Category: Federal Programs

ORGANIC NO-TILL

 

https://rodaleinstitute.org/why-organic/organic-farming-practices/organic-no-till/

What is tillage?

Tillage is the practice of digging up, turning over, or otherwise agitating the soil with mechanical tools—typically a plow or disc. Tilling breaks up soil compaction, helps eliminate weeds, and incorporates cover crops for boosted soil fertility. These are important benefits, but tillage also leaves soil vulnerable to erosion and destroys important fungal networks underground. Tillage is also fuel- and labor-intensive. Some farmers, both conventional and organic, practice reduced tillage or try to eliminate it altogether.

Conventional vs. organic no-till

In conventional systems, farmers can practice no-till by using chemical herbicides to kill cover crops before the next planting. Organic no-till, on the other hand, uses no synthetic inputs. Instead, small-scale organic no-till farmers use hand tools, like hoes and rakes. Large-scale organic no-till farmers can utilize a special tractor implement called the roller crimper (left), invented here at Rodale Institute.

roller crimper rolling down a cover crop

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The roller crimper is a water-filled drum with chevron-patterned blades that attaches to the front of a tractor. As the farmer drives over the cover crop, the roller crimper mows the plants down, cutting the stems every seven inches. The cover crop, now terminated, remains on the ground where it forms a thick mulch that suffocates weeds. Implements on the rear of the tractor then part the cover crop mat, drop in seeds—soybeans, for example—and cover them up to ensure soil contact. It happens in a single pass, saving vital time and energy for farmers. The cash crop then grows straight up through the cover crop mulch.

Watch the roller crimper in action: 

no-till corn

Organic corn grows through a mat of vetch cover crop that was terminated using the roller crimper

THE BENEFITS OF ROLLER CRIMPING

REDUCES EROSION

IMPROVES SOIL HEALTH

ADDS ORGANIC MATTER

REDUCES COST

REDUCES LABOR

SAVES TIME

INCREASES BIODIVERSITY

REDUCES WEED PRESSURE

Choosing a crop

Not all cover crops are created equal when it comes to organic no-till. We have found the most success with annual crops including crimson clover, winter rye, winter barley, spring barley, spring oats, buckwheat, foxtail millet, pearl millet, fava bean, sunn hemp, black oats, hairy vetch, field peas, and winter wheat. The roller crimper won’t kill cover crops like red clover, which is a biennial; alfalfa, which is a perennial; or ‘Marshall’ rye, a kind of annual ryegrass.

cover cropping

KEY CONCERNS

Timing is everything—cover crops must be terminated at just the right time at the end of their life cycle. This prevents them from a) continuing to grow after being rolled or b) going to seed and spreading. This is why, unfortunately, one can’t use the roller crimper to simply mow down a field of unruly weeds mid-summer—they’ll just spring back to life. You want to roll when the cover crop reaches anthesis—when it switches from being vegetative to reproductive. In a rye or small grain, this will occur almost uniformly through the field and you’ll notice pollen shed. In vetch or legumes, which flower at different times, the rule of thumb is to roll when between 50% and 100% of the crop is flowering. In general, best results from organic no-till are achieved in hot, dry weather conditions.

Webinar Opportunity: 2024 REAP Technical Assistance Grant

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDARD/bulletins/38e0db7

Join Rural Development on Monday, March 4th from 10:00 AM-11:00 AM EST for a webinar on The Rural Energy for America Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) Program. This program provides Technical Assistance to Agricultural Producers and Rural Small Businesses Applying to the REAP Program, with priority for applications assisting at least two or more of the following types of REAP Applicants:

(a)Agricultural Producers
(b) REAP applicants pursuing projects located in disadvantaged or distressed communities
(c) Tribal entities
(d)REAP Applicants pursuing projects using Underutilized Technologies
(e) REAP Applicants pursuing projects under $20,000.

To meet this purpose, the Agency will make grants to eligible entities to provide services to assist potential REAP Applicants in submitting Complete Applications.

Register Today   —  This is an active link for registration.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

WORLD’S FIRST AGRI-FOCUSED SATELLITE LAUNCHES

https://www.newsdakota.com/2023/01/04/worlds-first-agri-focused-satellite-launches/

(NewsDakota.com/NAFB) – The first of seven satellites for agriculture launched into space Tuesday by SpaceX. Built by Dragonfly Aerospace, the satellite is part of the Transporter-6 mission for customer EOS Data Analytics.

