Iowa Soybean Review | September 2023

September 2023

MAINTAINING OUR REPUTATION TO DELIVER

Whether shipping by river, road or rail, the soy checkoff is committed to ensuring America’s infrastructure is a significant advantage for U.S. soybean farmers. We’re looking inside the bean, beyond the bushel and around the world to keep preference for U.S. soy strong. And it’s helping make a valuable impact for soybean farmers like you.

See more ways the soy checkoff is maximizing profit opportunities for soybean farmers at unitedsoybean.org

President Randy Miller, Lacona | D8

President-Elect

Suzanne Shirbroun, Farmersburg | D3

Secretary

Jeff Frank, Auburn | D4

Treasurer

Brent Swart, Spencer | D1

At-Large Director

Tom Adam, Harper | D9

Board of Directors

Chuck White, Spencer | D1

April Hemmes, Hampton | D2

Rick Juchems, Plainfield | D3

Marty Danzer, Carroll | D4

Morey Hill, Madrid | D5

Dave Struthers, Collins | D5

Robb Ewoldt, Davenport | D6

Dave Walton, Wilton | D6

Scot Bailey, Anita | D7

Lee Brooke, Clarinda | D7

Warren Bachman, Osceola | D8

Pat Swanson, Ottumwa | D9

Tim Bardole, Rippey | At Large

Steph Essick, Dickens | At Large

Lindsay Greiner, Keota | At Large

Brent Renner, Klemme | At Large

American Soybean Association

Board of Directors

Steph Essick, Dickens

Wayne Fredericks, Osage

Morey Hill, Madrid

Jeff Jorgenson, Sidney

Pat Swanson, Ottumwa

Dave Walton, Wilton

United Soybean Board of Directors

Tim Bardole, Rippey

Robb Ewoldt, Davenport

Lindsay Greiner, Keota

April Hemmes, Hampton

Brent Renner, Klemme

Staff Credits

Editor | Bethany Baratta

CO of Strategy & Brand Management | Aaron Putze, APR

Photographer | Joclyn Bushman

Communications Specialist | Joseph Hopper

Creative Design Coordinator | Susan Langman

Writer | Jeff Hutton

Writer | Kriss Nelson

Public Relations Manager | Brock Johnston

Iowa Soybean Review is published monthly by: Iowa Soybean Association 1255 SW Prairie Trail Parkway, Ankeny, Iowa 50023 (515) 251-8640 | iasoybeans.com

E-mail: bbaratta@iasoybeans.com

For advertising information contact Bethany Baratta at (515) 334-1020 or bbaratta@iasoybeans.com.

Comments and statewide news articles should be sent to the above address. Advertising space reservations must be made two months preceding publication. In consideration of the acceptance of the advertisement, the agency and the advertiser must, in respect of the contents of the advertisement, indemnify and save the publisher harmless against any expense arising from claims or actions against the publisher because of the publication of the content of the advertisement.

SEPTEMBER 2023 | Vol. 35, No. 12

8

Price Sells Soybeans

Farmers assure Chilean customers of soybean availability during trade mission.

14 Connecting Farms to Markets

A look at the infrastructure that connects U.S. soy to the world.

18 Soy Priorities on Capitol Hill

Farmers in the Iowa-Missouri Policy Leaders Fellowship made their voices heard on Capitol Hill on a host of issues, including the 2023 Farm Bill and crop insurance.

22 Improving Manure Management

ISA Research Agronomist Scott Nelson provides details on ISA’s manure research.

On the Cover

The Port of Blencoe, situated on the Missouri River, offers an opportunity for soybean farmers to reach global customers. Investment of soybean checkoff dollars helped bring this opportunity to fruition.

Thirty years.

The number kept coming to mind as I walked the sidewalks and hallways of the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) campus earlier this summer. My son Grant, a senior at Waukee High School, made a campus visit to the school where I received my degree in public relations and communications in 1993.

Thirty years?

There’s nothing like accompanying your child on a college visit to your alma mater to make you acutely aware that you’re a lot closer to age 80 than 18.

Traversing UNI’s classrooms, dorms, dining centers and green spaces was a trip down memory lane. While a few buildings had been razed and others renovated, a sense of familiarity quickly enveloped me. Before long, I was strolling campus as if I was again a student speeding to a class, student government meeting or the campus newspaper office to file my next story.

Familiarity is comforting and reassuring. But it’s got a downside, too. Spend too much reveling in the familiar and you risk becoming complacent.

Much like commencement, growth happens when you set sail for new horizons and continually test and challenge yourself and old ways of thinking.

