natural disaster

Agri View: Drought and Farming

Dan Agri View, Drought

Everett Griner talks about drought and farming in the United States in today’s Agri View.       Now, everybody knows what a drought is. It is something that affects everybody. Not just farmers. But, farmers are among the highest risk element of our entire population. You see, some areas of our country are more prone to drought than others. …

epa

Dicamba Damage Reports Still Climbing

Dan Environment, Industry News Release

A new report issued on Monday shows the dicamba damage footprint is still growing. Both the number of investigations and damaged acres are climbing, especially in the Midwest. Kevin Bradley, a plant science professor at the University of Missouri, compiled the data and it shows complaints of off-site dicamba movement now cover 21 states, stretching from North Dakota to Georgia. …

chlorpyrifos

Perdue Turning to Industry for Dicamba Fix

Dan Environment, Industry News Release

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue indicated to reporters this week that he would like to see the industry work out a fix on dicamba issues. Perdue said: “I would much prefer that method rather than a prescriptive, top-down regulation,” in saying that he is “hoping that the industry itself and the producers themselves are working toward a resolution,” according to Politico. …

epa

Monsanto Addresses Dicamba Issues in Open Letter

Dan Environment, Industry News Release

In an open letter to customers, Monsanto says the company is committed to supporting farmers at every stage of the growing season. Monsanto, the maker of the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend crop system that includes the dicamba herbicide formulation XtendiMax, responded in the letter to complaints of dicamba drift injury to non-tolerant crops. Monsanto says that many farmers are “experiencing …

new causes dead zone gulf mexico

Largest Ever Dead Zone Found in U.S. Gulf

Dan Environment, Industry News Release

Federal scientists have measured the largest dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico in recent history. The oxygen-depleted area is roughly the size of New Jersey. Politico’s Morning Ag Report says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the increasing dead zone was fed by nutrient pollution washing down the Mississippi River. NOAA says the nutrient runoff comes primarily from …

Efforts Address Declining Pollinator Populations

Dan Environment, Research

Those in agriculture have been working with beekeepers and researchers to adopt more appropriate steps for assessing pesticides and their risks to pollinators. Dr. David Epstein, an entomologist for the USDA’s Office of Pest Management Policy, explains how a recent meeting between ag industry stakeholders, researchers, and beekeepers impacts his work at the USDA.

expands

Drought Expands Across the U.S.

Dan Drought, Industry News Release

The latest Drought Monitor shows soils continuing to dry out and crops suffering as drought and abnormal dryness expands and intensifies across the Plains, Midwest, northern Rockies, and Virginia. Montana saw the most severe level of drought, called exceptional drought, grow by 10 points in a week. 12 percent of the state is in exceptional drought and 24 percent is …

senate

Chlorpyrifos Ban Introduced in U.S. Senate

Dan Environment, Industry News Release, Legislative

Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal and New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall Tuesday introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate to ban chlorpyrifos, a widely used agricultural insecticide. Udall explained that The American Academy of Pediatrics says chlorpyrifos use “puts all children at risk,” adding that “we need to listen to the experts” and ban the pesticide.” The Obama-era Environmental Protection Agency …

nacd

NACD Urges Congress to Restore EQIP

Dan Environment, Industry News Release

NACD Encouraged by Technical Assistance funds The National Association of Conservation Districts is encouraged that the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2018 bill strongly funds technical assistance at the Agriculture Department, but is concerned with continued cuts to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The spending legislation includes an allocation of $874 million for the Conservation Operations account – almost $10 …