Ohio's Country Journal from Page 1

Ohio’s Country Journal JANUARY 2009 13

From page 1 ROPS challenges with cereal rye, but the three brothers have foundC as much as a 17- The Swartzmillers have experiment- ed with numerous cover crops includ- bushel yield advantage for soybeans ing cereal rye, annual ryegrass and grown after the cover crop compared to clover. The most common cover crop those without a previous cover. In they use currently is cereal rye, some- addition to the above ground benefits, times with some fescue mixed in. the cereal rye offers numerous other Where appropriate, the Swartzmillers benefits below the ground. employ a corn-soybean-wheat-cereal “The roots you get with the cover rye-soybean rotation, but have also crop help build up the organic matter, planted the cover crop after corn in a stabilize the soil and feed the microbes corn-soybean rotation. Cereal rye in the soil,” Greg said. “When you should not be planted prior to corn due improve that life under the soil, you to insect problems and the alleopathic improve tilth, water holding capacity, effect of the rye on the corn. humus and soil structure. The roots “The problem with a cover crop on also help break up compaction in the the muck soils is that it doesn’t dry soil and store leftover nitrogen instead out,” Dan said. “We plant Roundup of losing it.” Ready beans into the standing rye and In combination with the no-till, the either kill off the rye around May 10 if cover crops have helped boost organic it is going to be dry or let it go if it will matter by nearly a percent in some of be wet. It is easy to kill, but in the the tougher fields they farm. The no-till planting season, managing the cover has been crucial for building the soil This cereal rye cover crop offers a lot of benefits both above, and below, the ground. crops takes priority over everything quality, maximizing the benefits of the else. It can make things too dry in the cover crops, building valuable spring surprisingly quickly.” earthworm populations and reducing After several years of struggling ratio and our calcium base saturation. The cereal rye is planted at a rate soil erosion. with no-till corn, the Swartzmillers With high magnesium, your soils of about 50 to 55 pounds per acre in While the brothers understand have found a lot of success with work harder. We have to figure out mid September. The Swartzmillers the value of no-till, it just does not strip-till. how to unlock more of the nutrients in have drilled the cereal rye in after work well on some of the soils “We’ve found a 7-degree difference our soil.” wheat, flown it onto standing corn they farm. in temperature in the spring with the The environmental stewardship and drilled into corn stubble after har- “We could do no-till corn in some of strips,” Curt said. “That is big when on the farm is rounded out with vest. It is often around knee high by our creek bottom soils and the muck,” you’re talking about the difference extensive subsurface drainage tile, the following spring for planting, Greg said. “Some of our soils are very between 50 and 57 degrees. That is waterways, filter strips and participa- though not always. They use a light conducive to no-till, but some of this what took us to strip-till. Through the tion in the Conservation Reserve bar for planting in what can be stuff we have here is just mean.” early years of playing with strip-till we Program, the Conservation Security challenging conditions. The no-till corn struggled in some of found that there was more to getting Program and the Environmental “Back in 1984, we planted soybeans the tight soils on the farm. the oxygen into the soil than anything.” Quality Incentives Program. into 9-foot tall rye. The worst thing “In a 1.6% organic matter field with The strips are done in the fall with- The brothers enjoy working together about cereal rye is the intimidation,” any kind of surface compaction or out the use of a GPS auto-steer system. as a team where, while there are minor Greg said. “But it helps with weed con- drainage problems, it is really hard for Dan’s son Mike does most of the strip- disagreements, the majority rules. This trol because it is alleopathic for a lot of us to grow profitable no-till corn in this tillage work and he follows the com- innovative group is always experiment- broadleaves. It also helps decompose tight clay,” Curt said. “When you’re bines pretty closely in the fall. ing with new ideas to improve their the wheat stubble and dry out the dealing with that fibrous corn root sys- “Strip-till is too critical to not get profits and the environment. fields for soybean planting.” tem, it needs help. We need to give done. It is too much a part of profit for “We call it flopping a field when we There are certainly management it oxygen.” us not to do it,” Curt said. “As long as mess up, and we’ve flopped a lot of we allocate the manpower to do it, it fields. But we’ve always learned some- typically gets done.” thing from our flops,” Greg said. Hitting the strips in the spring for “We have probably had more fail- planting has typically not been a ures than the average farm, but we’ve major problem. had some homeruns, too,” Curt added. “All you really have to be is kind of They feel they have progressed a close with strip-till, so it’s not that long way since they started no-tilling to hard,” Dan said. save time and fuel above ground, to The Swartzmillers also work to man- enhancing the vitality of the life age the oxygen below the ground with below it. the use of an AerWay in a number of “We always do a lot of testing situations including before and after here because we’re trying to prove corn, after wheat to break up the stub- things to ourselves. We have lofty ble and prepare for cereal rye seeding, goals and we really want to do things and prior to wheat to reduce the right way,” Dan said. “We’re winter heaving. seeing the benefits of what we’re Along with getting more oxygen doing because it is coming back to us into the soil, the Swartzmillers careful- in yield, but it doesn’t always work ly monitor the balance of calcium and out every year. When you step in a magnesium in their soils. boxing ring, you’re going to get hit “We feel that magnesium and once in awhile and, just when you calcium have a bigger role than a lot think you know it all, that’s when it The Swartzmiller brothers accepted their most recent award at the Ohio No-Till Council meeting last month in Plain City. of people think,” Greg said. “We’re gets you.” regularly watching our magnesium A world of export potential coming to Ohio BY MATT REESE eight or 10 people to do outside.” The Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal, This feature drastically reduces man- just south of Columbus, is now open, and power and improves efficiency by elimi- with it there is a world of potential for nating time-consuming outdoor manual Ohio’s agricultural products. inspections. Once the trucks are in the “The big opportunity here is to fill the facility, modern equipment and technolo- empty outgoing containers with soy- gy continues to make the process are fast beans or other ag products like DDGs or as possible. meal. We’re trying to figure out how to “Everything is automated,” Beasley do that,” said Kirk Merritt, with the Ohio said. “If a driver doesn’t have an issue, he Soybean Council. “Most of those empty doesn’t even have to talk to anyone. The containers that are leaving are ending up technology really keeps the lines moving.” in export markets like Asia now, and The 175 paved acres, and 250 total opportunities in Europe may be strong. acres of the facility, combined with easy We also think India is going to be impor- access to 15,000 acres of existing or The Rickenbacker Intermodal Terminal has drastically improved logistics and efficiency of transportation, which tant as well. The obvious niche for this is planned warehouse storage in the area will attract more shipping business to central Ohio. the identity preserved (IP) market. The allow for abundant storage and easy IP market is already going in containers, access and exit. Currently, roughly 1,200 improvements to allow for trains with bulk market, or they need soybeans a lit- and we would like to help farmers take containers move through the facility in double-stacked containers. tle faster,” Merritt said. advantage of that opportunity to sell spe- an average day. “We will at least double the number The Rickenbacker facility, combined cialty beans and get the premium to “We were averaging about 24 minutes of containers we ship through here and with other transportation expansion efforts drive more profit on their farms.” for trucks to come in, drop off and pick we could potentially see quadruple,” around the state, and Ohio’s other inherent The Rickenbacker Intermodal up. Now it is under 20 minutes,” Beasley Beasley said. “We could see up to 10 or transportation advantages, hold a lot of Terminal has drastically improved logis- said. “In a place like Chicago it can take 12 trains a day through here.” untapped potential for Ohio agriculture. tics and efficiency of transportation, 40 minutes to get in and out. Most truck The Heartland Corridor Project will “To some extent, it is going to be about which will attract more shipping busi- drivers are not being paid for the hour, result in a lot more containers coming us identifying opportunities and pushing ness to central Ohio. so they really like saving that time.” through Ohio, and many of them are not them. If we don’t do that, there might be “We’re Norfolk Southern’s most state- An additional boon to central Ohio even full. Those empty containers, Merritt opportunities that we miss,” Merritt said. of-the-art facility,” said Mike Beasley, the shipping will be the completion of the feels, offer the most opportunity for Ohio “We’re trying to figure out what we need terminal manager. “Every truck that comes Heartland Corridor project sometime in soybeans and agricultural products. to be doing now to take advantage of these in here goes through a building with high 2010. This massive effort will dramatical- “The IP market lends itself to contain- opportunities that are coming by working resolution cameras that take photographs ly expand shipping capacity from ers, but the commodity market can also with producers, big ag and transportation of every side of the container. That allows Columbus to Norfolk, Va., along with the be shipped in containers if it meets the people to collaborate in such a way that we us to do any kind of damage inspection international markets it serves, and the specific needs of buyers in an interna- can capitalize on this. There is opportunity from inside the office. Now we can do with West Coast. The project is expanding tun- tional market who need a volume that here, we just have to find a way to capital- three to four people what it would take nels, raising bridges and making other doesn’t allow them to participate in the ize on it.”

