CORN TALK March / April 2016
A Publication for North Dakota Corn Growers Association Members
SPRING IS HERE!
MAKE SAFETY A PRIORITY THIS SEASON
CALENDAR OF EVENTS MARCH 23, 2016
APRIL 8, 2016
JUNE 6-8, 2016
MARCH 24, 2016
MAY 2-5, 2016
JUNE 21, 2016
ND Corn Growers Board Meeting Kelly Inn, Fargo
ND Corn Council Board Meeting ND Soybean Council Office, Fargo
Harvest North Dakota Ag in the Classroom Lisbon, ND NCGA All Staff Meeting St. Louis, MO
Corn Utilization and Technology Conference St. Louis, MO National Genotyping Center Grand Opening NDSU, Fargo
AUGUST 3, 2016 ND Corn Classic Golf Tournament Maple River Golf Course Mapleton, ND
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS SCOTT GERMAN, NORTH DAKOTA CORN COUNCIL CHAIR In my last letter to you, the ND corn producers, I discussed where your corn Checkoff monies are spent. Approximately 1/3 of the corn Checkoff budget or $800,000, is spent on research. Of the remaining $2 million dollars, $1.4 million is spent on National and State sponsorships. The ND Corn Council takes great effort to make sure that your Checkoff dollars are spent wisely. In the last issue I highlighted a few of our research projects, in this issue I would like to talk about some of our larger sponsorships and why the Council supports these programs. As the chairman of the ND Corn Council and a corn farmer myself, I want to do everything possible to “move the pile.” That premise is on our mind when making funding decisions.
We have 4 delegates to the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). Those 4 delegates are ND’s “voice” on a national level. We have unique issues here in the prairie pothole region and we need this representation on a national level to make sure our voice is heard. As part of our NCGA Funding, we also do our part, in the NASCAR marketing programs for ethanol. NASCAR has 75 million fans that attend and/or watch races on television. NCGA pays $2.5 million for this year long sponsorship. If you consider that one 30-second Super Bowl ad costs $4.5 million with 114 million viewers, the NASCAR ethanol marketing program through NCGA is a big bang for the buck. To learn more about NCGA please visit http://www.ncga.com. We are very excited to bring the National Agricultural Genotyping Center (NAGC) to Fargo. This joint venture between the National Corn Growers Association and Los Alamos National Labs is located on the campus of NDSU. Our sponsorship, along with other commodity groups and the Department of Agriculture, located the Genotyping Center to Fargo. The Genotyping Center is working on test kits that will
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AM I SUSTAINABLE? US GRAINS COUNCIL - INT. MARKETING CONFERENCE CHECKOFF CHECKUP WITH KATELYN CORNVENTION 2016-“MANAGING MARGINS” SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED & PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS
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11 12 13 14 15 16
ND CORN COUNCIL FUNDS RESEARCH PROJECTS COMMODITY CLASSIC 2016 THE BEE UNDERSTANDING PROJECT
18 19 20
AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY FOR PUSHING BIG CORN YIELDS WHO IS COLUMBIA GRAIN? GATEWAY BUILDING SYSTEMS QUALITY, PRIDE, AND INTEGRITY
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NCGA RECRUITER AWARD & BLACKWELDER JOINS ND CORN NITROGEN: SHIFT YOUR THINKING AND YOUR TIMING MAXIMIZING SOIL WARMING & HEALTH UNDER DIFFERENT TILLAGE PRACTICES IN A CORN-SOYBEAN ROTATION EVALUATION OF BT-TRAITS IN CORN HYBRIDS FOR CONTROL OF CORN ROOTWORMS IN NORTH DAKOTA
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.org
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS - CONT.
identify diseases in plants in a more cost effective and quicker manner than what is currently being done. For a small fee farmers will be able to have the diseases quickly identified, so they can establish a plan to combat the disease. To see what NAGC will accomplish in the State of North Dakota visit http://www.genotypingcenter.com. The ND Corn Council supports the US Grains Council. We have 3 delegates to the US Grains Council to represent ND Corn. The US Grains Council develops markets for US corn and related products. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture profitability. Corn exports have risen from 46 million tons to 47 million tons. Our ethanol exports have risen from 828 million gallons in 2010 to 870 million gallons in 2015. DDGS exports have risen from 8.2 million tons in 2010 to 11.5 million tons in 2015. Interesting, that the United Arab Emirates with its vast oil wealth and reserves is the 5th leading importer of US ethanol. If we want to “move the pile,” we must consider other parts of the world, and our partnership with the US Grains Council has made great progress in our exporting efforts. To understand more how the US Grains council affects global exports please visit https://www.grains.org.
We also support the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) headquartered in Denver, CO. The USMEF is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the US red meat industry. It is funded by the USDA the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean Checkoff programs nationally. The USMEF has offices across the world and works to create opportunities for US meat. With only 2% of ND corn utilized as feed for livestock, this is a growing market with high potential. To learn more about US effort in exporting red meat visit http://www.usmef.org. The ND Corn Council funds various other state and national programs including, but not limited to, the American Coalition for Ethanol, the ND Dairy Commission, the ND Stockmen’s Association and the ND Pork Council. Your Checkoff dollars are making a difference in expanding markets, and making technological advancements in the production of ND corn. It is our view that the best way to achieve a more profitable climate for ND corn is to work together with our agriculture partners within our state and across the United States. Have a safe, successful planting season!