Just like the soybean plant can add yield and protein when stressed, the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) is at its best when we’re dissatisfied with the status quo, see a need unmet or a

Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Aaron Putze, APR ISA Chief Officer, Strategy & Brand Management aputze@iasoybeans.com

problem to be solved. Examples include:

• Being a catalyst for the creation of the Midwest Research Collaborative, a regional approach to impacting policy acutely affecting Iowa and Midwest soybean farmers;

• Connecting the wants and needs of soybean buyers, processors and food manufacturers with the varieties of soybeans farmers plant to better focus production research while ramping up demand and sales (check out soybeanresearchcollab.com);

• Launching the Iowa Food & Family Project (iowafoodandfamily.com) in 2011 to proactively engage with food-minded consumers about modern agriculture. Fast forward 12 years, and the nationally recognized initiative is fulfilling that mission while connecting at least once monthly with an audience of more than 140,000 consumers;

• Being a founding member of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (supportfarmers.com). The organization, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, has directly assisted thousands of livestock farmers grow their farms successfully and responsibly, to the benefit of their families, communities and soybean demand;

• Standing firm on state and federal policy provisions to increase the growth of biodiesel production and demand; and

• Building new alliances to expand adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and generate additional revenue for farmers with the launch of the Soil & Water Outcomes Fund® (SWOF). Founded less than three years ago by ISA, SWOF is serving farmers in 13 states and enrolling more than a quarter million acres. Last year, SWOF’s average payment to enrolled farmers for environmental outcomes generated by on-farm conservation practices was $34 per acre (learn more at theoutcomesfund.com). ISA is respected nationally and internationally because we’re most comfortable being uncomfortable. It’s how you grow, provide the greatest ROI for the farmers you represent and live your brand promise of being “Driven to Deliver.”

“

When you’re uncomfortable, that’s when you learn something new about yourself.” Arca

You’re where the rubber meets the road. And the engine. And the interior.

All soybean farmers, including you, are busy replacing petroleum with your soy oil. How? By pooling your resources through your soy checkoff. Learn how your soy checkoff is bringing tangible returns back to you and your operation at unitedsoybean.org/hopper

Rural Route 2

Editor’s Note by Bethany

Baratta bbaratta@iasoybeans.com

No Shortcuts: Just Time, Effort and Investment

Search ‘life hacks’ using your favorite online browser and you’d be convinced that you can change or improve your life with tips, tricks and often frugal shortcuts.

In just a few steps, you can fashion a used bottle into a cord holder, transform a Pringles can into spaghetti noodle storage, and effortlessly peel a boiled egg.

These creative approaches might be shortcuts to get from one point to another, but real outcomes require time, effort and dollars.

The soybean industry is a shining example. Your checkoff investment produces valuable results in the areas of education, promotion and research. An independent study by Cornell University quantified the ROI at $12.34 in added value for every dollar invested in the checkoff. Education comes in many formats — it’s engaging with consumers locally and globally about the uses of soy in their diets and homes, for livestock, and a multitude of other purposes. Educational efforts, along with product innovation, routinely generate demand for soybeans and soybean products. The Iowa Soybean Review routinely shows how these conversations sell more soy — in the form of Goodyear tires, dust suppressant, tofu and soy-backed artificial turf. Soy checkoff investments

made toward demand-enhancing research and promotion returned an average value of $18.18.

We know that agriculture, especially, is a relationshipsbased business. Therefore, visiting customers where they are, meeting face-to-face in processing plants and boardrooms is vital in building trust and customer preference for U.S. soy. Every dollar spent by U.S. soybean farmers on international marketing generates $17.95 in value, the Cornell study found.

Checkoff dollars also support research that identifies solutions to on-farm challenges. By leveraging non-checkoff resources, Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI) tests hypotheses with on-farm trials. The RCFI team then takes the results and turns them into usable data for farmers (see Page 22-23 for examples). Your checkoff investment in production research, leveraged with support from industry and academic partners, returns an average value of $9.42.

There are no ‘hacks’ when it comes to the gains earned in soybean demand, sales and productivity. Only time, attention and investment. And few better examples exist than the ROI of your soybean checkoff.

Price Sells Soybeans During Trade Mission to Chile

STORY AND PHOTOS BY AARON PUTZE, APR

If you want the attention of a Chilean involved in meat and poultry production, tell them the U.S. will soon have larger quantities of soybean meal competitively priced and ready for export.

It was a message repeated often by Midwest soybean farmers. And the pitch was wellreceived by pork, chicken and poultry producers committed to feeding Chile’s 20 million people.

“More soybean crush for oil to make biofuels here in the U.S. means more soybean meal available for export,” says Suzanne Shirbroun. “And that supply will be priced to move.”

The northeast Iowa farmer and presidentelect of the Iowa Soybean Association shared the

bottom-line message during a weeklong trade mission in early June.

Representatives of Chile Carne, a federation representing the country’s poultry and pork producers, processors and exporters, were especially receptive to the pitch during a free-flowing conversation held at its offices in downtown Santiago, the country’s capital.

Anxious

In addition to keeping African Swine Fever at bay and increasing public support for construction of new farms, meat and poultry producers in Chile are continually anxious about accessing quality and affordable ingredients for livestock and poultry feed.

Known globally for its copper, wine, forestry and salmon production, Chile doesn’t grow a single bushel of soybeans.