14 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 Soybean aphid resistance developed in Ohio A soybean plant introduction (PI) has to the Rag1 gene.” out to be a healthy plant.” “Given what we know about the biotype been found to show resistance to soybean A biotype is a subspecies of organism In studies where soybean aphids were variations and current genetic work, we just aphid in Ohio, paving the way to control morphologically similar to but physiologi- only given the choice to feed on PI 243540, don’t think cultivars with the Rag1 gene the insect through new resistant cultivars. cally different from other members of the researchers found that the aphids would will hold up here in Ohio,” Hammond said. The soybean PI, labeled PI 243540, con- species. Some insect species are capable of “walk away” from the plant or populations “Whether producers use those new culti- tains a single dominant gene that allows developing new biotypes very rapidly and would die off. vars or not, for now their control option the plant to resist soybean aphid feeding over a short period of time. Ron “We don’t know what it is about PI remains spraying insecticides when aphid and aphid colonization. These findings Hammond, an Ohio State University 243540 and its gene, named Rag2, but soy- populations reach threshold.” have been published in the September- Extension entomologist, said this is espe- bean aphids don’t like it,” Mian said. “We In addition to PI 243540, Mian has iden- October issue of Crop Science. cially true for aphids. are looking into the mechanism behind the tified other soybean plant introductions The soybean aphid, first discovered “Soybean aphids, when they are feed- resistance, but we think it might be a that show resistance to soybean aphid, in Ohio in 2001, is a sapsucker whose ing on soybeans, are all females and can chemical compound being produced by albeit on a moderate level. Mian hopes to voracious appetite can greatly damage produce a large number of offspring that the plant.” use those findings to develop partial-resist- untreated soybean fields. It also has develop very rapidly. One female can pro- Mian is currently backcrossing PI ant soybean cultivars, whereby multiple been known to transmit a host of virus- duce hundreds of offspring in a few days,” 243540 with two OARDC-developed food- genes rather than a single, dominant gene es, including soybean mosaic virus, soy- said Hammond, who also holds a partial grade soybean cultivars: Wyandot and define resistance. bean dwarf virus and alfalfa mosaic OARDC appointment. “Any individual FG5. The work is designed to transfer the “The good thing about single genes is virus, not only in soybean but also in a with genetic resistance can pass the gene Rag2 gene into susceptible soybean vari- that they are easy to transfer into other number of vegetable crops. into the population, and this lends itself to eties and test their resistance to the aphid plant cultivars. The drawback is that their Rouf Mian, a USDA-Agricultural new biotypes very quickly.” in both the greenhouse and in the field. resistance doesn’t last long, maybe 10 Research Service molecular geneticist and Researchers don’t know how many soy- Researchers are seeing promising results years,” Mian said. “Partial-resistant vari- adjunct assistant professor with Ohio State bean aphid biotypes are currently present and hope to have breeding lines available eties hold up much longer because it’s University’s Ohio Agricultural Research in North America, but for now their focus for release by the end of 2010 if agronomic more difficult to overcome multiple resist- and Development Center, said the plant is developing a soybean cultivar that the characteristics, such as yield and resistance ant genes rather than just one.” line was identified after a known soybean Ohio biotype won’t colonize. Mian and his to major diseases, hold up. Over the past few years OARDC has aphid-resistant plant, developed by colleagues found that when given a choice “We chose to cross PI 243540 with food- developed into a leading institution for University of Illinois, failed to produce the between PI 243540 and a susceptible soy- grade soybean cultivars because of the soybean aphid research with experts forg- desired results in Ohio. bean variety, the soybean aphid chose the importance of food-grade soybeans in the ing efforts in molecular genetics, popula- “We transferred the soybean aphid susceptible plant. After four weeks of the industry, especially when it comes to seed tion genetics, genomics, protenomics, virus resistant gene, known as Rag1, from a choice test, PI 243540 showed no feeding cosmetics and the potential economic transmission, landscape ecology, and aphid resistant plant developed at the University damage and only a few soybean aphids impacts,” Mian said. “This also opens up origins and movement studies. OARDC’s of Illinois to an Ohio cultivar and found were found on the plant. alternatives for producers looking to grow work is the latest in a series of national that the hybrid was susceptible to soybean “That is significant given that aphid organic soybean varieties.” research efforts to more effectively manage aphid, when it was expected to show populations can reach into the thousands Soybean cultivars containing the Rag1 soybean aphid. University of Illinois, resistance,” said Mian, principal investiga- after only two weeks time. By four weeks, gene should be commercially available Michigan State University and Kansas tor. “It turns out the soybean aphid biotype the impact from soybean aphid feeding beginning next year. However, Hammond State University have all identified their in Ohio is different than the one in Illinois, and disease symptoms become evident on doesn’t recommend growing cultivars with own soybean plant lines that show resist- and this biotype can overcome resistance the plant,” Mian said. “PI 243540 turned the Rag1 gene in Ohio. ance to soybean aphid.

Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 • Crops 15 St. Martin retires after years of service to Ohio’s soybean industry The last three decades of Ohio soybean has headed the soybean breeding program career in agriculture and I did, and it was production have been good ones — since 1991, is retiring on Jan. 1, 2009. St. very good. I’ve worked with fantastic marked by improved Phytophthora culti- Martin has led in developing more than 20 colleagues, but now I’m moving on and vars, a new market for tofu soybeans and soybean cultivars, a half-dozen of which doing something different.” one of the most popular soybean varieties have gone to commercialization, and a St. Martin grew up in a suburban ever grown in Ohio. handful more which have helped shape Minnesota community, graduating from a Producers have the Ohio State Ohio’s second most popular crop into a high school where agriculture was not the University soybean breeding program, thriving $1.3 billion industry. But, he says, career most students pursued. But for St. under the leadership of Steve St. Martin, to it’s time to move on. Martin, soybeans were more of a passion, thank. Now, St. Martin will pass the torch “I tell people that it’s been a good gig. rather than an interest. to a new faculty member to carry on the I joke that 2008 has been the most enjoy- “I was always interested in plants and I program’s successes. able and unstressful year of my profes- thought soybeans were intriguing as a The Ohio Agricultural Research and sional life because it’s my last,” St. legume because of their wonderful nitro- Development Center soybean breeder, who Martin said. “I always wanted to have a gen independence. I guess it was then that

