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In this issue
Biosecurity for Your Livestock 1
Test Your Livestock Manure
The Soybean Aphid Invasion: An Opportunity for Learning
Important Tax Law Changes
LRP for Cattle
Biosecurity
for your Livestock Operation
by
Jerry Weiss, ISUE Swine Field Specialist
Ever since
September 11, 2001 hardly a day goes by that you don't hear the news media
using words like biosecurity, bioterrorism, biological attack potential. For
livestock producers that produce milk, meat and eggs for all of us
consumers, it is very important that you keep yourself educated in this
realm of bioterrorism. Zoonoses and bioterrorism are terms you should all be
familiar with. What better way to cripple a nation than to attack its food
supply. One way to do this is through the animals you raise on your farm.
Zoonotic
diseases are diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. Some
factors that promote Zoonotic disease transmission include intensive
livestock production, poor animal sanitation, poor animal health as well as
poor personal hygiene. Control measures that producers can take are
maintaining a healthy herd, whether it be cattle or hogs. Follow a
recommended vaccination program, purchase breeding stock from reputable
sources, quarantine newly purchased animals, separate and treat sick animals
immediately. Another biosecurity measure producers may use is controlling
traffic flow through your livestock operation. When visitors do enter your
livestock operation, provide them with clean disposable clothing and boots.
In summary:
* Bioterrorism
is a real threat.
* Many
bioterrorism agents are zoonotic
* Awareness
education is an important component of preparedness and protection.
Test Your Livestock Manure
by Kris Kohl, ISUE Ag
Engineer
September is a great
time to test your manure prior to land application. Testing research for
liquid manure shows a test collected from a surface sample gave a good
representation of the nitrogen in the manure. This is a simple way to get a
good handle on what the application rate should be.
This year I have a
small grant from the Iowa Department of Land Stewardship for cost share
money to test manure this fall. The program will provide 50% of the $40 cost
of the sample analysis. Your cost is just $20. Harvest will soon be here,
so give me a call at 712-732-5056 if you would like to work with this
program.
Collecting liquid
manure sample directions. Scrape
back any crust and use an ice cream bucket to dip a sample off the pit for
analysis. We will then check it for ammonia-nitrogen and divide the result
by 0.9 to find the total available for next years crop. We then collect a
second sample for full analysis when the pit is agitated and about half
empty.
Collecting solid
manure sample directions. Solid
manures are harder to get good represen-tative samples. First decide whether
you need to know the average nutrient content or the extremes. The dryer the
manure, the higher the nutrient content. More soil in the sample, the lower
the nutrient content. I would suggest collecting a wet sample off the
concrete and a second sample from a scraped dry sample with some soil to see
where the extreme values are and then average them or develop two rates if
they are quite different.
The Soybean Aphid Invasion - An Opportunity for
Learning
by Todd Vagts, ISUE
Crop Field Specialist
Soybean aphids (Aphis
glycines) hit northwest Iowa soybean fields with a vengeance last month,
leaving soybean fields a sticky mess and their managers in a quandary of
what to do. The Soybean Aphid is a relatively new pest to the United States
and Iowa, first appearing in the fall of 2000. Soybean aphid populations
grew to damaging levels in 2001 in northeastern IA, southern Minnesota,
Wisconsin and a few other states but were hard to find during the 2002
growing season. Because of this pest’s quick and erratic arrival to Iowa,
there has been very little scientific data available to help us understand
the potential impact the soybean aphid can inflict on soybean yields,
particularly when the aphids invade the area late in the season as they did
this fall.
Because of the lack of
scientifically derived data on treatment thresholds, producer fields became
the “test” plots for determining whether or not to treat with an
insecticide. On the positive side, there is now a tremendous amount of very
good data out in our fields in the form of untreated check strips that can
be very valuable if yield data is collected at soybean harvest time.
Taking the extra time
to collect yield data from insecticide treated and non-treated areas of the
field may help you and your local crop manager determine if removing the
aphids from the crop with an insecticide treatment saved yield and money.
This will be valuable information in succeeding years if a similar soybean
aphid invasion appears again. To take full advantage of this learning
opportunity, contact your local ISU Extension specialist or private
agronomists to develop a plan on how best to collect the yield data.
