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News from the Minnesota Association of Wheat |
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FARM AID CUT WOULD BOOST POOR NATIONS' GDP - ABARE In a report on the impact of agricultural trade reform on developing countries, ABARE estimated the total global benefit of reform by 2010 would be US$53
billion a year. ABARE executive director Brian Fisher said the report was completed to provide a better understanding of trade reform impacts as strategies were developed for the current World Trade Organization
negotiations. "This is particularly relevant for Australia and the rest of the Cairns Group where the vast majority of members are developing countries," he said in a statement. ABARE estimated if the
negotiations included manufacturing as well, the estimated gains to developing countries would rise to around US$46 billion a year by 2010. The study said developing nations would benefit from higher world prices and
greater market access to developed markets but found against trade preference arrangements for specific developing countries. "In the case of sugar, there would be gains of US$1.4 billion a year to developing
countries if preferential access arrangements, largely through the European Union and United States were removed," it said. Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile said the study provided solid reasons why
developing countries needed to actively fight for trade liberalization in the World Trade Organization (WTO). "Developing countries must unite in the fight for fair trade," Vaile said in a statement.
CANADA DETAILS NEW FARM DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The Canadian Farm Income Program (CFIP), part of a broader C$5.5-billion package that federal and provincial agriculture ministers ratified in New
Brunswick on Wednesday, is a successor to the Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance (AIDA) scheme. The federal government will contribute up to C$435 million a year and the provinces up to C$290 million a year to
CFIP, which is to give protection against dramatic income reductions above a core safety net package. Vanclief said in a statement that the program was geared to insuring incomes at 70 percent of a historic average.
The plan will treat all farmers similarly regardless of what commodities they produce. It will also include all labor, both family and non-family, as allowable expenses, and it will minimize the potential for trade
challenges, he said. Applications are still being made for AIDA support for the 1999 business year, Vanclief said. The government will make initial payments to farmers and then might pro-rate the remainder if
applications came in for more money than has been budgeted. ($1=$1.48 Canadian)
CERCOSPORA CONFIRMED ON SUGARBEET IN RED RIVER VALLEY The first application of fungicide, if not
already on, should be made in many areas of the Red River Valley. Art Lamey
SOYBEAN YELLOW FOLLOWING RAINS In some cases a pale yellow color may result from a moderate nitrogen deficiency rather than iron chlorosis. True chlorosis is not just a pale yellow color but shades of
yellowness from subtle to bright yellow between the veins of the leaf. Many factors contribute to chlorosis, Franzen says. The first is presence of free carbonates, especially bicarbonate, resulting from a combination
of water and carbonate minerals in the soil. "Bicarbonate solubility is low, and contrary to logic increases in concentration as the soil becomes wet," says Franzen. "So in dry periods, chlorosis
can be relatively minor, because bicarbonate levels are low. As the soil becomes moister, bicarbonate concentrations increase and the plants become less able to take up iron." Stress factors that make
plants less able to take up iron are cool weather and soluble salts. Cool weather slows down plant systems, including iron uptake. Soluble salts in the soil contribute to chlorosis in supposedly chlorosis
tolerant varieties. There are wide differences between soybean varieties in their tolerance to chlorosis. Another concern of soybean growers is the impact of herbicide stress. Studies indicate that
herbicides may further stress already stressed soybeans. Soybeans growing on higher salt soils seem to perform most poorly when treated with harsh contact herbicides or herbicides with systemic activity. Franzen
says if growers have several herbicide choices for controlling weeds, using one of the less stressful herbicides on chlorosis-stressed beans could improve yields. However, there will be situations where the less
stressful herbicides are not an option because of the weeds that must be controlled. NDSU Agriculture Communication
SANCTIONS COMPROMISE IS A WATERSHED EVENT
U.S. WHEAT INDUSTRY CALLS FOR IP SYSTEM PRIOR TO COMMERCIALIZATION OF GMO WHEAT At their annual summer meeting this week, the USW Board of Directors formally adopted a biotechnology
policy that states "the U.S. wheat industry commits itself absolutely to the principle that our customers' needs and preferences are the most important consideration." Although genetically modified wheat will
not be commercialized before 2003 and available for farmer production for a year or two after that, the USW Board of Directors recognized that, even at this early point, there are some overseas customers who have
