August August2017 2017——Issue IssueI I
Food for thought To apply or not to apply? XXXXXXXXXXXXXX How to know how much to feed PAGE PAGE12 16
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August 2017 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
News
T
From the General Manager
his year’s Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course is going to be a tough one for me. If you are not familiar with the short course, there is always ice cream after lunch. This in itself is not so bad — it’s pretty great in fact. But, if you are in the trade show area, about an hour after lunch, there are not a lot of people, and there is still ice cream. If you haven’t figured out by now, I eat more than my share of frozen treats at the short course. This fall, I have my brother’s wedding, and my 20-year high school reunion. I have a very short window to get skinny, tall, handsome and rich. The short course falls right in the middle of that window. It’s probably not the convention’s fault. I’d wager it was
more the past 20 years of ice cream, and not the two days per year of over over-indulgence that got me in the state I’m in. But, that still doesn’t make it any easier. I hate eating right. The expression “fat and happy” exists for a reason. When I am trying to eat right, and someone JESSE WRIGHT brings donuts to work, I take it as a personal affront, and secretly vow revenge on that person. My wife doesn’t like it either. I’ll admit that I turn into a whiny child when presented with a plate of baked fish or veggies. I can’t help it. And, if I try to be mature and act as if I
like it for the sake of the actual children in my family, it comes off very fake and even more insulting to the healthy meal she prepared. But, I’ll keep trying I guess, and in the meantime I’ll steer clear of ice cream and other delicious things. I exercise, too, but I hate that as well. I have a friend who recently started running a lot. Just out of the blue, started running one day. He even ran a half-marathon. I asked him why the sudden interest? Why running? His honest reply: I hate it, but I can eat whatever I want. It’s not a bad strategy. I guess I just need to decide which I hate less. In our cover story, we address the issue of food, but in reference of how much to feed your cattle. We take a look at the fac-
tors involved to help determine the proper amount and perhaps help save on your feed costs. We also have news and information from around the ag industry as well as our regular features. If you are going to be at the Beef Cattle Short Course, be sure to drop by and say hello. If
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you want to add how handsome and skinny I look, too, that would be appreciated. Thanks for reading. ’Til next time, z For more information about content or advertising, contact Jesse Wright at jesse.wright@theeagle.com.
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August 2017 — Issue I
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Drone on: By KAY LEDBETTER Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
A
MARILLO — The maiden voyage of the first unmanned aerial system or drone by Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Amarillo was flown fl own over wheat plots just before their final harvest in the fi nal week of June. Brent Auvermann, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center first director in Amarillo, said it was the fi rst step into dedicated unmanned aerial system or drone-based AgriLife Research in the High Plains. Texas A&M AgriLife already has a well-established unmanned aerial system program, Auvermann said, but much of the work to date has been done through the Lone Star [Unmanned Aerial System] Center of Excellence and novation at Texas A&M UniInversity-Corpus Christi or on the Texas A&M Univer-
sity campus in College Station. “We needed operational fly freedom to fl y under federal rules,” he said. “We couldn’t rely or wait on someone to come from Corpus Christi to fly fly here. We needed to be nimble. When we get conditions suitable to fly, fl y, we need to be ready to go and sometimes we may only have a couple of hours’ notice.” He said for safety, risk management and compliance, he prefers the winds be 15 mph or less, which doesn’t happen with any consistency in this region. Auvermann said new regulations published in 2016 by the Federal Aviation Administration made it legal to get individual unmanned aerial system pilot licenses to operate small crafts weighing less than 55 pounds, under 400 feet above ground level and only in uncontrolled airspace, with a few exceptions. Seven individuals from AgriLife Research in Amarillo and Lubbock, as well
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AgriLife Research begins practical testing of unmanned aerial systems in Amarillo
as one U.S. Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research Service employee at Bushland, went through training and passed a federal exam. That was followed by hands-on training on the Texas A&M University farms near College Station. In addition, a four-bladed quadcopter and six-bladed hexacopter have been purchased for use in research programs through the AgriLife center in Amarillo, Auvermann said. The quadcopter is equipped with a digital camera and a RedEdge multispectral camera able to capture visible and infrared light bands. The hexacopter will have a hyperspectral camera able to capture visible, infrared and ultraviolet bands of light. He said there’s a classic distinction on what is done on the College Station campus and what will be done at the Amarillo research
center. “We want to focus on what the producer can do with the information we are gaining,” he said. “On campus, they are looking at things more on the fundamental and developmental levels. You might say we are the test bed. They develop techniques, algorithms and work flows, flows, and then we will streamline and simplify and tailor applications of the technology to what the producer really needs.” At the AgriLife Research center in Amarillo, Auvermann said some key areas of use for the unmanned aerial system will be managing crop diseases and water stress, predicting yield potential in crop-breeding
programs and even measuring animal health in livestock facilities. “We’re working here with a quadcopter, which is really good for low-elevation studies and imaging. Those with much larger acres will probably want to use a fixedfixedwinged platform, but this one suits us because it is very easy to control at low altitude and covers small plots low and slow.” Auvermann said it is more than just about collecting images. “It’s about extracting what I call actionable intelligence,” he said. “What can we learn
from the images that a farmer can use to make adjustments in the field? field? Maybe they can make a decision to abandon a fi field eld where further irrigation would be a waste, or they can add extra inputs when yields are looking better than expected. It might help them decide whether to treat a small section or a whole field field if insects or disease are a problem.” The drones allow researchers to use infrared sensors across the field field to idenTexas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter
The maiden voyage of the first unmanned aerial system or quadcopter owned by Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Amarillo.
August 2017 — Issue I
tify soil-water dynamics and anything that might affect that process of growth, he said. “We can fly the fields weekly and detect changes in transpiration that are not yet visible to the naked eye, and do all of that in less time than physically walking the fields,” fields,” Auvermann said. “On feed yard surfaces, we can use thermal imaging to detect ‘hot spots’ for greenhouse-gas emissions.” He said the inaugural flight flight took place in the wheat breeding plots near Dumas. Jackie Rudd, AgriLife Research wheat breeder in Amarillo, said his interest was in quantifying traits in the wheat breeding yield trials. “There are 2,000 plots at this site we use for the wheat variety breeding process,” Rudd said. “Each will be combined separately, weighed and analyzed for quality. This [unmanned aerial system] flight flight was a trial run for
us, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. The flight shows chaff flight data clearly color, lodging, shattering, height, head density and if outside sources such as animals may have damaged a plot. This is important when the combine harvests the grain and there is something to look at when the yield is lower than expected. “Right now, it is more of a confirmaconfirmation of what we already documented by walking the plots or wheat we saw coming through on the combine,” he said.