my passion for breeding bloomed, and by my 20s, I was trying my hand at breeding soybeans in my backyard,” St. Martin said. “People have always said this to me and now I believe it to be true, that talent is good, but when you have a passion for something, it’ll take you farther than that talent will.” St. Martin received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Minnesota, received another master’s at the University of Nebraska, and finished up his graduate career with a Ph.D. at Iowa State University. He landed an assistant professor position in agronomy at Ohio State University and began dabbling in soybean breeding work. After the previous soybean breeder left the university, he became program leader. “We’ve had some successes and probably even more failures. You are always faced with challenges, from technology to the weather, and we still haven’t figured out what will make a variety successful in the marketplace,” St. Martin said. “But, with the aid of my colleagues, we went into the program knowing what was important to producers and to the industry, and we went about developing the best varieties we could with germplasm that was easily accessible.” Expanding the germplasm base for improved field production, specifically yields, has been at the heart of the OARDC soybean breeding program. “Thirty years ago, you didn’t have the soybean varieties that we have today that yield well and resist diseases. If you planted an older cultivar today, you’d immediately be able to tell the differences from the standpoint of disease resistance and pro- ductivity,” St. Martin said. “Improving germplasm has always been, and still is, a major focus of soybean breeding.” Disease resistance, especially to Phytophthora, has been a priority for St. Martin. “The plant pathology department is a real strength at OSU and something the program is honored to hang its hat on from a breeding sense,” St. Martin said. “From the very beginning we realized the importance of developing disease-resistant varieties, and it’s something we still actively pursue today. The pathogen adapts and 16 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 overcomes resistance fairly easily. We’ve improved technology and increases in the but when you show someone a bag of soy- show business is to leave them wanting spent 20 years in search of new sources of number of test plots throughout Ohio, the beans they can grow, you are clearly doing more. The first rule, of course, is that the resistance and now we have a bunch soybean breeding program has been suc- something that is beneficial.” show must go on.” of them.” cessful in releasing 13 soybean varieties St. Martin hopes to stay on in an advi- St. Martin recently received a Lifetime Developing a market for food-grade over the past five years. sory capacity, but he’s looking ahead to Achievement Award from Ohio Soybean soybeans also has been of particular inter- “With the support from OSC and with traveling and writing a novel based on Council for his dedication to soybean est to St. Martin. OBIC coming into play over the past three 19th century America he’s had his heart set research and development projects for the “There has always been a strong inter- to four years, we don’t see the program on for quite some time. So will he write betterment of Ohio’s soybean industry. The est in export markets for soy foods, espe- shutting down anytime soon,” St. Martin soybeans into his book? OARDC soybean breeding program has cially from Japan. And they seem to prefer said. “Breeding is a concrete contribution. “Nope. I’m leaving soybeans out of been in existence since 1977, and since that soybeans from Ohio, perhaps because of You can sit here and write a journal article, this,” St. Martin said. “The second rule of time has released 50 soybean varieties. the naturally high protein content of the varieties grown,” St. Martin said. “Back in the ‘80s, we started working on tofu soybean varieties specifically for this market, and it remains an important part of what we do today.” Some of the successful soybean varieties developed and commercialized through the OARDC soybean breeding program include: • Resnik — Released in 1987, Resnik was probably the most popular soybean variety ever grown in Ohio. “For a time, nearly one-third of all soybean acres were planted with Resnik,” St. Martin said. “Its popularity peaked in the early 1990s.” • Ohio FG1 — The first tofu soybean variety developed, Ohio FG1 was released in 1994 and is still widely used for export markets. “Ohio FG1 brought a lot of Ohio producers into the business of selling tofu soybeans to Japanese customers,” St. Martin said. Since then, the breeding program has developed and released new tofu soybean varieties: Ohio FG3, Ohio FG4 and Ohio FG5. Soyfood production varieties Ohio FG4 and Ohio FG5 have been adopted by several growers. Additionally, OARDC research has revealed that Ohio FG5 is high in sucrose content, which has led at least one soyfood manufacturer to adopt the variety. • Dilworth — A conventional variety, Dilworth seed contributed $150,000 to Ohio growers in its sales during 2004 and 2005, based on a $5 per bushel soybean price and a 1.5-bushel-per-acre advantage over the average conventional variety. • Kottman — A popular conventional variety, Kottman has high yield potential. Released in 1999, Kottman contributes about $300,000 per year to producers’ revenue. Dennison, released in 2006, is expected to eventually replace Kottman as the top-yielding Ohio soybean variety. St. Martin is happy to see such varieties reach such popularity status with producers, but he is most proud of his contribu- tions to a little-known variety called HS93-4118. “The variety didn’t catch on in Ohio, but it’s done very well regionally, and many breeders in other states have used it to develop their own varieties,” St. Martin said. “Varieties have a very short life, but the stream of germplasm that flows from one variety to the next always remains. If you check back in 100 years, this variety is the one that has the best chances of carry- ing on, of future varieties maintaining that pedigree. And I can say, ‘Hey, I worked on that.’” Though St. Martin is ending his career, the program won’t be leaving with him. The OARDC soybean breeding program has been expanding over the past several years, thanks in part to continued collabo- rations with industry, such as the Ohio Soybean Council and the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC). Because of Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 • Crops 17 Five key steps in hybrid selection One of the most important manage- Growers must introduce new hybrids to pest problems determine needs for such ment decisions a corn grower makes their acreage on a regular basis to stay traits as drydown, insect and disease each year is the selection of corn hybrids. competitive, said Peter Thomison, Ohio resistance, early plant vigor, and During the past 40 to 50 years, there State University Extension corn special- plant height.” has been continuous improvement in the ist. “Growers should choose hybrids best Think about the end use of corn, he genetics of corn hybrids, which has con- suited to their farm operation. Corn said. Will corn be used for grain or tributed to increases in grain yield poten- acreage, previous crop, soil type, tillage silage? Will it be sold directly to the tial ranging from 0.7% to 2.6% per year. practices, desired harvest moisture and elevator or used on the farm? Are pre-

miums available at nearby elevators or from end users for identity-preserved specialty corns such as food-grade or non-GMO corn? Capacity to harvest, dry and store grain also should be considered. Thomison recommends five steps to follow in choosing hybrids that are best suited to various production systems. First, select hybrids with maturity ratings appropriate for the geographic area or circumstances. Corn for grain should reach physiological maturity or black layer one to two weeks before the first killing frost in the fall. “To determine differences in hybrid maturity, use days-to-maturity and growing degree day ratings along with harvest grain moisture data from performance trials,” Thomison said. Moisture differences among hybrids also should be taken into account, as grain drying repre- sents a major portion of the energy required for corn production. It may be preferable to select short- to mid-season hybrids than full-season hybrids for grain, especially if planting is delayed until late May, he said. This year’s Ohio Corn Performance Test results indicate the average yields of entries in the early maturity test were similar to those in the late maturity test; however, the average grain moisture of hybrids in the early test was 1.5 to 3.5 percentage points lower than those in the full-season test. Second, choose hybrids that have produced consistently high yields across many locations. Tests this year indicate that hybrids of similar maturity varied in yield potential by as much as 60 bushels per acre depending on the site. Thomison warns that choosing a hybrid simply because it’s a triple stack, quad stack or possesses appealing cos- metic traits, like big flex ears, will not ensure high yields. Instead producers should look for yield consistency across environments, he said. Hybrids will perform differently, based on region, soils and environmental conditions. “Our tests this year revealed that stacked trait hybrids not only produced the highest grain yields, but also the low- est,” Thomison said. Several non-transgenic hybrids suit- able for non-GMO grain production produced yields that were not significantly

