NEW LANDOWNER SERIES TO FOCUS ON WILDLIFE

    Managing your native rangeland to promote good habitat for wildlife is a goal that many hope to attain, yet often many questions arise as to how to best achieve that goal.  Here is your chance to become a better steward of your natural resource by participating in a New Landowner Series focusing on “Wildlife Management” to be held Friday,  July 15, 2011 at the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation refuge eight miles north of Sinton, off  HWY 77 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    This educational series will feature discussions by experts on Whitetail Deer, Rio Grande Turkey, and Bobwhite Quail management. In addition site selection and renovation of stock tanks and aquatic weed management will also be discussed.  If you own property, and wish to lease your property for hunting or other options, the leasing option will also be reviewed.
    Registration fee for this session is $20 per person, unless previously paid in the first session.  All those planning to attend should pre-register by contacting the Nueces County Extension Office at 361-767-5223.  This series is being sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service offices of San Patricio, Nueces, Kleberg, and Jim Wells Counties, and the Welder Wildlife Foundation.

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.

Cattle and Vitamin A Needs in Drought

In a recent article in the Texas A&M University Beef Cattle Browsing Newsletter, by Dr. Steve Hammack, the following review of  vitamin A needs in cattle was discussed.
    Most of Texas is currently under drought conditions, much of them severe. And this condition has persisted for a long time in some areas. One thing that comes into play during drought that is usually not a problem is Vitamin A deficiency. Cattle can store from two to four months supply of vitamin A in the liver on diets exceeding Vitamin A requirements, basically a little something green. That supply can be exhausted in a drought. How do you supply supplemental vitamin A? My colleague Dr. Ted McCollum, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist at the Texas AgriLife Center in Amarillo, recently summarized supplementation of vitamin A:

• most fortified range/breeder cubes fed at 1-1 1/2 lb/day for dry cows or 1 1/2 - 2 lb/day for lactating cows should provide adequate levels of vitamin A;
• mineral supplements, if fortified with 200,000 units vitamin A/lb, would provide adequate levels when consumed at rates of 2-4 oz/day;
• stability of vitamin A in supplements can be affected by composition of the supplement, source of vitamin A, and length and conditions of storage;
• injectable vitamin A can be used to provide from about 1-3 months reserve, depending on the cow’s stage of production and the concentration and dose of the product.

Supplementation of vitamin A is relatively inexpensive and should be an integral part of drought management.

DROUGHT STRESSED FORAGE COULD HAVE HIGH LEVEL OF NITRATE

    Conditions that we have been experiencing across the state this year, with drought stressed crops like grain sorghum and corn may result in the accumulation of nitrate at levels that are toxic to livestock.  Nitrates naturally occur in most plants. At normal levels, rumen microflora convert ingested nitrates into microbial proteins that are then used by the animal.  When the uptake of nitrates exceeds the rate of use to sustain rapid growth, excessive accumulation may occur, as is the typically the case when plants are stressed due to drought. Moreover, accumulation may be amplified when high rates of nitrogen fertilizer were applied prior to the stress period.
    Nitrate toxicity is often associated with sorghum hybrids, sudangrass, johnsongrass, sorghumsudan hybrids, corn, and carelessweed (pigweed).  If you produce or plan to use any of these crops for hay, testing for nitrates is strongly recommended when the crop is produced under conditions of moisture stress.
    Research at the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at Texas A&M University has found that it is safe to feed forage containing 1 percent nitrate (on a dry-matter basis) to healthy ruminants.  Forage with a higher percentage of nitrate could be fed if it is ground and mixed with nitrate-free forage to reduce the overall nitrate levels to less than 1 percent (dry-matter basis).  Forage containing 0.5 to 1 percent nitrate should not be fed to weakened cattle unless your veterinarian has approved it.  The 1 percent nitrate level assumes that cattle are healthy, well conditioned, and being fed a high-energy diet.
    If forages contain too much nitrate the animals cannot complete the conversion
process to protein and nitrite levels build up.  The result is the formation of methhemoglobin which can cause an animal to die from asphyxiation, or lack of oxygen. The animal’s blood turns brown instead of the normal bright red.
    When sampling for nitrates, it is important to remember that nitrate accumulates in the lower stem, and the least is in the leaves.  If sampling corn, grain sorghum, and sorghum-sudangrass standing forage, create a composite sample from plant parts taken from at least 10 to 15 areas with the same fertility and moisture conditions. Do not mix plants from “good” and “bad” parts of the field. Create different composite samples for these areas. Ship samples to the laboratory in clean paper sacks. Do not use plastic bags because the high moisture content will cause the samples to mold, which interferes with the nitrate analysis.
    To sample corn, grain sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass in bales, the bale must be split open and the lower stems of individual plants must be collected. If the bale is going to be ground before it is going to be fed, then representative core samples can be taken with a bale probe.
Samples can be submitted to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Soil, Water,
and Forage Testing Laboratory. Submittal forms are available online at http://soiltesting.tamu.edu