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.orgNorth Dakota Corn Growers Association | 3ndcorn.org
AM I SUSTAINABLE? CARSON KLOSTERMAN - PRESIDENT, ND CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION Dear
of
affects global warming. NASA satellites have imagery of
hope
corn in July and August performing more photosynthesis
this newsletter finds you
than the rain forests of Brazil, giving us proof that corn
enjoying the last couple
farming isn’t adding to, but actually helping the environment
days
by producing more oxygen.
North
corn
growers
Dakota,
of
winter
I
before
farming gets hectic. Our lack of winter has gotten us all excited for an early spring!
The quest for “low carbon” production is another hot button with the general public. It seems I’m hearing or reading about reducing our “carbon footprint” in the media frequently.
Studies have shown that getting away from
When I find myself catching
conventional till farming to a more conservative farming
a breath in my office, I often
practice using the integration of cover crops into a farming
think “am I a sustainable farmer?” or “what can or could I
practice can turn a farm from adding to the carbon footprint
do to become more sustainable?”
to actually sequestering carbon.
Being sustainable is the “buzz word” that we as corn
Do we in agriculture have anything to hide you may ask? No,
producers will be hearing more of in the future. The general
the problem is that we as farmers are not very vocal when
public has decided that they want to know more of what
telling our story. I think we all know that it isn’t good business
happens on the farm and with their food; that is probably
practice to use excessive amounts of fertilizer or pesticides
not going to go away anytime soon. Grain buyers have
when applying, it’s a waste of money and harmful to the
been pushed by their end users to show them that the corn
environment. Farmers and ranchers take better care of their
they buy is from sustainable farm operators. For instance,
livestock than non-farmers take care of their pets. Sick and
the Cargill Corn Milling plant in Wahpeton is being
dying livestock would be a huge hit to a producer’s bottom
encouraged by several large customers to show proof that
line. Thanks to the folks at U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance
the region from which they draw corn is sustainable. If
(USFRA), Commonground and The Center for Food Integrity,
you attended our CornVention there was a survey to gather
they have been telling our story for us and doing a great
data on how sustainable farming is being practiced. An
job. Don’t pass up an opportunity to tell your story whenever
important tool for sustainability is the Field Print Calculator
you get a chance, we all need to work together to clear up
(FPC), which is brought to you by Fieldtomarket.org. FPC
the misconceptions about agriculture. For more information
is a process where a producer can enter acreage of their
about these groups please visit www.fooddialogues.com,
farm, the crops planted and farming practices. FPC will
www.findourcommonground.com, and www.foodintegrity.org.
rank the acres on sustainability. Another reason to be more sustainable is the continued discussion of global warming. Corn farming is taking a hit
As the spring may be fast approaching, please be safe. There will always be another day to get the job done.
as a big contributor to greenhouse gases, which negatively
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North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org
US GRAINS COUNCIL - 13TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MARKETING CONFERENCE, SARASOTA, FLORIDA
ANDREW BRAATEN - ND CORN GROWERS ASSOCIATION AND FARMER, BARNEY, ND I attended the US Grains Council meeting in Sarasota, Florida in February. It was my second such meeting and I continue to be impressed with the passionate, hardworking staff and the ideas behind their work.They have a multitude of plans in place for “shrinking the pile.”
emissions. The US Grains Council is capitalizing on this now and promoting ethanol as an environmentally-conscious alternative. They’re hoping that this creative marketing solution will be yet another method for the shrinking the corn pile. I walked away from this meeting with increased optimism and faith in the US Grains Council and the work that they do. With their creative efforts, I believe they are our best bet for opening new markets for our products.
As every farmer knows, there are a lot of roadblocks to marketing our products and the Grains Council addresses these issues. I discovered that the Council is all about creating solutions. I really appreciate how they explore, open and build up new markets and then back out and leave it to private industry to take over at the appropriate point. The history of the Grains Council in Russia, Asia, Mexico, India and Canada was quite interesting. It highlighted how advantageous it is to be flexible in our marketing. Before this meeting, as a Corn Growers member, I didn’t really know if combining our marketing dollars with Barley and Sorghum Growers groups through the US Grains Council, was such a good idea. Now, however, I think pooling our funds is a fantastic option. As a combined producer group, we are reaching farther and deeper, making more of an impact. We’re not wasting dollars repeating each other. Even within our various states there is a lot of repetition we could avoid. Right now, the Iowa Corn Growers Association may be doing the same thing as the ND Corn Growers Association, and we could be stronger, do it better, reach farther, if we all were on the same page working together. At the 2015 climate summit in Paris, several countries signed an agreement aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.orgNorth Dakota Corn Growers Association | 5ndcorn.org
CHECKOFF CHECKUP WITH KATELYN KATELYN BLACKWELDER-COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, ND CORN UTILIZATION COUNCIL
As we wrap up winter (or so we hope), now is a great time to reflect on the events that were attended by the North Dakota Corn Council utilizing your Checkoff dollars. Winter is a busy time for the Corn Council staff and board members as we attended many Ag in the Classroom events, trade shows and meetings, and also held our Research Summit for the 2017 fiscal year. Here’s the latest “Checkoff checkup,” and what the North Dakota Corn Council has been up to the last few months.