“We’re a small country with no soy and just a little corn” says Juan Carlos Dominguez, Chile Carne’s executive president. “Imports of feedstock are critical.”

An engaging personality with a passion for Chilean agriculture, Dominguez didn’t hold back on the industry’s needs, starting with access to quality and affordable feedstuffs.

“It’s a huge challenge to produce poultry and pork without it, but thanks to U.S. farmers, we’re

Continued on Page 10

Soybean delegation (ISA President-elect Suzanne Shirbroun third from right) tour Port Panau, San Antonio, Chile. Constructed in 1915, the port is one of the region’s busiest, helping move soy, wheat and corn.

CHILE

Ag exports: salmon, forestry, fruit, poultry, wine and pork. Does not produce or process soybeans.

Santiago

San Antonio

Suzanne Shirbroun, ISA president-elect presenting to Chile Carne.

able to import the raw material and then export our meat to Canada and Asia,” he says.

Chile is a free trade country, shipping and receiving products from more than 60 countries, including the U.S. Combined, these economies comprise nearly 90% of global GDP and are home to 5.1 billion people.

“We buy raw material from abroad, transform it into protein, and then send it back into the market,” Dominguez says. “We’re always in motion depending on what works best for our country and customers.”

For example, Chile exports a massive amount of chicken wings to the U.S., especially in advance of the NFL’s big game held in February.

Last year, 70% of Chile’s pork production was shipped to major export hubs including China,

Korea, Japan, Columbia and Mexico. It also imported product from Brazil, U.S., Spain and Germany.

While Chile’s livestock and poultry producers welcome increased competition and lower prices for soybean meal, they are tense about the industry’s prospects for expansion.

Operation scuttled

Most of the industry’s red meat and poultry production is highly integrated. Chilean companies like AgroSuper and Ariztia are respected for their production success. But the construction of new farms and processing facilities are often the target of organized opposition.

A $500 million dollar facility proposed in a sparsely populated area in northern Chile was recently scuttled after opponents voiced concerns about increased traffic, dust, noise and odor.

“Even with all the investment made by the industry in the last 10 years, we have only been able to build one new production area within 300 kilometers of Santiago,” Dominguez concedes, adding that Chilean agriculture receives no government subsidies.

Gaining the necessary permits to expand existing facilities is even more onerous.

“Our past condemns us, but we are working, always trying to do better,” Dominguez adds.

Producers are equipping facilities with state-of-the-art manure and odor management technology, reducing water usage, and becoming more engaged in the communities they and their employees call home.

“ We’re a small country with no soy and just a little corn. Imports of feedstock are critical.”

Juan Carlos Dominguez, Chile Carne’s executive president

Suzanne Shirbroun, ISA president-elect visiting with a shopper at Jumbo Foods in Chile’s capital of Santiago. Jumbo Foods’ in-store sales of U.S. pork and beef continue to increase as shoppers see quality and value in the U.S. brand.

Soybeans being moved from vessel to trucks.

Pork and poultry account for nearly 90% of Chile’s meat exports valued at more than $1.5 billion. Almost 70% of Chilean’s poultry and 60% of its turkey production hits the Atlantic Ocean for voyages to the U.S., Mexico, and China.

Chile ranks 6th in global pork exports and 13th in poultry. Its primary soybean meal suppliers are Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay. U.S. and Midwest soybean farmers intend to change that.

Quality matters

Chile’s economy is the most vibrant in South America. This affluence combined with its ability to be a nimble and efficient trader make Chile an intriguing market opportunity for soybean farmers like Shirbroun.

“They’re not going to be a China or Mexico, but they are savvy buyers and ready traders,” she says. “And they see U.S. products and brands as high-quality.”

Chilean meat and poultry producers and the organizations that represent them are also key on improving their environmental and sustainability standings.

The U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol was launched in 2013. It provides customers of U.S. soy verification of the sustainability methods practiced by U.S. soybean farmers nationwide.

“They took note of our commitment to sustainability,” Shirbroun added. “That, combined with a more competitive price, bodes well for making more sales to Chile and other countries wanting a high-quality and reliable feedstock.”

Contact Aaron Putze at aputze@iasoybeans.com

U.S. sourced brisket and spare ribs at Curacaribs Smokehouse, rural Chile.

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It is approximately 1,000 miles from Iowa to southern Louisiana — the No.1 launching point for U.S. soybean exports. It is approximately 1,800 miles from Iowa to the Pacific Northwest — the second leading export region. The inherent dilemma confronting Iowa and U.S. soybean exports has not been the ability of farmers to produce a quality, robust crop, nor has it been a lack of demand for that crop. The dilemma has been — and continues to be — being able to cost-effectively and reliably connect that crop with our international customers despite the extraordinary distance to our coastal areas.

