Land and Livestock Post

September 2013-Issue 1

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From the General Manager

Weather takes half of West Texas cotton

By BETSY BLANEY Associated Press

LUBBOCK — Drought, hail and blowing sand have robbed the world’s largest contiguous cotton-growing patch of 50 percent of its acreage this year.

Preliminary numbers released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that cotton producers in West Texas’ South Plains are forecast to harvest 1.86 million acres, down from the 3.7 million they planted in the spring.

Producers in the region who lost acres this year continue to deal with a multi-year drought.

Hail and blowing sand also forced producers to file insurance claims.

Texas is the nation’s leading cotton-producing state and the South Plains region typically produces two-thirds of the state’s cotton.

The region is forecast to harvest 2.57 million bales of the state’s 4.1 million.

Projections show production nationally at 12.5 million bales.

AP Photo/LM Otero

Drought, hail and many windy days with blowing sand have robbed the world’s largest contiguous cottongrowing patch of 50 percent of its acreage this year.

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September 2013-Issue 1

I haven’t made any concrete plans for the extra cash yet, but I’ve been thinking about it.

There are plans you can make right now that can have a much speedier payoff than waiting for your child to go to public school. In our cover story we look at options for pasture management, namely fertilization. There are a few options you can pursue, depending on your needs, and we’ll go over them.

Since it is the Fall Forage Issue, we also have some other stories about soil management and stockpiling forages, as well as some information about Blackhawk clover.

Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading. ’Til Next time,



can remember the excitement of the first of September. New teachers, new pencils, new clothes and a new school year. That excitement usually wore off by about Sept. 5 or 6. Clothes got holes in them, pencils broke and teachers eventually assigned homework.

Now, as an adult, at least as far as the letter of the law is concerned, I can’t wait to feel that JESSE WRIGHT excitement again. I’ve done the math and figured I have about four more Septembers before I can send my child to school. Whatever joy he gets from the first day of school cannot compare to how happy I will be not to be paying for day care. I may have to get a new backpack for myself that September to carry around all the money I’ll save.

The Land & Livestock Post

News

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The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

News

New cattle virus ID can rule out mad cow disease Special to The Post

A new cow virus that causes neurologic symptoms reminiscent of mad cow disease has been identified and its genome sequenced by a team of researchers including scientists at the University of California, Davis.

While this particular new virus is unlikely to pose a threat to human health or the food supply, the new findings critically are important because they provide researchers with a relatively simple diagnostic tool that can reassure both ranchers and consumers by ruling out bovine spongiform encephalopathy — mad cow disease — as the cause of neurologic symptoms when they appear in cattle.

Results of the study appear online in the September issue of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Neurologic disease in cattle can be difficult to diagnose because there are a number of different causes, and premortem sampling and analyses can be cumbersome and/or expensive,” said Patricia Pesavento, a veterinary pathologist in the UC Davis School of Ve terinary Medicine and corresponding author on the paper.

“Understanding the role of this virus is crucial for veterinarians as well as for the dairy and beef cattle industries,” she said. “Additionally, finding new viruses helps us identify other, more remote vi-

ruses because it builds our knowledge of both the depth and breadth of viral family trees.”

New study

In this new study, researchers analyzed brain tissue from a yearling steer with neurologic symptoms of unknown cause. Through this analysis, they discovered a new virus that belongs to the astrovirus family.

Further study of brain tissue samples, preserved from earlier examinations of 32 cattle with unexplained neurologic symptoms, revealed the presence of this astrovirus in three of those animals.

The researchers used “metagenomic” techniques to sequence this astrovirus species — now referred to as BoAstV0NeuroS. This newly identified virus becomes the third separate astrovirus species detected in brain tissues, and each of these is associated with neurologic disease. Tissue analysis and distribution studies suggest that the cow virus is most likely to be found in the spinal cord and causes a uniquely patterned tissue abnormality, thus enabling diagnosticians to quickly eliminate mad cow disease as the cause of neurologic symptoms.

“Further research is needed to determine the viral origin and progression, like whether development of neurologic symptoms from this astrovirus requires other factors such as a co-infection by some other microbe or a weakened immune system,” Pesavento said. “Further

testing may also provide information about how often and for how long the animal sheds the virus.”

Pesavento’s laboratory also recently identified a new virus from the circovirus family that caused a fatal hemorrhagic disease in multiple dogs. Findings of that study were published in the April issue of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal.

About astroviruses

A wide variety of these small viruses have been reported to infect mammals and birds, including humans, cattle, pigs, sheep, mink, dogs, cats, mice, sea lions, whales, chickens and turkeys.

People frequently are exposed to intestinal astroviruses, with infants, the elderly and individuals who have compromised immune systems most at risk for experiencing acute symptoms of intestinal upset.

Before this report, astroviruses had been implicated twice in neurologic disease: once in a teenage boy with a weakened immune system, and also in an outbreak of “neurological shaking disease” in mink.

Neurologic cattle diseases

Cattle that have neurologic symptoms are screened vigilantly to safeguard the human food chain from disease-causing microbes and toxins.

These diseases — caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxins or nutritional

disturbances — include rabies, salmonella, listeria, chlamydia and mad cow disease.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, has become a major public health concern after a connection was discovered between the disease in animals and a similar rare, and devastating, human ailment called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Early and rapid recognition of the causes of neurologic disease in cattle is therefore of the utmost importance; however such diagnosis is labor-intensive, costly and challenging because of the large number of microbes and disorders that can cause neurologic diseases.

Other collaborators on the cattle astrovirus study include Santiago Diab, Sabrina McGraw, Bradd Barr, Ryan Traslavina, Robert Higgens, Pat Blanchard and Guillermo Rimoldi, all of UC Davis or the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory at UC Davis; Linlin Li, Brady Page, Xutao Deng and Eric Delwart, all of the Blood Systems Research Institute in San Francisco; Tom Talbot of the Bishop Ve terinary Hospital Inc. in Bishop, Calif.; Elizabeth Fahsbender of the University of South Florida; and Chunlin Wang of the Stanford Genome Technology Center at Stanford University.

Support for the study was provided by the Blood Systems Research Institute; the National Institutes of Health, grant R01 HL105770; the Bernice Barbour Foundation; and the UC Davis Center for Companion Animal Health.

M-44 predator management training set for Sept. 17 in Austin

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

4

AUSTIN — A predator management training program will be presented from 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Travis County East Service Center, 6011 Blue Bluff Road, Austin.

Registration and breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the program to begin at 9 a.m.

“Predators such as coyotes, foxes and feral dogs cause property and crop damage, and can injure or kill livestock, resulting in economic loss for Texas farmers and ranchers,” said Julie Ansley, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for agriculture and natural resources in Travis County.

“Predators also can serve as vectors for many diseases.”

To help address predator concerns, the Texas Department of Agriculture works with AgriLife Extension to help Texans in

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

A morning workshop in Austin on Sept. 17 will provide training on how to deal with predators such as coyotes, shown here, feral dogs and foxes. the livestock industry find the ardous to humans, non-target most appropriate control meth- animals or the environment.

“This program covers trainod, said program coordinators.

The training helps ensure the ing on available management methods used to manage live- and monitoring techniques and stock predation are not haz- certifies applications for use

of M-44 sodium cyanide — for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires special training for certification,” Ansley said.

“Before using these pesticides, applicators must have the appropriate TDA license and attend a predator management training.”

The cost for the workshop is $35 and includes breakfast. Participants must RSVP by Sept.

13. No cash will be accepted, so participants are asked to pay by check or money order made out to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service #280100-60020.

