Land and Livestock Post

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSONStraight from the horse's mouth.PAGE 3




September 2014—

Cold-weather foragegetting hotWays to feed cattle in the winter monthsPAGE 16

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

GOING, GOING, ...W.T. Waggoner Ranch for sale for $725 million.PAGE 6

INTERNATIONAL HARMRussian ban on U.S. agriculture will hurt Texas.PAGE 12

GOINGVIRALChikungunya arrives in Texas.PAGE 21

COLORFUL SPUDSA&M AgriLife develops multi-hued potatoes.PAGE 30

September 2014— Issue 1

September 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post2

NewsFrom the General Manager

Idon’t have a lot of land. My fam-ily has some land, but I don’t doa lot on it. Some day I guess I will

take the reins and tend the land, butfor now I only have a small patch ofSt. Augustine on a half-acre lot insouth College Sta-tion.I keep a nice

lawn. I mow, edge,fertilize andweedthe lawn. But, it’sall for show— or,more accurately,is more somy yardis not “that” yardon the block. No one depends onmylawn for sustenance, and if it driedup and died the worst that wouldhappen is I’d get glares frommyneighbors.My dog andmy son are the only

ones who I’ve ever seen eat grassonmy place— the dog probablybecause he had a stomach ache andmy son because he saw the dog do it.

But for those with land and cattle,pastures and forage are part of theirlivlihood. In this issue, we take alook at pasture options for winterforage.We also have forage tips andadvice from some of the leaders inthe industry.Along with forage information,

we have news from around the stateand nation about the cattle industryas well as other segments of agri-culture. Hope you enjoy it, and asalways, thanks for reading.’Til next time,

• For more information about contentor advertising, contact Jesse Wright [email protected].

JESSE WRIGHT

NaturemanagesnativeplantcommunitiesBy Michael Porter

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Several things drivenative plant communi-ties: sunlight, soils, water, herbivory, fire andrest. They may be called processes, factors,cycles, tools, practices, etc., but whatever thesemantics, native plant communities requirethem.These things are interconnected and code-

pendent. Without appropriate amounts ofeach, native plant communities change anddecline. These are themeansbywhichnaturemaintains plant communities, and we couldlearn a few things by paying attention.Most people understand the importance of

sunlight, soils andwater, but fewer recognizethe importance of herbivory, fire and rest tonative plant communities.Sunlight is the primary energy source for

most forms of plant life. Plants without ad-equate sunlight generally decline or die. Wemay not have any control over the amount ofsunlight reaching our spot on Earth, but wecan influence its impacts. Excessive grazingremoves too much leaf material that is nec-

essary for capturing sunlight. This weakensplants, reduces their root biomass and pro-vides other plants competitive advantages.An appropriate balance of rest (absence ofdisturbance) and disturbance (e.g., grazing,

Photo courtesy of Dwayne ElmoreEastern red-cedar invading a prairie with inadequate firefrequency

See PLANTS, Page 4

The Land & Livestock Post September 2014— Issue 1 3

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fire, etc.) is necessary to allowplants to regrow leaves so theycan adequately capture sunlightand store energy reserves. In-adequate fire frequency or longperiodsof rest releaseorencour-agewoodyplants,whichovertopgrasses and forbs, and capturetheir sunlight. This can be goodor bad depending on goals.Without irrigation or moving

soil,wedonot controlhowmuchprecipitationfallsonourpatchofEarthor the typeof soilavailableon it; however, through propermanagementof disturbanceandrest,wecan influence soil healthand the effectiveness of rainfall.Inadequate rest caused by ex-cessive grazing removes mostplant and mulch cover on thesoil, which causes much of therainfall toflowoffthe landratherthan soak into the groundwhereit ismore available to plants.Ab-sence of plant and mulch coverexposes the soil surface, whichincreases erosion, evaporationand soil temperatures.Herbivory involves many

forms of plant consumption,whether itbebymammals,birds,insects, crustaceans, mollusks,etc. Although fungi and bacteriaare not animals, they also con-sume plant parts through de-composition.Plantcommunitiesrequire herbivory anddecompo-sition forrecyclingnutrientsandprovidingspace fornewleavessoplants can continue to grow on asite. Inadequateherbivorycausesaplantcommunitytochangeandtypically decline.Mostuplandnativeplant com-

munities in temperate zonesthroughout the world requirecertain fire frequencies. Prai-ries andmeadowsdependonfirefor long-term existence becausewithout fire, plant successionchanges them to woodlands orshrub lands. Even most uplandshrub and tree communities de-pend upon fire.Fire favorscertainspeciesover

others and, without fire, speciescomposition changes, e.g., East-ern red-cedar replaces oaks andhickories inCrossTimberswood-lands; yaupon replaces diverseshrubs, grasses and forbs in

