. Bt proteins are used as topical sprays in conventional and organic agriculture because they are effective and can be used safely.

Crops that are genetically engineered to carry the Bt trait allow growers to protect their crops while eliminating or reducing the amount of pesticides sprayed.

The best way for growers to preserve the benefits and insect protection of Bt technology is to incorporate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and to develop and implement Insect Resistance Management (IRM).

The IRM plan is used to decrease the possibility of

an insect developing the ability to survive pesticide application or the ingestion of transgenic crops containing the Bt trait.

Every grower of Bt corn products must comply with licensing terms and must have an IRM plan.

Integrated Pest Management Practices Growers of Bt corn have found them to be highly compatible with their goals of IPM and sustainable agriculture. Growers can enrich the sustainability of their corn agricultural systems by following suggested IPM practices, including cultural and biological control tactics, and proper use of pest thresholds and sampling. These measures are not only important for non-Bt refuge acres, but are equally important for detecting and controlling nontarget pests that exceed established thresholds on Bt crops. Recommended IPM practices commonly adopted by growers of Bt

crops include: • Employing regular, appropriate scouting techniques and treatment decisions, especially during periods of heavy or sustained pest manifestation.

• Consulting a local crop advisor or extension specialist for the most up-to-date pest control information.

• Selecting insecticide actions that have minimal negative impact on beneficial insects, which are conserved by Bt-protected crops and contribute to

insect pest control.

• Selecting cultivars well-adapted to their local ecology and giving appropriate attention to the impact of crop maturity and timing of harvest on pest severity.

• Using recommended cultural control methods to reduce pest overwintering, such as crop rotation and other soil management practices.

Insect Resistance Management Plans The goal of an IRM plan is to decrease the

probability of an insect developing the ability to survive a pesticide application, and a key component of any IRM plan is planting a refuge.

A refuge is simply a block or strip of the same crop that does not contain a Bt trait.

The lack of exposure to the Bt protein in refuges means that there will be vulnerable insects nearby to mate with any rare resistant insects that may emerge from the biotech crop.

To help reduce the risk of insects developing resistance, the refuge should be planted with a similar hybrid/variety, close to, and at the same time as, the crop containing Bt technologies.

Refuges are required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when planting Bt products. Here is the quick look at refuge/refuge requirements: • Refuges can be planted in a variety of

patterns, from strips within the field or in an adjacent field.

• Refuge requirements vary depending on the Bt crop being planted and region of the country.

• The percentage of refuge acres varies based on specific geography, but historically the required refuge for Bt corn has been 20 percent in Canada and the U.S. Corn Belt.

• Products that contain multi Bt traits present a lower risk of resistance and have lower refuge requirements.

• In order to help ensure compliance, growers can try the new IRM Refuge Calculator.

It’s a tool designed for growers to help illustrate the appropriate refuge calculation, the quantity of standard seed bags to purchase for both trait and refuge and possible planting configurations for planting certain corn products in the United States.

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Britt News Tribune • Forest city summit Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 ✦ C5 A Salute to Corn

Jake’s Sweet Corn in Thompson reaches the masses staggered throughout the spring on five to six separate occasions.

“The reason behind that THOMPSON - What was once an FFA class project is is to spread out the harvest now a full-fledged business. throughout the summer so it’s not all ready at one Jason Wirth, the owner and founder of Jake’s Sweet time,” Wirth said.

An ideal year for growCorn in Thompson, started selling his well-recognized ing sweet corn is a warm product in high school and spring, timely rains and a year with a lot of sunlight. has gradually expanded Weather will ultimately his market-share over the help with the size of the ear course of 27 years. and overall quality.

“Each year we just Taste is a function of the gained a little more,” he said. “We just kept adding a variety itself, the timing of the picking and how fresh few acres.”