See DRONES, Page 5
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News
Improve your herd’s productivity
Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo
Above: Shannon Baker prepares a quadcopter for flight over Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeding plots in Moore County. Above right: A small-plot combine sits in the corner of this aerial view of some of the 2,000 plots at the Moore County site used for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research-Amarillo wheat variety breeding process.
Drones, from Page 4 Shannon Baker, research associate with the wheat breeding program in Amarillo, piloted the drone. Baker said it typically takes about six hours to walk all the plots and take notes, and “we do that three to four times a growing season.” With the quadcopter, she expects to be able to take weekly data in about 30 minutes per session. “We will be able to estimate more accurately growth rate and progression of individual breeding lines and varieties,” Rudd said. “We will be able to quantify recognizable injury such as hail damage, lodging, shattering or other physical damage. And, we can look for
signatures of diseases such as stripe rust or wheat streak mosaic virus, for example.” Auvermann said on all crops more scanning by the unmanned aerial system will help researchers estimate yields early in the season and make labor management decisions based on what they see. Another benefit, he said, will be the ability to track irrigation — what the soil moisture is like and the extent to which drought stress is showing up in the health of the plants. “Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Amarillo is moving decisively into drone-based research and we invite anyone to contact us if you they have any questions about what we are doing and why,” he said.
The Land & Livestock Post
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Texas leads nation in foreign purchases of ag land AUSTIN (AP) — Texas has led the nation over the past 10 years in foreign purchases of its agricultural land, raising concerns about food security. Data obtained by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting found foreign companies and individuals have bought 1.7 million acres of farm-, timber- and pastureland in Texas over the past decade, far more than in any other state, the Austin American-Statesman reported July 15 (atxne. ws/2uli3YG ). The foreign-owned land is worth about $3.3 billion. The purchases mirror an increase in the foreign purchase of land across the U.S. that has spurred calls to tighten regulations on foreign investment in the agricultural sector. Bills filed in Congress would increase scrutiny of agricultural land deals involving foreign buyers to make sure they don’t endanger the nation’s access to a reliable food supply. “As we think about the future and growing global population, it’s important to consider who will control the food supply,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who co-authored a bill to require agricultural land deals to get stricter government vetting. Wesley Sims, president of the Texas Farmers
Union, said his group favors tighter rules for foreign purchases of agricultural land in Texas. “We oppose foreign entities taking over our resources,” Sims said. “It’s not just food security; it’s national security. We’re always concerned about either one.” Overall, about 600,000 acres of Texas agricultural land bought by foreign entities in the past decade is classified as cropland or pastureland, a small fraction of the state’s 130 million acres of cropland. Records show that agricultural land has been scooped up by foreign wind energy firms, solar power companies and real estate investment consortiums. Most of the Texas land was bought by North American and European entities, according to the data compiled through the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act. Canadian firms bought more than 800,000 acres, much of it in timber-rich areas of East Texas. Entities from the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal bought a combined 600,000 acres. Other countries with a stake in Texas agriculture include Indonesia, Mexico, India and Malaysia. China has purchased the 10th most Texas agricultural land, 21,000 acres worth nearly $10 million.
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August 2017 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
The Land & Livestock Post
August 2017 — Issue I
7
News
Texas A&M AgriLife celebrates 50 years in Overton research in five disciplines: soil science, pasture utilization, forage plant breeding, animal physiology and horticulture. AgriLife Extension specialists cover a range of regional priorities, including forages, wildlife and fisheries, beef cattle, horticulture and timber. In his remarks, Monte Rouquette, AgriLife Research forage physiologist in Overton, provided historical context for the center’s origin and the impact AgriLife Research scientists and AgriLife Extension specialists have made in East Texas, the state and beyond over the past five decades. Rouquette said AgriLife Extension economists estimate ryegrass forage, ryegrass turf and legume/clover varieties de-
By AdAm Russell Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
OVERTON — The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton celebrated its 50th year of research, innovation and education July 12. More than 170 people attended, including area residents, AgriLife retirees, regional elected officials and AgriLife personnel. The celebration included remarks from keynote speaker Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp; Craig Nessler, Texas A&M AgriLife Research director; Doug Steele, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service director; and Mark Hussey, vice chancellor and dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University. Sharp, a former state representative, state senator and Texas state comptroller, said AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension are the two best state agencies, and agency work done in Overton and around the state enriches the lives of every Texan. “There is no organization that brings more goodwill to the Texas A&M name than AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension. None,” said Sharp. “The rest of the A&M System benefits because of the lives you touch, the people you touch and your relationships with the Texas Legislature, and because of the good work you do here in Overton. So,
See 50 YEARS, Page 11 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Adam Russell From left, State Rep. Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches, Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp and Charles Long, resident director of the Overton Center,at the 50th anniversary celebration at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton. congratulations on 50 years.” The center north of Overton on F,M, 3053 houses AgriLife Research scientists and AgriLife Extension specialists who work to address the highest regional agricultural priorities. AgriLife Research scientists at the Overton center conduct
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August 2017 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
News
New Texas potato varieties continue to show promise formed, he said. Side-by-side planting of each variety allows digging of one row of tubers for viewing at the field day, while leaving the second row for plant canopy observation. “We had a really good turnout this year for our field day and the trials look good,” he said. “While
By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
SPRINGLAKE — Texas-bred potatoes were highlighted recently at the 26th annual Texas A&M Potato Breeding and Variety Development Program field day near Springlake in the Bruce Barrett potato fields. The potato breeding program is conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M University department of horticultural sciences under the direction of potato breeder Creighton Miller in College Station. The program’s Springlake trial includes 3,936 seedlings and a trial in Dalhart has 51,423 seedlings, totaling 55,359 seedlings from 369 different crosses this year, Miller said.
we don’t have any new varieties to announce this year, we have several we talked about last year and a couple we will release in the next few years that we are excited to see the results of in this field.”