Post Oak Savannah woodlands;shrubsand trees replacegrassesand forbs in Pineywoods under-story; etc.Fire recycles nutrients and

provides space for new growth.Fire temporarily improvespalat-ability and forage quality of ma-ny plants, which can allow themto be appropriately impacted byand appropriately benefit herbi-vores.Someplantspeciesdependon fire for germination.Adequate rest from distur-

bances such as fire, herbivory,mowing, haying and herbicidesis necessary tomaintain and im-prove native plant communities.Prolongedexcessivedisturbancechanges species composition,generally favoring less produc-tive and less diverse species thattolerate such disturbance.Land stewards should try to

understand and manage fire,herbivory and rest to success-fully and efficiently manage theresources under their watch.

Plants, from Page 3

WinterForageWorkshopslatedSept.23 inBandera

By Paul SchattenBergTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

BANDERA—TheAgricultureand Natural Resource Commit-tee of the Texas A&M AgriLifeExtension Service in BanderaCounty will host a Winter For-age Workshop from 6:30 p.m. to8 p.m. Sept. 23.Theprogramwillbeheldatthe

Mansfield Park Recreation Cen-ter, 2886 Texas 16 N. in Bandera.“This is sure to be an informa-

tiveprogramasitwillbepresent-edbyLarryRedmon,aprofessorandstateAgriLifeExtension for-age specialist from College Sta-tion,” said SamWomble, AgriL-ife Extension agent in BanderaCounty.“Redmon is one of the most

knowledgeable and respectedprofessionals on the topic of for-ages.”

Womble said there continuesto be interest in winter forages,whether used for grazing live-stock or supplementingwildlife.“This program will address

foragevariety and site selection,planting and establishment, fer-tility, insect control and overallmanagement,” he said.The workshop will offer 1.5

hours of Texas Department ofAgriculture continuing educa-tion units — one hour generaland 0.5 hour integrated pestmanagement.Registration is $15 per person,

andincludesamealandprogrammaterials.To register, contact theAgriL-

ife Extension office in BanderaCounty at 830-796-7755 by Sept.16.For more information on this

program,[email protected].


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NewsSometimesyou justhave toshakeyourheadandwonderwhy

Jeff needed a workin’ penfor his little herd of cows.He decided all he needed

was some panels and a headgate. He rounded up some16-foot panels of continuousfence, a metal head gate and two8-foot posts.

Part of his intention was toinvolve his family with the cowproject. Let them get a sense ofwhat it takes to raise and man-age cows. Toteach themby exampleabout thework ethicand Chris-tian behav-ior.

Jeff wasqualified; hewas a dealerfor one of those companies thatsell cattle handling equipment.Of course, he decided he couldcut costs and labor because heknew the short cuts. He onlyhad 20 cows, so a second-handhead catch would work. Some ofthe panels were damaged at thestore, but he could use them. Onroundup day he was ready.

With his three kids, the oldest9, and the wife, they made thecattle drive and herded theminto the corral. He had patchedtogether a short alley parallel tothe fence that directed the cowsto the head gate. Jeff had driventwo 8-foot wooden posts into thesoil with his tractor. The headgate was wired to the front ofthe posts, and the ends of thefoot-long horizontal connectingrods were wired to the inside ofthe posts.

The first cow into the alleywas the out-of-control renegadecross-bred that stands back inthe corner and glares at you!Jeff had not thought a “sweep”was necessary; in his dreamshe thought they could just puta bar behind the cows as they

came down the alley. Thismeant directing his children toscare the cows and push themup. They were screaming, bang-ing pots and pans, plastic whipsand an empty dog food bag!

Jeff was trying to get the barbehind the cow, then race upto the head gate to catch her,then back to push, then backto catch her … the cow bangedinto the head gate head-first! Itwas closed. Jeff ran forward toopen the gate. The cow backedup. Jeff closed the gate and ranback to push her up. She beathim to the head gate again …banging it over and over!

