A recent Star Tribune article reported that, “Driverless tractors have long been on the cusp, but they are still not widely used, bogged down by safety concerns, legal obstacles, the difficulties of offering technical support to a large number of farmers using a single product, and lingering doubts about the business case.”

The article stated that, “At the Farm Progress Show in August, the nation’s largest farm trade show, one of the exhibitors was Smart Ag, an Iowa startup that is commercializing a system that allows a farmer, from a combine, to summon an autonomous tractor pulling a grain cart. The product, called AutoCart, costs about $40,000.

An update yesterday by Tricia Braid, which was posted at the Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA) Online, stated that, “EPA has extended the registration for dicamba but you should know these two key points: 1) it prohibits over-the-top application of dicamba on soybeans 45 days after planting, and 2) applications are limited, as they were previously, to two over the top.

“Illinois Corn Growers Association President Aron Carlson says that the EPA’s decision to extend the registration of dicamba for two years for ‘over-the-top’ use (application to growing plants) to control weeds in fields for cotton and soybean plants genetically engineered to resist dicamba is a welcome indication that the collaborative nature of the registration process was well informed by input from and extensive collaboration between EPA, state regulators, farmers, academic researchers, pesticide manufacturers, and other stakeholders.

“‘Dicamba, and other products regulated by EPA are important tools in our business,’ said Carlson. ‘ICGA supports access to products that have been proven to be safe by scientific standards. We also support education and training programs so that farmers and other applicators are well versed in on-label use so that we can continue to have access to these types of products over time.'”

Yesterday’s ICGA update added that, “The following label changes were made to ensure that these products can continue to be used effectively while addressing potential concerns to surrounding crops and plants:

“Dicamba registration decisions for 2019-2020 growing season

• Two-year registration (until December 20, 2020)
• Only certified applicators may apply dicamba over the top (those working under the supervision of a certified applicator may no longer make applications)
• Prohibit over-the-top application of dicamba on soybeans 45 days after planting and cotton 60 days after planting
• For cotton, limit the number of over-the-top applications from 4 to 2 (soybeans remain at 2 OTT applications)
• Applications will be allowed only from 1 hour after sunrise to 2 hours before sunset
• In counties where endangered species may exist, the downwind buffer will remain at 110 feet and there will be a new 57-foot buffer around the other sides of the field (the 110-foot downwind buffer applies to all applications, not just in counties where endangered species may exist)
• Clarify the training period for 2019 and beyond, ensuring consistency across all three products
• Enhanced tank clean-out instructions for the entire system
• Enhanced label to improve applicator awareness on the impact of low pH’s on the potential volatility of dicamba
• Label clean up and consistency to improve compliance and enforceability
• The registration for all dicamba products will automatically expire on December 20, 2020, unless EPA further extends it.”

Wall Street Journal writer Jacob Bunge reported yesterday that, “The Environmental Protection Agency will continue to allow farmers to spray crops with a controversial weedkiller, while tightening restrictions, the agency said.

“The EPA extended by two years its approval of XtendiMax, a version of the herbicide dicamba made by Bayer AG, which some farmers and researchers have blamed for damaging millions of acres of crops over the past two years.

“The decision is a win for Bayer, which also markets soybean and cotton seeds genetically engineered to survive the chemical. Bayer this year acquired U.S. seed and pesticide giant Monsanto, which in 2018 sold about 50 million acres’ worth of dicamba-tolerant soybean and cotton seeds to farmers while training them how to spray the herbicide and avoid damaging other crops.”

Mr. Bunge noted that, “Monsanto said its new version of dicamba was far less prone to drift. But some farmers and weed scientists blamed dicamba for hundreds of damaged fields. Monsanto officials attributed the vast majority of harmed fields to farmers spraying on windy days and other errors.

“University of Missouri researchers in July estimated 1.1 million acres of soybeans were affected this year, including 500,000 acres in Illinois, the top soybean-producing state.”

Chicago Tribune writer Greg Trotter reported earlier this month that, “In the heart of corn and soybean country, Hans and Katie Bishop of PrairiErth Farm are cultivating an unconventional dream, one pesticide-free, dirt-encrusted sweet potato at a time.”

“Their passion remains strong, but they’ve had to adapt to a changing food industry rife with new competitors,” the Tribune article said.

Mr. Trotter explained that, “Farmers like the Bishops have seen competitors offering their own organic fruits and vegetables sprout up like weeds in recent years. From large grocers with robust selections of organic produce to meal kit startups touting healthy and quick foods, consumers have an abundance of options. Once the province of hippy co-ops and farmers markets, organic produce can be purchased at any Walmart, Jewel-Osco or Aldi — or home-delivered via Amazon and other online retailers.

“This rush of competition has hurt revenue at many small farms in Illinois — particularly those that rely on sales through what’s known as community supported agriculture programs, or CSAs. Some farms have scaled back operations or closed altogether. Others, like PrairiErth, have changed their business models to survive.”

The Tribune article pointed out that, “CSAs, where community members pay a certain amount for a weekly box of vegetables from the harvest, are designed to support local farming ‘so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm,’ according to a definition on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website. The model gives farmers a consistent revenue stream with relatively low overhead costs.

“But many Illinois farmers say their CSA sales peaked three or four years ago and that the concept has since fallen out of favor with consumers, who value convenience and customization.”

Mr. Trotter added that, “On a recent crisp autumn morning on the PrairiErth Farm in downstate Atlanta, a small crew of workers pulled sweet potatoes and carrots from the soil, vegetables that would be sold to customers in the Bloomington area and through wholesalers in Chicago. Hans and Katie Bishop are doing many of the things experts say farmers need to do. They’re expanding their wholesale business, partnering with other farms and allowing their CSA members to select what goes into their boxes for an additional cost.

“And the business is growing — with projected gross annual sales of $475,000, up about 5 percent from last year — despite the competitive challenges.”

DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger reported last week that, “USDA began issuing checks, worth about $3 billion in total, for last year’s Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs this month. While any form of cash assistance in these tough economic times is generally considered good news, that total is less than half of 2016’s $7 billion payout. At the same time, some early forecasts for 2018 payments on crops currently being harvested don’t show much of a payment at all.

“USDA’s press release stresses that even though the 2014 Farm Bill expired, it’s still making payments as mandated by statute.

“‘These program payments are mandated by Congress, but the Department has taken measures to ensure we meet our deadlines and get capital in the hands of those folks that need it most,’ Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said. ‘Unfortunately, 2018 has proven to be another tough year for producers across the Nation, making the timeliness even more critical.'”

The DTN article noted that, “A recent FarmDoc Daily blog walks through how the 2017 ARC-CO payments are calculated for corn, soybeans and wheat in three different counties across the state. The blog also includes national maps for each crop, which highlights the pockets of production where farmers can expect payments. You can find it here: https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/…

“It shows that benchmark prices for corn in 2018 is $3.70 per bushel, 25 cents below last year. For soybeans, the benchmark price will be $1.23 lower per bushel at $9.63. Wheat’s price benchmark, at $5.66 per bushel, is 46 cents lower than 2017.

“County yields, and therefore reliable estimates of 2018 ARC-Co payments, won’t be determined until the National Agricultural Statistic Service releases county yields in February. But as the FarmDoc blog concludes: ‘ARC-CO payments likely will not be prevalent for 2018 production. Building $0 per acre into cash flow estimates for the 2018 payments that will be received in fall 2019 seems prudent at this point.'”