Land and Livestock Post

February February 2017 2017 —— Issue Issue 1

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News From the General Manager

W

hen I was straight out of college, I took a job in Beaumont.

My stint in the Golden Triangle was very short-lived, and for reasons that were not necessarily my fault, I was let go after about six months. Turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me, but at the time I was devastated.

Of course, being a young man with no wife, no kids, no mortJESSE WRIGHT gage, it seemed only prudent that I go to a party a few hours after being laid off. And that is just what I did.

At the party, a friend of mine had brought his four-wheeler, and people were taking turns riding it around the pasture. I had never driven a fourwheeler before, but my friend let me hop

on all the same and take it for a spin. It was exhilirating. All the anger and frustration from my recent firing seemed to disappear under my thumb as I pushed the throttle. I got a litle more daring, going faster and faster, veering from the path, really going off-road. I crested a hill, fearless against this world that had spit me out, and then quickly realized the hill was, in fact, a dam, and I flew through the air a little and landed with a splash in a pond. Talk about bad days getting worse.

There was a split second, while I was under water, that I was still desperately gripping the handlebars, trying to steer my way out of the situation I had foolishly gotten myself into. But, I realized that oxygen was important, and let go and swam to shore.

Danny, the friend who owned the fourwheeler, was anything but pleased. But he helped me pull the machine out of

the pond, prop it up to get all the water out, and assured me that everything was going to be OK. I offered to pay for whatever needed to be fixed, but, knowing my current employment situation, he just said, “You don’t need to worry about it right now.”

He never said a word about it again.

Now, he wasn’t chomping at the bit to let me ride his four-wheeler again, but he never held it against me either.

Danny passed away last month, at the age of 38. I figure I’ve known Danny for about 35 of his 38 years. He wasn’t my best friend, but he was my friend, and I’ll miss him. Luckily, I got the chance to tell him that before he passed, but such is not always the case. So, be sure to let those around you know how you feel about them. It can be something as simple as a phone call, a visit, or not beating them up when you drive their ATV in a pond.

I know that is a somber introduction to this issue, but I swear it picks up from here. In this issue we look at genetic editing and how it works and how it can benefit agriculture. We also have news from around the industry as well as information about upcoming sales and events. Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading. ’Til next time,

• For more information about content or advertising,contact Jesse Wright at jesse. wright@theeagle.com.

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Research trials focus on winter pasture stocking winter and spring forages.

For producers, success or failure in their investment in small grain and ryegrass seed, planting and fertilizing is determined by the weight gained by each calf and gain per acre by April or May, Rouquette said. The aver-

By AdAm Russell Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

O

VERTON — Profits in stocker production can be as green as winter pastures when conditions are right and producers apply correct stocking strategies, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research expert — and research trials at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton are focusing on identifying optimal strategies and stocking rates for producers.

Monte Rouquette, an AgriLife Research forage physiologist in Overton, said his research on proper stocking rates for winter pastures considers various hypothetical scenarios producers might face when investing in

age daily gain, gain per animal and gain per acre will determine whether a producer’s decision to plant winter pastures was worthwhile.

Rouquette said evaluating

See STOCKING, Page 6

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Stocker calves being placed on pasture, a mixture of Mayton rye and Nelson ryegrass, as part of a Texas A&M AgriLife Research winter pasture trial focused on optimal stocking rates for winter pastures.

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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News moderate to light stocking rates and strategies in the fall but then increase the stocking rate in the spring, February through April, to match the forage growth.

“Sometimes we miss the optimum gains with a treatment and sometimes we hit it, but that is what we are looking at, how to optimize the use of the available forage,” he said.

To start his most recent trial, Rouquette recently placed two

600-pound winter-born weaned stocker calves, or 1,200 pounds of bodyweight, per acre on several separate winter pastures of Mayton rye and Nelson ryegrass mix planted in October and fertilized in late November.