See POTATO, Page 28
Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter
Reveille Russet,developed by theTexasA&M Potato Breeding andVariety Development Program, is making its way to the market. The field day at Springlake offers potato growers and AgriLife
Research collaborators a chance to see how different crosses per-
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The Land & Livestock Post
August 2017 — Issue I
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News
Meanwhile, it is time to look at winter forage program By RayfoRd Pullen Special to The Post
Fall is just around the corner and now is the time to make plans for our winter forage program. How much, what and when are just a few of the questions we need to be thinking about since in the North Texas area, our ryegrass and small grains will be planted in September. This article will be devoted primarily to the best method on “how to plant” your winter forages to get the best results. Over seeding perennial pastures is by far and away the most popular way winter forages are planted by cattle producers. Most failures are seen where pastures are seeded by either a no till drill or broadcast into a pasture where the grass is so tall that sunlight cannot reach the seed after it germinates. Plants do not grow in the shade and as a result, there will not be much if any growth until the existing forage has been set back by a freeze, which usually occurs
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Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife
With fall approaching, now is the time for producers to plan for their winter forage needs. in November in North Texas and by that time day length is shorter, temperatures are lower and there is little to no growth until spring. There are several options to prevent this and the best overall, in my opinion, is to graze the pasture very short then run a disc over it set straight since we are not trying to turn any soil but only trying to cut the roots on the existing pasture to allow sunlight penetration to begin as soon as the winter forage germinates. In the case of broadcast seed, it makes no difference if you disc prior to or immediately after seeding. If the seed a planted with a no till drill, running the disc prior to planting would be our choice. While not entirely required if using a
See WINTER, Page 28
August 2017 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
News 50 Years, from Page 8 veloped at Overton have provided an $8.5 billion economic impact since 1992. The center is also an educational hub for national and international agricultural education, including providing handson work for almost 200 graduate students. Charles Long, the center’s director for the past 35 years, and Shelia Lewis, AgriLife Extension District 5 administrator in Overton, followed Rouquette to recognize friends of the Overton center. These included past faculty, staff and residents, as well as organizations that contributed to its success over the past 50 years, including the Bruce McMillan Jr. Foundation and members of the J.T. Montgomery family which were instrumental in the center’s establishment in Overton. “We’re here because of the McMillan Foundation and the Montgomery family,” he said.
The McMillan Foundation leased 1,220 acres to the state agencies in 25-year increments for $1 annually and provided more than 100 head of cattle and $300,000 for construction of the facility in 1967. The Montgomery family provided adjacent land where the center is located. Long also praised past and present faculty and staffs for their dedication to the job of improving the quality of life for all Texans. “The most important thing to remember today is that this is about people,” he said. “The work done here is performed by people who want to make a difference in their field, and the people who benefit from their efforts are the people of Texas and beyond. Today we celebrate 50 years of accomplishments and we look forward to the next 50 years.” More information about the center can be found at overton. tamu.edu/.
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The Land & Livestock Post
August 2017 — Issue I
11
News
Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Oswalt Ranch is photographed from the south, in Marietta, Oklahoma. Agriculture operations can be sole proprietorships, partnerships, companies, or limited liability corporations.
A model operation
Selecting the best business structure for your farm By Jason Bradley The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
When it comes to your farm or ranch, nobody knows the operation as well as you. You know how many acres you’re operating, and you have inventories on all your commodities. You even know what assets and liabilities you have by taking a quick look at your net worth statement. But what steps have you taken when it comes to managing for taxes or assessing legal risks? By reviewing your operation’s business structure, you may find creating a business entity could provide your operation with added benefits. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service’s
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2012 Census of Agriculture, agriculture operations could be categorized as: individual and family ownership (sole proprietorship), partnership, corporation, or limited liability company. Of all the operations reported, 84 percent were listed as sole ownerships, 6.3 percent as partnerships, 5 percent as corporations, and 4.7 percent as limited liability companys. But what are each of these, and should you consider moving your operation into one? Each of these structures has pros and cons that should be weighed out before investing in the process of becoming one.
Sole proprietorship
Sole proprietorship is about as simple as it gets. You are the owner and the operator. You get
all the profits, and handling the taxes is pretty straight forward. Any income made through the business is your income and is handled as such. Another advantage is there isn’t much to being in business. You have a product or service, you sell that product or service, and you’re in business. While you get to enjoy all the profits, you are also responsible for any losses or debts. A major downside to a sole proprietorship is that there is no legal separation between you and the business. The business can be held liable for any debts or liabilities you took on personally, and you may be liable for any of the business’s debts or liabilities. These liabilities include loans and lines of credit as well as the actions of
you and your employees.
Partnership
This is where the water can start to become muddy. Partnerships can vary in size and structure. A partnership includes two or more people who contribute to the business in a variety of ways. While a partnership is not required to have an agreement written out (although I would highly recommend it), you will need to register your partnership. Partnerships typically are easy to set up, and they usually are inexpensive. Partnerships also provide the opportunity to have skillsets on the team that differ than from yours. This structure allows for financial obligations to be shared, less-
August 2017 — Issue I
ening the financial strain placed on an individual. While there are advantages of having more than one person involved, this also can be a downside. Everybody has an opinion and an idea that they feel is the right one, and sometimes the others in the business might not agree. It’s not “if” but “when” a disagreement in a partnership will occur. Partners need to understand this and be ready to discuss, compromise and resolve any issue that may present itself along the way. Also, no matter how the partnership agreement is set up, there’s a chance that one of the partners is going to feel he or she is being shorted on his or her share of the profits because of
See BUSINESS, Page 13
The Land & Livestock Post
News Business, from Page 12 how much time, money or effort he or she has put into the business. Again, this is something partners should be aware of and ready to deal with. Unjust feeling about compensation and disagreements about business decisions are important things to consider when looking at partnerships, but, in my opinion, they are not the biggest issue. Depending on how the partnership is established, liabilities are shared among all the partners. This shared liability doesn’t necessarily stop at the partnership’s assets being used to settle the partnership’s debts. A partner’s share of the assets may be used to satisfy a partner’s personal debts, and a partner’s assets may be used to satisfy the partnership debts. Partnerships can be designed in ways that minimize these risks, but they are much more complex as limitations are put in place.
