manure and get the crops in the ground the plots during the manure side-dress Dragline technology with swine
amanda
between rainy days, especially during application to see if it will provide a viable manure has been used with Putnam
springs like we had this year. Some of us forage crop after silage harvest. County wheat plots in 2008 and 2009. This
mEddLES within Ohio State University Extension
topdressing wheat
has the advantage of the efficiency of the
E
have been looking at methods of applica- dragline (applying 1,500 gallons per
nvironmEntaL
tion that can broaden that application win-
Additional manure research projects
minute) with less compaction than a
StEwardShip
dow and reduce compaction issues.
underway in Ohio for the past five years
manure tanker. Once hoses are properly set
with oLC have compared UREA and incorporat-
dragline side-dress
in place, a dragline can apply 4,000 to 5,000
ed/surface applied swine manure as
gallons per acre of manure to an 80-acre
By AMANDA MeDDLes AND GLeN ARNoLD
One project we are working on in spring nitrogen sources on wheat. Corn
wheat field in just a few hours. To date,
Wood County will compare side-dress plots comparing incorporated swine
research in alternatives to
wheat yields from draglined fields have
applications between conventional 28% manure to 28% UAN also have been
conventional manure
been similar to yields from fields top-
UAN and dairy manure. The manure completed in Putnam County. Results for
application methods
dressed with UREA.
side-dressing unit has a “spool” that lays the 2008 test plots on corn, wheat and
Corn plots comparing swine manure to
Soil compaction and application win- the dragline down as the tractor moves soybeans can be found at
28% UAN also have been undertaken in
dows are two of the biggest concerns for one direction down the field, and then agcrops.osu.edu/research/
the past five years. Results have been simi-
farmers who apply manure to their fields. picks the dragline up on the next pass On-FarmResearchReports.php.
lar to the wheat plots in that nitrogen from
It seems the only alternative to using tanks and so on. It reduces odors by injecting The late spring application of manure to
manure produces similar yields to pur-
and spreaders is a dragline with a track manure into the ground where it is less wheat opens another window of opportu-
chased fertilizer when applied post emer-
tractor for reducing compaction. This exposed to air and wind movement. It nity for livestock producers to apply
gence as a side-dress. In these plots the
method reduces compaction by eliminat- also allows producers to apply manure manure. Applying livestock manure to
manure was applied via tanker and incor-
ing the weight of the spreader but has not into the summer as one would with con- growing crops better uses the ammonia
porated using an Aeroway toolbar. Yields
offered alternative application periods. ventional side-dressing applications. nitrogen in livestock manure. For swine
as high as 208 bushels per acre were
Irrigation on a growing crop is an option The research project will look at the finishing barns, this could be more than 40
achieved in 2008.
for some, but the risk of burning the crop is viable corn plant population for silage as pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 gallons of
These research projects have expanded
present along with potential odor concerns. well as grain corn yield. Being able to side- manure applied.
the window for manure application giving
Due to growing crop restrictions, most dress manure with a dragline may be the In nearly a dozen research plots, over
producers more versatility in their spring
farmers are forced to apply manure during answer to reducing compaction, and any- the past five years, wheat plots top-
and fall schedules without losing crop
early spring when the ground is wet or, if time manure is injected odors are reduced. dressed with swine manure have pro-
yield. The methods used in these projects
storage capacity is large enough, wait until This project should answer the question of duced similar or better yields than wheat
also help reduce odors by incorporation
the wheat, corn silage or corn/soybean whether the method provides more benefit topdressed with UREA. Funding for
and injection. Applying nutrients on grow-
grain crops are harvested. This alone can to crop yields and silage mass than con- these research plots in 2008 was provided
ing crops allows for quicker uptake and
cause compaction issues if spreading on ventional 28% UAN. We are also slurry by the Ohio Pork Producers Council and
less chance that those nutrients will be lost
wet ground. It can be a rush to apply seeding fescue and rye grass into some of Ag Credit.
to the environment.
