Land and Livestock Post

October October2016 2016——Issue Issue22

Breeding basics

Using artificial insemination or embryo transfer PAGE 16 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSON GETTING YOUR GOAT

JAMES THOMPSON BARKING UP THE RIGHT TREE

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JAMES THOMPSON BEERLY HERE

JAMESGOOD, SOME THOMPSON MUCH BAD

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Straight from Growing demand the horse's for meat mouth. goat kids in Texas.

Straight from AgriLife investigates the horse's growing mouth. barley for craft beer.

Straightteach Classes from ways the horse's to helpmouth. distressed trees.

Straight from A&M-led team thefinds horse's fire mouth. ants have benefits.

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News From the General Manager

M

y best friend has a son the same age as my son: 4. Recently my friend invited us on a camping trip. At first I though he was joking. On the list of fun things to do with 4 year olds, camping seemed to rank right above “long car trip” and “scissor race.” It sounded like it would be terrifying and exhausting. Also, when you look at a calendar, a camping trip in September seems like a good JESSE WRIGHT idea. Of course, on most calendars, September is accompanied by pictures of golden leaves falling, and crisp autumn scenes. This is not the case in Texas.

But I agreed to go, because I may have to move some day, or need a kidney, and this way my friend would owe me one.

So we loaded up the tent and gear and

headed to Lake Bryan. By the time we got out to the campsite, I believe it was a balmy 102 degrees. We set up the site, unpacked the bags, and doused the kids and ourselves in mosquito repellent.

Once all settled, it was time to build the fire. There is nothing quite like a campfire when you are covered in a thick film of mosquito spray and sweat.

As the sun went down though, it was a little nicer and we cooked hot dogs and toasted marshmallows. By “we” I mean my friend and I, because the kids had little to no interest in cooking. But they did eat — after the burned places were trimmed off of course. Charred parts of hot dogs are pure poison to 4-year-old children, apparently.

Before the trip, I was apprehensive of having the kids near a lake, and the wilderness in the dark. Turns out my fears were not warranted, because there was a tent and there were flash lights.

Those two kids zipped themselves up in the tent, and had a ball. It was still in the high 90s, but they stayed in that tent for hours. My son came out once asking for a drink. I opened a Gatorade for him, he chugged the entire thing, and then went right back in. My friend and I thought they would be asleep within an hour.

Then the music started.

The Lakeside Icehouse at Lake Bryan had a band that night, about 300 yards away. They were pretty good. But any illusions of being in the great outdoors were dashed once the amp started thumping. The music seemed to give the kids a second wind, and they partied until the bar shut down at midnight. It may have been the music that kept the kids going, or it may have been the entire bag of cookies they found in the tent and devoured.

But they crashed soon after and slept hard until the crack of dawn. All in all,

I’d say the first camping trip with the boys was a success.

In our last issue, we talked about ways to make your herd a success by choosing the right bull. In this issue we continue that discussion while taking a look at different options such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer. We also have stories from around the ag industry as well as news and information about upcoming events and sales. Hope you find something you like and, as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,

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

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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News

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REPLACEMENT FEMALE SALE November 12 • 12 NooN Mid-Tex Livestock Auction, LLC (4 miles east of Navasota, Texas on Hwy. 90) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

A Bull Selection Seminar is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Santa Rosa Ranch headquarters in Crockett.

Bull Selection Seminar to be Nov. 3 at Santa Rosa Ranch in Crockett

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

CROCKETT — A Bull Selection Seminar is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Santa Rosa Ranch headquarters in Crockett.

The ranch is located at 19300 Texas 21.

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 Sales and Marketing Director - Sean Lewis .......................... Ext. 4740 Advertising Sales/General Manager - Jesse Wright ...............Ext. 4721 Finance Director - Rod Armstrong.........................................Ext. 4605 Production Director - Mark Wilson........................................Ext. 4671 Circulation Director - Greg Parker ........................................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.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Eagle, P.O. Box 3000, Bryan,Texas 77805-3000 The Post is printed in part on recycled paper and is fully recyclable.

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The no–cost seminar will cover cattle breeds, breeding programs, visual selection, individual performance data, expected progeny differences, genetic markers, bull fertility and bull-to-cow ratios.

Jason Cleere and Jason Banta, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialists in College Station and Overton, respectively, will lead the seminar. It is sponsored by AgriLife Extension and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

“A bull is responsible for 50 percent of the herd’s calf crop and a good bull is an investment that can certainly pay big dividends,” Banta said.

“Workshop attendees will learn both applied as well as advanced bull selection techniques to assist them when making that next bull purchase for their herd operations.”

After the workshop, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers association will hold a gathering.

Workshop attendees are encouraged to stay for dinner and receive an update on issues facing ranchers.

To register, call 800-242-7820, ext. 192, or email rsvp@tscra.org.

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On Thursday, November 3rd, a complete listing of all sale cattle will be at

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Developing technology offers researchers advancement without increased man hours or machine harvesting

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

It’s been said a picture is worth a thousand words. But for Seth Murray, the images captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle or self-propelled ground vehicle could be worth more than a thousand man hours.

The images then can lead to the selection of the next higher yielding crop variety, not in 10 years, but over two or three years.

Murray, a Texas A&M AgriLife corn breeder in the soil and crop science department of Texas A&M University at College Station, said the world of genomics and DNA markers has been around for 30 years, but only recently have they routinely been incorporated into the breeding programs.

The Land & Livestock Post

Genomics allows researchers to identify genetic locations in plants exhibiting certain phenotypic traits they need to improve production.

But what is needed now is more development of high-throughput field phenotyping tools for the next generation of plant breeding, Murray said.

Working with large teams of faculty, staff and students from across the Texas A&M system, he said his current project is to develop analysis methods and software that will allow high-throughput field phenotyping data collection to aid in his breeding decisions.

“One of the big traits we are after is plant height in corn,” he said. “We spend three weeks with a crew of 10 people taking notes in the field, and one whole week of that is devoted to plant height.”

He explained that plant height in Texas

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October 2016 — Issue 2

corn is correlated highly to grain yield.

Under the stressful field conditions of most Texas growers, taller corn seems to have higher vigor to resist those stresses.

He cautioned that just selecting for tall plants would not improve yield, but it is one of many traits he uses.

To get the data that helps a breeder know which varieties are providing the necessary traits, measurements must be taken, Murray said. Plant height is a primary and relatively straightforward example of a phenotype that could be automated by high-throughput field phenotyping data collection.

The most promising tools to improve field-relevant phenotyping are systems that include sensors carried by ground vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles, he said. Sensing data provides two major opportunities: to automate routine measure-

ments in the field and to discover new phenotypes that were previously infeasible or impossible to collect.

Those personnel walking the fields must measure with sticks. But now there are sensors that can do that, he said. He is working with other researchers to test three different techniques: fixed-wing aircraft, a rotary copter aircraft and a ground vehicle.

“The first question now is can we use these images to replace the measurements we are already taking for height?” Murray said.

He said one of the problems right now is the unmanned aerial vehicle tools are targeted at hobbyists and growers and don’t necessarily work for the small plot work he needs as a plant breeder.

See TECHNOLOGY, Page 6

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News

FALL PRODUCTION SALE

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Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Blair Fannin Colby Ratcliff, undergraduate student worker in Seth Murray’s corn breeding program, is driving the ground vehicle and using the sensors to capture information about the height (ultrasonic sensor), the health (vegetative indices) and temperature (infrared thermometers) of each sorghum plot.

Technology, from Page 5 That is why the research and interaction of Texas A&M colleague’s from aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, ecosystem science and management, agricultural engineering and geography in College Station as well as collaborating teams in Corpus Christi and Uvalde are vital.

“We have learned that even the commercial tools for growers are not yet ready for prime-time without some intellectual expertise,” he said.

“An exciting part is that we have about 17,000 plots out in the field of 5,000 different genetic sources that we need to take measurements on, so there is no way we could take height measurements throughout the growing season with the old methods. But these [unmanned aerial vehicles] have let us take measurements every week throughout the growing season.

“As we begin to mine this data, we can determine if some of these varieties grow well under early season stress and some under late-season stress. If we can identify those and cross them, then we think we can get varieties that grow well under all seasons of stress. It’s a lot of

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data though, and we are just beginning to have analytical tools for these discoveries.”

Two of Murray’s graduate students are working to confirm genes that relate to plant height.

“Individual genes have small effects and it is hard for us to accurately measure those changes.

With this, we could measure that and see, ‘Do these genes actually work?’”

Murray’s research project includes a first-of-its-kind highclearance, self-propelled ground vehicle built to include all the sensors he needed. It has ultrasonic sensors that use sound waves to measure height.

Murray said they needed an upgradable sensor payload to measure multiple variables of plant growth and development across the many different breeding programs at Texas A&M. The vehicle has a 10–foot clearance with high stability to phenotype corn, sorghum and other row crops through maturity without disrupting the crop.

Additionally, the g round vehicle has active sensors for measuring normalized difference vegetation index, infrared thermometers to measure the ground and crop temperatures

See RESEARCH, Page 12

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News at ways drones could be beneficial for ranch AgriLife Research: Looking owners for several purposes in different situations

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

SAN ANGELO — They may not replace the pickup, horse or 4-wheeler, much less a good sheep dog anytime soon, but a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist thinks drones have practical ranching applications that will expand in the near future.

John Walker, resident director of research at San Angelo, said the small unmanned aircraft have gotten popular recently and he wanted to explore their practical application in ranch settings.

“So I went and bought one,” he said. “The first advice someone gave me, and it was good advice, was to buy a cheap one, a toy, and learn to fly it before buying an expensive one.”

Walker said neophytes should plan to spend at least $1,000 or a bit more for a drone, as units in that price range have what is needed for any real practical application.

But what can you do with one other than take aerial photos and video?

“Right now, out of the box, you can use it to check things,” he said. “You can locate lost stock and eventually check fences and waterings. One of the neat things with the more expensive ones is you can program them to run a route, so if you want to check fences, do it once and save that route into the drone. The next time you want to check that fence, you don’t really have to fly it, but just tell it to run that route and it will.

“I’ve used it to herd sheep. It’s fun, but you have to watch where you’re going.

“You can move sheep very gently and that’s really impressed me. I thought as soon as they saw the drone, they’d take off running, but they really don’t.

Now goats will a bit at first, but sheep will just move along slow and easy.“ Walker said there currently

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Steve Byrns

JohnWalker,TexasA&MAgriLife Research resident director at SanAngelo,demonstrates moving a small group of lambs with a drone. are plenty of limitations. Flying time is the major one with batteries only lasting about 25 minutes. Obstacles, especially trees and brush, also pose problems, though he said there are models on the market designed to avoid trees and other hazards.

Sun-glare on the screen of a smartphone or iPad used as a monitor on the controller is also a problem, though Walker will soon test the practicality of a pair of “virtual flight” goggles. He said they are worn by the operator for a real-time “drone’s eye view” thus dispensing with the need for the clamped-on screen.

“I think as the technology improves you’ll be able to do a whole lot of other things,” he said. “What I’m looking forward to is a new type of radio frequency identification ear tag or RFID tag that’s evolving.

“Those in use now only have a range of about 3 feet; basically used with animals going down a working chute. But there are some new ones that can broadcast up to a mile or more. So if your drone was equipped with the appropriate sensor, you could

The Land & Livestock Post

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send it up and find those sheep with those particular ear tags and have the drone start drifting the sheep to wherever you wanted them to go.

“I can even imagine having a grazing plan built around this technology where pastures could be divided into different sections and the drone herds the stock into that section and the next day moves them to the next and so on.”

Walker concedes there are some stock-related issues that would have to be worked out, namely a way for making the sheep move once they figured out the drone actually can’t make them. He said a feed reward once they reach their intended destination could well be the answer, much like a cattleman penning cows with a feed sack.

“I really do think there will be a future for drones in the ranching industry,” he said.

“But right now I think the offthe-shelf models could probably do some practical time-saving things for people, particularly if

See DRONES, Page 10

October 2016 — Issue 2

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Immigrant family of 7 works the soil to build a dream business. Given crucial instruction, the family was able to learn how to begin the process of starting its own venture, and what was needed to keep the cooperative growing.

“They were essential in almost every aspect of starting La Sureña,” said Julieta Cervantes, La

Associated Press

AUSTIN, Minnesota — Where there’s soil, hope can grow.

A small farm near Woodson Kindergarten is the site of the La Sureña Cooperative, a familyrun organization of seven.