Rouquette said the winter pastures are planted with 100 pounds of Mayton rye and 30 pounds of Nelson ryegrass per acre and

See RESEARCH, Page 7

SALE EACH SATURDAY Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Adam Russell

Stocker calves being placed on pasture, a mixture of Mayton rye and Nelson ryegrass, as part of a Texas A&M AgriLife Research winter pasture trial focused on optimal stocking rates for winter pastures.

Stocking, from Page 5 profits after the fact always is easy but that his goal is to provide producers “advance warning” and expectation for gains from different stocking strategies.

“The research emphasis is to evaluate stocking strategies for stocker cattle and for cows and calves,” he said. “The opportunities are to know the extent of for-

age growth to expect in the fall, winter and spring, and what kind of stocking rate needs to be used to make appropriate forage utilization. That is where you can make or break an opportunity for profit.”

Rouquette incorporates different stocking strategies, or what he calls treatments, based on the timing of forage production and stocking rates. He may use

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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News Research, from Page 7 then receive between 150-200 pounds of nitrogen per acre in split applications.

Winter and spring stocking rates vary with climatic conditions, he said. Experiments with certain forage varieties and/or stocking rates last two to five seasons.

Rouquette’s research historically has involved several different varieties and variety mixtures of forages, including Elbon rye, Gulf and TAM 90 ryegrasses.

The grazing strategies Rouquette incorporates are based on plot data information that has been collected over the past 30 years. This also includes data compiled by forage breeders, forage physiologists and soil fertility researchers at Overton.

The small plot research iden-

Garden, from Page 4 to grow throughout the winter months to reduce future weed production.

“Weeds still germinate and grow this time of year so be mindful to rid your garden of them,” he said.

Gardeners with existing plants also should be mindful of possible pests such as aphids.

Stored vegetables, such as onions or garlic, should be sorted and any spoiled or rotting plant materials should be removed, he said.

January is also a good time to take soil samples and send them off to a lab for testing that can direct a soil improvement regimen for fruits or vegetables, he said.

tifies varieties that are good for East Texas soils and weather conditions, when to plant, when to fertilize, when to initiate stocking and how many animals to stock per acre.

For a more comprehensive look at Rouquette’s stocking strategies go to bit.ly/2iZ29uG. Previous small plot data suggests that cereal grain rye is the most productive forage during cold winter months, he said.

The rye-ryegrass mix has a minor forage production peak in the fall, Rouquette said, followed by almost no growth in January.

But by Feb. 15, when days begin getting longer, and nights and days start to get warmer, the pastures begin what Rouquette calls the “spring flush.”

Rouquette said the winter pastures can produce forage from mid-February through late April Gardeners can prepare potting mix to have it ready to start seedlings, he said. Masabni recommends a bag of peat mixed with 1 gallon of perlite and 2 cups of Osmocote, a slow–release fertilizer.

It’s also not too late to plant a cover crop, such as mustard, Austrian winter peas or clover, he said. Plant cover crops close together and cut them multiple times when they reach 6-8 inches tall, and let the cuttings stay on the soil surface. Two weeks before planting a spring garden, incorporate the cover crop into the soil.

“Cover crops can provide up to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre, so they are a great fertilizer,” he said. “It’s natural and free.”

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to support stocking rates two to three times the fall stocking rate if weather conditions allow and pastures are fertilized properly.

Rouquette said the g razing studies he performs are done with replicated small pastures of about 3-4 acres each.

Producers have a lot to consider when it comes to maximizing their investment in animals, including forage, he said. Animal health is paramount because a dead animal is a total loss.

There is the cost of cattle, the estimated cost of gains by cattle before sale and eventual price of cattle at market, he said. Producers also must consider what the value of their cattle is in October and what the predicted value will be based on expected gains and the market in April or May. Producers should expect an average of 2-3 pounds per day gain from calves, but gains depend on stocking rates and the amount of forage available for consumption, Rouquette said.

