Nebraska: Investigating methods to reduce phosphorus from corn milling by-products fed to livestock will be one part of a new two-pronged collaborative research project involving the Nebraska Corn Board and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

The second major initiative will explore manure management options that best utilize phosphorus and reduce possible phosphorus runoff from fields. The research will be funded with a $490,000 grant from the National Research Initiative of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. “As ethanol production increases, and we increase our usage of distillers grains in livestock feeding operations, phosphorus reduction and management will become even bigger challenges,” said Bart Beattie of Sumner, a livestock producer and chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board’s Research Committee. “This grant allows us to be proactive in addressing the phosphorus issue.” In the ethanol production process, Beattie explained, starch is removed from corn, leaving a co-product called distillers grains. Distillers grains are popular as an ingredient in animal feed, particularly for cattle feeding. Because distillers grains contain a higher concentration of phosphorus, the manure from cattle fed distillers grains also contains higher levels of phosphorus. When the phosphorus-rich manure is applied to farm ground as fertilizer, Beattie said, there is increased potential for phosphorus to enter streams and lakes, due to soil erosion and runoff from precipitation and irrigation.

Minnesota: Though the central and eastern portions of Minnesota's middle tier now lack soil moisture, a majority of the corn and soybean crops across Minnesota continue to rate good-to-excellent condition in the latest report of Minnesota Agricultural Statistics Service (MASS) - and the crops manage this progress at a rapid speed-outpacing the benchmarks for last year and the past five years, as well. "Forty-two percent of the corn was in the dough stage versus 12% last year and 28% for the five-year average," according to the MASS Weekly Crop Weather bulletin for August 12 "Five percent of the corn was at dent stage versus 1% last year and 4% for the 5-year average. Ninety-eight percent of the soybeans were setting pods, compared with 67% last year and 82% for the 5-year." MASS rated 71 percent of the state's corn crop good-to-excellent and only 8 percent poor or very poor.

Nebraska: The chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board says Cuban officials have expressed great interest in buying corn and other agricultural products from Nebraska.

Mark Jagels, a corn producer from Davenport, is part of the 10-member ag delegation accompanying Governor Dave Heineman on a Cuban trade mission. Jagels said Cuba is looking at purchases of corn, wheat, soybeans, meat products and more. “They are presently negotiating a potential contract involving dry edible beans and would like to reach agreement soon,” Jagels said. “Cuba also wants to draft a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Nebraska stating an intent to purchase a significant amount of Nebraska agricultural products over the next 18 months.”