Despite its small size, its potential and opportunity is bountiful for the town. Just in its second year, La Sureña grew both physically, but also in its customer base relationships with Hy-Vee and Share Ground in St. Paul.

All in neat rows are fresh vegetables such as the tomatillo, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, Serrano pepper, green beans and the dragon tongue bean. All are ready for picking and transporting.

The Latino Economic Development Cooperative helped the family support its agricultural

Sureña secretary. “They trained us how to interact with the community, how to find markets, how to grow operations, best agricultural practices — and the opportunity to make our goals possible.”

See COOP, Page 24

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Guillerma Balbuena, left, and Cira Paz pick tomatillos in the La Sureña Cooperative plot of land in Austin, Minnesota. Given crucial instruction, the family was able to learn how to begin the process of starting their own venture, and what was needed to keep the cooperative growing.

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Buffalo Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Sept. 24 sale.

Head: 1,553 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $165$230; 200-300 lbs., $155-$180; 300-400 lbs., $145-$175; 400500 lbs., $130-165; 500-600 lbs., $110-$160; 600-700 lbs., $105-$125; 700-800 lbs., $100$124.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $135$215; 200-300 lbs., $130-$160; 300-400 lbs., $125-$157; 400-500 lbs., $115-$145; 500-600 lbs., $105-$140; 600700 lbs.,$100-$125; 700-800 lbs.,$95-$110.

Slaughter bulls: $65-$81.

Slaughter cows: $40-$71.

Bred cows: $1,100-$1,525.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,100$1,600.

Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell Live-

stock Commission’s Sept. 28 sale.

Head: 521 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $135$145; 300-400 lbs., $134-$155; 400-500 lbs., $126-$147; 500600 lbs., $116-$136; 600-700 lbs., $110-$119; 700-800 lbs., $105-$113.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $122$142; 300-400 lbs., $123-$140; 400-500 lbs., $119-$150; 500600 lbs., $109-$150; 600-700 lbs., $140-$114.; 700-800 lbs., $102-$112.

Slaughter bulls: $70-$81.

Slaughter cows: $48-$107.

Bred cows: $725-$900.

Groesbeck Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s Sept. 29 sale.

Head: 634 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $145$175; 400-500 lbs., $137-$160;

500-600 lbs., $137-$150; 600700 lbs., $130-$160; 800-900 lbs., $85-$115.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $135$152; 400-500 lbs., $129-$137; 500-600 lbs., $118-$139; 600700 lbs., $115-$125.

Slaughter bulls: $82-$92.

Slaughter cows: $56-$70.

Bred cows: $900-$1,800.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,400$1,600.

Jordan Results of the Jordan Cattle Auction’s Sept. 29 sale.

Head: 4,996 Steers: Under 200 lbs., N/A; 200-300 lbs., N/A; 300-400 lbs., $140-$157.5; 400-500 lbs., $125-$160; 500-600 lbs., $120$144; 600-700 lbs., $115-$129; 700-800 lbs., $110-$121.5.

Heifers: Under 200 lbs., $130$136; 200-300 lbs., $130-$136; 300-400 lbs., $125-$187.5;

400-500 lbs., $120-$136; 500600 lbs., $112-$136; 600-700 lbs., $105-$129; 700-800 lbs., $100-$132.

Slaughter bulls: $72-$88.

Slaughter cows: $52-$70.

Bred cows: $900-$2,225 Cow/calf pairs: $1,100$2,400.

Navasota Results of the Navasota Livestock Commission’s Sept. 24 sale.

Head: 1,557 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $120$237.5; 300-400 lbs., $115$175; 400-500 lbs., $110-$180; 500-600 lbs., $100-$150; 600700 lbs., $100-$118.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $115$220; 300-400 lbs., $110-$160; 400-500 lbs., $110-$142.5; 500600 lbs., $100-$150; 600-700 lbs., $100-$134.

Slaughter bulls: $65-$80.

Slaughter cows: $40-$65.

Bred cows: $800-$1,450.

Cow/calf pairs: N/A. — Special to The Post

Drones, from Page 7 you’ve got a rough old ranch with two-track roads that take forever to get around on to check water.

You could go up to the top of a hill and if you’ve gone to that trough before, you can fly that drone about 40 miles an hour and it doesn’t take it long to go a mile and check that trough. You can see what that trough looks like through the drone’s camera lens without worrying or spending half a day to get there and back.

“I just think they have a lot of potential,” he said. “Right now they are still kind of a toy, but it’s a fun and potentially useful toy.”

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

The Land & Livestock Post

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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News Research, from Page 6 and a weather station to measure air temperature and wind speed.

All that information is fed into a data logger, combined with a real time kinematic or RTK GPS signal, to tell precisely where that machine is and what it is measuring.

“We had our machine custom made because corn grows so tall,” he said. “We are in the process of writing the analysis code.

By the end of this year we will know whether it can do what we need it to do.”

He said they’ve also had the fixed-wing plane fly all the fields involved in one experiment with corn and sorghum, taking measurements once a week.

“Now we have lots of data to go back and look at. The sky’s the limit. There are many things beyond height, but height is the simplest,” Murray said.

He said temperature and nor-

THE

malized difference vegetation index are things that agronomist have been using for a while. Another is texture.

“Combines for small plot work are often less accurate than we would like, but they are faster than hand harvesting and hand shelling.

“But if the [unmanned aerial vehicles] or ground vehicle can give us an indication of the potential in early generations, then we could plant experiments without the goal of harvest, just getting the [unmanned aerial vehicle] data to get a value of the variety.

“We’re looking for that one needle in the haystack, and if we find a technology that can do that faster, then instead of growing 17,000 plots, maybe we can grow 70,000 plots and not have to run a small plot combine and select potential high yielders.

“Instead, we can harvest those plots we actually know have value.”

CHOICE Bull & Replacement Female Sale Saturday, November 12 1 PM • Paris, Texas “If They’re Not Here, They Don’t Exist”

SELLING 35± BULLS Horned & Polled Hereford • Angus Charolais • Brangus • Maine Anjou

Carr Ranch Gathering set for Oct. 21

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

FLORESVILLE — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and others will present the Carr Ranch Gathering Oct. 21 at the Bill and Dusty Carr Sale Facility eight miles west of Floresville at 6720 F.M. 97.

The program is free. Registration will be from 1-1:30 p.m., with presentations to follow.

“This program will address a lot of the research and science out there to help produce more and improved cattle,” said Bryan Davis, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Wilson County.

Topics will include herbicide options for brush and weed control, increasing artificial insemination conception rates and nutrition protocols, and the Veterinary Feed Directive and herd health.

There also will be presentations on the new Beefmaster Breeders United endowment project for research and educa-

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tion as well as the organization’s genomic enhancement expected progeny differences terminal and maternal indexes. Additionally, there will be a laws and regulations update for private applicators.

The program will end at 5:15 p.m., at which time attendees can view cattle available for fall sale at the Carr facility.

There will be two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units offered — one general and one laws and regulations — as well as two Beef Quality Assurance credits.

Attendees are requested to RSVP by noon Oct. 19 to the AgriLife Extension office in Wilson County at 830-393-7357 or email Wilson-tx@tamu.edu.

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Weaning before auction may reduce stress, boost profits

By AdAm Russell Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

OVERTON — Spring-born calves soon will be arriving at auction markets, but producers should consider a weaning plan that will help keep calves healthier and happier, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist in Overton.

Jason Banta said weaning calves is the right thing to do and doing it correctly sets calves up to perform better for the rest of their life. Weaning also gives sellers access to special preconditioned sales which may result in higher prices.

Banta said weaning makes the transition easier on the cow and calf, he said. “Weaning is a stressful event, so it’s better if you can do it at the ranch where the calf was born rather than it going through that process elsewhere,� Banta said.

Stressed calves can shrink 5-15 percent or more when moved straight from pasture to the auction market without weaning, Banta said. As a result, a 500-pound calf could easily weigh 450 pounds or less by the time it reaches the sale.

Separating cows and calves at between 6-8 months old is common. Banta, however, recommends calves should be weaned earlier if the cow is below a body condition score of four.

The weaning program should last 45 days before calves are moved and sold, Banta said. He also recommends that on weaning day only the cow and calves are separated. It is better to vaccinate calves a few weeks before weaning or even a week or so after weaning to minimize stress levels.

The location of the weaning process is a top consideration, Banta said.

Banta recommends fenceline weaning — separating cows and calves with a single fence. Ideally, calves should be kept on a pas-

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

Weaning calves before auction reduces stress and sets up cattle to perform better throughout the rest of their life. ture of between 5-20 acres, which makes management easier.

Fenceline weaning is better because it keeps cows and calves in closer proximity so they can see, hear and smell each other, he said.

It’s less stressful on the pair and will reduce bellowing and excess walking.

The chosen pasture should have shade along both sides of the fence, especially for calves, which will walk the fence, Banta said. A good source of water should be close as well.

Corrals also can be utilized, although Banta said corrals allow disease to spread more easily if a sick calf is among the group. “Putting calves in one pasture and the cows a couple pastures over will likely mean you’ll be rebuilding fences,� he said. “Some cows will go through fences to see their calves.�

There are different options for forage to wean the calf, Banta said. Calves can be placed on high-quality pasture without supplemental feeding.

But if quality forage is not available, producers should seek dietary recommendations from a beef cattle nutritionist or AgriLife Extension experts.

Cottonseed meal is a good option for calves because it provides good protein, is palatable and is safe if one calf eats more than planned, Banta said.

Providing one pound of cottonseed meal per day per head is a good place to start in many operations.

By utilizing a prescribed method of weaning, producers can maximize a calf’s potential and subsequently their profits, Banta said. “It’s better on the calf and in the end can be better for a producer when that calf goes to sale,� he said.

The Land & Livestock Post

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News

AgriLife study shows the potential for meat goat kids

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

SAN ANGELO — A six-year Texas A&M AgriLife study proved what many West Texas stockmen know: Properly managed meat goats are valuable property, no matter how many you have.

Bill Thompson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist, and Dan Waldron, Texas A&M Agrilife Research geneticist, both at San Angelo, and Rob Hogan, AgriLife Extension economist at Uvalde, recently finished a formal price analysis of the meat goat kid market in San Angelo, home of Producers Livestock Auction.

“Producers Livestock Auction is the largest sheep and goat market in the nation, so it has some

Waldron said the very nature of the goat, predominantly a seasonal breeder, can have a strong bearing on price.

“We do see an expected seasonal goat price drop in the summer,” Waldron said. “Basically, we see lows between July and September and that’s also when we see our greatest volume of goats sold. So we see simple supply-and-demand economics at play there.

“Our area producers typically avoid kidding in June through September simply because the hot temperatures affect the forage quality, which affects milk production and subsequent growth of the kids. That obviously affects when the kids will reach market weight.”

Waldron said the highest prices usually occur between Decem-

price bearing on other sheep and goat markets across the country,” Thompson said. “The auction staff has been cooperating with us by making their sales data available, which has given us an opportunity to extract some interesting findings.”

In general, the men looked at meat goat kid prices from 20102015.

“What we saw over that period of time were increasing price levels, but declining goat numbers here and across the U.S.,” Thompson said. “So we’ve got an increase in demand primarily from our growing ethnic populations, but a decreasing supply.

“We’re seeing a big increase in hair sheep numbers, and I think some of that drop in goat numbers is due to people switching to hair sheep.”

ber and March due to the smaller numbers available at that time.

Thompson said another interesting point is that, as in most livestock species, the price per pound drops as the animal’s weight increases. With meat goat kids, the price actually increases — up to about 60 pounds. So if

range conditions allow, producers can increase their gross revenue by keeping the animal on the range until they reach 60 pounds.

“But once they pass 60 pounds, the price per pound starts to drop,” Thompson said. “It ap-

See GOATS, Page 15

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Meat goats such as these visiting a salt block on native range near Sonora are valuable property, a Texas A&M AgriLife study proves.

Goats, from Page 14 pears 60 pounds is the preferred market weight of these animals “And finally, we didn’t see much of a premium for goats sold in lot sizes above six to 12 goats. For wool sheep and cattle, we typically see a greater price paid for animals sold in larger, uniform lots.”

Thompson said that point alone may make the meat goat business more appealing for producers who can keep only a few animals.

“There is always a need for maintaining uniform quality animals, but it’s probably not going to affect the price received as much as other classes of livestock.”

For the consumer, all agreed, it would be nicer if the supply was a bit more uniform throughout

the year and not so concentrated during the summer. Despite Texas goat numbers declining, adequate supplies of meat goats are still available throughout the calendar year.

