(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University researchers have developed a way to take 3-D pictures with a robot to study the leaf angles of corn plants. Professor Lie Tang says the leaf angles play an important role in how the plant captures sunlight, but it’s hard for a photographer to get pictures with thousands of plants growing together. “Some of them they can grow more than ten foot tall. And you want to capture the angles from bottom to the top in a very tight space,” Tang says. Tang is a professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and says they developed a system with multiple tiers of cameras that are customized to work together.

“We could have binocular vision or stereo vision, just like our human beings who have two eyes. So we can perceive the world in three dimensional space. It’s the same kind of principle, we even have two cameras through something we call the matching between two cameras,” he says. Tang says the cameras on the robot they call “Phenobot Three,” gives them color plus depth to help determine the leaf angles.  There’s a quite a breakthrough piece, to be able to exactly detect the different angles in a very complex imaging situation,” Tang says.

Lie Tang (ISU photo)

Tang says they use A-I or artificial intelligence and deep learning to sort through the data to measure the angles accurately. “So we are training our computer algorithms to understand the different angles to be able to recognize different angles through training. So that has proven to be very successful,” according to Tang. There are various corn hybrids with an upright leaf angle, to assist in the photosynthetic process and improve crop yields, but the I-S-U researchers say the genetics that control this trait are relatively unknown.

It’s hoped the advanced photo system will help them learn more. The research is supported by a two-point-five million-dollar National Science Foundation grant.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation has announced plans to spend millions of dollars to renovate the livestock barns on the fairgrounds. Foundation executive director, Peter Cownie, says the cattle, horse, sheep, and swine barns will each get an update. “The structures themselves are historic, you know, nearly a century old in some cases. Those will stay the same, but we need to renovate and restore the barns,” he says. “They are all unique, they all have different issues that have occurred over time,” Cownie says the barns have a constant flow of visitors and exhibitors through them during the fair’s run.

“You know, that’s where the 4-H and F-F-A youth show their livestock. They compete in the livestock competitions. The Iowa State Fair is the climax of their summer, and of all the competitions from the county fairs, and that is really the backbone of the Iowa State Fair youth in agriculture and what they do on these barns,” Cownie says. “And so to be able to renovate and restore them is really quite exciting for us.” The renovations are expected to cost around 25 million dollars.

The Blue Ribbon Foundation fundraising effort has already received 12 million dollars from the state’s “Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund,” along with five million dollars from the Richard O. Jacobson Foundation, and Jeff & Deb Hansen of Iowa Select Farms have committed two million dollars for the Swine barn portion of the renovation. Cownie says they will have more details on the renovation schedule when they meet in October. “It’ll take us a few years to do it — but we’re gonna get started in time for next year’s fair to have some improvements done,” according to Cownie. ” We’re going to make the specific decisions this fall on which ones go first and what order it will be. But we will have progress made by next year’s fair, no doubt.”

Cownie says the work on the Iowa State Fairgrounds is like anyone has with their house — there’s always something that needs to be worked on to keep it up. “What we strive to do is we want to maintain our heritage, we want to maintain our traditions. We love the fact that these buildings are historic, in our state,” he says. “We want those to remain historic, and we want them to remain upgraded so that people have the same memories that, so that the kids have the same memories as their parents and grandparents did.”

For more information on the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation visit www.BlueRibbonFoundation.org.

(Radio Iowa) – A new survey finds as many as three out of four Iowa households that rely on private well water may be at risk for unhealthy nitrate levels. The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach survey found just 10 percent of well owners tested their water quality in the last year, as it is not required by state law. Jamie Benning is the assistant director for Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension at I-S-U. “What that tells us with the amount of, or the frequency of their monitoring, or testing, along with some other behaviors is that 73% of well owners in Iowa are at risk for nitrate exposure,” Benning says, “because they haven’t tested in the last two years.”

Benning says about 33 percent of well owners are considered to be at the highest risk because they also haven’t installed filters to remove nitrates and don’t seek alternative sources of drinking water. Even though it’s not required by the state, Benning says people should regularly test their well water to make sure it’s safe to drink.  She says, “Put it on your calendar, maybe around your birthday, maybe ahead of the holidays, a time that you’ll remember and treat it like any other health action that you take.”

It’s estimated about 7.6-percent of Iowa households use well water.

(reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Shelby, Iowa) – Iowa farm history will be showcased September 10th & 11th at Carstens Farm, located between Minden and Shelby, during the 40th Annual Carstens Farm Days. The event, now in its 40th year, showcases threshing, sawmill operations, crafters and vendors, a quilt show and of course, tractors. The Farm Days show has something for everyone throughout the weekend. Organizers invite you to come and see steam engines powering antique threshing machines, antique cars, trucks and machinery, a parade, crafts, and entertainment.  Over two hundred restored antique tractors will be on display.  The original Carstens farm buildings will be open for tours. The buildings will be alive with demonstrations that will bring back memories for older visitors and teach valuable history lessons to young people.

Good food is always a part of the Carstens Farm Days, and this year is no exception. A Friday evening pulled pork sandwich dinner will be hosted by the Friends of the Shelby Stone Arch Trail Committee. Proceeds of the Friday evening dinner will go to the trail committee.  The dinner will be served from 5:00 – 7:30 pm. All good days begin with a good breakfast and to start Farm Days off right, a great breakfast is planned at 6:30 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Snacks and lunch options provided by the Hodges Smokehouse Catering of Minden will be available. Various non-profit local groups will be offering refreshments and delicious desserts all weekend.

Homemade ice cream will be in plentiful supply during Farm Days. Serving Benny’s Ice Cream will be Carstens board member Ben Ausdemore and his wife Katie. This is a treat visitors won’t want to miss! On Saturday beginning at 5:30 p.m. enjoy Staley’s Chicken for a delicious dinner at the farm. The dinner will be $15 for adults and $10 for kids age 8 and under. Dinner proceeds will go toward on-going maintenance at Carstens 1880 Farmstead.

Case and Case IH Tractors and Equipment To Be Featured: Case and Case IH equipment of all types will be featured during Farm Days. Case and Case IH produce a full line of tractors, engines and farm implements from the late 1800s to present, continuing to build and distribute powerful and innovative machines globally. Case and Case IH tractor and implement owners are invited to bring their exhibits to display throughout the weekend.  Horsepower-testing, sawmill operations and field demonstrations will occupy tractor exhibitors all day. Over 250 pieces of vintage equipment were on display during the 2021 Farm Days show.  Visitors will enjoy watching most of the restored tractors as they go through the parade each afternoon at 2 p.m.

Quilt Show: A colorful display of quilts, wall hangings, wearable art and other types of quilting projects will be featured in the special event building at the farm. Many talented quilters from around the area will allow their works of art to be displayed for all to enjoy. Even if you have never displayed a quilt before, consider joining the fun and bringing a quilt to display.  Exhibitors are asked to deliver their quilts on Friday, September 10. For details about the quilt show or to inquire about adding your quilt to the collection, please call Jan Hursey at 712-544-2662.

Crafts, plants and treats galore: In case visitors run out of vintage tractors and other pieces of equipment to look at, there will be over fifty crafters and vendors on hand. A wide array of crafts, plants, vintage and antique items will be available.  From unique wooden creations to home raised honey, there will be something for everyone. A very healthy crop of farm-grown potatoes will also be available for purchase. Proceeds from the sale of potatoes will help make improvements to the farmstead.

Sunday Worship: On Sunday morning a non-denominational worship service will take place at 9:00 a.m. on the lawn in front of the Carstens home. Worship will be led by the Shelby United Methodist Church, Shelby. Everyone is welcome to join in the worship service.

Admission: Admission is $5 per day for everyone nine years and older.

Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc., a non-profit group of local volunteers, oversees an 80-acre working farm museum exhibit located between Minden and Shelby, Iowa in Pottawattamie County.  The farmstead is the home of Carstens Farm Days, which is held the first weekend after Labor Day each September.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  For more information visit the web site: www.carstensfarm.com

(Radio Iowa) – U-S Trade Representative Katherine Tai joined Congresswoman Cindy Axne, and U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday at farm near Woodward to talk about global trade opportunities and the Inflation Reduction Act. Tai says the Inflation Reduction Act pushed through by Democrats will be important to the agricultural industry in terms of our trade tools and the design of the way that goods flow in the global economy.  “And we see that there are short term stresses that we’re under that we are responding to. But we also know that there is a medium to long term realignment and transition that we need to go through in order to focus on and build out our resilience as an entire economy,” Tai says.