Back at Thompson High it is. Wirth typically plants 10 to 12 different varieties of School Wirth coined his sweet corn. business “Jake’s” after a “Taste is important,” nickname friends called him by. When thinking of a Wirth said. “People also like to see a big ear of corn.” name for his business, the After months of growmoniker was selected and ing, the corn is finally ready has stuck ever since. to be harvested. Wirth and “It was just a catchy name and we went with it,” his crew of high school and college-aged employees he said. harvest all of the fields Wirth has learned a lot of valuable lessons over the by hand.

“We have two tractors years about how to raise tasty sweet corn and how to with expanded buckets and the employees will run the business. But, the core of the process remains pick the corn, throw ears in the bucket and the bucket growing the summerdumps the ears in a trailer,” time treat.

Wirth said. “It’s mainly Planting season begins local kids and they work just before field corn is sowed in the ground. Other for an hour or two for 30 to 40 days.” planting dates are then Sam Jefson

2014 Salute To Corn‌

Photo provided, Jake’s Sweet Corn

Employees of Jake’s Sweet Corn hand pick up to 420,000 ears of sweet corn every year.

Employees pick corn rain or shine. In a typical year, the group will pick up to 420,000 ears of sweet corn.

Before combines began to harvest corn, national field corn picking contests were held throughout the country drawing thousands of spectators. Today, if a similar contest was held, some of the employees Wirth hires would be contenders in such a contest.

“Some of the kids have helped more than seven years and they get pretty efficient at it,” he said. “By the end of the season, it’s amazing how fast they can work through the fields.”

Corn is taken from the field directly to grocery stores all over Iowa and Southern Minnesota. Corn is transported to stores in the towns of Mankato, Minn., New Ulm, Minn., Spencer, Spirit Lake, Estherville, Ames, Boone, Nevada and many throughout North Iowa. Visits are made to each grocery store three times a week to ensure fresh delivery of the sweet corn.

“People get pretty excited when it’s ready,” Wirth said. “We basically deliver every other day to grocery stores to keep it as fresh as we can.”

Grocery stores in our area experience the same excitement.

“Customers wait for the sweet corn and ask when it’s coming,” said Jackie Lunning of the Bill’s Family Foods produce department.

“People always look for freshness and quality and with Jake’s that’s something they always get.”

Deb Carmody, the produce manager at the Britt Food Center, sees a similar amount of customer support.

“I have been in the produce department six years

and whenever a fresh batch comes in, a couple hours later, it’s gone,” she said.

Wirth takes a sense of accomplishment

from the support his product receives and contributing to many summer memories.

“It’s fun to raise

something people are excited to have,” Wirth said.

“Receiving compliments about your product is always rewarding.”

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C6 ✦ Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 Britt News Tribune • Forest city summit A Salute to Corn

ISU researchers use new way to measure nitrate in soil “There are a lot of steps up that ladder before we’d have any hope of commercialization. The AMES - A team of Iowa breakthrough here is that State University scientists no one has been able to have measured nitrate in come up with a plausible soil with a unique infrared tool for effectively measursensor system opening the ing nitrate in the field,” possibility of determining the level of this vital nutri- said David Laird, a profesent in real time as fertilizer sor of agronomy. He and McClelland did the work is being applied to fields. with Roger Jones, a research “We were actually scientist with the Roy J. surprised that we could Carver Department of get in the parts per milBiochemistry, Biophysics lion range with the soil and Molecular Biology and moving past the analyzer,” Ames Laboratory-USDOE said John McClelland, a and Sam Rathke, an agronresearch scientist with the omy research associate.

Roy J. Carver Department Laird emphasized that of Biochemistry, Biophysnitrate was measured as ics and Molecular Biology and Ames Laboratory-U.S. opposed to total nitrogen.

He said nitrate meaDepartment of Energy. surement is especially The team used a techimportant because it is the nology, invented at Ames Laboratory, called transient dominant available form of nitrogen for growing infrared spectroscopy crops, but is very mobile in (TIRS) to measure nitrate the soil. in soil and then compared “Agricultural soils in those values to ones Iowa are leaky; that’s why obtained using traditional we have so much nitrate soil testing. TIRS works by going down the Mississippi measuring light emissions and contributing to the in the infrared spectrum after hot air is applied to the zone of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico,” he said. “One surface of the moving soil.

