AG Mag Central Iowa
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Seed treatments play a small part in harvests, but it’s a crucial to Iowa crops
CHOOSE LOCAL: Organization launches social media campaign showing how Iowans can support producers
ALL A BUZZ: The joys and struggles of beekeeping
WORKING WITH WATER: Water runoff from farms is the most pressing issue facing the state’s water ways A
PUBLICATION • SPRING 2022
AG Mag
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AG Mag
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Seed treatments
Publisher Dan Goetz Advertising Director Carrie Vander Weerdt Managing Editor Jamee A. Pierson Magazine Editor & Page Design Jamee A. Pierson Reporters & Photographers Christopher Braunschweig, Abby Knipfel and Sarah Scull Cover Illustration Jamee A. Pierson
PAGE 7 — Lely on the move
Published by News Publishing Co. 200 First Ave. East Newton, IA 50208 641-792-3121
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Index PAGE 8 What’s the buzz about?
PAGE 12 Choosing local
PAGE 15 Working for clean water AG Mag
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THE INVISIBLE INVESTMENT
Christopher Braunschweig/Central Iowa Ag Mag Chris Grimm, a certified crop advisory and practical farm research (PFR) location lead of Beck’s Hybrids in Colfax, showcases a bag of treated corn seed inside the company’s warehouse. Seed treatments help protect crops from insects, parasites and diseases.
Seed treatments play a small part in harvests, but it’s a crucial to Iowa crops By Christopher Braunschweig Central Iowa Ag Mag Seed treatments can be seen as an investment, says certified crop advisor Chris Grimm. When chemically or organically treated, the corn and soybean seeds gain another layer of protection from insects, parasites and diseases. Healthy crops means increased 4 Spring 2022
yields and a better payout in the long run. At Beck’s Hybrids in Colfax — where Grimm serves as a Practical Farm Research (PFR) location lead — the seeds it distributes to customers use the proprietary seed treatment, Escalate. Compared to untreated seeds, customers have seen an average of $47 return on investment in the
past 12 years using the treatment. The state’s primary crops get a lot of attention to improve quality and yields. Seed treatments play a part in that equation. Part of Grimm’s job is to test the effects of different chemicals, fungicides and insecticides — along with micronutrient and fertility products and biologicals — on corn and soybeans.
In Grimm’s own words, a seed treatment is a product put on a seed to protect it and assist in early plant growth. Most seed treatments protect against pests in the soil, specifically fungi and insects. Some of these plant predators can even attack the roots of a crop, which will inevitably affect later growth. “Corn rootworm is probably the No. 1 pest in the United States, as far as from an economic loss standpoint,” Grimm said, noting the females lay eggs in the soil which then hatch and feast on the roots of corn crop. “Not only does that affect plant growth … but it also causes issues with root lodging.” If later in the growing season a heavy windstorm blew through a field, for instance, the crop would not likely be able to withstand the gusts. Beck’s Hyrbid’s Escalate corn seed treatment provides activity against diseases like damping off, seedling blights, pythium, surface and internal
pathogens, fusarium and seed decay. In addition to corn rootworm, it also works against white grubs, wireworms seed corn maggots and black cutworm. The same type of treatment provides soybeans with protections against similar diseases, as well as white mold, sudden death syndrome, pod and stem blight, phytophthora root rot and rhizoctonia. Both types of treated seeds can also suppress certain variants of nematodes, which can seriously damage crops. In the past, soybean seed treatments have not been considered as an option for farmers, at least not as much as corn. Which makes some sense. Typically, corn makes more money per acre than soybeans. Plus, farmers usually plant their soybeans later in the spring when the treatment may not be as useful. However, Grimm said some studies by Beck’s Hybrids and universities show earlier soybean planting has re-
sulted in higher yields. “With that earlier planting date in the early spring it’s going to be cooler … and there’s possibility for a little bit wetter soils, too,” Grimm said. “So in those cooler and wetter conditions, seed treatments are actually more important than they are when it’s warmer and dryer.” Regardless of whether farmers want their seeds treated, the health of crops is important to successful harvest. Finding the optimal solution that is also profitable can be a challenge. Treated seed or untreated seeds come down to a farmer’s preference. Many clearly see the benefits of having that extra protection in place. “For a farmer, if all your income is coming from the crops you’re producing, you want to do what you can to protect that crop,” Grimm said. “Seed treatment is a way to offer protection to the crop. Yes, you want to increase yield, but you also have to have that return on investment.”
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Thinking outside the realm of traditional ideas By Jamee A. Pierson Central Iowa Ag Mag Located in the picturesque town of Pella in Marion County, Lely is a company on the move. The only dairy automation company that produces robotic equipment in North America, Lely is leaving its first home on the Vermeer campus to a new facility that
includes approximately 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and professional space along with a state-of-the-art training facility for use by employees and Lely’s distribution partners. Currently, Lely produces the Lely Astronaut A5 robotic milking system and Lely Luna cow brushes. The new facility will add the ability to manufacture additional products.
