Green & Growing

Salt is often used to melt ice from our treated road. Salt may also cause leaves spread to different tree species as well as reducing sidewalks and driveways and is then to appear later than usual in the spring. losses from salt. White pines, roses, rhododendrons flushed into adjacent lawns and flower beds — causing damage. The salt enters plant cells or the spaces between the cells and causes them to lose their cold hardiness. Salt also desiccates the plant by drying out bud scales which exposes tender tissues underneath the scales and reduces potential blossoms in the spring. The sodium in sodium chloride can reduce the root’s ability to absorb potassium, calcium and magnesium. Evergreens are particularly susceptible to salt damage and their needles may be brown instead of green starting at the tips of the needles and progressing through the summer months. Several years of salt accumulation may result in smaller leaves, flowers or fruit. The leaves appear burnt or brown starting at the outer edges and progressing towards the middle. Leaves may turn color earlier in the fall and an entire tree may appear stunted. GREEN AND GROWING By Linda G. Tenneson and yews are especially susceptible to salt damage. The web site “cues.cfans.umn.edu/old/ extpubs/1413salt/DD1413.html” from the University of Minnesota contains a list of trees evaluated into three categories of sensitive, intermediate or tolerant to salt spray and soil salt damage. The Soil Testing Laboratory, which is part of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences, will test soil for salt content. Go to “soiltest.cfans.umn.edu” for details and submission forms. Publication SP610 from the Some salt may be flushed away from plant roots, but this is likely to also remove these desired nutrients. Fertilizer is then needed to replace these nutrients and mulch to prevent further moisture loss. Snow fences or barriers such as burlap wrapping will help keep salt away from sensitive plants. Planting a variety of salt-tolerant trees from different species reduces the possibility that a pathogen, or insect that attacks one species, would be able to Agricultural Extension Service of the University of Tennessee also has information on treating salt affected soil. Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota master gardener and tree care advisor. v Coarse sand is an alternative to provide traction on ice. Calcium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate do less damage, but are more expensive to Farmers asked to complete questionnairepurchase. Salt may accumulate over several winters making the soil less habitable to plants. Trees may lose their tolerance to salt as they mature. Plants growing next to high traffic streets are more likely to receive salt spray than those near residential streets. Salt spray trucks can send salt solution up to 60 feet from the edge of a road. The side of the ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is asking produce farmers to fill out the annual Grower Questionnaire which will help farmers identify the federal food safety requirements which apply to their operations. Data from the questionnaire also provides the MDA with a more accurate assessment of Minnesota’s produce farming sector. Data gleaned from previous questionnaires has found that 41 percent of Minnesota fruit and vegetable farmers are growing more than five crops – with some growing up to 80 fruit and vegetable crops in a season. Tomatoes and apples are the top crops grown by produce farmers. More than half the produce farms are under 10 acres in size tree or shrub nearest the street will have more “The Grower Questionnaire is an important tool to The most current data is available in the 2020 damage than the opposite side. help Minnesota’s produce farmers navigate the fed- Produce Safety Program Report. No tree is insensitive to salt damage; but while some can tolerate the spray, they cannot tolerate an accumulation of salt in the soil. Trees which are covered with snow will have less salt damage. And branches growing above the height of the salt spray will not be damaged. Salt damage may not be noticeable until spring. Tuft-like growths, sometimes called “witchesbrooms,” may appear on branches closest to a salt eral produce safety requirements,” said Alexandra Cortes, MDA Produce Safety Program Outreach Analyst. The Grower Questionnaire should be filled out once per year, per produce farm. Participation is voluntary. Farm contact and location information is classified as private and not made public. Produce growers who opt out of the questionnaire will be contacted by the MDA Produce Safety Program to determine any inspection requirements. The 2022 MDA Grower Questionnaire is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ProduceSafety. Farmers can contact the MDA Produce Safety Program at (651) 539-3648 or email producesafety. mda@state.mn.us to request a paper copy of the questionnaire, or for more information. This article was submitted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. v