Bumgarner to lead oFBF center for Food and Animal issues
Michael A. Bumgarner has been Life Foundation, which will focus on several other management positions with University of
named vice president of Ohio Farm fund raising efforts to support the the company since 1990. Prior to UPI, Connecticut
Bureau Federation’s (OFBF) new Center Center’s mission. Bumgarner was a manager and broker and a bache-
for Food and Animal Issues. His appoint- “This Center is crucial to the future of with Refco, Inc. and Heinold commodi- lor’s degree
ment is effective July 1. farmers and others who rely on animals, ties Inc. He has served in leadership roles in agriculture
The Center was created in May 2009 and Mike is just the person to spearhead with the National Institute of Animal from Ohio
to engage farmers, consumers and oth- our new initiatives,” said OFBF Agriculture, National Council of Farmer State
ers who have connections to animals in Executive Vice President Jack Fisher. Cooperatives, Livestock Marketing University.
a public dialog over the proper role of “Mike will bring strategic thinking and Association, Ohio Livestock Coalition, Bumgarner
animals in society, and to advance their practical ideas that will make this Center Ohio Farm Animal Care Commission and his wife,
shared values. As vice president of the valuable to everyone it serves.” and the Five State Beef Initiative. Leslie, live on
Center for Food and Animal Issues, Bumgarner joins Ohio Farm Bureau He was a board member for a family
Bumgarner will be responsible for its after a long career with United Mechanicsburg Exempted Schools and farm and are
policy, communications and outreach Producers, Inc. (UPI). He has been UPI’s has been an adviser and volunteer with the parents
Michael A. Bumgarner
efforts. He also will oversee a sub- vice president of marketing and member Ohio’s 4-H program. He received a of two
sidiary of the Center, the Animals for services since February 2005 and held master’s degree in agriculture from the grown children.
study finds rbst-free milk may be more bark than bite
A recent research report concludes tionable,” said Tom Nagle Jr., principal able in terms of business results and technology — an innovation that had
that the dairy industry’s shift to recombi- author of the report. “Since the milk busi- consumer response. delivered higher efficiency and lower
nant bovine somatotropin (rbST)-free ness is a commodity business, clear points There is strong evidence that an rbST- costs to the entire value chain, from
milk was an overly quick response to a of product differentiation are difficult to free, value-added tier — rather than a full farmers to consumers — “off the table”
problem that seemed bigger than it was come by, but once identified, rather quickly changeover — would have had excellent without any scientific evidence of nega-
in reality. adopted by others. rbST-free differentiation potential to satisfy the limited consumer tive health consequences. This seemed, to
Study findings suggest that although is particularly challenging as all milk — demand for such a product, while keep- most respondents, to be an unfortunate
only 8% to 12% of consumers were con- organic, conventional and rbST-free — con- ing the majority of the milk supply avail- precedent that could have greater
cerned enough about rbST to change tains bST, a naturally occurring protein able at a lower cost and addressing con- consequences for many different foods
purchasing or consumption behaviors, hormone that enables adult cows to pro- sumer preference for the ability to choose. over time.
milk-processing companies instead opted duce more milk. The executives we inter- “Interviews with executives in markets “Our report is not an attempt to repeat
to forgo giving consumers a choice, and viewed said that, unfortunately, their com- that currently have, or previously had, a the substantial argumentation for or
adopted rbST-free policies without ade- panies have not realized any long-term third tier of rbST-free products, along with against the use of rbST or other produc-
quate analytical assessment for fear of sales or competitive advantage by making conventional-milk products, saw positive tivity innovations, but it can serve as a
losing retail accounts to competitors who the switch.” outcomes,” Nagle said. “This option now lesson for industry decision makers,” said
had already made such a move. In addi- The study, which was conducted by has been largely abandoned due to the Nagle. “Gathering substantially more
tion, according to the report, most indus- Statler Nagle LLC of Washington, D.C., series of decisions to eliminate the ability input before making such a massive
try executives who were interviewed included interviews with 10 senior exec- to use rbST. This seems to represent a sig- change is the best way to prevent changes
said that given the same situation, they utives at milk-processing companies, as nificant lost business opportunity.” that will affect, but not necessarily benefit,
would not make the same decision again. well as a review and analysis of more Finally, many survey respondents the industry and its customers. The alter-
“The circumstances that led executives than 15 consumer studies. Based on both expressed personal and professional native is to accept higher costs while set-
to make the shift to sourcing milk from primary and secondary research, Statler regret that a precedent had been estab- ting precedent for giving up sound, safe
non-rbST-supplemented cows are under- Nagle determined the outcome of the lished to take a U.S. Food and Drug technologies without sound science to
standable — however, the outcome is ques- shift to “rbST-free milk” to be question- Administration (FDA)-approved, safe prove the need.”
30 Livestock • Ohio’s Country Journal • July 2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44