Each crash bent the posts fur-ther and further forward untilthey were at an angle.

This managed to create atriangular space between theposts and the panels on bothsides. The cow wedged her headinto the space, enlarging it big-ger and bigger — making roomfor one foot, then the other. Jeff,wearing his chaps and spursand wielding a chunk of blackplastic pipe, was valiantly try-ing to contain the beast.

Alas, the aforementioned cowcreated her own side exit andbent the 16’ panel of continuousfence to a screeching 90 degrees,allowing her to make her es-cape.

The family watched in awe.Jeff was mad, he mumbledsomething and the kids froze.The middle child said, “Dad …?”

Jeff looked at his family andthe concerned expressions ontheir collective faces. He tooka breath and sighed. He waitedfor them to say, “… are youalright? ... the cow’s runningaway! ... your shirt is torn!

He waited. “Dad,” said thekid, “You said the ‘S’ word!”

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NewsWaggonerRanch, among largest inU.S., listed for sale

By EMILY SCHMALLAssociated Press

FORT WORTH — One of thelargest ranches in the U.S. and anicon for Texas horse and cattle-men has been listed for $725 mil-lion,markingtheendof adecades-long courtroom battle among theheirs of cattle baron W.T. Wag-goner, who established the estatein 1923.

The estate includes the510,000-acre ranch spread oversix North Texas counties, withtwo main compounds, hundredsof homes,about20cowboycamps,hundredsof quarter-horses, thou-sands of heads of cattle, 1,200 oilwellsand30,000acresof cultivatedland, according to Dallas-basedbroker Bernie Uechtritz, who ishandling the sale along with bro-ker Sam Middleton of Lubbock.

Heirs and stakeholders cur-

rently occupy two of the threeprinciple houses and much of theestate has not yet been explored

foroilandothermineral reserves.The Waggoner Ranch is the

largest contiguous ranch in theUnited States. W.T. Waggoner’sfather, Dan Waggoner, startedranching in 1849, and the Wag-gonernamewasprominent in thedevelopment of Hereford cattleand pedigree American quarterhorses.

“What really sets it apart isthat all this land has been kepttogether under one fence by one

Photo courtesy of www.waggonerranch.comDan Waggoner, a native of Tennes-see, began cattle ranching in 1849.

Photo courtesy of www.waggonerranch.com

The ma in ent rance to the510,000-acreW.T.WaggonerRanch,which is spread over six North Texascounties. The ranch has been put onthe market with a list price of $725million.

See RANCH, Page 11

September 2014 — Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post6

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News

Wheatalternativesexpandwinterpasturechoices

By Jim JohnsonThe Samuel Roberts Noble

Foundation

The vast majority of the win-terpasture intheSouthernGreatPlains is wheat. There aremanyreasons for this, including cul-ture, the opportunity to harvestand sell grain, and governmentand insurance programs. Thereare numerous other cool-seasonannual species that can also beused, however, alone or in mix-tures, for winter pasture foragegrazing.

Ryeispopularonsandysoilsorfor overseeding into bermudag-rass. Rye germinates easily andcanbedrilledorbroadcast-plant-edatseedingratesanddatessimi-lar towheat.Ryeproduces forageearlier inthefallbutalsomaturesearlier in the spring comparedto wheat. Rye will continue togrow at temperatures as low as40 degrees Fahrenheit, whilewheat growth typically ceases at45 degrees Fahrenheit. Rye for-

age quality is similar to wheat,but palatability may be slightlylower.Ryetendstoreseedif giventhe opportunity to set seed.

Oats will out-produce wheaton heavier, wetter soils. Oatscan be broadcast but will do bet-ter if theyaredrilled.Thebushelweight of oats is only 32 poundsper bushel. Planting rate is typi-cally two bushels per acre. Oatscan be planted in the fall, likewheat, but also can be plantedearly in the spring. Oats havevigorousseedlinggrowthso theycanmake high fall forage yields.Oats, however, are less tolerantthanwheat to cold temperaturesand can freeze out inwinter. Oatforagequality issimilar towheat,but oats probably have the high-est palatability of all the smallgrains.

Barley is often overlooked forforage, but it will perform simi-

Photo courtesy of The Samuel Roberts Noble FoundationThere are numerous cool-season annual species that can be used,alone or inmixtures,for winter pasture forage grazing.

