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Alfalfa, forage growers push for research funding in DC

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Last Updated on Saturday, 10 March 2012 12:34
Written by Christy Martinez
The mission of the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance (NAFA) is to ensure the ability of the alfalfa and forage industry to compete effectively and profitably, both domestically and abroad, and a recent visit to Washington, D.C. aimed to do just that.
    Participants in the trip were Wyoming hay producer Dave Hinman of Wheatland and Powell alfalfa seed producer John Grover.
    “NAFA was created in 2006 because of the feeling that there was a void in advocacy for alfalfa and forage crops in D.C., and there was an obvious need for greater advocacy and visibility for alfalfa and forage crops among lawmakers in D.C.,” says NAFA Associate Director John Docktor. “Part of our mission is to become more visible, and to make sure we have a seat at the table when ag issues and the Farm Bill are discussed and debated.”
Research lags behind
    One of the main concerns of the group of U.S. alfalfa and forage growers is the $3 million allocation in the 2008 Farm Bill for research that was never distributed to the industry.
    “Alfalfa and forage crops represent the third most valuable crop in the country, following only corn and soybeans, yet for Fiscal Year 2012, USDA’s Agriculture Research Service had about $44 million for corn and $35 million for soybeans, while alfalfa only had about $3.7 million,” says Docktor, adding, “In research funding, alfalfa and forage crops fall behind smaller, more minor crops.”
    He says that small amount funding doesn’t address the real need for research in alfalfa and forage crops that private industry can’t afford to do alone.
Research priorities
    NAFA has identified the top areas of crucial research are improving yield, persistence, determining bioenergy potentials, determining new methods of harvest, storage and new uses.
    “We’re looking for the type of research we have with corn, as far as the traits that make it pest- and disease-resistant,” says Hinman. “We also want to make alfalfa hardier so that it comes back faster and doesn’t winter kill and is more drought resistant.”
    “There are a number of things on which we need research that aren’t being addressed in the current funding situation,” says Docktor. “Budgets are tight across the country, but there’s a disparity in funding for alfalfa and forage, and that’s what we’re trying to bring to the attention of lawmakers.”
    Grover says one of the most important research areas for his part of the industry is honey bees.
    “We’re interested in keeping the funding for the Logan Bee Lab and research on leaf cutter bees, which is highly important to our crop,” he says, adding that it’s also been quite some time since yields have improved, and that there’s always research to be done with chemicals and pesticides. “There’s no end to what we could use the research funding for.”
Farm Bill implications
    Regarding the $3 million allocation in the 2008 Farm Bill, Docktor says it’s important to maintain that allocation in the next Farm Bill.
    “We need to maintain that language, because it’s easier to get programmatic funding,” he notes. “Because alfalfa and forage research was contained in the last Farm Bill, we could obtain the funding without an earmark, and it would be the most viable means to obtain research funding.”
    “It’s important for us to get that message across, and get support in D.C.,” says Grover. “Even if we don’t get the funding from 2008, we want it for 2012.”
    Should the funding be allocated, Docktor says the first order of business would be to bring together forage researchers, industry partners and producers to a research summit that would establish research priorities. He says that only land grant universities and government agencies can grant the money, and that NAFA would be the facilitator.
    “After the research symposium, we’d send out the request for proposals, collect those proposals and put together a committee to determine which of them are high priority,” he explains.
Loss in the long-term
    “This is the first year that China will spend more on agricultural research than we do,” says Docktor. “That demonstrates our alarm, because it seems like cutting research is the easy solution, because the results are immediate. But, it takes four or five years to reap the benefits of research. In the short term we’re not losing anything, but where we realize the loss is in the long term, when we consider how far back it puts us.”
    Docktor says NAFA will continue to work to obtain the funding for alfalfa and forage research by keeping the lines of communication open with lawmakers.
    Christy Martinez is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Roundup Ready gains ground
    As an organization, the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance (NAFA) is neutral in the biotech alfalfa debate, but they advocate for choices for alfalfa producers.
    “We want to make sure that farmers have the choice, and that’s why we supported the APHIS approval of Roundup Ready technology,” says NAFA Associate Director John Docktor. “We don’t care if producers use it or not, we just want to make sure they have access to the most recent and new technology.”
    Powell area alfalfa seed producer John Grover grew Roundup Ready alfalfa when it was first released, and he has been involved in the litigation regarding the varieties. Although it’s again released for commercial production, he says that a remaining lawsuit is attempting to use the Endangered Species Act against the crop.
    “Which is ridiculous,” says Grover, “because the only thing endangered are the weeds.”
    Grover plans to put in 160 acres of Roundup alfalfa this spring, and he hopes to completely transition to the biotech crop over time.
    Wheatland alfalfa producer Dave Hinman entered a Roundup Ready alfalfa variety in the Tulare Farm Show in California this year, and won third place with it.
    “You can keep every weed out, because you can spray it two or three times, and you get your production from less weed pressure,” says Hinman.
    Hinman says he’ll transition to Roundup Ready with his stands that are under flood irrigation, which brings weed seeds with the irrigation water, and he’ll leave his pivot-irrigated fields in conventional alfalfa, which is cheaper to purchase.
    Docktor notes that Roundup alfalfa can provide many benefits, especially with drought-tolerant varieties that have high water efficiency.
    “There’s a lot of promise with those varieties, so we want to make sure APHIS is using sound science to evaluate the new technologies and bring them to commercialization,” he continues.
    “We hear that many producers are taking advantage of and utilizing the new technologies, and that’s great if it works in their personal situations,” says Docktor.
    Grover says it’s only a matter of time before markets dictate the direction of new technologies, and he predicts it will move almost entirely to Roundup Ready.