The future of the meat goat industry remains positive on several fronts, Thompson said.

“That segment of our population that prefers goat meat is growing,” Thompson said.

“And there has long been a place in our range management for goats. They’re used to reduce fuel loads for fire mitigation, to control noxious plants, and to increase the range efficiency as they consume plants cattle and sheep avoid.

“Couple these factors with strong prices and the demand for the final product and I do think the future for the meat goat industry is a bright one.”

The Land & Livestock Post

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News

Real or artificial?

Use of AI and ET in commercial cattle herds

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By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

n the last issue of Land and Livestock Post, I discussed how to determine what you can afford to pay for a bull. If bulls with desired genetics are not affordable, there is perhaps a more economical alternative in buying semen and artificially inseminating cows and heifers. Bull and artificial insemination costs were compared by Bruce Carpenter of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service during the 2016 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course.

Carpenter used the same method of calculating annual bull costs as demonstrated in the last LLP issue, but with different cost estimates. He used a bull cost of $7,000, a salvage value of $2682 (1,800 pounds @ $1.49), and a service life of four years. Subtracting salvage value from bull cost and dividing by service life gives an annual depreciation cost of $1,079.50. Add this amount to the annual bull maintenance costs of $596.25 (Table 1) to derive an annual bull cost of $1,676.

If the bull is expected to breed 30 cows, then the bull cost per cow is $65.16.

Insemination costs

“Even though AI has been commercially available for more than 65 years, less than 5 percent of the nation’s beef cows are bred using AI,” said Robert Wells of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. “Majority of the AI usage is in seedstock and club calf sectors.”

“Most commercial beef AI is done in heifers with semen from bulls with good calving ease [expected progeny differences],” Carpenter said. “Average reported pregnancy rates with AI on commercial heifers are 50 percent compared to an overall herd average of 85 percent.”

Several different protocols are used

16

Photos courtesy of Robert Fears

Artificial insemination can be a more economical breeding method than natural service for commercial cow-calf opertaions. Producers should examine all available options.

On the cover: Know what it costs to keep a bull. by artificial insemination breeders, but a common one is the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR estrus (heat) synchronization process. This timed artificial insemination protocol involves a gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection and progestin-

containing device vaginal insertion on Day 0. On Day 7, a prostaglandin F2α injection is administered and the progestin-containing device is removed. Then on Day 10, there is a second [gonadotropin-releasing hormone] injection and

October 2016 — Issue 2

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the cows are inseminated.

Three types of semen (registered, commercial and sexed) are offered in different price ranges. These choices give

See SEMEN, Page 17

The Land & Livestock Post

News Semen, from Page 16 the producer another opportunity to calculate which option will deliver the best economical return for his or her operation.

Total application costs for each option are shown in Table 2.

“As shown in Table 2, major costs of artificial insemination are semen and estrous synchronization/timed artificial insemination hormones,” Carpenter said. “Semen from a registered bull costs about $20 per straw, whereas commercial bull semen costs approximately $12.

Using commercial semen saves an estimated $10 per head.

Sexed semen sells for about $40 per straw and is normally 10 percent less fertile than unsexed semen.”

Cattle have to be penned three different times to execute the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR protocol. Gathering and moving cattle into the corral are made easier by holding them in a nearby trap between protocol treatments. Two different assumptions are made in Table 2. One is that the trap is large enough to hold 100 head for nine days without hay. Three men are needed for three days to gather and pen the cattle.

The second assumption is that the trap is small. Labor can be reduced by one person because less riding will be required to gather the cattle; however, hay will need to be fed at 15 pounds per head per day.

Using the small trap adds a $17

Photo courtesy of Robert Fears

Semen from bulls with good genetics can be purchased at a reasonable price. hay cost, but saves about $4 in labor resulting in a total added cost of approximately $13.

“When costs of various breeding methods are compared in Table 3, it is shown that pregnancy cost is higher with artificial insemination/ estrous synchronization or ES alone,” Carpenter said. “AI does add value, however, because fewer bulls are needed.

Use of ES usually results in 70 percent of heifers conceiving within the first two heat cycles.

AI/ES add $81 value at weaning due to older heavier calves.

In addition, AI provides easier access to lower birth weight EPDs (Expected Progeny Differences) which reduces calving problems. After using ES/AI for

a period of years, there is overall herd fertility improvement.

Better replacement heifers result from using AI because the

heifers are older. Overall herd genetics improve after a period of years when using AI-sired replacement heifers.”

“Cost of implementing an AI program can be variable,” said Wells. “A couple of recent economic studies have indicated

that most estrous synchronization/AI protocols cost less than natural service considering current high bull purchase prices. In addition, the economic model used to evaluate these

See ARTIFICIAL, Page 18

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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News Artificial, from Page 18 programs did not include the added value of AI-sired replacement heifers.”

Economic advantage or disadvantage of AI to natural service depends on many factors, which include: • Genetic value of calves • Semen cost • Bull purchase price • Calf weight advantage when dams ae estrous synchronized • Conception rate • Calf price • Cull weight • Calf crop percentage Regardless of herd size and cow-to-bull ratios, genetic value premiums and semen cost are the driving factors in determining the profitability difference between AI and natural service breeding. Under lower cow-tobull ratios, AI systems are more cost-effective and bull purchase

price is a key influence on the profitability difference. In general, estrous synchronization and AI economically are advantageous compared with natural service when a sufficient genetic value premium is obtained from AI-sired calves.

It is critical for cow-calf producers to use ranch-specific data when calculating the cost of natural service versus AI. The information presented in the above paragraphs can provide a guide for making the economic

the same number of calves.

“Female donors should be of superior genetic worth and marketability to justify ET costs,” said Jamie Larson of Mississippi State University.

“Mating decisions should be made considering the genetic worth and economic value of potential calves. The reproductive potential of a donor female must also be acceptable.

comparisons.

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Embryo transfer (ET) offers an opportunity to spread genetics of “super cows” to more than one progeny. ET is the process of removing one or more embryos (fertilized eggs) from the reproductive tract of a donor female and transferring them to one or more recipient females. It is normally more economical than buying enough “super cows” to deliver

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See EMBRYO, Page 19

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News

Photo courtesy of Robert Fears

A commonly used AI protocol requires that cattle be penned three times within a seven-day period.

Embryo, from Page 18 known genetic defects,” Larson said. “Good nutritional management of these females is critical for productivity as embryo donors. This involves managing body condition and providing proper nutrients, including minerals, important to reproductive function.”

“Egg production in a cow is on a bell curve by age,” said Craig Barton of Champion Genetics. “Heifers are on one tail of the curve and older cows on the other; therefore the middle aged cows at the top of the curve produce the most eggs.

One of the reasons that young females are not recommended for ET is that flushing virgin heifers is very stressful on their ovaries.

“The donor’s body condition score should be no less than 4 and she should have been vaccinated for the prevalent diseases such as Blackleg, IBR (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis), Lepto (Leptospirosis) and BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhea). Multimin 90, a supplemental source of zinc, manganese, selenium and copper is recommended as well as Vitamin A, D and E.

In addition, they should be on a good reproduction mineral program.

“It is as important to choose the right recipient cows as it is to select the appropriate donor,” Barton said. “Desired qualities of the recipient females are very similar to those required of the donor. Recipients should be mature cows, three to six years old and not nursing a calf.

The cows should exhibit good temperament and have good body condition scores. They should be in good health and free of disease including Johnes and leucosis. Donors should be wormed and vaccinated as recommended by the local veterinarian.”

Whether it’s artificial insemination or embryo transfer being considered, anticipated costs and returns for your operation should be calculated before adopting the practice.

The Land & Livestock Post

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October 2016 — Issue 2

19

News

N.H. pledges help for dairy farmers Associated Press

CONCORD, New Hampshire — An emergency relief fund created in 2008 to help New Hampshire dairy farmers never was funded, but state officials said they want to get money to farmers struggling with low milk prices and drought conditions by December.

Nineteen of the state’s 120 dairies have closed in recent months.

The state had lost 10 dairies over the previous four years combined.

New Hampshire’s agriculture commissioner, Lorraine Merrill, said it’s time to “stop the hemorrhaging.”

“We’ve been losing dairy farms at an accelerated pace, and we know that we have a number of them that are really kind of perched on the edge of a cliff at this point, getting bids from cattle

20

dealers on how much they would get for their herds,” Merrill said.

An oversupply of milk in the United States and around the world has caused milk prices paid to farmers to fall below production costs for months, but the drought makes the situation worse for some farmers. In New Hampshire, officials said, milk prices for farmers are 38 percent lower than a couple of years ago and farmers lost about $7 million last year.

Dairy farmers in much of New Hampshire and parts of Massachusetts and New York have been hit hardest by the drought, producing low amounts of hay and corn feed for their cows to get them through the winter. But unlike New Hampshire, those other states and others in New England provide supplemental aid.

October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Interest increasing in growing barley for brewing craft beer

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Barley might not be on the top of the list as a feed and forage for livestock, but the growing interest in craft breweries and micro distilleries has Texas A&M AgriLife researchers taking a look at the crop.

Currently, barley is grown on only about 30,000 acres in Texas, said Clark Neely, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state small grains specialist in College Station. It is used mainly for feed and forage for livestock.

But that is expected to change somewhat in the near future, Neely said, due to increased interest in craft breweries and distilleries searching for locally grown malt and distilling ingredients.

The craft brewing movement is exploding across the U.S., he said. Texas was home to 189 craft breweries in 2015 — a number that tripled in the past five years and now ranks seventh in the country. These breweries produce approximately 1.1 million barrels of beer annually, which requires roughly 200,000 tons of barley grain and potentially could support 100,000 acres or more of barley in the state.

The missing link is craft malt houses, where the grain is soaked and made into malt, Neely said.

Breweries require malted barley and cannot purchase barley straight out of the field.

Currently, Texas has only one craft malt house, but business is good and expansion is planned in the near future, he said. Another two malt houses are in the construction stages, so capacity is on the rise to support the craft brewing malt barley needs.

“With interest in local ingredients for these new markets along with feed barley for a growing dairy industry in the Texas

Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife

This field of winter six-row barley was growing near Lubbock in 2015 in a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service variety trial.

High Plains, we have started looking for barley varieties that are adapted to Texas climates and those that can withstand drought, disease and pest pressure,” he said.

Neely said he doesn’t expect a surge in researchers screening barley germplasm or breeding new lines, but his program is beginning to evaluate existing varieties and out-of-state breeding germplasm for their viability in Texas.

The Land & Livestock Post

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In 2016, Neely’s program included a study of 112 spring tworow, 113 spring six-row and 136 winter barley varieties grown in Castroville, McGregor, Lubbock and College Station.

Initial results show a wide range of adaptation from the barley lines evaluated under Texas climates, although continued screening will look for lines with superior yields and malting

See BARLEY, Page 22

October 2016 — Issue 2

21

News

Sign up for the

Electronic Newsletter Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife

Winter six-row barley growing near Thrall in April in a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service variety trial.

Barley, from Page 21 characteristics, he said.

Neely said while the brewery demand for barley is growing, it remains a niche market.

The largest market for barley is still as a forage.

New barley variety options may provide cattle or dairy producers a more drought-tolerant, water- and nitrogen-use efficient alternative to wheat for use in forage and silage production, he said.

To address this, the same advanced winter breeding lines from the Triticeae Coordinated Agricultural Project that were

22

evaluated for grain and malting also were screened under Texas environments for forage and silage production, Hessian fly resistance and yield stability across environments.

The initial year of screening in 2014 evaluated 800-plus barley lines, but these have been reduced to 150 lines based on characteristics such as disease resistance, vernalization requirements and grain production, he said.

The project will screen further these lines to identify the ones with the highest production capabilities for forage and grain production in Texas and evaluate if they are superior to existing cultivars.

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Texas A&M Forest Service photo by Paul Johnson

Contestants prepare to compete at the Masters Challenge of the Texas Tree Climbing Championship recently in New Braunfels.Tree work safety will be among the topics at tree care courses set throughout October.

October classes will help Texas homeowners care for trees Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

ROBSTOWN — To help homeowners and professionals properly care for trees, especially those in distress from the recent drought years, two state agencies will hold several classes in October in Robstown.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M Forest Service will host certified arborist preparation courses from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays in October.

They will be held at the AgriLife Extension office at 710 E. Main St. in Robstown.

A participation fee of $250 for all the courses will be charged to those seeking arborist certification. The fee includes the certified arborist exam manual.