Too many animals can overgraze a pasture and too few can lead to unused forage, he said.

Producers should have a plan A, plan B and plan C that can be employed if factors such as uncooperative weather or overstocking occur, he said. For instance, moving the cattle to a pasture that is not overseeded where hay or supplements can be provided might be used as a sacrifice area when forage growth cannot provide adequate ration for cattle.

This would be better than allowing the winter pasture from being overgrazed below 2-3 inches, which doesn’t produce proper regrowth, especially during the spring flush.

“You’ve got to have an escape route in case you’ve g razed forage too severely,” he said.

“Most producers don’t plan to overstock, but if they are not prepared for the next 30 days of weather events and prepared to make adjustments to their stocking rates, they could find them-

selves in trouble.”

Rouquette said winter grazing requires constant checking and possible adjustments, whether it’s removing or adding cattle, adding fertilizer or moving electric fencing. It’s better to be in a position where cattle are added to adjust to spring flush than removing cattle because pastures are overstocked, he said.

A g reat indicator of proper stocking rates can be made by a visual appraisal of the height of forage and spot grazing, which means areas of refusal where cattle have defecated and moved to graze other parts of the pasture, Rouquette said.

“Probably the most difficult thing in production is making a stocking rate work,” he said.

“But it’s always better to be lightly stocked and have to put more calves and cows in a pasture for adjustment rather than have too many stocker cattle and not have options other than to sell at too light a weight.”

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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News

Five myths surrounding the Veterinary Feed Directive

By LeiLana McKindra Oklahoma State University

STILLWATER, Oklahoma — While it is true change can be a good thing, it rarely occurs without a learning curve. Not surprisingly, then, that is the case with the Veterinary Feed Directive after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently tightened the federal rule.

As of Jan. 1, producers must obtain an authorization or prescription to purchase medically important antibiotics and administer them to food animals through feed and drinking water.

Medically important antibiotics are medicines critical to treating human diseases.

Chris Richards, Oklahoma State University Extension and research beef cattle nutrition specialist, debunked five myths surrounding the Veterinary Feed Directive since the stricter rule went into effect this month: • Myth 1 — Feed antibiotics will not be available to producers for their livestock.

Antibiotics will be available to producers for the treatment, prevention and control of disease.

“Producers will have to have a relationship with their veterinarian and get a VFD to use the feed antibiotics,” Richards said.

• Myth 2 — A Veterinary Feed Directive is required to feed any feed additives.

This can be true for producers feeding an antibiotic that requires a Veterinary Feed Directive.

When a veterinarian fills out the Veterinary Feed Directive authorization, there are three options — no additional feed additive included in the diet, feed additives listed on the Veterinary Feed Directive may be fed with the antibiotic or the antibiotic can be fed with any legal feed additives.

“As in the past, antibiotics have approved combinations with other drugs that still must be followed. The feeding of ionophores, coccidiostats, insect

8

Example of a Veterinary Feed Directive

growth regulators, wormers and other such products will not require a Veterinary Feed Directive unless fed with an antibiotic that requires a Veterinary Feed Directive,” Richards said. “Many other feed additives such as probiotics and enzymes are not considered drugs and can be fed in any combination.”

• Myth 3 — My feed dealer will not be able to have my feed until I provide a Veterinary Feed Directive.

A feed dealer can make and warehouse feed that contains antibiotics. The dealer must have a valid Veterinary Feed Directive

who feed antibiotics and buy and sell multiple lots of cattle will need to maintain records that also include information about the groups of animals fed and feeding dates.

• Myth 5 — Many animals will not have feed antibiotics available to them.

Feed antibiotics always have required being fed strictly by label directions and not even veterinarians could use them “off label.” This continues to be the case.

“Guidance documents have been released recently allowing some discretion on the part of veterinarians on use of these products in minor species such as goats, sheep, bees and lamas, that have few products available to them,” Richards said. “Veterinarians will have discretion

to use feed antibiotics in minor species to prevent suffering and death.”

