Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) — BASF SE is moving the plant-science unit that genetically modifies crops to the U.S. from Germany after European consumers resisted the technology.

The division’s headquarters in Limburgerhof will move to Raleigh, N.C., and development and commercialization of all products targeted solely at cultivation in the European market will be halted, BASF said today in a statement.

The move will result in the loss of 140 European jobs, the Ludwigshafen, Germany-based company said.

“There is still a lack of acceptance for this technology in many parts of Europe from the majority of consumers, farmers and politicians,” Stefan Marcinowski, the BASF board member responsible for plant biotechnology, said in the statement. “It does not make business sense to continue investing in products exclusively for cultivation in this market.”

The flight of research means Germany may lose out on the $12 billion market for genetically modified plants, which is set to grow 5% annually over the next 5 years, according to advisory firm Phillips McDougall. BASF founded the agricultural center in Limburgerhof in 1914 and has 11,000 square meters of greenhouses and about 40 hectares of fields.

Limburgerhof will retain its crop-protection activities, and the company will close sites in Gatersleben, Germany, and Svalov, Sweden, it said. Research activities for plant science will continue in Ghent, Belgium, and in Berlin, BASF said.

The plant-science unit will concentrate on the Americas and Asia, BASF said. Genetically modified potato products will no longer be developed specifically for Europe, though the unit will continue seeking regulatory approval to “maintain all options,” the company said.

BASF won U.S. approval last year for cultivating a drought-tolerant corn developed in collaboration with Monsanto Co.

http://www.no-tillfarmer.com/pages/News—BASF-Moving-Plant-Science-Unit-To-US.php

As posted in Hay & Forage Grower January 10, 2012:

image from www.farmprogress.com

Late-December rains have taken the pressure off scarce hay supplies in parts of East Texas for the time being, reports Aaron Low, agriculture agent for Texas AgriLife Extension in Cherokee County.

“Things are looking better,” says Low, noting that 5-7” of rain fell in the area during the last two weeks of 2011. “A lot of (cattle) producers here planted ryegrass and clover back in late September and October rather than buy hay. Then they had to sit on those plantings without any rain for two months.

“It was a gamble. But now, because of the recent rains, it looks like it’s paid off. If they make use of rotational grazing, some producers will be able to utilize some of these fields through the end of the winter.”

Due to last summer’s crippling, widespread drought, area hay supplies were “pretty much wiped out” as of early fall, says Low. “There just wasn’t any hay to be found all the way into Mississippi and on up through Arkansas.”

That shortage of hay set off extensive culling by beef producers. Cherokee County lost about 50% of its cow herd in 2011, Low estimates. “Out of what’s left, we estimate we could lose another 25-50% if we have another year like last year.”

To view the original article, visit http://hayandforage.com/hay/rains-boost-east-texas-forage-growth#node-6651?NL=HFG-02&Issue=HFG-02_20120110_HFG-02_740&YM_RID=palmer@myrainreport.com&YM_MID=1283640

image from triplepundit.com

Article posted by DTN’s Bryce Anderson 1/09/12

Statistics from 2011 prove out what a lot of you have already experienced–the year 2011 was the driest ever in Texas. Here are the highlights.–Bryce

HOUSTON (AP) — The National Weather Service says 2011 was Texas’ driest year on record as well as its second hottest.

The agency said Friday the average rainfall for the drought-stricken state last year was 14.88 inches. The previous driest average total was in 1917 with 14.99 inches.

The weather service says 2011′s average temperature was 67.2 degrees. Texas’ warmest year on record was in 1921 with an average temperature of 67.5 degrees.

Last year Texas suffered its worst single-year drought, its largest agricultural losses and the hottest summer in U.S. history. From June through August, Texas averaged 86.8 degrees, beating out Oklahoma’s 85.2 degrees in 1934.

The current drought started in fall 2010. Forecasters say it is expected to drag on at least through June.

Posted at 9:37AM CST 01/09/12 by Bryce Anderson

Weather was a major topic in agriculture last year, and along with weather discussions come climate change discussions. DTN posted an article containing details about last year’s weather and climate and the implications the conditions had and will have on yield.

Grounding Climate Science – 2: Growing Number of Reports Warn of Risk to Food Production by Chris Clayton

OMAHA (DTN) — USDA plant physiologist Jerry Hatfield says the No. 1 question he gets from farmers now is: How do I handle all the variability in the weather?

North Dakota had 6.7 million unplanted acres in 2011 because of floods that kept farmers out of the field and led to so many prevented claims that USDA is allowing crop insurers to stop offering prevented planting policies for unplanted ground that has had four consecutive years of claims.

“They realize they have got variability and more volatility in the weather,” said Hatfield, who works at the Agriculture Research Service Soil Tilth lab in Ames, Iowa. [...]

Hatfield and other scientists say they are struggling to explain all the risks associated with climate change and volatility. Yet, there are volumes of reports, studies and books detailing the ways climate change will affect agriculture. [...]

Scientists acknowledge the uncertainty about future events. Climate models reflect varying effects based on differing inputs and assumptions. The National Academy of Sciences wrote in May 2001 that the uncertainties of climate change require risk management. [...]

“Although there is some uncertainty about future risks, changes in climate and related factors have already been observed in various parts of the United States, and the impacts of climate change can generally be expected to intensify with increasing greenhouse gas emissions,” [The National Academy of Sciences report] stated.

[...] Climate change will likely hurt our potential for food production at the same time the planet’s growing population wants more to eat. [...] ”Of greatest concern and largely unknown, are the influences that interactions among the different types of stress will have on crops.”

The U.S. had its share of extreme weather events in 2011, some critically affecting crop production: Read more …