Given this distance from Iowa to our export regions, it is reasonable to consider why soybean farmers in Iowa and throughout the country are among the most international of entrepreneurs rather than local,

Connecting Supply with Demand

Mike Steenhoek Executive Director, Soy Transportation Coalition msteenhoek@iasoybeans.com

parochial, small business owners. The answer lies not only in the fact that farmers consistently grow what our customers demand, but they are also able to access a transportation system that effectively connects supply with demand. Without this connectivity provided by our system of roads and bridges, highways and interstates, freight railroads, inland waterways, and ports, a high percentage of what farmers grow will never be purchased by international customers.

To care about the export of soybeans requires one to care about the supply chain that facilitates it. For this reason the decision was made in 2007 by the Iowa Soybean Association and a number of other soybean farmer organizations to establish the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC). Funded by and led by soybean farmers, the

organization explores each link in the farmer supply chain and endeavors to make them more cost-effective and reliable. The STC continues to pursue opportunities to strengthen rural roads and bridges, increase truck efficiency, promote reliable rail service, and enhance investment in inland waterways and ports.

To be an effective organization, the STC needs to consistently have two individuals in mind — the farmer growing the soybeans and the customer purchasing them. Our transportation system can either facilitate or be an obstacle between those two individuals doing business with each other. The STC continues to be focused on any opportunity to streamline that connection for mutual benefit.

“

To be an effective organization, the STC needs to consistently have two individuals in mind — the farmer growing the soybeans and the customer purchasing them.”

Connecting the farm to the marketplace is an infrastructure that includes several bridges and inland waterway systems that are structurally deficient or outdated.

Here are the top three transportation infrastructures critical to Iowa agriculture.

No. 1: Rural bridges

Iowa may not be considered a water state where bridges are a large part of the transportation systems, but there are nearly 24,000 bridges, many of which are structurally deficient.

The issue is personal for Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) District 8 Director Warren Bachman, who farms on both sides of a bridge with a lower weight limit. This adds several miles to his commute with farm machinery.

“This adds to cost, time and efficiency,” says Bachman, who also serves as a director on the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) board. “Rather than being able to travel on a rock road with minimal traffic, I am

No. 2: Locks and dams

The United States’ inland water system has kept U.S. agriculture competitive globally.

“It has been a secret to our success,” says Steenhoek. “They were built in the 1930s, and although the Army Corp of Engineers does a commendable job at maintaining them, they are not as efficient as modern agriculture requires.”

forced to travel a state highway. That is putting me and the motoring public at risk.”

According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association Bridge Report, 19.3% of Iowa's 23,835 bridges are classified as structurally deficient, making Iowa No. 1 in the nation in that category.

“Rural roads and bridges are most relatable to farmers. It’s what they use,” says Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the STC. “If you don’t have an effective inventory of rural roads and bridges, it doesn’t matter what your rail or inland waterway conditions are; the product won’t get there. They are the first link in the supply chain.”

Each of the 4,604 bridges in Iowa considered structurally deficient has at least one key element in poor or worse condition.

Seven of the structurally deficient bridges are on the Interstate Highway System, according to report. A total of 99.6% percent of the structurally

BY KRISS NELSON

deficient bridges are not on the National Highway System, which includes the Interstate and other key roads linking major airports, ports, rail and truck terminals.

5,223 bridges are posted for load, which restricts the size and weight of vehicles crossing the structure.

The state has identified needed repairs on 15,025 bridges at an estimated cost of $3.7 billion.

The STC released the “Top 20 Innovations for Rural Bridge Replacement and Repair” report promoting more cost-effective approaches to replacing and repairing rural bridges without compromising safety.

The report features 10 concepts for replacing and 10 suggestions for repairing bridges that could result in 50% or more significant cost savings for rural counties.

“We’ve been promoting the report and doing a lot of outreach to counties in Iowa to encourage them to use this,” Steenhoek says.

Seven locks have been prioritized — five on the Mississippi River and two on the Illinois River.

A new 1,200-foot lock chamber is being constructed at Lock and Dam 25, located north of the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers near Winfield, Missouri.

Steenhoek says this bodes well for agriculture.

“This is good news, and it is because of longtime advocacy from

many in the agriculture and barge and towing industry,” says Steenhoek.

Funding was made available from the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act, but that type of funding isn’t always available, Steenhoek says.

“We don’t have those infrastructure bills get passed routinely,” he says. “It is not every day you have one of those massive pieces of legislation that funds infrastructure.”

One standard 15-BARGE TOW moves the equivalent volume of or 1,050 semi-trucks

BENEFITS of Inland Waterways Transportation

216 rail cars

EFFICIENT SUSTAINABLE

SAFE ECONOMICAL

CARBON FOOTPRINT among freight transportation modes

Iowa has 490 MILES of navigable inland waterways

154.2 21.2 15.6 Tons of CO2 per million ton-miles

INLAND WATERWAYS ARE:

An important part of our nation’s transportation supply chain

Vital to our country’s competitiveness and economic growth

A network of 12,000 miles of connecting waterways and 218 locks

Iowa is #19 in the nation of navigable inland waterways

101,000 Jobs

In 2018, Iowa’s ports, inland waterways and inland waterways-dependent industries supported: $5.2 Billion in personal income $8.2 Billion in Gross State Product

The use of inland waterways saves $7-$9 BILLION annually over the cost of other modes due to efficiency and low cost

3: PORTS 2: LOCKS AND DAMS 1: RURAL BRIDGES

No. 3: Ports

The Mississippi Gulf Region is a critical piece of America’s infrastructure; 60% of the United States’ soybean exports leave that area.