The FDA moved to strengthen the Veterinary Feed Directive in an effort to promote more judicious use of antibiotics in food animals.

Specifically, the regulation places restrictions on livestock usage of types of antibiotics that also are used in human medicine.

For more information on the Veterinary Feed Directive, go to www.fda.gov and search for “Veterinary Feed Directive” and contact the local county Extension office.

Courtesy of Zoetis Services LLC to sell that feed to a producer.

• Myth 4 — This is going to require a lot of paperwork.

“Many producers don’t feed antibiotics and won’t be affected by the regulations,” Richards said. “Most cow-calf producers who feed antibiotics and have a relationship with a veterinarian and feed dealer will find the process is easy to complete a couple times a year with their veterinarian.”

For most operations, attaching the Veterinary Feed Directive to the feed bill and keeping it with pertinent records will be acceptable documentation. Producers

February 2017 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

The Land & Livestock Post

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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News

Gene therapy

Engineering to feed the world

By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

T

he current world population of 7.3 billion is expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100, as stated in a 2015 report from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

In the 2012 Census of Agriculture, slightly more than 40 percent of the United States is farmland from which a large portion of the world is fed.

Of the 915 million acres of U.S. land in agricultural production during 2012, 45.4 percent was permanent pasture, 42.6 percent cropland and 8.4 percent in forests or woodlands.

The remaining 3.6 percent was land in farmsteads, buildings, livestock facilities and other similar uses.

More than 600,000 farms and ranches received most of their income from producing cattle and calves; but the number of such operations declined 6 percent between 2007 and 2012.

A burgeoning world population will require a tremendous increase in food production from a stable to shrinking land base.

The only way to meet these requirements is through continued development of new technology that improves production efficiency.

In beef cattle and other livestock industries, advanced breeding technics will play a significant role in enhancement of animal performance.

One example of new promising breeding technology is gene editing.

To understand gene editing, we might need to review some basic biology.

Every living organism contains chro-

10

mosomes which are two strands of DNA twisted together in a double helix. The DNA strand contains multiple genes that are made of nucleotide chains.

There are four types of nucleotides: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C)

and guanine (G). A DNA strand contains an ordered string of these nucleotides that is the genetic code. The genetic code dictates the type of proteins to be produced, and hence the traits of an animal or plant.

February 2017 — Issue 1

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Gene editing process

“Gene editing is a category of methods used to precisely edit or change genetic code,” said Alison Van Eenennaam of

See GENE, Page 11

The Land & Livestock Post

News

Photos by Robert Fears

Above, polled cattle can be achieved with gene editing. On the cover, gene editing offers an opportunity to develop seedstock with improved performance traits faster than through natural selection.

Gene, from Page 10 the University of California, Davis. “This technology enables researchers to add, delete or replace letters (A, T, C and G) in the code. In the same way spell check on a computer identifies and corrects single letter errors in a word or grammar errors in a sentence, gene editing is used to identify and change the letters that compose the genetic code within an individual.”

“Targeting only one spot in one single gene was by far the hardest part of developing the gene editing process,” said Stacy Wirt of Stanford University. “Without the help of a plant bacterial gene called TAL (transcription activator-like), scientists could have struggled for years with this challenge.

TAL is a protein injected into plants by a family of bacteria.

These TAL proteins can recognize a unique DNA sequence of A, C, G and T. “Scientists have cracked the code that TAL proteins use to find the right gene. TAL proteins are made up of different building blocks and each block recognizes one DNA letter: ei-

ther an A, C, G or T. Geneticists can now mix and match the building blocks in the lab. The result is a TAL protein that can find and go to almost any targeted gene.