• See CHILLIN’ OUT, page 16

SeeWHEAT, Page 10The Land & Livestock Post September 2014— Issue 1 9

News

larly to wheat. Planting rates,dates, fertility needs, productionand quality are all basically thesameaswheat.Thebigadvantagefor barley is that it does better onsalty soils than any other smallgrain.Triticale is an interspecific

cross of wheat (Triticum aesti-vum) and rye (Secale cereale). Itsproduction timing is about mid-way betweenwheat and rye, andplantingratesanddatesaresimi-lar towheat and rye, aswould beexpected. Just as a mule is supe-rior to its parents, however, triti-cale has superior forage produc-tion compared to wheat or rye.Triticale easily can produce 50percent more forage than wheator rye.Annual ryegrass is not a small

grain, but it is a cool-season an-nual grass. It does well on heavi-er, wetter soils. Annual ryegrassis planted at 5 to 20 pounds peracre, depending on if it is mixedwith other small grains or if it isplanted as a pure stand. Annualryegrasscanbeplanted fromear-ly fall through late winter. Mostof its forage production occurslate in the spring. The latenessof annual ryegrass forage pro-duction works well with the ear-linessof rye forageproduction toprovide a long grazing season offall, winter and spring grazing.However, when overseeded intobermudagrass, the lateness ofannual ryegrass production isoften at the expense of bermu-dagrass during its productionseason.Annualryegrass tends toreseed if giventheopportunity toset seed.There are other forages that

can be added to small grains po-tentially to increase diversity,

forage production and foragequality; add nitrogen to the soil;break compaction; or increasesoil health.Hairyvetch isa legumethatof-

ten is used on sandy soils. It canbeplanted inmixtureswithotherwinter foragesoroverseededintobermudagrass in the fall. Plant-ingratesvary from5to10poundsper acre. Most of the productionfrom hairy vetch will come inthe spring. There are also othervetches, such as cahaba, chick-ling, common and woolly pod,but theseareusedmuchless thanhairy vetch.Hairy vetch tends toreseed if giventheopportunity toset seed.Austrian winter pea is a le-

gume that can be planted withwinter pasture mixtures. Aus-trianwinterpeadoeswellonsiltysoils. Planting rates vary from15to 30poundsperacre.Likevetch,mostof theproductionwill comein the spring.Turnips and rape are mem-

bers of the brassica family thatcan be added to small grains foradditional forage and diversity.Seeds of these are very small,so planting rates can be as littleas 0.5 pounds per acre. Turnipand rape seed can be broadcastahead of the drill or mixed withthe small grain seed.Other bras-sicas thatsometimesareusedareEthiopiancabbage,collards,kale,mustard and radishes.There are many clovers, but

their production is typically toolate in the spring/summer to bea major component of a winterpasture system.Inaddition to the forages listed

in this article, there are others,such as safflower, which TheSamuel Roberts Noble Founda-tion is experimenting with andmay find a place for in winterpastures in the future.

Wheat, from Page 9


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Newsfamily for nearly 100 years, andits history in the settling of theWest,” said court-appointed re-ceiverMike Baskerville.W.T.Waggoner’s granddaugh-

ter,ElectraWaggonerBiggs,wasa noted sculptress after whomBuick named a luxury car andLockheed named a plane.In1991, shefileda lawsuit seek-

ing the liquidation of the family

estate, spurring a 12-year familyfeud. Biggs died in 2001.When a district judge ruled in

favor of liquidation in 2003, oneof theestate’sprimarystakehold-ers, A.B. “Bucky” Wharton III,appealed.The family agreed to list the

estate after the court said it wasconsidering ordering an auctionof the assets, Baskerville said.The listing alreadyhas attractedattention frominterestedbuyers.

Ranch, from Page 6Map courtesy ofwww.waggonerranch.com


SALE EACH SATURDAY

News

RussianbanonU.S. agriculturalproducts toaffectTexasproducers

By Blair FanninTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

ARussian ban onU.S. agricul-tural products would be costly,especially to Texas, with the big-gest impact to beef and poultryexporters, according to a TexasA&MAgriLifeExtensionServiceeconomist.The proposed ban is in retali-

