DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today encouraged Iowa hay and straw producers to register or update their listing on the Iowa Hay and Straw Directory.  The directory lists Iowa producers with hay and straw for sale, as well as organizations and businesses associated with promoting and marketing quality hay and straw. Naig said “The directory is a tool for both buyers and sellers and we hope farmers will take the time to review and update their information.  “This directory can serve as an important link between hay producers and those looking to buy, so we encourage Iowans to take advantage of this free directory.”

The listing is available to interested buyers throughout the nation, however only sellers from within Iowa can be included on the list. Names are gathered throughout the year with added emphasis now that hay harvest has started. Sections within the Hay and Straw Directory include “Forage for Sale,” “Forage Auctions,” “Hay Associations,” “Forage Dealers,” “Hay Grinders” and “Custom Balers.” Farmers interested in listing should visit the Department’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov.  An application form can be found by going to the “Marketing” link on the home page and then clicking on “Hay & Straw” on the right side of the page. For those without internet access, please call the Hay/Straw Hotline at 800-383-5079.  The Department will fax or send a printed copy of the application to be filled out.

The Department is also supporting the Iowa Crop Improvement Association’s “Iowa Noxious Weed Seed Free Forage and Mulch Certification Program.”  Through this program Iowa forage and mulch producers can take advantage of many emerging market opportunities for “Certified Weed Free” products.  For more specific information on this program producers should contact the Iowa Crop Improvement Association at 515-294-6921.  More information can also be found by visiting http://www.iowacrop.org/Weed_Free.htm.

DES MOINES, Iowa – While warmer average temperatures can have a dramatic impact in colder climates, new research shows how much crop growth can be affected when temperatures change by just a few degrees Celsius.  For Iowa, one crop that would be affected drastically is corn. The research, headed by Michelle Tigchelaar, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington, shows that an increase in average temperature of two to four degrees Celsius would decrease crop yields by at least 18 percent across the United States.

Tigchelaar said the range of the temperature increase will be a large determinant of the scale of crop failures. “So, with 2 degrees of warming, the effects are severe but somewhat, you know, manageable,” Tigchelaar said. “But with 4 degrees of warming, it becomes really sort of something that we haven’t quite seen before.” In Fahrenheit, those temperature differences are from 3.6 to 7.2 degrees warmer.

The study looked at crop yield effects around the globe, including countries such as China and Brazil, observing weather patterns and corn yields. An 18 percent decrease in crop yields would mean an Iowa farmer expecting 175 bushels of corn per acre would bring in only about 144 bushels. That would have a large impact on other products such as corn syrup and meat.  Environmentally friendly structural changes and crop adaption to higher temperatures are all possibilities for limiting the damage of a warmer climate. But for farmers, Tigchelarr said environmental changes are just some of the ongoing obstacles. “They deal with changes in their environment regularly, so to some degree you can adapt your farming practices by planting on different dates, or planting a slightly different variety,” she said.

Some scientists expect the development of biotechnology and farm management to allow corn to grow as normal, despite climate changes.

(Iowa News Service)