“The second step was to develop the cutting tool,” Wirt said. “For this, scientists turned to a second bacterial gene called endonucleases which are designed to chop any foreign, invading DNA. The primitive immune system helps protect bacteria from viruses. Scientists combine the TAL that recognizes the targeted gene, with the endonucleases that cut the target. This combination produces the editing tool, called a TALEN. “Once the TALEN makes the cut and the desired letter sequence is added, a cell does rest of the work. Cells already can and do fix mistakes in their DNA using a process called homologous recombination. Geneticists are simply hijacking a system already in place.”

Uses of gene editing

“The currently available set

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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News Variants, from Page 11 of gene editing technologies have been used for a relatively small number of livestock applications to date,” US Davis’ Van Eenennaam said. “Gene editing was used to produce genetically hornless Holstein dairy cattle by replacing the horned allele with a naturally-occurring Angus polled allele.”

An allele is one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome. In almost all animal cells, two alleles for each gene are inherited, one from each parent. Paired alleles (one on each of two paired chromosomes) that are the same are called homozygous, and those that are different are called heterozygous.

“In swine, gene editing was used to confer resilience to African Swine Fever Virus and to develop protection from porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome (PRRS) virus,” Van Eenennaam said.

“It was also used to introduce changes in the myostatin gene in sheep and cattle. Turning off this gene results in muscle growth. Naturally occurring mutations (alleles) in the myostatin gene have been historically selected by animal breeders, as exemplified by the double-muscled Belgian Blue breed of cattle.

“Gene editing actually mimics processes involved in selective breeding and natural selection,” Van Eenennaam said.

“Breeders work with genetic variation that exists within a species to select breeding animals. Ultimately all of this variation has risen from naturally occurring mutations.

“Although the word, ‘mutation’, sounds negative, it simply refers to variations in DNA sequences.

“These variations, or mutations, are responsible for virtually all genetic differences

12

which exist between individuals. For example, mutations are the reason for an individual having blue eyes instead of brown.

“Different mammals have many of the same genes; yet the genetic code in those genes differs among animals of different breeds, and even among animals within the same breed.

Except for identical twins, there are literally millions of DNA sequence variations between two individuals of any species,” Van Eenennaam said.

“An enormous number of genetic variants have accumulated within cattle since the advent of domestication and selective breeding. These variants are due to naturally occurring processes that lead to a small number of mutations occurring in every generation. Occasionally, mutations result in a genetic condition such as red or black coat color or an undesirable disease condition such as dwarfism.

“Gene editing offers opportunity to increase frequency of desirable alleles in an individual or a breed more rapidly than could occur through conventional breeding,” Van Eenennaam said.

“Possibilities include editing several alleles for different traits at one time while using conventional selection methods to keep making genetic progress toward breeding objectives.

“Opportunities include selection for disease resistance, polled and corrections of known genetic defects.”

Through gene editing, we have an opportunity to develop breeding stock with desirable traits for improved performance at a more rapid pace than depending solely on natural selection.

Innovations in animal breeding, like gene editing, are necessary to hasten the pace of providing an increased food supply for a rapidly growing world population.

February 2017 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Understanding the three stages of parturition in cattle

by Glenn Selk Oklahoma State University

As the spring calving season approaches, an increased understanding of the parturition process is helpful. The more we understand about the physiology of the process, the more likely we are to make sound decisions about providing assistance. Parturition, or calving, is generally considered to occur in three stages.

Stage 1

The first stage of parturition is dilation of the cervix. The normal cervix is tightly closed right up until the cervical plug is completely dissolved. In stage 1, cervical dilation begins some 2 to 24 hours before the completion of parturition (2 to 6 hours would be most common). During this time the “progesterone block” no longer is present and the uterine muscles are becoming more sensitive to all factors that increase the rate and strength of contractions.

At the beginning, the contractile forces primarily influence the relaxation of the cervix but uterine muscular activity is still rather quiet. Stage 1 is likely to go unnoticed completely, but there may be some behavioral

differences such as isolation or discomfort. At the end of stage one, there may be come behavioral changes such as elevation of the tail, switching of the tail and increased mucous discharge.