18 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 different from the highest yielding triple or quad stack entries, he said. When planting fields where corn rootworm and European corn borer are likely to be problems, Bt traits offer outstanding protection and may mitigate the impact of other stressors. Third, plant hybrids with good standability to minimize stalk lodging. This is particularly important in areas where stalk rot is a perennial problem, or where field drying is anticipated. In 2008, severe lodging was present in many western Ohio cornfields, due in large part to the high winds associated with Hurricane Ike. In addition, severe water stress in July and August in parts of Ohio may have predisposed the crop to stalk rot. Major differences in lodging were evident among this year’s hybrid entries with percent plant lodging ranging from less than 5% to more than 90%. If a grower has his own drying facil- ities and is prepared to harvest at relatively high moisture levels (greater than 25%), then standability and fast drydown rates may not be critical as selection criteria. Traits associated with improved hybrid standability include resistance to stalk rot and leaf blight, genetic stalk strength, short plant height and ear placement, as wells as high staygreen potential. Staygreen is a hybrid’s potential to stay healthy late into the growing season, after reaching maturity. Thomison cautions not to confuse it with late maturing. Fourth, select hybrids with resistance and/or tolerance to stalk rot, foliar diseases and ear rot. For information on the most common disease problems of Ohio corn, visit www.oardc.ohio- state.edu/ohiofieldcropdisease/. In recent years, several diseases have adversely affected the corn crop, including northern corn leaf blight, Stewart’s bacterial leaf blight and diplodia ear rot. Growers should obtain information from their seed dealer on hybrid reactions to specific diseases that have caused problems or that have occurred locally, Thomison said. Fifth, never purchase a hybrid without consulting performance data. Results of state, company and county hybrid replicated performance trials should be reviewed before purchasing hybrids, he said. Because weather conditions are unpredictable, the most reliable way to select superior hybrids is to consider performance during the last year and the previous year across a wide a range of locations and climatic conditions. To assess a hybrid’s yield in 2008 averaged across multiple Ohio test sites look at the “Combined regional summary of hybrid performance” tables. These tables and other results for trials are available at agcrops.osu.edu/~perf/. Corn growers farming along Ohio bor- ders with neighboring states should check results of the Purdue, Kentucky, Michigan State, Pennsylvania and West Virginia corn test results. The University Crop Testing Alliance Web site, www.agry.purdue.edu/pcpp/UCTA/ind ex.html, provides links to corn hybrid test results from universities across the Corn Belt. Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 • Crops 19 Narrow rows yield inconclusive results for Ohio BY STEVE BUTZEN AND STEVE between plants — the closer they are PASZKIEWICZ, PIONEER Table 1. Plant-to-plant spacing for various row widths. spaced, the more they compete. Plant AGRONOMY SERVICES canopies compete for light, while the Average distance to neighboring plants Nearly 20 years of research on corn roots compete for water and nutrients. Row Width (inches) (plant population = 32,000 plants/acre). production in narrow rows (less than In close proximity, leaf, stalk and root 30 30 inches x ~ 6.5 inches 30 inches) has yielded variable and development per plant are more 20 20 inches x ~ 10 inches sometimes confusing results. From the restricted than when plants are spaced 15 15 inches x ~ 13 inches beginning, yield increases in north- farther apart. But plant development is western Corn Belt states have been only part of the equation; the remain- explained by the principle of yield-lim- such studies, yields also did not very positive, on the order of 4% to 5% ing component is the environment and iting light or moisture effects. Northern increase in narrow rows. or more. But in other states, yield what it can supply to the plants. locations are limited in the solar radia- Pioneer Agronomy Sciences increases have been inconsistent, non- Consider the case of plants closely tion they receive during critical ear researchers conducted studies from existent or even negative. As a result, spaced and therefore with limited root development stages. These northern 1991 to 1999 and from 2003 to 2006 to on-farm adoption of this practice development, but in a field with excess states may show greater responses to evaluate the effects grouped by region. has languished. fertility and plentiful rainfall all season. planting arrangements that are more This research found that: Corn planted in narrow rows has a Root mass per plant is likely not a lim- efficient in collecting available sunlight, • Narrow rows yielded nearly 10% more equidistant plant spacing down iting factor in this environment, and a such as narrow rows. Narrow-row less in Missouri, but only one location and across the row. For example, con- more favorable planting arrangement research data from throughout the was tested. sider plant spacing for 30-, 20- and 15- may have no effect on yield. But when United States adds credibility to • Averaged across four locations in inch rows in a corn stand of 32,000 fertility and moisture are yield-limit- this theory. Nebraska, the yield advantage for nar- plants per acre in Table 1. It is clear 15- ing, more equally spaced plants may In a study examining narrow row row rows was essentially zero (0.1%). inch rows and even 20-inch rows pro- have a significant advantage. production from Minnesota down to • Of 21 locations tested in Iowa, 14 vide a much more equally spaced The same is true of plant canopies Texas, the author concluded that south were positive and seven were negative. growing environment for each plant and light interception. When the crop of approximately 43 degrees N latitude The average advantage for narrow than 30-inch rows. In fact, 15-inch rows receives excessive light, plant arrange- (a line that runs through Madison, rows across all Iowa locations was 2%. provide near perfect spacing with plant ment may be unimportant. But where Wis., Mason City, Iowa, and Yankton, • Six of eight Illinois locations were populations commonly targeted by latitude or prevailing cloudy conditions S.D.) narrow rows rarely increase corn positive, with an average increase of farmers in the Corn Belt. But limit solar radiation and crop yields, yields. North of this line, a yield 1.9% for narrow rows. researchers are still evaluating whether the planting arrangement that captures increase may occur. The most consis- • The Ohio location was negative (- this arrangement consistently increases more of the available light should also tent yield increases are clearly from 2.2%), but Indiana locations were high- corn yields, and whether certain grow- yield more. Minnesota studies. The author also ly positive for narrow rows, averaging ing environments are more likely to Some university researchers have pointed out that light interception was 7.7%. No explanation is readily appar- deliver positive results. theorized that the inconsistency of nar- not improved by narrow rows in all ent for these results, including the Plant spacing affects competition row-row yield increases can be northern studies (Lee, 2006). In two 11.5% advantage at Princeton, Ind., the

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20 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 southernmost location. • A survey of university narrow-row response of corn yields to narrow rows. • In the top corn-producing states • Averaged over six locations in studies showed that in locations south Responses ranged from -10% to 12%, of Iowa and Illinois, the narrow-row Michigan and Ontario, narrow rows of approximately 43 degrees N latitude, with an average response of 2%. yield advantage averaged 2% across all were 0.5% lower yielding. narrow rows were unlikely to increase In a summary of all the data: locations tested. • Wisconsin had one negative and corn yields. North of this line, yield • In the northwest Corn Belt states • Where narrow rows increased one positive result. increases were much more likely. of Minnesota and the Dakotas, 15 yields, it is likely the efficiency of light • In the northwest Corn Belt states • Pioneer studies conducted of 16 locations showed a positive interception or moisture extraction by of Minnesota and the Dakotas, 15 of 16 throughout the Corn Belt over 13 years response for narrow rows, with a 3.9% the corn plants was improved by the locations showed a positive response showed considerable variability in average advantage. narrow-row arrangement. for narrow rows, with a 3.9% average advantage. This is similar to university studies in Minnesota. • Narrow-row corn provides a more equally spaced growing environment for each plant, but researchers still are evaluating whether this arrangement consistently increases yields.

