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Agriculture: the
Cool, early spring predicted to
Spring is about two weeks
late and because of this, there
prob;ibly will be a low yield on
many grain crops across
Nebraska,. Ron Radenz,
assistant director of the
Sta to-Federal Agency of
Statistics said last week.
Characteristic of the late
spring are cool temperatures
and cloudy skies, he said. In
additior. poor moisture
supplies last fall and winder
snowstorm damage has delayed
spring planting in some parts of
Nebraska, he said.
Average
farm
income
$61,374
From crop
Their blanV faces staring out
to well-fed Americans aroused
sorrow and anger throughout
the country. These million who
die daily from starvation.
The Biafra tragedy will
continue to spread across the
world, acco-ding to Dr. Lowell
Satterlee, associate professor of
food science and technology
"If we can't keep up uith
the demand now, how can we
in the future unless we develop
other food sources?" he asked.
And that's what Satterlee and
his researchers are do'nt -finding
new way? to utilize
plant and animal protein.
Using Nebraska agricultural
products, Satterlee extracts
protein from some products
not now associated with
human consumption. Then
those proteins are added to
existing foods.
Alfalfa is one of these
sources, since it has four times
the protein of soybeans,
Satterlee said. Soybeans now
are used to make tcxturizecl
vegetable protein (TVP) which
is used to extend and fortify
meat';.
Yeast is another high source
-S
Radenz also said there is a
possibility of a good yield of
corn, sorghum and soybean,
crops in Eastern Nebraska. But,
he said, it's too early to make
accurate predictions.
A report on the crop and
harvest outlook for spring will
be released May 9, he added.
By then, "a fairly accurate
picture should be avails, le," he
said.
So far this year, the wheat
crop outlook has been poor to
fair across the state, he noted
In addition, the seed supply
By Deb Gray
To talk about Nebraska without the faimer is like talking fbout
a heaven without a god a the Rolling Stones without Mick Japger.
It is the state's largest industry. Ore out of two people arc affected
directly by farm production.
Nebraska leads the nation in total acreage tievoted to farm
production, according to Clenn Dreuscher, Nebraska state director
of agriculture. Ninety-eight per cent of the state's availabk farm
land - 48 million acres - is devoted to food production.
The Sandhills, once a desert area, is now cn oasis for cattle
ranchers, Kreuscher said.
"The story of the Sardhills is one of the greatest success stories
protein to food products
of protein. Concentrates
developed from yeast are
already on the market,
Satterlee said.
Amoco Co. - "The gas
com'xnies have gotten into th;
e 1
hf Mid is
already selling a yeast
concentrate. Synthesized yeast
protein is used in combination
wf th soy in meat products and
in soup, bakinjj and flavoring
products.
Since food is a marketable
item, SiUterlec said his research
is also aimed Et the export
market.
In a past project, S;tterlee
said he Studied grain
distillation, of which alcohol is
a high source of protein, he
said.
The fermen'ation process
creates more protein, Satterlee
said, since yeast, a high source
of protein, uses only the sugar
from grain products.
Sattelcf said the
alcohol-concentrate protein
produced is a thing of the
future. "We're developing a
store of knowledge so if world
demand for food gets too tight
in the future, man has the
state's standard-bearer
in Nebraska is "shorter than
normal because crop yields
were down laft year," Raden
said.
For example, in somn parts
of Nebraska, there was no corn
yields because of the drought
he said.
The crops that were lost
were started in good soil just
like this year's crops will be, he
said. This examplifies the
difficulty in making crop
forcasts early in the season, he
added.
"But for the most part,
technology in his disjosal to
come up with other food
sources."
Money for his research, he
said, comes primarily from the
National Science Foundation,
the State of Nebraska (through
th Department of 3:cnomic
Development and the
Department of Agriculture)
and from industry.
Research now is
concentrated on pasta and
emulsified meat products.
"We're studying sausage
now and he' soy goes into it.
Do we have anything we could
use better than soy that would
give the nwt a better flavor?"
Satterlee said the rewards of
his work outweigh the cost of
research.
"Economically, we could
pay for our research with any
one of these products. They all
have tremendous potential.
Besides, I have a feeling that
we're doing something for
mankind. In the next ten years,
with an increasing world
population, we're going to have
a real shortage. We have only a
seven year's surplus of wh.1;!
now," he said.
lower crop yields
there should be no trouble in
getting seed unless there is a lot
of replanting to do this spring"
he said.
"Farmers may not always
get the hybrid they want, but
they should be able to get
seed." he said.
Radenz also noted that
there is a fertilizer shortage in
Nebraska this year. Locally the
supply should be adequate, he
said, but there could be a
severe shortage nationally.
The shortage is caused
primarily by a "nitrogen
mwy'wrasCTBrTiTiim """
in the history of agriculture," Kreuscher said. "At one time it was
the great American desert. Now it raises top heards of beef."
Drought affects
Through irrigation, the Sandhills opened "cn aspect of
agriculture never thought of by the pioneers."
The average farmer in Nebraska farms 687 acres of land. Each
farm takes in $61,374 in cash receipts, $14,819 of that income.
The individual totals add up to the state's largest source of cash
income.
The 1974 drought will affect this year's income, according to
Doug Murfield, state-federal agriculture statisticiar Every dollar
loss for the farmer means a fivc-ard-a-half dollar loss in the state's
economy, he said.
Corn is Nebraska's largest cash crop, Murfield said. Nebraska
exports about 40 per ccr:f of its corn. Much of Ihis orn stays
within the United States. California is a big marke - Nebraska
exported 60 million bushels of cor i lo that state last year, Murfield
said.
Sorghum and wheat ?;e the other major cash crops in the state..
Murfield said.
More cattle slaughtered
Cash receipts from livestock - primarily cattle - comprise over
half of Nebraska'k Kgaculiuia! production. Nebraskans f ehtir
more cattle than any other state, Kreuscher said. Between 75 to 80
per cent of Ncltaska beef is sent ou.r.k the state.
UNL research is production oriented, Kreuscher said. Much of
the research is demoted to genetic research, UNL professors
working to come up with lines of wheat best suited to the
Nebraska climate.
Nebraska geography is unique, Kreuscher said, because "it's
where the corn belt meets the range." It's the only Midwestern
state that grows a variety of cash crops instead of specializing in
one crop such as corn or wheat. Besides corn and wheat. Nebraska
also products the largest great northern bean crop in the country.
Major setbacks
Corporate farming is not necessarily a bad thing, Kreuscher said.
"Why shouldn't agriculture have some of the tools that business
has?" he asked.
The continued pressure for money will make this year a crucial
one for farmers, Kreuscher said.
Cattle ranchers have suffered major setbacks Curing the last
several years - losses which they haven't recovered. Last year
ranchers lost one billion dollars in livestock revenue.
"If the drought contin'jes, and the depress! situation
continues, then it will be hard for the farmer to establish
credibility for loar.r. The farmer is in a real financial vise at a time
in histo'-y when the world needs all tin; food it can get.
Nebr. State Historical Society
problem in Nebraska because
supplies are pretty tight," he
said.
He projected the fertilizer
shortage to continue through
1980.
UNL Agronomist, Don
Sander, agreed that there isn't
a fertilizer surplus in Nebraska
and added that there should U:
an "adequate supply if farmers
are willing to pay the price."
"Fin sure there would be a
serious shortage if the price
was lower and farmers civile'
plant as much as they wanted
and needed," he said.