Also relaxation (softening) of the pelvic ligaments near the pinbones may become evident visually, giving a “sunken” appearance on each side of the tailhead. Checking for complete cervical dilation is important before forced extraction (“pulling”) of the calf is attempted.

Stage 2

The second stage of parturition is defined as the delivery of the newborn. It begins with the entrance of the membranes and fetus into the pelvic canal and ends with the completed birth of the calf. So the second stage is the one in which we really are interested. This is where we find all of the action. Clinically, and from a practical aspect, we would define the beginning of stage 2 as the appearance of membranes or water bag at the vulva.

The traditional texts, f act sheets, magazines, and other publications that we read state that stage 2 in cattle lasts from 2 to 5 hours. As has been illustrated, data from Oklahoma State University and the USDA experi-

Farm economics survey underway Special to The Post

AUSTIN — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will spend several months gathering information about farm economics and production practices from farmers and ranchers across Texas, as the agency conducts the third and final phase of the 2016 Agricultural Resource Management Survey. “[It] is the only survey program that provides an annual update to the financial picture based on both income and expense data,” said Wilbert Hundl

Jr., director of the National Agricultural Statistics Service Southern Plains Region.

The economic data gathered in Agricultural Resource Management Survey will be published in the annual Farm Production Expenditures report on Aug. 3.

All National Agricultural Statistics Service reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.

The USDA Economic Research Service also plans to release a series of reports based on survey data. All will be available on the agency’s site at www.ers. usda.gov.

The Land & Livestock Post



ment station at Miles City, Montana, would indicate that stage two is much shorter.

In these studies, assistance was given if stage two progressed more than two hours after the appearance of water bag at the vulva. The interesting thing about the data was that the heifers calving unassisted, did so in about one hour after the initiation of stage two, and mature cows calved within an average of 22 minutes of the initiation of stage two. Those that took longer needed assistance.

These and other data would indicate that normal stage two of parturition would be redefined as approximately 60 minutes for heifers and 30 minutes for adult cows.

In heifers, not only is the pelvic opening smaller, but also the soft

tissue has never been expanded.

Older cows have had deliveries before and birth should go quite rapidly unless there is some abnormality such as a very large calf, backwards calf, leg back or twins. If the cow or heifer is making good progress with each strain, allow her to continue on her own.

Know your limitations. Seek professional veterinary help soon if you encounter a problem that cannot be solved easily in minutes.

Stage 3

The third stage of parturition is the shedding of the placenta or fetal membranes. In cattle this normally occurs in less than 8 to 12 hours. The membranes are considered retained if after 12 hours they have not been shed.

Years ago it was considered necessary to remove the membranes by manually “unbuttoning” the attachments. Research has shown that manual removal can be detrimental to uterine health and future conception rates. Administration of antibiotics usually will guard against infection and the placenta will slough out in 4 to 7 days. Contact your veterinarian for the proper management of retained placenta.

An important ingredient for your calving season preparation is the Oklahoma State University Extension “Circular E-1006: Calving Time Management for Beef Cows and Heifers.“ Cow calf producers will want to download this free circular and read it before the first calf is born this spring.

Subscribe to the award-winning ng and receive 24 issues of the latest ag news and u u! information about the issues that affect you!

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February 2017 — Issue 1

13

News

Application changes sought for Topguard Terra label

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

WACO — Cotton root rot disease continues to be a major threat to Texas cotton, but there are options available to farmers to fend off potential threats or lessen the potential economic hardship, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service plant pathologist in College Station.

Tom Isakeit gave an update on cotton root rot research at the recent Blackland Income Growth Conference in Waco.

The fungicide Topguard Terra has a Section 3 full label registration for control of cotton root rot, Isakeit said. The recent trials in Texas fields focused on evaluating different methods of application. He said these alternative methods are intended to minimize the risk of phytotoxicity that sometimes occur when Topguard Terra is applied at planting.

