Industry News | 01-30-2023
Soil Health at No-Till on the Plains
While fertilizer prices are coming down, Ohio farmer and no-till legend David Brandt said high input costs are at least one factor driving some farmers to look more at no-till systems and cover crops as a way to reduce nutrient and chemical needs. "We have seen more interest in the last 100 days than we have in a long time," Brandt told DTN on the sidelines of the No-till on the Plains conference this week. Brandt noted a lot of farmers who pre-bought fertilizer and chemicals before last year are now facing input costs 25% to 30% higher than last year. "I think there are a lot more guys looking to try to find the answer," he said.
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FBN® Partners with Boveta Nutrition™ to Launch Proprietary Feeding System for Beef Cattle to Reduce Feeding Costs in the Beef Industry
Farmers Business Network (FBN®), the global AgTech platform and farmer-to-farmer network today announced FBN Livestock has partnered with Boveta Nutrition™ to deliver a proprietary feeding system for beef cattle that improves feed efficiency and carcass yield while reducing methane gas emissions and wet waste. “With our optimized feeding algorithms, producers get more planned beef production from less feed, meaning a reduction in costs and an increase in profit potential,” says Rod Jones, co-founder and chairman of Boveta Nutrition. “In addition, beef cattle that follow the Boveta diet see a reduction in methane gas production.” Boveta Nutrition’s optimized feed formulation ensures nutrients are being delivered more precisely so cattle consume less feed yet maintain, or even increase, their gain or milk production.
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Truterra Expands Sustainability Services
Truterra recently announced the launch of Truterra Sustainability Services to provide farmers with a comprehensive suite of agronomic and financial resources. The launch aims to engage more farmers with regenerative farming practices by removing barriers to practice changes. “Every grower is at a different spot and they’re not all ready to implement cover crops or no-till,” says Tom Ryan, president of Truterra. “We’ve tried to build out offerings that can meet them where they’re at and help build a comprehensive plan delivered through our retail partners on where they want to go.” The program has three core components: soil health assessments, market access, and a carbon program.
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Growing Biodiesel Production Facilities Return Value to Farmers
Biodiesel-production facilities like Western Iowa Energy are benefiting soybean growers and livestock producers. Board Member Kevin Ross says Western Iowa Energy can turn multiple feedstocks into biodiesel. “It’s a great opportunity for soybean oil and we process animal fats as well so we’ve been a multi-feedstock facility for several years,” he says. The facility produces 45 million gallons annually. He tells Brownfield growth in the industry returns value to producers. “On the animal fat side, we run a lot of choice white grease, so adding value to the hog industry as well as beef tallow, benefiting the beef industry,” he says.
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First-of-Its-Kind Research Identifies $400 Million in Unrealized Soybean Value
In some instances, two heads are better than one. For a new multi-regional research effort, five organizations put their heads together to achieve full genetic yield potential of the soybean. A new partnership, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, aims to increase soybean flower and pod retention. This unrealized value could bring $50 per acre or $400 million in economic return for U.S. soybean farmers. The collaborative focus will test how heat and drought impact flower bud retention. Flower production dictates the final pod number and, ultimately, yield in soybeans.
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