To RSVP and for more information, contact Sue Carrasco at 512-854-9610 or via email at SACarrasco@ag.tamu.edu.

According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, to obtain M-44 certification, participants must attend a TDA predator management training session, pass the M-44 Exam with a score of 70 or above and possess one of the following

TDA applicator licenses: • Private applicator certificate or license.

• Non-commercial applicator license with the predatory animal control subcategory or the regulatory pest control or demonstration and research categories.

• Commercial applicator license with the predatory animal control subcategory.

According to state agriculture department, M-44 certificates with numbers below 5000 no longer are valid.

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

 September 2013-Issue 1

Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Feral hogs consume a significant portion of supplemental feed intended for deer and other wildlife.

State awards two county partnership grants to combat feral hog threats Texas Department of Agriculture

AUSTIN — Ag riculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced on Aug. 15 that two grants totaling $55,000 were awarded to Texas counties in an effort to enhance statewide feral hog abatement.

Grant funds were made available through Texas Department of Agriculture’s County Hog Abatement Matching Program (CHAMP) which supports the development of low-cost, highreturn, regionally-coordinated programs that leverage local resources to combat the growing feral hog population in Texas.

Bell County, in partnership with Coryell, Falls, Hamilton and Milam counties, was awarded $25,000 to support abatement efforts. Additionally, $30,000 was awarded to a partnership between Caldwell and Hays counties.

“The feral hog population has exploded in the last 20 years, costing Texans untold millions of dollars,” Staples said. “Our ability to control this will depend on two primary factors.

First, our efforts must be coordinated across all public entities and private landowners.

“Second, we must focus on the most low-cost, high-return methods when investing limited taxpayer dollars into these efforts. CHAMP grants accomplish both of these by building on the successes of recent initiatives.”

Texas is home to the largest feral hog population in the Unit-

ed States, with nearly 2.6 million feral hogs causing an estimated $500 million in damage in Texas each year. CHAMP is designed to encourage counties across Texas to create regional partnerships with other counties, local governments, businesses, landowners and associations to reduce the feral hog population and the damage caused by these pests.

Bell, Coryell, Falls, Hamilton and Milam counties will coordinate the use of grant funds to invest in public education workshops that raise awareness about feral hog abatement. The money also will supplement trapping and hunting initiatives, including funding bounty programs.

CHAMP grants are awarded through a competitive application process. The participating county partnerships are required to contribute a minimum match of one dollar for every dollar of grant money requested.

In 2010, Staples created the Hog Out Challenge to encourage locally initiated feral hog abatement activities in counties across Texas through coordinated and concentrated attacks.

This has resulted in some of the lowest-cost, highest-yielding hog removal activities since 2006 when the state began investing in these efforts.

CHAMP, in partnership with Hog Out, aims to strengthen the state’s feral hog abatement initiatives by adding a regional focus across multiple counties.

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The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

News

New arrowleaf clover has increased disease resistance released in 2001, according to Charles Long, resident director of research at the Overton center.

Clover can be an important part of forage production — and, by association, beef production — in the southern U.S., Smith said. Arrowleaf clover long has shown good production potential. If planted or overseeded into warm-season pastures in the fall, it promises grazing for cattle in early spring when warm-season grasses are

By RoBeRt BuRns Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

OVERTON — Texas A&M AgriLife Research recently released Blackhawk, a new arrowleaf clover promising high forag e production with improved disease resistance.

Gerald Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Research forage breeder, said he developed Blackhawk from lines with natural resistance to the fungal soil pathogen Pythium ultimum and for tolerance to bean yellow mosaic virus.

Developed at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, Blackhawk traces its lineage back to dark-seeded lines from 1984 field selections of arrowleaf cultivars Yuchi, Amclo and Meechee, Smith said.

Soil pathogens such as Pythium ultimum kill or damage germinating seed and emerging arrowleaf clover seedlings, Smith

dormant.

As early as the 1960s, from East Texas to Georgia, it was common practice to mix arrowleaf seed with crimson clover seed, according to Smith.

By mixing the early-maturing crimson clover and late-maturing arrowleaf, ranchers and farmers could have forage from February through early June.

Multiple disease problems, including plant viruses and fun-

See CLOVER, Page 8

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo

Bean yellow mosaic virus is one of the most prevalent and damaging diseases for arrowleaf clover. The virus doesn’t affect crimson clover, but either kills or stunts non-resistant varieties of arrowleaf clover. said. Both Apache and Yuchi arrowleaf clover are susceptible to this seedling disease, and in laboratory trials, inoculation with the disease resulted in 100 percent and 73 percent dead or severely diseased seedlings, respectively.

“In contrast, Blackhawk is resistant to this disease, and only 33 percent of the seedlings showed any sign of damage due to fungal disease,” he said.

Smith is known nationally for the development of Apache arrowleaf clover, which he

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The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

8

News Clover, from Page 6 gal root diseases, effectively put a stop to the practice by the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, Smith said.

Of the diseases, bean yellow mosaic virus was one of the most prevalent and damaging problems. The virus didn’t affect crimson clover, but either killed or stunted arrowleaf clover.

It was in response to this problem that Smith developed and released Apache arrowleaf clover in 2001. Apache became one of the most widely used arrowleaf clovers in the U.S. South, according to Smith.

In terms of tonnage of forage produced per acre, Blackhawk and Apache are very similar, Smith said. In addition to having natural resistance to soil pathogens that attack seedlings, however, Blackhawk has the additional advantage of going dormant about a week earlier than Apache. This means Blackhawk is less likely to compete with warm-season forages such as Coastal or Tifton 85 Bermuda grass.

Despite the similarities, the

“With Blackhawk, we started at a different place. We used a large germplasm collection, but we selected initially for resistance to fungal seedling diseases. We want to get that fixed first, and then after we had resistance to those diseases, we selected for resistance to bean yellow mosaic virus.

“So essentially, Blackhawk has multiple disease resistance.”

Blackhawk seed is black, hence its name, Smith said. Curiously, Blackhawk’s resistance to seedling diseases is linked to seed pigmentation.

This correlation between

dark-pigmentation and fungal disease resistance in legumes long has been known, he said.

“Dark-seededgenotypesshow increased tolerance to fungi such as Pythium ultimum and P. irregulare, when compared to light colored seeds,” Smith said. “The protective pigments are anthocyanins, which are also found throughout plants in flowers, leaves, seed, etc.”

Brazos Valley Alfalfa Top Quality Hay Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Robert Burns

Blackhawk arrowleaf clover’s resistance to seedling diseases is linked to seed pigmentation. histories of developing Blackhawk and Apache are “quite different,” he said.

“On Apache, we started with a really broad germplasm base, and we selected for a number

of generations for resistance to bean yellow mosaic virus,” Smith said. “We stopped at that, and released Apache, and it’s been a great variety for us, and continues to be a great variety.

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Annual ram performance test begins Sept. 16 in San Angelo Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

 September 2013-Issue 1

SAN ANGELO — The annual ram performance test conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife Research will begin Sept. 16 with delivery of the Rambouillet rams to the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

The center is located just north of San Angelo on U.S. 87.

The field day and sale of the top performance tested rams is set for March 21.

Dan Waldron, AgriLife Research geneticist at San Angelo who coordinates the test, said some of the top Rambouillet genetics in the world are represented.

“Flock improvement through identifying and documenting superior rams remains the sole purpose for the test and has been since this activity began in 1948,” Waldron said.

Other important dates associated with the ram test are: • Oct. 1, initial shearing.

• Oct. 2, initial weigh-in.

• Nov. 20 and Jan. 8, are two other weight-check days.