The research was published of the best ways to improve in the journal Applied Spec- nitrogen use efficiency in agricultural production is to troscopy. spoon-feed nitrogen to the The research team crop while it is growing. To stressed that this was a do this, you need to be able preliminary study in the to diagnose what the situlab and many steps are necessary before a possible ation is at the critical time; does the crop need more commercial tester could nitrogen or not.” be available.

From Iowa State University

Some technologies propose determining nitrogen needs by analyzing the color of the growing crop’s canopy. Laird said that approach is complicated by alternative reasons the canopy could start to yellow or not have the right colors, such as disease or environmental conditions.

Another advantage to this technology is the ability to quickly determine the “spatial variability” of nitrate, in which one part of the field may have more than enough nitrogen, and another part of the field may be deficient.

“The late spring nitrate test can do that, but it takes an army of people with soil probes to gather samples, which then have to be analyzed in the lab,” said Laird.

“If you could short-circuit all of that using a spectroscopic technique, that allows us in real time to assess the current status of the soil’s nitrate level, it would greatly benefit precision nitrogen

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management.”

McClelland said the next step for the research is to test several soil types to see if they are able to obtain the same quality of data, and would help simulate field conditions because soil types vary continuously.

The initial tests in the lab were on one type of soil that was placed on a disc that rotated under the analyzer’s probe.

“If we get good results on additional soil samples that would be impetus to go on and get funding to go on beyond that,” he said.

If the research progresses to field tests, McClelland said it should be feasible to design a cost effective tool that just looks at the necessary wavelengths instead of the more expensive test machine they used. He has been in touch with French researchers who are working on commercializing a smaller, more compact detector.

Laird said a field model

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Britt News Tribune • Forest city summit Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 ✦ C7 A Salute to Corn

March 22: National Corndog Day perfect excuse to catch up with friends and family.

This year National Corndog Day is March 22.

Load ‘em up! Watch For all you amateur bas‘em fall! National Cornketball lovers, this pardog Day 2014 is coming ticular day is significant March 22! Just like our forefathers before us, har- because it is the one day vesting corndogs straight a year that a quadrupleheader of tournament from the misty, golden action is broadcast live hillsides out west, so to do we rise up at the crack nationally. Think about it, 7-8 hours of outstanding of dawn to prepare for a hoops from start to finish, full day of haulin’ cornwithout ever having to dogs from the kitchen to change the channel. Such the couch. It’s time once an occasion deserves a again for one of amateur basketball’s most revered unique way to celebrate. days, and your taste buds Join us and pay homage by catching up with friends, most anticipated! This enjoying a few laughs, and year marks the 22nd most importantly, enjoyannual celebration of ing a steady diet of cornAmerica’s finest pairing dogs! Lots of corndogs…. of sporting and gastroIt is with great hope nomic achievement. that this website will A corndog is a hotdog bring much enthusiasm wrapped in a cornand assist our efforts to meal batter. further promote National As most of you know by now, National Corndog Corndog Day. Please tell your friends about it, and Day is the ultimate celebration of America’s love help promote what may of basketball and meats on become America’s favorite sticks. Additionally, it’s a new holiday.

From the National Corndog Day website

2014 Salute to Corn

Corn growers learn from others viticulturist to learn The team also visited what the wine industry Driscoll’s, the largest is doing to become more berry producer in the country. They toured their sustainable. He spoke The National Corn breeding facilities in Wat- about the “Sustainability Growers Association’s sonville and a strawberry In Practice” (SIP Program) Research and Business field in nearby Prunedale. that started 15 years ago to Development Action implement standards for Team recently met in Cal- The discussions with farm and human resource ifornia to discuss research breeders involved the sustainability. genetic and production program topics that deal Participants included with genomics, genotyp- improvements that have Tom Mueller, chairman, of made blackberries a ing, phenotyping and sustainability. In addition year-round crop and how Illinois; Larry Hoffmann, vice chairman, of North production shifts in difto program updates, the Dakota; Bob Bowman, team toured local produce ferent growing areas has Corn Board liaison, of allowed them meet the operations.