ation for U.S. sanctions againstRussia and itswarwithUkraine.It’s unclear on how the restric-tions will be applied.Luis Ribera, AgriLife Exten-sion international trade econo-mist in College Station, said thevalueof U.S. foodandagricultur-al exports toRussia is $1.3billionannually, which accounts for 10percent of all exports.“In Texas, beef is a big exportitem and poultry is important,particularly dark meat items,”he said. “Texas also producessomesoybeansandhorticulturalcrops, so those industries couldbe affected.”According to U.S. Department

of Agriculture-Foreign Agri-cultural Service, poultry is theprimary U.S. export to Russiaat 25 percent valued at $323 mil-lion; oilseed, $186 million; farmmachinery, $185million; and liveanimals valued at $149million.Russia is also the fifth-largestexport market for U.S. pork andthe eighth-largest export mar-ket worldwide for U.S. beef, ac-cording to the U.S. InternationalTrade Commission.“There will be a ripple effectamongall industries, everythingfrom shipping and transporta-tion to retailers,”he said. “Therewill be a multiplier in there, sothe potential economic impactcould be significant.”Ribera said the ban could leadtorisingfoodpricesandincreasedinflation rate to Russians.“Russiahadaninflationrateof7.9percentduringthefirsthalf of2014,” he said. “Food prices havethe potential to go way up as re-sult of this ban. The issue thereis thiswill hurt their own peopleas 40 percent of their total foodsupply is imported.”

AgriLife Communications photo by Rod Santa AnaLuis Ribera, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service international trade economist inCollege Station, worries about the effect on Texas producers on a Russian ban on U.S.agriculture products.

Texasbeefproducerscanapply forfederaldisasteraiddue todrought


Service

Federal disaster aid for Texascattle producers is available andofficialsareencouragingproduc-ers to act quickly in applying forprograms.U.S. Department of Agricul-ture-FarmServiceAgencyTexasadministrators gave updates onlivestock disaster programmingin College Station at the 60thTexas A&M Beef Cattle ShortCourse,coordinatedbytheTexasA&MAgriLifeExtensionServiceand the department of animalscienceatTexasA&MUniversity.Ranchers are encouraged tocall the Farm Service Agencyoffice in their county to set upappointments, as deadlines ap-proach for these programs.Thedisasterprogramsarepart

of theAgriculturalActof 2014—the new farm bill — which willhelp Texas cattle producers re-buildandrecoverdrought lossesdating back to 2011, said JudithCanales, Texas state executivedirector for theUSDA-FarmSer-vice Agency.“[As of Aug. 6], $258million inlivestockdisasterpaymentshavebeendistributedinTexas,”Cana-lessaid. “Wehave173officesherein Texas to work with you, andweencourageyoutoscheduleanappointment.”Highlights of programs are:• Noninsured Crop DisasterAssistance provides assistanceto producers of non-insurablecrops when low yields, loss ofinventory or prevented plantingoccur due to a natural disaster.This includesgrassesplanted forlivestockproduction.Afactsheeton this program is available atwww.fsa.usda.gov/nap.• The Livestock IndemnityProgram provides benefits tolivestock producers for livestockdeaths in excess of normal mor-talitycausedbyadverseweather.To be eligible, a producer musthave legally owned the eligible

livestockon theday the livestockdied.Afactsheetonthisprogramis available at 1.usa.gov/1slsUaj.• The Livestock Forage Disas-ter Program is retroactive tocovereligible livestockproducerswhohavesufferedgrazing lossesforcovered livestockon landthatis native or improved pasture-

land with permanent vegetativecoverorisplantedspecifically forgrazing. The program providescompensation to eligible live-stock producers who have suf-feredgrazinglossesonrangelandmanaged by a federal agency ifthe producer is prohibited bythe federal agency from grazingnormal permitted livestock onthemanaged rangeland due to aqualifying fire. The grazing loss-esmusthaveoccurredonorafterOct. 1, 2011. Payments are basedon animal units. A fact sheet onthisprogramisavailableat1.usa.gov/1sAsEWe.For more information on thedisaster programs, go to 1.usa.gov/1sFkON6 or contact a lo-cal Texas Farm Service Agencycounty office.

Judith Canales, Texas state executive di-rector for the U.S.Department of Agricul-ture-Farm Service Agency.


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Despite rains,Texasremainshotanddry

By RoBeRt [email protected]

COLLEGE STATION — Ex-cept for a few isolated areas, theentire state received some rainin in mid-August, from barelya trace to as much as 2 inchesin parts of the Panhandle andWest Central Texas, accordingto the National Weather Ser-vice.