The remaining six satellites of the constellation will be deployed over the next three years. The EOS Data Analytics project is the world’s first agriculture-focused satellite constellation providing the industry with high-quality data to support efficient and sustainable practices. Images obtained from Dragonfly’s EOS SAT-1 will deliver information for harvest monitoring, application mapping, seasonal planning and assessments that analyze information such as soil moisture, yield prediction and biomass levels.

The data will support growers with reducing carbon dioxide emissions and help them to develop sustainable agricultural methods. The company says the information will have important environmental benefits for the planet and help prevent natural habitats from being diminished for crop growth and maintain biodiversity.

 

How 5G reduces emissions and helps U.S. farmers

https://www.axios.com/sponsored/content-item/ctia-how-5g-reduces-emissions-and-helps-u-s-farmers

How 5G reduces emissions and helps U.S. farmers

 
 

Agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but 5G innovations can help reduce environmental impact.

Why it’s important: Reductions in GHG emissions are critical to fighting global warming, which has acute implications for food production and supply as the world’s population grows and acres of farmland decrease.

Agriculture accounted for 11% of total emissions in 2020, according to the EPA.

  • This presents a challenge for meeting the Biden Administration’s goal of cutting GHG emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.

Okay, but: 5G-enabled farming can reduce carbon emissions by 27.8 million metric tons annually, according to Accenture.

  • That’s equivalent to removing emissions from burning 30.7 billion pounds of coal during that same period.

How it’s done: 5G’s high bandwidth, low latency and support for high device density allows farmers to adopt new connected technologies that:

  • Improve agricultural productivity.
  • Enable precise applications of water and fertilizer.
  • Give farmers key data points about their crops and livestock.
  • Reduce carbon emissions.

Precision agriculture is one 5G-enabled use case changing farming.

IoT devices and sensors can collect and communicate data from the field, so farmers know exactly what their crops need, saving resources and reducing emissions.

An example: At Swans Trail Farms, an apple orchard in Snohomish County, Wash., cutting-edge 5G technology improves efficiency, crop quality, sustainability and food security, according to farmer Nate Krause.

“We’re not going to be able to feed the world unless we can produce more food on less ground,” says Krause.

  • “5G and connectivity will really help farmers get more out of their fields, more production with better quality.”

5G’s high bandwidth, low latency and edge-compute capabilities enable farmers to tap into an ecosystem of connected soil and water sensors throughout the orchard, which relay real-time water and nutrient data from 4,000 trees directly back to a smartphone, so farmers can decide whether to irrigate.

Plant health applications are also getting a boost with 5G.

Here’s how: 5G’s fast speeds allow it to process large amounts of data which can be used to understand the health of thousands of plants in the field.

EarthSense’s TerraSentia autonomous robot can scan up to 10 plants per second to determine the plant’s height, leaf-area index and other indicators of health.

  • ‍5G enhances the process with fast speeds and low latency, enabling data to be sent in real time and allowing farmers to manage crops more efficiently.

What you’re missing: 5G monitoring doesn’t stop at plants. Farmers can also track and assess their livestock with the help of 5G.

In southwest England, cows at the Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation Centre wear 5G smart collars and ear tags that track their health.

The impact: Their collars allow them to enter the milking area on their own and be fitted with custom settings for the milking machine.

  • The cows choose to be milked more often than on a typical dairy farm, producing up to 20% more milk.

Looking ahead: Innovations in the agricultural sector will continue. Tools like 5G-connected autonomous tractors and cellular-connected drones can help change and improve the way farmers work.

‍The takeaway: 5G paves the way for reduced GHG emissions and improved efficiency — benefitting the planet and U.S. farmers.

  • Without 5G-enabled use cases, it is unlikely that the U.S. agricultural sector can reduce emissions enough to meet the Biden Administration’s climate change goals.

Learn more about the benefits of 5G.

‘Off the charts’ chemical shortages hit U.S. farms

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/off-charts-chemical-shortages-hit-us-farms-2022-06-27/

By Tom Polensk
 

Soybean fields are inspected as part of University of Wisconsin research trial into whether the weed killer dicamba drifted away from where it was sprayed in Arlington, Wisconsin, U.S., August 2, 2018. REUTERS/Tom Polansek/File Photo

CHICAGO, June 27 (Reuters) – U.S. farmers have cut back on using common weedkillers, hunted for substitutes to popular fungicides and changed planting plans over persistent shortages of agricultural chemicals that threaten to trim harvests.

Spraying smaller volumes of herbicides and turning to less-effective fungicides increase the risk for weeds and diseases to dent crop production at a time when global grain supplies are already tight because the Ukraine war is reducing the country’s exports.

