Land and Livestock Post

February 2019 – Issue I

SAYING GOODBYE

Leonard Pike, developer of the 1015 onion, dies.

PAGE 3

KEEPING IT CLEAN

It takes work to keep your herd safe.

PAGE 9

INSTITUTING A LINK

A&M creates institute to link agriculture and health.

PAGE 15

GOING BIG

Industry trends highlight Blackland Income Growth Conference.

PAGE 19

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February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post

News From the General Manager

F

ebruary. If you are like me, when you go to write that word you have to say it in your head as Feb-BRUary. Even though most of us pronounce it Feb-U-ary, that is not how it is spelled.

There are several words I have to do this with, and it always takes my intellectual pride down a peg when I have to resort to this grade-school tactic to properly spell words. I have a college degree, I am fairly well-read, and I can do the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in under an hour usually, but if I have a meeting in the middle of the week, chances are you can catch me mouthing the word “Wed-nes-day” as I scribble a reminder to myself in my notebook.

As I ease into middle-age, the first change I have noticed is that I realize how dumb I really am. That is not necessarily a bad thing. There are few things more annoying than a person in his 20s

that thinks he has the world figured out.

I know because I was that person and I often find myself cringing retroJESSE WRIGHT spectively at the choices I made in my younger adulthood. I once tore up the laminate wood flooring in my first house because I was going to fix one small section that seemed a little off. As I removed the laminate, I realized there was old wood flooring under and decided that should come out. Once finished with the demolition, and with a room full of wood flooring pieces, I realized I had no clue what I

Vegetable industry mourns death of 1015 Supersweet onion pioneer

By BLAIR FANNIN Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

COLLEGE STATION – Leonard Pike, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist who pioneered the 1015 Supersweet onion and the Aggie maroon Beta Sweet carrot, along with a string of other vegetables that contributed billions to the Texas economy, died Jan. 12. He was 78.

“Dr. Pike’s achievements are distinctive among the Texas vegetable industry and worldwide,” said Patrick Stover, vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences at Texas A&M and director of AgriLife Research.

“His pioneering work in onions, carrots and a host of other vegetables benefitted not only Texas’ vegetable industry, but are enjoyed by consumers everywhere.

“We are deeply saddened by his passing, but his legendary mark on vegetable research continues.”

His onion impact reached the

was doing. We ended up hiring someone to put in carpet.

There is the expression “work smarter, not harder.” This is a good rule of thumb, but I have found that if you just admit you’re dumb, someone who actually knows what he or she is doing can step in to save you a lot of time and frustration. That doesn’t mean I delegate every task to someone else, it just means I know that I have the capacity to make things worse and to call in the cavalry before I reach that point. Theoretically, I know how to cut my own hair, but that doesn’t mean I should.

Some things are better left to the experts, and it’s best to get out of the way and let them do their job. When it comes to your herd, each and every cow has a job, but it’s up to you to make sure the job is getting done right. Writing a job description for your cattle is an impor-

White House, which was demonstrated by President George H.W. Bush when asking former

See PIKE, Page 7

The Land & Livestock Post

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

Improve your herd’s productivity

DA L N I T M A R H OW S DS FEE

E

WIX E TL C AT R & OILE R AL E MIN ERS D FEE Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo Leonard Pike who pioneered the 1015 Supersweet onion and the Aggie maroon Beta Sweet carrot, along with a string of other vegetables that contributed billions to the Texas economy, died Jan. 12.

tant part of ranch management and in our cover story we take a look at the factors to consider in order to measure the performance of each cow versus the expectations.

In this issue we also have news from around the ag industry as well as information about upcoming sales and events. Hope you enjoy it and, as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time.

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February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Rainwater harvesting, turf management training planned for Feb. 7

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

WIMBERLEY — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program will host a residential rainwater harvesting and turf management training Feb. 7 in Wimberley.

The training is free and will be from 1-5 p.m. at the Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12. It is offered in collaboration with the Cypress Creek Watershed Partnership.

Seating is limited. Those interested may RSVP online at bit.ly/2CKzdSV or contact John Smith, AgriLife Extension program specialist in College Station, at johnwsmith@tamu.edu or 979-845-2761.

The Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program aims to improve and protect surface water quality by enhancing awareness and knowledge of best management practices for residential landscapes, Smith said.

Becky Grubbs, AgriLife Extension

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo A free Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters program will be held Feb. 7 in Wimberley. turfgrass specialist, College Station, said attendees will learn about the design and installation of residential rainwater harvesting systems, appropriate turf and landscape species based on local conditions and other practices.

“Management practices such as using irrigation delivery equipment, interpreting soil test results and understanding nutrient applications can help reduce runoff and make efficient use of applied landscape irrigation water,” Grubbs said.

Diane Boellstorff, AgriLife Extension water resource specialist in Texas A&M University’s soil and crop sciences department in College Station, said proper fertilizer application and efficient water irrigation can protect and improve water quality in area creeks, and collecting rainwater

See RAINWATER, Page 6

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February 2019 — Issue I

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News Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo Rainwater harvesting will be one of the topics to be addressed at the Healthy Lawns Healthy Waters program.

RAINWATER, from Page 5 for lawn and landscape needs reduces stormwater runoff.

