AG NEWS
Current Events In Agriculture
Ag
Dealers | Ag
Links | Classifieds
| Deadlines
| Market
Watch | Rate
Card Info | Subscriptions
| What's
Happening
April 2000
Back Issues: September
'98, October
'98, November
'98, December
'98, January
'99,
February
'99, March
'99, April
'99, May
'99, June
'99, July
'99, August
'99, September
'99,
October
'99, November
'99, December
'99, January
'00, February
'00,
|
Durum, Soft Red Winter Wheat, Soybean Exports Doing The Best By George Flaskerud,
Extension Crops Durum and soft red winter wheat export commitments (actual exports plus unshipped sales) were up from a year ago, but commitments were down for hard red spring, hard red winter and white wheat as of March 9, according to USDA's Foreign Ag Service. As a result, commitments for all wheat were down 3 percent. Durum was 7 percent ahead of a year ago while USDA's March projection was that exports for the marketing year would be the same as a year ago. Similarly, soft red winter was up 67 percent while the projection was for a 52-percent increase. Hard red spring was down but slightly ahead of the projection for the year. Hard red winter was down 1 percent while USDA's projection was for an increase of 7 percent. White wheat was down 29 percent while USDA's projection was for a decrease of 24 percent. For all wheat, corn and soybeans, USDA reports total commitments as a percentage of total exports&emdash;in effect, the pace of exports. As of March 9, the pace of exports was the best for soybeans and the worst for wheat. The pace of wheat exports is not keeping up with the pace of the last four years. The pace was at 83 percent for the current marketing year while it was at 96 percent last year, 94 percent two years ago, 95 percent three years ago and 102 percent four years ago. For corn, the pace is better than last year. The pace was at 69 percent for the current marketing year while it was at 65 percent last year, 72 percent two years ago, 80 percent three years ago and 91 percent four years ago. The soybean export pace this year is ahead of two of the last four years. The pace was at 86 percent for the current marketing year while it was at 79 percent last year, 88 percent two years ago, 87 percent three years ago and 81 percent four years ago. Export commitments for barley were 585,000 metric tons as of March 9. A year ago they were 711,000 metric tons. Dispose Of Unusable Pesticides From Idaho Department of Agriculture&emdash;Contact Rodney Awe Agricultural producers, dealers, applicators and homeowners who are storing unusable pesticides will have a safe, legal and free opportunity to dispose of them this May when the Idaho State Department of Agriculture conducts collections in Sandpoint, Coeur d'Alene, Moscow, Lewiston, Weiser, Caldwell, and Grand View. Producers with unusable herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and rodenticides should call Rodney Awe of the Department's Pesticide Disposal Program at 208/332-8615 to pre-register for the collection activities. There will be a collection scheduled for each of these cities during the week of May 15, 2000. Participation is confidential, pre-registration is required and must be received by the department no later than April 14, 2000. No fee will be charged for the first 1,000 pounds per participant. The ISDA will provide bill-of-lading and overpack bags for all materials being disposed. Since 1993, the ISDA has disposed of more than 244,000 pounds of unusable chemicals. Pesticides become unusable for many reasons, including loss of potency, exposure to temperature extremes cancellation or suspension by state or federal authorities, or growers' decisions to change their cropping rotations or practices. The collections provide a mechanism for disposing of the chemicals in an environmentally sound manner. The unusable pesticides collected in May will be incinerated or otherwise destroyed. Pre-registration forms, assistance in the identification of unknown pesticides and other information about the collections is available through Rodney Awe, Program Manager at 208/332-8615. Interested participants may also download information and forms from the ISDA's web site at: http://www.agri.state.id.us/agresource/pdp.htm. Is It Economical To Treat Cutworms And Aphids? By Carol Flaherty, Montana State University Communications Services After producers scout their field for cutworms or Russian wheat aphids, there are several numbers that can help them determine whether it is more profitable to treat field with insecticide or to continue monitoring the infestation. For cutworms, determining whether treatment is economical involves simply getting a good sample from your field. The threshold based on entire-season adult sampling in moth traps is either 800 army cutworm moths, or 200 pale Western cutworm moths. In spring, finding 4-5 army cutworm larvae per square foot or 2 pale western cutworm larvae per square foot means it is time to control the larvae. For Russian wheat aphid treatment levels, the number is derived by a formula. Scout the field in question, determining the percent of wheat tillers that have Russian wheat aphids on them. The formula to determine whether or not it is economical to treat Russian wheat aphids is then: Cost of insecticide application x 200 Expected yield per acre x the bushel per acre selling price If you have a higher percent infestation than the number derived above, you will make more money treating the aphids than not treating them. The benefit of this calculation is that it takes price of the wheat and cost of insecticide application into account, said Greg Johnson, head of Montana State University's Entomology Department. The Cynic's Guide To Life 1. Follow your dream! Unless it's the one where you're at work in your underwear during a fire drill. 2. Always take time to stop and smell the roses...and sooner or later, you'll inhale a bee. 3. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either. Just leave me alone. 4. If you don't like my driving, don't call anyone. Just take another road. That's why the highway department made so many of them. 5. When I'm feeling down, I like to whistle. It makes the neighbor's dog run to the end of his chain and gag himself. 6. It's always darkest before the dawn. So if you're going to steal the neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it. 7. A handy telephone tip: Keep a small chalkboard near the phone. That way, when a salesman calls, you can hold the receiver up to it and run your fingernails across it until he hangs up. 8. Each day I try to enjoy something from each of the four food groups: the bonbon group, the salty-snack group, the chocolate group and the whatever-the-thing-in-the-tinfoil-in-the-back-of-the-fridge-is group. 9. Into every life some rain must fall. Usually when your car windows are down. 10. When you find yourself getting irritated with someone, try to remember that all men are brothers and just give them a noogie or an Indian burn. 11. This morning I woke up to the unmistakable scent of pigs in a blanket. That's the price you pay for letting the relatives stay over. 12. It's a small world. So you gotta use your elbows a lot. 13. Keep your nose to the grindstone and your shoulder to the wheel...it's a lot cheaper than plastic surgery. 14. This land is your land. This land is my land. So stay on your land. Farm Facts 1). Kenaf is a crop being used to make newsprint, stage sets and exhibit backdrops. 2). Less than 5 million people live on the farm today, compared to 29.8 million in 1990. 3). The U.S. has less than 7 percent of the world's farm commodities. More Humor! What do you call skydiving lawyers? What do eskimos get from sitting How do crazy people go through the