• Feb. 19, 2014, final weighing and shearing.

Waldron said an initial fee of $430 per ram will be required and is expected to cover the costs associated with the test.

Payment must be received on or before the Sept. 16 starting date.

For more information contact Waldron or Frank Craddock, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state sheep and goat specialist at San Angelo, at 325-653-4576.

Complete information as it becomes available on the test animals will be posted at sanangelo. tamu.edu .

The Land & Livestock Post

News

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The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

10

News

2013 agricultural custom rates survey available online control, other farm and ranch operations, miscellaneous livestock operations, and consulting services.

A survey was distributed to select farmers, ranchers, landowners, as well as custom operators across Texas. The results helped establish a baseline of rates statewide to further assist with questions related to custom-hire activities, Klose said.

“Information can be some-

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

COLLEGE STATION — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has published online the 2013 Texas Agricultural Custom Rates Survey of regional and state rates charged for custom agricultural operations.

“Each year, AgriLife Extension receives many requests for prevailing rates for certain kinds of work and custom farm or machine operations,” said Steven Klose, AgriLife Extension economist in College Station. “This is an update of information that has been used extensively over the years.”

To view rates for custom operations, go to agecoext.tamu. edu/resources/custom-ratesurvey.html.

The online publication is 32 pages. It includes data on tractor rental, tillage operations, planting operations, ap-

what limited on specific custom work done in parts of Texas,” Klose said. “This publication provides a range of rates for different services, whether you are using or providing those services. It’s a handy resource to have for year-round activities.”

Marek Grain Bin Co. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns

The Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service has published the 2013Texas Agricultural Custom Rates Survey of regional and state rates charged for custom operations, including haying operations. plication of fertilizer and lime, chemicals-cotton harvesting, peanut harvesting, hauling and

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Down and dirty

Teenagers learn how to love and work the land

September 2013-Issue 1



The Land & Livestock Post

News

12

By BLAKE THORNE The Flint Journal

F

LINT, Mich. — It’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday in late June, planting season is just starting, but the day is already hot.

No clouds, no sign of cooling off.

Everyone can tell it’s going to be a hot one.

Bernie Hatcher looks over the crowd of teenagers sipping water and Gatorade. On paper, they’re here just for a summer job — a way to earn a few bucks and fend off the boredom of idle summer days.

But today, like so many days at this job, they’re getting something extra.

They’re getting a lesson in responsibility, in behaving like adults, according to The Flint Journal ( http://bit. ly/19dvFlw ).

“There was another killing, another young person who lost their life in Flint last night,” Hatcher tells them.

He pauses — either for dramatic effect or just because it’s so hot — letting his words sink in.

“That’s two days in a row,” he continues. “This one was 16 years old. Gun violence.”

The eyes on the young faces follow Hatcher as he meanders back and forth in the covered pavilion. There are about 35 teens gathered at long rows of picnic tables. The message isn’t lost on them. Their ages are the same as some of the city’s homicide victims.

18, 19, 16.

“We just want you to know we are so proud of you,” Hatcher continues.

“And what you’re doing here in the Mr. Rogers Program. And where you spend your time when you’re here with us.”

The teens are this year’s staff at the Mr. Rogers Program (Or the “Mr. Rogers Say No Program,” for its emphasis on avoiding bad decisions) operated through Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee counties. The approximately 90 teens in the program came to it through TeenQuest, a local pre-employment leadership training program.

Part summer job, part life skills boot camp, the program started here 23 years ago with only nine kids, making $1.23 per hour, said Program Director

AP Photos/MLive.com, Jake May

Above, a teenager, one of approximately 90 in the program, walks through the garden to check on rows of different vegetables on June 21 as part of the Mr. Rogers Program at Ebenezer Ministries in Burton, Mich.

Right, three teens laugh while gardening during the Mr. Rogers Program at Ebenezer Ministries on Center Road in Burton, Mich.

Greg Gaines, who was an early organizer.

“I was just trying to keep the young men from running around in the street,” Gaines said.

The program was launched in Genesee County in 1989 and merged with Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties in 2006. It is named after founder Wendell Rogers.

Now, the teens make $7.40 per hour and work from 8 a.m. to noon each day.

They plant and harvest two gardens in the area: at Ebenezer Ministries in Burton and at Our Lady of Guadalupe

See TEENS, Page 13

See PROGRAM, Page 21

AP Photo/MLive.com, Jake May

Marlon Ballard, 15, of Flint, Mich., center, rakes mulch with other teens in the Mr. Rogers Program after a thunderstorm soaked the garden and its surrounding area in June at Ebenezer Ministries in Burton, Mich.

Teens, from Page 12 Parish in Flint. Then, they sell their crops at the Flint Farm-

ers’ Market on Thursdays and Saturdays. There’s also a culinary program in which a local chef shows them how to

September 2013-Issue 1

I am important.

I am in the Mr. Rogers Say No program.

And I will make a difference.

After a rainy early summer, the team at Ebenezer finally got all the seeds planted by late June.

Tomatoes, peppers, okra, purple-hull peas, squash, zucchini squash, yellow squash, collard greens, cabbage, beets, carrots, strawberries.

Little wooden sticks mark each row, the name of that row’s vegetable written verti-



are sold or hands get dirty, each day starts the same. The group recites the Mr. Rogers Pledge.

In a call-and-response fashion, one teen recites a line, the group repeats it.

I am in the Mr. Rogers Say No program.

I am somebody.

I am important.

I can make a difference.

Today I do my best to learn and behave.

I represent myself, my parents, my school and my neighborhood.

I am somebody.

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News

prepare some of the produce they grow.

But before any seeds are planted, before any peppers

October

ollow us on

facebook

Oct. 5 – Heart of Texas Special Replacement Female Sale. Groesbeck, TX.

Events Calendar September:

817-291-5121

Oct. 8 - Powell Herefords 16th Annual Production Sale. Fort McKavett, TX. 325-653-1688

Sept. 5 - Jordan Cattle Auction Stocker-Feeder &

Premium Weaned Sale. San Saba, TX

Oct. 9-11 - RA Brown Ranch 39th Annual Bull & Female Sale Complete Dispersal. Throckmorton, TX. 940-849-0611

Sept. 12 - Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post *Annual Bull Issue*

Oct. 19- Central Texas BBA Beef “On” Forage Performance Tested Bull Sale, Brenham, TX.

Sept. 14 - 4-States Limousin Assn. Sale. Mt. Pleasant, TX. 281-808-5511

Oct. 23 - Texas Hereford Association Fall Classic Bull Sale. Buffalo, TX.

Sept. 16 - Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker

Oct. 26 – The Sale at 44 Farms. Cameron, TX. 254-697-4401

& Feeder Sale. Mason, TX

Sept. 21 - Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale, San Saba, TX

Sept. 21 - Muleshoe Ranch Annual Range Ready

Oct. 26 – Oak Creek Farms Tested Registered Bull Sale. Chappell Hill, TX. 979-836-6832

Hereford & Angus Bull Sale, Breckenridge, TX

Sept. 26 - Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post

Sept 26 - Jordan Cattle Auction Special Stocker &

Feeder Sale. San Saba, TX

Sept. 27 – Real Estate Auction. Jourdanton, TX.

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Sept. 28 - Live Oak BBA Fall Sale. Three Rivers, TX

Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed?

Call Jesse Wright at (979) 731-4721 or email jesse.wright@theeagle.com

13

The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

News Extension expert advises producers to ‘get it in writing’

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

COLLEGE STATION — Beef producers entering into a lease contract for grazing, use of breeding bulls or other business activities are advised to have a written agreement, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agricultural law specialist.

