1. Soybeans: Next-generation glyphosate resistance, and other future directions

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1 Number 55 October 27, Soybeans: Next-generation glyphosate resistance, and other future directions 1 2. Reducing atrazine runoff by 40 percent: A recent success story in Kansas 3 3. New developments in the carbon credit market in Kansas 5 1. Soybeans: Next-generation glyphosate resistance, and other future directions Soybean breeding and variety development is taking several new directions. Some of these new directions will have major changes on future varieties, and some will create or strengthen certain market fragments. * Next-generation glyphosate resistance. Both Monsanto and the Syngenta- DuPont/Pioneer collaboration are working with new glyphosate resistance events to develop a second generation of glyphosate resistant varieties. The current glyphosate resistance gene will likely fade from the market as the new generation varieties become available, possibly beginning in The next-generation of glyphosate tolerant varieties is reported to have higher yield potential, and improved glyphosate resistance. The new generation of varieties will be able to withstand much higher rates of glyphosate. The Monsanto event involves glyphosate resistance. The Syngenta-Dupont/Pioneer event links glyphosate resistance and STS tolerance, so that all varieties coming from this nextgeneration event will have both traits. * Soybean aphid resistance. Several sources of soybean aphid resistance have been identified in recent years, and breeders have been incorporating this resistance into experimental lines. The first varieties with soybean aphid resistance should be released soon. Some of these first varieties will be adapted to states in the upper Midwest that have been hardest hit by the insect. At K-State, we are studying at least two sources of soybean aphid resistance and are incorporating them into some experimental lines. We are participating in regional efforts to examine the effectiveness of aphid resistance in the field. We have developed an aphid/soybean cyst nematode resistant Group V variety that 1

2 will be offered as a germplasm release in It will be a few years before any commercial varieties will be released from K-State with soybean aphid resistance. * Soybean rust resistance. Breeders are working hard to find good sources of soybean rust resistance, and incorporate this resistance into experimental lines. To date, dozens of sources of soybean rust resistant germplasm have been identified. Promising sources of resistance are being used to develop commercial varieties, but more work needs to be done, and it will be several years before varieties with resistance to soybean rust will be on the market. * Low-linolenic varieties. There are already some commercial varieties on the market that have the low-linolenic trait. Varieties with low linolenic acid are favored by processors because this type of soybean oil does not have to be partially hydrogenated. There has been tremendous pressure recently within the food industry to move away from transfat, and low-linolenic soybean oil is a non-gmo way of achieving this. That pressure is creating an increasing demand for soybean varieties with this trait. There are two general genotypes of low-linolenic varieties: those with about 3 percent linolenic acid and those with 1 percent. Standard soybean varieties are about 9 percent linolenic acid. To date, both the 3 percent and 1 percent soybean varieties are acceptable to processors as low-linolenic types. Commercially, low-linolenic varieties are being marketed primarily as a specialty crop within a controlled production-to-market system, using various trade names. At K-State, we are working on developing low-linolenic varieties and other special-purpose varieties. In 2006, we released our first 3 percent low-linolenic variety. * Other traits. There have been no major changes in the genetic sources of cyst nematode resistance; we continue to use unique sources of resistance that are effective against the pathogen populations prevalent in Kansas. Also, we are evaluating the yield benefit of using varieties resistant to iron-deficiency chlorosis, and the use of pollen viability to characterize heat or drought tolerance in breeding lines. The development of low-phytate soybeans, for use in swine diets, is still in the research phase. The K-State soybean breeding program released a Group III and Group V Roundup Ready variety this year through KSURF, which makes them available to Monsanto licensees for potential release as a commercial variety. We will be releasing an additional Group V Roundup Ready variety with cyst nematode resistance next year, also through KSURF. Conventional soybean varieties from K-State are released to the general public, through licensing agreements. The most popular K-State conventional soybean varieties are the large-seeded varieties, used in the tofu market. In general, the soybean breeding program at K-State continues to focus primarily on Group IV and V varieties with STS herbicide and soybean cyst nematode resistance. We are de-emphasizing our work with the current glyphosate resistance gene, anticipating the next-generation glyphosate resistance genes will be replacing the current glyphosate- 2

3 resistant varieties on the market in a few years. We are attempting to obtain a license to work with one or both of the new, next-generation products. -- Bill Schapaugh, Soybean Breeder wts@ksu.edu 2. Reducing atrazine runoff by 40 percent: A recent success story in Kansas In 2004, a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) project was initiated in the Little Arkansas River Basin in central Kansas. Participants in the project identified their number one goal as: Reduce atrazine herbicide in water to reach the goal of 3 ug/l, with no seasonal spikes. Little Arkansas River Basin Three subwatersheds within the Little Arkansas River Watershed were targeted for rapid implementation of best management practices (BMPs) for atrazine. The effort then consisted of three parts: * Education and Demonstration Program. This program was implemented by Ron Graber, Extension Watershed Specialist; Dale Ladd, McPherson County Extension Agent; and Rick Schlender, agronomist with the McPherson County Extension Office. The team demonstrated atrazine BMPs to farmers, pesticide dealers and applicators, and consultants in the watershed. Integrated Agricultural Management Sites (IAMS) were established on three farmer fields in McPherson County to study and demonstrate the effectiveness of BMPs for pesticides, sediments, and nutrients. Samplers were installed to capture runoff water for analysis. 3

