Oklahoma Ag Leadership group Focuses on Crop Research in Ireland- the Nation with the Highest Wheat Yield in the World

Ireland does not have a land grant university like Oklahoma State University, but they do have a governmental entity that coordinates agricultural research with what they called "knowledge transfer" which delivers the outcomes of that research to Irish farmers.  That's the job of Teagasc, the Irish Ag and Food Development Authority.  According to John Spink, the head of their Crop Science Department for Teagasc, the mission of the organization is to "support science based innovation in the agri- food sector and wider bioeconomy that will underpin profitability, competiveness and sustainability."  Spink pointed out that many governments in the EU, including Britain, have almost left out the concept of profitability in their ag research efforts, with fewer and fewer people having any connection to farming and agriculture.  He says that is one reason that we have agendas that are driven by fear about modern agricultural production.


Irish agriculture remains a shining star for the tiny country, which is about the size of West Virginia, according to Spink.  He pointed out the highest yields per acre or heactare in the world for wheat are found in Ireland, with the nation the second best in barley yields over a multi year average in the world- second only to Belgium.  Spink says his group has the task of supporting these segments of Irish agriculture, along with potato production.  They have a world renowned breeding program for potatoes, having developed over 41 varieties in recent years.


In the case of wheat, Spink says the high yields for winter wheat come at the cost of lower quality wheat being produced.  Protein levels simply are not there for a high quality bread wheat- and the bread wheat they are able to produce comes on the 20% of the nation's wheat acres that are planted to spring wheat.  The winter wheat grown is a soft white wheat, and yields have averaged over 9 metric tons per hectare, which equates back to about 135 bushels per acre.  Spink told the OALP group visiting the authority that last year was an excellent year, with yields pushed up closer to 10 tons per hectare.  Three and sometimes four treatments of fungicides are needed to hold back disease in the dame growing conditions that are a part of life in Ireland, but that pales to the 15 to 16 treatments of fungicide needed to grow a successful potato crop.

Click here to read more about what John Spink shared with Class XV during their visit to the research farm in Oak Park just outside of Carrow in Ireland on Wednesday- we talked with Spink and it made for a very interesting interview- you may want to take some time and give a listen.  

We have also added more pictures from Wednesday's visit to Teagasc- as well as some from our visit into Kilkenny and the Castle that dominates that small town in southern Ireland- click here for our FLICK set of photos from the international travel experience for OALP to Scotland and Ireland. 

Industry Groups Hail Implementation of Korean-U.S. Free Trade Pact 

Industry groups representing the broad spectrum of agricultural producers are hailing the soon-to-be-implemented free trade agreement between Korea and the United States.

The agreement was finalized last weekend as representatives from the two countries reviewed each others' laws and regulations related to the implementation of the agreement. The two countries have exchanged diplomatic notes in which each side confirms they have completed all the legal requirements necessary before the agreement takes force.

The agreement goes into effect March 15, 2012, and will have an immediate impact on U.S. exports. Almost two-thirds of U.S. exports of agricultural products to Korea will become duty-free, including wheat, corn, soybeans for crushing, whey for feed use, hides and skins, cotton, cherries, pistachios, almonds, orange juice, grape juice, and wine.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk negotiated the agreement for the Obama administration and is hopeful about its economic impact.

"In a few short weeks, the promise of the U.S.-Korea trade agreement - including tens of thousands of export-supported jobs with better wages - will start to come home for American businesses and working families," Kirk said. (Click here to read more of Ambassador Kirk's comments on KORUS.) 

Industry representatives are equally optimistic.

"This free trade agreement creates landmark opportunities for soybeans and other U.S. agricultural exports, including meat and poultry," said American Soybean Association President Steve Wellman, a soybean farmer from Syracuse, Nebraska. (You can read more about ASA's response to KORUS by clicking here.) 

Chad Blindauer of the National Corn Growers Association: "Developing new markets for our country's agricultural products is vital to producer income and also helps our sector lead the nation in economic growth and international competitiveness." (For more on the NCGA's reaction, click here.)

J.D. Alexander of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association said it will take a little longer for beef producers to see the full effects of the agreement, but declining tariffs over the next 15 years "will make beef a more affordable and appealing choice for our valued Korean customers. This may very well be the most monumental bilateral trade pact our industry has ever witnessed."  (The NCBA's full response to KORUS can be found by clicking here.) 