BASF acquires Sorex pest control business BASF announced in early December that it has signed an agreement to acquire Sorex Holdings Ltd., a leading manufacturer of branded chemical and non-chemical products for professional pest management. The transaction, which includes U.S.-based Whitmire Micro-Gen and U.K.-based Sorex Ltd., will give BASF an increased presence in the two most important pest control markets worldwide, the United States and Europe. Financial details have not been disclosed. “We are convinced that combining our existing pest control business and research capabilities with the Sorex Group portfolio and expertise with application technology will strengthen us on several fronts,” said Michael Heinz, president of BASF’s Crop Protection division. “We will diversify into the U.S. general insect control segment and solidify our position in Europe. Combining our research and development capabilities will help us bring even more innovative solutions to pest management professionals.” In the United States, BASF is now a market leader in general insect control. In the termite sector, where BASF is already the market leader in liquid treatments, its portfolio is now broad- ened to include the second-largest termite bait offering: Whitmire’s Advance Termite Bait System. In Europe, BASF now also advances to a strong position in rodent and insect control solutions for professional pest managers. The Sorex Group has an excellent reputation in the fast-growing general insect control segment and unrivalled expertise in the area of rodenticides. Sorex Group’s formulation capabilities together with BASF’s insecticides portfolio will enable BASF to develop tai- lor-made solutions for professional pest control. Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 • Crops 21 Randall Reeder, OSU Extension Agricultural Engineer, writes this page, with input from the Ohio No-till Council members.

Successful No-Till Conference Upcoming A record crowd of 200 attended the planting 5 to 7 days, but Ohio No-Till Conference Dec. 9. Jim the corn will catch up; in No-Till Events Hoorman, OSU Extension, set a good continuous corn the robust January 14-17, 2009 foundation for the program by explain- stalks can be broken down National No-till Farmer Conf., ing the biology of soils. The nutrients with poultry litter, a light Indianapolis captured in crop residue are not avail- tillage (such as Aer-Way), January 27, 2009 able immediately to the next crop, or a rye cover crop. Tri-State Conservation Tillage meaning no-till soils may take time to Rafiq Islam, OSU South Conf., W. Middlesex, PA develop and produce high yields. Soil Centers at Piketon, and February 25 compaction is a biological problem as Alan Sundermeier, OSU Cover Crops/Soil Quality well as a physical problem, and crop Extension, discussed bene- Workshop, Ada residues plus deep rooted cover crops fits and characteristics of February 26-27, 2009 are a good route to quicker success. about 15 cover crops. Conservation Tillage Joe Nester, Nester Ag Management, Tillage radish, planted Conference, Ada (featuring showed how correctly dividing a field after wheat, can grow Elwynn Taylor, Ag. Climatologist) for soil sampling, followed by variable more than 20 inches deep, rate application of lime/fertilizer, can and the crop reduces soil payoff quickly. Recording yield data is compaction all the January 27 critical. Yield maps can pinpoint sec- way down. tions of fields that are losing money, Jim Leverich, University program features and would be better off in a of Wisconsin, explained conservation program. how correct settings on Brazilian No-till A panel of farmers (Tom Lamp, Bill equipment along with a Lehmkuhl and David Brandt) shared few modifications can experiences and answered questions on improve yields. He also farmer managing residues and cover crops. showed how on-farm The Tri-state Conservation Tillage Among the tips: the best cover crop research is relatively easy Conference near Youngstown boasts (after wheat) for a first-time user is to set up and complete two prominent speakers: Franke Roundup Ready soybeans planted in thanks to GPS, yield maps Joe Nester, Bryan, Ohio, showed how to maximize returns from Dijkstra of Brazil, and Steve Groff of August; a cover crop may delay corn and other technology. fertilizer dollars Lancaster, PA. (For details, see the Crops Section, page 26.) Survey on no-till carbon credits CTC includes corn, wheat and A short survey was conducted at the were mentioned such as reducing soil annual Ohio No-Till Conference. Eighty erosion and improving overall cover crops percent of the 102 farmers who com- soil health. The annual Conservation Tillage & from Penn State, Kentucky, Illinois and pleted the survey continuously no-till Seven percent of those surveyed are Technology Conference, February 26-27, Ohio State. Also, cover crops will be all or part of their cropland. Eighteen currently receiving payments for at Ada will have a wide variety of topics the topic in a concurrent session all day percent use no-till occasionally, citing sequestering carbon on their no-till presented by sixty speakers. Elwynn Thursday, and in a pre-conference the type of crop grown and growing acreage. Other respondents noted that Taylor, Jim Moseley, and Matt Roberts workshop Wednesday. conditions as the reason for tillage. the payments are too low to entice are the opening session speakers. The final program, and registration Producers stated many economic them to enroll in the program. OSU New for this year is “Corn details will be on the website: reasons for using no-till practices grad student, Melanie Miller, took the University”, an intensive, high level 5- ctc.osu.edu. We’ll also include more including savings on labor and fuel. survey as part of her research on hour session on Thursday afternoon, information in the next issue of Ohio’s Likewise, many conservation reasons carbon credits. taught by Extension corn specialists Country Journal. SPONSORS Ag Spectrum Blue Stone Solutions Midwest Seed Pineview Sales Seed Consultants Cliff Ramsier ~ 419-499-2301 Ed Cross ~ 937-605-6380 Genetics and Rental Chris Jeffries ~ 740-333-8644 Dave Huff Bob Featheringill ~ 419-426-7385 AgriTech Brookside Consultants Unverferth John Dignan ~ 800-633-3899 of Ohio Monsanto Pioneer Hi-Bred Manufacturing 740-636-9693 Brad Miller ~ 614-492-1427 John Schartman ~ 614-847-4002 Jerry Ecklund Agrotain 419-532-3130 x-233 Steve Parrish Kale Marketing Ohio’s Country Journal Precision Agri-Services www.agrotain.com 740-943-2653 Bill Lehmkuhl ~ 419-628-4167 Valent USA www.Kalemktg.com Orthman Neil Badenhop ~ 419-287-4229 BioTill/Saddle Butte Manufacturing Remlinger Ron Althoff Land Stewards, LLC Kevin Cherry ~ 308-325-0232 Manufacturing “Will Rogers” www.saddlebutte.com Mark Wilson ~ 740-751-4703 419-532-3647 Randall Reeder ~ 614-477-0439 www.WillRogersToday.com