Participants can have their soil tested as part of the training.

The soil sample bag and analysis are free to Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program participants. Residents can pick up a soil sample bag with sampling instructions at the AgriLife Extension office in Hays County, 200 Stillwater Road in Wimberley. Bags containing residents’ soil samples may be brought to the training.

Soil samples will be delivered to the AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Lab in College Station for routine analysis, including pH, conductivity, nitrate-nitrogen and other parameters.

The training will include information on how to understand soil test results and nutrient recommendations so residents can interpret results once the analysis is mailed to them.

For more information about the Cypress Creek Watershed Protection Plan, go to www. cypresscreekproject.net/watershed-committee/.

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February 2019 — Issue I

ď‚Ť

The Land & Livestock Post

News Eagle file photo Leonard Pike examines one of the 1015 Texas sweet onions he developed in this 2006 file photo.

Pike, from Page 3 former Texas A&M System Regent Wayne Showers, “Did you bring the 1015 onion?” Showers championed needs of Texas producers due to the excellent research and outreach activities conducted at the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University and made sure Pike’s work would be continued by selecting Bhimu Patil as director.

“He was my mentor, adviser, friend, colleague and guiding force of my career,” Patil said.

“His beyond-the-box thinking was unparalleled and inspired all his students to secure better jobs, and indeed several of them are leaders around the globe. I was hired as director in 2005.”

Pike retired from Texas A&M AgriLife in 2006 as a horticulture professor and vegetable breeder.

The Arkansas native said at the time of his retirement that vegetable production was not at the top of his list of interests once he

got to college.

“I might have thought I would have chosen animal science,” Pike said in a 2006 interview with AgriLife Today. “My father was the greenskeeper at the Hot Springs Golf and Country Club, and my mother worked full time to keep the house and her garden. I tended to the garden not because I liked it, but because I had to.”

Onion growers in the Rio Grande Valley who were wanting to solve problems with inconsistency and disease came to Pike for expertise.

Pike, who already had bred successful cucumber varieties, developed the 1015 onion, which he named after the planting month and date, Oct. 15. It was originally dubbed Texas 1015, but became known simply as the 1015 in producer circles.

The name stuck, and a 1015 onion study from 1983-98 showed a $1.2 billion value to the state’s economy, with $360 million going to farmers during the period.

The Land & Livestock Post

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February 2019 — Issue I

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News San angelo

One of world’s largest sheep, goat educational events set for Aug. 16-17

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

SAN ANGELO — The fifth Texas Sheep and Goat Expo conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is set for Aug. 16-17 in San Angelo’s 1st Community Federal Credit Union Spur Arena on the San Angelo Fairgrounds.

The statewide event, billed as one of the largest sheep and goat industry educational programs in the world, focuses on many different segments of the industry as well as the issues challenging producers in Texas and across the U.S., according to organizers.

“The expo is unique in that it offers hands-on activities and speaker interaction for participants,” said Robert Pritz, event

coordinator and AgriLife Extension regional program leader in San Angelo.

“The format will remain the same as years past, with both general and concurrent sessions over the two-day period covering issues for new and experienced sheep and goat raisers,” Pritz said.

“We are fortunate to have a very active planning committee who consider it a standing priority to procure top speakers and to keep the topics new or approached from a different perspective than done previously.”

Pritz said the 2018 expo evaluations indicated 91 percent of the sheep and goat producers attending plan to adopt at least one practice or technology offered during the event.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo The fifth Texas Sheep and Goat Expo conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is set for Aug. 16-17 in San Angelo. The statewide event, billed as one of the largest sheep and goat industry educational programs in the world, focuses on many different segments of the industry as well as the issues among producers in Texas and elsewhere in the U.S., according to organizers.

“Also, 80 percent said they anticipate an economic benefit from information gathered from the expo,” he said.

Pritz said specific topics and information on registration for the Expo will be forthcoming.

For information on any aspect of the Texas Sheep and Goat Expo, contact Pritz at 325-653-4576.

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February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Protect your herd’s border by practicing biosafety at all times

By Dr. BranDon J. Dominguez Special to The Post

W

hile others are discussing security at the border, how many people are concerned about protections around the farm? The late winter brings what many Texans appreciate as stock-show season, which offers a unique set of risks to many premises.

Biosecurity is of the utmost importance this season.

Good biosecurity principles promote all-in/all-out animal movements, thorough cleaning and disinfection protocols and limited visitors. These guidelines are difficult if not impossible to adhere to fully during show season. For those with commercial or seedstock operations alongside, good biosecurity may mean the difference between a profitable year and a trying to survive. Others may have to sacrifice the ability to exhibit to protect the greater good.

Keep show animals separate from other animals. As they are growing and being developed, show stock likely will be separated to be fed differently, fitted properly, and prepared for the show(s), even if that separation is simply in the mornings and evenings. It is even more important to keep show animals separated if they return from weekend jackpot shows or nonterminal shows. If the animals are to return to the breeding herd, they should be isolated for at least 30 days to ensure they do not have any disease that can spread to the rest of the herd.