EDUCATION The ND Corn Council has attended 3 Ag in the Classroom events this winter and will attend a final one on April 8 in Lisbon, ND at Harvest North Dakota. The events were on January 13 at the Winter Ag and Construction Expo in Jamestown, KFYR Ag Days in Bismarck on February 9 and 10, and Living Ag Classroom in West Fargo on March 1-4. At Ag in the Classroom events, 4th graders from the area visit educational booths from groups such as the Corn Council, Soybean Council, Midwest Dairy Association and Northarvest Bean Growers, just to name a few. Students learn about each crop or animal in 6 minute lessons given by
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presenters at each of the booths. At the Corn Council booth, we teach the students the 3 types of corn grown; popcorn, sweet corn and field corn; and the 4 uses of corn; food, fuel, feed and fiber. During the Living Ag Classroom event, we were fortunate to have volunteers from North Dakota State University’s Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity to help teach the kids about corn. The ND Corn council has educated over 5000 students since January. It’s great to see our future farmers and agriculture leaders interacting and educating North Dakota’s children!
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“Checkoff checkup” is a quarterly column reflecting on how Checkoff dollars for corn sold in North Dakota were spent. The Checkoff for North Dakota corn farmers is ¼ of 1% of the value of the sale of the corn crop. For example in 2015, the value of the Checkoff amounts to $1.00/ acre. This column is intended to show farmers where those Checkoff dollars are being spent for promotion, education and research of corn.
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.org
CHECKOFF CHECKUP WITH KATELYN - CONT. RESEARCH Corn research is another area where Checkoff dollars are spent. At the Research Summit held on January 26th, 25 researchers from NDSU, University of North Dakota, Wild Rice Conservation District and Northern Crops Institute presented proposals of their corn related research requesting funding. The proposals were in the areas of agronomy, livestock and value-added (or new uses for corn). Corn Council members approved funding for 11 of the projects. You will find more information and a full listing of funded projects in this issue.
PROMOTION Corn Council staff and board members attended numerous trade shows and events during the past few months, including the North Dakota Pork Council Convention and Jamestown Winter Ag and Construction show. At these events, representatives promoted and supported the use of corn, farmers and livestock. We have partnered with other agricultural groups within the state in an effort to expand markets for ethanol and livestock. The North Dakota Corn Council makes an effort to ensure that your Checkoff dollars are used in a manner that will add more profit to you, the North Dakota corn producer.
Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity members from NDSU helped educate 4th graders on corn at Living Ag Classroom in West Fargo
ND Corn Growers board members Jeff Enger and Mike Clemens represented ND Corn at the Winter Ag and Construction Expo in Jamestown.
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.org
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CORNVENTION 2016-“MANAGING MARGINS” On February 3, 2016, the North Dakota Corn Council hosted the annual CornVention at the Holiday Inn in Fargo. This year’s theme was “Managing Margins” and was considered a great success. “Managing Margins” featured discussions on the future outlook for North Dakota corn. CornVention also featured a trade show that gave visitors a chance to browse and meet with a variety of vendors. Meteorologist Mick Kjar started CornVention by forecasting the 2016 growing season. Paul Georgy, from Allendale, Inc., then conducted a session, “Making a Profit in Today’s Market.” The morning panel discussion focused on the Federal Government’s safety net programs available to farmers and featured Darin Janzti, USDA-NASS; Andy Swenson, NDSU Extension; and Aaron Krauter from the North Dakota Farm Service Agency. The panel drew many questions from the audience. Audience members were able to gain a better understanding of some of the government programs available to them. The afternoon panel discussion focused on managing wetlands for productivity and profit and featured Kale Van Bruggen from Rinke-Noonan Law Firm and Jennifer Heglund, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). James Callan, policy advisor for the ND Corn Growers Association, ended CornVention with his session on “Farm Legislation in an Election Year.” Please plan to join us next year for CornVention 2017 on February 8, 2017 at the Fargo Holiday Inn.
Kale Van Bruggen, Rinke-Noonan Law Firm and Jennifer Heglund, NRCS, were featured on the afternoon panel discussion which focused on managing wetlands for productivity and profit.
Paul Georgy, Allendale, Inc., spoke at CornVention on “Making a Profit in Today’s Market”.
Meteorologist Mick Kjar forecasted the 2016 Growing Season for CornVention attendees.
The morning panel discussion focused on the safety net programs available to farmers by the Federal Government. Darin Jantzi, USDA-NASS, Andy Swenson, NDSU Extension and Aaron Krauter from the ND FSA were the panel members.
ND Corn Growers Association policy advisor James Callan captivated audience members with his speech on “Farm Legislation in an Election Year.
