Aldicarb Available For Use In Georgia In 2016
Farmers will soon be able to purchase AgLogic 15G Aldicarb Pesticide, which is essentially the same as Temik in formulation and performance. Ag Logic Chemical LLC, the registrant of AgLogic 15G Aldicarb Pesticide, is currently manufacturing the product with limited supplies. AgLogic 15G will only be available for use in the state of Georgia during the 2016 season and sold exclusively through CNI and its network of authorized dealers.
“We have worked very hard to return aldicarb to the market, and that effort has been backed with strong industry support,” says Dr. Antoine A. Puech, president and CEO of Ag Logic Chemical in Chapel Hill, N.C.
AgLogic 15G is registered for control of nematodes, thrips, aphids, mites, whiteflies, plant bugs, and other chewing and sucking pests. The product is currently registered on cotton, peanuts, soybeans, drybeans, sugarbeets and sweet potatoes. The unique selectivity and activity of aldicarb has been an important and well-documented asset in integrated pest management programs for more than 40 years. As Temik 15G gradually disappeared from the market over the past five years, researchers and other industry leaders have voiced their concerns about how deeply the loss has impacted growers.
“When aldicarb was available to cotton and peanut farmers as Temik 15G, it often formed the backbone of their nematode management program,” says Dr. Bob Kemerait, professor and Extension specialist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia. “We have a number of options available for nematode management; however, the importance, versatility and efficacy of aldicarb have not been forgotten.”
Enhanced product stewardship will accompany the introduction of AgLogic 15G. In addition to a restricted use applicator license, anyone who intends to purchase, use or sell AgLogic 15G must complete the Stewardship Certification Course online that is administered by Ag Logic Chemical LLC.
“We are committed to educating qualified users, preventing misuse and protecting this valuable asset for the future,” Puech says.
Masters Scholarship Awarded at LACA Meeting
From left, Randall Landry, Anna Meszaros and Denise Wright of Pest Management Enterprises LLC, and LACA Scholarship Committee Chairman Paul Templet (at the podium), were in attendance at the Louisiana Agricultural
Consultants Association meeting when the Masters Scholarship was presented to Alejandra Jimenez Madrid, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in plant pathology and crop physiology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Madrid is working in horticulture pathology on the identification of sources of bacterial wilt resistance to Ralstonia in Louisiana soils.
New Up-Top Plate For Spinner
Nelson Irrigation has added a new plate to the Spinner that gives irrigators another up-top option for center-pivot irrigation. Nelson’s Pivot Spinner is a low-pressure alternative to fixed spray heads, providing higher uniformity, better overlap and lower application rates.
The Lime Plate was engineered for up-top usage and gives the Spinner increased throw with minimal crop interference. The pressure range for the Lime Plate is 6-15 pounds per square inch (0.4-1.0 bar). At 6 psi, the minimum nozzle size is a #24 nozzle. At 10 and 15 psi, the minimum nozzle size is a #14. Nelson recommends using a 10-psi pressure regulator.
EPA Moves Forward To Cancel Belt Registrations
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a notice of intent to cancel registrations for all Bayer CropScience and Nichino America products that contain the active ingredient, flubendiamide. The EPA says it is doing so because of adverse risks to aquatic invertebrates. Bayer markets the AI as Belt 480SC Insecticide, whereas Nichino uses it as part of the Vertica premix for vegetables. Among the more than 200 crops on which Belt is registered are cotton, soybeans, sorghum, peanuts and corn. It controls a broad array of worm pests.
The EPA’s latest move comes after it had asked Bayer to stop selling the product by Feb. 5. In a press release, Bayer said it refused the request and instead sought a review of the product’s registration in an administrative law hearing. Bayer said it believed the methods EPA used exaggerated environmental risk. In a written notice, the EPA said it had issued a time-limited registration with the understanding that if tests showed unreasonable environmental effects, the registrants would voluntary cancel all uses within one week of notification. Crops treated with flubendiamide according to label are still legal to be sold, and existing stocks of the product still may be sold legally, according to the EPA notice.
Texas Economist Weighs In On Cotton Prices
Cotton prices are projected to remain range-bound in the near term due to large stocks held by China, coupled with depressed prices among all agricultural commodities.
“We’ve been stuck in the 60-cent to 67-cent (per pound) range for a while now,” says Dr. John Robinson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service cotton marketing economist at College Station. “In fact, futures have dipped to 58 cents. There are a lot of similar things that were going on in 2015 that are repeating in 2016.”