AM1 – Optimum® AcreMax® 1 insect protection system with an integrated corn rootworm refuge solution includes HXX, LL, RR2. Optimum AcreMax 1 products contain the LibertyLink® gene and can be sprayed with Liberty® herbicide. The required corn borer refuge can be planted up to half a mile away. AM – Optimum® AcreMax® insect protection system with YGCB, HX1, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax products. AMT – Optimum® AcreMax® TRIsect® insect protection system with RW,YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2. Contains a single-bag refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait, and the Herculex® I gene. In EPA-designated cottongrowing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax TRIsect products. AMX – Optimum® AcreMax® Xtra insect protection system with YGCB, HXX, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax Xtra products. AMXT (Optimum® AcreMax® XTreme) – Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait and the Herculex® XTRA gene. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax XTreme products. Q (Qrome®) – Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above- and below-ground insects. The major component contains the Agrisure® RW trait, the Bt trait, and the Herculex® XTRA gene. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Qrome products. Qrome products are approved for cultivation in the U.S. and Canada. They have also received approval in a number of importing countries, most recently China. For additional information about the status of regulatory authorizations, visit http://www.biotradestatus.com/. YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® Intrasect®) – Contains the Bt trait and Herculex® I gene for resistance to corn borer.

YGCB,HXX,LL,RR2 (Optimum® Intrasect® Xtra) – Contains the Bt trait and the Herculex® XTRA gene for resistance to corn borer and corn rootworm. RW,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® TRIsect®) – Contains the Herculex® I gene for above-ground pests and the Agrisure® RW trait for resistance to corn rootworm. AML – Optimum® AcreMax® Leptra® products with AVBL, YGCB, HX1, LL, RR2. Contains a single-bag integrated refuge solution for above-ground insects. In EPA-designated cotton-growing counties, a 20% separate corn borer refuge must be planted with Optimum AcreMax Leptra products. AVBL,YGCB,HX1,LL,RR2 (Optimum® Leptra®) – Contains the Agrisure Viptera® trait, the Bt trait, the Herculex® I gene, the LibertyLink® gene and the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait. HX1 – Contains the Herculex® I insect protection gene which provides protection against European corn borer, southwestern corn borer, black cutworm, fall armyworm, lesser corn stalk borer, southern corn stalk borer, and sugarcane borer; and suppresses corn earworm. HXRW – The Herculex® RW rootworm protection trait contains proteins that provide enhanced resistance against western corn rootworm, northern corn rootworm and Mexican corn rootworm. HXX – Herculex® XTRA contains the Herculex® I and Herculex® RW gene. YGCB – The Bt trait offers a high level of resistance to European corn borer, southwestern corn borer and southern cornstalk borer; moderate resistance to corn earworm and common stalk borer; and above average resistance to fall armyworm. LL – Contains the LibertyLink® gene for resistance to Liberty® herbicide. RR2 – Contains the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait that provides crop safety for over-the-top applications of labeled glyphosate herbicides when applied according to label directions. AQ – Optimum® AQUAmax® product. Product performance in water-limited environments is

Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company. Liberty®, LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are registered trademarks of BASF. Agrisure® and Agrisure Viptera® are registered trademarks of, and used under license from, a Syngenta Group Company. Agrisure® technology incorporated into these seeds is commercialized under a license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG.

Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. TM ® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. © 2021 Corteva.

Clean Water Funds from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources supported conservation work which contributed to some lakes, rivers and streams earning a spot on the list of waters slated to be removed from the state’s impaired waters list in 2022.

Following are a few examples where Clean Water Funds from BWSR played a direct role in restoration work. Clean Water Fund grants require a match. Total project costs may draw from local, state and federal funding sources.

In Chisago County, the proposed delisting of School Lake, one of 20 in the Chisago Lakes Chain of Lakes, reflects increased communitywide awareness and independent lake stewardship activities — a cumulative effect of years-long outreach efforts on the part of Chisago SWCD and its partners — including the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, cities and lake associations.

School Lake’s proposed delisting is not tied to a specific restoration effort.