Trailers and vehicles used to transport animals to shows should be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected inside and out prior to being returned to the farm and used to haul other animals. A full wash with a pressure washer to remove organic material is important to

Vet’s Voice

get rid of gross environments for pathogens to hide. A disinfectant, such as diluted bleach, should be used to rid the surfaces of lingering microbes that can cause disease. A final rinse is important to wash away any disinfectant that may be harmful or irritating to animals.

When animals are moved out of the barn or pens for the season, it is advisable to clean them of gross contamination so that pathogens are not harbored until the next set of animals arrives. Where appropriate, disinfectants should be used on surfaces that animals come into contact. Water troughs, feed bins and hay troughs should be cleaned and disinfected between groups of animals as well.

People are most likely to overlook themselves as a source of infection to their animals.

If you go to a livestock show, rodeo, feed store or coffee shop to interact with animals and other people with animals, change clothes and shoes before interacting with your own animals. While it seems minor, one of the easiest ways to prevent disease spread to your herd is simply to change clothes. A full shower between wardrobe changes would be an additional step, though the dog would miss out on all the new smells you’ve brought home.

This is a fun time of year: a chance for youth and agriculture to show what the future looks like. Many will travel across the state and country to interact with others. Keep in mind these few small steps to protect your animals.

The Land & Livestock Post

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Special to The Post In order to protect your herd, be sure to thoroughly wash down equipment used to transport animals to shows.

February 2019 — Issue I

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News Texas auxin herbicide training has new mandated requirements

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Producers will need to pick up a second round of auxin training this year if they plan to use dicamba products, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

In late October, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will extend the registration of dicamba for two years for over-the-top weed control in dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybean.

The extended labels include changes to ensure these products continue to be used effectively and to address concerns about off-target movement, said Scott Nolte, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state weed specialist in College Station.

Initial label changes state only certified applicators may apply dicamba over the top of the crop, Nolte said. The changes also prohibit over-the-top applications 60 days after planting for cotton and 45 days

for soybeans.

The new rules limit the number of overthe-top applications to two for both cotton and soybeans, and limit applications between one hour after sunrise and two hours before sunset. In counties where endangered species exist, applicators must maintain the downwind 110-foot buffer and add a 57-foot buffer around the other sides of the target field.

Nolte warned some of these new changes may be different before the 2019 spring growing season pending 24C, additionaluse, requests submitted to the Texas Department of Agriculture. If approved, the 24C labels will be available on the TDA website, www.texasagriculture.gov/RegulatoryPrograms/Pesticides.

Three dicamba products — Engenia herbicide by BASF Corporation, XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip Technology by Bayer CropScience, and DuPont FeXapan herbicide Plus VaporGrip Technology by Corteva Agriscience — are restricted-use

February Feb. 3 • Fort Worth National “Cowtown Invitational” Hereford & Polled Hereford Sale, Fort Worth, TX Feb. 3 • Texas Hereford Assn. 50th Annual Whiteface Replacement Female Sale, Fort Worth, TX Feb. 7 • Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker & Feeder Sale, San Saba, TX Feb. 7 • Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering Featuring Schuman Angus Ranch & Texas Stardance Hereford Bull Sale, San Saba, TX Feb. 9 • Southwest Expo 32nd Annual Commercial Heifer Sale, Fort Worth, TX Feb. 9 • Charolais For Profit Sale, Columbus, TX Feb. 14 • Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering Feauring Martin-Bruni Cattle Co., San Saba, TX Feb. 16 • Texas Angus Assn. Performance Tested Bull Sale, College Station, TX Feb. 22 • Center Ranch Production Sale, Centerville, TX Feb. 23 • 44 Farms Spring Angus Bull Sale, Cameron, TX Feb. 23 • Jordan Cattle Auction Early Spring Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX Feb. 23 • TX-Genetix Cattle Plus Brangus & Ultra Black Bull Sale, Navasota, TX Feb. 26 • Houston International Simmental/Simbrah Sale, Houston, TX Feb. 27 • Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo All Breeds Commercial Sale, Houston, TX Feb. 27 • International Brahman Sale, Houston, TX

pesticides and state-limited-use pesticides in Texas, which require the sale to and use by certified applicators only.

Nolte clarified that the auxin trainings are not a substitute for the state-specified certified applicator training, which is required to purchase and use restricted-use pesticides.

Also, TDA has added 2,4-D choline formulations — Enlist Duo and Enlist One for use on 2,4-D-tolerant crops — to be included in these mandatory trainings.

These are state-limited-use pesticides in Texas and can only be sold to and used by certified applicators or those working under the supervision of a certified applicator.

The two-hour mandated auxin trainings for the new year will include the following topics: why do auxin herbicides require additional precautions, label requirements for approved auxin formulations, understanding temperature inversions, spray system hygiene, record keeping and

using dicamba or 2,4-D in a weed management system.

AgriLife Extension will provide a twohour in-person course, approved by TDA, that will fulfill the training requirements for dicamba and 2,4-D choline products and will include two continuing education units for laws and regulations.

Contact the local AgriLife Extension county agent for training locations, dates and times.

Nolte said BASF Corporation, Bayer CropScience and Corteva Agriscience also will be requesting TDA-approved training courses focusing on each company’s specific technology and will therefore only be one-hour, one CEU courses.