Corporation
Here’s where the water really can get muddy. Corporations become their own entities. They receive their own profits and are accountable for their own liabilities. Company investors and owners own shares of the corporation. There are two corporation types: S corps and C corps. Without going into the details of each of these, they both have advantages when it comes to liabilities and taxation. On the other hand, there is a lot of work that goes into a corporation. The amount of time and
Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Deciding which business structure is critical in running an agriculture operation. Each business type has good points and bad. paperwork that go into running a corporation may be more than what you need.
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a combination of the first three structures. One of the greatest advantages of a limited liability company is the liability protection of a corporation on a limited basis, while keeping some of the operating benefits of sole proprietorship or partnership. There are many different ways to structure a limited liability company that allow for it to fit best your operation’s needs. While a limited liability company may seem like a win-win business structure, it’s important to discuss all the options with a lawyer. Knowing the correct paperwork to file for each business structure and understanding the tax obligations are critical when establishing a business entity. If you feel like one of these business structures might provide some long-term benefits to your operation, speak to someone who can give you legal and tax advice. Just make sure he or she knows the rules that will apply to you. Not all areas have the same requirements for businesses.
Rio Colonel
Our most recent addition to our breeding program. Stonewall is perhaps the most consistent bull in Brangus today!
CE
BW
WW
YW
Milk
EPD
5.4
-.3
20
37
13
Acc
.81
.88
.81
.72
.56
August 2017 — Issue I
BW
WW
YW
Milk
4.7
.4
48
88
16
Acc
PE
PE
BK
BK
BK
%RK
40
45
1
1
15
TSI
Stonewall
The Land & Livestock Post
CE EPD
Index
232.14
%RK
1
Scott Milligan - Manager 39606 FM 1736 West Hempstead, TX 77445 806.683.6435 scottm@rioranchtx.com
13
News AgriLife Extension plans four rancher leasing workshops By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
AMARILLO — After such a positive response last year, four new Rancher Leasing Workshops covering grazing, hunting and livestock leases are scheduled across the state by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The free programs are funded by the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center, said Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist in Amarillo. “Last year, 100 percent of participants said they would recommend these programs to a friend, so we decided to offer them in more locations,” Lashmet said. The schedule will be: • Aug. 22, noon-4 p.m. — Tex-
as A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1102 E. F.M. Road 1294, Lubbock. • Sept. 1, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — Hildebrand Equine Complex, 3240 F&B Road, College Station. • Sept. 19, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — AgriLife Extension office for Frio County, 400 S. Pecan St., Pearsall. • Oct. 19, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — Tom Green 4-H Center, 3168 N. U.S. 67, San Angelo. Lashmet said lunch will be provided by two sponsors: Ag Workers Insurance for the Lubbock, College Station and San Angelo programs, and Security State Bank for the Pearsall program. Participants will need to RSVP at least one week prior to the meeting they will attend to Kim Garcia, 806-677-5626, or kim.garcia@ag.tamu.edu. Each workshop will address
the legal risks associated with agricultural leases, Lashmet said. The goal is to educate landowners and producers on the importance of utilizing written leases as a risk management tool. Joining Lashmet on the program will be AgriLife Extension economists from around the state. “We will discuss the potential
TJS S Hardware
legal implications of failing to have a sufficient written lease and the potential legal issues and litigation that the development of written leases can help avoid,” she said. “The workshops will also familiarize participants with key terms and provisions that should be considered in
lease negotiations.” Participants will receive a leasing handbook that covers legal issues, designing lease payment structures and calculating payments, landowner liability, as well as checklists and sample lease forms for negotiating lease agreements.
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August 2017 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
News A Cowman’s Best Friend at Calving Time! Now available with digital scale!
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The Land & Livestock Post
August 2017 — Issue I
15
News
Menu choices
How much should I feed my cows?
F
By ROBERT FEARS Special to The Post
eed is one of the biggest expenses in most cow-calf operations, yet many supplement programs are based on best guesses. Often, insufficient amounts of supplement are fed and, at times, too much is put in the trough. The supplement may not contain the type and amounts of nutrients needed by the cattle. Producers seldom know what and how much their cows eat. It is important to know how to address the question: How
much should I feed my cows? This question has been addressed by Rick Machen of Texas A&M UniversityKingsville and Ted McCollum of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service at numerous Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Courses. Most of the information in this article is taken from their presentation. The mystery of how much to feed cattle is solved by answering the following five questions:
How much do the cattle weigh?
• See Test your forage, Page 21
Big cows eat more than small cows in order to satisfy their larger nutrient requirements for maintenance and production. Body weight is a primary factor affecting pounds of feed or nutrients required by an animal. Data in Table 1 show that 1,400 pound cows require 0.3
pounds more crude protein per day than 1,000 pound cows and 2.6 more pounds of total digestible nutrients (energy). Mature cow weights of some beef breeds steadily have increased over the past 40 years, so feeding the same amount to the herd as papa and grandpa did
See FEED, Page 17
Photo and cover photo courtesy of Tom Johnson
16
August 2017 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
News Feed, from Page 12 probably isn’t enough. Today, there aren’t many 1,000 pound cows left in the country. Ranch scales are important for obtaining accurate cattle weights. Often weight estimates miss the mark by 200 pounds or more. In addition to feeding, accurate animal weights are important for determining vaccine and pharmaceutical doses, tracking rate of gain, calculating potential sale prices and helping improve many management decisions. A scales system can consist of an existing squeeze chute and as few as two additional components (load bars and indicator) for a minimum cost of approximately $2,500.
What is the stage of production?
