GRASS FED BEEF CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS NEW TREND

    A conference that will address the growing trend of grass-fed beef production is scheduled June 8-9 at Texas A&M University in College Station.  Sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M department of animal science, the conference will give a complete overview of this “rapidly growing segment of the beef industry,” said Dr. Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist.
    “This conference will cover a broad range of important topics pertaining to grass-fed-beef production and is open to both beef producers and consumers,” Machen said.  “In addition to conventionally produced beef, products from natural, grass-fed and organic production systems are important contributors to the beef market. We welcome both the beef producer and interested consumers to attend this conference and learn more about this segment of the industry,” Machen said. “There will be several topics of interest to both audiences.”
    Topics include defining natural, grass-fed and organic production systems, understanding forage quantity and quality, cattle suited for grass-fed beef systems and preventative herd health management. The economics of grass-fed beef systems and marketing aspects will also be covered.  A low-stress cattle handling demonstration and a Taste of Texas Beef event will conclude Wednesday’s activities.
    A panel of producers will address both producing and marketing grass-fed beef from a first-hand perspective. As a highlight, this conference will feature carcass demonstrations, allowing producers to learn about fabrication methods and retail cuts, Machen said.
Cost is $250 through May 27.The conference will be held at both the Rosenthal Meat Science Building and the Louis Pearce Pavilion on the Texas A&M campus.
    To register online, visit http://agrilifevents.tamu.edu and enter keyword “Grassfed”.

BRUSH MANAGEMENT TOOL ONLINE

    In times of drought, when some livestock producer looks across their pasture or rangeland and the only green plants they see are brush, this tends to bring to light that these plants are robbing valuable soil moisture from those desirable forage plants that could be sustaining their livestock.  Managing undesirable plants like weeds and brush is a goal that all livestock producers should have along with a plan to implement these actions.
    Pestman, a new online application for weed and brush control, is a decision-support system that provides sound pest management options associated with weed and brush control, as well as costs associated with the options considered. This tool allows managers to analyze the economic and environmental risks associated with controlling pests invading our rangelands and pastures.  This Internet-based tool can be found at  http://pestman.tamu.edu/#0
    The application is a collaborative effort of federal and state agencies, including U.S. Department of Agriculture-Risk Management Agency, NRCS, New Mexico State University, AgriLife Research, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas A&M System, and private industry, including Grazingland Management Systems Inc., and AgForce consulting companies.
    This tool will allow users to develop an economic analysis and see what the cost of a brush control treatment would be over a 10-year to 20-year period, as it provides the users with cost estimates of mechanical and weed and brush treatments. Costs of treatments are updated annually.
    The user starts by selecting the pest plant, state of residence (currently only valid in Texas and New Mexico), and plant density. The Pestman program returns the best available treatments and their effectiveness along with cost per acre and application rates for chemical treatments. The user is then asked to select a treatment alternative.
    I have used this tool and it is excellent as it provides a wealth of information regarding the plants that you are investigating, including pictures, so the next time you are browsing the web, go check out this web site and do some online weed and brush management.

WATERSHED TRAINING TO FOCUS ON LOWER NUECES RIVER

A free Texas Watershed Steward Program training will be held from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Thursday, May 12 in the meeting room of the Corpus Christi Water Department, 2726 Holly Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78415.

This one-day event is sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in coordination with the City of Corpus Christi and Nueces River Authority.

The training is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by getting involved in local watershed protection and management activities.  Along with free education and training, participants receive a free copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook, prizes and gifts, and a certificate of completion.   In addition, the program offers 7 continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisors, 7 units for professional engineers and planners, and 7 continuing education credits for certified teachers. It also offers 3 general continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, 7 for certified landscape architects and 3 for certified floodplain managers.

The workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas and will primarily focus on water quality issues relating to the Lower Nueces River Watershed, including current efforts to help improve the health of this important watershed.

The training is open to anyone interested in improving the water quality of the Lower Nueces River Watershed. Pre-registration is open and that those interested in participating may pre-register through the Texas Watershed Stewards website, http://tws.tamu.edu.

Since a catered noon meal will be provided, workshop participants need to take a minute to complete the quick and easy online form on our website so we can ensure there are enough materials and meals for the participants.

“The City of Corpus Christi has contracted with the Nueces River Authority to develop a watershed protection plan for the Lower Nueces River between Wesley Seale Dam at Lake Corpus Christi to the Saltwater Barrier Dam in Corpus Christi,” said Rocky Freund, deputy executive director of the Nueces River Authority, Coastal Bend Division. “The plan will be created to protect the drinking water source for around a half a million people within the Coastal Bend area.”

Freund said the Nueces River Authority, City of Corpus Christi and other stakeholders are just starting to work on an implementation plan to improve the water quality issues and encourage land and water stewardship in the Lower Nueces River Watershed.

Participating in the Texas Watershed Stewards program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed. You can be a part of this effort by attending the upcoming training.  For more information and to pre-register, go to http://tws.tamu.edu or call 979-458-3478 or n-dictson@tamu.edu .

Texas Watershed Stewards is funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act §319(h) grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

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

RANGE MANAGEMENT FIELD DAY – APRIL 29

Managing our native South Texas Rangelands will be the focus of a Field Day on Friday, April 29, 2011 at the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Foundation refuge eight miles north of Sinton, off  Hwy 77.  The Field Day activities will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude by 3:30 p.m.

Dense mesquite stands on rangeland reduce productivity.

