Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 7660 / SEEDWORLD.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 Exploring ideas and views on all aspects of the seed industry. YOU KNOW HOW TO PLANT CORN, BUT WHAT ABOUT MILKWEED? The monarch butterfly population has seen a significant decline, and habitat with milkweed will play an important role in securing the monarch’s future. Milkweed serves as the exclusive egg-laying site for adult female butterflies and the sole food source for caterpillars. Research has found that milkweed plants are most successful when established through a planting process using root sections or transplants. Though it is common to plant milkweed seeds, only a small percentage of planted seeds germinate. For those seeds that do germinate, the seedlings are non-competitive and are easily overrun by other plants. This makes it difficult to establish a vigorous milkweed refuge from seed. Planting root sections with active buds or direct transplanting results in the most successful establishment. The plants grown from root sections are typically much more vigorous than transplants in the first year of growth. BASF experts say to start by clearing an area of vegetation that gets at least six hours of sunlight. Dig a small hole that is anywhere from 3 to 6 inches deep for the root section and cover with soil. Water the new plant twice per week until establishment and new growth is observed. For small patches, space the plants 3 feet apart. For larger areas, plants can be spaced 15 to 20 feet apart. Learn more best practices at agro.basf.us/sustainability. LAND VALUES LAG COMMODITY PRICES From 2006 to 2013, significant increases in commodity prices, spurred by demand, signaled the need for more land to be converted to row crop production. According to a new Rabobank report, the subsequent steep increases in agricultural land values have pulled enough acres into row crop production to oversupply most commodities, both domestically and globally. “The result of this oversupply has been to drive agri commodity price levels below breakeven,” says Sterling Liddell, Rabobank senior analyst and author of the report. “After two years of economic losses at the farm level, which resulted largely from the significant drop in commodity prices, the cost of renting land remains sticky and unsustainably high. Rabobank projects that in 2017/18 and moving forward, rent values need to begin dropping to align with lower commodity prices over the long term. “We believe this will lead to the valuation of land also adjusting lower,” Liddell says. “If rental costs remain sticky at unsustainable levels through the 2017/18 growing period, individual land assets face the threat of much deeper valuation, as nutrient and crop protection programs are cut and abandonment (usage changes) increases.” PATAGONIA PROVISIONS RELEASES FILM ON FOOD AND THE ENVIRONMENT “Unbroken Ground,” a 25-minute film released at the beginning of August, tells the story of four pioneering groups focused on regenerative agriculture, restorative grazing, new crop development and selective-harvest fishing. The film, produced by Patagonia Provisions, starts with Wes Jackson, founder of The Land Institute, who through the development of perennial grain crops is working on “a new type of agriculture that will save soils from being lost or poisoned.” In Washington State’s fertile Skagit Valley, Stephen Jones, director of The Bread Lab, is focused on diversified crop development. He is developing diversity in locally grown organic grains to determine which perform well for farmers and which are most suitable for craft baking, malting, brewing and distilling. The film also showcases Dan and Jill O’Brien of Cheyenne River Ranch and their restorative grazing efforts, as well as Ian Kirouac, Keither Carpenter and Riley Starks of Lummi Island Wild for their reef netting. “Revolutions start from the bottom. They never start from the top,” says Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and Patagonia Provisions. “At the bottom are these people who are willing to break the paradigm.” significant decline, and habitat with milkweed will play an important role in securing the monarch’s future. Milkweed serves as the exclusive egg-laying site for adult female butterflies and the sole food The monarch butterfly population has seen a significant decline, and habitat with milkweed will significant decline, and habitat with milkweed will site for adult female butterflies and the sole food