Those not interested in certification pay $30 per session, and the manual is not included.

Anyone interested in attending should RSVP to the AgriLife Extension office for Nueces County by contacting Lisa Martinez at 361-767-5217.

“The classes are designed to

help anyone interested in improving their tree care skills or as a prep course for the Certified Arborist Exam,” said Kevin Gibbs, the AgriLife Extension county agent for horticulture in Nueces County.

Gibbs said that unlike plants, tree stress symptoms often are delayed.

“Trees continue to suffer for years after a drought like the one Texas experienced a few years ago,” he said. “Unlike plants, by the time symptoms are visible, affected trees have been in distress for some time and often will not recover.”

Drought stress symptoms and many other tree-related topics will be discussed at the classes, Gibbs said, including tree biology, water management, nutrition and fertilization, pruning, oak wilt, tree worker safety and plant disorders and diagnosis.

“With this broad range of topics delivered by experts in their field, everyone from professional arborists to interested homeown-

See TREES, Page 25

The Land & Livestock Post

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October 2016 — Issue 2

23

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo

Oak wilt, which occurs throughout Central Texas, is an example of trees in distress that concern experts and homeowners alike. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M Forest Service will host certified arborist preparation courses from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays in October.

Trees, from Page 23 ers will benefit from these classes,” Gibbs said.

Class dates, topics and speakers are as follows: Oct. 14: • Tree selection, Grant Ehlen, AEP-Texas forestry operations supervisor, Corpus Christi.

• Soil science, David Vaughan, Etter Tree Care arborist representative, San Antonio.

• Diagnosis and plant disorders, Vaughan.

• Installation and establishment, Ehlen.

Oct. 21: • Pruning and oak wilt, Chad Luckow, AEP-Texas forester, Corpus Christi.

• Plant health care, Vaughan.

• Tree assessment and risk

management, Vaughan.

• Trees and construction, Luckow.

Oct. 28: • Urban forestry, Mark Kroeze, Forest Service regional urban forester.

• Tree worker safety, Kroeze.

• Tree support and lighting protection, Mark Bird, City of San Antonio city arborist, San Antonio.

• Climbing and working in trees, Bird.

For more information, contact Lisa Martinez at 361-767-5217 or llmartinez@ag.tamu.edu, Gibbs at 361-767-5217 or kevin.gibbs@ ag.tamu.edu, or Bill Green, Texas A&M Forest Service, South Texas regional urban forester in Kingsville, 361-592-3536 or Bill.Green@ ag.tamu.edu.

The Land & Livestock Post

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October 2016 — Issue 2

25

News Mineral feeding can reduce the risk of grass tetany next spring

By Glenn Selk Oklahoma State University

Much of Oklahoma and the Southern Plains will have wheat pasture to utilize as winter feed for stocker cattle, replacement heifers, and in some cases for adult cows. At — and after — calving time next January, February and March a condition most commonly known as grass tetany could occur in a few situations.

Grass tetany is caused by magnesium deficiency and does not seem to be a major problem in Oklahoma, although occasional cases are reported. It typically occurs in beef cows during early lactation and is more prevalent in older cows. The reason older cows are thought to be vulnerable is because they are less able to mobilize magnesium reserves from the bones than are younger cows. Grass tetany most frequently occurs when cattle are grazing lush immature grasses or small g rains pastures and tends to be more prevalent during periods of cloudy weather.

Symptoms include uncoordination, salivation, excitability (aggressive behavior towards humans) and, in final stages, tetany, convulsions and death.

It is known that factors other than the magnesium content of the forage can increase the probability of grass tetany. High levels of potassium in forages can decrease absorption of magnesium and most lush, immature

26

forages are high in potassium.

High levels of nitrogen fertilization also have been shown to increase the incidence of tetany although feeding protein supplements has not. Other factors such as the presence of certain organic acids in tetany-causing forages have been linked with tetany. It is likely that a combination of factors, all related to characteristics of lush forage are involved.

When conditions for occurrence of tetany are suspected, cows should be provided mineral mixes containing 12 to 15 percent magnesium and be consumed at 3 to 4 ounces per day. It is best for the supplements to be started a couple of months ahead of the period of tetany danger so that proper intake can be established.

Because tetany can also occur when calcium is low, calcium supplementation should also be included. Symptoms of tetany from deficiencies of both minerals are indistinguishable without blood tests and the treatment consists of intravenous injections of calcium and magnesium gluconate, which supplies both minerals.

Cows grazing lush small grain pastures should be fed mineral mixes containing both calcium and magnesium. Learn more about mineral nutrition of grazing cattle by downloading and reading Oklahoma State University Extension Circular E-861 Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition of Grazing Cattle.

October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News USDAcompletingreviewoftheMandatoryPriceReportingProgram

By Craig a. Morris Special to The Post

The Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program was created to expand pricing information available to the livestock industry. The data is collected and distributed by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service through its USDA Market News division to provide market information for cattle, swine, lamb, and livestock products.

The price reporting program encourages competition in the marketplace by vastly improving price and supply data, bringing transparency, breadth and depth to market reporting. Through the program, livestock producers and processors, retail food outlets, restaurants, exporters, and many other stakeholders receive critical market intelligence on a daily basis. Literally thousands of business transactions every day rest on the outcome of reporting program data.

The program gets its authority through the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999, which must be reauthorized by Congress every five years. The 2015 reauthorization required the Agricultural Marketing Service to conduct a comprehensive study of the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program due to Congress by March 1, 2018. In addition to working with USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist on the study, the service will be engaging cattle, swine, and lamb producers, packers, and other market participants to gather information regarding the marketing practices used for livestock and meat to identify legislative or regulatory recommendations for the next reauthorization in 2020.

As a first step in this process, the Agricultural Marketing Service commissioned Value Ag Inc. to conduct a baseline analysis of the livestock and meat industry and the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program during this past year. This baseline study provides an overview of the evolving livestock and meat markets to be taken into consideration in the comprehensive final study.

Since enactment of the 1999 Act, major changes have occurred in the livestock and meat industry. The baseline study identified several trends in how livestock and meat production and markets have evolved. For instance, over the past 15 years packers have become larger, more concentrated, and more vertically integrated. Also, the industry has made major investments to improve supply chain management, and the use of Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program information has expanded beyond price discovery. Additionally, consumer preferences have changed, and packers are marketing a wider variety of value-added and specialty products to meet consumer demand.

The baseline study identified several key implications of these trends. With g reater vertical integration and concentration in the industry, the negotiated markets have become thinner, and consequently, the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program confidentiality requirements have limited the depth of market information provided in some markets that the industry needs. In addition, there is a greater variety of meat products in the marketplace to-

day than ever before, which also needs to be assessed for the reauthorization. These are just some of the highlights from the study.

You can access the full report at: Baseline Study of Livestock and Meat Marketing Trends and Implications for the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program.

The Agricultural Marketing Service will be inviting industry representatives from national livestock and meat trade associations and organizations to participate in a series of stakeholder meetings to discuss the marketing methods, the current challenges with reporting livestock and meat markets, and the needs of the industry regarding future revisions to the price reporting program. The goal of these meetings is to reach consensus on what each commodity area needs changed in the next reauthoriza-

tion. The Agricultural Marketing Service has tentatively scheduled the first meeting for mid-November. The service will share more information when the schedule is finalized.

We are looking forward to working together as we complete the comprehensive Live-

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stock Mandatory Price Reporting Program study and the report for Congress to serve as the basis to inform the next reauthorization.

• Craig A. Morris is deputy administratoroftheUSDA’s AgriculturalMarketingService’sLivestock,Poultry,andSeed Program

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October 2016 — Issue 2

27

News Farm, from Page 24 patch of land was rented to grow food for her family.

“After many years and only last year, did that little patch of land grow to where we could start to provide for the community,” Cervantes said. “As for my stepdad (Guillermo Martin), he had to learn a lot about agriculture. He did not have a clue of the process from planting to harvesting vegetables.”

At first, the garden was meant for the family, but eventually grew into something that the community needed and wanted.

Eventually, sales and orders from partners came, whether delivering boxes to the Austin Hy-Vee, to Shared Ground Marketing Cooperative.

La Sureña looks to grow its clientele and the amount of produce grown, and improve efficiency. The cooperative is hoping to expand its operations. The organization is leasing one acre

28

Ken Klotzbach/Rochester Post-Bulletin via AP

A lone pepper lies in a bin of tomatillos picked from the La Sureña Cooperative garden in Austin, Minnesota. from the city. There’s discussion started to look for expansion opabout possibly growing to five tions and make more efficient acres for 2017. operations.”

For now, the cooperative only Although Austin is still a relaoperates during the summer. The tively small town — a little more dream would be to run all-year than 24,000 people, according to round. the U.S. Census — the communi“We are currently working on ty itself is diverse with a strong renting or buying five acres of immigrant population. land to be able to accommodate La Sureña looked to reach the demand from Hy-Vee, Share out to different parts of the imGround and our local custom- migrant population because iners,” Cervantes said. “Our one- formation about nutrition may acre farm is not enough to keep differ from culture to culture up with demand. We already and generation to generation.

Cervantes said that if more families were given more access to quality food, it would make the community healthier and bring people together through a common bond.

Although a small town, possibilities are endless for La Sureña and for the people who are growing their new lives there.

“The families can expand their horizons, even in a small town by inspiring and providing people

October 2016 — Issue 2

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hope that they can also achieve their dreams,” Cervantes said.

“Even in a small town by inspiring and providing people hope that they can also achieve their dreams, even when they have left everything they have known behind in their respective countries.”

• Information from the Rochester, Minnesota,Post-Bulletin,www.postbulletin. com

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Texas A&M-led team says fire ants are bad, but not all bad to protect the endangered Attwater’s prairie-chicken.

At each site, live traps were used on two treatment plots and two control plots for a total of 240 traps per site, which were run on two consecutive nights each month from June 2013 until September 2014.

Sixty-four percent of the small mammals, mostly cotton rats, were captured on the fire antsuppressed plots.

“While red imported fire ants

By STEVE BYRNS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Red imported fire ants have earned a justifiably bad rap across the south and most Texans would be hard put to name a single redeeming quality the ants have.

But a team of Texas A&M scientists and a colleague from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge have published a manuscript offering a glimmer of redemption for the invaders. The paper, “Decreased small mammal and on-host tick abundance in association with invasive red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta,” was published in the scientific journal Royal Society Biology letters on Sept. 21. The work and list of collaborators are available at bit. ly/2cDdgWy. Jessica Light, associate professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist in the department of wildlife and fi fisheries sheries sciences and corresponding author, said the work granted from the Texas A&M Ag riLife Invasive Ant Research Management Project is the first to shed some potential positive light on a much-maligned invader.

“Redimportedfireants “Red imported fire ants are known to predate lots of arthropods, including ticks,” Light said. “They’ve also b e e n s h ow n t o change the behavior of small mammals that want to avoid their stings. These small mammals often serve as reservoirs or carriers of tick-borne pathogens that can cause human and animal disease. We wondered if

have been demonstrated to have negative consequences on the environment such as reducing populations of the endangered Attwater’s prairie-chicken, our work points out that a predatory arthropod such as this invasive ant species may be capable of impacting vector-borne disease transmission by altering vector and host dynamics in ways that could reduce disease transmission to both humans and animals.”

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Adrian Castellanos

A hispid pocket mouse, Chaetodipus hispidus, sports an ear tag necessary to keep track of small mammals previously live-trapped during the red imported fire ant study. this invasive ant could change the ecosystem in a way to reduce tick-borne disease risk.

The team specifically looked at theeffectof redimportedfireants the effect of red imported fire ants

on small mammals, of which many species are carriers of pathogens or microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses capable of causing disease in humans and animals, she said. They also looked at the ticks the animals harbor, which are known vectors of these pathogens. And finally, they looked at the pathogens themselves.

“On plots where we experimentally reduced the ant populations, rodents were nearly twice

The Land & Livestock Post

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as abundant as they were on sites with the ants, the control plots,” she said. “The rodents were also three times more likely to harbor fire ticks on plots with reduced fi re ants and one species, the fulvous harvest mouse, had a 27-fold increased tick load.

“While testing these ticks for multiple pathogens, we documented one human pathogen, Rickttsia parkeri, which causes a mild form of spotted fever.

Given that we detected one human pathogen in this ecosystem, the reduced number of ticks and small mammals in areas where ants are in high abundance could scale up to alter disease risk.”