Chisago SWCD Water Resource Specialist Casey Thiel said few grant-funded projects were completed directly on School Lake. Communitywide projects have included increased street sweeping and improved stormwater control.

Birch Lake, a 150-acre lake with a township boat launch and swimming beach northeast of Big Lake, saw water quality improve as a result of five targeted stormwater retrofits installed from 2016 through 2018. A $70,005 Clean Water Fund grant Sherburne SWCD received from BWSR in 2016 supported the Big Lake Township project, which keeps an estimated 10 pounds of phosphorus and 3,000 pounds of sediment out of the lake annually.

Outlet Creek, which flows from Lake Minnewaska across rolling farmland and glacial hills to Lake Emily southwest of Starbuck, was listed in 2012 as impaired for aquatic life. The creek lies within the Lake Emily watershed, the focus of four Clean Water Fund grants from BWSR.

A $38,160 Clean Water Fund grant award in 2015 supported water quality assessment and project prioritization. Implementation grants followed in each of the next three years. Thirty-four of the 54 erosion control practices — most of them water and sediment control basins — backed by a $287,500 grant in 2016 directly affected Outlet Creek. All 27 water and sediment control basins backed by a $162,500 grant in 2017 affect Outlet Creek. Those projects combined keep an estimated 2,237 tons of sediment and 2,565 pounds of phosphorus out of the creek annually.

Situated in downtown St. Cloud, surrounded by a park and encircled by a paved walking path, 8.5-acre Lake George draws paddlers and ice skaters. A free weekly summer music series attracts thousands. For two decades, the Stearns County SWCD and city of St. Cloud have worked together to improve water quality and clarity of the nutrient-impaired lake.

Early projects included 2002’s shoreline naturalization and stabilization. The most recent, backed by a $697,000 Clean Water Fund grant the SWCD received in 2019, constructed an underground regional stormwater management structure in 2020. Designed to trap and remove sediment and nutrients from runoff before it enters the lake, it targets a 47-acre drainage area and will reduce phosphorus by an estimated 27 pounds and sediment by 7 tons a year.

Cumulative work by the SWCD and city of St. Cloud contributed to improved water clarity, from 5.8 feet in 2010 to nearly 10 feet in 2021.

Lily Lake, a picturesque 41-acre lake in Stillwater bordered by a small city park with a fishing pier, boat launch, ballfields and an indoor ice arena, achieved the phosphorus reductions necessary for delisting after a regional filtration basin was installed and a subsequent alum treatment completed this fall.

Previous projects included commercial and residential stormwater retrofits, gully stabilizations and residential rain gardens. Combined, they’ll reduce annual phosphorus-loading to the lake by about 145 pounds. Throughout the subwatershed Clean Water Funds have supported 19 rain gardens, three regional filtration basins, a gully stabilization, irrigation reuse project and the alum treatment.

Sunfish Lake, a 47-acre water body in the small city of the same name, saw an estimated 80 percent reduction in internal phosphorus-loading, the result of an in-lake alum treatment supported by a $196,000 Clean Water Fund grant.

The MPCA’s Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies identified internal loading as the numberone source of phosphorus-loading, and identified the treatment. The WMO hired a contractor and kept residents informed. A few residents went door-todoor to contact fellow lakeshore property owners.

From the Grant County line near Ashby, the delisted segment of Pelican Creek flows south and then west, skirting Pelican Lake and meandering across farmland on its way to the Pomme de Terre River.

The creek was listed as impaired for aquatic life in 2012, based on benthic macroinvertebrate bioassessments.

“Essentially that is an indicator of everything upstream, and some of our biggest recreational lakes in the county are there, Pelican Lake being one. That’s an indicator of what’s going on in that lake,” said Jared House, Grant SWCD administrative manager. “Additionally, this creek is a conduit to the Pomme de Terre River, which is a huge recreational river for fishing and kayaking.”

