WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS!

Wow, last week was one for the record books for Nueces and surrounding counties, as the rain just kept falling. I personally measured 15.5 inches over the recent ten day period and 11 to 15 inches were common reports and some reported more.  What a difference a year makes, as we have gone from desert like conditions to the swamp.  Obviously the rainfall has prevented field work from occurring, thus we still have cotton in the field, along with cotton seedlings and stalks that are not destroyed.  As a result the cotton stalk destruction deadline has again been moved.

The Chairman of the Zone 2 Cotton Producer Advisory Committee has sent a request to TDA to extend the cotton stalk destruction deadline for Zone 2 Areas 2, 3 & 4 until October 15, 2010.

With this request, Zone 2 Areas 2, 3 & 4 will have an October 15 stalk destruction deadline.  This includes the following counties:  Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, Goliad, Jim Wells, Kleberg, LaSalle, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Victoria.

For producers in these counties that still have unharvested cotton and have not filed for an individual extension this season, an individual extension request must be submitted to TDA no later than October 5, 2010.   For producers that have already applied for an individual extension for unharvested cotton, subsequent extensions for unharvested cotton may be made up until the extended deadline of October 15th instead of the original requirement of requesting 10 days prior to the deadline.

Producers in these counties with harvested, regrowth, and volunteer cotton will have until the day of the deadline (October 15, 2010) to apply for an individual extension if necessary.

Extension requests for fields in Calhoun, Goliad and Victoria Counties should be faxed to TDA's Houston office toll free at (888) 223-5606.

Extension requests for remaining counties in Zone 2 should be faxed to the Corpus Christi office toll free at (800) 909-8223.

For complete information on the Cotton Stalk Destruction program visit the Texas Department of Agriculture website at www.TexasAgriculture.gov
To Navigate to Cotton Stalk Destruction, click "Programs", then click "By Name", then click "Cotton Stalk Destruction"

COOL-SEASON FORAGES COULD OFFER WINTER GRAZING

            The recent rainfall has offered forage producers some alternatives if they wish to establish winter pastures.  Although cool-season annual forages can be expensive to plant and grow, they

can be a less costly substitute for supplements found in a bale, sack, or tub.  There are several options when it comes to a cool-season forage, and all have different pros and cons.

            Oat is the least winter-hardy cool-season annual grass, but for South Texas, this would be a good choice, since hard freezes are not common. Oats can be planted in early fall and will more than likely produce the most early dry matter of the cool-season forages in South Texas.  Keep in mind that forage production can be variable with oats and oats do not grow well on sandy soils, but tolerate wet, poorly drained soils better than other small grains.

            Rye is the most winter hardy of the annual winter pasture grasses. Compared to other annual winter grasses, rye produces more fall and winter forage. It matures earlier in the spring than most wheat varieties - usually peaking in early Spring. Rye grows well on well-drained soils that are sandy in texture.

            Wheat provides the most flexibility as a crop as it can serve as a forage crop and grain crop simultaneously, if managed properly. It produces well on a wide range of soils, with very sandy soils being the exception. One negative aspect of wheat is that most of the production occurs in the Spring.

            Barley and Triticale are cool-season annual grasses which are not as widely used. Barley is most noted for being tolerant of saline and alkaline soils. It does not grow well on sandy soils, but is drought tolerant. Triticale is a "cross" between wheat and rye and its forage production generally exceeds that of wheat.  Triticale has characteristics of both parental lines that may make it the most widely adapted of the small grains.

            Ryegrass is adapted to a wide range of soil types, growing better on wet soils than most other cool-season annual grasses. It can be easily established by simply broadcasting seed on the soil surface or on grass sod, but establishes better if a light disking operation on a short sod is performed prior to broadcasting the seed. Production of dry matter from ryegrass will be late in the cool season; therefore, most ryegrass forage will generally be available later than the small grains.  This is an advantage of ryegrass because mixtures of small grains with ryegrass can work well to extend the grazing season.

            Legumes like burr medics and clovers are good for the soil and provide good nutrition for livestock; however, their dry matter production will be late in the cool season, most of which will occur in early Spring.  Cool-season legumes are an attractive option to decrease the production cost associated with nitrogen fertilization because legumes have the ability to fix atmospheric N. Annual clovers can contribute about 75- 100 lbs N/acre for the subsequent grass crop. They are, however, only able to fix N from the air if host-specific strains of Rhizobia bacteria are present in nodules on their roots.