Tiffany Dowell, an assistant professor and agricultural law specialist with AgriLife Extension in College Station, told beef producers at the recent Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course that a written lease provides protection to both parties.

“Some of you may not think you need a written lease, but you will wish you had one if there is ever a problem,” she said. “Additionally, in order to be legally enforceable, any real estate lease for a year or more has to be in writing.”

Dowell advised to have limits

in a lease. For example, if you lease property, Dowell said to be clear on what you are leasing.

“If the lease is for grazing and you want t o r e s e r ve hunting rights, you need to have that spelled out,” she said. “If the l a n d ow n e r wants to reserve the right to go in and inspect TIFFANY DOWELL anything, then the landowner has to specify that in the agreement.”

Additionally, a pasture lease should specify which tracts are included in the agreement.

“A legal description is good, but you may want to include additional information as well,” she said. “For example, if you want to lease a specific pasture, but not the peach orchard in the

back of the property, you need to spell that out.”

The lease also should include provisions specifying who is responsible for maintenance items such as pasture shredding, fence repair, barn maintenance and other items that could become issues.

For cattle producers leasing bulls, Dowell advised to include liability issues in the agreement. For example, if a bull is injured during the time that it is being leased, it is a good idea to have provisions in the agreement to handle that situation.

“One term to consider when leasing out a bull is whether it might be prudent to require a monetary deposit from the lessee that will be returned upon the bull’s safe return at the end of the lease.”

Finally, Dowell said there should be inclusion of penalties and consequences for late payment in the lease agreement.

“There should be a set penalty for late payment,” she

said. “These provisions can be drafted in a variety of ways.

For example, you could have a set late fee of so much for each day, and once the fees add up to a certain amount, the lease will terminate.”

Overall, Dowell said it’s a good idea to have a lawyer review the agreement.

“Prior to taking it to your lawyer, you can do some things that will save you some money,” she said. “For example, if you go online there are sample

leases that will help you draft an agreement. Once you have taken a first crack at it, then take it to a lawyer for review.

The lawyer will not have to start from scratch and will likely bill less hours to simply review and revise.”

For additional information on agricultural law, Dowell has an agricultural law blog at agrilife. org/texasaglaw/ providing regular updates on various topics and weekly recaps on legal issues in the news.

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Healthy Stream workshop set

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

ď‚Ť September 2013-Issue 1

LAMPASAS — A Lone Star Healthy Streams workshop will be held Sept. 18 at the Farm Bureau building at 1793 N. U.S. 281 in Lampasas.

T he Lone Star Healthy Streams program aims to educate Texas livestock producers and land managers on how best to protect Texas waterways from bacterial contributions associated with livestock production and feral hogs, said Jennifer Peterson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist-water quality in College Station.

The workshop is free and three continuing education credits will be provided for certified pesticide applicators from the Texas Department of Agriculture.

The workshop will run from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and include a catered lunch.

To RSVP, go to lshs.tamu.edu/

workshops/ or call Peterson at 979-862-8072.

The workshop will focus specifically on issues within the Lampasas River Watershed, which currently is undergoing development of a watershed protection plan, Peterson said.

A watershed protection plan is a coordinated framework for implementing prioritized and integrated water quality protection and restoration strategies driven by environmental objectives. The issues addressed at the workshop can be applied to other watersheds in Texas.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Temple, along with collaborators from AgriLife Extension, are addressing the Lampasas River water quality issues through a coordinated effort to facilitate and encourage public education, awareness and involvement of water quality issues, and to conduct a science-based analysis of the watershed.

The Land & Livestock Post

News

15

The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

Fall Forage Issue

Spread out

Economics in applying nitrogen to winter forage

By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to the Post

P

roducers must work with a number of matters, but all of them eventually relate to the bottom line.

Input costs such as feed, hay, fuel and fertilizer dictate that the economics in all management decisions be calculated and compared to alternate choices. Nitrogen application to winter forage is one of the decisions that warrants careful study.

“Management of cow-calf and/or stocker operations requires adjustments for seasonal and total forage production, animal performance expectations, wintering costs and other operating expenses,” said Monte Rouquette Jr. of Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Overton.

“In general, the amount of rainfall, temperature fluctuations and available soil nutrients control forage production. Stocking rates dictate fertilizer, hay, and supplemental feed requirements to meet animal performance expectations and to maintain enough forage reserves to support plant regrowth. Wintering costs associated with hay and supplements to maintain cow condition for calving and rebreeding are responsible for a substantial part of the cow-calf producer’s annual expenses.

“Thus, fertilizer management during the summer months, hay production or purchase, and inclusion of winter annual pastures requires primary consideration during times of escalating input prices.”

Rouquette lists three possible strategies for responding to increased fertilizer prices: • Eliminate all fertilizer.

• Reduce fertilizer to minimum applications.

• Continue with moderate fertilization applications.

His discussions of these strategies are presented in the next paragraphs.

Photo by Lynda Richardson, NRCS Regardless of which fertilizer management strategy you choose,it is important to obtain a soil test analysis to dtermine whether and how much fertilizer is needed.

Eliminate all fertilizer

Regardless of the chosen strategy, it is very important to obtain a soil test

16

See FERTILIZER, Page 17

Photo by Jesse Wright The rising cost of input prices, primarily nitrogen fertilizer costs, make it necessary to determine the right fertilizer to use and in what amount.

The Land & Livestock Post

Fall Forage

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September 2013-Issue 1

analysis. If soil pH and levels of phosphorus, potassium and micronutrients are acceptable, clovers may be overseeded for late winter through early spring grazing. Grazed clovers provide a source of nitrogen fixation via excreta making it available for use by bermudagrass or other warm-season forage. This recycling of nutrients stimulates forage production and reduces soil mining effects.

Grass production is nitrogen dependent. If nitrogen is not added to the soil either through clover or fertilizer, the stocking rate needs to be reduced to account for less forage production. An option is to lease pasture for the cows that have to be removed. Hay requirements may be met by purchasing, based on nutritive value and weight.

If clovers are components of the pasture system, harvesting hay after seed maturation will provide some of the hay requirements and can act as a method of reseeding. The reseeding process is enhanced by unrolling round bales onto new seeding areas during the fall.

Forage protein content will be reduced if soil nitrogen

is low. It may be necessary to feed supplement during the winter depending upon nutritive value of hay and/or deferred pasture with standing hay.

Calving time may have to be adjusted to fit the seasonal availability of forage nutrient and dry matter from pasture and/or hay. In general, if winter annual forages are not components of this system, then a late spring calving may best fit pasture conditions without prolonged supplementation of the cow herd.

Herbicide applications and/ or mowing will be required to control annual weeds and perennial woody species that invade pastures. Bahiagrass and common bermudagrass will invade and eventually dominate pastures with an extended absence of nitrogen fertilizer. Subsequent invasion by other annual and perennial weeds may become more predominant with time.

Barkant

Jumbo

Photo courtesy of Texas Agrilife Extension Clover is an important component in maintaining a health pasture. Grazed clovers provide a source of nitrogen fixation via excreta making it available for use by bermudagrass or other warm-season forage.

Fertilizer, from Page 16

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Reduce fertilizer

Soil nutrient strategies based on soil analyses may include non-nitrogen fertilizer plus overseeded clovers.

Other fertilizer strategies may include overseeding with

See NITROGEN, Page 18

17

The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

Fall Forage Issue Nitrogen, from Page 17 annual ryegrass with one or two winter nitrogen applications at 50 pounds per acre to stimulate ryegrass. In addition, one or two spring to summer nitrogen applications at 50 pounds per acre may be needed to stimulate bermudagrass, bahiagrass and other warm-season grasses.