This article was submitted by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. v

Getting together with others for lators and businesses. a cup of coffee at the local café can produce quite the conversations. Weather, politics, and the local sports teams are always mainstay topics. The good-humored banter which goes back and forth leaves everyone feeling good as they go about the rest of their day. “The importance of this report is to represent our businesses and tell the story of what topics are holding our businesses back or what the growth of our region look like in the next year,” GreenSeam Director Sam Ziegler said. “Why let others or small pieces of informaBut there are other things happening as a result of those converTALENT IN THE GREENSEAM tion tell our story. By all pitching in we can do a much better job of sations that most people do not By Shane Bowyer sharing this important informaeven realize is actually going on. tion.” The learning taken from each other during those conversations helps people gain knowledge and form opinions — such as which seed is best, or what tiling company is better; what regulations are coming down the pipeline that will affect the farms’ bottom line, or how to plan for next year with current commodity prices. There is a lot of informal education happening every day. The ability to capture all those conversations which take place in the cafés and Scan this QR code to take the 2022 State of Ag survey. The “State of Ag” research provides data to see year-over-year trends and new aspects in the agriculture realm that could possibly be addressed by stakeholders. The survey data and focus group discussions from the 2021 “State of Ag” brought to the forefront barriers concerning talent, policy, mental health and Covid-19 businesses face every day. In addition, opportunities were highlighted around entrepreneurship, business development, commodity prices and advancing local bars amongst the farmers and peo- technology. ple in agriculture would be priceless. Just think about the impact of how the combined knowledge of 2021 State of Ag – Question #8. Which of the following all these individuals could have on the region, mak- issues threaten your business’ ability to grow the most? ing it a much more productive and stronger agriculture economy.

This is what GreenSeam is working to do.

The ringing in of the new year brings the kickoff of GreenSeam’s “State of Ag” report. Three years ago, GreenSeam identified a gap in information and data as it pertains to the agriculture sector. Thus, it developed an annual report to address the gap called the “State of Ag.” The report consists of two parts: focus groups with participants from across the state and a survey which is distributed statewide as well. The data and comments are analyzed and summarized, then shared with the public, legis-

As an example, the 2021 “State of Ag” report found there were three dominant issues which threaten businesses’ ability to grow the most. Regulations/policy was the top concern while employment issues came in second and taxes third. The results were different than the previous year as the data was collected prior to the pandemic. The concern about regulations/policy was still first, but significantly increased in 2021 with more Covid-19 restrictions and increasing supply chain issues. Not unexpected, employment also had a big increase — jumping from fourth to second. Securing a skilled workforce has been an issue in the agriculture industry for a number of years. However, once again the current state of the pandemic further increased the need.

GreenSeam and researchers from Minnesota State University, Mankato started collecting data for the next “State of Ag” data at the MN AgExpo and would be grateful if you would help by sharing your thoughts on the current ag issues and opinions. If you would like to participate in a focus group at a selected time and location, please contact either Sam Ziegler at GreenSeam or Shane Bowyer at Minnesota State Mankato.

To take the survey now, please enter this link in an internet browser: https://greenseam.org/survey

“We need to show the picture of all businesses involved in ag. The farmer, processors, supply chain, professional services and more,” Ziegler said. “Agriculture ripples through our entire community and our goal is to capture the opportunities and challenges our industry faces.

Talent in the GreenSeam focuses on developing talent and promoting careers in agriculture and food. Dr. Shane Bowyer is the Director of AgriBusiness and Food Innovation in the College of Business at Minnesota State University, Mankato and is on the GreenSeam Talent Committee. He can be reached for comments or talent ideas at shane. bowyer@mnsu.edu. Sam Ziegler can be reached at sziegler@greenseam.org. v

Jalen Heintz

Polk City, Iowa School: Iowa State University Major: Double majoring in agronomy and agricultural studies Internship company name: Crystal Valley How did you learn about your internship?

I learned about Crystal Valley’s internship program through Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences career fair. I was lucky enough to be selected for an interview and was hired on as an agronomy sales intern.

Have you always wanted a career in agriculture?