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.orgNorth Dakota Corn Growers Association | 9ndcorn.org
TEN $1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
NDCGA – PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS The Corn Growers Association held a photo contest in 2016. Photographs were to be taken in North Dakota, depicting the corn industry and had to be submitted by an amateur. Entries will be used for marketing and promotional pieces. Many great entries were received and our winners were as follows:
Scholarship Winners at the 2016 ND Corn Growers Annual Meeting: Back: John Baldwin, Ana Braaten, Addison Magill, Kollen Knutson Front: Sydnie Saewert, Kristin Harrington Not present: Noah Wanzek, Alissa Leier, Hunter Huschka, and Connor Wendel
1ST PLACE: KATHERINE PLESSNER
2ND PLACE: JIM COLLINS JR.
3RD PLACE: BONNIE HALVORSON
Winners received cash prizes. We would like to congratulate our winners and thank all those that entered the contest!
The North Dakota Corn Growers Association is proud to award (10) $1,000 scholarships to children of Corn Grower members. Scholarships are awarded based on academics, future plans, school and community involvement, and impact on the future of agriculture.
OUR SCHOLARSHIPS RECIPIENTS FOR 2016 ARE AS FOLLOWS: District 1: Ana Braaten, from Barney, daughter of Andrew and Teresa District 2: Kristin Harrington, from Grandin, daughter of Tod and Becky
Katherine Plessner received first place in the 2016 photo contest.
District 4: Noah Wanzek, from Jamestown, son of Tracy District 5: Addison Magill, from Verona, daughter of Chuck and Kausha District 6: Kollen Knutson, from Oakes, son of Jay and Jennifer District 7: Alissa Leier, from Hague, daughter of Lawrence and Rosalind
OUR AT-LARGE WINNERS ARE: John Baldwin, from Hope, son of Kerry and Dee Lia Sydnie Saewert, from Durbin, daughter of Scott and Penny Hunter Huschka, from Hope, son of Russell and Vicky Connor Wendel, from Carrington, son of Shane and Mary 2nd Place was awarded to Jim Collins Jr.
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Bonnie Halvorson placed 3rd in the contest.
North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org
ND CORN COUNCIL FUNDS RESEARCH PROJECTS On January 26, researchers from North Dakota State University (NDSU), University of North Dakota (UND) and Northern Agriculture Development Corporation (NADC) presented their corn related research to North Dakota Corn Council board members. After watching and ranking the 25 presentations, board members approved funding for the 2017 fiscal year to these 11 research projects: • Milling and Stabilization Optimization of Whole Corn Flour; Bill Patrie, NADC • CCSP Corn Plots; Kelly Cooper, Wild Rice Cons. District • Technical Support for the Corn Hybrid Testing in North Dakota; Joel Ransom, NDSU • Corn Response to Sulfur Application Rates; Amitava Chatterjee, NDSU • Building a Short-Season Quality Gene Pool for the Next Generation of ND Corn Hybrids; Marcelo Carena, NDSU
• Developing Low Cost Corn for Farmers: Nitrogen, Seed, and Diseases; Marcelo Carena, NDSU • Corn Germplasm Evaluation for Tolerance to Waterlogging; Qi Zhang, NDSU • Beef Finishing Feasibility Study; David Ripplinger, NDSU • Identification of Bt Resistance in Corn Rootworms in North Dakota; Janet Knodel, NDSU • Plant Parasitic Nematodes on Corn in North Dakota and Evaluation of Corn Varieties for Resistance to Nematodes; Guiping Yan, NDSU • Identification and Management of Corn Diseases; Andrew Friskop, NDSU The ND Corn Council awarded $366,033 to the projects listed above. We are proud to sponsor this research and to bring advances in production and soil management to our Checkoff paying producers.
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Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.orgNorth Dakota Corn Growers Association | 11 ndcorn.org
COMMODITY CLASSIC 2016 - NEW ORLEANS, LA
Commodity Classic attendees from ND Corn. Back: Randy Melvin, Carson Klosterman, Larry Hoffmann, Terry Wehlander and Kevin Skunes. Front: Jason Rayner, Dale Ihry, Jean Henning and Scott German
The 2016 Commodity Classic was held March 2 – 5 in New Orleans, LA. The Commodity Classic is a compilation of several commodity groups who held their annual meetings along with a trade show. The commodity groups holding their annual meetings included soybean, corn, wheat and sorghum. In 2016, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers was added as another entity to the meeting group. The 2016 Commodity Classic was the largest in size of exhibitors and attendance, with total attendance reaching 9,770, compared to 7,936 in 2015. An all-time high of 433 companies participated in the trade show. The ND Corn Council and Corn Growers sent a team of delegates and staff to the event to participate in the annual Corn meeting and policy discussions. The priorities of Corn is to find ways to increase the price of the commodity by enhancing corn use and exports. Corn use can be enhanced by increasing the number of bushels made into ethanol and feed for livestock. Corn exports via food, feed, ethanol and dried distiller grain by-products is a high priority. Participating in policy issues such as implementation of the farm bill, specifically ARC-CO, and crop insurance is also a high priority. Legislation being monitored includes, but is not limited to, GMO labeling and WOTUS.