Ag Dept. via Twitter

They also discussed the high cost of farm inputs, specifically fertilizer. Secretary Vilsack says one issue is making sure that farm income is high enough to be able to help farmers withstand these difficult times. He says prices today are better than they were a year ago.  “And one of the reasons is because we are on par for a record year in exports. So as we continue to look for ways in which we can continue to market now, what are we doing, or we’re maintaining and expanding our presence in these markets, we have more trade missions, we have more assistance efforts underway to try to build existing markets. We’re opening up new opportunities,” Vilsack says. Tai says it’s also reasonable to take a look at the health and functioning of the market here domestically.

“In light of changes that have happened in the international context, and how healthy the competition is here. And what our options are also for creating more supply, creating more resilience, and thinking about how our trade tools can complement that,” she says. Secretary Vilsack was asked about the impact on the Farm Bill. He says it does not impact the decision making for the Farm Bill — it simply allows money through the process to be used on existing programs. “So it’s not like we have to write a whole bunch of rules, we don’t have to write a single rule,” Vilsack says. “We have a backlog of conservation projects that we haven’t been able to fund, not because we don’t have the staff, but because we don’t have the resources, the money.” Vilsack was asked if he sees carbon capture pipelines as essential to “climate smart agriculture.”

“The legislation that’s been passed and by the administration has been supportive of tax credits and basically encouraged this as a mechanism,” Vilsack says. “You know, the reality is, we need a variety of options here, a variety of options. Carbon capture and sequestration is one option, it is by no means the only option, and it is by no means the sole solution.” Vilsack is a Democrat and the former governor of Iowa who is serving his second stint as U-S Ag Secretary after serving in the Obama administration.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is reminding persons interested in hunting during the upcoming seasons, that hunter safety classes are being offered in Cass County next month (September). There are limited number of classes. Anyone born after January 1, 1972 needs to be certified in order to purchase a license. 11 years and older may attend hunter safety. Youth under the age of 16 can get a license without hunter education but must be hunting with a licensed adult.

If you have any questions regarding hunter safety, please go to the Iowa department of natural resources’ (DNR) website.

(Radio Iowa) – Deere & Company, Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer, is releasing its third quarter earnings report today (Friday) in an online conference call. Deere officials say the company is continuing to grow and thrive in the face of economic setbacks in the global marketplace. Rachel Bach is Deere’s manager of investor communications. Bach says, “John Deere achieved higher production rates in the third quarter resulting in a 25% increase in net sales, despite ongoing supply challenges.” The Quad Cities-based Deere reports net income of $1.88 billion for the third quarter, compared with net income of $1.66 billion in the third quarter last year.  “Financial results for the quarter included an 18% margin for the equipment operations,” Bach says. “Ag fundamentals remain solid with our order books beginning to fill for model year ’23 products reflecting continued healthy demand as we look ahead.”

For the first nine months of the company’s fiscal year, net income reached $4.88 billion, also an increase from $4.68 billion for the same period last year. The production and precision agriculture division reports sales increased for the quarter, which officials say was due to higher shipment volumes and price realization. “The construction forestry markets also continue to benefit from demand contributing to the division’s strong performance in the quarter,” Bach says. “Similarly, order books are now extending into 2023 providing visibility into the new year.”

With one quarter remaining in the company’s fiscal year, net income attributable to Deere is forecast to be in a range of seven to seven-point-two billion dollars. “Net sales and revenues were up 22% to $14.1 billion, while net sales for the equipment operations were up 25% to $13-billion,” Bach says. “Net income attributable to Deere & Company was $1.884 billion or $6.16 per diluted share.”

In a news release, Deere chairman and C-E-O John May said: “We’re proud of the extraordinary efforts by our employees to increase factory output and get products to customers under challenging circumstances. At the same time, our results reflected higher costs and production inefficiencies driven by the difficult supply-chain situation.”

(Radio Iowa) – As we approach harvest time, new concerns are rising about Iowa’s worsening drought conditions. A statewide virtual meeting is planned for next week to help address those concerns and to survey options. Field agronomist Rebecca Vittetoe, with the Iowa State University Extension, says the online meeting is free for anyone to join. Vittetoe says, “It’s designed for crop farmers and livestock producers, as well as ag retailers, farm managers, ag lenders or anybody in general that is impacted by the drought conditions and would like to know more.” Multiple speakers are lined up to discuss a list of farmers’ worries, and there will be opportunities for anyone watching to use the chat window to ask questions.

