The first Earth day was celebrated 40 years ago, and since that date, a tremendous shift in favor of preserving our environment has taken place. Since much of the credit goes to our nation’s farmers, the National Corn Growers Association wrote in a recent article, we should acknowledge their contributions and increase grower awareness of the sustainability of their own operations.

“It only makes sense that growers would work to preserve land, water and air,” said NCGA President Darrin Ihnen, a family farmer in Hurley, S.D. “We need to conserve these resources for the survival of our farmers, which most of us have passed from generation to generation.”

According to USDA, today’s farmers produce 70 percent more corn per pound of nutrients than they did in the 1970s. Farmers are able to use less fertilizer because new high-tech equipment puts fertilizer directly over the plants’ roots instead of spreading it on the whole field, and in-seed technologies are constantly improving corn’s fertilizer-use efficiency.

Production agriculture has become increasing more efficient and environmentally friendly.  A study released last year from Field to Market shows that producing a bushel of corn has seen a 69 percent decrease in soil loss, 37 percent decrease in land and energy use, 30 percent decrease in greenhouse-gas emissions and 27 percent decrease in water application from 1987 to 2007. And each year, reduced tillage methods save 3.5 gallons of fuel per acre of cropland.

This Earth Day, April 22, farmers have a good tool to help them discover even more environmental efficiencies. Developed by Field to Market, the Fieldprint Calculator helps farmers assess the efficiency of their operations and improve their management of natural resources. You can check that out here.

Source: NCGA

Iowa Farmer Today recently posted the article “Loss or reduction of Bt could harm farmers,” written by Roger Elmore, with the Iowa State University Department of Agronomy, and Aaron Gassman and Erin Hodson, Department of Entomology. Below is an excerpt from the article.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recently released a report, stating a trend of decreasing compliance with corn refuge across the United States. In total, the report found that 13.2 million acres — an area equal to the size of Iowa’s corn crop — are not in compliance.

Why does refuge compliance matter?

Many scientists agree at refuges delay or prevent pests from developing Bt resistance because susceptible pests emerging from the refuge mate with resistant pests from the Bt field.  This dilutes the resistance genes and maintains susceptibility of pest populations to Bt corn. If refuges are too small or too far from Bt fields, a shortage of refuge insects to mate with insects from Bt fields will occur.

What’s at stake?

At least three issues come to mind:

1. If compliance rates do not quickly improve, expect more demands for compliance, insistence to change the regulatory process, and/or steep penalties for noncompliance.
2. Refuge requirements from an integral part of insect resistance management programs. If some producers continue to ignore these requirements, insects may develop resistance to Bt corn sooner.
3. Third, every business enterprise — including corn production — bears a social role and responsibility.

Thanks to the 3 of every 4 corn growers who follow the refuge requirements.  For more information on refuge compliance, click here to read the full Iowa Farmer Today article, or click here to read our recent post, “Remember to Plant the Refuge.”

As you head into your fields this spring, be mindful of refuge requirements for all corn hybrids with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) technology.

Refuge is calculated based upon your state and county, as well as the trait(s) you are planting. Click here to download an easy-to-use IRM corn calculator. This calculator will help you determine the number of refuge acres required and planting configurations.

To help simplify the list of requirements for hybrids with Agrisure, YieldGard, Herculex and Genuity^TM SmartStax^TM – all of which appear in our current lineup of Latham® Hi‑Tech Hybrids – the University of Nebraska Extension recently published, “Bt Corn, Refuges and Insect Resistance Management for 2010.” NOTE: new Genuity SmartStax hybrids have been approved for reduced refuge in the Corn Belt of 5% for both above-and below-ground pests.

Refuges are required to help preserve Bt corn as an effective pest management tool well into the future. For more information about Insect Resistance Management, click here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates that a refuge be planted for every B.t. corn field. Respect the Refuge and Corn Design® is a registered trademark of National Corn Growers Association.