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The ND Corn delegation and staff met with FSA to discuss issues related to implementation of the ARC-CO program in North Dakota. ND Corn offered a policy paper for FSA to consider to alleviate concerns with the program. FSA indicated they would give the policy paper consideration. The week of meetings and events were well attended and of high interest to attendees. The 22nd annual Commodity Classic will take place March 2-4, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas. For more information, visit www.commodityclassic.com.
ND Corn Council board members Jason Rayner and Terry Wehlander admire the American Ethanol marketing at Commodity Classic.
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.org
THE BEE UNDERSTANDING PROJECT
Honey bees play a vital role across the food chain and improving their health requires the active cooperation of players across this entire system. Beekeepers need to understand growers, who need to understand crop advisors, who need to understand seed companies, and so on throughout the agricultural system. The Bee Understanding Project has these key players swap jobs for a day to learn about one another and how their decisions impact honey bee health. To share these educational experiences with broader audiences, the Project captured the job swap in a documentary short film. The Production Stewardship Action Team of the National Corn Growers Association had a big hand in the Bee Understanding Project. ND Corn Growers President Carson Klosterman, from Wyndmere, ND was featured in this documentary. This was a very hands on approach to learn and grow from each other. The video played at Commodity Classic in New Orleans, LA on May 4, 2016.
To Watch Go To: https://vimeo.com/149238870
ND Corn Growers board president Carson Klosterman speaks to the audience on his involvement with The Bee Understanding Project. More information on this project is available in this issue.
North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org North Dakota Corn Growers Association | 13 ndcorn.org
AN EARLY OPPORTUNITY FOR PUSHING BIG CORN YIELDS
DEREK CROMPTON, FIELD AGRONOMIST - DUPONT PIONEER Figure 1
FAR NORTHERN CORN BELT
All signs point to a spring that will enable growers to begin planting early in 2016. This is truly important for two reasons: we can plant full season hybrids to maximize yields, and we need these bushels this year more than ever to remain profitable. Pioneer Agronomy Sciences has conducted planting date studies for over 30 years. This article reports results from 18 seasons across central, north central, north, and far north locations of the Corn Belt (Figure 1) (Figure 2). Planting dates ranged from early April to mid-June. Several hybrids were included in each maturity group so that true maturity responses could be measured, rather than just specific hybrid responses. And as you can see, our potential for income remains high for corn that is planted in the month of April regardless of location in the Corn Belt. And more importantly, we see that maximum yields are reached when full season hybrids are planted. This is the year to plant a higher portion of your corn to full season hybrids that will enable you to maximize yields on a season that also brings us affordable drying costs. Spreading your maturity range also gives you risk management to avoid weather problems during the season at pollination time. We can’t predict the future, but we can set ourselves up for success in a year where Every Bushel Counts!
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Adjusted gross income response to planting date for 97-100 CRM (full-season) and 80-88 CRM (early maturity) hybrids in 15 far northern Corn Belt environments during 1987-2004.
Figure 2
NORTHERN CORN BELT
Adjusted gross income response to planting date for 98-105 CRM (full season) and 87-91 CRM (early maturity) hybrids in 17 northern Corn Belt environments during 1987-2004.
North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org
WHO IS COLUMBIA GRAIN? CHRIS HOMAN, MERCHANDISER - COLUMBIA GRAIN MINNEAPOLIS Columbia Grain is a leading world grain exporter headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Our supply lines include the western region of the U.S. with locations in Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Our status as a leading exporter off the PNW gives us extensive knowledge of PNW export programs. The Midwest region of Columbia Grain is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN with origination facilities throughout Eastern North Dakota. Facilities include 4 shuttle loaders in Oakes, Valley City, Arvilla and Crystal as well as agronomy locations in Arvilla, Cummings and Climax (MN). These facilities allow us to meet the needs of growers throughout the year.
Domestic Markets Unfortunately news is not much better domestically. Ethanol margins are pushing from break-even into negative territory as crude oil and gasoline prices continue to fall but corn prices remain steady. Despite negative margins, plants continue to pump out ethanol leaving stocks well above last year and the five year average for this time of year. Ethanol has been trading at a premium to gasoline over the past few months which suggests fuel companies will limit their purchases to the government mandated minimum. A saving grace for ethanol producers is increasing demand for the biofuel in Asia and possibly Mexico. DOE Weekly Ethanol Recap
as of February 19th, 2016
Export Markets This year Japan remains the top importer of PNW corn by a large margin although total PNW exports are expected to continue to drop significantly. Why is this? From 2003/2004-2007/2008 the U.S. dominated the world corn export program with a 60% share of the global export market. During the 2007/2008 crop year the expanding biofuels market created record demand for corn domestically putting pressure on exports. Brazil, Argentina and Ukraine all stepped in to fill the demand void left in the global market, especially the Asian markets typically served by the PNW. Furthermore the cost of ocean freight became so cheap that freight spreads narrowed to the point that these countries became competitive into Asian markets. Consequently the U.S. has lost its dominance in corn exports and today accounts for about 40% of world corn trade. The PNW was hit particularly hard by this development because a majority of PNW trade partners use corn as feed which allows them to be indiscriminate on quality and focus solely on price. This is advantageous for other corn producing regions as they generally produce lower quality corn. These regions’ competitive advantage has only grown recently due to the strength of the U.S. dollar. Devalued currencies abroad allow other countries to aggressively offer corn which prices the U.S. out of the market.