“With pre-plant treatment application, if the fungicide is right on the planted row

4-6 inches deep, it’s quite effective,” Isakeit said. “Topguard is very persistent, so it can be applied several weeks before planting. Generally, it’s going to remain where it is applied and won’t leach out. Our research is demonstrating effectiveness if it is banded on the row before emergence or banded over the emerged seedlings. However, with these methods, rain or overhead irrigation is needed afterwards to activate the fungicide.”

Side-dressing has been evaluated over several years and it doesn’t seem to work, he said.

“You have to get the fungicide close to the plant for it to be effective,” Isakeit said.

At present, application of the fungicide at planting is the only legal method of application. FMC, the manufacturer of Topguard Terra, has applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for an

See ROT, Page 15

Photo courtesy of apsnet.org

An image from 1927 shows the effect of cotton root rot on a field of cotton. Efforts continue to prevent the disease in thousands of varieties of plants.

FEBRUARY Feb. 2

Offering Martin-Bruni Cattle Co., San Saba, TX

Feb. 4

Feb. 25

Houston All Breeds Registered Range Bull Sale, Houston, TX

Feb. 25

International Brahman Sale, Houston, TX

MARCH Mar. 1

Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering Cattleman’s Kind Simmentals, San Saba, TX

Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker & Feeder Sale, San Saba, TX Southwestern Exposition Invitational 30th Annual Commercial Heifer Sale, Fort Worth, TX

Feb. 4

Jackson Co. Cattle Raisers Assoc.

Premium Bull & Replacement Female Sale, Edna, TX

Feb. 4

Southwestern Expo Select Breeders Quarter Horse Sale, Fort Worth, TX

Feb. 4

South Texas Hereford Assn. Sale, Beeville, TX

Feb. 11

South Texas BBA Rose Classic Sale, San Antonio, TX

Feb. 11

Bradley 3 Ranch Ltd. Bull Sale, Estelline, TX

Feb. 25

44 Farms Angus Bull Sale, Cameron, TX Jordan Cattle Auction Early Spring Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX

The Oaks Farms Range Ready Brangus Bull Sale, Navasota, TX

Thomas Charolais Inc. Spring Bull Sale, Raymondville, TX

Mar. 2

Jordan Cattle Auction Stocker-Feeder & Premium Weaned Sale, San Saba, TX

Mar. 4

Foundation Angus Alliance Sale, Luling, TX

Mar. 8

Mar. 16

Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX

Mar. 8 Mar. 9

Mar. 10

Houston Magic Beefmaster Sale, Houston, TX

Mar. 10

Mar. 7

Mar. 18

ABBA National F1 Female & Brahman Sale, Caldwell, TX

Mar. 18

South Texas Beefmaster Breeders Assn.

Sale, Houston, TX

SE TX ICA Bull & Female Sale, Beaumont, TX

Mar. 10

Mar. 23

Mar. 4

Houston International Simmental/ Simbrah Sale, Houston, TX

Mar. 18

44 Farms Angus Bull Sale, Abilene, TX

Mar. 18

Genetic Development Center Best of the Test Brangus Cattle Sale, Navasota, TX

Feb. 16

McKellar Angus Bull Sale, Mt. Pleasant, TX

Tested by Time Brangus Sale at Mound Creek Ranch Leona, TX

Mar. 4

W4 Hereford Ranch Bull & Commercial Female Sale, Morgan, TX South TX Cattle Marketing Female Sale, Nixon, TX

Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull

Mar. 16

Mid Coast Santa Gertrudis Sale, Houston, TX

Feb. 15

All Breeds Bull & Commercial Female Sale, San Antonio, TX

Mar. 8

Houston All Breeds Commercial Female Sale, Houston, TX

Mar. 11

Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering JE Red Angus Ranch, San Saba, TX