Photo by Robert Fears
How much should I feed my cows? is a question frequently asked by ag producers. The answer depends on several factors. Different stages of production have different nutrient requirements depending upon what the cow’s body is expected to do. In order of increasing nutrient demand, the four stages of production are: • mid-gestation • late gestation • late lactation • early lactation The order they naturally occur, however, is: • mid-gestation • late gestation • early lactation • late lactation Depending on calf age at weaning, late lactation and midgestation may overlap. Milk production increased ap-
See QUESTIONS, Page 20
The Land & Livestock Post
August 2017 — Issue I
17
News
A&M scientist studies locust swarms worldwide By Steve Byrns
Texas A&M University photo by Hojun Song
Central American locusts on the move.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
From time immemorial, man has suffered from the devastation wrought by locust swarms of biblical proportions often visited on those least able to weather the plagues. But now a Texas A&M University entomologist at College Station with a passion for helping humanity is hot on the trail of pinpointing the cause that triggers the insects’ swarming behavior and defusing it to stop the destruction. Hojun Song’s work was published in the June 30 edition of Research Features. According to its website, the online publication strives to make complex, basic applied research accessible to a global audience. View
focuses on understanding how and why locust swarms occur, which is crucial if we are to develop effective control methods.” Desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, found in Africa and the Middle East are among the ma-
jor culprits to widespread famine in their native lands due to the speed in which they can mobilize and travel great distances and because of their sheer numbers while doing so. These swarms literally can block the sun, according to the article.
See LOCUSTS, Page 26
Brazos Valley Livestock Brazos Valley Livestock Commission, Inc. Commission, Inc.
Sales: Tuesdays @ 12 Noon the paper at researchfeatures. com/2017/06/30/locust-swarmspowerful-force-nature/.
“Locust swarms are a severe threat to agriculture and food security,” Song said. “Our research
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August 2017 — Issue I
The Land & Livestock Post
®
The Land & Livestock Post
August 2017 — Issue I
19
News
proving body condition of a grazing beef cow through supplementation during periods of greatest nutrient demand is difficult, if not economically and practically unfeasible.
What and how much forage should beef cattle eat?
Photo by Robert Fears
How much the cattle weigh is another consideration in how much feed and supplement is required to keep a herd in the best of health. Such decisions can be the difference in profit and loss.
Questions, from Page 17 preciably in most breeds during the past 30 years. Due to greater milk production, animals require more nutrients. Cows with greater milk production also have increased requirements for maintenance, even when not lactating. Nutrients needed to support maintenance and lactation are shown in Table 2. A comparison between Tables 1 and 2 illustrates the effects of physiological status (production stage) on nutrient requirements of a cow at a given weight. For instance, a 1,200- pound cow in middle 1/3 gestation requires 1.4 pounds of crude protein per day and 10.1 pounds of total digestible nutrients per day whereas the requirements are 2.7 and 15.2 pounds respectively when she is in the first three to four months of lactation.
20
What response is expected?
Reproductive performance is related closely to nutrition. Research results clearly show that cows need to be in body condition five (BCS 5) to facilitate early lactation and a timely return to estrus so she will conceive within 90 days after calving and maintain a 365-day or less calving interval. Cows in BCS 5 to 7 are able to utilize body fat reserves and lose weight while sustaining lactation and reproduction. Cattle maintenance requirements must be met daily, otherwise they will lose weight. Weight gain results when nutrient intake exceeds demand. The most efficient conversion of supplement to body weight gain is expected to occur after weaning and prior to late gestation. Im-
Supplementation and feeding have two different meanings. Supplementation is filling the void between nutrient demand by the animal and nutrients supplied by consumed forage. Standing vegetation in the pasture, hay, silage and haylage are all forage. The most economical feeding programs are those that primarily are standing forage; however, any type of forage program has the potential of reducing supplement costs, which can improve profit. Feeding is providing a balanced diet that meets nutrient demand of the animal. As forage quality decreases, nutrient content and intake also decrease. High quality forage has a large amount of leaf material, a minimum of coarse stems, high protein and digestible energy content and low fiber content. Consequently, low quality forage has more stems than leaves, high fiber content and low protein and digestible energy. Fiber limits digestion which results in less feed intake. Understanding quantity and quality of forage being consumed is fundamental to designing a supplementa-
August 2017 — Issue I
ď‚Ť
tion program for beef cows. If a cow is roaming over several acres of native range consuming moderate amounts of grasses and forbs and a small amount of browse (young leaves and twigs of woody plants), estimation of diet quality is difficult. A good indication of forage quality, however, can be obtained by observing consistency of cattle feces. A photo guide for assistance in evaluating feces consistency can be found at animalscience.tamu.edu/wp-content/ uploads/sites/14/2012/04/beef-foragequality-photo-guide.pdf. Stocking rate has a huge impact on the forage quantity that is available to feed the herd. Stocking rates and forage demand are expressed in animal units. An animal unit is the weight or number of animals expected to consume 26 pounds of air dry forage per day. Relative to beef cows, an animal unit is a 1,000-pound cow. A 1,200 cow is 1.2 animal units. The most accurate and time-consuming method of measuring amount of standing forage is to clip and weigh palatable forage from a representative number of small square areas, average the weights, and adjust the total to a per acre basis. A quicker, yet accurate, method is use of the Natural Resources Conservation Service measuring stick. A fter one of the two methods is used
See RESPONSE, Page 21
The Land & Livestock Post
News
This year, test your forage first before you make a cut • See Menu choices, Page 16
By Glenn Selk Oklahoma State University
Summer definitely has arrived! Hot, dry summer weather brings about heat and drought stress on summer annuals. Stressed plants such as the forage sorghums occasionally can accumulate dangerous concentrations of nitrates. These high nitrate plants, either standing in the field, or fed as hay, can cause abortion in pregnant cattle, or death if consumed in great enough quantities. Nitrates do not dissipate from suncured hay (in contrast to prussic acid), therefore once the hay is cut the nitrate levels remain constant. Thus, producers should test hay fields before they cut them for hay. Stop by any Extension county office for testing details. Testing the forage before cutting gives the producer an additional option of waiting and allowing for the nitrate to lower in concentration before
Response, from Page 20 several times, many people learn to estimate available forage just by walking the pasture. Stocking rates are calculated using the number of animal units to be grazed and pounds of available forage.
What supplements are available?
