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I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Horticultural Crop Webinars
Agents Radio Schedule
Beef Producer’s Tour
Beef Cattle Short Course
Rusk County Farmers’ Market
East Texas Fruit & Vegetable
Conference
East Texas Regional Forage
Conference (2 pages)
Rusk County Hay Show
Hay Entry Form
Coastal, Tifton 85 & Jiggs
Poultry Litter
BQA: Tip of the Month:
Cow Body Condition Score
at Calving
Private Pesticide
Recertification Requirements
Restricted Use and Non-
Restricted Use Herbicides
Ag News & Views S U M M E R 2 0 1 8
D I D Y O U K N O W . . .
……that catfish populations are not self-sustaining if bass and bluegill are in the pond?
Although catfish readily spawn in farm ponds (beginning at 3 years of age), eggs and fry seldom survive because of depredation by bass and bluegill. To maintain catfish in a multi-species pond, they should be restocked every 3-5 years. Stock 50 to 150 8-inch or longer fingerlings per surface acre.
Threadfin shad and tilapia are susceptible to winterkill. If they are stocked as supplemental forages for bass, they may have to be restocked to maintain populations as well.
Rusk County Extension Agent’s Radio Report
Tune in to 100.7 FM Monday thru Friday at 8:00 AM to hear the
Rusk County Extension Agents Report on KPXI radio in Henderson, Texas. We will be discussing a wide array of agricultural, natural resource, 4-H, and Family and Community Health related issues.
Jamie Sugg County Extension Agent-Agriculture Rusk County
Rusk County
The members of Texas A&M AgriLife provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment
opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating
Rusk County AgriLife Extension Ag
Horticultural Crop Webinars
Don’t miss these special educational webinars focusing on Small Acreage Horticultural Crops. The 2018 schedule is as follows: (date – topic)
All webinars will be presented by
Dr. Joe Masabni
• June 8 Tomato Variety Trial
• July 13 Soil Depth in a Raised Bed
• August 10 Rotation
• September 7 Neem Oil Project
• October 12 Bio Intensive Planting
• November 9 Evaluating Various Soil Types
• December 7 Collapsible Beds Website: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/
smallacreage/webinars/
NOTE: The password for all webinar meetings is “online” (without quotes)
All webinars are held between noon and 1 p.m. To participate in a webinar, click on the appropriate link on the date of the
webinar at 11:30 am to test the connection and make sure audio and video are
working properly. Webinars will start promptly at noon.
P A G E 2
*Refreshments *Access to campus shuttle service Students ages 13 to 18 years old have the opportunity to participate in our BCSC Youth Program, for more information about this program, go to beefcattleshortcourse.com/.
Beef Cattle Short Course is the largest beef educational event in the country. It is a three day seminar that represents the culmination of knowledge from industry leaders and experts. Each year more than 1,300 beef producers and enthusiasts attend the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course to expand their knowledge of the beef cattle industry and join in the discussion of the most current issues facing the producer. This industry gathering features the popular Cattleman's College, a general session with the nation's leading beef cattle experts, seminars, workshops and hands-on demonstrations. Registration for the upcoming
short course will be $210 per person. Your registration includes the following: *Three daily breakfasts *Two lunch tickets *Famous Texas Aggie Prime Rib Dinner ticket *600+ page proceeding *Trade show admittance
Beef Cattle Short Course August 6-8, 2018
It’s not too early to register for the 64th Annual TAM Beef Cattle Short Course, to be held August 6-8, 2018 on the campus in College Station. Practically every topic relating to beef cattle production is covered during this three-day event. Details of the program and registering information are at: http://beefcattleshortcourse.com/.
August 6—8, 2018 64th Annual Event College Station, TX
Beef Producer’s Tour
September 12—14, 2018
Information To Follow
P A G E 3
Rusk County Farmers’ Market Opening Day: June 2
Hours of operation: Saturdays - 7:00 a.m. ‘til sold-out Tuesdays - 7:00 a.m. ‘til sold-out
Location: Henderson Community Center, Parking Lot at Fair Park
Locally grown vegetables, herbs, fruits, handmade crafts, jewelry, candles, jellies/jams and brown bag
mixes.
How to Tell the Temperature with Cricket Chirps:
To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 14 seconds, then add 40 to get the temperature.
Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F
Facts About The Moon:
The moon rotates at 10 miles per hour compared to the earth's rotation of 1000 miles per hour.
From Earth, we always see the same side of the moon; the other side is always hidden.
SAVE THE DATE:
Wednesday, August 15 East Texas Fruit and Vegetable Conference Overton Research and Extension Center 1710 FM 3053 North Overton, TX 75684 CEUs to be determined (4 or 5)
Extension Office will be closed Wednesday, July 4
P A G E 4
P A G E 5
P A G E 6
RUSK COUNTY HAY SHOW
Thursday, October 18 6:00 p.m.
Rusk County Youth Expo Center
3303 FM 13 West Henderson, TX 75654
Enter your hay NOW!
Door Prizes and Awards for winners
For more information call 903-657-0376
Persons wishing to attend with special needs are asked to call in advance, so that necessary accommodations can be made.
All hay samples due by
September 21st
P A G E 7
** Important—use one-gallon clear bags for your hay samples (example: Ziploc baggies) Hay Will Not Be Returned To Producer
2018 RUSK COUNTY HAY SHOW Rusk County Youth Expo Center
3303 FM 13 West, Henderson, TX 75654 October 18 @ 6:00 P.M.
NAME: _________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE: ________________________________
Did you RAISE or PURCHASE this hay? (circle one) RAISED PURCHASED
CLASS OF HAY ENTERED:
______________ Hybrid Bermuda Grass (Coastal, Jiggs, Tif85, Tif44, Alicia, etc.)
______________ Common Bermuda Grass
______________ Bahia Grass
______________ Mixed (All Others)
CUTTINGS: ____________ 1ST ____________ 2ND ____________3RD ____________ Other
If more than one sample of the same grass & same cutting, give additional information below
(for your personal identification).
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
ENTRIES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st
NEW LOCATION
___________ Entry Number (Internal Use Only)
P A G E 8
What is Coastal, Tifton 85 and Jiggs?
Most people think these forages are a species of their own. But they are not. They
are hybrid varieties of Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon).
Bermudagrass is a warm-season perennial grass that spreads mainly by rhizomes (underground
stems) and stolons (horizontal aboveground stems). The grass tolerates a wide range of soil types
and soil pH values, thus making it adapted to most of the southern US.
‘Coastal’: A hybrid between ‘Tift’ bermudagrass, a vigorous growing bermudagrass found in an
old field near Tifton, Georgia, and an introduction from South Africa. Coastal is a result of an
extensive breeding program by Glenn Burton,
USDA-ARS, Georgia Coastal Plains Experiment Station at Tifton, GA, and was released as a
variety by that station in 1943. Coastal is a highly productive bermudagrass producing both
rhizomes and stolons and is adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions. It has exceptional
longevity, readily responds to fertility and irrigation, and possesses better drought tolerance than
common. Coastal is also tolerant of heavy grazing pressure or frequent and close defoliation.
Coastal is the most widely planted bermudagrass in Texas.
‘Tifton 85’: Tifton 85 was developed by Dr. Glenn Burton of the USDA-ARS in cooperation with
the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, GA in 1991. Tifton 85 is a
hybrid between a plant introduction from South Africa and ‘Tifton 68’. Tifton 85 has large stems,
long stolons and a reduced number of rhizomes compared with Coastal. Tifton 85 can be estab-
lished either by planting sprigs or vegetative tops. In a 3-year trial in GA, Tifton 85 produced 26%
more dry matter and was 11% more digestible than Coastal. Animal gains are approximately 25%
better than Coastal due to the higher digestibility. At Overton, Texas, Tifton 85 has remained
green longer into the season than Coastal
‘Jiggs’: Jiggs is a private release of a bermudagrass found growing along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Jiggs establishes rapidly and is generally planted using tops. The naturalized ecotype is
productive and anecdotal evidence suggests that Jiggs may perform better on tighter soils that
are poorly drained than other bermudagrass varieties. There is no difference in nutritive value
between Jiggs and Coastal. Little information is available regarding Jiggs, but the variety has
generated a good following where it is used.
P A G E 9
Poultry Litter
Poultry Litter has become a common alternative source of plant nutrients in Central and East Texas.
Especially as the poultry industry grows in parts of Central and East Texas.