            In South Texas, the general recommendation is to overseed cool-season annual

forages from 6 to 8 weeks before the average first killing frost.  Correct timing for cool-season

annual forage establishment cannot be overemphasized. If planted too early, warm temperatures and the competitive nature of the warm-season perennial grass sod can result in stand failure.

            Planting cool-season forages with a drill is usually better than broadcasting as more of the seed is placed at the proper depth. When broadcasted, the seeding rates should be increased 25 to 30% to compensate for fewer seed becoming established plants. Small grains should be planted

from 1 to 1.5 inches deep, and ryegrass should be planted approximately 1/8 to 1/4

inches deep.  Clovers and medics have very small seed and should be either planted 1/8 to ¼ inches deep or broadcast on the soil surface and rolled.  Seeding rates for cool-season small grains range from 90-120 pounds per acre, while ryegrass seeding rates range from 25-30 pounds per acre and clovers and medics range from 4-16 pounds per acre.          

            Fertilization for cool-season forages should be based on soil test recommendation and

fertilizer should be applied at planting or after emergence, except for phosphorus, which

should be applied several weeks ahead of the anticipated planting date.  Nitrogen fertilization of

over-seeded small grains or ryegrass is usually split into two applications of 50 to 60 lbs/acre each. If ryegrass is planted in combination with a small grain, one to two additional applications of N will be required.  The initial N application on small grains should be delayed until after the small grain is established and cool temperatures have reduced warm-season grass growth.  For ryegrass-only pastures, the first N application should not be applied until mid January and then again approximately six weeks later.

            Although winter pastures provide forage that is high in nutritive value, establishment

and maintenance costs are relatively high. Therefore, winter pastures containing small grains

should be carefully managed to maximize the return on the investment, and one more thing, we have to have rain to make this system work.  Variety test information is available at http://varietytesting.tamu.edu/

