ISU Extension
Agronomy- Extension
IA State Univ.
IA Dept. of Ag
IA DNR

Northwest Area Extension

January 2004

In this issue
House Delays COOL
Evaluating Soybean Yields in 2003
Got Sheep or Goats?
BRaNDS Beef Ration & Nutrition Software
Building in ’04 – Work Through the Regulation Maze
Farmland Value Record

House Delays COOL
By Jerry Weiss, ISUE Swine Field Specialist

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to delay mandatory country-of-origin labeling for two years, until September 2006, but the Senate won't vote on the measure until it reconvenes in January. At that time, the senate could reverse the House's efforts to delay COOL.

In November, the Senate did vote in favor of an amendment instructing agriculture appropriations conferees to remove the House language from the final agriculture spending bill.

Supporters of COOL contend that delaying the bill until 2006 would effectively kill it. Information for this article was taken from Pork Magazine.

Evaluating Soybean Yields in 2003
By Paul Kassel, ISUE Crops Field Specialist

Several factors contributed to lower than expected soybean yields in 2003.  Aphids, dry weather, soybean cyst nematode, virus diseases and charcoal rot are some of the challenges we encountered in 2003.   The following are some thoughts on managing these problems.

Soybean aphid and dry weather.  Damage from the soybean aphid is foremost on everyone’s mind.  Yield response of 8 to 12 bu/a from insecticide treatment was common. However, the aphid problem was likely magnified by the dry weather in late August.  It is likely that either problem would have caused less damage had the other problem not been present.  Soybean yields have been higher in other years when similar dry weather patterns have existed.  The 1999 season would be one example.  While little can be done to manage the dry weather, we will likely see aphid problems in the future.  Scouting methods, thresholds and treatment methods will be refined in the near future to better manage aphid problems. 

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN).  Problems with SCN are much greater when dry weather problems exist.  Take time to review SCN soil test results from previous years.  Management of SCN requires the use of SCN resistant varieties and crop rotations.  Consider corn on corn or other rotations away from soybean if numbers exceed 16,000 eggs/100 cc of soil following a soybean crop.  Several sources of resistance are effective, including PI88788, Peking and Cyst X.  Consider SCN resistance when purchasing seed for 2004.

Virus diseases.  Bean leaf beetle and soybean aphid can transmit virus diseases.  Symptoms of bean pod mottle virus and soybean mosaic virus were evident in fields this past summer.  Lab analysis is needed to tell the two diseases apart.  Little can be done to prevent these virus diseases, except to prevent the insects that transmit them. For example, insecticide treatment for bean leaf beetle has been shown to prevent early season and mid-season infection of bean pod mottle virus.   We will likely see virus problems in the future, because these diseases are not directly linked to dry weather.

Charcoal rot.  Charcoal rot was evident in some areas this past year.  Some yield loss likely occurred in localized areas.  The presence of charcoal rot in the future will likely be tied to dry weather.  There is little that can be done to reduce the risk of charcoal rot.

Got Sheep or Goats?
By Dennis DeWitt, ISUE Livestock Field Specialist

There are some great opportunities coming during the winter of 2004.  The first opportunity is Monday, January 5.  The Northwest Iowa Sheep Producers Association annual meeting and program will be at Pete’s Place, Hartley.  Registration begins at 6:00 pm with the leg of lamb meal ($5.00) being served at 6:30 pm.  Please make a meal reservation by calling Arlene Meerdink at 712-728-2059. 

This year’s speaker is Dr. Maynard Hogberg, the new Iowa State University Animal Science Department Chair.  Before joining ISU in August, Dr. Hogberg was a member of the animal science faculty at Michigan State University for 27 years, with 18 years as department chair.  Dr. Hogberg is known nationally and internationally as an expert on swine management.  He played a key role in revitalizing the Michigan livestock industry.  Hogberg has received several awards and recognitions, including the Animal Industry Service Award from the American Society of Animal Science.  He will be sharing his vision for the future of the Iowa Livestock Industry.

The second opportunity is the Tuesday, January 6, ICN program on “Using Corn Processing Co-products in Sheep Rations.” 

The third opportunity is the Tuesday, February 3 ICN program on “Managing, Evaluation and Feeding Meat Goats” by Dr. Rick Machen, Texas A&M University, Uvalde, Texas. 