Supplements come in numerous forms: cubes, blocks, tubs, lick tanks, grains, bales, plant co-products, milling coproducts, bakery waste, bulk candy and others. Choice often is determined by historical use, preference, quantity purchased and ease of handling. Identify the first productionlimiting nutrient (often protein) and evaluate supplements on a cost per unit of the needed nutrient. Most supplements contain both protein and energy, so it becomes a balancing challenge to determine which
harvesting the hay. The major sources of nitrate toxicity in Oklahoma will be summer annual sorghum type plants, including sudan hybrids, sorgo-sudans, sorghum-sudans, millets, and Johnsongrass. See OSU Fact Sheet PSS-2903. Some of the management techniques to reduce the risk of nitrate toxicity (Note: the risk of this poisoning cannot be eliminated totally), include: • Test the crop before you harvest it — If it has an elevated concentration of nitrates, you still have the option of waiting for normal plant metabolism to bring the concentration back to a safe level. And experience tells us that we cannot estimate nitrate content just by looking at the field. • Raise the cutter bar when harvesting the hay — Nitrates are in greatest concentration in the lower stem. Raising
supplement has the best combination to meet the herd’s nutrient requirements at the most economical cost. Supplement delivery also has an influence on decision making. If it is not practical or feasible to feed cows every day or two, consider self-limiting supplements or those that effectively are fed less frequently, such as once a week. Purchasing in tons typically results in a lower cost per unit of supplement, but some producers don’t have storage, handling equipment or sufficient cash flow to buy large quantities. A useful tool for evaluating supplementation options is the Cowculator, developed by Oklahoma State University faculty. The program is available for downloading from the Oklahoma Extension Service website. Other sources of help in determining how much to feed cows are the county agricultural extension agent, feed company nutritionists or pri-
The Land & Livestock Post
the cutter bar may reduce the tonnage, but cutting more tons of a toxic material has no particular value. • Know the extent of nitrate accumulation in the hay and the levels that are dangerous to different classes of cattle; ie, pregnant cows, open cows, or stocker steers — If you still have doubt about the quality of the hay, send a forage sample to a reputable laboratory for analysis, to get an estimate of the nitrate concentration. This will give some guidelines as to the extent of dilution that may be necessary to more safely feed the hay. • Allow cattle to become adapted to nitrate in the hay — By feeding small amounts of the forage sorghum along with other feeds such as grass hay or grains, cattle begin to adapt to the nitrates in the feed and develop a capability to “digest” the nitrate with less danger. Producers should avoid the temptation of feeding the high nitrate forage for the first time
after a snow or ice storm. Cattle will be stressed, hungry, and unadapted to the nitrates. They will consume unusually large amounts of the forage and be in high risk for nitrate toxicity. “Adaptation” as the only management strategy may not be sufficient to provide complete safety from high nitrate forages. • Be sure to read “Nitrate toxicity in livestock,” OSU Fact Sheet PSS-2903 closely before cutting and feeding any summer annual hay.
vate consultants. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service offers free help in determining available pasture forage.
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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
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August 2017 — Issue I
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The Land & Livestock Post
August 2017 — Issue I
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News
Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Early weaning benefits first-calf cows, calves By RoBeRt Wells The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
The Southern Plains summer heat can be hard on pastures, cows and calves, especially firstcalf cows. These cows are in a special class as they still are trying to maintain body condition, actively grow, support reproduction by gestating with her second
calf, and lactating. Lactation is one of the most nutritionally intensive production stages a cow goes through on an annual basis. While the cow is trying to support all of these physiological functions, forage quality diminishes due to grasses going into summer dormancy because of
See WEAN, Page 25
SALE EACH SATURDAY 24
August 2017 — Issue I
ď‚Ť
The Land & Livestock Post
News Wean, from Page 24 high temperatures and lack of moisture. As a result, the nutritional quality of forage is not enough to support continued growth of either the cow or calf. Early weaning of the calf can benefit both the cow and calf in this situation. The nutritional requirements associated with lactation will cease for the cow, and the calf can be placed on a high quality feed ration that better will support its genetic potential for growth.
Advantages of early weaning
Early weaning of the first-calf cow can help improve body condition score going into winter and, subsequently, calving season of the second calf. Additionally, it can help improve calving rates and lower dystocia percentages of the second calf. Once lactation ends, the nutritional requirements of the cow will drop by 15 to 20 percent. This allows the cow to use the excess nutrition (relative to what is needed for
maintenance and gestation requirements) available in late summer and early fall forages for continued growth and regaining body condition before the harsh effects of winter become prevalent. This reduces the need for higher levels of supplementation during winter, which translates into a direct cost savings. A cow that is not deprived nutritionally will have a better chance of carrying a calf to term. Additionally, if she is in adequate body condition at calving, she should have the necessary energy reserves to complete the birthing process unassisted. The cow’s body condition at calving of the second calf will dictate the cow’s condition 60 to 90 days later when it is trying to rebreed for the third calf. The effects of early weaning can carry over into enhanced conception rates for the third calf by ensuring the female goes into the third breeding season in adequate body condition to support pregnancy. It has been demonstrated numerous times in scientific literature that a female in a body condition of 4 or less will have reduced conception rates and a longer in-
terval from calving to rebreeding, which translates into a smaller, younger calf at weaning.
How to manage early-weaned calves
The early weaned calf should be placed on a high quality, nutritionally dense ration in order for it to meet its genetic potential for growth. These young calves are efficient at converting feed to gain, which helps to support economically the decision to place them on feed at such a young age. Prior to the typical weaning date/age of a calf, the early-weaned calf can have feed conversion ratios that are equivalent to that of the pork industry: less than 5 pounds of feed per 1 pound of gain. Data indicate that British x Continental crossbred calves weaned at an average of 150 days and placed on a finishing ration will reach harvest weights greater than 1,250 pounds by 13 months and have a high percentage of animals that will grade choice or better. This equates to reduced days on feed, which saves money in the form of total feedlot yardage costs and feed
resources used to produce the calf. The combined amount of feed saved from reducing cow winter feed supplementation and the increased total days on feed for the calf still results in a lower total amount of feed needed through the system. Couple this with increased conception rates for the second and third calf, and the potential for older, heavier calves for the rest of the cow’s life in the herd, and it is easy to see the advantage of early weaning calves off of first-calf cows when summer pastures become limiting in forage quality or quantity.
