Senators working on ag items

Jul 18, 2022

A brief update on what ag files the senate has on its plate

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

If U.S. farmers haven’t been keeping up with the ag-related items lawmakers in Washington have been working on, here’s a brief update.

On July 14, a group of bipartisan senators sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack asking he investigate issues surrounding the implementation of the Emergency Relief Program.

“We write to bring to your attention issues that have come up with ERP implementation and to request that USDA address these issues expeditiously,” the letter says.

The program is designed to help farmers offset the impacts of natural disasters in 2020 and 2021.

The senators, which include Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) identified multiple issues with the program:

Farmers who attributed losses to a 2019 event have Prevented Plant indemnities not captured by the ERP to receive top up payments.
Producers who purchased additional crop insurance are waiting until the fall to receive ERP assistance while some farmers who opted not to buy additional insurance have already received assistance.
Sales of farm equipment should be considered part of farm adjusted gross income in order to meet the 75 percent rule (which states 75 percent of adjusted gross income must come from farming or ranching).

At least one senator is urging his colleagues to pass legislation to help with farm workforce challenges.

On July 12, Sen. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), called on fellow senators to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Newhouse’s bill passed in the House on March 18, 2021, by a vote of 247-174.

It would help foreign farm workers earn legal status through continued ag employment, would make the H2A program more flexible and establish a mandatory, nationwide E-Verify system for all ag employment.

“Together we can reform our broken immigration laws and ensure that those who wish to pursue a legal pathway or come to our country to contribute to our agriculture industry are able to do so,” Newhouse said on July 12.

“Together we can protect our communities, strengthen our national security, and secure our southern border, but also recognize the contributions of immigrants and bolster our local economies, producers, and small businesses.

“Together we can secure our food supply and ensure American families can afford the groceries they need.”

One unfinished piece of senate business is the confirmation hearing for Doug McKalip.

President Biden announced McKalip as the chief ag negotiator nominee in June.

His hearing is not scheduled for the week of July 18 – 22.

Video: Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Understanding how a plant responds to stress is one thing.

Using that knowledge to make better management decisions is another.

Systemic acquired resistance, or SAR, is the plant's more direct defense response. When stress or infection occurs, the plant begins signaling throughout its system and preparing defensive compounds.

But if we know that response exists, can we help prepare the plant before the stress arrives?

The answer starts with understanding what triggers the response and what the plant needs to carry it out.

The Trigger and the Fuel

Salicylic acid plays an important role in triggering the SAR pathway.

Think of it as turning the truck on.

The engine may be running, but it still needs fuel to do the work.

In this case, manganese plays an important role in supporting the enzyme systems involved in the plant's defensive response.

This makes manganese status an important part of the conversation. Whether a producer is using tissue testing, sap analysis, or simply scouting for visible deficiency symptoms, the goal is to make sure the plant has adequate manganese available.

Manganese is required in relatively small amounts, but that does not make its role small.

If the plant receives a signal to defend itself but lacks the nutrition needed to support that response, it may struggle to carry out the process efficiently.

The trigger matters.

The fuel matters too.

Prepare Before the Stress Arrives

The best time to think about stress management is before the plant is overwhelmed.

Once a crop is already struggling, management can quickly turn into a game of catch-up.

This is similar to nitrogen management. Once a plant becomes severely deficient, correcting the problem does not necessarily erase the time and yield potential already lost.

Plant defense can work the same way.

Low-rate, targeted approaches designed to support the SAR pathway may fit best ahead of an expected stress event rather than after significant damage has already occurred.

That requires producers to think about predictable stress.

We may not know exactly what the weather will do tomorrow, but we generally know summer heat is coming. We know certain field conditions increase disease pressure. We know a herbicide application can temporarily stress a crop as the plant processes the chemistry.

Even a properly timed and labeled herbicide application can create a temporary response in the plant.

That does not mean the herbicide is bad.

Weeds can create significantly more yield loss than the temporary stress caused by controlling them.

The question is not whether we should eliminate every stressor.

The question is whether we can better prepare the plant to manage necessary and predictable stress.

Not All Stress Is Bad

Stress is a normal part of plant growth.

A perfectly stress-free environment does not exist in the field.

In fact, some stress is necessary for normal plant development. A plant responds to wind, temperature, moisture, sunlight, and countless other environmental signals throughout the season.

The environment is stress.

The plant's job is to manage it.

Problems begin when the stress load becomes greater than the plant's ability to respond.

Extreme heat, drought, high salt concentrations, disease pressure, and even certain management practices can add to that load.

This is where understanding SAR becomes useful.

Instead of waiting until the plant is visibly struggling, producers can begin identifying periods when stress is likely and make management decisions around those windows.

ISR Starts With the Soil

While SAR is a more direct defense response, induced systemic resistance, or ISR, brings the conversation back to soil health.

The longevity of a farm is closely connected to the health of its soil.

Carbon plays a major role because it supports biological life within the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms interact with plant roots and influence how the plant grows, accesses nutrients, and prepares for stress.

This is why soil health cannot be reduced to one product or one application.

It is a system.

Keeping living plants in the field longer can support biological activity. Cover crops may fit some operations. Better water management can improve soil conditions.