Light said the work was conducted in Southeast Texas on a private ranch in Goliad County and on the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, www.fws.gov/refuge/attwater_prairie_chicken/, where ant suppression is part of their ongoing management plan

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

October October2016 2016——Issue Issue22

Breeding basics

Using artificial insemination or embryo transfer PAGE 16 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSON GETTING YOUR GOAT

JAMES THOMPSON BARKING UP THE RIGHT TREE

PAGE 14 3

PAGE 23 3

BEERLY JAMES THOMPSON HERE

JAMESGOOD, SOME THOMPSON MUCH BAD

PAGE 21 3

PAGE 31 3

Straight from Growing demand the horse's for meat mouth. goat kids in Texas.

AgriLife Straight from investigates the horse's growing mouth. barley for craft beer.

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Straight from A&M-led team thefinds horse's fire mouth. ants have benefits.

News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Buffalo Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s Sept. 24 sale.

Head: 1,553 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $165$230; 200-300 lbs., $155-$180; 300-400 lbs., $145-$175; 400500 lbs., $130-165; 500-600 lbs., $110-$160; 600-700 lbs., $105-$125; 700-800 lbs., $100$124.

Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $135$215; 200-300 lbs., $130-$160; 300-400 lbs., $125-$157; 400-500 lbs., $115-$145; 500-600 lbs., $105-$140; 600700 lbs.,$100-$125; 700-800 lbs.,$95-$110.

Slaughter bulls: $65-$81.

Slaughter cows: $40-$71.

Bred cows: $1,100-$1,525.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,100$1,600.

Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell Live-

10

stock Commission’s Sept. 28 sale.

Head: 521 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $135$145; 300-400 lbs., $134-$155; 400-500 lbs., $126-$147; 500600 lbs., $116-$136; 600-700 lbs., $110-$119; 700-800 lbs., $105-$113.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $122$142; 300-400 lbs., $123-$140; 400-500 lbs., $119-$150; 500600 lbs., $109-$150; 600-700 lbs., $140-$114.; 700-800 lbs., $102-$112.

Slaughter bulls: $70-$81.

Slaughter cows: $48-$107.

Bred cows: $725-$900.

Groesbeck Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s Sept. 29 sale.

Head: 634 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $145$175; 400-500 lbs., $137-$160;

500-600 lbs., $137-$150; 600700 lbs., $130-$160; 800-900 lbs., $85-$115.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $135$152; 400-500 lbs., $129-$137; 500-600 lbs., $118-$139; 600700 lbs., $115-$125.

Slaughter bulls: $82-$92.

Slaughter cows: $56-$70.

Bred cows: $900-$1,800.

Cow/calf pairs: $1,400$1,600.

Jordan Results of the Jordan Cattle Auction’s Sept. 29 sale.

Head: 4,996 Steers: Under 200 lbs., N/A; 200-300 lbs., N/A; 300-400 lbs., $140-$157.5; 400-500 lbs., $125-$160; 500-600 lbs., $120$144; 600-700 lbs., $115-$129; 700-800 lbs., $110-$121.5.

Heifers: Under 200 lbs., $130$136; 200-300 lbs., $130-$136; 300-400 lbs., $125-$187.5;

400-500 lbs., $120-$136; 500600 lbs., $112-$136; 600-700 lbs., $105-$129; 700-800 lbs., $100-$132.

Slaughter bulls: $72-$88.

Slaughter cows: $52-$70.

Bred cows: $900-$2,225 Cow/calf pairs: $1,100$2,400.

Navasota Results of the Navasota Livestock Commission’s Sept. 24 sale.

Head: 1,557 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $120$237.5; 300-400 lbs., $115$175; 400-500 lbs., $110-$180; 500-600 lbs., $100-$150; 600700 lbs., $100-$118.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $115$220; 300-400 lbs., $110-$160; 400-500 lbs., $110-$142.5; 500600 lbs., $100-$150; 600-700 lbs., $100-$134.

Slaughter bulls: $65-$80.

October 2016 — Issue 2

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Slaughter cows: $40-$65.

Bred cows: $800-$1,450.

Cow/calf pairs: N/A. — Special to The Post

Drones, from Page 7 you’ve got a rough old ranch with two-track roads that take forever to get around on to check water.

You could go up to the top of a hill and if you’ve gone to that trough before, you can fly that drone about 40 miles an hour and it doesn’t take it long to go a mile and check that trough. You can see what that trough looks like through the drone’s camera lens without worrying or spending half a day to get there and back.

“I just think they have a lot of potential,” he said. “Right now they are still kind of a toy, but it’s a fun and potentially useful toy.”

The Land & Livestock Post

The Land & Livestock Post

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October 2016 — Issue 2

11

News Research, from Page 6 and a weather station to measure air temperature and wind speed.

All that information is fed into a data logger, combined with a real time kinematic or RTK GPS signal, to tell precisely where that machine is and what it is measuring.

“We had our machine custom made because corn grows so tall,” he said. “We are in the process of writing the analysis code.

By the end of this year we will know whether it can do what we need it to do.”

He said they’ve also had the fixed-wing plane fly all the fields involved in one experiment with corn and sorghum, taking measurements once a week.

“Now we have lots of data to go back and look at. The sky’s the limit. There are many things beyond height, but height is the simplest,” Murray said.

He said temperature and nor-

malized difference vegetation index are things that agronomist have been using for a while. Another is texture.

“Combines for small plot work are often less accurate than we would like, but they are faster than hand harvesting and hand shelling.

“But if the [unmanned aerial vehicles] or ground vehicle can give us an indication of the potential in early generations, then we could plant experiments without the goal of harvest, just getting the [unmanned aerial vehicle] data to get a value of the variety.

“We’re looking for that one needle in the haystack, and if we find a technology that can do that faster, then instead of growing 17,000 plots, maybe we can grow 70,000 plots and not have to run a small plot combine and select potential high yielders.

“Instead, we can harvest those plots we actually know have value.”

Carr Ranch Gathering set for Oct. 21

By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

FLORESVILLE — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and others will present the Carr Ranch Gathering Oct. 21 at the Bill and Dusty Carr Sale Facility eight miles west of Floresville at 6720 F.M. 97.

The program is free. Registration will be from 1-1:30 p.m., with presentations to follow.

“This program will address a lot of the research and science out there to help produce more and improved cattle,” said Bryan Davis, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Wilson County.

Topics will include herbicide options for brush and weed control, increasing artificial insemination conception rates and nutrition protocols, and the Veterinary Feed Directive and herd health.

There also will be presentations on the new Beefmaster Breeders United endowment project for research and educa-

12

tion as well as the organization’s genomic enhancement expected progeny differences terminal and maternal indexes. Additionally, there will be a laws and regulations update for private applicators.

The program will end at 5:15 p.m., at which time attendees can view cattle available for fall sale at the Carr facility.

There will be two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units offered — one general and one laws and regulations — as well as two Beef Quality Assurance credits.

Attendees are requested to RSVP by noon Oct. 19 to the AgriLife Extension office in Wilson County at 830-393-7357 or email Wilson-tx@tamu.edu.

October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Weaning before auction may reduce stress, boost profits

By AdAm Russell Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

OVERTON — Spring-born calves soon will be arriving at auction markets, but producers should consider a weaning plan that will help keep calves healthier and happier, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist in Overton.

Jason Banta said weaning calves is the right thing to do and doing it correctly sets calves up to perform better for the rest of their life. Weaning also gives sellers access to special preconditioned sales which may result in higher prices.

Banta said weaning makes the transition easier on the cow and calf, he said.

“Weaning is a stressful event, so it’s better if you can do it at the ranch where the calf was born rather than it going through that process elsewhere,” Banta said.

Stressed calves can shrink 5-15 percent or more when moved straight from pasture to the auction market without weaning, Banta said. As a result, a 500-pound calf could easily weigh 450 pounds or less by the time it reaches the sale.

Separating cows and calves at between 6-8 months old is common. Banta, however, recommends calves should be weaned earlier if the cow is below a body condition score of four.

The weaning program should last 45 days before calves are moved and sold, Banta said. He also recommends that on weaning day only the cow and calves are separated. It is better to vaccinate calves a few weeks before weaning or even a week or so after weaning to minimize stress levels.

The location of the weaning process is a top consideration, Banta said.

Banta recommends fenceline weaning — separating cows and calves with a single fence. Ideally, calves should be kept on a pas-

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

Weaning calves before auction reduces stress and sets up cattle to perform better throughout the rest of their life. ture of between 5-20 acres, which makes management easier.

Fenceline weaning is better because it keeps cows and calves in closer proximity so they can see, hear and smell each other, he said.

It’s less stressful on the pair and will reduce bellowing and excess walking.

The chosen pasture should have shade along both sides of the fence, especially for calves, which will walk the fence, Banta said. A good source of water should be close as well.

Corrals also can be utilized, although Banta said corrals allow disease to spread more easily if a sick calf is among the group.

“Putting calves in one pasture and the cows a couple pastures over will likely mean you’ll be rebuilding fences,” he said. “Some cows will go through fences to see their calves.”

There are different options for forage to wean the calf, Banta said. Calves can be placed on high-quality pasture without supplemental feeding.

But if quality forage is not available, producers should seek dietary recommendations from a beef cattle nutritionist or AgriLife Extension experts.

Cottonseed meal is a good option for calves because it provides good protein, is palatable and is safe if one calf eats more than planned, Banta said.

Providing one pound of cottonseed meal per day per head is a good place to start in many operations.

By utilizing a prescribed method of weaning, producers can maximize a calf’s potential and subsequently their profits, Banta said.

“It’s better on the calf and in the end can be better for a producer when that calf goes to sale,” he said.

The Land & Livestock Post

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October 2016 — Issue 2

13

News

AgriLife study shows the potential for meat goat kids

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

SAN ANGELO — A six-year Texas A&M AgriLife study proved what many West Texas stockmen know: Properly managed meat goats are valuable property, no matter how many you have.

Bill Thompson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist, and Dan Waldron, Texas A&M Agrilife Research geneticist, both at San Angelo, and Rob Hogan, AgriLife Extension economist at Uvalde, recently finished a formal price analysis of the meat goat kid market in San Angelo, home of Producers Livestock Auction.

“Producers Livestock Auction is the largest sheep and goat market in the nation, so it has some

14

price bearing on other sheep and goat markets across the country,” Thompson said. “The auction staff has been cooperating with us by making their sales data available, which has given us an opportunity to extract some interesting findings.”

In general, the men looked at meat goat kid prices from 20102015.

“What we saw over that period of time were increasing price levels, but declining goat numbers here and across the U.S.,” Thompson said. “So we’ve got an increase in demand primarily from our growing ethnic populations, but a decreasing supply.

“We’re seeing a big increase in hair sheep numbers, and I think some of that drop in goat numbers is due to people switching to hair sheep.”

Waldron said the very nature of the goat, predominantly a seasonal breeder, can have a strong bearing on price.

“We do see an expected seasonal goat price drop in the summer,” Waldron said. “Basically, we see lows between July and September and that’s also when we see our greatest volume of goats sold. So we see simple supply-and-demand economics at play there.

“Our area producers typically avoid kidding in June through September simply because the hot temperatures affect the forage quality, which affects milk production and subsequent growth of the kids. That obviously affects when the kids will reach market weight.”

Waldron said the highest prices usually occur between Decem-

ber and March due to the smaller numbers available at that time.

Thompson said another interesting point is that, as in most livestock species, the price per pound drops as the animal’s weight increases. With meat goat kids, the price actually increases — up to about 60 pounds. So if

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range conditions allow, producers can increase their gross revenue by keeping the animal on the range until they reach 60 pounds.

“But once they pass 60 pounds, the price per pound starts to drop,” Thompson said. “It ap-

See GOATS, Page 15

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News

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns

Meat goats such as these visiting a salt block on native range near Sonora are valuable property, a Texas A&M AgriLife study proves.

Goats, from Page 14 pears 60 pounds is the preferred market weight of these animals “And finally, we didn’t see much of a premium for goats sold in lot sizes above six to 12 goats. For wool sheep and cattle, we typically see a greater price paid for animals sold in larger, uniform lots.”

Thompson said that point alone may make the meat goat business more appealing for producers who can keep only a few animals.

“There is always a need for maintaining uniform quality animals, but it’s probably not going to affect the price received as much as other classes of livestock.”

For the consumer, all agreed, it would be nicer if the supply was a bit more uniform throughout

the year and not so concentrated during the summer. Despite Texas goat numbers declining, adequate supplies of meat goats are still available throughout the calendar year.