To remain efficient, these ports need additional dredging to deepen the channel and maintenance due to its susceptibility to low or high-water conditions and hurricanes.

In 2019, the United Soybean Board (USB) announced a $2 million allocation to help offset the planning, design and research cost of deepening the lower Mississippi River from 45 feet to 50 feet.

AGP is expanding its export terminal at the Port of Grays Harbor on Washington state’s Pacific Coast near Aberdeen in response to the

$1.2

increase in soybean processing.

“AGP is making a substantial investment to their terminal, and the port is making an investment in expanding rail unloading capacity to service it,” says Steenhoek. “They are enhancing capacity out there, which is tapping into the whole change within our industry of additional soybean processing to produce more oil for the renewable fuel market, and it helps us to expand our soybean meal capacity.”

The United Soybean Board, ISA, the STC, and four other state soybean organizations worked together to help underwrite some costs for AGP’s expansion, raising $1.3 million.

“We need to do everything we can to keep this a reliable transportation system,” says Bachman.

$472.6

On the Missouri River, between Council Bluffs and Sioux City, is NEW Cooperative’s Port of Blencoe.

This port is the farthest stop north on the Missouri River.

ISA provided $50,000 toward the construction of the site. Steenhoek also assisted NEW Cooperative with obtaining a grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation to pave the road to the port.

“We admire what NEW Cooperative did,” he says. “They are an example of a farmer cooperative wanting to take part more in the global marketplace, having autonomy over their supply chain and diversity over it.”

Contact Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com

MILLION

Source: waterwayscouncil.org

BILLION Agricultural products, including fruits, vegetables, oils, seeds and soybeans

MILLION Cereal grains, including wheat, corn, barley and oats

TOP COMMODITIES moved by inland waterways

WISHH catches new markets for U.S. soy by advancing aquaculture.

ASA/WISHH is helping explore opportunities for soy-based feeds to grow aquaculture in 8 sub-Saharan African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania

Influencing change is a collaborative effort, and Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) board members and farmers with the Iowa-Missouri Policy Leaders Fellowship (PLF), stood together as they educated legislators on issues impacting soybean farmers ahead of the 2023 Farm Bill.

In July, nearly 25 Iowa soybean farmers traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak with Iowa’s congressional delegation and others about the bill’s future, which directly impacts trade, farming programs, crop insurance, checkoff program governance and much more.

Timing was critical as Congress continued to grapple with an expiring farm bill amidst countless new legislative proposals, existing policy tweaks and limited budget resources.

On the hill

During the visit to D.C., ISA members met with all six members and/or the staffs of Iowa’s Congressional delegation.

“While canvassing the Hill, Iowa farmers delivered key messages related to an on-time, meaningful and fully funded farm bill, increased investment in innovation and competitiveness research, additional biobased market opportunities and soy utilization and the nearly $12.34 return on investment for every dollar invested through the soy checkoff,” says ISA Senior Director of Public Affairs Michael Dolch.

ISA board members emphasized the importance of passing the farm bill in a timely manner.

“We’d like to see it passed before the end of the year,” says ISA District 6 Director Dave Walton from Wilton. “We’re trying to protect the farm safety net; crop insurance is

Soy Priorities on Capitol Hill

ISA, PLF drive home farm bill priorities

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEFF HUTTON

vital to us and keeps us in the game.”

Fellow ISA District 9 Director Pat Swanson of Ottumwa echoed Walton’s concerns and told legislators that the bill is critical in determining the future of the country’s agricultural sector.

She says the further along the farm bill is pushed or extended into the future, that uncertainty will be even more concerning for young farmers, bankers and others who need to know what’s going on with programming, trade and markets.

Swanson says the farm bill should be labeled as the “Food Bill.”

“We’re producing the food,” says Swanson, who also co-owns a crop insurance agency. “Food security is national security — that should be the focus.”

Iowa Third District Rep. Zach Nunn says he’s cautiously optimistic that the farm bill will feature many of the priorities soybean producers addressed. He suggested a framework could be agreed upon by the end of the year.

Getting the farm bill ready for passage in 2023 will be successful if ISA and other stakeholders share information with Congressional leadership and others, Nunn says.

“We need your help in doing that,” he says. “I’m asking for your practical frontline experience, so I can be your voice.”

Program wrap-up

The four days in Washington, D.C., was the culmination of a year-long program, PLF, aimed to inform soybean farmers of the legislative and regulatory process.

“Over the past year, these young men and women rose

Iowa Soybean Association board members and the 2022-23 Iowa Policy Leaders Fellowship class stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Photo by Michael Dolch.