I originally started my collegiate academic career in nursing school. I quickly realized that my passion for helping others was not fit for the medical field. I grew up showing livestock and have always had a passion for agriculture — especially the preservation and education of the public about it. I decided to switch my major and attend Iowa State to study agronomy, where one day I hope to be an agronomist where I will help area growers.

I have chosen to stay in the ag field because there are no other job sectors that come close to the community that the ag sector holds. The community aspect grants many opportunities for people to learn from others. This connection is what draws me into the ag sector of the workforce. My driving factor and passion is for agriculture and everything in it, and I would not want to be in any other field of work. The ag field is a constant learning environment giving me the opportunity to grow every day to help growers make the best decisions that they can make.

What is your favorite animal? 1.cattle; 2. dog; 3. sea turtle

What is your favorite food?

Prime rib; 2. potatoes; 3. blueberry muffins

Who is your favorite musical artist/band?

Pecos and the Rooftops; 2. Koe Wetzel; 3. Read Southall Band

Adaptation and resilience are key concepts in nered to create an emergency halal food supply to sustainability and help us navigate, adjust and serve low-income Somali families. Store custombounce back from challenges – which include cli- ers were provided the opportunity to donate to the mate change and the Covid-19 pandemic. in-store emergency halal food supply in an effort

As ripple effects from these challenges continue to sustain or grow the program. to impact communities across the state, we asked Zins noted that this project’s success was due in leaders from the University of Minnesota large part to its inclusivity and how it met the Extension Regional Sustainable Development community being served where they were, delivPartnerships (RSDP) to share some of the lessons ering culturally appropriate food to those in need. learned in their regions since the early days of the pandemic to today and what gives them hope for the future. “Flexibility and adaptability are not only key, but essential. From project work plans to meeting agendas to daily tasks, exercising a nimble Digital tools help keep communities con- response to the circumstances at hand is vital for nected long-term efficacy and success,” Zins said, about

One of the first lessons learned expressed by the rapid response work in her region. RSDP leadership is that communities have embraced new technologies and digital forms of communication which have helped keep projects moving forward. As part of the rapid response projects supported by Northeast RSDP, Abazs shared how the region engaged new partners and saw a record number of proposals compared with previous years. One of

“Meeting and collaborating virtually works the funded proposals was a Yurt Village project quite well in many ways,” said Molly Zins, execu- helping those experiencing homelessness in tive director of Central RSDP. “In addition to Duluth. To address the unprecedented numbers of increasing access for some and reducing the time people facing housing insecurity, this project is and expense for travel, we found that virtual helping bring the community together to provide meetings have a pretty quick learning curve and 24/7 warming and hygiene facilities and raise can provide an engaging, interactive experience.” awareness about the urgent action needed to keep Similar observations were shared across all of the regions. For example, Northeast RSDP’s board and work groups successfully adapted to a distanced, virtual process for their work, creating new ways to discuss projects, track work and priorities, and even vote on which projects to support. Anne Dybsetter, executive director of Southwest RSDP, summed up a key question about these digital approaches that will continue being explored in each region moving forward. Rapid response projects Another important lesson and impact across Greater Minnesota came from the work done to support communities in need. In addition to the regular RSDP idea brief and project application process, each region awarded rapid response projects to community groups to address urgent needs resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. These projects highlighted the inclusivity, innovation and ingenuity of Minnesotans working to address short- and long-term sustainability challenges in their regions. all our neighbors safe this winter. Another project supported by Southwest RSDP lifted up the ways cultural and creative elements can help us navigate and understand moments of crisis and imagine new ways of moving forward. This project, called the Dakota Community Artist in Residence project, helped produce and share videos about local artists including Talon Cavender-Wilson and Fern Cloud who shared more about their approaches and artwork that they created as part of the residency. “What new partnerships are possible if the barrier of distance is eliminated due to virtual communication?” Dybsetter asked. Hope for in-person connections As conditions shifted with the pandemic this summer and fall, RSDP regional executive directors worked closely with their boards to determine their meeting preferences. Some regional boards identified outdoor meeting locations while others preferred to continue meeting virtually at For example, one of the rapid response projects supported by Central RSDP was a project called “Emergency Halal Food Supply Hub” in St. Cloud. Community groups and Somali grocery stores part“Organizations, communities and leaders shifted gears and rapidly made changes that we otherwise never could have imagined — so now we know it’s possible,” Dybsetter said. Supporting and learning from community resilience Regional leaders looked forward to ongoing partnership with and learning from communities across the state as they continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges. this time. “I’m looking forward to continuing to learn Andi Sutton, executive director of Southeast RSDP, said, “Though I do still think that in-person meetings play a strong role in relationship from and be inspired by the profound resilience and innovation we’re seeing in communities across the state,” Zins said. — and trust-building for the long term.” This article was submitted by Marie Donahue Sutton expressed how seeing and working with partners in person will be critical to building a and Caryn Mohr, University of Minnesota Extension. v strong sense of community among board, work group and project partners. These in-person connections will also help as she continues learning about the region and the various sustainability challenges and successes facing communities.