IMPROVING WHEAT PRICES STIMULATES INTEREST

    As a good cotton harvest comes to a close, and Tropical Storm Hermine giving us some beneficial rains, some folks are thinking about what to plant later this fall.  This year we had some outstanding wheat yields and then saw the price fall dramatically.  However, with the recent improvement in wheat prices, there is again interest in growing wheat in South Texas.
     Recently, Dr. Mark Welch, economist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service made some comments about the improving wheat markets.  According to Dr. Welch, U.S. wheat exports are projected to be the second-highest since 1996, and strong future demand is expected.
    "Other than exports, the demand categories for U.S. wheat have been relatively stable the last few years," said Welch."Production is up with better-than-expected yields, but if exports stay strong, they will reduce ending stocks. The level of ending stocks had grown to levels not seen since the mid-1980s."  The change in wheat supply and demand fundamentals can be seen in the latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, with special emphasis on the impact of the drought in Russia, Welch said.
    "It’s particularly hard-hitting in the wheat markets because over the last several years the nations of the former Soviet Union have intensified wheat production and captured more world market share," he said. "The nations of the former Soviet bloc are now the number one exporters of wheat in the world, and with the drought, that’s creating volatility in the market."
Wheat prices had increased as the impact of the drought became more evident, but wheat prices moved even higher when Russia announced the suspension of wheat exports and the canceling of forward contracts.
    The world’s wheat supplies are more than adequate to meet demands at this time, Welch said, and looking ahead to the fall planting season, there are several factors to consider.
"One is the drought in Russia and will it continue," Welch said. "They will need rainfall to replenish those soils and establish the new crop. Winters are extremely harsh. That crop needs to be in good condition to survive winter weather. In the U.S., a La Nina winter is on the horizon, which is usually associated with lower-than-normal wheat production in the Southern High Plains."
    Typically in a La Nina winter, temperatures are above normal and precipitation levels below normal through much of the southern winter wheat growing areas, Welch said.
"We are moving from an El Nino weather pattern where you have above (average) precipitation and one of the best wheat crops ever," Welch said. "But just because we face a La Nina doesn’t mean it will be a crop failure. On average, Texas production of wheat in an El Nino winter is 5 percent above the trend line average and in a La Nina winter, about 5 percent below because of the likelihood of poor growing conditions."
    The current wheat situation has created some profitable price levels in the futures market, Welch said, but the question is does a producer have the tools to take advantage of these opportunities.  "The basis (the difference between the local cash price and the futures price) for wheat during this past harvest was very poor," he said. "We saw cash wheat prices fall to the lowest levels in years. That basis remains relatively low and to lock in cash wheat prices now generally locks in that poor basis. I want to lock in this price on some of next year’s crop, but not necessarily this basis. Futures and options let you do that or hedge to arrive contracts with your elevator."  Welch predicts the cost basis to improve for wheat.
    "The factors that contributed to the recent weakening of the basis-large crop, tight storage, shut down in the export market appear to be changing," he said. "We may not see the storage difficulties of this year if production is back to normal levels or less and exports are on the rise with the drought in eastern Asia and weakness in the dollar. Wheat customers are coming back to the U.S. because of the dependability and adequacy of our supply. I think there are some good opportunities to lock in some prices for next year; however, I would be hesitant to lock in this basis right now unless that’s the only alternative you have."
    Another important decision to be made with wheat production is selection of good varieties to plant.  This decision will impact yield potential, seed quality, disease and insect management, and maturity.  Variety diversification is important as it spreads the risk associated with potential yield loss factors.  Data for variety trials can be obtained from numerous sources.  We conducted a Wheat Variety Test at the Texas AgriLife Research & Extension Center in Corpus Christi this past year.  Eleven spring wheat varieties were evaluated and the grand mean yield for this test was 50.9 bushels per acre. Numerically the top performing variety was Expresso at 58.6 bushels per acre, although not statistically significant from other varieties like Albany, Faller, Express, and Dinero.  The complete results are posted on our web site @ http://nueces-tx.tamu.edu/publications.cfm under the link for Wheat Result Demonstrations.
There is also data posted from other South Texas locations including; Castroville, Uvalde, and Luling @ http://varietytesting.tamu.edu/wheat/index.htm.  When making variety selections, producers should look 2 to 3 year averages for varieties and several relevant variety trial locations.
    More information about Wheat Production may be obtained from your local County Extension Agent.

FORAGE INSURANCE A USEFUL RISK MANAGEMENT TOOL

    An insurance tool that was introduced a few years ago to help manage risk associated with drought or a lack of rainfall in pastures and rangeland has had the sales closing dates for the upcoming year moved up to September 30, 2010.
    Pasture Rangeland Forage (PRF) crop insurance is a group risk policy that covers livestock grazing and forage land, and in Texas, it is based on a Rainfall Index. The Rainfall Index (RI) uses National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data and the index reflects how much precipitation is received relative to the long-term average for a specified area or grid and time frame.
    Each grid covers an approximate 12 x 12 mile grid. You must select at least two, 2-month time slots, where rain is important to your operation in your area. These time slots are called index intervals. Your insurance payments will be calculated based on the actual rainfall in the grid and how it differs from normal rainfall within the  grid and index interval(s) you have chosen to insure. When the final grid index falls below your “trigger grid index” (coverage level multiplied by the expected grid index), you will receive a loss payment. This insurance coverage is for a single peril—lack of rain. Coverage is based on the experience of the entire grid. It is NOT based on individual farms or ranches or specific weather stations in the general area.
    PRF insurance was designed for maximum flexibility.  You are not required to insure all your acres, but you cannot exceed the total number of grazing or haying acres you operate. This allows you to insure only those acres that are important to your grazing program or hay operation. By selecting a Productivity Factor, you can establish a value between 60 and 150 percent of the County Base Value and match the amount of your protection to the value of forage that best represents your specific grazing or hay operation, as well as the productivity of your land.
    You will be asked to make several choices when insuring your grazingland or hayland production, including coverage level, index intervals, productivity factor, and number of acres. You should work with your crop insurance agent to view the map and index grids for your area, and assign acreage to one or more grids based on the location and use of the acreage that is to be insured.  It is critical that producers review the historical indices for their grid ID to determine how well the past results correspond to their past observations.  Remember the sales closing date  for 2011 crop is September 30, 2010.
    The web site with more information on this program and grid locations and can be found at:  http://www.rma.usda.gov/policies/pasturerangeforage/