already informed the wheat industry that they only want to purchase traditional wheat. "85% of Idaho's wheat goes to overseas markets," said Heidi Linehan, wheat grower and USW board member from
Idaho, "and it is absolutely essential to listen to our overseas customers and heed what they say." "We are very sensitive to the concerns of these customers," explained Darrell Hanavan,
chairman of USW's biotechnology committee and Executive Director of the Colorado wheat producers organizations. "We intend to work with all segments of the industry -- the technology providers, producer
representatives, country elevators, and exporters -- to develop a viable identity preservation system that will ensure that our customers continue to get the specific wheat traits they want." Hanavan
explained that he and others were working with technology providers, and that the companies were keenly aware of concerns for the export market in countries where there is consumer resistance to genetically modified
food. To address those concerns, the USW board strongly urged the biotechnology companies to "ensure customer acceptance prior to commercialization" of wheat developed using biotechnology. USW
also committed itself to assuring that a testing and certification program is instituted before genetically modified wheat is commercialized. "We have an obligation to our customers and to wheat producers to
establish these programs," Hanavan said. To better ascertain what further advances in biotechnology can do to develop wheat traits that are needed by customers, the USW Board position indicates that
the wheat industry wants to explore some possible venues for technical sessions with interested overseas customers. "We have some customers overseas who have told us that they see that biotechnology
provides advantages for growers," explains Mark Samson, vice president in USW's Asian region. "But they are asking what biotechnology is going to do to benefit the millers and consumers of U.S. wheat. We need
those answers." The Board also adopted a definition of "biotechnology-derived products" that they will use to encourage international harmonization of definitions, standards and trade rules. U.S. Wheat Associates is the industry's export market development organization working in over 100 countries, supported by wheat growers in 19 states. Nearly half of the wheat grown in the U.S. is destined
for the export market.
HARVEST REPORTS WHEAT SOFT RED WINTER
NATIONAL FARMERS UNION OPPOSES CUBA TRADE AMENDMENT The amendment is one that was offered by Rep. George Nethercutt (R-WA), and was initially praised by opponents of current U.S. food sanctions policies and by farm groups. But opposition to the proposal
has been strong... Finish the article at AGRONOMY TOURS SET FOR THE CARRINGTON RESEARCH EXTENSION CENTER FIELD DAY A combination of tours and demonstrations on crops and livestock will be conducted during morning and afternoon sessions. The morning sessions will begin at
9:00 a.m. with tours departing at 9:30. The afternoon session of different tours will begin at 1:00 p.m. A sponsored noon lunch will be served. The morning session will offer two agronomy tour options. One tour will
focus on field crop varieties. The crop variety tour will provide an opportunity to hear plant breeders and agronomists discuss the many new varieties that have been developed and released in recent years. Spring wheat,
durum and barley are examples of crops where new releases have resulted in significant improvements in varieties available to growers. A series of discussions on soil and water management factors will be featured on
the other morning agronomy tour. Participants will learn how soil characteristics influence crop management, water and nutrient use. This tour will also provide a review of the center's cropping system trials and
introduce growers to the irrigation research program, which includes water and nitrogen management for potatoes. The afternoon agronomy program will allow participants to attend two of three tour offerings. These
include weed management, disease/insect management and crop management. These tours will be conducted from 1:00 to 3:45 p.m. by NDSU Extension crop specialists and research agronomists. Weed management recommendations
and issues will be discussed for corn, small grain, oilseed crops (canola, flax, and sunflower) and grain legumes (soybean, dry bean, and field pea). An emphasis in this tour's discussion will be herbicide-tolerant
crops and difficult-to-control weeds, including resistant weeds. The disease and insect management session will include the following topics: small grain disease (scab, leaf spots etc.) management, sclerotinia (white
mold) and other broadleaf crop diseases, along with a review of the growing season's insect concerns. The crop management tour will focus on discussions of optimum field crop densities (populations and row spacings),
dormant-planted crops for this fall and the diagnosis of crop production problems. The field day is open to the public. The Carrington Center is located 3.5 miles north of Carrington on Highway 281. For more
information or assistance please call (701) 652-2951. NDSU Agriculture Communication |
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