The fourth opportunity is one of two “Lambing Time Workshop in the Lambing Barn”.  The first one is Tuesday, January 27 at Gary & Sharon Erickson, Humboldt or Thursday, February 5 at Dave and Julie Hofland, Hartley, Iowa.

Calls keep coming about the required identification tags for certain sheep and goats.  You can order your free official scrapie ear tags by calling toll free: 1-866-873-2824

BRaNDS
By Dennis DeWitt, ISUE Livestock Field Specialist

The Iowa Beef Center is releasing in January 2004 the new “Beef Ration and Nutrition Decision Software” BRaNDS.  There are cow, heifer, breeding bull, growing bull and feedyard modules.

Producers can have multiple ration scenarios without multiple spreadsheets.  The feed library is extensive and nearly unlimited in number of ingredients.

The software has an extensive dietary mineral evaluation along with updated energy and protein requirements.

The cow module is designed for 1st calf heifers as they approach parturition through mature-aged cows.

The heifer module operates similar to the cow module, however, the heifer module will calculate a suggested gain based on current weight, birth date, mature size and target breeding age.

The breeding bull and growing bull modules are the first programs from IBC for bull rations.  This will be of great interest to both commercial and purebred producers.

The feedyard module allows for the ration evaluation along with projection capabilities.

Each of the BRaNDS modules can be purchased individually or as a set from 515-294-BEEF or beefcenter@iastate.edu

Building in ’04 - Work Through the Regulation Maze
By Kris Kohl, ISUE Ag Engineer

Producers planning to build or expand their livestock facilities need to start early to get through all the regulations.

For swine confinement buildings with a one-time capacity of 1250 finishing pigs or 5000 head nursery pigs, you will need to go through a permitting process.  Those with less than these numbers are exempt from regulations.

1250-2500 Head Swine Finishers

1. Submit a manure management plan.

2. Meet separation distance requirements.

3. Meet construction standards.

4. Storm water discharge permit.

5. Submit necessary fees.

6. Submit required paperwork to County Board of Supervisors and DNR and wait 30 days for review.

2500-7500 Head Swine Finishers

1. Submit a manure management plan.

2. Meet separation distance requirements.

3. Submit the master matrix report with a passing score.

4. Storm water discharge permit needed.

5. Meet construction standards.

6. Submit necessary fees.

7. Submit required paperwork to County Board of Supervisors and DNR and wait 60 days for review.

Over 7500 Head Swine Finishing

Submit all the required paperwork from a registered professional engineer to the County Board of Supervisors and DNR and wait 60 days for review.

For Beef OPEN LOTS, the DNR is pushing hard to be sure that all lots do a good job with their solids settling and they will be looking at the success of environmental management systems and alter native technologies for producing a clean environment.  All producers need to be making progress.

I will hold several building workshops in early March to help producers through the regulation maze for this year’s construction season.

Farmland Value Record
By Ron Hook, ISUE Farm Management Specialist

The average value of an acre of farmland in Iowa reached $2,275 in 2003, the highest figure reported since Iowa State University began conducting an annual survey of land values in 1941.  The 2003 average value topped a previous record of $2,147 reported in 1981.  After accounting for the effect of inflation on the value of the dollar, the 2003 figure is equivalent to the value of land in the early 1970s, when the increase in values began, leading to the 1981 peak.

Values increased in all 99 Iowa counties and topped $3,000 an acre in four counties: Scott, Cedar, Guthrie and Sioux.  The average value increased for the fourth year in a row after slight declines in 1998 and 1999. The average increase was $192 an acre statewide, or 9.2 percent.

Low interest rates were a major factor in value increases this year and were mentioned by 48 percent of those responding to the survey. Other positive factors were the demand created by investors, mentioned by 17 percent of the respondents, the scarcity of land on the market, mentioned by 15 percent, and the impact of government payments, mentioned by 12 percent. Improving commodity prices and better than expected corn yields each were mentioned as positive factors by 11 percent of those participating in the survey.

Negative factors that helped keep prices down this year included weather and uncertainty in general, listed by 13 percent of the respondents, and low soybean yields, mentioned by 12 percent.

The survey is sponsored by the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station at ISU, with results reported by ISU Extension. Additional information on the 2003 survey is available on the ISU Extension Web site at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/emms/2003land/.

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