DEER MANAGEMENT 101

    The Welder Wildlife Foundation is hosting a Deer Management 101: Enhancing Deer Habitat workshop on Saturday, September 11, 2010.  Assisting with the workshop will be Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas Parks & Wildlife, Nature Conservancy, and Texas Agrilife Extension.   The purpose of the workshop is to provide information on the nutritional needs of deer for body growth and antler development and the important native plants available on rangelands to meet these needs.  Discussions will provide information on tools such as mechanical, chemical, grazing, and fire to enhance deer habitat.  We will also discuss how to manage hunters to increase deer antler size and to reach deer management goals.  Cost is $20 and will include lunch, breaks, and handouts.  There will be at least 2 CEU’s available for this workshop.  The workshop will be at the Welder Wildlife Foundation , seven miles north of Sinton, on U.S. Hwy 77,  from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Interested individuals should RSVP by sending your name, contact information, and fee to: Dr. Terry Blankenship, Welder Wildlife Foundation, P.O. Box 1400, Sinton, Texas, 78387.

BELT TIGHTENING IN THE COW BUSINESS

    In today’s tough economy, improving efficiency of an operation is the key to success.   The same is true on the ranch.  Despite improving cattle markets, watching the bottom line in an operation is more important than ever in the cattle business, and there’s not much room for equipment-related purchases that aren’t absolutely necessary, according to Dr. Ron Gill, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist and associate department head for the department of animal science at Texas A&M.
    Recently at the 2010 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in College Station, ranchers were reminded not to get carried away with buying too much equipment to run an operation.
On average, cow-calf producers operate on something around a $40 per calf profit margin, said Gill.  The bottom line is to be practical, he said.
    "A lot of people in the cattle business die of heavy metal disease," he told producers, meaning too many people buy too much equipment and don't pay enough attention to purchasing equipment that is essential for a ranch.  "What are the basic requirements for a ranching operation?" Gill asked. "If we really look at the ones who are making a lot of money in the cattle business, they don't have a lot of metal lying around (i.e., farm equipment, implements, etc.)."
    The average herd size in Texas is between 30 and 40 head of cows, which produces half of the beef statewide. Gill said these small operators can easily get carried away with buying unnecessary equipment rather than making sound business decisions. A case in point is buying a trailer to haul cows and calves. "This is a big-ticket item," he said. "How many times a year are you going to use one of these?"
    Gill showed the audience a photo of a Gooseneck-style cattle trailer. "It's nice to have one of them, but economically for a small cow-calf operator it's not feasible if you are using it once or twice a year," he said. "At $40 a head profit for that calf, how many would it take to pay for that trailer? There's plenty of people that haul cattle for a living and can be recommended at the auction barn. Give them a chance." Same goes for tractor and pickup purchases. He said some producers go overboard with these purchases and incur unnecessary expenses.
    Gill spoke of a man in the stocker business with more than 1,000 head, but operated out of an S-10 pickup with two hammers and a set of panels.  "He's been successful for many years," Gill said. “I'm trying to get everybody to think how many calves it's going to take to pay for it. It’s very disturbing math. You can get in so deep sometimes; it's very difficult to get out."
    Currently there is a lot of optimism in the cattle business with fewer numbers of cattle across the United States, in fact the U.S. cattle inventory is one of the smallest since 1959. While rainfall this year has been welcomed by Texas cattle producers, ranchers should not to get carried away with overstocking pastures with cattle that have been through long periods of dry weather. Allowing ample time for recovery and managing new growth of forage can help protect further damage to a pasture.
    Forage in pastures, be it improved grasses or native forage, needs to be monitored.  The old theory of “take half and leave half,” has some real merit.  If one sees that 50% of the available forage has been removed from a pasture, it is time to move those cattle out and into another pasture, allowing enough time for that pasture to recover.
    Stocking rate decisions made before, during and after a drought will determine how your forage stand will survive and if it will remain productive.  Flexibility should be built into your stocking rates, especially here in South Texas, where droughts are common.  Here you might consider your breeding herd of no more than 50 to 70 percent of the total carrying capacity of the ranch, while the remainder of your animal units be made up of yearlings or stocker animals.  If and when a drought returns, your initial stock reductions could then come from the yearlings or stockers.
    Bottom line, your forage supply must exceed the livestock demand, and that takes some planning.  If livestock consume that critical forage residue, resulting in plants and soils not being  protected, your long-term carrying capacity of the ranch can be severely reduced, even long after that drought has ended.