Strategic, timely applications are imperative to match climatic conditions and effectively utilize the nitrogen and resulting forage production.

Hay requirements may be met with harvest of clover and/or ryegrass at seed maturation, or it can be purchased.

Evaluate forage conditions for proper stocking rate and incorporate a regimented cow culling procedure based on performance.

Herbicide applications or mowing may be required to control annual weeds and perennial woody species. Some forage species composition changes likely will occur on

annual clovers, ryegrass and small grains.

• Apply lime (ECCE-100) as appropriate, primarily for cool-season annual forages.

• Consider rates of 50 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre for each application with the potential of three on small grain plus ryegrass, two on ryegrass alone and two to three applications during the exclusive bermudagrass phase.

• Apply herbicides to eliminate competition with forage for nutrients, water and space.

Increased forage production

resulting from the use of this strategy can be used more efficiently by harvesting hay or grazing either retained or purchased stocker calves.

Excess hay can be sold to help recover some of the fertilizer costs.

Costs can also be recovered by adjusting calving and weaning dates for increased animal sales weights.

Costs and returns on each fertilization strategy should be calculated for your operation before one is selected and implemented.

Photo by Jesse Wright For a moderate fertilization program, consider spreading nitrogen at a rate of 5060 pounds per acre. pastures receiving minimum amounts of nitrogen. There probably will be increases in bahiagrass, bermudagrass and assorted associated plants.

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The Land & Livestock Post ď‚Ť

September 2013-Issue 1

19

The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

News

Expert: Cattle producers should plan for drought COLLEGE STATION — Texas beef cattle producers should plan for future periods of dry conditions as drought patterns exhibited in the 1950s continue to prevail in current models, according to an expert.

“We are still reliving the 1950s drought-producing pattern with periodic breaks,” Brian Bledsoe, a weather forecaster who is featured monthly in Southern Livestock Standard, recently told 1,400 attendees at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in College Station.

Bledsoe said when he speaks to young farmers and ranchers who are thinking about taking over operations from their fathers, he says, “have a drought plan … because we are going to have more dry years than wet years.”

Bledsoe said computer models forecasted for the late summer through early fall are going to be “pretty status quo.”

Looking ahead, Bledsoe said come spring of next year, March through May, could “potentially be wet months.”

He said for now, it will be a drier and warmer-than-normal fall going into early winter, with potential for a possible El Niño trend in early 2014. Bledsoe said, however, “Remember, we are still reliving the 1950s droughtproducing pattern with periodic breaks.”

The opening short course

Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc. (979) 776-4444 or (800) 299-7355

President - Crystal Dupré .....................................................Ext. 4613 Publisher and Editor- Kelly Brown.........................................Ext. 4656 Advertising Director - Ron Prince ........................................ Ext. 4740 Advertising Sales/General Manager - Jesse Wright ...............Ext. 4721 Financial Director - Rod Armstrong .......................................Ext. 4605 Production Director - Mark Manning.....................................Ext. 4671 Circulation Director - Jack Perkins .......................................Ext. 4752

Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc., P.O. Box 3000, Bryan,Texas 77805.

E-mail: thepost@theeagle.com All offices are located at 1729 Briarcrest Drive Bryan,Texas 77802.

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20

“We take our role in extending the great research in labs and in the field into the classroom and put that in (in a form of) education and outreach that is understandable to you.”

This year’s short course was dedicated to Randall Grooms, who retired in 1996 as professor and AgriLife Extension livestock specialist emeritus at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in Overton.

Grooms was recognized at the

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

short course prime rib dinner.

The beef short course event showcases the latest research and educational programs offered by AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the department of animal science at Texas A&M. The annual event is one of the largest beef-education workshops in the country, and has become one of the largest and most comprehensive beef cattle educational programs in the U.S.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

The 59th Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course at Texas A&M University in College Station provided participants an inside look to the future of the industry as well as a snapshot of potential cattle market trends. general session titled “Ranching Into the Future” featured presentations on weather, cattle market outlook and other industry issues.

Don Close, vice president for food and agriculture research with Rabobank, discussed the outlook for beef demand and trends in protein consumption across the U.S. He said thinking beyond the traditional mindset of beef consumption, eating habits are changing, especially as cultural diversification among the U.S. population continues. He cited Houston as the most diversified city in the U.S. per ethnic groups and how protein consumption differs compared to decades ago.

He said the beef industry has a great story.

“Go tell it,” he said. “Beef production does not end at the ranch gate. Consumer interest in food and where it comes from is only going to increase. Nobody in the world can tell your story better than you can. Tell the story, please.”

The short course featured more than 60 speakers from Texas and the U.S. It was coordinated by experts with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M University department of animal science.

“We all know there have been some challenges and one of those challenges is from a rainfall perspective for the past five years,” said Jason Cleere, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist and short course coordinator, during the opening of the general session.

Doug Steele, AgriLife Extension director, told the attendees, “Beef cattle are so important

to our state. We have a vested interest in your success. That’s why we continue to have the short course each year and give you the opportunity to come. I encourage you over the next couple of days to think about the future: where you are going with your practice, where the industry is going.

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LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Brazos Valley

Results of the Buffalo Livestock Marketing’s August 10 sale: Head: 1,431 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $200-

Program, from Page 13 cally in green marker.

Lewis Allen II inspects the rows of freshly planted seeds.

“It’s taught me a lot about patience, attention to detail,” the 19-year-old said.

By the next week, though, the group’s patience is tested again.

There has been another heavy rain.

The sign marking “Beets” has a pool of water up to the “S.” Gaines shows one of the teens how to dig a trench to divert some of the water.

“Now, turn your shovel around and do the other side that same way,” he tells 15-year-old Harold McNeal.

McNeal does as he’s told, and water starts trickling into his makeshift canal. The stench of muddy water lingers in the air.

Nearby, 18-year-old Kyra Horne supervises a younger girl digging.

“Hey careful,” Horne tells her. “We got plants right there.”

In her fourth year in the program, Horne is what’s called a team leader. She helps supervise newer workers and makes a few extra cents per hour.

Team leaders in the pro-

Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s Aug. 14 sale: Head: 702 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $220$260; 300-400 lbs., $200-$230; 400-500 lbs., $160-$190; 500600 lbs., $150-$165; 600-700 lbs., $140-$155; 700-800 lbs., $135-$145. gram say it’s a good opportunity to get some management experience at an age when they otherwise wouldn’t.

“I can remember my first

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $180$210; 300-400 lbs., $170-$225; 400-500 lbs., $160-$235; 500600 lbs., $140-$170; 600-700 lbs., $135-$155; 700-800 lbs., $130-$145.

Slaughter bulls: $96-$110.

Slaughter cows: $60-$97.

Stocker cows: $800-$1,350.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,075-$1,475.

Groesbeck

Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Exchange’s Aug. 13 sale: Head: 606.

Steers: 300-400 lbs., $185$230; 400-500 lbs., $175-$205; 500-600 lbs.,$150-$170; 600-700 lbs., $145-$165.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $170$200; 400-500 lbs., $160-$190; 500-600 lbs., $1405-$155; 600700 lbs., $130-$150.

Slaughter bulls: $96-$106.

Slaughter cows: $70-$91. year here,” Horne said. “My team leader made sure he was giving me a hard time. I would

Stocker cows: $800-$1,400.

Cow/calf pairs: $900-$1,600.

