News Update
November 5, 2012
Quality, Efficient Beef Production is Focus of Dec. 3-4 Conference in Sioux Falls
Drought has impacted beef producers in a wide area and many have reduced herd sizes. This magnifies the importance of reproductive efficiency in the animals that remain, as well as for herd expansion when conditions allow. Understanding how to use advancing reproductive technologies and proper management decisions to improve the quality and efficiency of beef production is the theme of a conference set for Dec. 3-4 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Details are available at the conference website, www.reprostrategies.com or from Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension offices around the state, as well as most extension offices in surrounding states.
"This has just been a great conference to be associated with over the years. We started these here in Kansas 10 years ago and their popularity has never diminished," said Sandy Johnson, K-State Research and Extension livestock specialist based in Colby, Kan.
The conference is coordinated by the Beef Reproduction Leadership Team, made up of university, veterinary, artificial insemination and pharmaceutical industry representatives, as well as South Dakota State University and iGrow, a service of SDSU extension. K-State is a member of the Beef Reproduction Leadership Team. The conference begins at 8:30 a.m., Dec. 3, with a session devoted to understanding how to profit and produce better-quality beef by implementing reproductive technologies. Presentations will continue with the importance and control of estrus, male fertility and genetics. The day ends with hands-on activities where participants can become more familiar with the topics discussed.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Warmer Climates Don't Necessarily Mean
More Fertile Soils, Study Says
Warmer climates won't necessarily speed the return of nitrogen to soils as scientists once thought, according to a Purdue University study.
Increased temperatures from climate change have been expected to speed decomposition of plant materials and the return of nitrogen to soils, making the soil more fertile for plants. However Jeff Dukes, an associate professor of forestry and natural resources at Purdue, found that the microbes responsible for returning nitrogen to soils react differently to a range of climate scenarios.
"More nitrogen being available is not something we can count on in all ecosystems," said Dukes, whose findings were published in the journal Global Change Biology.
The findings suggest that while warming has been expected to accelerate nitrogen cycling, it may actually have little to no effect on the process in some ecosystems. This means that climate models that assume increased soil fertility in warmer conditions may overestimate the amount of plant productivity in those ecosystems.
Dukes runs the Boston-Area Climate Experiment, which measures ecosystem responses to climate change. His research group uses heaters, plastic roofs and sprinklers to change the climate over small plots of land and then tests plant and soil responses to increases in temperature and increases or decreases in precipitation.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Minnesota Cattle Convention and Trade Show Dec. 7-8
The Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association (MSCA) will be hosting the Minnesota Cattle Convention and Trade Show Dec. 7-8 at Arrowwood Resort near Alexandria. The convention meetings will feature a CattleFax market outlook and educational sessions focused on crossbreeding, reproduction, grazing of conservation lands, sustainability, risk management and a meat cutting demonstration.
The convention will feature nationally renowned sustainability consultant Jude Capper from Montana on Dec. 8. Capper has released ground-breaking scientific results on the sustainability of the U.S. beef sector. Other special guests include National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President Bob McCan from Texas.
"I hope cattle producers in Minnesota and the surrounding areas take advantage of the great line-up of educational speakers we have assembled for this convention. In addition to the educational opportunities, this is a great way for our cattle community to come together to discuss issues confronting our livelihoods and make long-lasting relationships along the way," said MSCA President Don Schiefelbein. "In a time where there are less and less cattle producers, it is more important than ever that we are organized and engaged in our producer associations. Participating in the Convention is a perfect avenue to do so," stated Schiefelbein.
For the full release, click here.
Advances in Precision Agriculture is Topic
of Iowa Learning Farms Webinar
The Iowa Learning Farms (ILF) monthly webinar, to be Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 11:30 a.m., will feature Amy Kaleita, Iowa State University associate professor of agriculture and biosystems engineering. The webinar is part of a free series, hosted by ILF, through Adobe Connect. The series usually takes place the third Wednesday of each month, but due to Thanksgiving, November's webinar will take place on the second Wednesday. All that is needed to participate is a computer with Internet access.
Kaleita's research is in the area of information technology for precision conservation. The natural environment is highly variable. Being able to determine what land-management strategies will be the most suitable in a particular location requires characterization of the variable factors at an appropriate scale and synthesizing data with respect to their influence on hydrology.
Her research includes the design of sensing and monitoring systems and utilization of such data in modeling and decision support systems. Kaleita holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering from Penn State, a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois with an emphasis in hydrology, and a doctorate of philosophy in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois.
For more information, click here.
Cargill CFO to Step Down at Month's End;
President and COO to Become Interim CFO
Cargill announced Nov. 2 that Sergio Rial, its chief financial officer (CFO), will resign his post with the company effective at the end of November in order to return to his native Brazil for personal reasons. Cargill President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) David MacLennan will serve as interim CFO until the Cargill Board of Directors elects a successor.
MacLennan joined Cargill in 1991 and has held management positions within the financial, risk management, energy and animal protein businesses. He previously served as Cargill's CFO from 2008 to 2011. While in the interim role, MacLennan will continue as the company's president and COO.
"Since joining us in 2004, Sergio has energized our growth in Latin America and provided vigorous and thoughtful leadership as a member of the Cargill Leadership Team and Board of Directors and as chief financial officer," said Cargill Chairman and CEO Greg Page.
For more information, click here.
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