Environmental regulations often require firms that emit pollutants to limit emissions to a set level or to install specific emission-reducing technologies. While fairly straightforward, this command-and-control approach can be costly both to the firms and to society. Firms with high costs of pollution reduction and those with low costs are required to meet the same requirements, which may waste resources. Environmental credit trading, an alternative to command-and-control regulations, is a market-based approach to comply with regulations that could achieve pollution abatement goals at lower costs to society. Environmental credit trading allows regulated firms to meet their obligations by purchasing pollution abatement services (credits) from lower-cost providers. For example, the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments established a trading program between power plants to cut sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 50 percent from 1980 levels to control acid rain. The trading program has been a success, with emissions reductions exceeding the goal by 30 percent and annual cost savings estimated at $1 billion.

Source: USDA/ Amber Waves/ Marc Ribaudo, Robert Johansson, and Carol Jones, February 2006
Source URL: http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/February06/Features/FeatureUpdate.htm

Chemical engineering researchers at Oregon State University have developed a tiny chemical reactor for manufacturing biodiesel that is so efficient, fast and portable it could enable farmers to produce a cleaner-burning diesel substitute on their farms using seed crops they grow on their own land.

“This could be as important an invention as the mouse for your PC,” said Goran Jovanovic, the OSU professor who developed the biodiesel microreactor. “If we’re successful with this, nobody will ever make biodiesel any other way.”

Source: Oregon State University/ News Release/ Gregg Kleiner, Feb. 20, 2006
Source URL: http://che.oregonstate.edu/news/story/1695

Wisconsin officials are investigating a waste spill of up to 2,000 gallons at Wayside Dairy on Jan. 13. About 11 days after the spill, area residents began reporting contaminated wells.

The 1,000-cow farm did not report the spill immediately, but did file a written report, said a state official. The farm is located in the Branch River watershed, near the tiny community of Wayside.

Source: Manitowoc Herald Times/ Paul Brinkmann, Feb. 19, 2006
Source URL: http://www.htrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20060219/MAN0101/602190533/1358/MANnews

Frozen food stocks in refrigerated warehouses on January 31, 2006 were greater than year earlier levels for cheese, beef, pork, chicken, and eggs.

Butter stocks were up 95 percent from last month and up 48 percent from a year ago.

Source: USDA/ NASS, Feb. 21, 2006
Source URL: http://www.usda.gov/nass/PUBS/TODAYRPT/cost0206.txt

Fresh mozzarella. Gorgonzola, Camembert and Gouda. This isn't your grandfather's American cheese. Consumption of specialty cheeses is skyrocketing in the United States and - according to the International Dairy Foods Association 2005 report - supermarket sales of Gouda are up 23 percent, Muenster up 29 percent and Mexican cheese up 55 percent in just one year.

But unfortunately for local dairy farmers, most of these cheeses are imported.

Source: Oregon State University/ News Release/ Michele Taylor and Peg Herring, Jan. 18, 2006
Source URL: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/2006/Jan06/saycheese.htm

Your marketing plan calls for some corn and soybean sales, but there is a problem. The market keeps going up, and if you sell today, you’ll miss out on that nickel or dime the market will give you tomorrow. Can you count on the corn market getting stronger? Will soybeans fall out of bed when South American crops come out of the field? If inquiring minds want to know; let’s take a quick swing around the Cornbelt and visit the experts in Ye Olde Farm Gate Coffeeshop.

Source: Farmgate/ Stu Ellis/ University of Illinois, Feb. 21, 2006
Source URL: http://www.farmgate.uiuc.edu/archive/2006/02/post_14.html

The study was undertaken to investigate the validity of milk urea concentration as an index of the reproductive performances in crossbred Karan-Fries (Holstein FriesianxTharparkar) cows under farm condition.

The study indicates that the milk urea values may be used as an index of reproductive performances in dairy herd when individual animals are not being monitored for nutritional status. The altered milk urea values may be utilised by the farmers as ready reference to rectify the protein and energy nutrition in cows to achieve the better reproductive performances in herd.

Source: Usefulness of milk urea concentration to monitor the herd reproductive performances in crossbred Karan-Fries cows. Asian - Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 19 (1): 26-30, 2006. Dhali, A.; Mishra, D.P.; Mehla, R.K.; Sirohi, S.K.

In the example given here, a semirandom genome library of the bovine pathogen Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides small colony (SC) biotype was cloned into lambda ZAP Express, and two strongly immunodominant clones, lambda-A8 and lambda-B1, were identified and subsequently tested for vaccine potential against M. mycoides subsp. mycoides SC biotype-induced mycoplasmemia.

Bacteriophage-mediated immunoscreening using an appropriate vector system offers a rapid and simple technique for the identification and immediate testing of putative candidate vaccines from a variety of pathogens.

Source: Phage library screening for the rapid identification and in vivo testing of candidate genes for a DNA vaccine against Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides small colony biotype. Infection and Immunity 74 (1): 167-174, 2006. March, J.B.; Jepson, C.D.; Clark, J.R.; Totsika, M.; et al.

Ohio State University Extension, along with a small number of livestock producers in Athens and Hocking counties, will launch demonstration plots in the coming weeks to evaluate the performance of lespedeza, especially in southern Ohio where the legume is most likely to be used. The project is for one year.

"We'll be looking at a lespedeza variety called Legend," said Rory Lewandowski, educator, OSU Extension Athens and Hocking counties. "Trials conducted with this variety in Arkansas and Missouri have shown the legume produces better yields and has a higher rate of performance than other legumes used in frost seeding. So we want to see if the variety will work just as well in this area."

Source: Ag Answers/ Ohio State University and Purdue University/ News Release, Feb. 10, 2006
Source URL: http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agcomm/aganswers/story.asp?storyID=4145

All cases of Asian soybean rust on soybeans in the United States have occurred after soybeans have flowered. Being able to predict when flowering will occur can play a key role in scouting for the disease and ultimately reducing crop loss.

To determine if current predications are correct, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture in conjunction with Wheat Tech Inc., a crop consulting firm in Russellville, Ky., conducted a study in 2005. The study included two varieties from each of four soybean maturity groups which were planted in three locations in the state – Lexington, Keysburg and Adairville, said Chad Lee, UK plant and soil scientist.

Source: University of Kentucky/ News Release/ Laura Skillman, Feb. 15, 2006
Source URL: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/news/2006/Feb/soyflower.htm