Extension Update is a weekly summary of news from Extension, government, and other attributable sources, focused on marketing, farm management, and other issues that are of interest to Midwestern farm owners and operators.

Are you switching corn acres to beans? Extension Specialist Darrel Good is scratching his head, wondering what may be prompting Cornbelt farmers to take that action. Yes, corn production costs have risen from high nitrogen prices and higher energy costs, but:

• Assuming a trend corn yield in 2006, the increase in corn used for ethanol during the 2006-07 marketing year may be equivalent to production from more than 2.5 mil. acres.
• Even if all of the distillers’ grains are fed domestically, the net increase of 60 mil. bu. of corn needed to meet a 2% increase in feed demand is equivalent to 400,000 acres.
• Corn export prospects for the balance of this year and for next have improved significantly because of the Argentine shortfall and expected decline in China’s exports.
• Any expansion in soybean acres comes in the wake of 20% US stocks, 25% world stocks, large South American supplies, and a slowing growth rate of US consumption.
• He’s suggesting that soybean prices need to discourage acreage expansion. Read his thoughts.

Asian rust spores have appeared on kudzu vines in downtown Montgomery, AL, but experts are more concerned about those found in a harvested bean field in the southern tip of TX. Dow Jones reported, “Based on wind circulation patterns, experts estimate the chance of Asian soybean rust spores reaching the Midwest increases nearly four-fold annually if the disease establishes itself early in any given season across Texas or western Louisiana, rather than the Southeast, where it was largely confined in 2005.”

If you look at the map, the Cornbelt locations where Asian rust spores were found in rainwater make little sense. USDA researcher Les Szabo at the University of Minnesota says, “The 85 positive findings were distributed through out soybean growing area. There were no positive finds for IL, IA, NE or OK, but there were positive findings in MI, MN, Missouri, ND, SD and WI.” Szabo says scientists don’t yet understand why Asian soybean rust spores were found in the northern states but not in these central Plains states.

Cornbelt precipitation has been about normal for the past month according to NOAA’s latest map. For the past week, the Cornbelt enjoyed subzero and record high temperatures, hail, tornadoes, and even flooding in Michigan. Read the kitchen sink summary.

*A 2005 scorecard for ethanol *was offered by Renewable Fuels Association chief Bob Dineen to the National Ethanol Conference. He says ethanol replaced 170 million barrels of oil, lowered the gas price by 8 cents, raised the corn price by 35 cents, and lowered greenhouse gas going into the atmosphere by 8 million tons. The Dept. of Energy says US ethanol production is running at capacity, as refineries reduce MTBE usage.

2006 will be another year of high prices for the beef industry says Purdue’s Chris Hurt. He says profitable calf prices are likely to fuel the current expansion through 2010. Prices will remain favorable with low slaughter rates and high heifer retention.

While beef exports to Japan have received the headlines, pork producers have been enjoying success there. 2005 statistics indicate the US has 33% of the market, and nearly 290,000 metric tons were shipped. That is a 12% increase over 2004 exports to Japan.

Regarding those beef exports to Japan, both the USDA and the National Cattleman’s Beef Association say they remain hopeful that the ban on US beef will be lifted soon. USDA officials continue to meet with their Japanese counterparts to discuss the technical violation which occurred when USDA inspectors allowed nerve tissue in a veal shipment.

Pork producers using antibiotics to manage herd health will want to attend the U of I Swine conference April 27-28 at the Urbana Holiday Inn. Researchers will discuss use of antibiotics in livestock, taking into account both benefits and risks of antibiotic use. Conference agenda and registration materials are available.

Ahead of the spring storm season (and power outage season) ensure your generator is hooked up properly. Yours may be the 1 in 10 that is, or it may be one of the 9 in 10 that are not hooked up properly. To ensure against a devastating tragedy, review the generator hook-up specs.

You can save money by replacing a worn part just before it totally gives out, but how do you know when to do that? The “smart” tractor developed at the U of I ag engineering lab can tell a tractor operator before parts wear out. It has also been outfitted with an “active” ROPS, which gauges terrain, and audibly warns that a rollover is imminent.

321% increase. That is how much the popularity of meat snacks have increased in the past decade, say U of I food science students, who won a food development competition with a new shelf-stable beef snack, described as spicy, and containing pepperjack cheese. It’s not in the store today, but our on-the-go society means meat munchies make money.

Stu Ellis

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