MarCH Mar. 1 • Express Ranch Angus Bull Sale, Yukon, OK Mar. 1 • Beefmaster Houston Futurity & Classic Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 1 • Houston Magic XIX Beefmaster Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 1 • Mid-Coast International Super Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 • Beefmaster Promotion Group International Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 • Foundation Angus Alliance Bull & Female Sale, Luling, TX Mar. 2 • W4 Hereford Ranch Spring Production Sale, Morgan, TX Mar. 2 • Genetic Edge Brangus Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 • Braford Cattle Sale, Houston, TX Mar. 2 • South Texas Cattle Marketing Replacement Female Sale, Nixon, TX Mar. 6 • Buffalo Livestock Pre-Conditioned Sale, Buffalo, TX Mar. 7 • Jordan Cattle Auction Stocker-Feeder & Premium Weaned Sale, San Saba, TX Mar. 8 • Double Creek Angus Bull Sale, Clifton, TX Mar. 9 • SE TX ICA 24th Annual Commercial Bull & Heifer Sale, Beaumont, TX Mar. 13 • R.A. Brown Ranch Spring Angus Bull Sale, Throckmorton, TX Mar. 14 • Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering Cattleman’s Kind, San Saba, TX Mar. 16 • Live Oak Beefmaster Breeders Spring Sale, Three Rivers, TX Mar. 21 • Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX Mar. 23 • Bluebonnett Classic Santa Gertrudis Sale, Hallettsville, TX Mar. 23 • Emmons Ranch Beefmaster Bull Sale, Groesbeck, TX Mar. 28 • Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offering Knox Brothers Bulls Sale, San Saba, TX

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

10

February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Cattle Raisers announces 2019 convention details Special to The Post

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association recently announced details of its annual Cattle Raisers Convention and Expo to be held March 29-31 at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

The 2019 Cattle Raisers Convention and Expo is the largest ranching event of the year in the southwestern United States.

It will feature programs and activities of interest to cattle raisers, landowners and the general public, with opportunities for everyone to participate.

“If you own land or livestock in Texas or the Southwest, the Cattle Raisers Convention is an excellent investment of your time,” said association President Robert McKnight Jr. “I am confident you will find opportunities to further

your education, gain industry information, make useful business connections and have some fun.”

Ranchers are invited to attend professional development classes offering practical education at the beginner and advanced levels. This year’s School for Successful Ranching will offer learning sessions and live demonstrations on topics including cattle health, legal issues, range and pasture management and marketing.

Two evening classes are being offered in 2019. On March 28, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Ranch to Retail Workshop will showcase how beef carcasses are transformed into the retail cuts valued by consumers. The second workshop will be March 29, also from 6 to 8 p.m., and will offer in-depth livestock handling instruction from

stockmanship and stewardship expert Curt Pate.

This year will feature the largest Expo in the history of the Cattle Raisers Convention with more than 250 booths offering a vast array of ranching supplies, services, jewelry, clothing, local food and more.

Industry experts also will be on hand for a variety of information sessions on issues that have a direct impact on cattle raisers, landowners and consumers. Included in these sessions will be updates on federal and state legislation, international trade, an explanation of how Alexa, Siri and now “Chuck” are changing the way consumers find health and nutrition information, and efforts to reform Texas’ eminent domain laws.

Much more is on the agenda,

and registration is open. Go to www.CattleRaisersConvention. com for more information and to register to attend and reserve hotel rooms at the headquarters hotels. The deadline for early registration and to reserve a room at the 2019 Cattle Raisers Convention rate is Feb. 15.

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The Land & Livestock Post

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February 2019 — Issue I

11

News

A good résumé

Write a job description for a cow

By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

O

ne of the practices in personnel management is development of a job description for each employee. A job description describes what the job involves, what is expected of the employee and how performance is measured.

Cows are responsible for income in a cow-calf operation, so why not write a job description for measuring their performance against expectations?

Frank Owsley of Tarleton State University addressed the subject of writing a job description for a cow at the 2018 School for Successful Ranching during the Cattle Raisers Convention in Fort Worth. This article is patterned after Owsley’s presentation.

“An advantage in developing a cow’s job description is the opportunity to extend it into a ranch management plan. In writing the job description, recognize the obvious facts,” Owsley said. “Number one, cows are important to calf production and ranch profit. Without profit, cows go away due to forced sales.

Two other obvious facts are that all cows are not created equal and there is rarely a perfect cow.

“The not so obvious facts are the overall goals of the ranch and available resources.”

To get a grip on available resources, do an inventory. Resources in-

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Photo by Robert Fears When you see a cow’s hooves while she is grazing, you don’t have enough forage. A cow performance plan would help shw if forage is sufficient.

clude people, customers, land, grass, water and cattle. A manager must have ability to balance resources with needs in order to achieve financial success.

“A ranch management plan should include an assessment of management practices and goals for improvement,” continued Owsley.

“Determine where you are currently

February 2019 — Issue I

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in ranch operation, where you want to improve and goals for achieving improvement.”

See PLAN, Page 14

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The Land & Livestock Post

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February 2019 — Issue I

13

News

$5,350

$16,399

Photo by Robert Fears Do your pastures provide access to clean water? A good rule of thumb is that water sources should be no more than 1/2 mile apart.

