Celebrating Sustainability at National Harbor
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In conjunction with Earth Day, the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) celebrated sustainability at a Royal Farms station opening in National Harbor on April 23. With funding provided by USDA and MGPUB, this station recently installed pumps supplying E85 Flex Fuel and Regular 88 that will save consumers money and dramatically reduce pollution. Maryland farmer and USFRA Chairman Chip Bowling spoke on behalf of MGPUB at the event, sharing the importance of ethanol to our industry. His full address can be viewed on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
The opening of this Royal Farms store is the 200th in the region, and the 12th in Maryland or Virginia to introduce renewable fuels with Protec, with more anticipated in the future. “We are proud to lead the way with renewable fuels; offering higher quality and better value is the cornerstone upon which Royal Farms was built,” said Fuel and Environmental Leader Tom Ruszin. “It is gratifying that our whole team, from the fry cook at our smallest store, to our corporate executives are working together to make a meaningful impact in our home state of Maryland and across the region,” he added.
Increasing availability of ethanol in the region has been a collaborative effort, including strong support of private and public entities such as Sustainable Energy Strategies Inc. and Clean Cities chapters of Virginia and Maryland. Notably, the Maryland Energy Administration and MGPUB investment in growing ethanol in the state has been instrumental in a 70 percent increase in E85 and Regular 88 sales in 2018.
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Building Relationships: The Keith Campbell Foundation
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Building relationships with both agricultural and environmental communities is an important step in advancing our industry. Last week, MGPUB staff hosted a tour for the Keith Campbell Foundation to showcase farming and conservation on the Delmarva. The Keith Campbell Foundation works in the Chesapeake Bay region to improve water quality and ecological balance in the Bay and its rivers. MGPUB and the Keith Campbell Foundation have worked together in recent years to find innovative solutions for poultry litter on the Eastern Shore. Thank you to these local farmers for opening your doors to educate us about your operation!
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Reminder: National Wheat Yield Contest Entries Due May 15
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The National Wheat Foundation (NWF) is pleased to announce that it is accepting grower enrollment for the 2019 National Wheat Yield Contest! The Contest is divided into two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, and two subcategories: dryland and irrigated. The Foundation is accepting entries for Winter Wheat. Any wheat grower 14 years old and up and a member of a state wheat grower organization or NAWG will be eligible to participate in the contest. The deadline for Winter Wheat entries is May 15
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Eddie Mercer Agri-Services, Inc. and Syngenta AgriPro will be offering an extra incentive to their customers in Maryland who participate in the contest. The two will pay the state winner $1000 if the entry is Mercer Brand or Syngenta seed. In addition, Eddie Mercer will pay all county winners $200.00 if they win with a Mercer Brand MBX Wheat.
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Don’t let it get ahead of you! Under the right conditions, Palmer amaranth can grow 4-6 inches PER DAY, quickly getting out of hand. The best time to take action against Palmer amaranth in your fields is the moment you see it. Stop the equipment, get out, pull that weed out and remove it from your field completely. Left on the ground, it may set roots and survive.
Treat seedlings as soon as possible after they emerge, ideally before they are 3 inches tall. Be prepared to apply a post-emergent herbicide 21-24 days after planting. Postemergence sprays should contain a residual herbicide.
Your corn and soybean checkoff provides resources to help you manage tough weeds, including resistant weeds.
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The following was provided by Nidhi Rawat, Small Grains Pathologist, University of Maryland:
Wheat in the Eastern Shore of Maryland is beginning to flower or will do so in a couple of days. With yesterday’s rains, and more showers coming our way, the risk of Fusarium Head has increased significantly in this part of the state. Growers with wheat flowering (50% of the main tillers showing yellow anthers) are advised to spray head scab fungicides (Prosaro/ Caramba/Miravis-Ace) at early flowering or within 4-5 days of this stage. These fungicides do not need to be tank mixed with another product for spraying. The fungicide products should be applied at the full rate recommended by the manufacturers. Strobilurin containing fungicides should not be sprayed at this stage. Aerial application at a rate of 5 gallons per acre or ground application at 15 gallons per acre with 300-350 um droplet size is recommended. Spray nozzles should be angled at 30°-45° down from horizontal, toward the grain heads, using forward- and backward mounted
nozzles or nozzles with a two directional spray, such as Twinjet nozzles. Up in the North wheat is booting, and still roughly around 2 weeks away from flowering.
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Urge Congress to Pass the USMCA Trade Agreement
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The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) preserves and builds upon the corn industry’s successful relationship with Mexico and Canada. Passage would instill confidence in other important trading partners that the U.S. is open for business.
Without this trade agreement, farmers could lose this market to foreign competitors and the economic impact would be disastrous at a time when corn prices and farm incomes are already low. If Congress does not approve the USMCA and the United States withdraws from NAFTA, tariffs in all three NAFTA countries would revert to most favored nation (MFN) status. According to a Purdue University study, the U.S. agricultural export loss in this case amounts to about $9.4 billion.
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Stewardship Planning an Important Part of Planting Season
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Spring is a great time to revisit the use of best management practices (BMPs) as farmers plant a new crop, and the National Corn Growers Association is encouraging thoughtful use and handling of neonic seed treatments to protect crops, pollinators and wildlife.
“Spring is a busy time for farmers. We literally set the stage for the success or failure of our new crop and the future profitability of our farm, said Bob Hemesath, Decorah, IA farmer and chairman of NCGA’s Freedom to Operate Action Team. “It’s also a great time to reset and revisit the steps we are taking to improve stewardship and integrate best management practices as we grow the crops the public needs.”
Seed Stewardship Tips:
- Follow directions on treated seed container labeling for handling, storage, planting, and disposal practices.
- Use advanced seed flow lubricants that minimize dust.
- Eliminate flowering plants and weeds in and around the field prior to planting.
- At planting, be aware of honey bees and hives near the field, and communicate with beekeepers when possible.
- Completely remove all treated seed left in containers and equipment used to handle harvested grain, and dispose of it properly. Keep all treated seed out of the commodity grain channels.
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Maryland Grain Checkoff Program Funding $10,000 in College Scholarships
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The Maryland Grain Producers Association will offer four $2,500 to students pursuing an agriculturally related degree or career in 2019. The Applicant or the applicants’ immediate family must be involved in the production of grain in Maryland.
Scholarship funding is provided by the Maryland Grain Checkoff Program, which supports promotion, education and research projects beneficial to the grain industry. More than $180,000 in college scholarships have been awarded since the program was established in 1991.
Interested students should return a completed application. Applications must be received by May 17, 2019.
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