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TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE The joys and struggles of Lynnville beekeepers By Abby Knipfel Central Iowa Ag Mag Growing environmental problems, shrinking numbers of flowering plants and invasive pests have all become major factors in the dwindling bee populations and decreased honey production for one rural beekeeping operation, Ebert Honey, which has operated out of Lynnville for more than 40 years. Nationwide reports of shrinking bee populations make the headlines a few times each year, but few people other than beekeepers can truly understand the massive losses that have been plaguing their honey harvesting operations. Ebert Honey opened its doors in the early 1980s and has had to grapple with regular losses of its hive populations from one year to the next. “The past few years weren’t horrible, but this last year I had to go back to 1993, which was a flood year, to remember when it was this bad,” Phil Ebert, the 8 Spring 2022
founder of Ebert Honey, said These problems have been widespread in the beekeeping community for more than a decade, with Ebert’s last good production year occurring in 2012, more than a decade ago. “Some beekeepers in Iowa have reported the loss of around 70 percent of their hives every winter,” Jamie Beyer, district four director of the Iowa Honey Producers Association, said. “It has really become more and more difficult to keep bees alive.” Ebert describes the threats facing bees and beekeepers that have emerged these past few years in biblical terms of peril. “We’ve got all these problems, which I’ve come to think of as the horsemen of the apocalypse for bees,” Ebert said. “It’s just getting harder and harder. There are places around here where you can look to the horizon and not see a bush or a tree anywhere.” LOSS OF HABITAT One of the most visible issues facing
beekeepers is somewhat unique to Iowa, and it’s the fact a vast majority of land is dedicated solely to growing crops like corn and soybeans, which produce no nectar. This scarcity of nectar-producing plants means local bee populations have had to make do with the small patches of flowering plants that grow on the fringes of farmland, usually in yards or ditches near the road. “Bees are living off what’s growing on the roadside. Recently we’ve had to look at county parks or river bottoms for pollinating plants, somewhere weeds grow. But it’s gotten pretty challenging,” Ebert said. And the state is making it harder and harder for bees to even access those polenizers, Ebert added. “The Iowa DOT does plant a lot of sweet clovers next to roads, but right when it begins to bloom they mow the damn medians,” he said. “I’m not sure why they do it. Housekeeping, maybe.”
Beyer confirmed the issue of the ditch and median mowing is a well-known issue within beekeeping circles. “The general philosophy I’ve seen is that people need to have these golf course-like ditches,” Beyer said. “These past few years our pollinators have faced a real uphill battle.” PESTICIDES AND INSECTICIDES The second big threat is the various pesticides and insecticides used by local farmers, an area of concern that has been growing for several decades. “Issues begin to arise when farmers don’t follow the labels,” Beyer said. “If they don’t use the right equipment (and) the right nozzles, the chemicals can drift and cover other plants outside of their fields.” Only a small percentage of the pesticides, Ebert said, are absorbed by the plants, with the remainder going into the soil. “It gets in the water and every dandelion next to the road has that,” he said. “We’ve tested some of our beeswax a few years ago and it had more than 20 different pesticides in it, some of which haven’t been used in decades.” Unlike honey, Beyer said beeswax — which makes up the structure of the hive — is usually reused over and over again by bees, but since so many chemicals have been found within the wax keepers are now advised to rotate the wax out every three to five years to reduce the chemical load. “The older the wax, the more chemicals are accumulated. Bees raise their babies in that wax, right up against some pretty nasty stuff,” Beyer said. Honey lovers do not have to worry though. While beeswax has shown traces of various pesticides, when tested the honey Ebert Honey produces hasn’t shown any contamination. MITES AND PESTS Another major threat to bee populations is the introduction of invasive mite species and the bee’s inability to fight them off. Mite outbreaks can be devastating to a hive if left untreated. The mites Ebert is currently wrestling with were originally a parasite of the Asian honey bee, but have been terrorizing western bees since the 1990s. “We’ve got parasites that get on the bees, and they’re native to Asia, so our bees haven’t got a clue how to fight them. You have to micromanage hives now, which you didn’t use to have to do,” Ebert said. In the past, Ebert claims beekeepers used to be able to leave an infestation alone for a bit and see how things played out. Nowadays, if honey producers aren’t careful they can quickly lose an entire hive. “Just when you feel like you’ve figured the business out something comes and bites you in the butt,” he said.
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Cont Page 9 HOW IT’S GOING The situation seems grim, but business is still good at Ebert Honey. Since the beginning of the pandemic local store sales have mushroomed, Ebert said, and the small producer could hardly bottle honey fast enough. “Direct sales of honey to grocery stores is the heart of our business. Everything else we do is a sideline,” Ebert said. “Right now we’re just trying to keep up and stay alive.” Ebert Honey sells its honey in about 70 grocery stores in the area, from Pella to Marshalltown and from Des Moines to Grinnell. Ebert Honey archives this success with just a few dedicated employees, like Jason Payle, who has been working for Ebert for several years. “I heard about this place from a friend of mine who used to work here,” Payle said. “When I started I had never really done something like this before. Wasn’t sure about working with the bees at first, but once you get stung a couple thousand times it just becomes part of the job.”