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Blister beetles follow grasshoppers’ upward trend

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 December 2011 16:59
Written by Jennifer Womack
Riverton — Wyoming hay producers are being cautioned to check their fields for blister beetles and adopt management practices to minimize the number of insects present in hay harvests.
    Following a report of blister beetles early August, Wyoming State Veterinarian Jim Logan says specimens of the insects were taken to the Fremont County Weed and Pest and the University of Wyoming for verification. The individual who reported the insects slapped one on his neck and the area blistered before he returned to the house.
    While Logan says it’s the first time he’s dealt with the insect in his capacity as a practitioner, he has seen horses die after consuming the insect. In his experience he says he hasn’t seen cattle or sheep affected by the insect, but knows of fellow practitioners who’ve witnessed such losses.
    University of Wyoming Extension Entomologist Scott Schell says the insects have also been confirmed in the Sheridan area. A native species, the insect’s populations vary and may be high as a result of Wyoming’s higher than usual grasshopper population.
    As Schell explains of the Epicauta pennsylvania species of the beetle confirmed in the Sheridan area, adult beetles lay their eggs on the ground. The first instar of the young insect is quite mobile and finds a grasshopper egg pod to feed on over the winter months. Adults emerge the following year as early as June and as late as September.
    “Adults feed on flowers,” says Schell. “They’ll also swarm on flowers for mating so you’ll often see two beetles coupled together on the flowers. Some of the worst places for them are those corners that didn’t get cut and the alfalfa goes into full bloom, or a little missed edge.”
    “When you swath hay,” says Schell, “the conditioner is designed to crush the stem. It can also crush beetles into the windrow.  The beetles are baled right into the hay and that’s how livestock get poisoned by it. In the old days when people cut hay with a sickle blade, beetles wouldn’t be killed and they’d fly off before the hay was put up.”
    Schell says, “In some areas where they are a big problem, and they supply the horse hay market, ranchers will do things like take their hay conditioners off.”
    On the bright side Schell says, “According to the research it takes a lot of blister beetles to kill a horse. The black blister beetle most commonly found in Wyoming rarely swarms in such numerous masses.” A table within this article details the toxicity levels of the different species.
    With that said, risk of poisoning as a result of the insects is a serious issue. “When a horse gets blister beetle poisoning,” says Logan, “the symptoms are rapid and extreme.” Logan says, “Depending on the species of the beetle, the amount required to sicken or kill a horse can be a very small amount.”
    Schell says, “ Blistering in the horse’s mouth and blood in the urine are diagnostic symptoms of blister beetle poisoning.  All hay should be inspected for foreign objects, dead animals, or mold before being fed to your horse.”
     He further adds, “Certified hay is only certified to be free of noxious weeds not blister beetles.  Buying hay from a cutting of alfalfa made when it is not in bloom is a good approach to minimize risk to your horses.”
    For those looking to purchase horse hay Schell advises, “They need to talk to the supplier or the farmer or rancher producing the hay. Make sure they are aware of the dangers of blister beetles. Ask what precautions they take and if they harvest their hay before the alfalfa is in full bloom.” He says the beetles tend to be less of an issue in those areas, like Torrington, where growers aim for high protien alfalfa that’s most often cut before full bloom. In areas less conducive to alfalfa production, where a grower may be seeking tonnage the alfalfa may be cut in full bloom, when the insects are of greater concern.
    Control isn’t really a feasible option according to Schell. “They are a native species and they do a service in that they help us suppress grasshopper populations.” He says the best approach is management to reduce risk. Looking toward 2010, given the current abundance of grasshoppers, Schell anticipates a higher population of the beetles.
    Additional information on the beetles can be found online at http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/bimg167.html and at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05524.html. Jennifer Womack is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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District court affirms USDA’s regulatory process with Roundup Ready alfalfa