Jordan

Results of the Jordan Cattle Auction Market Aug. 8 sale: Head: 1,296 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $190$240; 400-500 lbs., $185-$210; 500-600 lbs.,$150-$172; 600-700 lbs., $145-$165.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $170$200; 400-500 lbs., $1650-$190; 500-600 lbs.,$145-$160; 600-700 lbs., $135-$155.

Slaughter bulls: $96-$106.

Slaughter cows: $70-$92.

Stocker cows: $850-$1,400.

Milano

Results of the Milano Livestock Exchange’s August 13 sale: Head: 350.

Steers: 300-400 lbs., $132$201; 400-500 lbs., $120-$180; 500-600 lbs.,$125-$165; 600-700 lbs., $110-$153.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $130-

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Slaughter bulls: $93-$109.

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Stocker cows: $985-$1,275.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,575-$2,000.

Navasota

Results of the Navasota Livestock Auction Co.’s Aug. 10 sale: Head: 1,971.

Steers: 150-300 lbs., $150$270; 300-400 lbs., $150-$230; 400-500 lbs.,$125-$195; 500-600 lbs., $120-$172.50; 600-700 lbs., $115-$160.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $135$230; 300-400 lbs., $130-$185; 400-500 lbs.,$120-$175; 500-600 lbs., $115-$162.50; 600-700 lbs., $115-$147.50.

Slaughter bulls: $80-$105.

Slaughter cows: $60-$91.

Stocker cows: $750-$1,325.

Cow/calf pairs: $1150-$1,550.

September 2013-Issue 1

Buffalo

$260; 200-300 lbs., $195-$235; 300-400 lbs., $175-$218; 400500 lbs.,$160-$215; 500-600 lbs., $155-$172; 600-700 lbs., $145$165; 700-800 lbs., $130-$145.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $190$230; 200-300 lbs., $185-$215; 300-400 lbs., $165-$200; 400500 lbs.,$145-$175; 500-600 lbs., $140-$167; 600-700 lbs., $130$142; 700-800 lbs., $120-$140.

Slaughter bulls: $82-$103.

Slaughter cows: $55-$90.

Bred cows: $975-$1,350.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,000-$1,650



Results of the Brazos Valley Livestock Commission’s Aug. 13 sale: Head: 973 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $195$255; 300-400 lbs., $174-$200; 400-500 lbs., $154-$180; 500600 lbs., $141-$173; 600-700 lbs., $130-$157; 700-800 lbs., $136-$143.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $170$195, 300-400 lbs., $156-$190; 400-500 lbs., $138-$161; 500600 lbs., $132-$151; 600-700 lbs., $120-$140; 700-800 lbs., $124-$136.

Slaughter bulls: $88-$109.

Slaughter cows: $67-$91.50.

Bred cows: $950-$1,235.

Cow/calf pairs: $850-$1,100

The Land & Livestock Post

News

— Special to The Eagle

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21

The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

News

Stockpiled forages can reduce need to feed hay

By James Locke The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

I

n most operations, hay feeding represents a large portion of a cow’s annual maintenance cost. The cost of feeding hay includes much more than just the production cost or purchase price of the hay.

The costs of hauling, storage, rings or feeders, feeding, spoilage and feeding waste add significantly to the costs of hay feeding. Grazing is the most cost-effective way of harvesting forages, so anything that extends the grazing season and reduces hay feeding tends to make good financial sense.

Perhaps the most common method of extending the grazing season is to stockpile forages in selected pastures. Stockpiling forages simply means allowing growth to accumulate during the growing season to be grazed during the winter months. Any

forage has the potential to be stockpiled, but because bermudagrass, native grasses and tall fescue commonly are used in the Southern Great Plains, this article will only address those.

Bermudagrass can make excellent quality stockpiled forage that can maintain its quality into January. Cut the bermudagrass for hay or graze to an approximate 3-inch stubble height by the middle of August.

Apply 50 to 75 pounds actual nitrogen per acre, plus phosphorus and potassium if indicated by soil test, before Sept. 1. Allow the grass to grow until a killing freeze and begin grazing. Assuming favorable weather conditions, the bermudagrass may accumulate up to 2,500 pounds of dry matter per acre during the stockpiling period.

Native grasses can make large quantities of fair- to low-quality stockpiled forage. Since they tend to be lower quality, it is

See FORAGE, Page 24

Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Perhaps the most common method of extending the grazing season is to stockpile forages in selected pastures.

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The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

News Forage, from Page 22 important to test standing forages to determine what supplementation is necessary to meet animal nutrient requirements.

Cease grazing or haying native grasses by early July and allow them to grow until a killing freeze. This will allow them to replenish their carbohydrate reserves. After the native grasses are dormant, graze them until they reach an approximate 6-inch stubble height.

For any warm-season grass being stockpiled, the length of time it will maintain its quality will depend on weather conditions. If conditions are cold and dry, stockpiled forages can maintain their quality well into January. If conditions are wet and warm, they will decompose and lose both quality and quantity much faster. In general, native grasses are more resilient in adverse weather conditions than bermudagrass.

Tall fescue, being a cool-season perennial grass, typically does not begin to grow much until September or October. Apply 60 pounds to 90 pounds actual nitrogen per acre, plus phospho-

rus and potassium if indicated by soil test, by Oct. 1. Allow the tall fescue to grow as long as feasible before beginning grazing.

For toxic-endophyte-infected tall fescue, delay grazing until January or February to allow the ergovaline levels to drop and reduce risks of fescue toxicosis.

Assuming favorable weather conditions, tall fescue may accumulate up to 4,000 pounds of dry matter per acre during the stockpiling and early spring growth periods.

If a producer has each of these resources plus ryegrass, he or she potentially could have up to a 12-month grazing season.

To accomplish this, they could graze stockpiled bermudagrass and native grasses until January, stockpiled tall fescue from January through April, and ryegrass or other quality cool-season annuals until the warm-season perennial grasses resume growth.

Assuming proper stocking rates, good grazing management and favorable weather conditions, stockpiled forages potentially can reduce or even eliminate hay feeding.

Grow, from Page 21 think of it as picking on me.

But looking back on it, it really just made me become a better team leader myself.”

After the Mr. Rogers program ends at noon each day, Horne heads to her other summer job, at a Taco Bell. She graduated from high school this year. She’s heading to Oakland University in the fall to study social work.

These days, she has fond memories of her first team leader. The one she thought was picking on her.

“He worked me hard and got me to where I am now.”

Christopher Groce said the job has made him into a better man.

For one, his pants are where they belong.

“This program has helped me stop sagging, really,” the 19-year-old said. “There’s nobody sagging here.”

Groce, like many teen boys his age, used to let his pants hang low. It was the style. He

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thought it looked cool.

But it was a bad habit, he said. It was immature.

And he’s no longer just a kid walking the halls at Flint Northern High School. Groce is heading into his sophomore year at Eastern Michigan University where he’s working toward a physical therapy degree.

“I try to be looked up to as a leader here,” he said. “I try to be more of a leader, more responsible.”

Jenisha Radford, 17, worked with the Mr. Rogers program for the first time last year.

The Flint teen admits she used to talk back to people. She kind of had an attitude about people telling her what to do.

Then she became a team leader. And she realized being in charge isn’t always easy.

She knows now what it’s like to be the recipient of backtalking.

“My attitude has changed a lot,” she said. “(Last year), it was like, you’re going to tell me something and I’m going to say something back.”

For Radford, the best part

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“Nelson Ryegrass was faster growing (started grazing 6 weeks after emergence), made a lot more leaf (like oats) and produced more tonnage than the other ryegrasses we have used the past 4 years.

Nelson stands up to heavy grazing pressure and eliminated our hay and supplemental feed needs. Being a forage based program here, forages are the back bone of our program and Nelson will a big part of that.

