The American Farm Bureau Federation Tuesday, along with 14 state Farm Bureau organizations and 16 other national and regional agricultural organizations, filed a motion seeking to intervene in Gulf Restoration Network, et al. v. Jackson, et al., a lawsuit seeking to force the Environmental Protection Agency to establish federal numeric nutrient water quality standards for all states in the Mississippi River Basin.
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2012 Farm Manager of the Year Award nominations
Submit your nominations now for the 2012 Professional Farm Manager of the Year Award co-sponsored by Syngenta, the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) and
AgProfessional magazine.
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Update on herbicide resistance in waterhemp
University of Illinois associate professor of weed science Aaron Hager said that the increasing occurrence of waterhemp populations that possess resistance to herbicides spanning more than one site of action further complicates management because the efficacy of multiple herbicides is compromised.
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Iowa cancels grant for new fertilizer technology
A $2.5 million grant that was awarded to a startup company working to develop technology to produce fertilizer from corn cobs has been cancelled in Iowa.
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WSU to field test two-gene Clearfield wheat variety
Washington State University has been developing the university’s first two-gene Clearfield wheat variety since 2006 and plans to field test the variety this year. If all goes well, the new variety, winter wheat WA-8143, will be released commercially.
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New documentaries, Web site show atrazine benefits
Syngenta announced the launch of a new Web site, “Saving the Oasis,” featuring three short documentaries that tell the story of how atrazine helps modern farmers protect precious water and soil resources while aiding the environment and economy.
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Stakeholders respond to USDA’s biofuels roadmap
By 2022, the U.S. renewable fuel standard calls for annual production of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels, and the USDA is trying to figure out how to get there.
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Syngenta, Devgen announce research partnership
Syngenta and Devgen announced a six-year global license and research agreement that will enable Syngenta to add RNA interference technology to its crop protection pipeline.
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Farmers & Ranchers Alliance plans for more impact
The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance held its spring meeting last week, which was for the board of directors to conduct its board meeting and for the communications advisory committee and task force members to meet face-to-face.
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USDA tooting its horn about being 150
The USDA has existed for 150 years, and Secretary Tom Vilsack will commemorate the anniversary on May 15 during a Washington, D.C., ceremony.
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BIG PICTURE
By Doane EconomistLost in the news about the new USDA crop reports out on May 10 was that the Brazilian government agency tasked with forecasting the crop increased its forecast this month. CONAB raised its forecast to 66.7 million tonnes. In April, it forecast the crop at 65.6 million. USDA lowered its forecast for the crop to 65.0 mmt on May 10.
