NEW LANDOWNER SERIES BEGINS APRIL 15

    So you recently purchased your “Back 40" and have your property in the country and are looking for ways to improve your property while at the same time keep it in Agriculture production, you just need some help to attain that goal.  An educational program to address your very needs will be launched locally very soon.  
    The Landowner series is a unique and innovative series of informational meetings designed by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service to assist new landowners in understanding the concepts of rural living. Participants in the series will be given exposure to ideas on raising livestock, plant identification and pasture management, and instruction on how to properly apply pesticides, the importance of soil testing to improve your land, water testing to insure water quality, stock pond design, construction, stocking and more. The series is a great way for new residents in South Texas to network and meet new people, find out what type of agricultural enterprise would be best for their property, while at the same time gain valuable tips to practice good stewardship on your piece of Texas.
    The first in a series of meetings will be held on Friday, April 15, 2011 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center, (10345 State HWY 44) just west of the Corpus Christi Airport from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The focus of this first session will be Support for Landowners, with topics including Overview of Services Provided by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.  In addition Tax Valuations for Agriculture and Wildlife will be reviewed, Options for Leasing Pastures, Loan Options for Agriculture Enterprises, and Pesticide Applicator License requirements will be reviewed.
    Topics to be covered at later dates include the following; May 20 - Pasture and Brush Management, June 17 - Beef Cattle Production, and July 15 - Natural Resource Management.
This series is being sponsored by Extension staff in Nueces, Jim Wells, San Patricio and Kleberg counties, and more detailed information is available upon request from County Extension Agents in these counties.
    Fees for this series are $40 person or $60 per couple if attending all sessions.  If you choose to participate in only certain sessions, registration is $20 per session. For more information please contact the Nueces County Extension Office at 361-767-5223.

Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office at 361-767-5223 at least eight days before all programs for assistance.  Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

COASTAL BEND SEMINAR TO REVIEW OILSEED CROP OPTIONS

Safflower in Nueces County

            Although traditional crops like cotton, grain sorghum, and corn now have excellent prices being offered, it is always good to diversify ones farm operation.  A growing demand for oilseed worldwide has sparked an interest even in South Texas, in various oilseed crops as farmers look to diversify their farm operations.

            To address the growing interest, an Oilseed Production Seminar will be held at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center (10345 State Hwy 44) just west of the Corpus Christi Airport, on Tuesday, April 12, 2011.

            The seminar will begin at 1:30 p.m. and conclude by 4:15 p.m. There will be a registration fee of $10 per person to cover expenses related educational program delivery.  Topics will include an Overview of Cool Season Oilseed Crops, including canola, safflower, and flax and Sunflower Production Tips by Dr. Rob Duncan, Extension Small Grain Specialist.  A growing interest in sesame production will be addressed including Planting Tips and In-season Management by Jerry Riney of SESACO.  Insect Management of these Oilseed Crops will be addressed by Dr. Roy Parker, Extension Entomologist. 

            Locally planted canola, safflower, and flax variety tests will be toured according to Jeff Stapper, County Extension Agent – Agriculture & Natural Resources for Nueces County. 

2 CEU’s will be offered for pesticide applicators and certified crop advisors.  This seminar is being sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office at 361-767-5223 at least eight days before all programs for assistance.  Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

FERAL HOG MYTHS REVEALED

 (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Dr. Billy Higginbotham)