Bryan, TX•979-822-7684 | Navasota, TX•936-825-6575 | Cameron, TX•254-697-6551 Temple, TX•254-773-9916 | Taylor, TX•512-352-5296
The Land & Livestock Post
August 2017 — Issue I
25
News Locusts, from Page 18 To put things in perspective, Song said a large locust plague can have 150 million insects in an area less than an acre. A third of that number can weigh a metric ton, or about 2,204.6 pounds. That many locusts can eat as much as 10 elephants or 2,500 people in a single day. A large locust swarm can contain up to several billion insects. It is estimated 20 percent of the world is visited upon by desert locusts, according to the article. But they are not the only locusts that wreak havoc. Song said there are more than a dozen species with one or more affecting every continent. Song’s team of Texas A&M students is dedicated to understanding fully the genetics and environmental conditions that trigger and sustain swarming so they can come up with ways to stop it. All locusts are grasshoppers, but not all grasshoppers, which
typically are somewhat sedentary creatures, are locusts. When desert locust populations increase, for example, the insects can change their physical appearance and behavior, a phenomenon called locust phase polyphenism. Bad things start to happen rather quickly when that occurs, he said. “When populations are low, desert locusts are bright green and are repelled by each other; but when populations increase, at a certain point they become attracted to each other and form large mobile units or swarms. The individuals start to grow, and their metabolic rate increases all the while developing conspicuous coloration.” Song noted desert locusts and the non-swarming, sedentary grasshopper types belong to the same genus Schistocerca and to some extent share various traits. In laboratory rearing
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August 2017 — Issue I
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27
News LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT Buffalo Results of the Buffalo Livestock Commission’s July 8 sale. Head: 1,518 Steers: 150-200 lbs., $145$215; 200-300 lbs., $135-$200; 300-400 lbs., $130-$185; 400-500 lbs., $120-166; 500-600 lbs., $125$162; 600-700 lbs., $125-$160; 700-800 lbs., $110-$139 Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $130$200; 200-300 lbs., $130-$180; 300-400 lbs., $130-$170; 400-500 lbs., $120-$157; 500-600 lbs., $115-$149; 600-700 lbs., $105$148; 700-800 lbs., $100-$130 Slaughter bulls: $70-$98 Slaughter cows: $45-$80 Bred cows: $950-$1,350 Cow/calf pairs: $850-$1,350
Winter, from Page 10 no till drill, the disc will set the grass back better than the drill. Research done on this resulted in doubling the amount of fall forage verses planting in short grass only. If planting on what us cowboys call plowed ground, which is usually only a disking or two, running a packer over the plowed ground before you broadcast your seed and fertilizer will allow you to start grazing about a month or more earlier than if the seed is placed on soft ground. For years we ran a packer or a roller, same thing to us, over our plowed ground after we seeded. When we changed to rolling prior, we started grazing three weeks earlier. Verses not rolling or packing at all, we were grazing about six weeks earlier. Idon’tknowwhyorhowthis speeds up the grass growth so much but it does. We don’t try to rationalize it any more, we just do it because it works. How many acres you need depends on your cow herd
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Caldwell
Results of the Caldwell Livestock Commission’s July 12 sale. Head: 815 Steers: 200-300 lbs., $161$195; 300-400 lbs., $160-$192; 400-500 lbs., $152-$167; 500-600 lbs., $142-$159; 600-700 lbs., $137-$145; 700-800 lbs., $126$137 Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $150$207; 300-400 lbs., $150-$171; 400-500 lbs., $145-$167; 500-600 lbs., $140-$157; 600-700 lbs., $130-$152; 700-800 lb., $120$136 Slaughter bulls: $87-$97 Slaughter cows: $52-$82 Bred cows: $675-$1,225 Cow/calf pairs: $925-$1,300
size, whether you retain calves or not, and land resources. We retain our calves and our stocking rate is about 600 pounds of calf per acre in the fall. That would be two 300-pound calves. one 600-pound calf or one and a half 400-pound calves per acre. This rate may be more or less depending on the rainfall, but 600 pounds is our average in the fall. Beginning in March we can more than double our stocking rates. WeplantmostlyMarshallor Nelson ryegrass for our cattle and normally only graze our calves which would require one acre per calf weaned. Some producers will use a combination of cereal grains (wheat or rye) with ryegrass. We also have used a combination of seed in the past because our ryegrass was slower to come than the small grains, but when we started packing, we went with straight ryegrass. We like the straight ryegrass because it lasts about a month longer in the spring (we plan to graze until June 1)
Groesbeck
Navasota
tion’s July 13 sale.
Results of the Groesbeck Auction and Livestock Company’s July 13 sale. Head: 545 Steers: 300-400 lbs., $170$200; 400-500 lbs., $162-$186; 500-600 lbs., $145-$167; 600-700 lbs., $140-$170 Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $148$170; 400-500 lbs., $142-$162; 500-600 lbs., $140-$155; 600-700 lbs., $130-$148 Slaughter bulls: $85-$97 Slaughter cows: $55-$76 Bred cows: $800-$1,600 Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$1,600
Head: 4, 135 Steers: Under 200 lbs., $180$200; 200-300 lbs., $180-$195; 300-400 lbs., $170-$193; 400-500 lbs., $155-$187; 500-600 lbs., $145-$166; 600-700 lbs., $135$153; 700-800 lbs., $133-$150 Heifers; Under 200 lbs., $145$160; 200-300 lbs., $145-$156; 300-400 lbs., $144-$156; 400-500 lbs., $140-$169; 500-600 lbs., $130-$175; 600-700 lbs., $120$164; 700-800 lbs., $118-$160 Slaughter bulls: $82-$95 Slaughter cows: $60-$79
Jordan
Results of the Navasota Livestock Commission’s July 8 sale. Head: 1,442 Steers: 150-300 lbs., $115$200; 300-400 lbs., $115-$187.5; 400-500 lbs., $115-$164; 500-600 lbs., $110-$152; 600-700 lbs., $110-$141 Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $115$185; 300-400 lbs., $115-$175; 400-500 lbs., $115-$165; 500-600 lbs., $110-$150; 600-700 lbs., $105-$132 Slaughter bulls: $70-$92 Slaughter cows: $45-$77.50 Bred cows: $700-$1,550 Cow/calf pairs: n/a
Bred cows: $850-$1,575
Results of the Jordan Cattle Auc-
and we haven’t had the health issues of wheat (bloat) or insect issues (greenbugs). Army worms still can be a problem on all winter forages. Rye was our choice in previous years and we really liked it because it tolerated acid soils better than the other small grains and that was an issue for us, plus the insects didn’t affect it like they do wheat. Seeding rates seem to run all over the board but we prefer to plant 25-30 pounds of ryegrass in pure stands or 10-15 pounds when used with rye (60 pounds per acre). We haven’t seen a need to use wheat in a livestock grazing program due to the insect and animal health issues. Enjoy the last few weeks of a summer that has been generous in rain fall and milder than average temperatures. It is a great time to be in the cattle business. z Rayford Pullen is a former Texas A&M AgriLife Extension county agent who now raises Angus cattle at his ranch in Bellevue.
Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$1,875
— Special to The Post
Potato, from Page 9 Harlequin Gold is a new release from last year, he said. It is a pinto type with red and yellow skin and yellow flesh that has had some success in the specialty market. “The one that’s really caught on is our Reveille Russet,” Miller said. “It is a russet that we hope will replace the Norkotah strains because it stores better, has a higher percentage of marketable tubers and doesn’t bruise as easily. We have a number of new licensees that showed some enthusiasm for that particular variety. “We have another variety called Vanguard with larger tubers than Reveille and it is shaped very nice. We think it has a real opportunity.” Another variety he said he was excited about is a yellow-fleshed russet that has an opportunity in the specialty market in the next couple years. He said the potato harvest at Springlake will be complete by mid-August. The reds are dug and sold first, followed by the russets, all headed to the fresh market. The Springlake trials include varieties for both the fresh and chipping market but concentrate on the fresh market. The emphasis of the program in
August 2017 — Issue I
Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter
Texas A&M AgriLife Research potato breeder Creighton Miller addresses the crowd gathered at Springlake Potatoes Inc.before going to the fields. Dalhart, Miller said, is more evenly distributed toward the chipping potato market. His program works with CSS Farms in Dalhart to conduct chipping testing at its facility after growing data are collected. “So as you can see, we have a stream of crosses that keeps our program flowing with new varieties, although it takes a while to get licensees lined up and to get the seed produced for growers to purchase,” Miller said. “We are well on our way on all those we’ve mentioned.”
The Land & Livestock Post
News Veteran-oriented farm tour, workshop slated Aug. 4-5 By Paul SchattenBerg Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
DALLAS — The Texas AgrAbility program of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present a back-to-back farm tour and workshop in Dallas. The activities, to be held at different locations, are oriented to military veterans but also open to beginning farmers and ranchers as well as individuals with disabilities, coordinators said. The farm tour will be 6-8:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at Bonton Farms, 6905 Bexar St. The cost for the tour is $20 and includes food and drinks. To register, go to bit.ly/2tNCfC4. A free “From Battleground to Breaking Ground” workshop will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center, 1403 Washington St. There is no charge for the workshop, but attendees must preregister at bit. ly/2sLaBX1. Breakfast and lunch are included courtesy of Capital Farm Credit. Workshop sessions will address agricultural business startup, business planning basics, possibilities for farming/ranching with a disability, financial re-
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo
ATexasAgrAbility farm tour and From Battleground to Breaking Ground workshop will be held Aug. 4-5 in Dallas. sources, funding opportunities, and programs for veterans and beginning farmers or ranchers. “Texas AgrAbility focuses on connecting, assisting and empowering agricultural producers, their family members and employees with disabilities and chronic health conditions to stay engaged in production agriculture,” said Erin Kimbrough, AgriLife Extension coordinator for family and community health in College Station. She said the program was developed with input from AgriLife Extension, AgrAbility, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and USDA Farm Service Agency, the National Farmer Ve teran Coalition, USDA Risk Management and Texas Department of Agriculture. For more information, contact Kimbrough at 979-847-6185 or Erin.Kimbrough@ag.tamu. edu; or Makenzie McLaurin at 979-862-1913 or makenzie.mclaurin@ag.tamu.edu.
House panel lifts ban on slaughtering horses for meat
WASHINGTON (AP) — A House panel has voted to lift a ban on slaughtering horses at meat processing plants. The move by the House Appropriations Committee would reverse a horse slaughter ban that was contained in a huge catchall spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in early May. A move to renew the slaughter ban, pushed by California Democrat Lucille Roybal-Allard, was defeated by a 27-25 vote.
The Horse slaughter ban has mostly been in force for more than a decade. The ban is enforced by blocking the Agriculture Department from providing inspectors at meat plants that slaughter horses and is in place through Sept. 30. There are currently no horse slaughter facilities operating in the U.S. The vote came as the panel approved a Department of Agriculture funding bill.
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News Swarms, from Page 26 experiments involving a number of species in both isolation and crowded studies, Song and his students made some observations as the various species numbers grew and populations became crowded. “Two of the non-swarming species native to Florida exhibited the physical and behavioral changes very similar to that of the desert locust and two of the sedentary species developed the black patterns when crowded, but their behavior didn’t change,” he said. “And another sedentary Texas type didn’t change color or behavior when crowded, so there is quite an interesting array of differences.” Song said the desert locust is the only Schistocerca species found in Africa while the rest of the genus, about 50 of them, are found elsewhere in the world. “Ancestors of the locusts in this genus were probably very similar to the present-day desert locust,” Song said. “Most of the species share their ancient ability to change color when crowded, but the sedentary types don’t show the behavioral changes or plasticity in their natural environment, because it is not adaptive for them to do so.” Song said those such as the desert locust that do swarm, start the process through positive feedback including a combination of
sight and smell or even through touch alone. And while much is known about the desert locust through years of research, it’s not clear if that research can be applied directly to other swarming locust species. So Song and his team developed another model system to understand the locust phase polyphenism on a molecular level on another serious locust pest species. To accomplish that, he and his team visited Yucatan, Mexico, in 2015 to collect the Central American locust S. piceifrons, one of the most damaging insect pests in Mexico and Central America. And even though it swarms almost annually, not much is known about its behavior. Through his studies of captive populations of the Central American locust, Song and his team of students learned that many genes important for metabolism, the immune system and cellular processes associated with the phase change appear to be very different in the Central American locust in comparison with their closely related nonswarming brethren. “Hopefully, in the next few years we will be able to understand what makes locusts different from their sedentary grasshopper kin from a molecular perspective, so we can develop better, more environmentally friendly ways to control their destructive swarms.
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