6 Broadcaster Press March 21, 2017 www.broadcasteronline.com National Ag Week March 19 - 25 Thank a Farmer Today! Understand Hardiness Zones Before Planting Gardening benefits the environment in myriad ways. Maintaining natural landscapes and preserving green spaces can reduce the collective carbon footprint of the human race. Trees, flowers and other greenery filter the air and create welcoming habitats for all species of animals and insects. Many home gardeners set out each spring to create landscapes that cater to all of the senses. But choosing plants that are unlikely to thrive in certain climates can lead to dissatisfaction and premature plant demise and may require gardeners to use more fertilizers, pesticides and other not-so-Earth-friendly techniques to help plants thrive. One of the more important steps gardeners can take before spring arrives is to educate themselves about plant hardiness zones. Hardiness zones are defined by the average climatic conditions of the region and are broken down into various zones. The USDA Hardiness Zone map divides North America into 13 separate zones. Each zone is marked by 10 F incremental differences from the last zone. In some versions of the map, each zone is further divided into “a” and “b” regions. The National Gardening Association says the USDA Hardiness Zone Map was revised in 2012. The latest version was jointly developed by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and Oregon State University’s PRISM Climate Group. To help develop the new map, the USDA and Oregon State University requested that horticultural and climatic experts review the zones in their geographic areas. As a result, the zone boundaries in the 2012 edition of the map have shifted in many areas. Canada’s Hardiness Zone map, updated in 2010, uses nine different zones. Zone maps are tools that show where permanent landscape plants can adapt. Home gardeners who are looking for shrubs or perennials to last year after year should recognize that such plants must tolerate year-round conditions, including the lowest and highest temperatures and the amount of precipitation. Snow cover and humidity also can impact a plant’s propensity to thrive. While zone maps are not perfect, they can be useful in planning and ensuring the survival of future gardens. Plant and seed manufacturer Burpee says that other USDA Hardiness Zone map courtesy of the USDA. View factors to consider that also affect the viability of plants an interactive version at the USDA website. include wind, moisture and soil conditions. Visit www.burpee.com/findgrowzone to The company offers an interactive zone enter a zip code. finder on their website that will indicate the Learn more about plant hardiness at plant hardiness zone as well as average first and hardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb. In Canada, last frost dates. visit the site www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=1. Midstates Community and USDA Offers Farmers and Economic Development Ranchers Disaster Assistance Conference Brings Community Leaders Together U.S. Department of Agriculture The 14th annual Midstates Community and Economic Development Conference #RURALROCKS will be held April 6 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Marina Inn Hotel and Conference Center in South Sioux City, Neb. The Midstates Community and Economic Development Conference is one of the largest rural development events in the tri-state area and is a joint project of ten agencies and organizations in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. It is designed for local leaders and offers workshops on successful strategies and innovative ideas for rural development. The keynote speaker this year will be Deb Brown of Save Your Town who will share stories of small town successes and help attendees determine ways they can build possibility in their towns, improve the idea climate in their rural communities, and learn practical steps to take to draw a crowd of supporters, create more connections, and get started with small steps. Three breakout sessions will feature twelve presenters representing success stories in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Topics for these workshops include marketing, housing, vacant lots, workforce education, “old to new” and local food entrepreneurs. Communities are encouraged to bring two or more representatives to the conference so people can attend breakout sessions that will run concurrently. Regis- FSA offers disaster assistance and lowinterest loan programs to assist agricultural producers in their recovery efforts following floods or similar qualifying natural disasters. trations are due by March 31, and online Available programs and loans include: registration is available at www.extension. • Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance iastate.edu/woodbury. Program (NAP) - provides financial asThe planning committee for the Midsistance to producers of non-insurable states Conference is made up of the City of crops when low yields, loss of inventory, South Sioux City, East River Electric Power or prevented planting occur due to natural Coop, Iowa State University Extension disasters (includes native grass for grazing). and Outreach, Monona County Economic • Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) Development, South Dakota State University offers payments to eligible producers for Extension, SIMPCO Council of Governments, livestock death losses in excess of normal Siouxland Community Foundation, Siouxmortality due to adverse weather. Eligible land Economic Development Corporation, losses may include those determined by FSA USDA Rural Development and Woodbury to have been caused by floods, blizzards, County Rural Economic Development. wildfires, tropical storms, tornados lightenFinancial sponsors of the conference ing, extreme heat, and extreme cold. Producinclude City of South Sioux City, Dakota ers will be required to provide verifiable Resources, East River Electric Power Coop- documentation of death losses resulting from erative, Inc., Great Southern Bank, Heian eligible adverse weather event and must dman Law Firm, Iowa West Coast Initiative, submit a notice of loss to their local FSA ofNebraska