22 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 Corn rootworm control in 2009 BY RON HAMMOND, ANDY MICHEL Herculex RW or Extra; and Agrisure using a transgenic hybrid containing how you treat that 20% refuge for root- AND BRUCE EISLEY, OHIO STATE RW, CB/RW, or 3000GT) that can be the Bt-rootworm toxin. You must plant worm control, you can use granules, UNIVERSITY EXTENSION used to control the rootworm. Hybrids a 20% refuge within or adjacent to your liquids or seed treatments. Also be With growers making plans for their with the Bt-rootworm proteins do a Bt-hybrid corn. This is not an option. aware that these hybrids will come 2009 planting season, including order- good job of controlling rootworm Your seed dealer should provide you treated with the low rate of an insecti- ing corn hybrids that are perhaps trans- against all levels, even high ones. There with detailed information on this cide seed treatment to control second- genic, and with or without seed treat- is an important thing to remember if refuge requirement. When considering ary soil insect pests. ments, we thought a review of management recommendations for rootworms is in order. As in previous years, we continue to see rootworm root feeding injury ratings well over 1, at least one node missing, in both corn following corn and first-year corn throughout much of the state. The variant has continued its march eastward into central Ohio. Thus, there are many management decisions that need to be considered. If not in an area where the first-year corn rootworm variant is considered a problem, and this includes much of eastern and southern Ohio, rotation is still your first and best option. Rotation will break the rootworm cycle and pre- vent injury because the field will be in a non-host crop. If in areas where the rootworm variant has been identified, you might want to consider treating your first- year corn. If it is decided that a field needs to be treated for corn rootworm, there are a number of management options that can be used for control. Granular Insecticides — There are a number of granular insecticides that are labeled for rootworm control. They continue to do a good job against low to moderate populations (the typical level in Ohio) of rootworm, and some do a good job against higher levels. The most important thing about using granules is to make sure the granular equipment is properly calibrated and the granules are applied properly at planting. Liquid Insecticides — Several liquid insecticides are labeled for corn rootworm larvae. They do as good a job against rootworm larvae as some of the other options on the market. As with the granules, it is important the liquid application equipment be properly calibrated and the material delivered properly at planting. Seed Treatments — Currently there are two seed treatments, Cruiser and Poncho, labeled at 1.25 milligrams of active ingredient per seed for rootworm larval control. They do a good job against low to moderate populations but may not do a good job against high populations. They will probably do a good job against most of the rootworm populations we encounter in Ohio. But if in an area where the rootworm is considered severe, we suggest not using them for rootworm management. If one of the seed treatments is used, it is important to follow company directions concerning hopper box additives to make sure that seed flows properly. Bt-Rootworm Hybrids — There are three Bt-rootworm proteins (YieldGard Rootworm, Plus, VT, VT Triple; 93957_JrPageNonBld.indd 1 Ohio’s Country Journal • January 20096/18/08 • Crops 9:05:29 AM23 ®

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24 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 tors of agriculture in Ohio, the sheep indus- adopted some of what we learned and I The OSIA also has been vital in educat- Country try has a rich history in this state filled with saw what it meant to my father’s producing consumers through various forums, nationally recognized leaders, top tier pro- tion systems,” said Charles Parker, a retired including the Ohio State Fair, and for edu- Crossroads ducers and talented researchers working to OARDC sheep researcher. “It instilled in cating producers about improving their move the industry forward. me that science was important for agricul- flocks. Of course, much of the success with High contacted me last winter about ture and for the sheep industry in particu- Ohio’s sheep industry is due to the unbe- Matt helping with the project by conducting lar. I was interested in sheep and that was lievable effort of Ralph Grimshaw, who Reese some interviews and writing a document what I wanted to do.” served as Ohio’s Extension sheep specialist assistant to compliment the extensive work he had Along with the research, OSIA has for many years. editor already done. In the process, I learned a played an important legislative role in Ohio “This was a man who truly loved sheep; lot of interesting things about the good and on the national scene. the sheep industry and the sheep people,” old days of Ohio’s sheep industry along “Ohio has been a leader east of the wrote Larry Mead, editor of Sheep Breeder In agriculture, it is easy to sit back and the way. Mississippi on many issues related to the and Sheepman Magazine after Grimshaw’s reminisce about the good old days. This is First, sheep-related research from Ohio sheep industry,” said Guy Flora, a nation- death in 1993. “He was the driving force in probably due to the inherent benefits of State, in cooperation with OSIA, con- al leader in the sheep industry and editor the development of the Ohio Sheep and the agricultural lifestyle. The work can be tributed to the U.S. introduction of the of Shepherd magazine. “An annual spring Wool Program, Ohio’s check-off program, hard and the hours can be long, but the round baler, the early popularity of electric legislative trip to Washington, D.C., has the development of the Ohio Ram Test flexibility, freedom and kinship with the fence technology, and nutrition and extend- been well attended by sheep industry rep- Station and annual sale, and just about land all lend themselves to the formation ed grazing advancements. OSU research resentatives from Ohio. Of course, we cur- everything else that went on relative to of fond memories of a simpler time — the also led to the development of zinc sulfate rently have Senator Sherrod Brown on the sheep in Ohio for the past 45 years.” good old days. as a foot rot treatment used around the senate agriculture committee, and in the With the leadership of Grimshaw and The good old days of Ohio’s sheep world, increased lambing rates and past, we have been able to go to talk to many others, there are plenty of “good old industry are the subject of a recent project I improved production efficiency. Senator George Voinovich who has days” memories in this OSIA history com- was fortunate to be able to work with. The word about such advances got out always backed the OSIA since he was pilation. And with this foundation, and Roger High, executive director of the Ohio through the popular Ohio Sheep Day. governor of Ohio. Ohio has a political the dedication of today’s leaders, Ohio’s Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA), “I grew up on the farm and I remember position of leadership when it comes to sheep industry has plenty of good old has logged many hours in recent years dig- coming to the Ohio Sheep Day with my Washington, D.C., and politics. So politi- days ahead. ging through records to form the basis for a father, and I was impressed by those people cally, I think as a state organization, OSIA To get a copy of the OSIA history, con- history of the organization. Like other sec- that had knowledge. He went home and has been pretty successful.” tact High at [email protected] or 614-246-8299.

Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 • Crops 25 Headline-Domark studies in Ohio — 2008 results and five-year summary BY ANNE DORRANCE, CHRISTIAN CRUZ, brown spots on the lower leaves, these Yields were also highly variable across tial rain, which was followed by a two- DENNIS MILLS, DAVE MANGIONE, GENE will grow and the leaves will turn yellow three of the locations and even more to three-week dry spell. MCCLUER, ROB LEEDS, AND TODD and drop from the plant. In severe cases, interesting is that each treatment was sig- The combination of the higher levels of MANGEN, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY on susceptible varieties, defoliation can nificantly better than the others in at brown spot, reaching into the mid-canopy, EXTENSION occur as early as R5 up into the mid- least one location. combined with the additional stress of the Foliar fungicides on soybeans were canopy of the plant. Septoria levels were • The non-treated strip was signifi- drought may have played a role in the pos- evaluated for the fifth year in on-farm quite variable at all of the locations, but cantly better than both fungicides in itive response with Headline at this loca- studies this year in cooperation with pro- as in other years, both Domark and Delaware. tion. This is highly unusual that brown ducers in four locations: Delaware, Headline reduced the severity. • Domark was significantly better than spot reached the mid-canopy and may Hardin, Mercer and Ross counties. In Mercer County, the field was heavi- non-treated, but not Headline in indicate that this variety is susceptible to Assistance for these trials was provided ly impacted by the early spring rains and Hardin. this disease. Previous trials where by the Top Farmers of Ohio, Ohio Seed Phytophthora stem rot. Phytophthora • Headline was significantly better Headline applications increased yields that Improvement Association, Ohio Soybean root and stem rot is caused by a water than both non-treated and Domark exceeded application costs were in 2006 Council and North Central Soybean mold that infects roots when soils in Ross. when Frogeye leaf spot was present at the Association. become saturated at anytime during the Table 2. Yields (bu/A) in on- R2 growth stage. In each location treatments were growing season. Once roots are infected, farm evaluations of foliar Conclusion arranged in a randomized block design on varieties with low levels of partial fungicides in Ohio. with four to five reps in each location. resistance, stem rot will develop causing Yields were highly variable across all of Locations the producers’ fields. Foliar disease levels Foliar diseases were evaluated at the R2- early plant death. Due to the high vari- Treatment Delaware Hardin Ross R3, R4-5 and R7 growth stages (just ability in stand in this location, we have should be monitored at the R2 (full flower) before application, two weeks following not included the summary of this loca- Non-treated 30.0 51.1 52.7 to determine if fungicide applications may application and at full seed. Fungicides tion in this summary. Domark 28.3 55.8 54.1 be profitable. Frogeye leaf spot is estab- were applied at the R3 growth stage. Table 1. Percent leaf area Headline 26.8 53.4 63.6 lished on a susceptible variety at levels of Yields were collected and adjusted to affected by brown spot. Means 28.3 53.4 57.0 approximately one frogeye lesion every 25 13% moisture. At each location producers Measurements were taken on This is the third time, in the five years feet across four rows. For brown spot, look and/or commercial applicators applied five leaves in the lower of this study across 31 locations, that a for substantial early defoliation but also if treatments. canopy at four locations in foliar fungicide application actually lesions can be found more than half way During 2008, only one foliar disease each plot of the study. recovered application costs and up the plant, and prices for soybeans per was present at each location and that was enhanced yield. At the Ross county loca- bushel is close to application costs, then Locations tion, at the R2/R3 growth stage, full fungicide applications may be warranted. Septoria brown spot. This disease is Treatment Delaware Hardin Ross caused by a fungus that infects leaves in flower and early pod formation, brown Varieties are going to respond differently to the lower canopy. It survives on soybean Nontreated 7.0 13.6 7.6 spot had reached 15% across the field. these types of treatments, more studies are residue and can be found in all soybean Domark 2.4 6.2 6.2 The lower canopy was already beginning needed on how individual varieties are fields. The symptoms begin as small Headline 3.5 10 3.8 to lose leaves. Following the fungicide affected by these two foliar pathogens but Means 4.3 9.9 5.9 application, there was one more substan- to the response of the fungicides as well. Land rent spiral to slow BY JIM SKEELES, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY The authors also had the following to “Between 2000 and 2006, the farmer mar- more risk than previously. Only those EXTENSION EDUCATOR, FAIRFIELD AND say about crop price projection on Oct. 8: gin (i.e., operator and farmland return — farmers willing to carry the most risk will HOCKING COUNTIES “Besides declining, there is a great deal cash rent) averaged about $50 per acre in be the aggressive bidders for crop ground. Many farmers and landlords are now of price uncertainty. Bid prices on options Illinois. Since 2006, risks have increased Therefore, the authors of the referenced setting cropland rental rates for 2009. In contracts can be used to gauge price uncer- greatly. For farmers to have the same risk article “argue(s) for flexibility in leasing “2009 Rental Decisions Given Volatile tainty. On Oct. 8, options contracts implied post-2006 as existed at a $50 cash rent pre- arrangements offered by variable cash or Commodity Prices and Higher Input that there was a 33% chance that the 2006, it was estimated that the farmer mar- share rent arrangements” and continue Costs” by Gary Schnitkey and Dale Lattz, December 2009 futures contract would be gin needs to increase to $135 per acre.” their article discussing how to set up flexi- University of Illinois at Urbana- below $3.53 per bushel in December 2009. At a $135 farmer margin, theoretically ble leases. They conclude their article as Champaign in “Illinois Farm Economics There also was a 33% probability of a price there is no money left over to pay cropland follows: “Currently, there is a great deal of Update” it is anticipated that with cur- above $5.06 per bushel. Much of the focus rent with a $4.20 corn price and a $9.50 price uncertainty. This is causing difficul- rent lower crop prices, cash rent prices currently is on the possibility of low prices. soybean price. Subtracting $135 farmer ties is setting cash rents. We suggest using will certainly level and in some instances There is, however, a significant chance of margin from operator and farmland share rent or variable cash rent arrange- may even decrease. relatively high prices.” returns for the southern region of Illinois ments. If a fixed cash rent arrangement The authors referenced say, “If the Not only have crop prices gyrated wild- with 146-bushel-per-acre corn yield leaves must be used, we suggest waiting in set- cash rent must be set now, realize that ly recently, the costs of producing a crop no money leftover for rent payment. For ting the cash rent level. Cash rent agree- the fundamentals of prices and costs sug- have dramatically increased. This combina- Ohio, with ground expected to yield less ments set at relatively high levels may gest lower cash rent bids then what tion has resulted in a dramatic increase in than 146 bushels per acre there is a loss need to be re-negotiated.” would have been established just a few farmer risk. The authors had the following even without paying cash rent. The entire article is available at months ago and what would have been to say about Illinois risk, which has the The above dilemma inherently means www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/IFEU/IFEU_08_ justified by 2007 and 2008 returns.” same relationship for Ohio farmers: that farmers are and will be assuming 05/IFEU_08_05.html. Tri-State Conservation Tillage Conference The Tri-State Conservation Tillage same goals and face the same problems authority on no-till technology. The enhance soil and water quality, and Conference will be held at West as farmers in the United States. information Franke will provide is ben- reduce pesticide use. Middlesex, Pa., (near Youngstown) on Franke Dijkstra farms 4,000 acres eficial to no-till producers in Also on the program will be presen- Jan. 27. The main speaker is Franke and milks 1,000 dairy cattle near Ponte Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York as tations on biofuels and the crops that Dijkstra, an award-winning no-till Grossa, Brazil. He was one of the first much as it is in Brazil. may be used to produce them in the farmer from Brazil. to adopt no-till practices, in a country Another key speaker is Steve Groff, future. The cost of this year’s confer- As technology shrinks the world that has 60% of its cropland (more than who farms in Lancaster County, Pa.. He ence will be $25 before Jan. 8 and $30 and the business of agriculture 64 million acres) being farmed with no- is a pioneer in cover crops and has after. Lunch is included. To register, becomes more integrated into the till technology. His farm was named developed “The Permanent Cover contact the Penn Soil RC&D Office, 265 world economy, it is only appropriate Best Farm of Brazil for 2007 and Best Cropping System,” which includes no- Holiday Inn Rd. Clarion, Pa. 16214 C/o that U.S. farmers learn from farmers in Managed Farm in Brazil in 2007 and he till, cover crops and effective crop rota- Mary Ann Frampton or call 814-226- other countries. Many of them have the is considered to be a world leader and tions as a way to increase profits, 8160 Ext. 5 to receive more information. 26 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 Visit www.ohioagnet.com and sign up for Dale’s free daily e-mail report. Your daily dose of digital Dale. The Voice You Know Listen for Dale and Heather on your local station