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Last Updated on Saturday, 28 January 2012 13:07
Written by Saige Albert
Omaha, Neb. – USDA acted within its authority when it fully deregulated Roundup Ready alfalfa in the spring of 2011, a U.S. district court judge in the Northern District of California ruled in early January.
    A lawsuit filed against USDA in March 2011 by a group of plaintiffs led by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Food Safety, claimed USDA violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Plant Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, when it opted to deregulate the product.
    The plaintiffs include farmers who were concerned the genetically engineered alfalfa could cross-pollinate their crops, foster the development of glyphosate-resistant weeds and threaten organic growers through transgenic contamination.
    The case may not have run its course through the court system, as court documents say the case will be appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. An attorney told DTN the case ultimately could be decided by the nation’s highest court.
    Drew L. Kershen, Earl Sneed Centennial Professor of Law at the University of Oklahoma, says if the Ninth Circuit reverses the opinion it is possible USDA and the interveners in the case – Monsanto Corp. and Forage Genetics – will seek judicial review by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a nation-wide ban on planting Roundup Ready alfalfa.
    “The Supreme Court is interested in this issue about the relationship between federal courts and administrative agencies about agricultural biotechnology crop approvals,” says Kershen. “I reiterate again that whether the Supreme Court would want to accept a judicial appeal in this matter for a second time is completely unpredictable.”
    In his latest ruling Judge Conti found the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) did what a federal 2007 decision required and that federal courts are required to respect that APHIS decision.
Welcome news
    Tom Helscher, director of corporate affairs for Monsanto, said in a written statement that the court’s decision proves the federal process works.
    “The court’s affirmation of USDA’s regulatory process and comprehensive environmental impact statement is welcome news for U.S. alfalfa growers,” he said.
    “The record supporting Roundup Ready alfalfa is sound. The ruling affirms the coordinated framework created more than 25 years ago and that it functions effectively to evaluate new biotech crops, relying on three expert agencies, USDA, EPA and FDA, to perform their well-defined statutory roles.
    “After several years of litigation, this decision marks an important milestone in establishing that American farmers can count on biotech crop approvals issued by the experts in the several federal agencies responsible for regulation of biotechnology.”
USDA legal ground
    Kershen says the latest ruling puts USDA on better legal ground for similar challenges including Roundup Ready sugar beets.
    “Judge Conti thus has ruled that Roundup Ready alfalfa is a fully deregulated crop, meaning that seed sellers can sell the seed, growers can grow the crop, and buyers can buy the crop without further federal oversight,” says Kershen. “Roundup Ready alfalfa is now just a crop – a variety of alfalfa that farmers can choose to grow and use. Producers can simply plant, grow, sell this alfalfa like any other alfalfa variety.”
    He said the decision sets a “significant precedent” for future legal challenges to the use of genetically engineered crops, in particular those decisions that come after APHIS prepares environmental impact statements.
    DTN’s attempt to reach the Center for Food Safety for comment was unsuccessful.
Environmental assessment
    APHIS prepared an environmental assessment for glyphosate-tolerant alfalfa, declared it safe and deregulated the crop in 2005.
    The crop was grown for two years, but a lawsuit brought by environmental groups claimed that the genetically engineered alfalfa could contaminate conventional and organic alfalfa.
    The lawsuit charged that APHIS had not followed the National Environmental Policy Act when it prepared an environmental assessment rather than a full environmental impact statement, or EIS.
    In 2007, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that APHIS would have to complete a full EIS. In December 2010, USDA announced that it had completed the EIS and would consider three options on Roundup Ready alfalfa.
    That included the continued regulation, full deregulation or a partial deregulation that would require isolation distances from other crops of up to five miles and other geographic restrictions, and would establish measures to make sure that Roundup Ready alfalfa did not contaminate other alfalfa crops.
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Cold spells hard on feed supplies