    “When it comes to feral hogs in Texas, separating fact from fiction is becoming a little easier as research reveals more about the pesky porcines,” said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist. “There remains much we don’t know about this exotic that has inhabited our state for the past 450 years.”
    Highest ranking among the myths are estimates of the actual number of feral hogs in Texas, Higginbotham said. A common number that has been bantered about for years is 1 to 4 million. But there was just no data to support this estimate.  That is, there wasn’t until Dr. Roel Lopez, associate director of the Texas A&M University Institute for Renewable Natural Resources, recently used geographic information system procedures to turn the guesstimates into reliable estimates, said Higginbotham, who collaborated with Lopez on the study.
    Using GIS techniques, Lopez was able to quantify first the extent of the feral hog habitat in Texas. He estimates that “approximately 134 million acres, or 79 percent of the state’s 170 million acres, represents feral hog habitat,” said Higginbotham.  By knowing the range of feral hog habitat and the species population density in various types of Texas environments, Lopez also came up with a population estimate that has some meat to it, Higginbotham said. Lopez estimates that the actual number could range from a low of 1.9 million to a high of 3.4 million.
    Exaggerated claims of feral hog population-growth rates are a related myth.
So what are the facts?  A 2011 consolidation of past studies done by  Janell Mellish, the average litter size in Texas and the Southeast is 5.6 pigs, Lopez said.  It is also known, that on average, a sow is about 13 months old when she has her first litter, and that also on average, mature sows have 1.5 litters per year. This means there is a significant population growth rate, but a far cry from the doubling-yearly myth, Lopez said.
    “We estimated the population growth of feral hogs in Texas averages between 18 percent to 20 percent annually,” Lopez said. “This means that it would take almost five years for a population to double in size if left unchecked.”  The study, which was conducted by Lopez and Mellish, used three methods to estimate feral pig population growth in Texas: the statewide number of aerial permits issued for shooting feral hogs; the number of pigs processed in commercial processing facilities; and feral hog control data made available from U.S. Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services.
    Another common myth is that recreational hunting alone can control feral hog populations, Higginbotham said.  “Of the dozen studies conducted across the nation, hunting removes between 8 percent and 50 percent of a population, with an average of 24 percent across all studies,” he said. “In order to hold a population stable with no growth, 60 to 70 percent of a feral hog population would have to be removed annually.”
    A common myth is that it's possible to identify the breed of a given feral hog by its color and markings. "Hogwash," said  Dr. Billy Higginbotham.  “Today’s feral hogs are descended from domestic breeds, Eurasian wild boars and, of course, hybrids of the two,” Higginbotham said. “But despite claims to the contrary, simply observing the color patterns, hair characteristics and size cannot let you definitively identify which of the three types and individual hog falls into.”
    One thing about feral hogs is definitely not a myth — the huge amount of damage they do to crops, wildlife habitat and landscapes, and most of us that live in the country have had first had experience with that.  And from all indications, the damage they do is expanding in scope and range.  Feral hogs were once largely a rural or agricultural issue in Texas, inflicting over $52 million in damage annually, but the porkers have literally moved to town and are now causing significant damage in urban and suburban communities.
    It’s important to keep in perspective that the bottom line is not an actual hog-head count, but the damage they do and how to develop ways to reduce it.
    “Texas AgriLife Extension Service has demonstrated that through education and outreach and Wildlife Services-led control efforts, damage can be significantly reduced by control efforts,” according to Higginbotham. “In a 2006-07 study funded by the Texas Department of Agriculture, agricultural damage was reduced by 66 percent via control efforts in just two years.”
Since 2007, subsequent studies done by AgriLife Extension and again funded by the state’s department of agriculture confirmed that control measures such as trapping and shooting “prevented millions of dollars in damage by reducing feral hog populations,” he said.
    “Landowners remain the first line of defense since Texas is 95 percent privately owned land,” Higginbotham said. “This means arming the public with Best Management Practices and using various legal control methods to abate the damage by reducing feral hog populations.”
For more information on feral hogs, visit the AgriLife Extension website, “Coping with Feral Hogs,” at http://feralhogs.tamu.edu .

PRIVATE APPLICATOR TRAINING OFFERED

    To help meet the needs of local Agricultural producers needing a Pesticide Applicators License, training will now be offered on a monthly schedule (the first Tuesday of the month – except October).  The next training will be conducted on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at the Nueces County Extension Office located in the Calderon Bldg. at 710 E Main in Robstown, Texas. The training will begin at 8:00 a.m. and will conclude by 11:30 a.m.  Testing will be administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture at their office at 5155 Flynn Parkway, Suite 100, Corpus Christi, Texas.
    A Private Applicator is defined by law as a person who uses or supervises the use of a restricted-use or state-limited use pesticide for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity.
    Participants wishing to take the training must make reservations prior to the training date by contacting the Nueces County Extension Office at 361-767-5223. The fee for the training is $50 which includes study manuals.  For additional information about the training contact Jeff Stapper, County Extension Agent - Agriculture & Natural Resources.

    Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office eight days before all programs for assistance.

FORAGES KEY TO SUCCESSFUL CATTLE BUSINESS

The rainfall we received in January was very welcomed, and now we are wondering when will the next beneficial rain come? The month of February in the Coastal Bend was one of the driest on record, and in recent years that phrase “driest on record,” has become too common.