Many RSDP projects, such as Northeast RSDP’s Forest Assisted Migration Project, adjusted plans during the pandemic. Pictured is a tree seedling planting at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. RSDP’s five regional executive directors: David Abazs (Northeast), Andi Sutton (Southeast), Molly Zins (Central), Linda Kingery (Northwest) and Anne Dybsetter (Southwest).

The Land Staff Writer Emeritus

OLIVIA, Minn. — With nearly 30 years of friendship here in Minnesota’s corn capitol, Ed Baumgartner and I are indeed ‘old fixtures’ in this exciting world of agriculture. Baumgartner left the corporate seed industry world in 2005 to pursue the development of Ed Baumgartner 3rd Millennium Genetics. In 2013, Baumgartner Agricultural Science and Service was formed and in 2017 BASS Hybrids were introduced. In 2019, BASS moved into its current facility to begin operations as a stand-alone business: treating, packaging and warehousing their own seed.

It’s now Dec. 21 and its cold (like about 14 F) and windy — 20 mph west/northwesterlys whipping across our prairies as I chat with Baumgartner in his Olivia office.

The Land: You’ve created markets in the Dakotas, Minnesota, western Iowa and Nebraska … plus overseas in Kazakhstan. Where do you see 3MG in the future world of corn?

Baumgartner: Most exciting is our growth into U.S. markets — against the odds I would say. Lots of very competitive GMO seed firms out there these days and here we are, a non-GMO seed company, and making progress. Plus, price-wise, we’re a better option. Changing 25 years of mind set is what we’re actually doing. It’s exciting!

We talk Durayield traits … naturally occurring traits selected from within the corn genome. Durayield traits are additive, so each generation will be better. Durayield products can be grown at lower plant populations per acre and more efficiently use available water and nutrients. Cost-conscience corn farmers certainly can relate here.

Consider this: A 200 bushel per acre crop uses about 600,000 gallons of water per acre. One acre of corn releases approximately 4,000 gallons of water per day in evaporation. Corn uses nearly 3,000 gallons of water for each bushel of yield. It takes 27,154 gallons of water to irrigate one acre of land with one inch of water. And 200 bushel per acre corn requires around 22 inches of water during the growing season.

The Land: So is durability a key ingredient in the genetic progress of BASS hybrids?

Baumgartner: Absolutely. The ability to survive under difficult conditions is always paramount. I got a terrific reminder this fall when I attended a dealer/ customer meeting. This customer said to me, ‘Ed, I need to apologize because I didn’t believe what you told us your products would give us five more days waiting for a rain compared with other products. You gave me seven days and I caught the rain. And I had a corn crop this year whereas my neighbor didn’t.’ Talk about motivation to go back out and keep working! And this farmer was emotional when he shared his comments … something you seldom see in farmers these days.

The Land: What develops durability in your corn hybrids?

Baumgartner: It comes from specialized plant breeding methods including managed stress environments with lots of time looking at individual corn plants. This also enables us to measure levels of tolerance to biotic and/or abiotic stresses occurring during the growing season.