Plan, from Page 12

Cow versus resources

In developing a cow’s job description, the following question needs to be addressed: Should a cow match available resources or should resources match the cow? The question is answered effectively by evaluating both the cow and resources.

If you can see the cow’s hooves while she is grazing, the pasture does not have enough forage to meet her nutritional requirements.

It is a resource that needs adjustment or improvement for the cow’s benefit.

A pasture in this condition that does not produce enough forage to provide the animal’s nutrient requirements. needs a grazing plan that will allow pastures to rest long enough for forage re-establishment. Reduce stocking rates to prevent over-grazing.

Do your pastures contain adequate, accessible, good

14

quality water sources? If not, the resource needs adjusting to the cow.

“The average cow and calf together drink about 15 gallons of water per day and weaned calves drink about 5 to 10 gallons per day,” said Sheila Barry of the University of California Cooperative Extension. “Water consumption varies with temperature, animal size, production stage, feed and forage consumption, salt intake and other factors. Cattle must have water in every pasture and will not walk more than a mile to drink. A distance of one-half mile between water is recommended for optimal pasture use and cattle performance.

“Due to this fact, more than one water source is needed in large pastures.”

It is important to sample water sources periodically for analysis to ensure that maximum tolerance levels for certain substances

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See COW, Page 16

February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post

News New Texas A&M institute will connect agriculture and health

By KENNY WILEY kenny.wiley@theeagle.com

A new institute in the Texas A&M University System aims to connect agriculture and health in an effort to reduce chronic illness attributed to diet.

The Texas A&M University SystemBoardof Regentsapproved the formation of the Institute for Precision Nutrition, Responsive AgricultureandHealthlastmonth.

The institute will be led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

Patrick Stover, director for AgriLife Research, said Texas can serve as a model for the world on how to lower diet-related health care costs.

“There is no state that is better positioned or has more at stake in bringing agriculture and human health together, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Stover said.

Stover said the institute will initially hire about a dozen faculty members and begin its work by next summer.

“What this institute seeks to do is to try and make reforms across the entire food system — not segmenting the food system, but taking a holistic look at the food system and develop the research that we need to better align what our food supply is with consumer needs, particularly their health needs,” Stover said.

The institute will include five multidisciplinary research hubs.

Thenetworkof hubswillcarryout specificroleswithintheinstitutein the areas of precision technology, data collection and analysis, responsive agriculture, human behavior and biomedical analysis.

“The hubs will be led by faculty

from the agency and other A&M System members,” Stover said. “And new faculty will be recruitedtoleadsomeof thehubs.”

He said long-term plans likely will call for new buildings to support the institute’s work, but that the institute would use existing space in the meantime.

Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said the institute will become a guiding force in the U.S. for nutrition, food system and agricultural policy.

“The new institute will forge togetherthelinkagesbetweenfood and nutrition, spanning a variety of research disciplines in finding solutions to make us healthier and reduce overall annual health care costs,”Sharpsaidinanewsrelease announcing the venture.

Stover said diet-related chronic diseases cost the U.S. economy $1 trillion annually, and nearly half of U.S. adults have been treated for a chronic disease.

“It’s a national crisis,” Stover said. “There is a big movement, or at least a recognition, that we need to bring together agriculture to be the answer to the health care crisis we have today.”

An analytical core area of the institute will assess food quality andcouldleadtoa“HealthyTexas” food label, Stover said.

A second core area will study consumer preferences.

Stover said the institute’s partners include the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at the Baylor College of Medicine; Technische Universität in Braunschweig,Germany;andThe MicrosoftResearch—Universityof Trento Centre for Computational and Systems Biology in Italy.

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ews n g A t n e rr u c st o em Searching for th ox? b in il a m e r u o y delivered right to st o P k c to s e iv L & nd Sign up for the La er tt le s w e n ic n o tr elec

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February 2019 — Issue I

landandlives tockpost.com 15

News Cow, from Page 14 are not exceeded. These substances include total dissolved salts, nitrates, blue-green algae and some pesticides.

The cow needs to be adjusted to environmental factors such as climate and terrain through selection and breeding. In areas with snowy, icy winters, breed cattle for cold tolerance, and in warm climates, select cattle for heat tolerance.

Humid climates tend to have more insects and pathogens than drier climates, so breed cattle in these areas for disease and insect resistance in addition to heat tolerance.

Some breeds do better on rocky ground than others, and as a result, this environmental characteristic needs consideration when designing breeding programs.

The job description

“A personnel manager lists responsibilities, duties and required qualifications and skills in job descriptions,” Owsley said. “Should we evaluate a cow as an employee? The answer: probably. Measurements of a cow’s success are normally performance, efficiency, cost and meeting her requirements, which are similar to those usually listed for an employee.”

Performance is best measured by pounds of weaned calf produced on an annual basis. Performance alone, however, does not necessarily generate profit. Feed efficiency is also an important measurement and plays a key role in profitability.

For a beef animal, feed efficiency is defined as pounds

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of weaned calf per pounds of forage consumed in a year. The financial part of the cow’s job description is evaluated by cost per pounds of weaned calf. In other words, how much did it cost to produce the weaned calf ?

A suggested requirement, to list in the job description, is that the cow should raise a calf every year.