“One of the big things at this stage is on the livestock side, thinking about how we’re going to be managing the livestock with the drought, and then also thinking about feeding, drought stress crops and forages,” Vittetoe says. “One of the big questions that we always get in a drought is nitrate concerns especially for chopping for silage.” There could be health concerns for livestock as there can be higher nitrate levels in lower portions of the corn stalk. There will be several field agronomists in the virtual meeting, along with beef specialists, a farm management specialist, and representatives from the Farm Service Agency.

Drought-stressed corn. (ISU Exstension photo)

“On the farm management side of things, it’s more so thinking about crop insurance,” Vittetoe says. “Then also there’s some different government programs available as well for producers, depending upon what level of drought that we’re in. Usually once we reach that D-2 drought, certain programs become available to producers.” Roughly 16 Iowa counties are in at least D-2 or severe drought, while parts of five counties are in D-3 or extreme drought. The meeting is scheduled for noon on Tuesday (August 23) and should last around 90 minutes.

No pre-registration is required. To join the meeting, visit: https://www.aep.iastate.edu/drought/view

(Radio Iowa) – Despite widespread rainfall earlier this week, drought conditions are worsening across Iowa, according to the new map out today (Thursday) from the U-S Drought Monitor. Field agronomist Rebecca Vittetoe, with the Iowa State University Extension, says the new red spots on the map are particularly troubling. “It just got updated again this morning based off of rainfall as of Tuesday morning of this week,” Vittetoe says, “so, not necessarily major changes on the Drought Monitor but parts of western Iowa, there’s a few more areas that are in the D-3 or that extreme drought compared to last week.”

Extreme drought is now shown in five western counties: Cherokee, Monona, Plymouth, Sioux and Woodbury, while statewide, 67 counties are now in some form of drought, up from 64 counties last week. Vittetoe is based in southeast Iowa’s Washington County, which is listed as both abnormally dry and in moderate drought, and she’s encouraged by crop conditions as harvest season nears. “It’s amazing what the plant breeders have been able to do to help crops better withstand drought,” Vittetoe says. “I look at some fields that have had less than five inches of rainfall this growing season and I’m impressed with how well they look, considering the little rainfall that we have had.”

She says Iowa’s two biggest crops are suffering fairly equally in the drought. “On the corn side, that pollination and grain fill is a really critical period when we don’t want to be having a lot of drought stress. We want to have plenty of moisture, cooler temperatures, to really help with pollination and with grain fill,” Vittetoe says. “On the soybean side, if we’re hot and dry in July, when that corn’s pollinating, I’m not as concerned then as when we get into August and we’re trying to work on putting on pods, filling pods.”

Vittetoe will be hosting a statewide virtual meeting next on the drought from the fall harvest perspective. For details, visit: https://www.aep.iastate.edu/drought/view

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are familiar with the emerald ash borer and the green insect’s threat to our foliage, but we’re also being asked to be on guard for another insect that’s equally as lethal to a much wider variety of trees. Rhonda Santos, a spokeswoman for the U-S-D-A, says Iowa homeowners should examine their trees for the Asian longhorned beetle and report any clues they find about the invasive pest.

“Now is the best time to look for and report the signs of the Asian longhorned beetle in your backyard and in your neighborhood,” Santos says. “This wood-boring beetle attacks many types of trees and is a threat to our shade trees, recreational areas and our forest resources.” Unlike the emerald ash borer, the Asian longhorned beetle likes to feed on a host of trees, including: ash, birch, elm, sycamore, maple, buckeye, poplar and willow. The bug has distinct markings and leaves behind a series of holes and other signs in trees that make it quick to identify.

Asian Longhorned Beetle (USDA photo)

“The beetle is easy to recognize with their black and white antennae, shiny black body with white spots, and six legs,” Santos says. “The beetles create round holes and scars in the tree bark, sawdust-like material around the tree, and can cause branches to fall.” The beetle is not native to the U.S. and has few-to-no natural predators. Santos encourages Iowans to take five minutes and give your trees a close inspection for those round holes or sawdust.

Santos says, “If you see these signs, take photos and capture the suspicious insects to help the USDA with identification.” The beetle was first spotted in the U.S. in New York in 1996 and spread quickly. It’s one of a group of invasive pests and plant diseases that costs the nation some 40-billion dollars each year in losses to trees, plants, and crops. For more information or to report the insect or tree damage, visit www.asianlonghornedbeetle.com.