Farmers have been busy planting corn, and grain sorghum, while topsoil moisture is leaving us fast. Thankfully we have good deep soil moisture thanks to last years good rains in July and September.
If you are in the cattle business, you know it’s been a long winter, and you are tired of feeding hay and protein. We need rain to jump start our warm-season grasses. Unfortunately when one looks at long-range forecasts, below normal rainfall is predicated for the next couple of months.

We all know that if you are in the cattle business, you are also in the grass production business. Forages are the foundations of a successful cow-calf program. In general, the better the ranch’s forage system, the greater the resulting animal production, and yes we need rain to drive this system.
Improved pastures should be fertilized according to a recent (within two to three years) soil test recommendation, especially now with the high fertilizer costs. Proper fertilization
will enhance vigorous plant growth. A ton of forage with 10% crude protein contains 50 pounds of nitrogen, 10 pounds of phosphorus, 40 pounds of potassium and varying amounts of the other chemical elements needed for growth (i.e., sulfur, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, boron, manganese, molybdenum, and chlorine). A ton of forage will not be produced if any of these nutrients are lacking. Most soils have enough nutrients and nitrogen to produce one to two tons of forage per acre.

Improved grasses were selected for higher yield potentials and need additional nutrients (especially nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) to produce at an economical level. In grazing systems only a small amount of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contained in the forage that a cow eats is retained in the animal’s body. Most is recycled by urine and/or feces back to the soil. This occurs in grazing systems, once phosphorus and potassium levels are brought up to a high level, they should remain there without extra fertilization. Nitrogen will still be required.

In hay systems, every ton removed from the field will remove 50 pounds nitrogen, 10 pounds phosphorus, and 40 pounds potassium. This will eventually have to be replaced by fertilization. Therefore, the best system is rotational grazing and harvesting hay from the excess growth in the spring and fall. If one neglects to put out the needed phosphorus and potassium, over time the improved grasses will slowly loose vigor and be replaced by invader grass species.

Weed control in pastures greatly affects forage quantity and quality. Broadleaf and grassy weeds infest many pastures. Adequate rainfall, large weed seed populations, and a long growing season are conducive for weed growth; but, at the expense of forage growth. Many weed species germinate earlier than spring grass green-up, using soil moisture and fertility for rapid growth. Only small amounts of forage are produced in weedy pastures, even with proper fertilization. Weeds can be controlled or prevented through maintaining a thick, vigorous grass stand, or by using mechanical (shredding or plowing) or chemical methods. In native pastures one pound of grass is produced for each pound of weed controlled. In result demonstrations in improved pastures, two to 7 pounds of grass was produced for each pound of weed controlled.
Grazing systems can help to improve forage production and animal performance. While each grazing system has its place, use of the same grazing system on all forage systems will not always be profitable. Rotational grazing systems on native rangeland are designed to maintain or increase the presence and vigor of desired plant species. The theory is that as these higher quality desirable plants become more vigorous and predominate in the pasture, livestock performance will improve.

Bermudagrass does not require periods of rest for stand maintenance and vigor, thus the rotation schedules are used to control utilization and quality. Rotating bermudagrass pastures hardly ever increases average daily gain. The goal of rotating such pastures is better utilization of forage to increase gain/acre, or to allow for other management practices.

One factor that will enhance all forages is adequate rainfall, so lets hope that this Spring will bring some good rains to South Texas.

National Ag Day - March 15

 

What Is Ag Day?

It's a day to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by agriculture. Every year, producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless other across America join together to recognize the contributions of agriculture.  Ag Day is celebrated on March 15, 2011. National Ag Day falls during National Ag Week, March 13-19, 2011.

What Is Ag Day All About?

Ag Day is about recognizing - and celebrating - the contribution of agriculture in our everyday lives. The National Ag Day program encourages every American to:

• Understand how food and fiber products are produced.
• Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy.
• Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.

Why Celebrate Agriculture?

Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. But too few people truly understand this contribution. This is particularly the case in our schools, where students may only be exposed to agriculture if they enroll in related vocational training.  By building awareness, the Agriculture Council of America is encouraging young people to consider career opportunities in agriculture.

Each American farmer feeds more than 144 people ... a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960s. Quite simply, American agriculture is doing more - and doing it better. As the world population soars, there is an even greater demand for the food and fiber produced in the United States.