Broiler litter is a mixture of poultry manure, bedding, feathers, and spilled feed. The actual nutrient content
of a manure sample varies. Nutrient concentration of broiler litter is variable due to age of bird, composi-
tion of the diet, how the manure is handled, and the number of batches of birds raised since the last house
clean out. The average nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content of broiler litter is 62, 59,
and 40 lbs/ton, respectively. Having your manure analyzed for its actual plant nutrient content is recom-
mended. Armed with this and appropriate soil test information you can decide on the best plan of action to
use poultry litter for specific cropping needs.
When broiler litter is applied to a pasture, from 60 to 65% of the N is available in the first year. About
25 to 30% is lost through ammonia volatilization and about 10% is not available until after the
first year. For optimum utilization, use poultry fertilizer to meet as much of the crops’ phosphorus
and nitrogen needs as possible, then use commercial fertilizer to supply other nutrients to the
levels indicated by a soil test.
If broiler litter is the only fertilizer used, phosphorus may build up in the soil which can lead to envi-
ronmental problems if it moves into surface water from runoff or erosion. Combining additional
N from commercial fertilizer or a legume with animal manure, will result in plants utilizing the
excess P and K and increase the fertilizer value of a ton of poultry litter.
Animal manure is a complete fertilizer since it contains all nutrients necessary for plant growth. It
also is high in organic matter that is a critical part of soil fertility and is an indication of soil
quality. As organic matter decays, nutrients are released into the soil over time. This reduces
leaching of soluble nutrients like N, sulfur, and boron from the soil during heavy rainfall. Calcium
compounds in the manure have a liming effect which reduces soil acidity.
To successfully use poultry litter as an alternative: • Obtain a soil test for application fields. • Calculate crop nutrient requirements. • Obtain manure nutrient analysis. • Ensure proper application rates.
Keep in mind that many suppliers will only deliver large truck loads. If you don’t need a given large
volume evaluate other nutrient sources or visit with neighbors to potentially share a load. The economics
of poultry litter often hinges on transportation costs associated with delivery. Make sure to take costs of
transportation and spreading into consideration, when evaluating cost/benefit in comparison to
commercial fertilizers. Evaluate your options carefully.
“Organic”, “grass-fed”,
“natural”, “naturally raised”,
“hormone free”, “antibiotic
free”, and “humanely raised and
handled” are just some of the
claims seen these days on food
products, including beef. In
some cases there are third-party
verification procedures to
support such claims. For
instance, there is a program
administered by USDA with
strict requirements for “USDA
Organic” labeling. However, a
product can be called simply
“organic” with no restrictions.
In 2009, the USDA-
Agricultural Marketing Service
started a program for
verification and marketing
called Never Ever 3 (NE3). The
program was rescinded in
November, 2015, because, as
stated in an announcement by
USDA-AMS, the agency did
not have “clear statutory
authority” to implement the
program. Never Ever 3 allowed
a marketing label claim for
animals that had never been
administered antibiotics or
hormones or fed animal by-
products, even though feeding
animal by-products had been
illegal for years. You might
P A G E 1 0
If you would prefer to receive the Ag & Natural Resource Newsletter via e-mail, please email me at [email protected] and I will add you to a mailing list. The benefit of being on the e-mail list (other than saving us money on
postage) is that I will e-mail weekly Livestock Market reports and trends to that list.
Want your news before everyone else?? Sign up for
e-mail delivery!
BQA: TIP OF THE MONTH - Cow Body Condition Score at Calving
PRIVATE PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Licensed private applicators are required to re-certify every five years by obtaining 15 continuing education credits, including two credits in laws and regulations and two credits in integrated pest management (IPM), prior to expiration of the license.
Rusk County
113 East Fordall Street
Henderson, Texas 75652
Phone: 903-657-0376
E-mail: [email protected]
We are on the web: rusk.agrilife.org
Cow body condition score (BCS 1 = emaciated, 9 = obese) prior to or at calving is the major factor affecting subsequent pregnancy rates. To optimize pregnancy rates, 2-year-old and 3-year-old females should be in BCS 6 or higher at calving and cows 4 years old or older should be in BCS 5 or higher. After calving, weight loss should be controlled so that cows don’t lose more than 1 body condition score in about 100 days. If hay or forage quality is low then appropriate supplementation to achieve or maintain these targets will ensure that low BCS does not reduce pregnancy rate. From Jason Banta, Ph. D., [email protected] Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator)
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, JUNE 17