Mar. 25

Bluebonnet Classic Santa Gertrudis Sale, Hallettsville, TX

Mar. 11

Evans Angus Female Sale, Proctor, TX

Mar. 25

Mar. 11

Cavender and Sturgess Double Charolais Bull & Female Sale, Jacksonville, TX

Genetic Edge Brangus Sale, Houston, TX

Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed? Call Jesse Wright (979) 731-4721 or email jesse.wright@theeagle.com

14

February 2017 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Rot, from Page 14 amended label to include other application methods, and it is hopeful this will be granted prior to the start of planting in 2017, Isakeit said.

“Growers need to follow the current label until the amendment has been approved,” he said.

Isakeit said that it was a challenge to establish trials at the Stiles Farm Foundation near Thrall last year. Planting, delayed by frequent rains, finally was accomplished on June 10.

Then, it turned dry.

“There was no rain until July 27 and also, very little disease.

Additional rain in August led to increasing disease from early September into October, and consequently, provided some useful data,” Isakeit said.

“In our design, we apply treatments to two adjacent rows, leaving two non-treated on either side. The non-treated rows can verify that the pathogenic fungus is present and active. It’s quite common that the fungus is consistently limited to portions of a field.

“Some growers can take advantage of this predictability and, using GPS technology, can apply the fungicide only to portions of the field where it has been previously seen.

“One of the farmers we worked with this year used prescription maps to apply the fungicide. In one field, out of 101 acres, only 37 percent needed to be treated, resulting in a savings on fungicide costs of $3,200.”

In addition to the risk of phytotoxicity with an at-planting fungicide treatment, producers have observed problems caused by clogging of application orifices.

This problem inadvertently can show that the fungicide is working, similar to the adjacent, nontreated rows that are used in the experimental trials.

“Growers should pay attention to this problem, particularly first-time users,” he said. “Flow meters could identify when clogging occurs. Different application products may alleviate the problem, such as larger orifices in the rebounder or a T-band spray

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

Tom Isakeit gave an update on cotton root rot research at the recent Blackland Income Growth Conference inWaco.Isakeit has been working with cotton trials at the Stiles Farm Foundation near Thrall. nozzle set higher. If and when the label amendments are approved, growers interested in trying different application methods for the first time should consider

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leaving a small, non-treated area in the field to identify performance and allow comparisons of crop emergence.”

Detailed information about cotton root rot and its management can be found in a factsheet at cotton.tamu.edu/Nematodes/16_FC010_CRR.pdf.

Additionally, Isakeit said producers who have questions should email him at t-isakeit@ tamu.edu or call 979-862-1340.

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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16

February 2017 — Issue 1



The Land & Livestock Post

News 25th annual Gulf Coast Grape Grower Field Day set in Cat Spring and tissue analysis report, an overview of grapevine viruses, how to prevent grapevine trunk disease and balanced pruning.

Following lunch, there will be information from the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, a report on a case study of a “challenging vineyard site,”

By Kathleen PhilliPs Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

CAT SPRING — The 25th annual Gulf Coast Grape Grower Field Day will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Cat Spring Agricultural Society Hall, 13035 Hall Road, Cat Spring, which is southwest of Bellville.

Registration is $35 at the door and includes lunch and a wine social, according to Fran Pontasch, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service viticulturist in College Station.

“This year’s field day celebrates 25 years of delivering research-based education to grape growers and winemakers.”

Pontasch said. “We’ll be sharing more than two decades of collective experiences of growing and making wine in high humidity, hot climate grape growing re-

a talk on harvests from a winery perspective, and a talk on harvest chemistry along with a tasting of blanc du bois.

The event will conclude with a wine social.

For more information, contact Pontasch at 979-458-0131 or fmpontasch@tamu.edu.

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The Land & Livestock Post

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post

The Land & Livestock Post

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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February 2017 — Issue 1

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The Land & Livestock Post