COTTON STALK DESTRUCTION KEY TO BOLL WEEVIL REMOVAL

    As the cotton harvest continues, it is important not to forget about destroying those cotton stalks as soon as the crop has been removed from the field to aid in reducing costs for the Boll Weevil Eradication Program (BWEP).  This year there has been a 90% reduction in the number of boll weevils caught in the local area as compared to last year. Good progress has been made on this front, so lets keep the weevils on the march and out of town for good!
    The Chairman of the Zone 2 Cotton Producer Advisory Committee has sent a request to TDA to extend the cotton stalk destruction deadline for Zone 2, Areas 1, 2 & 3. Citing weather conditions that delayed cotton planting at the beginning of the season, along with seasonal weather that delayed crop maturation, the committee chairman is requesting the deadline for these areas with a September 1st  and September 15th  deadline be extended to September 22, 2010. This change in deadline will be in effect for the 2010 crop year only.
    Counties affected by the extension include: Jim Wells, Kleberg, Nueces, San Patricio, Duval, Webb and the southern portions of Bee, Live Oak and Aransas counties.
    In its native habitat cotton is a perennial shrub that may survive for many years. The perennial habit of cotton allows it to regrow following harvest, providing the potential for development of hostable fruit (squares and bolls) for boll weevil feeding and reproduction. Under good environmental conditions, cotton plants can generate hostable fruit in three to four weeks.
    When field conditions and weather are favorable for tillage, stalks can be shredded and then disked to destroy the intact plant. Stubble stalk pullers can also be used to uproot the stalk. These mechanical methods are generally successful, but some stalks may survive these operations. Also, many growers are implementing reduced tillage systems which do not allow for primary tillage operations, causing producers to evaluate new methods for stalk destruction.
    There has been much interest in alternative cotton stalk destruction throughout the South Texas area in recent years. While many producers still use various tillage methods to destroy their cotton stubble, be aware that there are other choices available. Regardless of the method chosen, the primary purpose of destroying cotton stalks remains the same and that is the removal of both feeding and fruiting sites that may be used by the boll weevil to reproduce.
    Several herbicides have been registered for cotton stalk destruction. Herbicides available include, but are not limited to 2,4-D (ester and salt formulations), several dicamba products (Weedmaster, Clarity, Banvel), and Harmony Extra (thifensulfuron-methyl + tribenuron-methyl). For these products to be legal for cotton stalk destruction, the label must contain a section addressing “crop stubble” or specify cotton as the target pest following harvest.
    Based on most recent field research, it appears the low-volatile, amine salt formulations are equally as effective as the ester formulations for cotton stalk destruction, and minimize problems associated with off-target drift. The first application should be at the rate of one pound of active ingredient/acre (eg. 1 qt. of a 4 lbs. a.i./gal. formulation). Generally, a second application of 0.5 to 1.0 lb. a.i./acre will be necessary for control of any live stalks and emerged cotton seedlings.
    To obtain optimum results, cotton stalks should be shredded (6 to 8 inch height) and the spray application should be made soon after shredding. Best results are achieved if the herbicide is applied the same day as the shredding operation. To achieve optimum effectiveness, some growers have mounted spray booms directly on their flail shredders and are banding their herbicide during the shredding operation, and achieving excellent results. Note that thorough coverage is essential, and should be in the range of 5 to 10 gallons water/acre. Also, the addition of surfactant at the rate of 0.5% v/v (2 qts./100 gals. water) is recommended.   In a recnet study conducted at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center, there was essentially no difference in killing regrowing cotton plants with 2,4-D between treating shredded or left standing stalks,
    If one uses a hormone herbicide like 2,4-D, remember that there is always that potential for off-target drift that might affect other susceptible crops in the area, so be careful and monitor local environmental conditions that could promote the off-target movement of the product.
As we work to wrap up another cotton harvest, it is important to remember that without an effective cotton stalk destruction program here in South Texas, boll weevil eradication cannot be accomplished!