The job description should contain goals expressed as numbers. A helpful guide for establishing goal values is the Beef Cattle Standard Performance Analysis or SPA. SPA is a producerled effort initiated by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Producer participants help collect data by completing an in-depth financial production analysis of their cow herd. They are assisted by state university extension faculty and use established methodology. Five-year averages for production, feed efficiency, marketing and financial measurements are obtained at: agecoext.tamu.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2013/08/ TX-AllRegions-KeyMeasuresSummary.pdf.

These averages represent the achievements of participating producers and should serve as minimum targets for other producers.

When cows don’t meet the expectations listed in their job descriptions, determine the causes of failure. Are pastures producing the quantity and quality of forage required for optimum cow performance? Is the right amount of supplements fed at the right time?

Check fertility, structural soundness and libido of the bulls. Are they doing their

Photo by Robert Fears A cow’s job description documents what you expect from her. A number of factors should be included in determining a cow’s performance plan.

job? Examine the animal health plan to determine if it is adequate for keeping your cattle healthy. Maybe the cows that don’t meet expectations may not have the right genetics. They need to be replaced or expectations reduced. Failure to meet expectations may result from management practices.

Before writing a cow’s job description, you need to list what you have in resources and cattle capabilities. Then list what you want. Provide the resources needed for necessary improvements that are required for the two lists to match.

February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post

News A Cowman’s Best Friend at Calving Time!

Now available with digital scale!

Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter Cotton producers may need to dial in their planting populations to reduce input costs.

Cotton producers should reassess planting populations

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

VERNON — Cotton producers may need to dial in their planting populations to reduce input costs, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study.

Seed costs are high for modern cotton varieties due to technology fees, making producers think twice about their seeding rates, said Curtis Adams, AgriLife Research crop physiologist in Vernon.

The issue prompted Adams and colleague Emi Kimura, AgriLife Extension agronomist in Vernon, to look closer at the plant population needed to optimize yield.

“We started by conducting an applied trial in the field but ended up also looking deeply into the scientific literature on this topic and analyzing the data we found there,” Adams said.

Studies on the effects of population density in cotton have been carried out around the world in many environments, he said, but no work had been done to compare the results and to look for trends.

“When we compiled all the plant population data together

in the same units, including our own data, we saw that yield declined only at the lowest tested rates and that peak yields were flat beyond that,” he said. “Lint yield didn’t decline even at extremely high populations.”

Genetics and water availability made an impact on the yields obtained in each study, but the yield trends with plant populations were remarkably similar across studies, he said.

Adams said the results of their field trial aligned with the other studies, many of which came from higher-yielding rain-fed or irrigated studies.

“Our dryland and deficitirrigated results showed lint yield was not affected by plant population, similar to higheryielding environments over the same range in plant population,” he said.

Analysis of the data showed that the minimum plant population for optimizing yield with evenly spaced plants is surprisingly low, Adams said.

“We identified a plant population threshold of about 15,000 plants per acre, which is a final density of about 1.1 plants per

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February 2019 — Issue I

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February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Industry trends, networking highlight BIG Conference in Waco

By KENNY WILEY kenny.wiley@theeagle.com

WACO — About 400 producers, 4-H upperclassmen and others in the Texas agriculture community gathered Jan. 15 for the 57th annual Blackland Income Growth Conference.

Theconference,hostedbyTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service at the Waco Convention Center, provided opportunities for attendees to network and to learn about industrytrendsandag-relatedbest practicesfromanarrayof experts.

Sessions ranged from a Farm Bill breakdown to a session on cattletick research.

AgriLife ran a workshop track titled “From the Ground Up” at which a number of academics and health professionals explored the symbiotic relationship among

the fields of health, nutrition and agriculture.DanaTarter,AgriLife regional program leader based in Vernon, organized the track.

“We really wanted to focus this year on how to help educators better meet the needs of consumers, and help consumers receive education regarding agriculture, health and nutrition,” Tarter said.

“Our goal today is to provide the information for people to make informed decisions for themselves.”

Several of the day’s presenters talked about effective ways for peopletowadethroughhealthmisinformationonsocialmediaandin thebroaderculture.Onepresenter talked about spurious correlation in dieting fads — a person loses weight and attributes that loss wholly to a diet, perhaps without being aware of a number of other lifestyle changes made along the

way.

“In today’s time, it’s really easy for someone to call themselves an expert and to share their opinions, and we have a lot of avenues for doing that,” Tarter said. “I think that leads to misconceptions and misperceptionsaboutagriculture.

Our goal is to help people understand research methods and delve a little deeper. We’re not necessarily looking to change people’s views, but to help them obtain the best information possible.”

Danielle Hammond-Krueger, a dietician and a program specialist for A&M AgriLife’s food and nutrition unit, presented on social media best practices for health professionals.

“Part of our process is really focusing on maintaining evidencebased information. Health is personal. Someone in your life is

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affected by health,” HammondKrueger said. She encouraged people to “dress up the facts” not asameanstomisleadpeople,butto helpconsumersdrawconnections betweenrelevantfactsandwaysto incorporate healthy choices into their lives, especially as people get

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Dan Hale, an AgriLife professor and meat specialist, delivered the event’s keynote address, held in a full room that seated about 400,

See CONFERENCE, Page 21

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February 2019 — Issue I

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News Cotton, from Page 17 foot on 40-inch rows,” he said.