Christine McKee, an agriculture counselor with the Canadian Embassy, speaks to the Iowa-Missouri Policy Leaders Fellowship class.

to the challenge, studied the role of government and the legislative process, and gained a better understanding of the policy and regulatory issues impacting U.S. soybean farmers,” says Dolch, who leads the program.

While in D.C., program participants attended the American Soybean Association’s summer board meeting, providing a unique opportunity to interact directly with a key North American trading partner, congressional members, and staff.

“The PLF is a constant reminder of how education and engagement can help move an industry forward,” Dolch says.

PLF member Marilee Jones of Sheffield says the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. was invaluable.

“It was a great experience to see the process of policy from the local to the national levels,” says Jones. “As farmers, we need to keep in touch with our elected officials and make sure our voices are heard and that they realize how laws impact our farms, families, and future.”

Support sought

PLF participants witnessed discussion that reaffirmed key priorities for soy growers.

They continued their conversation with Sen. Joni Ernst.

Swanson, the ISA director and crop insurance agent, told Sen. Ernst that Iowa farmers are simply asking for support of their livelihoods.

“We’re just trying to do what we’ve done for generations,” she says. “Help us do that and stay profitable.”

Ernst says she supports checkoff programs and doesn’t anticipate much pushback on the program or crop insurance as it relates to this year’s farm bill.

However, she noted that trade was not a focus of the Biden administration, despite the current ag trade deficit.

“This will be the first time in the past 50-60 years that we have this large of a trade deficit in the agricultural sector,” Ernst says. “We should never be in this situation. We have the greatest producers in the world.”

The farm bill is under scrutiny mainly because of food assistance programming contained in the bill and the overall cost, Ernst says.

“The estimate is that the cost will exceed $1.5 trillion over 10 years,” she says. “That’s nearly double the farm bill cost five years ago.”

While she believes the Senate will get something through committee before the end of the year, there’s more work to do.

“But we just got to get it done,” she says, suggesting all stakeholders should be able to finalize the farm bill within the first three months of 2024.

Wrapping it up

Dolch says farmer participation strengthens ISA’s impact on farmer-centric topics.

“Facing high production costs, drought conditions and policy uncertainty, the resiliency of Iowa soybean farmers is incredible, and the appetite to bring common sense policy solutions to D.C. from the Heartland is admirable,” he says. “I’m grateful to work alongside farmer directors who understand the importance of engaging elected officials in Washington, D.C., not just at home.”

Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com

Iowa Soybean Association board members, as well as members of the 2022-23 Iowa Policy Leaders Fellowship class met with Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) during a recent visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Iowa Soybean Association Board Director Pat Swanson visits with Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) during a recent visit to Washington, D.C.

Members of the 2022-23 Iowa Policy Leaders Fellowship class visited a number of sites during their recent visit to Washington, D.C., including the White House.

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19-SERIES

Improving Manure Management

Scott Nelson ISA research agronomist snelson@iasoybeans.com

Iowa is a leader in hog, cattle and poultry production. This livestock production is significant to rural communities as it provides alternative revenue streams for farmers while providing protein for growing world demand. Associated with this production is the generation of a significant amount of manure.

The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) is actively researching ways to improve manure management to increase profitability while reducing nutrient losses. This research is funded with noncheckoff dollars from industry, state and federal partners.

Manure is an important source of nutrients for crop production, but manured production is sometimes associated with excessive nutrient losses. This nutrient loss is because manure is very heterogeneous, and it can be difficult for a farmer to gauge how much nitrogen or phosphorus is being applied with each manure source.

To address these issues, ISA is working on the following research projects.

Manure Sense from John Deere

Manure Sense is a newer technology from John Deere that uses their Harvest Labs near-infrared-reflectance (NIR) sensor to estimate the amount of nutrients being applied versus gallons or pounds of manure applied.

During application, the amount of manure applied is adjusted based on NIR sensor readings of nitrogen or phosphorus compared to flat rate applications of manure. As manure is a very heterogenous source of nutrients, this technology has great

potential to reduce the under- and over-application of manure.

ISA partners with ag biosystems engineers at Iowa State University to validate and improve the calibration of NIR sensors for manure management.

The figure below is an example of a Manure Sense application compared to an application with a flat rate of gallons per acre. Note the much more equal applications of nutrients.

Manure Sense readings of actual nitrogen applied in a standard application. Note the pass in the middle of the field where actual manure nitrogen applied was much less than optimal. Farmers could realize a yield advantage from more uniform applications of manure nitrogen.

HAVE A TRIAL OR A PROJECT YOU’RE INTERESTED IN?

We can potentially explore it as a topic in a future issue. Better yet, we’ll connect you with your local expert so you can implement a trial on your farm.

515-251-8640 JMCCLURE@IASOYBEANS.COM

Fate of manure nitrogen

A common problem farmers face in utilizing manure is understanding how much manure nitrogen is available to corn after fall and spring applications. ISA is involved in a project led by agronomy professors at Iowa State University and funded by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center to understand the fate of manure nitrogen from fall into the following year’s growing season.