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“I used Nelson Ryegrass this year and was really impressed with its quality and production. It has a leaf like oats. In our Artificial Insemination and Embryo Transfer program, nutrition is very important and Nelson provides that. My calves gained great and our rebreeding was excellent.

Nelson will definitely be a big part of my forage program from now on.”

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The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

26

News Wise management practices could improve soil quality

By Jagadeesh Mosali The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Surface soil produces our food and is vital for life. This precious resource often is called “skin of the Earth” and, just as skin, it is important to protect and maintain its quality.

Soil quality is the inherent capacity of a particular soil to support human health and habitation; maintain or enhance air and water quality; and, most important, sustain plant and animal productivity.

From an agricultural standpoint, soil quality is vital for improving long-term agricultural productivity and maximizing profits through sustainable productivity.

It is important for soil both to function optimally for current needs and remain healthy for future use. Soil organic matter, tillage, soil compaction, soil structure, depth of soil, waterholding capacity, electrical conductivity, pH, ground cover, microbial biodiversity, carbonto-nitrogen ratio and nutrient management are some of the important parameters of soil quality.

Improving and maintaining soil organic matter content is the most important quality parameter. Increasing organic matter improves soil structure as well as water- and nutrientholding capacity, supports soil microbes, and protects soil from erosion and compaction. Organic matter can be improved by using no-till or minimum till methods, growing cover crops, leaving crop residues and using rotations with crops that balance optimal water and nutrient management practices.

Using reduced tillage practices will protect the soil surface, which decreases soil erosion and soil compaction, and decreases the loss of organic matter. Reduction in tillage also decreases the potential for destroying soil structure. Soil compaction can be caused by using heavy equipment on the surface when the soil is wet. Compaction will reduce the amount of air, water and pore space for growth of both soil microbes and plant roots. Soil compaction can be reduced by minimizing equipment use when the ground is wet and combining multiple

farm tasks, such as applying both herbicides and fertilizer in one trip.

Growing cover crops and leaving residue from previous crops is the best way to reduce soil erosion by wind and water. Ground cover can be increased by growing perennial crops such as grasses in a pasture situation.

Ground cover will improve water availability, but care should be taken to manage it properly to prevent disease outbreak.

Soil quality also relies on microbial organisms. Diversity in soil microbes may be helpful in controlling pest populations, diseases and weeds. Biodiversity can be achieved by increasing long-term crop rotations, since each plant in rotation contributes to unique soil structure and plant residue.

Understanding how to improve soil quality is aided by knowledge of the carbon-tonitrogen (C:N) ratio for managing cover crops and nutrient cycling.

The C:N ratio is the amount of carbon to the amount of nitrogen in a residue or other organic material applied to soil.

If material with a higher C:N ratio residue is applied, it takes longer to decompose and may immobilize inorganic fertilizers that are applied. This problem can be reduced by growing a low C:N ratio crop (e.g., vetch or other legumes) in rotation with a high C:N ratio crop (e.g., wheat straw).

Finally, efficient nutrient management is important in maintaining soil quality. Test your soils regularly and make sure that you store all your records. Examining records over time will tell whether the management practices that were followed increased or depleted soil nutrients. Too much fertilizer or manure may cause groundwater contamination or may run off and enter water bodies and degrade water quality. Application of nutrients based on a soil test will alleviate this problem.

What works on one farm may not work on another. Adjust your management plan by observing changes in soil quality on your farm. Wise management decisions will improve the overall quality of the soil. Being proactive, rather than reactive, will make you a better steward of this limited resource.

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about the job is seeing the plants grow.

“We planted all the things,” she said, looking over the rows of vegetables. “It’s like, coming from nothing to something.”

By July, the vegetables are ready to sell. This day temperatures reach 95 degrees, but it feels even hotter.

Customers sweat and fan themselves as they roam the Flint Farmers’ Market.

Pat Lamson walks up to a table with a Mr. Rogers program banner hanging overhead. Six of the kids work the front table, which displays vegetables for sale.

Squash two for a dollar. Zucchini 75 cents apiece. Jalapeno peppers $1.25 for a quart. Tomatoes $1.25 per pound.

About a half-dozen other teens work under the tent, weighing produce, counting money, making change. Nearby, roughly 20 more students take a lunch break — turkey sandwiches and chips — waiting their turn at the stand.

Lamson has her eye on the bell peppers.

“Do you have any other yellow or orange over there?” she asks.

Jaylyn Boone paws around at the inventory under the table.

“Oh yeah,” the 17 year old says. “Here we go.”

He pulls out a box of peppers, placing it in front of Lamson, she fishes around, finding three she likes, handing over $2 for three peppers.

“Thank you, guys,” she tells them. “Good luck with the gardens.”

“Thank you,” the group at the table responds.

Just like at the gardens, the teens and adult supervisors all wear red T-shirts and baseball caps with the Mr. Rogers logo.

The teens greet passing customers with smiles and a “Hello, how are you?” Customer interaction is part of their job training.

“I think it’s a wonderful program, said Lamson of Flint. ”I love that they’re here. I love that the kids are growing something.”

• This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Flint Journal.

Water-well management training set Special to The Post

WIMBERLEY — Anyone interested in private water-well management in the Cypress Creek watershed is invited to the no-cost Texas Well Owner Network training from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Wimberley Community Center, 14068 Ranch Road 12 in Wimberley.

Participants can have water well samples screened for common contaminants, and a $10 payment for sample analysis for E. coli is due for those bringing samples to the training.

Bringing well water samples to the training is not required, but if people want their water samples analyzed, they must attend the training.

ISSUE Call now to guarantee your spot!

September 2013-Issue 1

Heat, from Page 24



AP Photo/MLive.com, Jake May

On a lunch break at the Flint Farmers Market, a group of teenagers in the Mr. Rogers Program swap stories about their gardens on July 18 in Flint, Mich.

BULL

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Deadline: September 15 Publishes: October 1 Call:

979-731-4721 jesse.wright@ theeagle.com 27

The Land & Livestock Post  September 2013-Issue 1

Ask the Vet

A closer look at two diseases of Texas livestock

I

attended the 59th Annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course coordinated by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialists and hosted by the department of animal science in College Station, Aug. 5-7. If you weren’t one of the 1,400 producers also there, you missed out on a tremendous opportunity to improve profitability of your ranch.

One special thing about the short course is that it is so practical. Meetings are scheduled throughout the state each spring to identify topics that are relevant to Texas beef cattle producers.

Topics discussed this year included nutrition, genetics, economics, reproduction, pasture management and disease prevention. Issues affecting ranching such as water, dealing with wild pigs and cattle handling techniques also were covered.

Another special thing about the short course is the 2-inch thick proceedings that participants are given to take home. The proceedings is full of excellent manuscripts or slides of speaker’s presentations and Extension bulletins. These materials can be reviewed when convenient and as needed.

For the fourth year, the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory hosted a one-day meeting for veterinarians before the Beef Short Course. The approximately 100 veterinarians present included veterinary practitioners, Medical Diagnostic Laboratory faculty, Texas A&M University faculty and expert speakers from outside Texas. The latest research information on several diseases of economic significance to Texas cattle producers was presented.

Today, I’d like to give you cuttingedge information on two of the diseases discussed at the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Sunday seminar:

Anaplasmosis

28

Anaplasmosis is a disease of cattle caused by a rickettsia called Anaplasma marginale that infects red blood cells. Ticks and flies transmit the organism from an infected animal to a new case. The presence of both the “dog tick” and the “winter tick” in Texas makes transmission by ticks possible 12 months of the year.

