Sustainable Corn: Insights to Extension's Future?

Corn is essential to American agriculture. It is an economic powerhouse, employing millions and producing food, feed and fuel. However, there is increasing uncertainty about how climate trends are impacting corn-based systems as well as the impact of current management on our environment. The NIFA funded regional Sustainable Corn project is  providing some of those answers.

Please check out the SustainableCorn.org relative the issues being addressed and the approaches being used.  This may provide some unique insights as to some of the critical issues for relevant  future cropping system programs in Extension.

Many of the outcomes of this project will be shared as part of a conference titled "Resilient Agriculture:  Adapting to a Changing Climate". The conference is designed to address 1)Latest science on climate impacts on agriculture; 2) Adaptation strategies for corn/soybean-based systems; and 3) New and emerging technologies for farm management.  The conference occurs August 5-7 and can be attended live by farmers and through technology for the rest of us.  Attendance via technology is free.  This appears to be an excellent professional development opportunity for our Crops and Water faculty.

This project has collaborated with the U2U Climate Change project (UNL's Martha Shulski is key partner) to conduct a survey of 5000 North Central farmers including farmers in the Loup, Middle and Lower Platte, Blue, Elkhorn and other river basins. Results are shared by graphically by river basin.  Before we make judgements about what farmers do and don't believe about climate issues, "Farmer Perspectives on Agriculture and Weather Variability in the Corn Belt" is a must read. Some of the results are expected, but farmer's attitudes related to adapting to climate extremes has some surprises.

Farmers participating in  the Climate Change Survey originated from these river basins.

If you want to follow this project team is talking about on sustainable corn and resilient farming, I might suggest subscribing to this projects BLOG. 

Kudos to Randy Pryor and Charles Shapiro and the 20 educators who invested a day in learning the Field to Farm sustainability metric software!!!  The group plans to engage 60 farmers in measuring 6 indicators of sustainability.  The tool is a nationally recognized tool supported by agribusiness, food industry, and environmental groups. This is an effort worth watching!

Resiliency to Extreme Weather/Climate Variability in Nebraska

Rick Koelsch, UNL Extension, June 18, 2014

UNL Extension has recently invited 27 faculty and staff to be a part of an initiative targeting Resiliency to Extreme Weather/Climate Variability in Nebraska. Based upon the increasing role that weather events and climate variability is having on our Extension program efforts, UNL Extension’s leadership team saw a need for a faculty team to provide long-term guidance for educational efforts around climate and weather issues.  

We have all observed the excellent short term responses from faculty to events such as the drought in 2012 and the damaging weather events this spring.  It is our desire to have an Extension team that will guide continuously our engagement with weather and climate issues. With the IANR commissioned white paper on Climate Variability impact on Agriculture and Natural Resources soon to be released and opportunity to partner with newly established USDA ARS Climate Hub for the high plains, Extension needs a more sustained engagement with climate/weather issues and a team to guide that engagement. 

Below you will find a brief summary of a possible direction for this initiative.  Also you will find a listing of faculty initially invited to participate.  Several factors were used to identify these individuals including 1) expertise; 2) history of engagement in weather and climate issues; 3) connections to key action teams and administrative units; and 4) representation of both our campus and field faculty.    We hope that all action teams will discuss the relevancy of this issue to their areas of interest.  If an action team would like to include representatives on the this team, please feel free to nominate those individuals.  We anticipate that the faculty engaged in this team will evolve with time.

Extension Initiative:

Resiliency to Extreme Weather / Climate Variability in Nebraska

Outcome: Nebraskans will access research based information in decisions that improve the resiliency of agricultural businesses and communities affected by extreme weather events and increasing climate variability. Extension resources will be targeted to helping key audiences understanding available opportunities to improve resiliency.

Potential Roles:  An Extension work group for Resiliency for Extreme Weather/Climate Variability in Nebraska will be assembled to guide Extension investments and educational program planning as well as pursue funding opportunities. This work group may:

• Review IANR’s Climate Variability White Paper (led by Don Wilhite and released in September) and determine implications for future Extension investments and programming.
• Explore interactions with USDA ARS Climate Hub for High Plains in implementation of their educational mission.
• Draw upon the resources and experience of the U2U Regional NIFA CAP grant to explore application of those resources in Nebraska.
• Serve as a standing committee to guide Extension’s response to drought, flood, and other extreme events.

Faculty and Staff initially receiving an invitation:

Weather/climate -  Tapan Pathak, SNR Extension Educator; Tonya Bernadt, National Drought Mitigation Center; Martha Shulski, High Plains Regional Climate Center; Francisco Munoz-Arriola, Biological Systems Engineering
Risk management tools for crops, range and pasture - Monte VanDeVeer, Southeast Nebraska Extension Educator; Kate Brooks, Agricultural Economics; Jessica Johnson, Panhandle Extension Educator; Jay Parsons, Agricultural Economics
Grazing systems management –  Jerry Volesky, West Central R&E Center; Rick Rasby, Animal Science; Aaron Berger, Panhandle Extension Educator
Feedlot Systems – Matt Luebbe, Panhandle R&E Center; Rick Stowell, Biological Systems Engineering
Irrigation water management – Chuck Burr, West Central Extension Educator; Tim Shaver, West Central R&E Center ; Troy Ingram, Central Nebraska Extension Educator; Bill Kranz, Northeast R&E Center
Cropping Systems – Jeff Bradshaw, Panhandle R&E Center; Tyler Williams, West Central Nebraska Extension Educator; Tamra Ziems-Jackson, Plant Pathology; Roger Elmore, Agronomy
Urban Environments – Zac Reicher, Agronomy; Kelly Feehan,  Northeast Extension Educator; John Fech, Southeast Extension Educator
Rural community and individual water supplies – Sharon Skipton, Southeast
Forestry – Scott Josiah, Nebraska Forest Service (or his recommended NFS representative)
Media  - Lisa Jasa, Educational Media