To learn more about the
soybean aphid, visit these web sites:
Iowa State University
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/2003/7-14-003/scoutforaphids.html
University of Minnesota
http://www.soybeans.umn.edu/crop/insects/aphid/aphid.htm
University of
Wisconsin
http://www.plantpath.wisc.edu/soyhealth/virus/aphid2003.pdf
South Dakota State
University
http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/ent/entpubs/FS914_Soy_Aphid2.pdf
Soybean Aphid Watch
http://www.pmcenters.org/Northcentral/Saphid/Aphidindex.htm
Important Tax Law Changes
by Tom Olsen, ISUE Farm Management Field Specialist
On May 23, 2003, “The Jobs and
Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003” was signed into law.
Contained in it are many
short-term provisions (most expire by 2007) that will give a farm operator a
large tax savings potential.
The changes are many and
complex. It would be wise for a farm operator or landlord to meet with
his/her tax advisor now to establish a 3-5 year financial “game
plan.” Good planning reaps good benefit.
Listed below are a few of the
tax change areas:
Expense Method
Depreciation:
Increased from 25,000 to 100,000 for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005 only.
This can be applied individually to each asset.
Bonus Depreciation:
On “new” property only. An additional 50% depreciation can be applied above
the normal first year depreciation schedule. The provision can also be
applied on an individual basis. This will expire Jan. 1, 2005.
Capital Gains:
In general all capital gains tax rates have been reduced 5%. This will
expire at the end of 2007. For 2008 alone, in the lowest tax bracket only
(15%), the long-term capital gain rate is reduced to zero for that year.
Corporate Tax:
Taxes on dividends and accumulated retained earnings are reduced for years
through 2008.
Income Tax:
Income brackets and tax rates have been adjusted for the next few years to
provide some tax savings.
Standard Deductions:
Doubled for 2003 and 2004.
Child Credit:
Increased from $600 to $1000 for 2003 and 2004
Neil Harl has written a short
article on the new tax law which can be found at the Ag Decision Maker
website www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm.
LRP for Cattle
by Ron Hook, ISUE Farm
Management Field Specialist
Cattle feeders have a
new tool to help manage price risk. Livestock Risk Protection (LRP)
provides price coverage for feeder cattle as well as fed cattle. The feeder
cattle contracts are available in ten states including Iowa, while the fed
cattle contracts are available only in Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.
Availability of coverage depends on where the cattle are being fed, so
feeders in other states could obtain coverage if the cattle were being fed
in one of the states where coverage is available.
In order to put
coverage in place a producer must submit an application for an LRP
contract. Once the contract has been accepted, the producer then submits a
Specific Coverage Endorsement (SCE) for each group of cattle to be covered.
Coverage can be obtained for any number of cattle that does not have to
match up with Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) contract sizes.
Coverage is available
for feeder cattle to be marketed at 650 to 900 pounds. An SCE can provide
coverage for 21 to 52 weeks and is limited to 1,000 head per SCE and to
2,000 head for the crop year (July 1- June 30). Feeder cattle that are
predominantly dairy or Brahma breeds are not eligible for insurance.
Coverage is available
for fed cattle expected to grade select or higher with yield grade of 1 to 3
and be marketed between 1000 and 1400#. An SCE can provide coverage for 13
to 52 weeks and is limited to 2,000 head per SCE and 4,000 head for the crop
year.
The SCE specifies the
number of cattle to be covered and the time when the coverage will end and
the cattle are marketed. The producer also selects a coverage price for the
period of the policy. A premium is determined for the coverage price
selected. The amount of the premium is reduced by a 13% government
subsidy. It is important to remember that LRP does not guarantee the
producer a cash price since it does not lock in a basis.
For example on August
29, a producer submits an SCE for cattle to be marketed in late December,
selecting a coverage price of $74.30 with a premium of $1.62 per cwt.
Assume that when the cattle are marketed in December the actual ending price
was $65, the producer would receive an indemnity of $9.30 per cwt netting
$7.68 per cwt. If the ending price were above $74.30 the producer would
receive the market price less the premium paid.
The information on LRP
coverage prices, rates and ending values is available at the USDA website:
http://www3.rma.usda.gov/apps/livestock_reports/lrp_report.cfm
If you have any
questions or desire more information, contact Ron Hook at the Osceola County
Extension Office, 712-754-3648 or e-mail rhook@iastate.edu.
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