“The research also showed yield will decline quickly below 15,000 plants per acre.

“We want to be really clear that we are not recommending that cotton producers plant at 15,000 plants per acre or even target this rate as a final density,” Adams said. “Seed and plant loss always occur following planting and there are sometimes other factors, like certain diseases and late-season weeds, that producers manage through plant population.”

He said the most common seeding rate recommendation they found for cotton around the country was 33,000 plants per acre, which is 2.5 plants per foot on 40-inch rows.

Texas producers, however, often plant at densities of 50,000 plants per acre or greater, Adams said. High seeding rates often are used because certain soil types and planting conditions encountered can be especially challenging when trying to establish a good stand.

“The 2018 cotton season was a great example of challenging conditions that resulted in spotty stands in many areas of the state, even with high seeding rates,” he said.

Even with this in mind, Adams said their analysis suggests that producers may be using excessive seeding rates in many cases, resulting in unnecessary expenses.

“In light of our research results, if a producer wants to reduce their seeding rate to lower their production costs, they should consider the soil and environmental conditions they are dealing with on a case-by-case basis,” he said, adding producers should rely on past experience with seed and plant loss.

“If a producer typically loses about 20 percent of his seeds in a given situation, and now knows yield is expected to be stable at a lower population, this will help him dial his rate in better and still maintain his production and reduce his overall costs by buying less seed,” he said.

The analysis also will be helpful to producers who are facing replanting decisions, Adams said, because they can compare their resulting stand to the threshold.

The research is published in Field Crops Research under the title, “Determination of a plant population density threshold for optimizing cotton lint yield: a synthesis.”

The article can be accessed at www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/ S0378429018314035.

Producers should rotate hay feeding locations for cattle

By DonalD StottS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

It is not unusual for cattle producers to have favorite hay feeding areas for their livestock, but it is important not to default automatically to locations that may be selected based primarily on convenient access.

“Continuing to feed hay in the same place, time after time and year after year, can lead to the concentration of a lot of nutrients from the hay and from animal manure and urine, all

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in a very small area,” said Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension beef cattle specialist and holder of the university’s Dennis and Marta White Endowed Chair in Animal Science.

Research trials indicate there can be 10 to 20 times more phosphorus, potassium and organic matter in those types of hay feeding areas than in the surrounding pasture.

Beck recommends rotating hay feeding areas and unrolling hay

See HAY, Page 21

February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post

News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Anderson

R e s u l t s o f t h e M i d - Te x Livestock Market’s Jan. 10 sale.

Head: 1,389 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $140-$210; 300-400 lbs., $140-$193; 400-500 lbs., $130-188; 500-600 lbs., $125$163; 600-700 lbs., $120-$152; 700-800 lbs., $110-$130.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $125$200; 300-400 lbs., $130-$180; 400-500 lbs., $125-$177; 500-600 lbs.,$120-$170; 600-700 lbs.,$110$130; 700-800 lbs.,$100-$125.

Slaughter bulls: $50-$80.

Slaughter cows: $25-$59.

Bred cows: $500-$950.

Cow/calf pairs: $800-$1,000.

Brazos Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock’s Jan. 15 sale.

Head: 1,004 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $170-$220; 300-400 lbs., $160-$190; 400-500 lbs., $150-187; 500-600 lbs., $140$161; 600-700 lbs., $130-$148; 700-800 lbs., $128-$134.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $140$167; 300-400 lbs., $130-$152; 400-500 lbs., $130-$150; 500600 lbs., $122-$143; 600-700 lbs.,$112-$130; 700-800 lbs.,N/A. Slaughter bulls: $62-$74.

Slaughter cows: $30-$51.

Bred cows: $650-$935.

Cow/calf pairs: $850-$1,300.

Brenham

Results of the Cattleman’s Brenham Livestock Jan. 11 sale.

Head: 1,092 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $135-$212; 300-400 lbs., $130-$186; 400-500 lbs., $128-182; 500-600 lbs., $123$168; 600-700 lbs., $111-$155; 700-800 lbs., $105-$132.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $115$185; 300-400 lbs., $120-$176; 400-500 lbs., $118-$225; 500600 lbs., $110-$167; 600-700 lbs.,$100-$134; 700-800 lbs.,$90$123.

Slaughter bulls: $47-$108.

Slaughter cows: $15-$54.

Bred cows: $450-$1,100.

Cow/calf pairs: $850-$1,550

Buffalo Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Jan. 12 sale.

Head: 1,330 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $140-$170; 300-400 lbs., $135-$185; 400-500 lbs., $130-177; 500-600 lbs., $125$172; 600-700 lbs., $115-$160; 700-800 lbs., $110-$130.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $125$150; 300-400 lbs., $120-$150; 400-500 lbs., $110-$150; 500-600 lbs., $95-$135; 600-700 lbs.,$95$127; 700-800 lbs.,$85-$120.

Slaughter bulls: $57-$74.

Slaughter cows: $21-$55.

Bred cows: $750-$1,125.

Cow/calf pairs: $874-$1,700.

Hay, from Page 20 across a pasture throughout the winter months, spreading out those nutrients.