Iowa; Paul Herringshaw demand for fresh fruit.

“It is important for of Ohio; Phillip Gordon of Particularly interestcorn producers to learn Michigan; Wayne Huming to the team was how how other crops are phreys of Iowa; Dennis Driscoll’s contracts with addressing sustainabilfarmers who license their Maple of Indiana; Scott ity and what practices Sperry of South Dakota; seed and seedlings, who and programs work for them,” said Tom Mueller, then sell their berries only Bob Timmons of Kansas, Dean Eppley of Indiana; to Driscoll’s.

Research and DevelopThe final tour included Kyle Phillips of Iowa; ment Action Team ChairBruce Rohwer of Iowa; man. “It is vitally impor- a presentation by a tant that different sectors of agriculture communicate and work together to improve our production in a sustainable manner.”

The team visited the USDA research station in Salinas and saw a presenMore than 300 unique, high-yielding products tation by vegetable breeders about how they identify and address production problems. During the discussion period, team members inquired about what role vegetable checkoff programs play in identifying breeding targets and funding research, and the environmental, safety and water regulations that produce farmers face.

From the National Corn Growers Association

Chad Willis of Minnesota, Gregory LaPlante, state staff representative of North Dakota; and Melanie Batalis, Indiana Corn Growers Association program manager of new uses. NCGA staff serving the team and present for the meeting were Rick Vierling, director of research and new uses; Ethan Mathews, director of public policy; Susan Powers, communications manager and Sandra Wright, administrative assistant, production and utilization.

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C8 ✦ Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014 Britt News Tribune • Forest city summit A Salute to Corn

American Ethanol enhances partnership with NASCAR driver while revitalizing rural economies across America and save consumers at the pump,” said Tom Buis, American Ethanol is CEO of Growth Energy. enhancing its partnership American Ethanol will with Richard Childress also serve as a major assoRacing and driver Austin ciate sponsor for Dillon’s Dillon for the 2014 NASNo. 3 Chevrolet for the full CAR season. Beginning 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix Series season joining Dow, Cheerios, Realtree OutInternational Raceway on doors, Bass Pro Shops and March 2, Dillon will race the No. 3 American Ethanol the University of NorthChevrolet SS in select races western Ohio.

“Homegrown biofuels during the 2014 season.

“We want to show consumers coast-to-coast there is a great alternative to imported oil and our association with NASCAR and RCR is doing that extremely well,” said Jon Holzfaster, a Paxton, Neb., farmer and chairman of the National Corn Growers Association’s NASCAR Advisory Committee.

“Ethanol is also responsible for bringing a rural renaissance from Main Street to the family farm.”

American Ethanol, launched by Growth Energy and the National Corn Growers Association along with the support of other partners, is a breakthrough brand that seeks to expand consumer awareness of the benefits of ethanol and E15. Since the program launch for the 2011 season, NASCAR drivers have run more than 5 million miles on renewable Sunoco Green E15.

“American Ethanol is extremely pleased to once again partner with Austin Dillon, Richard Childress and the entire RCR team to help promote a sustainable homegrown American fuel that is better for our environment, reduces our dependence on foreign oil and creates jobs right here in the U.S., From the National Corn Growers Association

like American Ethanol have stepped up to help our nation’s economy, and are proving to be a better fuel,” said Dillon. “NASCAR drivers have run more than 5 million competitive miles on Sunoco Green E15 and I know we will reach even more milestones together.

I am proud to wear the American Ethanol colors in NASCAR and I hope I can bring them to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2014.”

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