Department of Energy, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gavilon Economics Research
North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org North Dakota Corn Growers Association | 15 ndcorn.org
GATEWAY BUILDING SYSTEMS QUALITY, PRIDE, AND INTEGRITY
KEVIN JOHNSON, PRESIDENT/CEO - GATEWAY BUILDING SYSTEMS Steady Growth In 2011, Gateway Building Systems moved to a new headquarters in West Fargo, N.D., after 37 years at a prior site in Fargo, ND. Gateway Building Systems has three other locations in Jamestown and Minot, N.D., and Fergus Falls, MN.
Kevin Johnson, owner of Gateway Building Systems Inc., is proud of his employees and their ability to build systems. Gateway Building Systems is “committed to quality,” Johnson explains, and it “wants their customers to be a success.” A primary advantage for the full service design/build contractor is the diversification of its business and client base. Gateway Building Systems is organized into two divisions: Commercial Building and Agricultural Building and Equipment. This diversification has been a key element to Gateway Building Systems’ success, allowing it to thrive even during tough times. As a direct result of its focus on quality and project diversity, Gateway Building Systems enjoys a remarkably high level of repeat business. In fact, about 90 percent of its business is for repeat clients. This is an astounding mark of customer satisfaction.
Gateway Building Systems completed 240 projects in the past year, with about 60 of them commercial buildings. Its total number of projects completed has grown at about 10 percent annually in the past five years. Up to the Challenge Gateway Building Systems has won a hard-earned reputation as a design/build contractor that demonstrates expertise, quality, reliability and safety. These attributes not only attract clients, but also help Gateway Building Systems retain quality workers. Longtime employees include Marius Rygg, a 25-year employee and commercial building division president, and Michael Goetz, a 28-year veteran who serves as senior project manager, along with 120 plus people in the field. For these long time employees, it is important to do things correctly. That’s why Gateway Building Systems has demonstrated a commitment to sustainable construction on multiple occasions.
For example a loyal customer owns large bins and leases them out for grain storage. Since first hiring Gateway Building Systems in 1999, they have come back for eight more projects in the past 14 years. Gateway Building Systems understands that industry-leading suppliers help it maintain maximum quality on its projects. These suppliers include Brock Manufacturing, Schlagel Inc., Warrior, Mathews Company Dryers and Butler Buildings.
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North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org
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STAND TALL
NCGA RECRUITER AWARD
Larry Hoffmann accepts his 1st place award in the NCGA 2015 Membership Program from NDCGA Executive Director, Dale Ihry.
Larry Hoffmann, North Dakota Corn Growers board member from Wheatland, ND, was awarded 1st place honors in the Standard Recruiter category for the ND Corn Growers Association (NDCGA) in the National Corn Growers Association 2015 Membership Program, co-sponsored by Syngenta. Larry recruited 36 new members in 2015 to NDCGA. Larry received a cash prize for his award. Congratulations, Larry!
BLACKWELDER JOINS ND CORN On January 4, we welcomed our new Communications Coordinator, Katelyn Blackwelder. Katelyn grew up on a dairy and crop farm in Chokio, MN where her family milks 310 cows and grows 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa. Katelyn graduated from North Dakota State University with degrees in Agricultural Communication and Public Relations & Advertising. She was previously employed at the Red River Valley Fair Association as the Agriculture Education Coordinator. Katelyn served as an ambassador for Minnesota’s dairy farmers as a finalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way in 2013. As a finalist, she had her likeness carved in a 90 pound block of butter at the Minnesota State Fair. Katelyn looks forward to working with the Corn Council and Growers to remain involved in the agriculture industry and develop connections with farmers in North Dakota.
