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Weed Pressure in
Untreated Sorghum |
Sorghum with new over the top
weed control technology |
Kansas Growers See New
Over the Top Sorghum Weed Control Field Trials
7-14-10--Kansas Growers See New Over the Top Sorghum Weed Control Field
Trials
A new trait that will allow over-the-top
weed control in grain sorghum was showcased at a field day at the K-State
Research Farm at Ashland Bottoms near Manhattan on July 13. The field day
showed field plots treated with the new over the top weed control
technology.. The first new herbicide-tolerant
grain sorghum hybrids are expected to be available in a limited release
for the 2012 growing season.
The ALS-tolerant and
ACCase-tolerant Inzen traits will provide sorghum growers with non-GMO
over-the-top grass and broadleaf weed control options needed for more
versatile application timing. The trait was developed at K-State with
funding by the United Sorghum Checkoff Program. DuPont has developed
sorghum hybrids that can tolerate the herbicide DuPont Technical
Representative Warren McDougal talked to the group about the new traits.
“All we want to show today is that the trait is here and it is viable,” he
said.
MORE
July 7, 2010--
Loss of Atrazine Would Wipe
Out 21,000 to 48,000 Jobs Dependant on Agriculture
University of Chicago economist says even more losses would come when
sorghum, sugar cane and other crops are considered
''When describing atrazine’s
value to sorghum, I often use a figure of $20 per acre. I feel this is a
very conservative number especially considering the lack of suitable
alternatives to atrazine for sorghum producers. This year, U.S. farmers
have planted 6 million acres of sorghum. Using my conservative estimate,
atrazine’s value to the sorghum industry is about $120 million. And that
estimate does not include the value of another important triazine
herbicide for sorghum, propazine, which would most certainly go the way of
atrazine if it was taken off the market.''
Jere White, Executive
Director Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association;
Chairman, Triazine Network
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 7, 2010) –
Banning the agricultural herbicide atrazine would cost between 21,000 and
48,000 jobs from corn production losses alone, according to University of
Chicago economist Don L. Coursey, Ph.D.
Dr. Coursey announced his findings at a briefing sponsored by the Triazine
Network today at the National Press Club in Washington.
Coursey estimates atrazine’s annual production value to corn alone to be
between $2.3 billion and $5 billion. Atrazine’s additional value to
sorghum, sugar cane and other uses increases these totals.
“The economic data on atrazine are very clear. As a first-order estimate,
banning atrazine will erase between 21,000 and 48,000 jobs related to or
dependant on corn production, with additional job losses coming from both
sugar cane and sorghum production losses,” Coursey said. “The range is
wide because we have never before banned a product on which so many depend
and for which suitable replacements have a wide variety of prices and
application regimes.”
“If all of that job loss were concentrated in the agricultural sector, its
unemployment would grow by as much as 2.6 percent. Replacement costs for
corn farmers could reach as high as $58 per acre,” Coursey said.
MORE
Coursey’s statement can be viewed at
http://agsense.org/
June 30, 2010--Farmers Plant
7.1 Million Acres to Feedgrains
Kansas sorghum farmers planted 2.4 million
acres of corn this spring, according to the June acreage report released
by Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service (KASS). Kansas and Texas lead
the nation in planted acres at 2.4 million each and the two states
represent 80 percent of the nation’s 6 million planted sorghum acres.
The Kansas sorghum crop is on pace with last year and is 88 percent
emerged and is rated 74 good to excellent.
Kansas growers have good overall soil moisture. Statewide, subsoil
moisture is 83 percent adequate. Southwest Kansas is the driest section of
the state with subsoil moisture rated at 61 percent adequate, 23 percent
short and 15 percent very short.
Both corn and sorghum are used as feedstock for livestock, ethanol,
exports and other uses. Kansas farmers have planted 7.1 million acres of
these feedgrains this year.
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