Public Power District, Northwest fice within 15 calendar days of when the loss Iowa Development, Northwest Iowa Power of livestock is apparent. Cooperative, Plymouth County Economic De• Emergency Assistance for Livestock, velopment, Security National Bank, SIMPCO Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program Council of Governments, Sioux City Journal, (ELAP) - provides emergency relief for lossSiouxland Community Foundation, Siouxland es due to feed or water shortages, disease, Economic Development Corporation, Sioux- adverse weather, or other conditions, which land Initiative, South Dakota Community are not adequately addressed by other Foundation and Wells Enterprises. disaster programs. ELAP covers physically For registration details and additional damaged or destroyed livestock feed that information, please contact ISU Extension and was purchased or mechanically harvested Outreach- Woodbury County at (712) 276-2157 forage or feedstuffs intended for use as feed or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/woodbury. for the producer's eligible livestock. In order to be considered eligible, harvested forage must be baled; forage that is only cut, raked or windrowed is not eligible. Producers must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss is apparent. ELAP also covers up to 150 lost grazing days in instances when a producer has been forced to remove livestock from a grazing pasture due to floodwaters. For beekeepers, ELAP covers beehive losses (the physical structure) in instances where the hive has been destroyed by a natural disaster including flooding, high winds and tornadoes. • Emergency Loan Program – Available to producers with agriculture operations located in a county under a primary or contiguous Secretarial Disaster designation. These low interest loans help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding. To establish or retain FSA program eligibility, farmers and ranchers must report prevented planting and failed acres (crops and grasses). Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form FSA-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and Risk Management Agency (RMA). For more information on disaster assistance programs and loans visit www.fsa. usda.gov/ or contact your local FSA Office. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. Study to Look at Impacts of Diversified Crop Rotation BROOKINGS, S.D. — Throughout the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons, a team of researchers from South Dakota State University will be assessing the impacts of diversified crop rotation cropping systems compared to traditional corn-soybean rotation. The study will also review the impact cover crops have on soil health and crop yields. The study, Crop Diversification on Soil Health and Farm Profitability in South Dakota, is funded by Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant in 2016. "Past studies have shown that diversified crop rotations build soil health and result in insect, weed and disease control as well as many other environmental and economic benefits," said Tong Wang, SDSU Extension Advanced Production Specialist. "However, in recent years, only two crops - corn and soybeans - make it into the rotation of most South Dakota farmland." Wang is one of two main investigators on the project. She is joined by Sandeep Kumar, Assistant Professor in the SDSU Plant Science Department. The two-year study will look at two South Dakota farm sites. The sites will include a two-crop, three-crop and four-crop rotation system. Each rotation system will be ranked in terms of total input cost and economic profit with and without subsidy. "This study will demonstrate the impacts of diversified agroecosystems - cornsoybean-wheat, corn-soybean-wheat-oats, corn-soybean-oats and cover crops and notill systems - on soil health and economic benefits in South Dakota," Kumar said. A good time to consider diversified crop rotation Wang added that the study aims to increase awareness among producers about crop diversification such as cornsoybean-wheat, corn-soybean-wheat-oats, corn-soybean-oats and cover crops and no-till systems impact on soil health and economic benefits. "Diversity of crop rotations is important to soil health and farm profitability - today and into the future," Wang said. The corn and soybean-only rotation seen on several South Dakota farms is thought to have been driven by market highs. Around 2012, the price-per-bushel for these two crops peaked with corn at $7.39 per bushel and soybeans receiving $16 per bushel. Just five years later, the markets look much different. According to the Feb. 9, 2017, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates the projected season-average corn price for 2017 is $3.20 to $3.60 per bushel, while the soybean price is between $9.10 per bushel and $9.90 per bushel. Today's market lows give farmers an opportunity to consider re-introducing crop diversity into their farm fields. "The low corn and soybean market prices together with increasing production costs in recent years have squeezed much of the profit out of the traditional corn-soybean rotation," Wang said. "Producers may consider adding crops like wheat and oats to the rotation.” THE STRIP TILL ADVANTAGE Elk Point, SD SERVICES AVAILABLE • Custom Strip Till • GPS Soil Sampling • Soil Fertility Planning • Crop Scouting • Variable Rate Fertility Call to discuss Spring Strip Till options JOEY HANSON Crop Consultant/CCA 605.659.4783 • joey.hanson@diversifiedagronomy.com • Highly efficient use of fertilizer by directly placing below the crops roots and minimizes tie-up unlike broadcast applications • Dual placed nutrients that promotes early, healthy root development and creates an optimum, fertile environment for seed • Increases yield while lowers inputs such as labor, fuel, and reduced wear and tear on your equipment • Offers best of both worlds: Conservation aspects of no till, plus, increased yields and soil quality of conventional tillage FOR ALL YOUR Fertilizer • Crop Protection and Custom Application needs Stop in today and visit with your local rep! Office: 605-761-1001 • 47261 SD Hwy 48 Elk Point, SD 57025 • valleyagsupply.com CUSTOM STRIP TILL • CALL 605.659.4783