In my early years I would throw away test locations that didn’t give us certain parameters of statistical analyses, and I would ask myself why? This hot, droughty season we had two North Dakota test plot locations right in the middle of the darkest red (most intense drought) areas: Rugby and Minot. And I wondered, what now? However, when I combined our Rugby and Minot plot data together, I could see the data was very tight. They mirrored each other as to which products did well. And that tells me good products are good products. Plus, this correlated with field notes made when checking those plots during the growing season.

The Land:So was this extremely droughty season a continued learning experience — even for you research guys? Baumgartner: Most certainly. It tells us we’re on the right track. Even with all these doom-sayers saying climate change will disrupt the ability of American crop farmers to feed the world, I don’t believe it for a minute. We just have to get smarter and keep working. Climate has been changing since we started keeping track of it. How do we know if it’s better today or worse? We really have no idea. We’ve had ice ages; we’ve had ages warmer than we’re heading right now. What spot in time are we right now? No one can say. The problem with we humans is we don’t like change. The Land: Because of the extreme costs of fertilizer, will there be less corn planted in 2022? Baumgartner: We’ll likely see farmers trying some things they normally wouldn’t do. We’ve been brought up that nitrogen and corn are ‘symbiotic’ … the more nitrogen, the more corn. So now we’re asking — and our customers are asking — What can these new

USDA announces new insurance option

Corn farmers who “split-apply” nitrogen now have another option for insurance coverage. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency recently announced the details of its Post Application Coverage Endorsement for non-irrigated corn.

PACE provides payments for the projected yield lost when producers are unable to apply the post nitrogen application during the V3-V10 corn growth stages due to field conditions created by weather.

PACE is offered in select counties in 11 states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. It is available as supplemental coverage for Yield Protection, Revenue Protection,

and Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Exclusion policies. The first sales closing date to purchase insurance is March 15. To “split-apply” nitrogen, growers make multiple fertilizer applications during the growing season rather than providing all the crop’s nitrogen requirements with a single treatment before or during planting. This practice can lead to lower input costs and helps prevent runoff and leaching of nutrients into waterways and groundwater. To learn more about PACE, visit https://rma.usda. gov/en/Topics/Conservation. This article was submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. v GROWMARK offers ag scholarship

The GROWMARK Foundation is once again offering a $1,500 scholarship program for students pursuing two- or four-year degrees or trade school certification in an agriculture-related field.

“As our business has grown and evolved, we saw a need toprovide a scholarship to students throughout the United States and Ontario, in addition to the scholarship programs already established in our core geography,” said Amy Bradford, GROWMARK corporate communications manager and GROWMARK Foundation manager. “GROWMARK and the FS member cooperatives are strong supporters of youth leadership education and this is one more way we can contribute to the future of agriculture.”

Applicants must complete an online application which includes academic information, community service and leadership activities, and essay questions regarding agriculture and cooperatives. Applications will be judged by a panel of agribusiness professionals.

High school seniors or students at any level of higher education may complete the application, which can be found at https://www.growmark.com/ about-us/corporate-commitments.

Applications are due by midnight on April 14 and recipients will be notified by July 1.

The GROWMARK Foundation is focused on programs and activities which support the vitality of the industry of agriculture; education and consumer understanding of agriculture’s contributions to society and the economy; and leadership development.