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Last Updated on Friday, 12 February 2010 06:45
Written by Heather Hamilton

As ranchers head into late winter, several are noticing a significant drop in their feed pile as a result of recent cold spells. If the current weather trends continue into spring many producers will need to purchase additional feed to maintain their cattle.
“Management has been altered to reduce winter feeding as much as possible and this year snuck up on us,” comments UW Extension Beef Specialist Steve Paisley.  He adds that, to date, he hasn’t heard of any problems, but everyone is feeding more than they want and are starting to look at their hay pile, wondering how severe the remainder of winter is going to be.
“Everyone has hay now, but if this continues through late March it will be tough,” say Paisley.
According to Paisley, cattle require a one percent increase in feed for every one-degree drop in temperature below 20 degrees. This is assuming livestock have a heavy winter coat and are in adequate condition.
If the temperature with wind chill is negative 10 degrees, cows require 30 percent more feed to maintain a constant weight than they do when the temperature is over 20 degrees. When this amount is combined with the 25 to 30 percent increase in energy requirements during late gestation, it’s easy to see why so many hay piles are rapidly disappearing.
While cattle will increase intake as temperatures drop, Paisley notes that they hit a point where they just hump up and kind of stop eating.  
If ranchers aren’t covered by snow and cattle have access to winter range or stalks, supplementing is an easy thing to aid cattle in increasing consumption.
“In a lot of cases the cheapest thing is to locate some alfalfa hay and we’re lucky that most of the state put up a lot of hay this year. There is hay available and people are starting to buy and feed it,” says Paisley.
Some ranchers may let their cattle slide until spring, which is something to which Paisley strongly objects. He explains that it takes a lot more feed and effort to bring a cow back up to an acceptable body condition than to simply maintain her at that level.
After a cow calves her energy requirements jump another 30 to 35 percent through the peak of lactation. If a rancher attempts to bring her back up to a more acceptable condition at that point and the weather is uncooperative it could result in an even greater supplemental feed increase or she may not breed back.
Paisley explains that data indicates thin cows are slower getting up after calving and calves consume less colostrum on average than those out of well maintained cows. He adds that it is also suggested the strength of the calf is compromised if cows get too thin during gestation.
An increase in feed consumption generally results in a higher break even on cattle and that is what feeders are dealing with during the cold spells. Extension Education and Livestock Marketing Specialist Bridger Feuz explains that while the market hasn’t been impacted by recent weather trends, it is effecting the break even as cattle increase intake.
“Typically severe storms can affect markets as they may alter the projected finish date of cattle. However, cold weather does not necessarily impact performance of cattle on feed,” states Bridger.
Cattle will require more energy to maintain body levels in a feedlot as on the range. The difference is that feedlots typically have large amounts of feed readily available and can easily adjust rations to offset weather conditions.
As producers head into the second half of winter it is important to be prepared for more unexpected cold snaps and have a means meeting energy requirements available. Compare prices on different supplements and keep in mind that it is almost always easier to maintain cattle than to bring them back up to an acceptable condition, experts advise.
For more information on this topic see the Guest Opinion on Page 2 of this edition. Heather Hamilton is editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Hauling Hay: Wyoming, northern states ship south

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Last Updated on Saturday, 13 August 2011 01:00
Written by Christy Martinez

A mid-August report from Texas Agri-Life Extension says the drought in the south continues, hay supplies are very short, cattle are being sold and pastures and crops are burning up.

Central Texas reports trees are showing signs of severe stress, and stock tank water levels are very low, which is expected to cause the sale of more livestock. All hay that’s being fed has been imported from other states.

For Wyoming and other northern hay-producing states, that means a steady stream of trucks loaded with hay has been heading south. Wyoming Business Council Crop and Forage Program Manager

Donn Randall says he counted 22 trucks loaded with hay headed out of the state between Cheyenne and Shoshoni, in late July.

According to the July 22 Hoyt Report, in one week 3,000 tons of hay left Wyoming.

The strong demand from southern states, combined with a cold, wet start to the growing season and some alfalfa acreage replaced by corn, has, so far, resulted in below-average supplies in Wyoming this summer.

“We started out this year with so much rain and cool weather that the quality wasn’t very good, but our tonnage was,” says Barry McRea of Valley Video Hay Markets in Torrington, which is operated in conjunction with Torrington Livestock Markets. “Then the second cutting’s tonnages were very good, with the moisture, but we also had the heat and it grew so fast that we’re not growing as much dairy hay in the areas I service.”