            Topics of discussion in the morning will include the following;  Managing Pastures with Fire by Dr. Megan Dominguez, Extension Range Specialist,  Coastal Bend Prescribed Burn Association by  Dr. Terry Blankenship,  Director of  Welder Wildlife Foundation,  Pond Management by Jon Herrmann,  Herrmann’s  Fish Farm, and Beef Cattle Handling Tips by Dr. Joe Paschal, Extension Livestock Specialist.

            Following a catered noon meal on the Refuge, topics to be discussed include;  Rangeland Risk Management Tools by Dr. Larry Falconer, Extension Economist, South Texas Brush Management by Dr. Dominguez and Managing Rangelands to Sustain Wildlife by Dr. Terry Blankenship.

            To assist with program planning, all those planning to attend should pre-register by April 25, 2011 to either (361) 364-6234 or (361) 767-5223.  There will be a registration fee of $25 per person payable on site to cover field day expenses, including meal and educational materials. Three CEU’s will be offered for pesticide applicators and 5.75 for certified crop advisors.  This workshop is being sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Livestock and Forage Committees of Nueces and San Patricio County, 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.

SOUTH TEXAS RANGE MANAGERS SHOULD ALWAYS PLAN FOR DROUGHT

The dry conditions of South Texas are becoming far too familiar for us, but you know this  unfortunately seems to be the normal for us.  Yes, our South Texas climate is recognized as unique, because it is the only subtropical prairie on earth, located downwind of a large water body like the Gulf of Mexico, that has a semiarid climate.  Our atmospheric humidity in South Texas is similar to areas that have greater rainfall due to the effect from prevailing winds off the Gulf, yet we have these dry spells. Wow, sometimes it is not good to be different, but that is what the creator gave us, so we have to learn to manage what we have.
    The solution to dealing with our semiarid climate and managing our rangeland is to always plan for the next drought. Someone once said, planning for drought should begin when its wet or raining, so that means we should have been doing that last summer.  As one thinks about how to plan for extended dry periods here are some things to consider as suggested by Wayne Hamilton, Director of the Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management at Texas A&M University.
    Range managers should work to build their forage base so that soil cover is maintained, while at the same time work toward having the best kinds of plants and animals.  Other tips include improving efficiency of range utilization with better grazing distribution, and make sure that livestock water is not a limiting factor.  Matching animal nutrient requirements with range nutrient availability is important, along with being able to assess the forage quality and quantity and mediate the deficiencies.  Prepare a wildlife management plan and improve the efficiency of supplemental feeding programs, while at the same time develop less drought sensitive on -and off-ranch alternative income sources.  This is just a small sample of items to consider when planning for droughts, but your number one goal should be to maintain soil surface cover, as this will facilitate rainfall recovery in the soil profile when rains return.

COTTON WORKSHOP FOCUS - EMERGENCE TO EARLY BLOOM

    The second in a series of Gulf Coast Cotton Management Workshops will be held on Thursday, April 28, 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 “Emergence to Early Bloom” period.  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 coming 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 of  Ecological considerations in managing early season insect pests by an invited guest speaker, Dr. Megha Parajoulee, Professor and Faculty Fellow/ Cotton Entomology Project Leader   in Lubbock.  Dr. Parajulee has a strong background in ecology and population dynamics modeling of arthropod pests and natural enemies. His research focuses on developing biologically and ecologically intensive arthropod management approaches for Texas High Plains cotton.  He has organized several national and international invited symposia including at the International Congress of Entomology in Australia (2004) and South Africa (2008) and International Plant Protection Congress in China (2004).
    An online management tool available at the Crop Weather Program website will be discussed and demonstrated, while agronomic considerations for producing a good cotton crop will also be discussed, including the use of growth regulators.  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’S MOST CRITICAL STAGE - FIRST 40 DAYS

One of the most critical stages in cotton growth and development is its first 40 days. As a result good early crop management is key to a successful crop.  Seed germination is favored by high soil oxygen, with adequate soil moisture and soil temperatures above 65 degrees F.  Root development following germination occurs quickly as the primary root, or tap root, may reach a depth of up to 10 inches by the time the cotyledons unfold.  In fact, roots may have reached a depth of 3 feet when the above ground portion of the cotton plant is only 14 inches tall.  This year our cotton will need to do that to tap our deep soil moisture.  Currently, our above normal temperatures have our daily heat units about 40% above normal for this time of year.

Protecting early leaves is important as they produce carbohydrates that the plant uses to survive, grow and produce fruit.  One of the most detrimental influences on crop uniformity, earliness and the season-long crop management system is thrips. These pests can reduce cotton yields by 70 percent or more. Based upon history, choose an at-planting systemic insecticide with the longest residual possible. Avoid programs or systems built around “automatic” oversprays for thrips control, which can lead to aphid and mite problems as the season progresses.

Scout and overspray as required to assure insect control through the first forty days – especially during periods of cool temperatures or extremely dry conditions. It is absolutely critical to protect the plant and keep it healthy through the 4-true-leaf stage.

Entomologists agree that good weed control, including around field perimeters can lead to optimal and efficient insect control by eliminating host plants and breeding sites.  To keep some great technology, rotate weed control systems and use residual herbicides in the weed control program. We all know that the incidence of resistant weeds is increasing fast making herbicide rotation extremely important.  Treat weeds in a timely manner and keep weed competition out of the field by three to five weeks after planting.

The minimum cotton plant population in the final stand should be about two plants per foot or about 30,000 plants per acre, with a maximum of 60,000 plants per acre. A plant height-to-node ratio of at least one is desirable.  Replanting is discouraged when there is at least one plant per foot and few large skips.