Interviews with more than a dozen chemical dealers, manufacturers, farmers and weed specialists showed shortages disrupted U.S. growers’ production strategies and raised their costs.

Shawn Inman, owner of distributor Spinner Ag Incorporated in Zionsville, Indiana, said supplies are the tightest in his 24-year career.

“This is off the charts,” Inman said. “Everything was delayed, delayed, delayed.”

Shortages further reduce options for farmers battling weeds that developed resistance to glyphosate, the key ingredient in the commonly used Roundup herbicide, after decades of overuse in the United States. 

Prices for glyphosate and glufosinate, another widely used herbicide sold under the brand Liberty, jumped more than 50% from last year, dealers said, padding profit at companies like Bayer AG (BAYGn.DE), BASF SE (BASFn.DE) and Corteva Inc (CTVA.N).

The U.S. Agriculture Department said it heard from farmers and food companies concerned about whether agribusinesses are hiking prices for goods like chemicals, seeds and fertilizer to boost profit, not simply because of supply and demand factors. The agency has launched an inquiry into competition in the sector, and some watchdog groups said it is moving too slowly.

Agrichemical companies blame the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation delays, a lack of workers and extreme weather for shortages. Fertilizer and some seeds are also in short supply globally. read more

SUPPLY CHAIN STALLED

More difficulties are on the horizon, as BASF, which formulates glufosinate, told Reuters the supply situation will not improve significantly next year.

“It’s going to take more time than what our customers, farmers and retailers would have thought,” said Scott Kay, vice president of U.S. crops for BASF.

Tennessee farmer Jason Birdsong said he abandoned plans to plant soybeans on 100 acres after waiting months to receive Liberty he ordered from Nutrien Ag Solutions. He ultimately received less than half his order for 125 gallons and planted corn on the land instead. Birdsong said he is better able to control weeds in corn than soybeans.

Read more at the link above~~

Reporting by Tom Polansek in Chicago, Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Matthew Lewis

LAND MATCHING – Center for Rural Affairs

https://www.cfra.org/land-matching

Cait Caughey at caitc@cfra.org

Land matching lets our rural communities have a brighter future, by letting young farmers work the land.  

Land matching keeps our family farms strong. It keeps our rural communities vibrant. It ensures that the American independent farmer is here to stay.

NEW FARMER/RANCHER BENEFITS

  • gain access to land
  • find help with financing
  • learn from experienced landowners

LANDOWNER BENEFITS

  • tax incentives and other financial benefits
  • ease transition into retirement
  • ensure the continuity of a farm’s operation and legacy
  • bring fresh energy and strong hands to work on the farm

EVERYBODY BENEFITS

  • small family farms continue a proud American tradition
  • rural communities thrive with new farm families

Land matching is a great way for new farmers to get started, for retiring farmers to make sure their operation will continue long into the future, and for rural communities to stay strong.

How do matching programs work?

All matching programs work a little differently, but the basics are the same:

  1. Sign up: The program compiles lists of new farmers and of landowners who want to link.
  2. Match time: Usually, the new farmer must contact a landowner.
  3. Talk about it: Both parties get to know each other and decide whether/how to link.

Think before you link: Most application forms ask about participants’ assets, experience, and goals. Both landowners and beginners need to know what they want to get out of a linking relationship before they start trying to work it out with each other. This worksheet for beginners and this worksheet for landowners will help you describe what you’re looking for and what assets you bring to the discussion. Before you link, you should:

  • Know what you want and need
  • Be flexible where you can and firm on what you need

Most programs focus on specific states or regions, so new farmers can find matches in the area where they want to farm. Some matching programs work with farmers nationwide.

Looking for even more opportunities? Use your acquaintance network to build connections in the area you want to farm. Anyone—family, friends, business acquaintances, extension agents, real estate agents, postmasters, feed store staff, and more—can be your “in” to a farm transition opportunity. The more people you build relationships with and the more people know you’re looking for and seriously committed to a farming or ranching opportunity, the better your chance of being in the right place at the right time to access that opportunity.

 

How Soil Microbes Improve Fertilizer Efficiency

https://www.holganix.com/blog/how-soil-microbes-improve-fertilizer-efficiency

https://www.holganix.com/blog/how-soil-microbes-improve-fertilizer-efficiency

By Kaitlyn Ersek on Feb 10, 2022 10:15:00 AM

Did you know, last year the U.S. spent $18.6B (20.5M tons) on fertilizer? Over 60 percent of that fertilizer was used on corn, soybean, wheat, and cotton.  