Transfer of blood by needles, dehorners and ear taggers also can spread the disease.

Anaplasmosis has a geographic incidence, only occurring in areas where insect vectors are found. Prevalence

• See Q&A, page 29

Photo courtesy of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Clinical signs of anaplasmosis in cattle include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, weakness, pale or yellow gums and abortion. Anaplasmosis occurs mainly in southeastern and northwestern states, including Texas. maps show it occurring mainly in southeastern and northwestern states.

Entire states in the middle of the nation are free of anaplasmosis.

Cattle less than a year of age that become infected have mild disease. Older cattle get severely ill and infection can be fatal in animals older than two years. Clinical signs include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, weakness, pale or yellow gums and abortion.

Cattle that recover have infected red blood cells for life (healthy carriers).

Traditional tests to identify carriers often gave false-positive results.

A recent survey lead by Dr. Tom Hairgrove, Texas AgriLife Extension Veterinarian and Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory member, utilizing a new test developed by the laboratory that detects DNA of A. marginale in blood samples, found 20 percent to 40 percent of cattle west of Interstate 35 to be infected with the organism.

While only 5 percent to 15 percent of cattle east of I-35 were infected. Those cattle were healthy carriers.

Outbreaks of anaplasmosis happen when cattle from areas free of the disease are moved to ranches with carriers during vector season (year-round in Texas). Cattle from anaplasmosis free areas have no immunity to the disease.

The bottom line is that this more accurate test may have an important role in prevention of anaplasmosis. Testing to get an estimate of the percentage of

cattle in a herd positive for anaplasmosis (carriers) would be of great help in preventing disease.

Bringing in cattle from an anaplasmosis free area to a ranch with 40 percent carrier animals in Texas is asking for a devastating outbreak.

Knowing the history of purchased additions (are they from an anaplasmafree area?), disinfecting processing equipment, changing needles between animals, insect control and fall deworming with an avermectin product to help with insect control are all important management practices to prevent anaplasmosis.

Bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease

Bluetongue of sheep and cattle, and epizootic hemorrhagic disease of deer are caused by two different but closely related viruses that are transmitted by very small biting midges of the genus Culicoides.

These two viruses are common in Texas. Both attack walls of blood vessels, resulting in hemorrhages in all organs. As expected, this causes severe illness and many deaths in cases of bluetongue of sheep and epizootic hemorrhagic disease of deer. Cattle infected with bluetongue virus in the U.S., however, usually have a mild illness. Only occasionally, outbreaks of bluetongue in U.S. cattle result in lameness, oral ulcers and abortion, possibly with congenital cataracts and fetal deformities.

There are 24 serotypes of bluetongue virus world-wide (five historically in the U.S.) and eight serotypes of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (three historically in the U.S.). Different serotypes cause illnesses of varying symptoms and severity.

In recent years, new serotypes have been found in areas of the world north of their usual habitat. There is a concern that climate change resulting in warmer temperatures is enabling Culicoides midges to thrive and transmit disease in new locations.

A 2006 bluetongue outbreak that affected 83 dairies and 22 beef herds in Israel resulting in $2.5 million losses is an example. Also in 2006, bluetongue outbreaks affecting sheep and cattle began in Europe north of where bluetongue infection of animals and insects previously had been reported. Cattle were affected severely and many aborted their fetuses.

The spread of new serotypes of bluetongue virus to sheep or cattle with no previous exposure is the formula for severe disease outbreaks with high economic losses.

Could this happen in Texas? The past decade, 10 bluetongue virus serotypes resident to the Caribbean region never seen before in the U.S. have been isolated from livestock in the southeastern U.S., but they haven’t spread.

The more we understand bluetongue virus and the Culicoides midges that spread it, the better we will be able to prevent devastating disease outbreaks.

The Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory has an ongoing surveillance program of testing cattle for bluetongue virus serotypes. Its purpose is to detect new serotypes and implement management practices to prevent disease outbreaks.

Prevention of bluetongue infection is accomplished by vaccination combined with insect control.

The bottom line is we are not going to sit around and let bluetongue virus hit us like it hit Europe.

• Dr. Steve Wikse is a retired professor of large animal clinical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University.

The Land & Livestock Post

News

Q&A on EHD

By Russ Daly South Dakota State University

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Q. What is EHD? a. EHD is a viral disease that has long been recognized as perhaps the most important infectious disease of white-tailed deer. In some years, there are significant numbers of death losses in deer populations due to EHD. Mule deer, antelope, and other deer species can also become affected, but usually not to as severe an extent as are white-tailed deer. Cattle can become affected uncommonly.

Clinical illness due to EHD is very rare in sheep and goats.

Q. What are the signs of EHD in deer? a. Usually the disease in deer develops so quickly that death losses are the only signs noted.

If observed, affected deer may show signs of excessive salivation and nasal discharge, sometimes bloody in nature. Weakness and respiratory distress also are common. Hemorrhages throughout the entire body are often noted in the carcasses of deer that have died from EHD. Mortality rates are high.

Most viruses have a specific kind of body cell that they like to infect and damage, and EHD virus is no different. EHD has a preference for small blood vessels throughout the body.

When the cells of these vessels are damaged, blood leaks out, resulting in the hemorrhages that are common in affected animals.

Q. Does EHD do the same thing to cattle? a. No. The clinical disease in cattle is much milder and death losses are very infrequent. The most common sign noted in cattle is that of excessive salivation. Other signs noted include stiffness or lameness, a crusty peeling muzzle, crusty skin on the teats, fever, and a reluctance to eat.

Q. What lesions are veterinarians seeing in these animals? a. The most common manifestation of EHD in cattle has been sores or ulcers in the mouth. Most of the time, these sores affect the upper mouth in the dental pad, near where the skin and the mucous membranes come together, or on the roof of the mouth. These sores can also be seen in the gums of the lower jaw, or elsewhere in mouth. Cows may show redness, blistering, and leatheriness in their teats. In some cases, sores or erosions have

been noted in the feet where the skin meets the hoof (coronary band).

Q. Is there any treatment for affected cattle? a. No, not against the EHD virus itself. However, veterinarians working with affected herds have been prescribing anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics in hopes of preventing problems with secondary bacterial infections that may crop up where the lesions occur. Providing a palatable, accessible source of feed and for these animals is important because of the pain that goes along with the sores in the mouth.

Q. Is there any vaccine for EHD in cattle? a. No. Q. What is the outcome for affected cattle? a. Reports from veterinarians are generally encouraging.

Most of the affected cattle are recovering and beginning to eat. Some cattle are taking longer to bounce back than others, but there are very few reports of cows that seem to be permanently affected.

Q. Does EHD have a breed or age preference in cattle? a. Breed preferences have not been noted, and cases coming into South Dakota State University have been from a variety of breeds and crosses, mostly beef, but also from one Holstein herd. Mostly, it’s been cows that have been affected, but there is at least one report of a beef herd bull being affected.

Interestingly, only a few calves have been reported by producers or veterinarians as suspect EHD cases, but these have not been confirmed through laboratory testing. Cows affected have tended to be mature cows, somewhat older than the average of the herd.

Q. How do cattle get this disease? a. EHD is a virus exclusively spread by biting flies of the Culicoides family. These are more commonly known as biting midges, sand gnats, sand flies, or no-see-ums. The virus is not directly contagious; it needs to be spread through the bite of one of these flies. Once the fly bites an infected animal, whether cattle or deer, the virus can reproduce inside the fly.

The fly then is able to transmit even more virus particles than it picked up in the first place.

As cooler weather prevails, the activity and the survival of the vector will diminish.

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