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Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 • Crops 27 The previous two items illustrate the Farmer 4: “I guess if the market is what we’re doing anyway. However, the ARK ILSON M W extent to which social and political willing to buy, a person might look the payments are not enough to provide incen- change has occurred around the world other way and pocket the money. But tive for farmers to switch to no-till.” Caring and in this country with regard to cli- one should consider that the concept of Farmer 9: “Being involved in a system mate change. Add to that the fact carbon credits is based on the theory that that regulates greenhouse gases could for the President-elect Obama tapped Carol one entity can more cheaply reduce car- result in closer scrutiny of agricultural Browner, former U.S. EPA administrator bon emissions than the other … and that practices, as we have already been expe- Land and longtime acolyte of Al Gore, as his the emission reductions would not have riencing. It could be a slippery road.” presidential advisor for energy and cli- occurred without the revenue from the That’s just a sampling of what some Farmers blog on carbon credits mate policy, and it’s clear we’re headed sale of credits. Would anyone stop no- farmers think about carbon credits. If toward strong action on climate change. tilling if they could not sell the carbon you’d like to learn more about carbon A friend of mine is always flying At the center of most proposals is a credits? Clearly, the answer is no.” credits, I’ve planned several farmer meet- somewhere. The other day he told me “cap and trade” system dependant on a Farmer 5: “I am able to sell my carbon ings around Ohio for the week of Jan. 12- about a recent flight in which the atten- mandated carbon trading scheme. credits and not look the other way or 15. Contact me for a location near you. dant came down the aisle with a duty Despite these signs, the question compromise my ethics. More to the point By the way, my frequent flyer friend free cart of overpriced items. He tried to remains: Why aren’t more farmers partic- is the question, ‘Would no-tilling be done passed on the carbon credits and ordered ignore the impulse purchase, but then ipating in the voluntary carbon trading if not for a concern for reducing green- another gin and tonic. heard the words: “Want to buy some system currently in place at the Chicago house gases?’ Clearly, the answer is yes. Kudos and Kowpies carbon credits?” Climate Exchange? A recent thread from No-tilling pre-dates widespread concern The attendant went on to explain that a popular on-line blog for farmers may about greenhouse gases. It’s always been Kudos to those SWCDs who hold by flying, my friend was contributing to shed some light. about conserving fuel, saving time and close watch over their bridge to local the 8 million tons of CO2 that man dumps Farmer 1: “Are any of you selling car- building organic matter, which also hap- landowners. You know who you are. on the planet each year. And, should he bon credits? I’m curious whether it’s pen to reduce greenhouse gases by burn- With increasing frequency, outside agen- feel concerned about that, he could offset worth it and what’s involved.” ing less fuel and by sequestering more cies and groups (Ohio EPA, ODNR, his contribution to climate change by pur- Farmer 2: “It is rather easy to apply. carbon in the soil.” ODA, NRCS, watershed groups, etc.) are chasing some carbon credits. They’re paying about $2 per acre for no-till. Farmer 6: “This program should be a requesting access to that bridge. SWCDs Over in Congress, California They audit one out of 10 to see if you’re poster child for the government. Unlike that blindly facilitate access are slowly Democrat Henry Waxman ousted fellow complying with what you signed up for. It CSP, it doesn’t discriminate by water- burning a bridge that took years to build. Democrat John Dingell of Michigan from will have to be a lot more money before shed, region or funding. And you get Kowpies to any fertilizer dealer look- his post as chairman of the House they get many to sign up around here.” paid without taking your land out of ing to free up storage space this winter Committee on Energy and Commerce. Farmer 3: “We’re doing it. We’re 100% production.” by broadcasting fertilizer on frozen or The move was unusual in that it defied no-till, so it doesn’t involve anything dif- Farmer 7: “I wish it wasn’t necessary snow-covered ground. With our up and Congress’s seniority system. Rep. ferent practice-wise for us. It takes very for the government to step in and man- down winter temperatures, there’s a Dingell, a close ally of the auto industry, little work to enroll. Just copy the infor- date ‘cap and trade.’ I wish industry good chance most of it could wash away. is the House’s longest-serving member mation from your FSA 578 form onto the (including ag) would step up and do it A losing situation for all parties involved and has chaired the energy committee for application. Then the aggregator bundles voluntarily. But often the only focus is — especially the environment. 28 years. Rep. Waxman, a longtime together my credits with those from immediate profit.” Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. Mark L. champion of the environment, is now many other farmers and trades them. Farmer 8: “For most of us, getting paid Wilson is president of Land Stewards, LLC. He can be responsible for legislative oversight of air Once a year I get a check. Not a lot of for carbon sequestration might be a no- quality and energy supply. money. But it’s really easy.” brainer — take some income for doing reached at [email protected] or 740-751-4703.

“The leading aggregator of carbon credits from agriculture.” “The“The leading leading aggregatoraggregator of of carbon credits credits from from agriculture. agriculture.””

“The leadingAt aggregator AgraGate, of carbon we credits are from committed agriculture.” to providing excellent carbon credit aggregation services to American farmers, landowners and private forestry owners throughout the United States. Last year alone over 4.2 million dollars were sent to contract holders in 26 different states.

Download a carbon credit Carbon Credit Sign-Up Workshops contract from the AgraGate th th website www.agragate.com. scheduled January 12 – 16 in No-Till/Strip Till cities throughout Ohio and Indiana. CRP Grass Plantings Managed Forestry For a list of Ohio and Indiana carbon credit workshops near you contact Mark Wilson at Afforestation 740-751-4703 or via e-mail at [email protected]. A list of carbon credit work- Methane Destruction shop locations is also avilable by logging on to the AgraGate website at www.agragate.com Fuel Switching Projects or by calling the AgraGate office: 866-633-6758. Contact us today!

28 Crops • Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 Plasticizer partnership will bring soy-based product to market BY MATT REESE The product will have a wide number and see the clear plastic in the packaging, fund projects to benefit soybean growers New uses for soybeans have come a of applications and potential advantages that is also PVC,” Fontana said. “Another in Ohio. long way, and have a bright future, in Ohio for end users. use of PVC is in toys. The current “It really comes full circle,” Fontana thanks to strategic partnerships starting “PVC comes in a lot of different method of making PVC with petroleum said. “This has been a great partnership.” with the alliance between the Ohio forms. The amount of plasticizer you put contains phthalates, which the EPA says PolyOne Corporation, with annual rev- Soybean Council (OSC) and Battelle, both into the process determines what form it are very bad. With the soy-based plasti- enues of more than $2.7 billion, is a premier based in Columbus. is in. For example, you have PVC pipe, cizer that is no longer a problem.” global provider of specialized polymer “We have been really fortunate to be which is the white plumbing pipe in The royalties generated from this, and materials, services and solutions. For addi- able to work with Battelle,” said Dan your house. Also, when you go to stores OSC’s other new-use projects, go back to tional information, visit www.polyone.com. Corcoran, OSC chairman. “They think about things that the rest of us don’t think about.” Soy-based plasticizer, along with soy toner and power coatings, are providing environmentally and consumer-friendly products, while boosting soybean demand. Each of these renewable products got their start more than a decade ago with some of Battelle’s foresight and OSC’s willingness to be proactive for the soybean industry. “We initially had submitted a series of soybean-based industrial product proposals. At that time, the OSC board looked at the proposals,” said Bhima Vijayendran, Battelle’s senior research leader for advanced materials applications. From there, OSC decided to work with Battelle on their idea for developing a PVC plasticizer using soy-based feedstock. The research progressed fairly quickly. “Our business model is to get a patent and find someone to license it,” Vijayendran said. “That puts us more in line with the goals and approach of OSC — we both want to get to a commercializ- able technology.” In 2002, the soy-based PVC plasticizer won a prestigious R&D 100 award and last September, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and PolyOne Corporation, based near Cleveland, announced they have agreed to collaborate on the development of the OSC/Battelle bio-based plasticizers for use in polymer formulations. “Battelle did the research and came up with the soy-based plasticizer, which they then marketed to companies out there in the industry. PolyOne signed a license agreement to bring the soy-based plasticizer to market,” said Tom Fontana, with OSC. “PolyOne makes the plasticizer and they sell their product to manufacturers who use it in their products. PolyOne needs someone to provide the basic feedstock to make the plasticizers, and that is where ADM comes in. ADM is providing PolyOne with the feedstock to make the plasticizer.” The plasticizers are used primarily to make plastics softer and more flexible. The global plasticizer market is an $11 billion industry that includes PVC piping and plastic films, and is comprised most- ly of petroleum-based products. “There is clear market interest in renewable technology as an alternative to tradi- tional petroleum-based plasticizer offer- ings,” said Cecil Chappelow, vice president, innovation, sustainability, and chief innovation officer, PolyOne Corporation. “We are confident that PolyOne’s com- pounding expertise and global market reach, coupled with ADM’s deep knowledge of agricultural-based chemistries and manufacturing techniques, will lead to a new generation of plasticizers and com- pounds for our customers and for the global polymer industry.” Ohio’s Country Journal • January 2009 • Crops 29