A greater understanding of manure nutrient cycling dynamics in the soil will enable crop modelers to develop predictive

decision tools to help farmers manage their manured production. We are analyzing two years of this data at 20 locations to develop decision tools for farmers to fine-tune their nitrogen management in manured production to reduce over- and under-fertilization.

Nitrogen can be converted to nitrate and more easily lost from the soil if applied in early fall when warmer temperatures are more frequent compared to late fall application with colder weather. This means more nitrogen will still be available in the spring and summer when the plants need it most.

An example of the data we collected is shown in graphs for two fields below. In the field where manure was applied in the early fall, 60 pounds of manure nitrogen were lost to production from fall to the following spring. This is likely because warm soils converted ammonia nitrogen in the manure to nitrate, which is more easily lost to production. In the field with late fall application, manure nitrogen became more available in time because of natural mineralization and little nitrogen loss over the winter and early spring.

Early Fall Application

Cover crops in manured production

Another ISA project seeks to understand the use of cover crops in manured production. The figure on the right illustrates the yield advantage for corn, where cereal rye cover crop was established in the fall in manured production. The average yield advantage was 2.3 bushels. Four out of six locations had positive response with one realizing a 15-bushel advantage. These results are not conclusive enough to rely on, but they do suggest a positive response that needs more research to validate the response.

At the location with the large corn yield increase, soil temperatures remained warm well into the early winter, creating conditions where manure nitrogen was converted to nitrate. The cover crop sequestered the nitrate easily lost to production and made it available during the growing season in the following spring.

Corn yield responses to cover crop usage in manured fields in northern Iowa from 2020 to 2022.

At ISA, we are committed to helping Iowa farmers identify the best management practices that increase yield and

Late Fall Application

profitability in manured systems. As an organization, we are very interested in your ideas, and we need your participation in research trials to better serve all farmers.

Contact Scott Nelson at snelson@iasoybeans.com

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BY KRISS NELSON

Partnering for Better Nitrogen Science

Nitrogen is critical in crop production but has become one of the most expensive fertilizers in recent years.

To help farmers understand their ideal nitrogen rates, Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) has teamed up with Iowa State University (ISU) to conduct field trials through the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative.

“One of the biggest questions Iowa farmers have is on nitrogen use,” says ISA’s Director of Research, Joe McClure. “They want to use the right amount for profitability, and also have environmental stewardship in mind.”

The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative, McClure notes, will help update tools available to farmers to make better educated nitrogen decisions.

“Applying the optimum nitrogen rate for growing Iowa crops has incredible benefits for profitability, productivity and environmental performance,” says Melissa Miller, Iowa Nitrogen Initiative project director.

The variability in the optimum nitrogen rate makes it difficult to predict.

“By working with Iowa growers to test nitrogen rates on hundreds of fields each

The Iowa Soybean Association is joining forces with Iowa State University to conduct on-farm field trials through the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative

year, we can develop decision support tools that arm farmers and their advisors with the information they need to get closer to that optimum rate,” she says.

The initiative’s trials should help researchers and farmers understand how nitrogen performs in soil types, environments, and cropping practices.

Those aspects of the trial are why ISA farmer-member Tom Vaske of Masonville in Delaware County is taking part in the initiative.

“I have been wanting to learn how different rates affect yield. Are we using too much? Or should we be putting more on? What are the effects of different soil types and water-holding capacities? I think little research has been done on this,” he says.

Farmer-friendly trials

This is the second year for the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative, with 100% of the farmers involved last year participating again this year.

“It’s a hassle-free trial for the farmer that adds much value,” says McClure.

Participation requirements include yield maps from previous years, a calibrated yield monitor and access to equipment that can apply nitrogen at variable rates across the field.

“Yield maps will help us understand where a trial should be placed in the

field,” says McClure.

Two block trials are placed in a field, and, considering past yield maps, trials will be put in consistently higher and lower-yielding field areas. There will be five different nitrogen treatments within the block, all put on by a prescription that the principle investigators involved in the initiative prescribe.

Vaske, the participating farmer, had upgraded his liquid nitrogen applicator to include variable rate technology, qualifying him to participate in the trials.

“For the last five years, I have been trying to figure out how to apply my nitrogen using variable rates to help conserve my inputs,” he says. “Nitrogen is an expensive outlet; we don’t want to lose it.”

By participating in the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative, Vaske receives annual results, guiding his practices one year to the next.

“Farmers should learn something every year with annual data. They don’t have to wait the full four years for an analysis,” says McClure.

Working together for Iowa farmers

ISA will use its network of research and conservation agronomists to help recruit farmers.

“Our goal is to increase recruitment with the Iowa Soybean Association being the single point of contact for the farmer,” says McClure. “We will gather their information, partner with Iowa State University for the nitrogen prescription, and deliver the prescription and results back to the farmer.”

“The Iowa Soybean Association’s experience with on-farm research and trusted relationships they have with farmers makes them a great partner in finding participants, executing the trials, and delivering the research results back to growers,” says Miller.