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2016
2016 CORPORATE SPONSORS Thank you for your support!
EXECUTIVE LEVEL DEKALB DuPont Pioneer Tharaldson Ethanol
PRINCIPAL LEVEL CHS Inc. Dyna-Gro Seed Farm & Ranch Guide Peterson Farms Seed Proseed Wensman Seed
CORE LEVEL AgCountry Farm Credit Services AgroValley Solutions BASF The Chemical Company Columbia Grain Gateway Building Systems Legend Seeds, Inc. Monsanto BioAg Mustang Seeds Mycogen Thunder Seed, Inc. Titan Machinery
North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org
NITROGEN: SHIFT YOUR THINKING AND YOUR TIMING JIM HEDGES, DIRECTOR OF SALES - 360 YIELD CENTER Margins are tight. In some areas, fertilizer prices have eased a bit, but certainly not enough to offset the low corn price. With that in mind, input efficiency is more important than ever. As we look for ways to produce more corn with less, nitrogen planning is critical. Of all the factors that contribute to production costs and yield, nitrogen has one of the largest impacts. But, cutting back on nitrogen to save money isn’t the right answer. Rather, making small improvements in nitrogen utilization can make big differences to your bottom line and yield. New nitrogen management tools from 360 Yield Center are making split-nitrogen application more practical and easier to implement than ever before. Now, you can measure and supply the right amount of N when the plant is ready to use it instead of putting it out early when it is vulnerable to loss. Instead of a one-and-done application, you can now take what we call a base-plus approach to nitrogen. • Apply a base rate of N in fall or spring for a strong foundation. Split-nitrogen application isn’t about starving the crop early. You should apply a base rate of N in the fall or spring to ensure your corn gets off to a great start, but save some of the N supply. The goal is to make sure we have enough base nitrogen to get to around the V14 growth stage of corn, and then refuel based on what the environment has given you. Your corn uses almost 75% of its overall N needs after V101 – so if you run out of N after pollination, growth will shut down, ears will be shorter and grain fill will suffer. We never want our corn to have a bad day, as this not only causes yield loss, but more importantly bottom line loss. • Test soil in-season so you know how much N is left. Understanding in-season N availability can be a real guessing game. But, now you can know exactly how much nitrate N is present through real-time measurement. 360
SOILSCAN™ tests N availability – and soil pH – in the field with the accuracy of a soil lab. With real-time information, you can build a N recommendation based on yield goal, corn growth stage and organic matter so you know exactly how much N to apply just when it is needed in-season. That way, you don’t over apply and waste inputs, and you’re not falling short and leaving yield potential in the field. • Come back between V6 and tassel to apply more N when corn needs it most. Applying N in-season can be scary – what if you miss your window? Luckily, the sidedress window is now so wide that you can split-apply N with more confidence. 360 Y-DROP™ provides flexibility and control for timing of mid-season N application anywhere from V6 to tassel – a window of more than 30 days. It places liquid N at the base of the stalk, where even modest dew pushes N to the root mass for rapid uptake. This allows you to refuel the crop with precision to get it to the finish line and reach its yield potential. A Base-plus Approach Pays Field trials show it pays to use the base-plus approach. One side-by-side trial in 2015 showed the later the N application, the higher the yield. Compared with a one-and-done spring application of 200 lb., a split-N application of 150 lb. in spring and 50 lb. of N at V12 with 360 Y-DROP boosted yield by 29 bu/A. That’s a gain of $104 per acre. By repositioning nitrogen when and where it’s needed, you can make more of your N investment and boost yield potential. Our goal is to get more bushels of corn out of every lb. of N and this approach enables that. Learn more about the ROI of split-N application and see how farmers saw real results in 2015 at www.360YieldCenter.com/baseplus. Custom application of 360 Y-DROPS and 360 SOILSCAN available.
North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org North Dakota Corn Growers Association | 19 ndcorn.org
MAXIMIZING SOIL WARMING & HEALTH UNDER DIFFERENT TILLAGE PRACTICES IN A CORN-SOYBEAN ROTATION Dr. Aaron Daigh, NDSU Soil Science Dept., Principle Investigator Jodi DeJong-Hughes, UMN Extension, Dr. Abbey Wick, NDSU Soil Science Dept.
There are many advantages of reducing soil tillage for building soil health. However, reducing tillage creates concerns of yield reductions due to cool and wet soils in the poorly-drained landscape that dominates much of North Dakota and the Red River Valley. The objective of this study is to: • Monitor soil warming, water contents, and thermal properties under chisel plow, vertical tillage, strip till with shank, and strip till with coulters, and no tillage on various soil series with subsurface drainage or natural drainage, • Evaluate soil health and crop emergence and yields, and • Transfer information to producers through field days, videos, etc. This is a multi-state effort, involving North Dakota and Minnesota and 2016 will be year two of a 4-yr field study. Four on-farm locations are under a corn-soybean rotation and rotate each year. At each location, the five tillage practices are demonstrated using full-sized equipment in plots of 40 or 66 feet wide by 1800 feet long in a replicated design. Soil series evaluated are Fargo silty clay, Lakepark clay loam, Barnes-Buse loams, Delamere fine sandy loam, and Wyndmere fine sandy loam. These soil series cover over 67 million acres of prime farmland in the Northern Great Plains regions. During 2015, the strip till with either a shank or a coulter provided a comparable or slightly better alternative to the chisel plow for spring time soil warming and drying. Additionally, they conserved mild quantities of water in the areas between tillage strips that would be beneficial in years with little snowmelt or spring rains prior to seedling growth. The vertical tillage also conserved mild quantities of water but allowed the soil to dry much more than the no tillage system while also providing a mild temperature increase.
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The locations with subsurface drainage did not enhance soil warming and drying as compared to the locations that did not require subsurface drainage. However, the subsurface drainage would have likely prevented even cooler and wetter conditions than if the subsurface drainage was not in place. Soil clay contents and water contents had a major impact on soil warming, as expected, and the differences among tillage practices were greatest under soils what were innately warmer. Soil samples have been collected to determine soil health and are currently being analyzed in the laboratory. Crop residue cover, crop populations, yields, and yield patchiness were measured and are currently being statistically analyzed. Three videos were produced in 2015 to introduce the study and preliminary findings to North Dakota producers. Information obtained during this first year was presented at the Soil Health Field Day hosted by NDSU and the Tillage, Technology, and Residue Field Day hosted by UMN through a cooperative effort by NDSU and UMN Extension.