Other than Payle and a few others, the main bulk of the workforce at Ebert Honey are members of the Ebert family. “I have two of my four sons working with me right now. One works with me here in Lynnville and the other runs our Mount Pleasant operation,” Ebert said. Other than their honey, Ebert also sells a variety of bee byproducts, like beeswax. Every year Ebert Honey sells somewhere around 20,000 to 30,000 pounds of beeswax to various buyers. “We buy wax from other operations and sell it on to people who make candles, shoe polish, non-plastic food wrap. Beeswax is used in all of those,” Ebert said. The entire company is working at capacity at the moment, filling almost every inch of the outbuilding where the honey and wax processing takes place, getting ready for its bees to return from pollinating California almonds. “For me, looking at our finished product – a giant box of bottled honey or a pallet of beeswax – is what motivates me,” Ebert said.“At this point growing the business anymore would be a big step and a lot of work.”
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Choosing local just got easier Organization launches social media campaign showing how Iowans can support producers By Christopher Braunschweig Central Iowa Ag Mag In order to better introduce Iowans to their local farmers, an Amana-based non-profit organization in February
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consumers to get to know the producers in their state, which is known for its rich farming history. The Choose Local campaign by Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) consists of videos featuring the most common ways to access local crops. Viewable through the Iowa Valley RC&D’s YouTube channel, the seven-part series will showcase: community supported agriculture (CSA), farm-to-table restaurants, a farm stand, farmers markets, on-farm special events and a flower farm. Each video will also highlight a unique Iowa small business. The seventh video will be a cumulative project. Choose Local was made possible by the Iowa Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and a grant through the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Choose Local will operate February through August,
the time period from when consumers typically sign up for annual CSA shares and when farmers markets and on-farm events take place. New videos will be released each month by Iowa Valley RC&D and will be posted on the organization’s social media pages. “Iowa is blessed with a large diversity of local food opportunities in Iowa from a wide range of farmers and producers. We are excited to celebrate this diversity with Iowans and highlight some of the amazing farms across the state,” Jason Grimm, executive director of Iowa Valley RC&D, said in a press release. Iowa Valley RC&D is an organization devoted to growing local economics, strengthening food systems, fostering protection and enhancement of natural resources and developing awareness for the arts, history and culture. Choose Local was produced by the organization and Little Village Creative Services.
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Iowa strives for clean water By Sarah Scull Central Iowa Ag Mag When it comes to water quality in Iowa, Matt Helmers said there’s a lot of room for improvement in meeting the needs of Iowans for drinking and recreation. Helmers, who serves as director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and a professor of agriculture and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, said water runoff from farms is the most pressing issue facing the state’s water ways. “There are concerns about nutrient levels, but particularly nitrate,” he said. “There is a drinking water standard for nitrate. There are times when water in the streams may ultimately be pulled in for drinking that wouldn’t meet the drinking water standard, so they’re having to blend that or doing something to make sure it meets the needs of the drinking water standard.” He described Iowa’s annual cropping system as a “leaky system.” “If we get rain or get too much rain at the wrong times we can lose some of those nutrients that are in the soil and they get in to our streams,” he said. With the leaking of nitrates in to Iowa water ways, Helmer said there are many things farmers can do to help curb or mitigate the problem. “It really starts with good nutrient management following the four Rs,” he said. The four Rs stand for right source, right rate, right time, and right place and serves to guide farmers toward adopting management practices that help keep nutrients on and in the field. Implementation of the four Rs helps to align the economic, environmental and social components of nutrient management. The “right source” considers what nutrients already exist in the soil, what combination of fertilizers are best, and which are available for immediate or
delayed crop uptake. The ‘right rate” aims to appropriately match the amount of fertilizer needed for crops based on individual field fertility, making sure spreading equipment is properly calibrated for appropriate distribution, and considers crop demand and yield goals. The “right time” is focused on fertilizer nutrients available during crop demand, considers weather and land conditions and utilizes decition support tools with short-term planning of nutrient application. The “right place” considers management practices for each field based on crops grown, soil type, slope, distance to surface water, soil characteristics and phosphorous index. Living roots, such as cover crops, are also a recommended practice to help reduce nutrient levels in Iowa waterways. Cover crops, which can include plants such as clover or rye, manage soil erosion, soil fertility, soil quality by slowing the velocity of runoff from rainfall and snow melt. Helmers said diverse crop rotation, pasture-based systems and intrafield practices like development of wetlands, saturated buffers and bioreactors also help reduce nitrates in Iowa’s water. While there are some management practices livestock and crop producers must follow in terms of manurer and residue, but ultimately additional practices to improve the state’s water supply is completely voluntary. “It’s extremely important,” Helmers said about the need for improved water quality in Iowa. “I think it’s important to recognize not all of these have an immediate, direct impact on his personally, but to the larger community around us, it very well might.” To learn more about programs and resources to help with nutrient reduction strategies, visit www.cals.iastate. edu/inrc/.
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