Statewide farmer participation will ultimately benefit farmers, Vaske says.

“Make the commitment,” Vaske says. “The more acres we can enroll, the more research we will have on how nitrogen is affected by soil types, weather and more.”

Contact Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com

Nitrogen deficiency shows through in yellowed corn on a research plot on a northwest Iowa farm. Precision technology allows researchers to test multiple nitrogen fertilizer rates in a smaller trial area. Photo courtesy of Brenton Rossman.

Afarmer’s standard soil fertility test provides information relevant to current field soil nutrient conditions, but that’s different than overall soil health. Soil health includes soil functions that sustain its productivity. Farmers may be interested in obtaining a free, soil health metric that can be calculated from soil organic matter, a measurement common in soil fertility testing, coupled with the sample location.

An Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) tool, called the Soil Health Interpretation Portal (SHIP), was developed to help farmers easily learn how well their soil scores on one soil health metric without additional testing or cost, and to be able to compare it to the scores of other soils with similar

The SHIP That Tracks Soil Health

BY BETHANY BARATTA

characteristics to their own. The tool both uses and calculates the USDA’s Soil Health Assessment Protocol and Evaluation (SHAPE) soil organic carbon scores for each sample location. These scores use 30-year average weather and underlying soil texture information to compute a score of how well each sample area is functioning relative to its estimated potential.

The SHIP also features two databases of lab results and SHAPE scores from soil health and nutrient studies conducted by ISA and the Iowa Corn Growers Association. The standard soil test database includes data from over 850 sites sampled by farmers in 2011 in fields with mostly conventional management practices as part of a Nutrient Benchmarking project. The soil health database

includes soil health test results from 59 Iowa fields practicing no-till and containing strips of cover crops starting in or continuously in studies between 2014 and 2021.

“The tool features three soil health management practice choices that farmers can select or deselect to see how fields that do or don’t employ them differ in test and soil health scores,” says Suzanne Fey, an analyst for ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI).

The SHIP adds one more dimension to the data by summarizing results by “physiographic subregion” of the state with similar soil development and topographical characteristics, so farmers are comparing their scores to those of others on a more level playing field, Fey says.

“We see in the average SHAPE scores by subregion that the percent of backslope appears to matter when developing realistic expectations for soil health improvement potential.”

Evaluating your soil

SHIP users can temporarily load their own data for a “Quick Look” or set up a free account to obtain more detailed analyses and compare results over time. Quick Look users who temporarily provide location information can choose to anonymously donate their data to the benchmarking database or simply exit the platform releasing their data without donating it.

Visitors who upload spatially referenced soil test results will enable the tool to generate a report describing their physiographic subregion and receive a graph of the SHAPE scores for each sample location identified with no requirement to donate the data or include any management information, just the option to do so.

“We know a lot more about the physical and chemical properties of the soil; the biological component is a developing science,” says Hillary Olson, state soil health specialist for Iowa natural resources Conservation (NRCS) and a member of the

advisory team guiding the tool’s creation and usage. Iowa NRCS is a funding partner for the online tool.

“As with any living system, there can be fluctuations in the results due to things like weather and management.”

Adjusting management decisions

The tool provides a unique comparison infrastructure featuring physiographic subregions with differing glacial development history and subsequent soil and topographical characteristics. The map was developed in 2019 at the Geospatial Laboratory for Soil Informatics at Iowa State University and was the basis of ISA RCFI Spatial Analyst Josh McDanel’s master’s thesis.

“Understanding the characteristics of subregions, like the Des Moines Lobe, for example, help inform management decisions,” McDanel says, noting various soil health characteristics within sub-regions.

“There are four physiographic sub-regions within the Des Moines Lobe. Some fields have slightly sandy or slightly clay soils. Each set of characteristics has an impact on management and can affect soil health.”

A sandier soil erodes quicker than loamier, siltier-textured soils, for example. So growing cover crops and reducing tillage on these soils slows erosion.

Growing soil insights

While the portal offers information about ways to improve the results of tested soil health metrics, retention of topsoil is perhaps the most effective way to maintain soil productivity, Fey says.

“No-till farming and cover crop incorporation are effective practices to help retain Iowa’s rich topsoil,” she says. “These practices also, along with manure application, provide beneficial conditions for microbial actions in the soil to sustain agricultural production.”

Fey says farmer participation in data donation through the tool helps grow insights available to all farmers. “As the database grows, we will enable more summarization options,” Fey says. “Our goal is to study Iowa’s soil health patterns over time while tracking the impact of management practice systems on results.”

The portal is available at shportal.iasoybeans.com.

Contact Bethany Baratta at bbaratta@iasoybeans.com

“ No-till farming and cover crop incorporation are effective practices to help retain Iowa’s rich topsoil.”

Suzanne Fey, ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation analyst

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Iowa soybean farmers have elected eight directors to the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) board of directors. These directors join 14 others fulfilling their terms on the ISA board.