The Office of Lt. Governor Becky Skillman is currently accepting nominations for the annual AgriVision Award. Now in its sixth year, the award is given to a Hoosier who has demonstrated exemplary leadership to maximize the potential of Indiana agriculture. It will be presented by the Lt. Governor at the Indiana State Fair on Farmer’s Day, Wednesday, August 15, 2012.

The AgriVision award is open to any current Indiana resident and all sectors of agriculture – from bioenergy to livestock to trade.  It was specifically created to honor an individual who has reshaped Indiana’s agriculture through innovative or technological advances or through new business methods.

“This award allows us to demonstrate how much we appreciate our leaders in agriculture who demonstrate vision and the perseverance to create new and exciting opportunities,” said Lt. Governor Skillman, Secretary of Agriculture. “This type of leadership deserves to be recognized because only that level of commitment will continue to grow agriculture in Indiana and ensure our state’s position on a global level.”

Click here for an AgriVision application which is due July 1, 2012.

Previous AgriVision Award winners:

2011 - Dr. Vic Lechtenberg, vice provost for engagement and former dean of agriculture of Purdue University

2010 - JoAnn Brouillette, managing partner and president of Demeter LP

2009 – Brian Reichart, president and chief executive officer of Red Gold, John Swisher, founder, chief executive officer and chairman of JBS United

2008 - Charles “Shorty” Whittington, president and chief executive officer of Grammer Industries, Inc.

2007 - Lawrence “Sonny” Beck, president of Beck’s Superior Hybrids

Twenty-seven states are now battling 13 confirmed glyphosate-resistant weeds, and chief among them are resistant marestail, ragweed, and waterhemp. Many growers across the U.S. are noticing that glyphosate or ALS-inhibitor herbicides alone do not effectively control weeds that can cause significant yield loss.

Purdue University weed scientist Bill Johnson says soybean fields must be managed proactively to ensure continued profitability.

“I think what tends to happen 99 percent of the time is management is not put in place until it is already present in the field. I think more time and effort needs to be spent in slowing the development of it by using more robust herbicide programs, more diversity on the modes of action on the front end, rather than having to manage a problem that’s developed from lack of management on the back end.”

Johnson recommends growers utilize a full-coverage, broad-spectrum weed management strategy for identifying and controlling resistant weeds.

“The first thing they have to do is recognize that they have it. They have to look for a patch of weeds that’s spreading. They have to look at their herbicide rates and do they feel like they have to consistently raise their herbicide rates or make multiple trips over the field to manage the weeds. And once they do that they need to go after that weed with at least two modes of action. So starting with a good clean field, a good stout, robust burndown program if they’re doing no-till utilizing residual herbicides to give early season suppression and then the ability to make timely post treatments and get a second active mode of action on that weed is very important.”

Growers who rely on glyphosate alone may find their herbicide programs falling short of expectations. The season-long approach to weed management combined with cultural practices, such as crop rotation and tillage, help growers reduce the weed seed bank and fight resistance.

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Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn will try to amend the Senate Agriculture Committee’s farm bill in order to cap crop insurance premium subsidies. It’s been reported that Coburn’s spokeswoman says the Senator is hopeful the Senate will engage in debate and vote on amendments to the measure that would include the Government Accountability Office’s recommendations and save taxpayers one-billion dollars. According to the GAO – that would be the annual savings from a 40-thousand dollar cap. The GAO has also said USDA’s data mining program could be improved with better coordination between the Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency and insurance companies.

Coburn – along with Senator Dick Durbin – have told the leaders of the Senate Ag Committee that they support further reforms to the federal crop insurance program that would be consistent with the GAO’s findings and recommendations. Coburn and Durbin further stated that further investigation into the efficacy of reducing premium subsidies is warranted. As for those who say crop insurance programs have been cut enough already – Coburn and Durbin say further reductions do not reflect opposition to the program. Instead – they say it’s critical to make good programs better to ensure they’re performing as intended and are fiscally sound taxpayer investments.

David Graves of the American Association of Crop Insurers says the same types of questions about crop insurance have been raised for over 30 years – and during that time – Congress has expanded the role of federal crop insurance. He says all farmers are subject to forces they can’t control – and it’s important that all farmers have an opportunity to participate in a program that helps them with those risk factors that are beyond their control.

Source: NAFB News Service

Farmers continued planting in any areas that were dry enough to support equipment, according to the Indiana Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The feverish planting pace farmers were on has slowed but planting of corn is still approximately 28 days ahead of last year while soybean planting is 26 days ahead. Frost damage to winter wheat is becoming more evident in the northern counties as the crop begins to form heads. Fruit and berry crops in northern and some central areas have also sustained considerable damage due to frost. Farmers made good progress spraying herbicides to their corn acreage during the week.

FIELD CROPS REPORT

There were 4.5 days suitable for field work during the week. Ninety-three percent of the intended corn acreage has been planted compared with 22 percent last year and 53 percent for the 5-year average. By area, 95 percent of the crop has been planted in the north, 91 percent in the central region and 90 percent in the south. Seventy-five percent of corn acreage has emerged compared with 3 percent last year and 25 percent for the 5-year average. National corn planting progress is at 87 percent and 56 percent is emerged.

Sixty-eight percent of the intended soybean acreage has been planted compared with 4 percent last year and 22 percent for the 5-year average. By area, 76 percent of the soybean crop has been planted in the north, 65 percent in the central region and 60 percent in the south. Thirty-seven percent of soybean acreage has emerged compared with 0 percent last year and 5 percent for the 5-year average. The national numbers are 46 percent planted and 16 percent emerged.

Virtually all of the winter wheat acreage is now jointed. Eighty-one percent of the winter wheat acreage has headed compared with 21 percent last year and 26 percent for the 5-year average. Condition of winter wheat, still standing, declined slightly and is now rated 74 percent good to excellent compared with 58 percent last year at this time.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE REPORT

Livestock remained in mostly good condition during the week. Pasture condition is rated 74 percent good to excellent compared with 56 percent last year at this time.