Alcova hay producer Ron Richner agrees, saying his area’s production has been a little lower this year than usual because of the cool weather.

“The hay didn’t grow as well, and the undergrowth didn’t come into the grass hay as well,” he says.

Fremont County alfalfa producer Lloyd Dechert, who operates Wyoming Hay Cubes with his son Jerry Dechert, says it looks to be a good year for hay markets, but he also sees his area’s alfalfa yields down 10 percent.

“Weather and insects play a part in yield, and with the cool spring it didn’t start as early,” he says. “We cut the first cutting a little later, but the second cutting looks pretty good. As far as a shortage of hay overall this year, we’ll know that when the hay season’s over.”

Richner sells most of his hay locally to horse markets, and he comments that prices are “higher than a kite,” with small square bales selling for five to six dollars per bale. However, he also adds that his equipment, parts, tires and other costs have risen.

“This year we’re making a little bit of profit to help offset the years that we don’t. Agriculture is always a roller coaster,” he states.

Dechert says this summer’s high hay prices aren’t directly reflected in his business, as he operates in a specialty market with a consistent market base.

“I have fielded several calls even today from Texas and Oklahoma, but that’s not something I can deal with, as it’s a one-time market. I’m in a long-term business, with an established market that has priority,” he comments.

Of the acreage in alfalfa this summer, McRea says, “In my local area it appears that 50 percent of alfalfa acres were torn up and either put into corn or wheat, and that’s a major factor in the crop from here to Idaho. Southern California also went from alfalfa to cotton, so that’s the leading factor in hay supplies.”

He also notes that many livestock producers were dependant on Kansas for hay supplies, but that state has been affected by heat.

“It’s not so much the drought as the heat – their second cutting didn’t produce, and a lot of sprinklers were shut off because the hay was going dormant,” he notes.

McRea, who also works with Hay Time Auctions, a two-day time auction also affiliated with Torrington Livestock, works in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming, and he says the entire region’s hay is going to Texas. Hay Time Auctions holds an online event every two weeks from the first of June through December, transitioning to an inventory-driven sale in January. The sale operates much like an eBay auction.

“To fill the void, most everyone’s going to the Dakotas, and there’s more and more of that going on, but most of the hay in the Dakotas is in round bales,” he notes.
McRea says he saw the market for feeder hay start at $140 to $150 per ton this summer, and all of that was going to Texas.

“Every week the market seems to inch higher, and sales of feeder hay are going from $155 to $170 per ton now,” he says. “Somewhere along the line there will be a limit to prices – I don’t know how long they can continue to ship feed so far to Texas. There will be a balance somewhere, but I don’t know where.”

The July 27 market report for the most recent Hay Time Auction says 5,219 tons were sold. Supreme alfalfa in 3x4 square bales ranged from $196 to $267, while premium alfalfa in 3x3 bales sold from $190 to $200. Good quality alfalfa in 4x4 and 3x4 bales ranged from $134 to $176. Good quality in large rounds topped out at $131. Utility grades in 4x4 and 3x4 bales started at $116 and topped out at $145.

McRea adds that he thinks feeders will begin to find less hay to purchase, as dairies will soon begin to push to build their inventories and will start to buy lower-quality hay than what they’re accustomed to.

“From speaking with Wyoming producers, I’d say 90 percent of their first cutting has been spoken for, contracted or sold,” says Randall. “Some are holding off on selling because they don’t know what their needs are.”

Because of the great out-of-state demand, Randall says he’s worked with producers this summer who are new to selling hay over long distances.

McRea says he’s seen new people involved with Valley Video and Hay Time from Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma, and those range in size from larger hay brokers to smaller individuals.

“Our auction provides an easy outlook for them, and they know where they can find several thousand tons,” he notes. “Our customer list has grown dramatically through this drought, and our auctions are a convenience factor. Most individuals farmers and ranchers usually grow their own hay, and aren’t used to purchasing hay and don’t know where to find it, so they can look at our auctions and ask questions.”

Looking to his second cutting, Richner says he expects the quality to be up from his first cutting, provided the rain doesn’t hit at the wrong times.

“If producers have some extra hay – even last year’s crop would bring a respectable price,” says Randall. “Hay is hay, as long as it’s still in pretty good shape.”

Christy Martinez is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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