The future of the meat goat industry remains positive on several fronts, Thompson said.

“That segment of our population that prefers goat meat is growing,” Thompson said.

“And there has long been a place in our range management for goats. They’re used to reduce fuel loads for fire mitigation, to control noxious plants, and to increase the range efficiency as they consume plants cattle and sheep avoid.

“Couple these factors with strong prices and the demand for the final product and I do think the future for the meat goat industry is a bright one.”

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News

Real or artificial?

Use of AI and ET in commercial cattle herds

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By RoBeRt FeaRs Special to The Post

n the last issue of Land and Livestock Post, I discussed how to determine what you can afford to pay for a bull. If bulls with desired genetics are not affordable, there is perhaps a more economical alternative in buying semen and artificially inseminating cows and heifers. Bull and artificial insemination costs were compared by Bruce Carpenter of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service during the 2016 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course.

Carpenter used the same method of calculating annual bull costs as demonstrated in the last LLP issue, but with different cost estimates. He used a bull cost of $7,000, a salvage value of $2682 (1,800 pounds @ $1.49), and a service life of four years. Subtracting salvage value from bull cost and dividing by service life gives an annual depreciation cost of $1,079.50. Add this amount to the annual bull maintenance costs of $596.25 (Table 1) to derive an annual bull cost of $1,676.

If the bull is expected to breed 30 cows, then the bull cost per cow is $65.16.

Insemination costs

“Even though AI has been commercially available for more than 65 years, less than 5 percent of the nation’s beef cows are bred using AI,” said Robert Wells of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. “Majority of the AI usage is in seedstock and club calf sectors.”

“Most commercial beef AI is done in heifers with semen from bulls with good calving ease [expected progeny differences],” Carpenter said. “Average reported pregnancy rates with AI on commercial heifers are 50 percent compared to an overall herd average of 85 percent.”

Several different protocols are used

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Photos courtesy of Robert Fears

Artificial insemination can be a more economical breeding method than natural service for commercial cow-calf opertaions. Producers should examine all available options.

On the cover: Know what it costs to keep a bull. by artificial insemination breeders, but a common one is the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR estrus (heat) synchronization process. This timed artificial insemination protocol involves a gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection and progestin-

containing device vaginal insertion on Day 0. On Day 7, a prostaglandin F2α injection is administered and the progestin-containing device is removed. Then on Day 10, there is a second [gonadotropin-releasing hormone] injection and

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the cows are inseminated.

Three types of semen (registered, commercial and sexed) are offered in different price ranges. These choices give

See SEMEN, Page 17

The Land & Livestock Post

News Semen, from Page 16 the producer another opportunity to calculate which option will deliver the best economical return for his or her operation.

Total application costs for each option are shown in Table 2.

“As shown in Table 2, major costs of artificial insemination are semen and estrous synchronization/timed artificial insemination hormones,” Carpenter said. “Semen from a registered bull costs about $20 per straw, whereas commercial bull semen costs approximately $12.

Using commercial semen saves an estimated $10 per head.

Sexed semen sells for about $40 per straw and is normally 10 percent less fertile than unsexed semen.”

Cattle have to be penned three different times to execute the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR protocol. Gathering and moving cattle into the corral are made easier by holding them in a nearby trap between protocol treatments. Two different assumptions are made in Table 2. One is that the trap is large enough to hold 100 head for nine days without hay. Three men are needed for three days to gather and pen the cattle.

The second assumption is that the trap is small. Labor can be reduced by one person because less riding will be required to gather the cattle; however, hay will need to be fed at 15 pounds per head per day.

Using the small trap adds a $17

Photo courtesy of Robert Fears

Semen from bulls with good genetics can be purchased at a reasonable price. hay cost, but saves about $4 in labor resulting in a total added cost of approximately $13.

“When costs of various breeding methods are compared in Table 3, it is shown that pregnancy cost is higher with artificial insemination/ estrous synchronization or ES alone,” Carpenter said. “AI does add value, however, because fewer bulls are needed.

Use of ES usually results in 70 percent of heifers conceiving within the first two heat cycles.

AI/ES add $81 value at weaning due to older heavier calves.

In addition, AI provides easier access to lower birth weight EPDs (Expected Progeny Differences) which reduces calving problems. After using ES/AI for

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a period of years, there is overall herd fertility improvement.

Better replacement heifers result from using AI because the

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heifers are older. Overall herd genetics improve after a period of years when using AI-sired replacement heifers.”

“Cost of implementing an AI program can be variable,” said Wells. “A couple of recent economic studies have indicated

that most estrous synchronization/AI protocols cost less than natural service considering current high bull purchase prices. In addition, the economic model used to evaluate these

See ARTIFICIAL, Page 18

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News Artificial, from Page 18 programs did not include the added value of AI-sired replacement heifers.”

Economic advantage or disadvantage of AI to natural service depends on many factors, which include: • Genetic value of calves • Semen cost • Bull purchase price • Calf weight advantage when dams ae estrous synchronized • Conception rate • Calf price • Cull weight • Calf crop percentage Regardless of herd size and cow-to-bull ratios, genetic value premiums and semen cost are the driving factors in determining the profitability difference between AI and natural service breeding. Under lower cow-tobull ratios, AI systems are more cost-effective and bull purchase

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price is a key influence on the profitability difference. In general, estrous synchronization and AI economically are advantageous compared with natural service when a sufficient genetic value premium is obtained from AI-sired calves.

It is critical for cow-calf producers to use ranch-specific data when calculating the cost of natural service versus AI. The information presented in the above paragraphs can provide a guide for making the economic

the same number of calves.

“Female donors should be of superior genetic worth and marketability to justify ET costs,” said Jamie Larson of Mississippi State University.

“Mating decisions should be made considering the genetic worth and economic value of potential calves. The reproductive potential of a donor female must also be acceptable.

comparisons.

“An ideal donor female has had regular estrous (heat) cycles beginning at a young age, routinely conceives with no more than two inseminations, maintains a 365-day or less calving interval, calves without difficulty, is free of reproductive abnormalities and disease, and has no conformational or

See EMBRYO, Page 19

Embryo transfer

Embryo transfer (ET) offers an opportunity to spread genetics of “super cows” to more than one progeny. ET is the process of removing one or more embryos (fertilized eggs) from the reproductive tract of a donor female and transferring them to one or more recipient females. It is normally more economical than buying enough “super cows” to deliver

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Photo courtesy of Robert Fears

A commonly used AI protocol requires that cattle be penned three times within a seven-day period.

Embryo, from Page 18 known genetic defects,” Larson said. “Good nutritional management of these females is critical for productivity as embryo donors. This involves managing body condition and providing proper nutrients, including minerals, important to reproductive function.”

“Egg production in a cow is on a bell curve by age,” said Craig Barton of Champion Genetics. “Heifers are on one tail of the curve and older cows on the other; therefore the middle aged cows at the top of the curve produce the most eggs.

One of the reasons that young females are not recommended for ET is that flushing virgin heifers is very stressful on their ovaries.

“The donor’s body condition score should be no less than 4 and she should have been vaccinated for the prevalent diseases such as Blackleg, IBR (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis), Lepto (Leptospirosis) and BVD (Bovine Viral Diarrhea). Multimin 90, a supplemental source of zinc, manganese, selenium and copper is recommended as well as Vitamin A, D and E.

In addition, they should be on a good reproduction mineral program.

“It is as important to choose the right recipient cows as it is to select the appropriate donor,” Barton said. “Desired qualities of the recipient females are very similar to those required of the donor. Recipients should be mature cows, three to six years old and not nursing a calf.

The cows should exhibit good temperament and have good body condition scores. They should be in good health and free of disease including Johnes and leucosis. Donors should be wormed and vaccinated as recommended by the local veterinarian.”

Whether it’s artificial insemination or embryo transfer being considered, anticipated costs and returns for your operation should be calculated before adopting the practice.

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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News

N.H. pledges help for dairy farmers Associated Press

CONCORD, New Hampshire — An emergency relief fund created in 2008 to help New Hampshire dairy farmers never was funded, but state officials said they want to get money to farmers struggling with low milk prices and drought conditions by December.

Nineteen of the state’s 120 dairies have closed in recent months.

The state had lost 10 dairies over the previous four years combined.

New Hampshire’s agriculture commissioner, Lorraine Merrill, said it’s time to “stop the hemorrhaging.”

“We’ve been losing dairy farms at an accelerated pace, and we know that we have a number of them that are really kind of perched on the edge of a cliff at this point, getting bids from cattle

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dealers on how much they would get for their herds,” Merrill said.

An oversupply of milk in the United States and around the world has caused milk prices paid to farmers to fall below production costs for months, but the drought makes the situation worse for some farmers. In New Hampshire, officials said, milk prices for farmers are 38 percent lower than a couple of years ago and farmers lost about $7 million last year.

Dairy farmers in much of New Hampshire and parts of Massachusetts and New York have been hit hardest by the drought, producing low amounts of hay and corn feed for their cows to get them through the winter. But unlike New Hampshire, those other states and others in New England provide supplemental aid.

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Interest increasing in growing barley for brewing craft beer

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Barley might not be on the top of the list as a feed and forage for livestock, but the growing interest in craft breweries and micro distilleries has Texas A&M AgriLife researchers taking a look at the crop.

Currently, barley is grown on only about 30,000 acres in Texas, said Clark Neely, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state small grains specialist in College Station. It is used mainly for feed and forage for livestock.

But that is expected to change somewhat in the near future, Neely said, due to increased interest in craft breweries and distilleries searching for locally grown malt and distilling ingredients.

The craft brewing movement is exploding across the U.S., he said. Texas was home to 189 craft breweries in 2015 — a number that tripled in the past five years and now ranks seventh in the country. These breweries produce approximately 1.1 million barrels of beer annually, which requires roughly 200,000 tons of barley grain and potentially could support 100,000 acres or more of barley in the state.

The missing link is craft malt houses, where the grain is soaked and made into malt, Neely said.

Breweries require malted barley and cannot purchase barley straight out of the field.

Currently, Texas has only one craft malt house, but business is good and expansion is planned in the near future, he said. Another two malt houses are in the construction stages, so capacity is on the rise to support the craft brewing malt barley needs.

“With interest in local ingredients for these new markets along with feed barley for a growing dairy industry in the Texas

Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife

This field of winter six-row barley was growing near Lubbock in 2015 in a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service variety trial.

High Plains, we have started looking for barley varieties that are adapted to Texas climates and those that can withstand drought, disease and pest pressure,” he said.

Neely said he doesn’t expect a surge in researchers screening barley germplasm or breeding new lines, but his program is beginning to evaluate existing varieties and out-of-state breeding germplasm for their viability in Texas.

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In 2016, Neely’s program included a study of 112 spring tworow, 113 spring six-row and 136 winter barley varieties grown in Castroville, McGregor, Lubbock and College Station.

Initial results show a wide range of adaptation from the barley lines evaluated under Texas climates, although continued screening will look for lines with superior yields and malting

See BARLEY, Page 22

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News

Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife

Winter six-row barley growing near Thrall in April in a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service variety trial.

Barley, from Page 21 characteristics, he said.

Neely said while the brewery demand for barley is growing, it remains a niche market.

The largest market for barley is still as a forage.

New barley variety options may provide cattle or dairy producers a more drought-tolerant, water- and nitrogen-use efficient alternative to wheat for use in forage and silage production, he said.

To address this, the same advanced winter breeding lines from the Triticeae Coordinated Agricultural Project that were

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evaluated for grain and malting also were screened under Texas environments for forage and silage production, Hessian fly resistance and yield stability across environments.

The initial year of screening in 2014 evaluated 800-plus barley lines, but these have been reduced to 150 lines based on characteristics such as disease resistance, vernalization requirements and grain production, he said.

The project will screen further these lines to identify the ones with the highest production capabilities for forage and grain production in Texas and evaluate if they are superior to existing cultivars.

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News

Texas A&M Forest Service photo by Paul Johnson

Contestants prepare to compete at the Masters Challenge of the Texas Tree Climbing Championship recently in New Braunfels.Tree work safety will be among the topics at tree care courses set throughout October.

October classes will help Texas homeowners care for trees Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

ROBSTOWN — To help homeowners and professionals properly care for trees, especially those in distress from the recent drought years, two state agencies will hold several classes in October in Robstown.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M Forest Service will host certified arborist preparation courses from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays in October.

They will be held at the AgriLife Extension office at 710 E. Main St. in Robstown.