forest? What do you call a boomerang |
Research from Southern Illinois University shows that gilts from male-dominated lifters frequently fail to conceive, and when they do reproduce their daughters tend to have fewer teats. In the study, Swine Specialist Robert Arthur found that if a female failed to conceive once, there was greater than a 50% chance it came from a male-dominated lifter. If the female failed to conceive multiple times, the probability that it came from a male-dominated lifter increased to over 70%. As a result, Dr. Arthur is recommending that producers avoid selecting breeding herd replacements from lifters that contain greater than 60% males. Stockman's Notes, February 2000) Tractor Safety: Preventing Falls and Run-Overs Reprinted from Ag Horizon Falling off the tractor and being run-over, either by the tractor or the implement being pulled, account for about a third of fatal and serious injuries involving tractors. Causes of Falls and Run-overs * Being thrown off the operator seat when the tractor hits a hole, stump, or ditch. * Extra Riders * "Jump" starting the tractor when standing beside it. * Trying to mount or dismount when the tractor is moving. * Slipping on the steps or platform when mounting or dismounting. * Leaving the deck of the machine cluttered with tools and other items. * Riding on the tongue or any part of the implement being towed. * The operator not aware of where others are when the machine is started and put in motion. * Leaving the parking brake off when parking the tractor, especially on a slope. * Poor maintenance of brakes and clutches. * An operator's foot slipping off the clutch when hitching implements or working on the machine. * Poorly trained and physically unfit operators. Prevention of Falls And Run-overs * Never bypass the safety start systems that do not allow the tractor to start in gear without depressing the clutch. When jump-starting a tractor, always connect cables to the battery and not the starter so as not to bypass the safety start system. * Do not allow extra riders. The ONLY time extra riders should be allowed is for training purposes. * Slow down on rough ground or where hidden obstacles might be encountered. * When going into a strange field or one that you have not been in for a while, stop and shut off the tractor and walk over potential problem areas. * Never try to mount or dismount a tractor or machine when it is moving. Keep platforms dry. * Always shut off the engine and apply the parking brake before dismounting the tractor. * Operators should take frequent rest breaks to maintain alertness. * Always start the tractor from the operator's seat. * Train all operators thoroughly. * Maintain equipment in top operating condition. * Install ROPS (Roll Over Protective Structure), and seat belts! However, if your tractor does not have ROP S, do not wear a seat belt! * Never ride on the implement, especially on the tongue. Contact the WSU/Cooperative Extension office in your county to get a complete copy.
By Jean Smith, WSU Extension Agent,Benton & Franklin Counties Tail docking of lambs by the commercial sheep industry is a standard management practice. Besides facilitating shearing, docking the tail helps prevent flystrike and fecal and urinary contamination of the hindquarters. The amount of stress caused by docking (removal of the tail) increases with age of the lamb. Therefore, docking should be performed early and before the lambs are two weeks of age. Tails should be docked just beyond the distal point where the caudal folds end on the tail. The caudal folds are the two bands or folds of skin that extend from the body on both sides of the anus and terminate on the bottom side of the tail. A number of sheep exhibitors believe ultra short tail docking improves the presentation of the show lamb in the ring to the judge. However, excessively short tail docking or complete removal of the tail is a cosmetic practice that causes physical health problems for the lamb, including an increase in the incidence of rectal and vaginal prolapses as well as fecal contamination of the hindquarters. The caudal folds are very important to the defecation process of lifting the tail and helping direct the feces away from the body. In general, the agricultural industry and the veterinary profession cannot justifiably or authoritatively defend this cosmetic tail-docking practice. Humor Parent's Excuses For Their Children The following are excuse notes from parents (including original spelling) collected by Nisheeth Parekh, University of Texas: My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him. Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot. Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan.28, 29,30, 31,32, and also 33. Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating. Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins. Chris will not. be in school cus he has an acre in his side. Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He hasvery loose bowels. Please excuse Pedro from being absent yesterday. He had (diahre) (dyrea) (direathe) the shits. [Words were crossed out in the()s.] Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust. Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear. Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday. Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well. Please excuse Mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover. Please excuse Burma, she has been sick and under the doctor. Maryann was absent December 11-18, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache, and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her brother a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night. Even More Humor! What's the difference between a bad
golfer How do you catch a unique rabbit? How do you catch a tame rabbit? |