CropLife America Moves to Dismiss Extremist Endangered Species Act Lawsuit

CropLife America (CLA), joined by additional intervenors, yesterday moved to dismiss the Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network North America v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lawsuit ("Mega" lawsuit), which seeks to restrict valuable crop protection and public health products from American farmers and consumers. If a court were to agree to the demands of the plaintiffs, agriculture and public health protection in the United States would be drastically and negatively altered due to the direct attack on pesticide registrations, established under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), that the suit represents. Accordingly, CLA and its co-intervenors, Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), Mid America CropLife Association (MACA), Southern Crop Production Association (SCPA) and the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA), together with intervenors American Chemistry Council (ACC) and Reckitt Benckiser, seek to have the case dismissed.

On January 19, 2011, two citizen action groups filed a lawsuit against EPA in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for alleged failure to follow proper Endangered Species Act (ESA) procedure in registering certain crop protection chemicals for agriculture and public health purposes. The ESA requires all federal government agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) whenever such agency takes a final action. In the pesticide registration and re-registration process, EPA already considers the potential effects of products on human health and the environment. This extremist lawsuit preemptively alleges that the existing and long-standing registration of more than 380 chemicals may negatively impact 214 species in 49 states. This "Mega" lawsuit attacks the FIFRA registration process by asking the court to restrict the use of these named chemicals with some form of injunctive, interim, and precautionary measures while consultations occur.

You can read more about CropLife's request to dismiss this suit by clicking here.

Warm Weather Accelerates First Hollow Stem Development

The recent warm weather has moved wheat development into high gear. First hollow stem is characterized by 1.5 cm of hollow stem present below the developing grain head. First hollow stem samples collected at Stillwater on Monday showed that 21 out of 45 varieties were at or past first hollow stem. A summary table is posted below. Our wheat plots at Stillwater are likely four or five days ahead of most producer fields; however, they clearly indicate that first hollow stem is rapidly approaching for all producers. It is highly probable that any wheat sown prior to October 1 will be at or past first hollow stem by March 1 and March 15 will be two weeks too late to remove cattle from wheat pasture. We will collect samples from El Reno later this week and distribute our findings.

Click here for a list of current hollow stem measurements for different wheat varieties.

OFB Conference Recognizes Legislative Leadership

Oklahoma Farm Bureau honored six state senators and representatives with the Meritorious Service Award during the annual OFB Leadership Conference in Oklahoma City, Feb 20.

The Meritorious Service honor is awarded to state legislators who actively support rural and agricultural efforts and maintain a strong voting record in favor of Farm Bureau issues. Winners are nominated by county Farm Bureaus and evaluated on their ability to positively impact the rural community.

Those receiving the legislative award for 2012 were Representatives Larry Glenn, Skye McNiel, Wade Rousselot, and Mike Sanders and Senators Brian Bingman and Susan Paddack. 

To read the full story, please click here.

Western Great Plains Growers To Try New Drought-Tolerant Corn Hybrid

U.S. farmers across the Western Great Plains this spring will be the first to plant Monsanto's newest drought-tolerant corn system as part of on-farm trials. The hybrids, made available to growers under the new DroughtGard™ Hybrids name, are designed to help farmers mitigate the risk of yield loss when experiencing drought stress.

DroughtGard Hybrids are the newest offering from the Genuity® corn family. These hybrids combine germplasm selected for its drought-tolerant characteristics and the biotechnology drought-tolerant trait with agronomic recommendations. For the 2012 trials, Monsanto plans to have Genuity® VT Triple PRO®, Genuity® VT Double PRO® and Roundup Ready® Corn 2 technologies serve as the agronomic trait platforms for DroughtGard Hybrids.

"DroughtGard Hybrids have shown strong performance in our trials and demonstrated an advantage over competitor products," said Mark Edge, DroughtGard Hybrids marketing lead. "Our on-farm trials this season are focused on giving farmers a chance to see the performance of these hybrids and to give us feedback to help us make commercial decisions."

The 2012 large-scale, on-farm trials, will be taking place with approximately 250 growers on up to 10,000 acres across the Western Great Plains, the product's target launch area.

The full article covering drought-resistant corn trials is available by clicking here.

Look Right- and - Check the Calendar

One of the photos I have added to the set of pictures we have up in cyberspace on Flickr is a simple statement that really is pretty darn important for Americans in Europe- Look Right- We have been conditioned from birth to always watch for traffic coming from the left as we step out into a busy street- it is really hard to unlearn that and look the opposite direction.  That's really a life lesson that OALP Class XV is hopefully picking up on- the need to never assume you are safe if you do it the way you have been always taught to do it.  It may work at home- but in other places, being flexible and paying attention  can help you survive- and hopefully, thrive!

As we approach the end of February- lots of things are going on and we invited you to check out our calendar on our website- don't miss opportunities that can make a difference in your business or in the quality of life. Click here and jump over to our calendar now.