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.org
EVALUATION OF BT-TRAITS IN CORN HYBRIDS FOR CONTROL OF CORN ROOTWORMS IN NORTH DAKOTA SEMI-ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT – DEC. 28, 2015
Investigator: Dr. Janet J. Knodel, Extension Entomologist, NDSU, Dept. of Plant Pathology Co-Investigators: Dr. Joel Ransom, Extension Agronomist, NDSU, Dept. of Plant Sciences, Dr. Mark Boetel, Research & Extension Entomologist, NDSU, Dept. of Entomology Graduate Student: Veronica Calles-Torrez (Ph.D. Graduate Assistant, NDSU, Dept. of Entomology) Executive Summary Situation: Northern corn rootworm (NCR), Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence, and western corn rootworm (WCR), D. virgifera virgifera LeConte, are major insect pests of corn in the Midwest. Corn rootworm (CRW) larvae damage plants by feeding on roots, which results in plant lodging and reduced yields. Many corn producers have adopted the strategy of planting hybrids expressing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) endotoxins to manage corn rootworms. Rootworm Bt-corn hybrids express Bt proteins that are specifically toxic to corn rootworm larvae. Western corn rootworm resistance to transgenic corn expressing Bt endotoxins has been confirmed in some states; however, the status of sensitivity to this technology has not been previously investigated in North Dakota corn rootworm populations. Objective 1: This objective is to determine the geographic distribution, density, and species composition of corn rootworm species in southeastern North Dakota. • In 2015, 19 fields in 12 North Dakota counties were monitored for corn rootworm beetle activity by using sticky traps. • A total of 1,404 NCR and only 5 WCR were captured in 2015. Western corn rootworm populations declined significantly from 2013 when a total of 3,545 WCRs were captured; this is probably due to overwintering mortality from the open, cold winters of 2013-14 and 2014-15. • Northern corn rootworm was the most common and had the highest density of the Diabrotica species in North Dakota.
Objective 2: The second objective is to determine if Bt resistance exists in North Dakota corn rootworm populations. • Screened WCR and NCR for potential resistance to Cry3Bb1 and pyramided (Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1) Bt corn endotoxins during the summer of 2015. • WCR and NCR adults were field-collected from one problem field (>5 years of continuous corn with same Cry3Bb1 trait) near Arthur in Cass County during 2014. • Controls for the experiment were obtained from WCR and NCR laboratory colonies at the USDA ARS laboratory in Brookings, SD that had never been exposed to any Bt endotoxins. • Bioassays on WCR found significantly greater survival of the field population on Cry3Bb1 than laboratory (control) colony progeny, but not on the pyramided Bt endotoxins. • For NCR, there were no significant differences in sensitivity to any of the Bt endotoxins between a susceptible laboratory colony and the field population of NCR; however, the bioassay used was developed for WCR and this study needs to be repeated with modifications. • The lowest larval survival was observed in the pyramided Bt corn for both WCR (16% larval survival) and NCR (10% larval survival) from ND field-collected populations. Summary: The results of this research suggest that, although WCR populations have declined in North Dakota in recent years, they appear to be in the process of developing resistance to CRW-specific Bt endotoxins. As such, grower adherence to insect resistance management practices in relation to Bt hybrid use for CRW management is critical to sustaining the effectiveness of this technology in North Dakota. Thank you for your continued support of our corn insect pest management program.
Funded by the North Dakota Corn Checkoff | ndcorn.orgNorth Dakota Corn Growers Association | 21 ndcorn.org
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North Dakota Corn Growers Association | ndcorn.org
2015
NDCGA Board of Directors District District District District District District District District District District District District District
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 7
– – – – – – – – – – – – –
Carson Klosterman: Wyndmere (President) Andrew Braaten: Barney Randy Melvin: Buffalo (Vice President) James Aarsvold: Blanchard Darren Kadlec: Pisek Paul Thomas: Velva Robert Hanson: Wimbeldon Ryan Wanzek: Jamestown Justin Halvorson: Sheldon Chris Erlandson: Oakes (Secretary/Treasurer) Bart Schott: Kulm Anthony Mock: Kintyre Clark Price: Hensler
Director-at-large Director-at-large Director-at-large Director-at-large
– – – –
ND Corn Utilization Council District District District District District District District
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
– – – – – – –
Arnie Anderson: Hankinson Jason Rayner: Finley Paul Belzer: Cando (Vice Chairman) Dave Swanson: New Rockford Terry Wehlander: DeLamere Scott German: Oakes (Chairman) Paul R. Anderson: Coleharbor (Secretary)
Mike Clemens: Wimbledon Jeff Enger: Marion Kevin Skunes: Arthur Larry Hoffmann: Wheatland
NDCGA Industry Directors
Vern Anderson – Livestock Consultant, Carrington Gary Geske – Latham Hi Tech Seeds, Enderlin Ray Kotchian – Prairieland Ag Inc., Fargo Tom Cook – Cargill, Wahpeton
A Publication for North Dakota Corn Growers Association North Members Dakota Corn Growers Association |23 ndcorn.org
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