COTTON WORKSHOP -FOCUS ON HARVEST PREPARATION

    The third in a series of Gulf Coast Cotton Management Workshops will be held on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center on Hwy. 44 just west of the Corpus Christi Airport.  The focus of this workshop will be the “Preparing the Crop for Harvest.”  This series offers producers the opportunity to ask questions and interact with industry representatives, consultants, AgriLife Extension and Research personnel.  With cotton prices currently at record levels, it is important to fine tune cotton production needs to be as efficient as possible to take advantage of the excellent prices.   This workshop is designed to provide local cotton growers with tools to help them be successful in the growing season, according to Dr. Juan Landivar, Director of the Corpus Christi Agrilife Research and Extension Center.
    The workshop will begin at 1:30 p.m. and conclude by 5:00 p.m.  Topics will include a discussion on Environmental and Physiological Processes that Impact Fiber Quality Development led by Mourad Krifa, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Fiber Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Dept. of Textiles and Apparel.  Dr. Krifa will also be discussing fiber development and micronaire variation - the key to cotton fiber use-value.  The discussion on the expected impact of drought stress on fiber quality will be of particular interest this year due to our below normal rainfall during the growing season.
     An online Cotton Defoliation management tool available at the Crop Weather Program website will be discussed and demonstrated, while agronomic considerations for improving the final stages of this cotton crop will be reviewed.  In addition, marketing updates and risk management strategies will be discussed by local Extension Economists.
    2 CEU’s will be offered for pesticide applicators and certified crop advisors.  This workshop is being sponsored by Texas AgriLife Research and 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.

COTTON GROWTH NEARING COMPLETION

    The cotton crop in the Coastal Bend is in the process of wrapping up its mission for the 2011 crop as flowers have now moved to the top of the plant and the event known as “cutout” has been reached.  Cutout is generally reached when there are 4 or 5 nodes above the white flower in the first fruiting position.
    The cotton plants are now placing all of their remaining energy into boll development and no more harvestable fruit is being set.  Under optimum growing conditions, it would take about 50 days for the boll to open after pollination and one can describe boll development in three phases; namely enlargement, filling and maturation.
    The enlargement phase of cotton boll development lasts about 3 weeks.  It is during this time that the fibers produced on the seed are elongating and the maximum volume of the boll and seeds is attained.  The fiber development is very sensitive to adverse environmental conditions, like moisture stress, which could reduce fiber strength, and this could be a factor in fiber quality with this years drought.
    The fourth week after flowering is known as the filling phase at which time fiber elongation ends and the secondary wall formation of the cotton fiber begins.  Cellulose is deposited inside the elongated fiber every 24 hours, filling the void space of the elongated fiber.
    As the cotton boll reaches its full size and weight, it begins the maturation phase.  During this time the seed and fiber mature, while the boll begins to split open, caused by capsule walls drying and cells shrinking unevenly.  A rain now would sure be welcomed to help complete the boll maturation process.

PREPARING SORGHUM FOR HARVEST

    Our early planted, early maturing,  grain sorghum hybrids have accumulated enough growing degree units to reach “black layer” or physiological maturity.  Thus harvest time is beginning here in the Coastal Bend. Here are some tips to prepare grain for harvest as grain sorghum growers can obtain higher prices if their sorghum meets market moisture specifications.  To help meet those specifications, growers may apply harvest aids.
    When harvest aids are applied properly, harvest is made more efficient and combining is faster, with no reductions in grain weight. Grain from the entire field will have a uniform moisture content, resulting in few “hot” loads and price discounts.  To keep the grain from losing weight, it is critical that growers apply the harvest aids at the proper time, which is once the grain reaches physiological maturity (cumulative growing degree units of 2,673 to 3,360) and the average grain moisture drops below 30 percent. If harvest aids are applied prematurely, both yields and grain quality will be reduced.
    Physiological maturity can be determined by sampling grain with a grain moister tester and also looking at the kernels for a black layer which indicates that the crop is mature.  Pictures of a black layer can be found in a publication L-5435 - “Harvest Aids in Sorghum,” that can be found at the following web address: http://sorghum.tamu.edu/gen_production/pdfs/L5435.pdf
    There are only two products labeled for use as harvest aids: sodium chlorate (containing a fire retardant) and glyphosate. For satisfactory results, good spray coverage is needed for both products. Eight to 10 gallons per acre (GPA) of solution by ground or 3 to 5 GPA by air is recommended.
    Sodium chlorate, which can cause fires if it is not mixed with a retardant, is a chemically active salt that desiccates the plant. Growers may apply up to 6 pounds per acre. This product is sold under various trade names and concentrations of active ingredient per gallon. For good desiccation, the weather must be hot and dry.
    Glyphosate, a common herbicide, will kill the plant. Producers may make a single application of up to 2 quarts per acre.  Since formulations can vary, be sure to check the product label for correct rates per acre.  Once it is applied to sorghum, the plants move the glyphosate to the growing point over a 5- to 6- day period. Weeds that are actively growing when the product is applied will also be destroyed.  Use a sprayable grade of ammonium sulfate at a rate of 17 pounds/100 gallons of water or a prepackaged sulfate formulation to condition the water and improve effectiveness. There is a 7-day waiting interval between application and harvest. The crop is usually ready seven to 10 days after application.
    Growers should only treat those acres that can be harvested within 10 days to two weeks after application.  Weather and storms in the Gulf should also be a consideration.     To avoid any premature lodging, inspect the field before the application. Look for stalk degradation from diseases such as charcoal rot, which will cause premature lodging during natural dry down or after harvest aids are applied.  Picture may be found on web at  http://165.91.154.132/Texlab/Grains/Sorghum/sorcr.html
Conditions under which charcoal rot is favored include stressful hot soil temperatures and low soil moisture during the post-flowering period. Host plants are usually in the early-milk to late-dough stage when infection occurs. The fungus is common and widely distributed in nature. To check the plants before treatment, split the stalk lengthwise and look for a hollow stem or black rot just above the root crown. If the stalk is unhealthy, it will generally fall, whether or not it has been treated.
    As always when using farm chemicals, read and follow label directions carefully before applying the product.