More in Environment

A coalition of livestock, poultry and dairy organizations today expressed extreme disappointment with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s denial in the wake of the worst drought in more than half a century of requests that it waive a federal law that requires corn to be turned into ethanol for gasoline....More

Allegations from environmental groups in Iowa pressuring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take over powers of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to enforce the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), are simply without merit, says Des Moines legal counsel Eldon McAfee....More

The University of Minnesota (UM) is offering a new version of the “Nutrient Management Planner for Minnesota” software, version 4.0 for MS Windows 7 and Access 2010. The CD is available at the Extension Store, http://wrc.umn.edu/randpe/agandwq/nmpsoftware/index.htm....More

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship have developed the Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator to help farmers find the maximum return on nitrogen fertilizer applications....More

An Ohio State University researcher has launched a $2 million project to evaluate and, as necessary, revise the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service Ohio Phosphorus (P) Risk Index to better predict the risk of phosphorus moving off of farm fields....More

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President Geoff Cooper said recently that if a partial waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) is granted, as requested by some governors and a number of agricultural organizations, and it did reduce the amount of corn used for ethanol and biodiesel production, there would be consequences. Cooper says it would mean the price of distiller’s grain and soybean meal would increase and net feed costs might actually increase for some livestock and poultry feeders....More

Frank Mitloehner, a professor and air quality specialist at the University of California, Davis, has been selected to chair a United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization committee to measure and assess the environmental impacts of the livestock industry....More

Farmers are encouraged to wait until soil temperatures remain below 50º F. before applying anhydrous ammonia (NH3) fertilizer this fall. With the record early harvest this year, officials with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach said that waiting can help reduce nitrogen loss and better protect the environment....More

Great care must be taken whenever swine manure is handled, transported and applied, not only for the safety of the pigs and people, but also to minimize odor and gas emissions....More

Because of the drought this growing season, soil sampling after harvest becomes very important when making nutrient management decisions says Ron Gelderman, South Dakota State University (SDSU) soils Extension specialist....More

USDA has announced that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will not process any new Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts after Sept. 30....More