A participation fee of $250 for all the courses will be charged to those seeking arborist certification. The fee includes the certified arborist exam manual.

Those not interested in certification pay $30 per session, and the manual is not included.

Anyone interested in attending should RSVP to the AgriLife Extension office for Nueces County by contacting Lisa Martinez at 361-767-5217.

“The classes are designed to

help anyone interested in improving their tree care skills or as a prep course for the Certified Arborist Exam,” said Kevin Gibbs, the AgriLife Extension county agent for horticulture in Nueces County.

Gibbs said that unlike plants, tree stress symptoms often are delayed.

“Trees continue to suffer for years after a drought like the one Texas experienced a few years ago,” he said. “Unlike plants, by the time symptoms are visible, affected trees have been in distress for some time and often will not recover.”

Drought stress symptoms and many other tree-related topics will be discussed at the classes, Gibbs said, including tree biology, water management, nutrition and fertilization, pruning, oak wilt, tree worker safety and plant disorders and diagnosis.

“With this broad range of topics delivered by experts in their field, everyone from professional arborists to interested homeown-

See TREES, Page 25

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News See Coop, Page 9 In Gerrero, Mexico, Cervantes’ grandparents were farmers and worked with whatever land they had. Just a few basic tools, and

the help from their families. So, when Cervantes’ mother came to the United States with her green thumb and work ethic, a small

See FARM, Page 28

Ken Klotzbach/Rochester Post-Bulletin via AP

Guillermo Martin, left, and Ruben Paz clear away honeydew melon plants, after their harvest in the La Sureña Cooperative in Austin, Minnesota

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October 2016 — Issue 2

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo

Oak wilt, which occurs throughout Central Texas, is an example of trees in distress that concern experts and homeowners alike. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M Forest Service will host certified arborist preparation courses from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays in October.

Trees, from Page 23 ers will benefit from these classes,” Gibbs said.

Class dates, topics and speakers are as follows: Oct. 14: • Tree selection, Grant Ehlen, AEP-Texas forestry operations supervisor, Corpus Christi.

• Soil science, David Vaughan, Etter Tree Care arborist representative, San Antonio.

• Diagnosis and plant disorders, Vaughan.

• Installation and establishment, Ehlen.

Oct. 21: • Pruning and oak wilt, Chad Luckow, AEP-Texas forester, Corpus Christi.

• Plant health care, Vaughan.

• Tree assessment and risk

management, Vaughan.

• Trees and construction, Luckow.

Oct. 28: • Urban forestry, Mark Kroeze, Forest Service regional urban forester.

• Tree worker safety, Kroeze.

• Tree support and lighting protection, Mark Bird, City of San Antonio city arborist, San Antonio.

• Climbing and working in trees, Bird.

For more information, contact Lisa Martinez at 361-767-5217 or llmartinez@ag.tamu.edu, Gibbs at 361-767-5217 or kevin.gibbs@ ag.tamu.edu, or Bill Green, Texas A&M Forest Service, South Texas regional urban forester in Kingsville, 361-592-3536 or Bill.Green@ ag.tamu.edu.

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News Mineral feeding can reduce the risk of grass tetany next spring

By Glenn Selk Oklahoma State University

Much of Oklahoma and the Southern Plains will have wheat pasture to utilize as winter feed for stocker cattle, replacement heifers, and in some cases for adult cows. At — and after — calving time next January, February and March a condition most commonly known as grass tetany could occur in a few situations.

Grass tetany is caused by magnesium deficiency and does not seem to be a major problem in Oklahoma, although occasional cases are reported. It typically occurs in beef cows during early lactation and is more prevalent in older cows. The reason older cows are thought to be vulnerable is because they are less able to mobilize magnesium reserves from the bones than are younger cows. Grass tetany most frequently occurs when cattle are grazing lush immature grasses or small grains pastures and tends to be more prevalent during periods of cloudy weather.

Symptoms include uncoordination, salivation, excitability (aggressive behavior towards humans) and, in final stages, tetany, convulsions and death.

It is known that factors other than the magnesium content of the forage can increase the probability of grass tetany. High levels of potassium in forages can decrease absorption of magnesium and most lush, immature

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forages are high in potassium.

High levels of nitrogen fertilization also have been shown to increase the incidence of tetany although feeding protein supplements has not. Other factors such as the presence of certain organic acids in tetany-causing forages have been linked with tetany. It is likely that a combination of factors, all related to characteristics of lush forage are involved.

When conditions for occurrence of tetany are suspected, cows should be provided mineral mixes containing 12 to 15 percent magnesium and be consumed at 3 to 4 ounces per day. It is best for the supplements to be started a couple of months ahead of the period of tetany danger so that proper intake can be established.

Because tetany can also occur when calcium is low, calcium supplementation should also be included. Symptoms of tetany from deficiencies of both minerals are indistinguishable without blood tests and the treatment consists of intravenous injections of calcium and magnesium gluconate, which supplies both minerals.

Cows grazing lush small grain pastures should be fed mineral mixes containing both calcium and magnesium. Learn more about mineral nutrition of grazing cattle by downloading and reading Oklahoma State University Extension Circular E-861 Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition of Grazing Cattle.

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The Land & Livestock Post

News USDAcompletingreviewoftheMandatoryPriceReportingProgram

By Craig a. Morris Special to The Post

The Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program was created to expand pricing information available to the livestock industry. The data is collected and distributed by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service through its USDA Market News division to provide market information for cattle, swine, lamb, and livestock products.

The price reporting program encourages competition in the marketplace by vastly improving price and supply data, bringing transparency, breadth and depth to market reporting. Through the program, livestock producers and processors, retail food outlets, restaurants, exporters, and many other stakeholders receive critical market intelligence on a daily basis. Literally thousands of business transactions every day rest on the outcome of reporting program data.

The program gets its authority through the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999, which must be reauthorized by Congress every five years. The 2015 reauthorization required the Agricultural Marketing Service to conduct a comprehensive study of the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program due to Congress by March 1, 2018. In addition to working with USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist on the study, the service will be engaging cattle, swine, and lamb producers, packers, and other market participants to gather information regarding the marketing practices used for livestock and meat to identify legislative or regulatory recommendations for the next reauthorization in 2020.

As a first step in this process, the Agricultural Marketing Service commissioned Value Ag Inc. to conduct a baseline analysis of the livestock and meat industry and the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program during this past year. This baseline study provides an overview of the evolving livestock and meat markets to be taken into consideration in the comprehensive final study.

Since enactment of the 1999 Act, major changes have occurred in the livestock and meat industry. The baseline study identified several trends in how livestock and meat production and markets have evolved. For instance, over the past 15 years packers have become larger, more concentrated, and more vertically integrated. Also, the industry has made major investments to improve supply chain management, and the use of Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program information has expanded beyond price discovery. Additionally, consumer preferences have changed, and packers are marketing a wider variety of value-added and specialty products to meet consumer demand.

The baseline study identified several key implications of these trends. With greater vertical integration and concentration in the industry, the negotiated markets have become thinner, and consequently, the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program confidentiality requirements have limited the depth of market information provided in some markets that the industry needs. In addition, there is a greater variety of meat products in the marketplace to-

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day than ever before, which also needs to be assessed for the reauthorization. These are just some of the highlights from the study.

You can access the full report at: Baseline Study of Livestock and Meat Marketing Trends and Implications for the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Program.

The Agricultural Marketing Service will be inviting industry representatives from national livestock and meat trade associations and organizations to participate in a series of stakeholder meetings to discuss the marketing methods, the current challenges with reporting livestock and meat markets, and the needs of the industry regarding future revisions to the price reporting program. The goal of these meetings is to reach consensus on what each commodity area needs changed in the next reauthoriza-

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tion. The Agricultural Marketing Service has tentatively scheduled the first meeting for mid-November. The service will share more information when the schedule is finalized.

We are looking forward to working together as we complete the comprehensive Live-

stock Mandatory Price Reporting Program study and the report for Congress to serve as the basis to inform the next reauthorization.

• Craig A. Morris is deputy administratoroftheUSDA’sAgriculturalMarketingService’sLivestock,Poultry,andSeed Program

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News Farm, from Page 24 patch of land was rented to grow food for her family.

“After many years and only last year, did that little patch of land grow to where we could start to provide for the community,” Cervantes said. “As for my stepdad (Guillermo Martin), he had to learn a lot about agriculture. He did not have a clue of the process from planting to harvesting vegetables.”

At first, the garden was meant for the family, but eventually grew into something that the community needed and wanted.

Eventually, sales and orders from partners came, whether delivering boxes to the Austin Hy-Vee, to Shared Ground Marketing Cooperative.

La Sureña looks to grow its clientele and the amount of produce grown, and improve efficiency. The cooperative is hoping to expand its operations. The organization is leasing one acre

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Ken Klotzbach/Rochester Post-Bulletin via AP

A lone pepper lies in a bin of tomatillos picked from the La Sureña Cooperative garden in Austin, Minnesota. from the city. There’s discussion started to look for expansion opabout possibly growing to five tions and make more efficient acres for 2017. operations.”

For now, the cooperative only Although Austin is still a relaoperates during the summer. The tively small town — a little more dream would be to run all-year than 24,000 people, according to round. the U.S. Census — the communi“We are currently working on ty itself is diverse with a strong renting or buying five acres of immigrant population. land to be able to accommodate La Sureña looked to reach the demand from Hy-Vee, Share out to different parts of the imGround and our local custom- migrant population because iners,” Cervantes said. “Our one- formation about nutrition may acre farm is not enough to keep differ from culture to culture up with demand. We already and generation to generation.

Cervantes said that if more families were given more access to quality food, it would make the community healthier and bring people together through a common bond.

Although a small town, possibilities are endless for La Sureña and for the people who are growing their new lives there.

“The families can expand their horizons, even in a small town by inspiring and providing people

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hope that they can also achieve their dreams,” Cervantes said.

“Even in a small town by inspiring and providing people hope that they can also achieve their dreams, even when they have left everything they have known behind in their respective countries.”

• Information from the Rochester, Minnesota,Post-Bulletin,www.postbulletin. com

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M

News From the General Manager

y best friend has a son the same age as my son: 4. Recently my friend invited us on a camping trip. At first I though he was joking. On the list of fun things to do with 4 year olds, camping seemed to rank right above “long car trip” and “scissor race.” It sounded like it would be terrifying and exhausting. Also, when you look at a calendar, a camping trip in September seems like a good JESSE WRIGHT idea. Of course, on most calendars, September is accompanied by pictures of golden leaves falling, and crisp autumn scenes. This is not the case in Texas.

But I agreed to go, because I may have to move some day, or need a kidney, and this way my friend would owe me one.

So we loaded up the tent and gear and

headed to Lake Bryan. By the time we got out to the campsite, I believe it was a balmy 102 degrees. We set up the site, unpacked the bags, and doused the kids and ourselves in mosquito repellent.

Once all settled, it was time to build the fire. There is nothing quite like a campfire when you are covered in a thick film of mosquito spray and sweat.

As the sun went down though, it was a little nicer and we cooked hot dogs and toasted marshmallows. By “we” I mean my friend and I, because the kids had little to no interest in cooking. But they did eat — after the burned places were trimmed off of course. Charred parts of hot dogs are pure poison to 4-year-old children, apparently.

Before the trip, I was apprehensive of having the kids near a lake, and the wilderness in the dark. Turns out my fears were not warranted, because there was a tent and there were flash lights.

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October 2016 — Issue 2

Those two kids zipped themselves up in the tent, and had a ball. It was still in the high 90s, but they stayed in that tent for hours. My son came out once asking for a drink. I opened a Gatorade for him, he chugged the entire thing, and then went right back in. My friend and I thought they would be asleep within an hour.

Then the music started.

The Lakeside Icehouse at Lake Bryan had a band that night, about 300 yards away. They were pretty good. But any illusions of being in the great outdoors were dashed once the amp started thumping. The music seemed to give the kids a second wind, and they partied until the bar shut down at midnight. It may have been the music that kept the kids going, or it may have been the entire bag of cookies they found in the tent and devoured.

But they crashed soon after and slept hard until the crack of dawn. All in all,

I’d say the first camping trip with the boys was a success.

In our last issue, we talked about ways to make your herd a success by choosing the right bull. In this issue we continue that discussion while taking a look at different options such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer. We also have stories from around the ag industry as well as news and information about upcoming events and sales. Hope you find something you like and, as always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,

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

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Texas A&M-led team says fire ants are bad, but not all bad to protect the endangered Attwater’s prairie-chicken.