This article was submitted by AgPR. v

plant’ … rather than more plants per acre to produce hybrids do if they aren’t fed so well? And I think we’ll be surprised. We may find these new products don’t need as much nitrogen as we’ve been led to believe. I’ve been watching yields continue to go up with differences in methodology rates and lower application rates. The days of spring application of all your nitrogen I think more bushels. So I suggest to farmers, look for plants with more flex so you can reduce both planting rates and nitrogen rates also. This is based on lots of plots and field data results over the past decade. And the overall soil health and economic squeeze of today’s agriculture makes this all much more relevant today. are history. That would be better for the environment The Land: With lower plant populations, does that too. Yes, I would like to see more farmers feeding that induce your corn plants into multi-eared tendencies? Baumgartner: Initially we selected away from inbred lines with two-eared tendencies because they would tend to go barren under stress. But with our research methods today, we’re noting the more stress you put under a corn plant, the more likely multi-eared plants also. So then the effort becomes let’s see if we can increase the size of those ears. Bigger ears per plant certainly is a yield bumper also. crop only when needed. If that were to happen, I think we could likely get by with half the nitrogen we currently use with corn. Yes, this could mean spoon feeding three to five times. Yes, application costs and equipment will factor in here. But don’t ignore the basic fact that these newer hybrids just don’t need the heavy feeding we’ve accustomed ourselves into believing! The industry continues to promote more plants per acre — which of course leads to buying more of their seed products too. But understand that as you keep increasing the size of your factory, you’re also increasing the needs for more fertilizer, more water. We say go less. — Ed Baumgartner Also, application costs aren’t nearly as expensive as the fertilizer itself. Yes, it may take a leap of faith from farmers. Figuring costs for that extra 10 to 12 pounds of nitrogen with each ‘spoon feeding’ vs. total costs on a spring only ‘half-as-much’ application is the debate. Tropical corns grow much taller and frequently have multiple ears. But super-tall corn just doesn’t work these days … plus Mother Nature still has that occasional tendency with super wind storms too. So strong stalks girded with a heavy and deep root mass just simply works that much better. And now we see

The Land:So might this also nourish a reduction value in fewer plants per acre … in essence, having a in planting rates? ‘smaller factory’ on each acre while also cutting costs Baumgartner: Our philosophy is contrary to the rest of the seed industry. The industry continues to in fertilizer and minimizing a water crunch in a droughty season. promote more plants per acre — which of course The Land: Why is creating drought tolerant corn leads to buying more of their seed products too. But important? understand that as you keep increasing the size of your factory, you’re also increasing the needs for more fertilizer, more water. We say go less. We say, ‘Let’s make those plants produce more bushels per Baumgartner: First, we believe farmers should have corn hybrids that can get through dry periods without yield loss. And the best mechanism to achieve this is with a much larger root mass to extract water; To blanket or not to blanket horses

Blanketing remains a heated debate within the horse industry. Recent surveys of North American and Scandinavian horse owners showed about half of owners chose to blanket their horses while the other half did not, and that beliefs regarding blanket use, or non-use, were deeply held. Regardless of personal beliefs, blanketing a horse is recommended to reduce the effects of cold or inclement weather when no shelter is available during turnout periods and the temperatures or wind chill drop below 5 F; there is a chance the horse will become wet; the horse has had its winter coat clipped; the horse is very young or very old; he horse isn’t acclimated to the cold; or the horse has a body condition score of three or less.

If owners choose to blanket, they should ensure proper fit since poorly fitted blankets can cause sores and rub marks along the straps. Blankets should be removed daily, inspected for damage, and repositioned. Owners should make sure the blanket stays dry and blankets not be put a wet horse. Owners should wait until the horse is dry before blanketing. Remember, a horse will continue to develop a natural winter coat until Dec. 22 (winter solstice). Horses begin to lose their winter coat and start forming their summer coat when the days become longer. Blanketing before Dec. 22 will decrease the horse’s natural winter coat.

For more information on winter horse care, visit https://extension.umn.edu/horse-care-and-management/caring-your-horse-winter.

This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension. v which also leads to more soil nutrients being pulled into the plant. And that’s why drought tolerant corn has a tendency to yield more.

Second, even though the current school of thought is that the corn plant cannot be made more water use efficient, we think it can because we have seen it happen. And when a plant is more efficient in water use, it is also more efficient with nutrient use.

Third, we have learned that rolling corn is drying corn. The old school of thinking is this is the plant protecting itself. This is false. The most heat and drought resistant hybrids do not roll very easily. Instead, they tend to grey and maybe wilt a bit, but not roll. The longer a plant goes without rolling, the more heat and drought tolerant it will be. v