“Consider the average bermudagrass bale, which is about 8 percent crude protein with 1.3 percent nitrogen, 1.3 percent potassium and about 0.2 percent phosphorus, the equivalent of about 100 pounds of triple 17 fertilizer per round bale,” he said.

“That works out to about $30 worth of fertilizer in trying to replace lost nutrients.”

Photo courtesy of OSU Agricultural Communications Services In addition, concentrated hay feeding sites negatively can affect hygiene in those areas during calving, leading to instances of scours and navel ill in calves.

“Cows like to calve and then

The Land & Livestock Post

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Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell L i v e s t o c k C o m m i s s i o n ’s Jan. 19 sale.

Head: 796 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $167-$195; 300-400 lbs., $165-$187; 400-500 lbs., $150-$182; 500-600 lbs., $142-$162; 600-700 lbs., $130$143; 700-800 lbs., $115-$135.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $150$160; 300-400 lbs., $145-$187; 400-500 lbs., $140-$177; 500600 lbs., $131-$172; 600-700 lbs., $125-$155.; 700-800 lbs., $110-$152.

Slaughter bulls: $60-$73.

Slaughter cows: $25-$60.

Bred cows: $575-$1,000.

Cow/calf pairs: $900-$1,225.

Groesbeck Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s Jan. 17 sale.

Head: 590 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $160$185; 400-500 lbs., $155-$177; 500-600 lbs., $135-$160; 600-700 lbs., $127-$141; Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $130$160; 400-500 lbs., $127-$155; 500-600 lbs., $120-$145; 600-700 lbs., $118-$130.

Slaughter bulls: $52-$72.

Slaughter cows: $31-$57.

Bred cows: $750-$1,100.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$1,300.

Jordan

Results of the Jordan Cattle Auction’s Jan. 17 sale.

Head: 2,333 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $175$217.50; 300-400 lbs., $170-$207; 400-500 lbs., $160-$200; 500-600 lbs., $145-$180; 600-700 lbs., $130-$161; 700-800 lbs., $125$141.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $150$174; 300-400 lbs., $145-$184; 400-500 lbs., $130-$162; 500600 lbs., $125-$155; 600-700 lbs., $110-$149; 700-800 lbs., $110-$124.

Slaughter bulls: $60-$78.

Slaughter cows: $34-$52.50.

Bred cows: $650-$1,110 Cow/calf pairs: $1,150-$1,500.

Commission’s Jan. 12 sale.

Head: 1,373 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $115$225; 300-400 lbs., $115-$190; 400-500 lbs., $115-$185; 500600 lbs., $100-$170; 600-700 lbs., $100-$148.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $115$200; 300-400 lbs., $115-$162.50; 400-500 lbs., $115-$160; 500-600 lbs., $110-$145; 600-700 lbs., $105-$135.

Slaughter bulls: $50-$73.

Slaughter cows: $15-$52.50.

Bred cows: $400-$975.

Cow/calf pairs: $800-$1,000 — Special to The Post

Navasota Results of the Navasota Livestock

bring their calves to their favorite hay feeding site,” Beck said. “Also, research has shown rolling out hay every day can decrease hay waste from about 50 percent down to 25 percent.”

Producers can place a hay bale on a steep hill and roll it down.

Some cattle operators push the bale with four-wheelers, others employ a tractor.

“There are many ways to unroll hay,” Beck said. “Use your imagination. Have some fun while being productive and practicing good management.”

February 2019 — Issue I

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News Conference, from Page 19 according to organizers. He titled his speech “Connecting Food and Agriculture,” and shared about the ongoing A&M AgriLife Path to the Plate program. That initiative strives to help consumers understand how to get researchbased health information that is grounded in best agriculture industry practices.

“We’re trying to help consumers connect with agriculture, and understand the impact that agriculture has on health,” Hale said.

Hale called the producers and growers in the room “the solution to a huge dilemma that we have in the world.”

Hale spoke of growing worldwide populations and shrinking land areas on which to plant and grow, and the continuing challengesof hungeraroundtheworld in some places, and food waste in others.

He said some estimates of Texas’s future population say the state may have more than 50 million people by 2050.

“Food is at the baseline of the welfare of the world,” Hale said.

He encouraged producers to educate those outside the industry on their work, even as the growers

also attend programming to stay up to date on best practices.

“Everyoneof youisaconsumer, and most of you have an ag background,soyouhaveagoodperceptionof food,”Halesaid,addressing attendees.

“But[mostpeople]arenotthinking about where their food was raised today. You’re in the world here to make a difference. I encourage you ... to help people understand your shared values, and that you’re doing the best you can to produce safe and healthy food.”

The annual conference’s luncheon also recognized 12 4-H high school students in the state who were named as 2019 Blackland Income Growth Scholarship recipients. Four of the 12 high school seniors plan to attend Texas A&M University in the fall, including Payton Holcomb, 18, from Williamson County.

Holcomb, who raises guide dogs for the visually impaired, said she looks forward to participating in A&M’s traditions, and believes the universitywillallowhertofurther the path that 4-H helped her blaze.

“I have passions for service and for helping those who are less fortunate,both intheagriculturefield and in general,” she said.

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February 2019 — Issue I

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February 2019 — Issue I

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The Land & Livestock Post