At each site, live traps were used on two treatment plots and two control plots for a total of 240 traps per site, which were run on two consecutive nights each month from June 2013 until September 2014.

Sixty-four percent of the small mammals, mostly cotton rats, were captured on the fire antsuppressed plots.

“While red imported fire ants

By STEVE BYRNS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Red imported fire ants have earned a justifiably bad rap across the south and most Texans would be hard put to name a single redeeming quality the ants have.

But a team of Texas A&M scientists and a colleague from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge have published a manuscript offering a glimmer of redemption for the invaders. The paper, “Decreased small mammal and on-host tick abundance in association with invasive red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta,” was published in the scientific journal Royal Society Biology letters on Sept. 21. The work and list of collaborators are available at bit. ly/2cDdgWy. Jessica Light, associate professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist in the departfisheries ment of wildlife and fi sheries sciences and corresponding author, said the work granted from the Texas A&M Ag riLife Invasive Ant Research Management Project is the first to shed some potential positive light on a much-maligned invader.

“Redimportedfireants “Red imported fire ants are known to predate lots of arthropods, including ticks,” Light said. “They’ve also b e e n s h ow n t o change the behavior of small mammals that want to avoid their stings. These small mammals often serve as reservoirs or carriers of tick-borne pathogens that can cause human and animal disease. We wondered if

have been demonstrated to have negative consequences on the environment such as reducing populations of the endangered Attwater’s prairie-chicken, our work points out that a predatory arthropod such as this invasive ant species may be capable of impacting vector-borne disease transmission by altering vector and host dynamics in ways that could reduce disease transmission to both humans and animals.”

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Adrian Castellanos

A hispid pocket mouse, Chaetodipus hispidus, sports an ear tag necessary to keep track of small mammals previously live-trapped during the red imported fire ant study. this invasive ant could change the ecosystem in a way to reduce tick-borne disease risk.

The team specifically looked at theeffectof redimportedfireants the effect of red imported fire ants

on small mammals, of which many species are carriers of pathogens or microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses capable of causing disease in humans and animals, she said. They also looked at the ticks the animals harbor, which are known vectors of these pathogens. And finally, they looked at the pathogens themselves.

“On plots where we experimentally reduced the ant populations, rodents were nearly twice

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as abundant as they were on sites with the ants, the control plots,” she said. “The rodents were also three times more likely to harbor fire ticks on plots with reduced fi re ants and one species, the fulvous harvest mouse, had a 27-fold increased tick load.

“While testing these ticks for multiple pathogens, we documented one human pathogen, Rickttsia parkeri, which causes a mild form of spotted fever.

Given that we detected one human pathogen in this ecosystem, the reduced number of ticks and small mammals in areas where ants are in high abundance could scale up to alter disease risk.”

Light said the work was conducted in Southeast Texas on a private ranch in Goliad County and on the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, www.fws.gov/refuge/attwater_prairie_chicken/, where ant suppression is part of their ongoing management plan

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The Land & Livestock Post

News

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

A Bull Selection Seminar is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Santa Rosa Ranch headquarters in Crockett.

Bull Selection Seminar to be Nov. 3 at Santa Rosa Ranch in Crockett

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

CROCKETT — A Bull Selection Seminar is scheduled from 1-5 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Santa Rosa Ranch headquarters in Crockett.

The ranch is located at 19300 Texas 21.

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The no–cost seminar will cover cattle breeds, breeding programs, visual selection, individual performance data, expected progeny differences, genetic markers, bull fertility and bull-to-cow ratios.

Jason Cleere and Jason Banta, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialists in College Station and Overton, respectively, will lead the seminar. It is sponsored by AgriLife Extension and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

“A bull is responsible for 50 percent of the herd’s calf crop and a good bull is an investment that can certainly pay big dividends,” Banta said.

“Workshop attendees will learn both applied as well as advanced bull selection techniques to assist them when making that next bull purchase for their herd operations.”

After the workshop, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers association will hold a gathering.

Workshop attendees are encouraged to stay for dinner and receive an update on issues facing ranchers.

To register, call 800-242-7820, ext. 192, or email rsvp@tscra.org.

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Developing technology offers researchers advancement without increased man hours or machine harvesting

By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

It’s been said a picture is worth a thousand words. But for Seth Murray, the images captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle or self-propelled ground vehicle could be worth more than a thousand man hours.

The images then can lead to the selection of the next higher yielding crop variety, not in 10 years, but over two or three years.

Murray, a Texas A&M AgriLife corn breeder in the soil and crop science department of Texas A&M University at College Station, said the world of genomics and DNA markers has been around for 30 years, but only recently have they routinely been incorporated into the breeding programs.

The Land & Livestock Post

Genomics allows researchers to identify genetic locations in plants exhibiting certain phenotypic traits they need to improve production.

But what is needed now is more development of high-throughput field phenotyping tools for the next generation of plant breeding, Murray said.

Working with large teams of faculty, staff and students from across the Texas A&M system, he said his current project is to develop analysis methods and software that will allow high-throughput field phenotyping data collection to aid in his breeding decisions.

“One of the big traits we are after is plant height in corn,” he said. “We spend three weeks with a crew of 10 people taking notes in the field, and one whole week of that is devoted to plant height.”

He explained that plant height in Texas

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corn is correlated highly to grain yield.

Under the stressful field conditions of most Texas growers, taller corn seems to have higher vigor to resist those stresses.

He cautioned that just selecting for tall plants would not improve yield, but it is one of many traits he uses.

To get the data that helps a breeder know which varieties are providing the necessary traits, measurements must be taken, Murray said. Plant height is a primary and relatively straightforward example of a phenotype that could be automated by high-throughput field phenotyping data collection.

The most promising tools to improve field-relevant phenotyping are systems that include sensors carried by ground vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles, he said. Sensing data provides two major opportunities: to automate routine measure-

ments in the field and to discover new phenotypes that were previously infeasible or impossible to collect.

Those personnel walking the fields must measure with sticks. But now there are sensors that can do that, he said. He is working with other researchers to test three different techniques: fixed-wing aircraft, a rotary copter aircraft and a ground vehicle.

“The first question now is can we use these images to replace the measurements we are already taking for height?” Murray said.

He said one of the problems right now is the unmanned aerial vehicle tools are targeted at hobbyists and growers and don’t necessarily work for the small plot work he needs as a plant breeder.

See TECHNOLOGY, Page 6

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News

Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Blair Fannin Colby Ratcliff, undergraduate student worker in Seth Murray’s corn breeding program, is driving the ground vehicle and using the sensors to capture information about the height (ultrasonic sensor), the health (vegetative indices) and temperature (infrared thermometers) of each sorghum plot.

Technology, from Page 5 That is why the research and interaction of Texas A&M colleague’s from aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, ecosystem science and management, agricultural engineering and geography in College Station as well as collaborating teams in Corpus Christi and Uvalde are vital.

“We have learned that even the commercial tools for growers are not yet ready for prime-time without some intellectual expertise,” he said.

“An exciting part is that we have about 17,000 plots out in the field of 5,000 different genetic sources that we need to take measurements on, so there is no way we could take height measurements throughout the growing season with the old methods. But these [unmanned aerial vehicles] have let us take measurements every week throughout the growing season.

“As we begin to mine this data, we can determine if some of these varieties grow well under early season stress and some under late-season stress. If we can identify those and cross them, then we think we can get varieties that grow well under all seasons of stress. It’s a lot of

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data though, and we are just beginning to have analytical tools for these discoveries.”

Two of Murray’s graduate students are working to confirm genes that relate to plant height.

“Individual genes have small effects and it is hard for us to accurately measure those changes.

With this, we could measure that and see, ‘Do these genes actually work?’”

Murray’s research project includes a first-of-its-kind highclearance, self-propelled ground vehicle built to include all the sensors he needed. It has ultrasonic sensors that use sound waves to measure height.

Murray said they needed an upgradable sensor payload to measure multiple variables of plant growth and development across the many different breeding programs at Texas A&M. The vehicle has a 10–foot clearance with high stability to phenotype corn, sorghum and other row crops through maturity without disrupting the crop.

Additionally, the g round vehicle has active sensors for measuring normalized difference vegetation index, infrared thermometers to measure the ground and crop temperatures

See RESEARCH, Page 12

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Looking at ways drones could be beneficial for ranch AgriLife Research: owners for several purposes in different situations

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

SAN ANGELO — They may not replace the pickup, horse or 4-wheeler, much less a good sheep dog anytime soon, but a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist thinks drones have practical ranching applications that will expand in the near future.

John Walker, resident director of research at San Angelo, said the small unmanned aircraft have gotten popular recently and he wanted to explore their practical application in ranch settings.

“So I went and bought one,” he said. “The first advice someone gave me, and it was good advice, was to buy a cheap one, a toy, and learn to fly it before buying an expensive one.”

Walker said neophytes should plan to spend at least $1,000 or a bit more for a drone, as units in that price range have what is needed for any real practical application.

But what can you do with one other than take aerial photos and video?

“Right now, out of the box, you can use it to check things,” he said. “You can locate lost stock and eventually check fences and waterings. One of the neat things with the more expensive ones is you can program them to run a route, so if you want to check fences, do it once and save that route into the drone. The next time you want to check that fence, you don’t really have to fly it, but just tell it to run that route and it will.

“I’ve used it to herd sheep. It’s fun, but you have to watch where you’re going.

“You can move sheep very gently and that’s really impressed me. I thought as soon as they saw the drone, they’d take off running, but they really don’t.

Now goats will a bit at first, but sheep will just move along slow and easy.“ Walker said there currently

Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Steve Byrns

JohnWalker,TexasA&MAgriLife Research resident director at SanAngelo,demonstrates moving a small group of lambs with a drone. are plenty of limitations. Flying time is the major one with batteries only lasting about 25 minutes. Obstacles, especially trees and brush, also pose problems, though he said there are models on the market designed to avoid trees and other hazards.

Sun-glare on the screen of a smartphone or iPad used as a monitor on the controller is also a problem, though Walker will soon test the practicality of a pair of “virtual flight” goggles. He said they are worn by the operator for a real-time “drone’s eye view” thus dispensing with the need for the clamped-on screen.

“I think as the technology improves you’ll be able to do a whole lot of other things,” he said. “What I’m looking forward to is a new type of radio frequency identification ear tag or RFID tag that’s evolving.

“Those in use now only have a range of about 3 feet; basically used with animals going down a working chute. But there are some new ones that can broadcast up to a mile or more. So if your drone was equipped with the appropriate sensor, you could

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send it up and find those sheep with those particular ear tags and have the drone start drifting the sheep to wherever you wanted them to go.

“I can even imagine having a grazing plan built around this technology where pastures could be divided into different sections and the drone herds the stock into that section and the next day moves them to the next and so on.”

Walker concedes there are some stock-related issues that would have to be worked out, namely a way for making the sheep move once they figured out the drone actually can’t make them. He said a feed reward once they reach their intended destination could well be the answer, much like a cattleman penning cows with a feed sack.

“I really do think there will be a future for drones in the ranching industry,” he said.

“But right now I think the offthe-shelf models could probably do some practical time-saving things for people, particularly if

See DRONES, Page 10

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Immigrant family of 7 works the soil to build a dream business. Given crucial instruction, the family was able to learn how to begin the process of starting its own venture, and what was needed to keep the cooperative growing.

“They were essential in almost every aspect of starting La Sureña,” said Julieta Cervantes, La

Associated Press

AUSTIN, Minnesota — Where there’s soil, hope can grow.

A small farm near Woodson Kindergarten is the site of the La Sureña Cooperative, a familyrun organization of seven.

Despite its small size, its potential and opportunity is bountiful for the town. Just in its second year, La Sureña grew both physically, but also in its customer base relationships with Hy-Vee and Share Ground in St. Paul.

All in neat rows are fresh vegetables such as the tomatillo, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, Serrano pepper, green beans and the dragon tongue bean. All are ready for picking and transporting.

The Latino Economic Development Cooperative helped the family support its agricultural

Sureña secretary. “They trained us how to interact with the community, how to find markets, how to grow operations, best agricultural practices — and the opportunity to make our goals possible.”

See COOP, Page 24

Ken Klotzbach/Rochester Post-Bulletin via AP

Guillerma Balbuena, left, and Cira Paz pick tomatillos in the La Sureña Cooperative plot of land in Austin, Minnesota. Given crucial instruction, the family was able to learn how to begin the process of starting their own venture, and what was needed to keep the cooperative growing.

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