Robinson says in 2015, wet conditions prevailed for the start of the year, much like what has occurred in 2016. “And demand was weak in 2015, which continues to be the case for 2016.”
The Cotton Council projects some 9.1 million acres of cotton to be planted this season, “and it could be higher than that,” Robinson says. “If we have 9.1 million acres and start wet, then conditions remain dry, that makes one wonder: will we have a short crop or not?”
There’s potential for the highest prices for 2016 to occur during summer, depending on how dry and hot conditions are in Texas and the Southwest, he says. That could trigger a price rally temporarily, propping up prices into the 60-70 cent range. “Otherwise, up until harvest we will see prices where they are now.”
Other market conditions include the demand for sportswear items that include more polyester than cotton. “Polyester is considerably cheaper than cotton; it’s made from an oil extract,” Robinson says. “The sportswear demand has been due to the fact that there is a less-cotton blend. The clothing has gotten lighter and women ages 25-40 favor these athletic sportswear items (with less cotton).”
China continues to hold more than 60 million bales of cotton and could be unloading some of that surplus, further depressing current market prices, Robinson says. Overall for 2016, cotton farmers will have to maximize yields and make as many bales to the acre as possible to compensate for depressed prices.
Cost of production is in the 70-cent range, yet it is still rational to plant and produce cotton, providing growers keep a sharp eye on fixed expenses, Robinson says. “Crop insurance kicks in when the price declines below the cost of production, plus a 25 plus percent deductible. Overall, the market is not very cheery right now. A farmer will have to have a perfect year where they produce lots and lots of pounds to compensate for prices in the 60s.”
– Blair Fannin, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas Oil & Gas Leasing Handbook Available
Editor’s note: Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, posted the following on her Texas Agriculture Law Blog.
Shannon Ferrell and I held an oil and gas leasing workshop in College Station. The program was well attended, participants asked excellent questions, and the final evaluations and comments were very positive from those who attended. The funding for this project was provided by the Southern Risk Management Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. We would also like to say a special thank you to Dr. Mark Waller, Tracy Davis and Dusty Tittle for their assistance in planning this workshop and to Dylan Felger for the layout and design of the handbook.
As part of this project, we wrote a handbook titled Petroleum Production on Agricultural Lands in Texas: Managing Risks and Opportunities to assist Texas landowners in dealing with many issues related to petroleum production. The first chapter discusses the oil and gas production process and highlights some of the impacts that might have on agricultural land.
The second chapter focuses on surface owners, outlining their rights under the law and offering critical tips for protecting the surface of their land. The third chapter provides an overview of what rights come along with mineral ownership, including a discussion of the rights of mineral co-tenants. The fourth chapter deals with the oil and gas lease, breaking down a sample lease and offering a checklist of terms that mineral owners should consider. The handbook concludes with chapter 5 on pipeline easement negotiation.
To view the handbook, go to http://agrilife.org/texasaglaw/ and click on the Feb. 29, 2016 blog post or call 806-677-5668 to obtain a hard copy.
Fund Set Up For Winter Storm Goliath Victims
This was a difficult winter for New Mexico’s farm, ranch and dairy families as a powerful storm caused death and devastation across the eastern portion of the state. Winter Storm Goliath brought 80 mile per hour winds and 18 inches of snow the day after Christmas, affecting cattle, sheep and dairy herds. “Agricultural families stick together and help one another out in difficult times,” says Mike White, president of the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau. “Families are experiencing significant financial hardship as a result of the storm so we created a Cares fund.”
NMF&LB Cares offers monetary aid for agricultural families affected by the storm. “Not only do farmers, ranchers and dairymen need to replace the animals that were lost to the storm, they also need to rebuild barns and fences demolished by high winds,” says Chad Smith, NMF&LB CEO. “That makes it harder to pay for medical expenses or utility bills. We want these folks to know we’re there for them and have resources to help.”
Individuals and county farm bureaus are contributing to the fund in an effort to support their neighbors. Donations are tax-deductible, and 100 percent of proceeds go directly to help families impacted by Goliath. To support the Cares fund, make checks payable to NMF&LB. Mail to 2220 N. Telshor, Las Cruces, NM 88011, attn.: Cares Relief Fund.
Agricultural families in need can call 575-532-4703 for application form instructions. Applications will be accepted until May 1; monies will be distributed beginning June 1.