4 * BMP Implementation Program. Incentive payments were made to farmers for implementing atrazine BMPs on grain sorghum fields within the three targeted watersheds. Payments were based on the amount of pollutant reduction practices the farmers were willing to implement, with a maximum of $6 per acre. Rick Schlender visited the farms to get them to sign up, and he followed up to check compliance. * Program Evaluation and Results. Of the 50 farmers Schlender visited, 41 signed up for the program. A total of 4,792 acres of grain sorghum had atrazine BMPs implemented as a result of this program. This represents about 37 percent of the total number of grain sorghum acres in the three targeted watersheds. Atrazine BMPs Implemented in Little Arkansas Watershed WRAPS Project Atrazine BMP Reduction in runoff factor No. of acres implemented Percent of total acres with BMPs Incorporate atrazine into top 2 inches prior to planting Early application: fall or prior to April 15 Postemergence application as part of premix Reduce soil-applied atrazine rates to 1 lb ai/acre or less Alternative crop Early application plus reduced soil applied rate No atrazine applied A paired watershed study was designed to determine water quality improvements with BMP implementation. An automated surface water monitoring system was installed in the streams at the base of the three watershed targeted for BMP implementation. The same monitoring system was also installed at the base of the two adjoining watersheds without BMP implementation. Water quality monitoring of treated and untreated watersheds in 2006 found approximately 40 percent lower atrazine concentrations in streams in the targeted watersheds in which BMPs had been implemented. In addition, average concentrations of atrazine in the Little Arkansas River in the summer months of 2006 were consistently below the 3 parts per billion goal. -- Dan Devlin, Environmental Quality Specialist 4

5 -- Phil Barnes, Biological and Agricultural Engineering 3. New developments in the carbon credit market in Kansas There are now two aggregators contracting with producers/landowners in Kansas for carbon credits to be sold through the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) in its carbon credit pilot project. An aggregator is an entity that accumulates and manages carbon credits. The aggregator acts as a middleman between the many producers who generate carbon credits on their land and the ultimate buyer or market exchange. * The Iowa Farm Bureau (IFB) is accepting contracts for its Pool 4 in the carbon credit pilot project. The signup period for this pool of credits lasts until June 30, For details and a contract, see: * The National Farmers Union (NFU) is accepting contracts for the carbon credit pilot project until November 3, 2006 for the crop years Signup after November 3, 2006 will be for crop years For details and a contract, see: Both of these aggregators are using similar contract provisions, and do not require any payments be made by producers to enter the program. The aggregator in these programs retains 10 percent of the selling price for its administrative fee. The IFB has been involved in the CCX project since The NFU s involvement began this year. Other aggregators may join in the future, especially if the program becomes permanent after the pilot project has ended. In addition, there is another carbon credit program being marketed primarily to rangeland managers in Kansas. This program requires a one-time upfront payment, along with an annual fee. The marketing mechanism is not specified. In the CCX program, producers or landowners sign a contract with either the IFB or NFU to sell carbon credits for them on the US carbon market exchange. In the eastern half of Kansas, the acreage eligible for this program includes no-till, strip-till, ridge-till, and new grass plantings made on or after Jan. 1, In the western half of Kansas, only new grass plantings are eligible. The map below shows how the state is divided for purposes of this program. 5

6 There are some requirements made of those who sign these contracts. Producers and landowners who enter into a contract must keep the land in no-till, strip-till, ridge-till, or new grass plantings continuously from A local entity will verify compliance. On the cropland acreage, soybeans cannot be planted more than three of the five years in the contract period. To be eligible to enter the program, the land must be capable of being cropped. If such lands are farmed with row crops during the pilot project period, such crops need to be produced in a compliant no-till manner. To define no-till, the CCX uses the definitions found in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Handbook of Conservation Practices. These definitions are: * No-till/Strip-till: Managing the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the surface year-round while growing crops in narrow slots or tilled or residue-free strips in soil previously untilled by full-width inversion implements. *Ridge-till: Managing the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the surface year-round while growing crops on pre-formed ridges alternated with furrows protected by crop residue. Tillage equipment that is classified as full-width inversion implements includes: Moldboard plow Chisel plow Tandem disk Offset disk Field cultivator Equipment that is allowable within the program includes: No-till, strip-till, and ridge-till planters No-till drill Ridge-till cultivator Rolling harrow 6

7 Liquid manure injector (see general guideline below) Anhydrous ammonia applicator Subsoiler/ripper with at least a 24-inch shank spacing Carbon credits in the program are issued at the rate of 0.5 metric tons CO2 equivalent per acre per year for those who commit to continuous conservation tillage (no-till, strip-till, or ridge-till) for the entire contract period. Carbon credits are issued at the rate of 0.75 metric tons CO2 equivalent per acre per year for new grass plantings. The aggregator will sell the aggregated carbon credits on the CCX board at a time of its choosing. The exact amount received depends on market conditions at the time of the sale. Current market prices are about $ per ton of CO2. This means a cropland payment could be around $ per acre. Prices can go up or down on a daily basis. Carbon offset prices on the CCX board can be checked daily on the CCX website: The contract is between the aggregator and the person who signs the contract, either the landowner or the operator. The party that signs the contract is the one responsible for fulfilling the contract. Whoever has functional control of the land and makes day-to-day decisions on the farm should sign the contract. -- Steve Watson, Agronomy e-update Editor swatson@ksu.edu These e-updates are a regular weekly item from K-State Extension Agronomy. All of the Research and Extension faculty in Agronomy will be involved as sources from time to time. If you have any questions or suggestions for topics you'd like to have us address in this weekly update, contact Jim Shroyer, Research and Extension Crop Production Specialist and State Extension Agronomy Leader jshroyer@ksu.edu 7