Yet scientific literature states that over 50% of fertilizer is lost because it becomes tied in the soil, washes off, erodes, or becomes volatilized in the air. That loss equates to $9.3 B USD.  

“The waste is outrageous. And the thing is, soil microbes improve fertilizer efficiency,” explains Dave Stark, P.hD., and President of Agriculture at Holganix, LLC. “Biologically healthy soils create greater corn yields per unit of nitrogen input.”  

In this blog, we discuss how soil microbes improve fertilizer efficiency. Click the link to skip to the topic of your choosing, or continue scrolling to read the full report.  

  1. Higher nitrogen efficiency with higher microbial populations 
  2. What about phosphorus and potassium?
  3. Accessing nutrients via crop residue breakdown 
  4. A note on diversity and microbial inoculants 
  5. Video interview with Dave Stark, Ph.D. on soil microbes and fertilizer efficiency  

Higher Nitrogen Efficiency With Higher Microbial Populations 

A meta-study from Nature Research Scientific Reports reviewed 230 published studies on how microbes interact with fertilizer. According to that study, only 36-42% of the current year’s applied nitrogen goes to the crop (corn, rice, and small grains).  

In fact, soil organic nitrogen turnover (the nitrogen that is mineralized or cycled by microbes) contributes more than the nitrogen we apply to the crop.

And, since microbes increase the soil’s ability to mineralize or cycle nitrogen, the presence of high microbial populations leads to better nitrogen efficiency.  

“Using a microbial and using farming techniques that foster beneficial microbial populations, increases your farm’s ability to use fertilizer efficiency and can reduce the need for fertilizer,” explains Dave.  

“This is so critical to farming today. Fertilizer prices are high. Farmers need an edge to reduce costs and increase their crop productivity.”  

 

What About Phosphorus And Potassium? 

soil

“The top six inches of soil is abundant in phosphorus and potassium, but extraordinarily little of that phosphorus and potassium is bioavailable,” states Dave. In other words, phosphorus and potassium become bound in the soil and the plant cannot access them.  

Yet, while the plant cannot access these bound nutrients, soil microbes can! Microbes break down phosphorus, potassium, and other micronutrients and feed them back into the plant root.  

This is just another way microbes increase fertilizer efficiency. 

 

Accessing Nutrients Via Crop Residue Breakdown

In addition to solubilizing and mineralizing nutrients, microbes also make nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium available by breaking down crop residue. Crop residue is filled with valuable nutrients. As an example, corn stover holds about 17 lbs of nitrogen, 4 lbs of phosphorus, and 34 lbs of potassium per ton.  

Having an abundant source of degrading soil microbes allows farmers to use no-till farming techniques to access these nutrients.  

 

A Note On Diversity And Using Microbial Inoculants 

Microbial inoculants are soil amendments containing microbial species. Most microbial inoculants contain just a handful of bacterial species, while others like, Holganix Bio 800+, contain a large diversity of soil microbe species including bacteria, fungi, and protists.  

Choosing to use a microbial product that contains only a few species of plant growth-promoting bacteria or nutrient solubilizing bacteria might boost root mass or improve the availability of a single nutrient, such as phosphorus. However, products with just a few species of microbes, can’t do everything. Instead, they focus on a narrow piece of the puzzle. For example, a bacteria-only product won’t cycle nitrogen efficiently since bacteria require a lot of nitrogen to grow. Microbes that eat bacteria, namely fungi and protists, require much less nitrogen and cycle it back to the crop. 

With Holganix Bio 800+, growers do not have to choose; over 800 species of bacteria, fungi and protists are present including a broad range of plant growth promoters and nutrient solubilizers. In fact, the microbes in Bio 800+ consume fertilizer and keep it in the root zone, all while cycling nutrients back to the plant so more nutrients go to the crop instead of being lost in the environment.  

Holganix Bio 800+ has consistently given farmers a 2-10x ROI through increased crop yields and improved fertilizer efficiency. Bio 800+ is a valuable tool that allows growers to back off inputs knowing more of the inputs put down will actually feed the crop. 

When it comes to the turf and ornamental industry, Holganix Bio 800+ has consistently allowed turf managers to reduce their fertilizer use by 50% without sacrificing results. 

 

Want To Learn More About How Soil Microbes Can Increase Fertilizer Efficiency?  

Watch the webinar recording below for a conversation with Holganix President of Agriculture, Dave Stark, Ph.D. on 

  • How microbes increase nutrient uptake and availability (including phosphorus) 
  • The role of soil microbes in soil health and crop performance 
  • Insights and data from university studies, and Holganix studies, on how microbes increase fertilizer efficiency