For most, the moisture re-ceived was not enough to pre-vent soils from drying out asthe dog days of summer wounddown, according to the fol-lowing reports by Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Serviceagents throughout the state:•Andy Holloway, Hemphill

County, northeast of Ama-rillo — “August heat plus somewinds have zapped a lot of themoisture on the topsoil profilewe have been enjoying. Pas-tures that are overgrazed mostparticularly are getting verydry again. Overall, the summerhas been excellent with above

average moisture and coolertemperatures for the mostpart.”•Bryan Reynolds, Lynn

County, south of Lubbock —“Continued hot and dry condi-tions are stressing the crops. Ir-rigation systems are operatingto try and keep up with waterdemand. Many cotton fields arestarting to cut out and finish upsetting bolls because of the heatand lack of moisture.”• Justin Gilliam, Archer

County, south of Wichita Falls— “Hot dry days have reallytaken a toll on soil moisture.Areas of the county did receivesome rain this week but moreis needed. Lake levels are stillextremely low.”•Ralph Davis, Kaufman

County, east of Dallas — “Hot,dry weather has eroded pastureconditions across the county.Producers are busy getting inthe hay harvest. Grasshoppersare still heavy in some areas.”•Caleb Eaton, Ward County,

southwest of Odessa — “Partsof eastern Ward County re-ceived up to 0.75 inch of rain.Triple-digit highs continueto plague Ward County, withrange conditions deteriorating.Many ranchers are weaningand shipping calves early due todry conditions.”•Wade Hibler, Burnet County,

northwest of Austin — “Veryhot and dry conditions havestopped all hay operations andput our pastures in fire danger.”•Roy Stanford, Orange Coun-

ty, east of Beaumont — “Dryhot conditions are stressingpastures and timber stands.Pastures that have not beengrazed off are in fair condition.Timber die off is more evidentin the last 30 days.”•Austin Kirmer, Uvalde

County, west of San Antonio —If drought-like conditions per-sist, livestock herds will have tobe culled back to adapt.”


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NewsMild summer provides optimumgrowing conditions

By DAVID PITTAssociated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa — A mildsummer across much of the na-tion’s heartland has providedoptimum growing conditionsfor the nation’s corn and soy-bean crops. Pair that with high-yield seeds and other new farm-ing technologies, and the U.S. islookingatbreakingrecordscomeharvest time.

The U.S. Department of Ag-riculture already has predicteda record soybean crop of 3.8 bil-lion bushels. And the corn crop,it said inJuly,wouldbe largebutnotbigger thanlastyear’srecordof 13.9 billion bushels. Manymarket analysts and some farm-ers,however, expect theUSDAtorevise expectations upward in areport based on field surveys.

“Conditions look just fantasticacrossmostof thecountry,”Tex-asA&MUniversitygrainmarket-ing economist Mark Welch said.

In a typical growing season, atleast some corn-growing stateswouldhaveexperienceddrought

or other production problems.But the 18 states that grow 91percentof thenation’s cornhaveexperienced nearly ideal condi-tions this year, as adequate rainfell when plants emerged andcooler summer temperaturesminimized heat stress.

That’s the case in Illinois, oneof the nation’s top corn and soy-bean states.

“Illinoishas largelybeendealtto date pretty close to a royalflush on weather and I’m surethat the yields are going to beveryhighhere,”saidScott Irwin,a University of Illinois professorof agricultural and consumereconomics.

The expected large harvesthas driven corn and soybeanprices significantly lower, but itisn’t expected to make much of ashort-timedifference inconsum-er food prices. Since the grainsarestaples in livestockfeed,how-ever, lower prices could eventu-ally lead to a decline in the costof beef, pork, chicken and milk.

“Eventually the economics

will feed through but I wouldn’texpect much relief in 2015 yet. Itjust takes time to go through thesystems,” Irwin said.

Weatherdoesn’tdeserveall thecredit for the amount of grain

farmers are getting from eachacre this year.

Agriculture companies havedeveloped genetic characteris-tics in seeds that allow plants tobe packed more densely per acre

and arm them with resistanceto drought, disease and pests.In addition, larger planters andtractors equipped with GPS pro-

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, FileA crop duster flies over a corn field bins near Ladora, Iowa. Amild summer acrossmuch of the nation’s heartlandhas provided optimum growing conditions for the nation’s corn and soybean crops.

See CROPS, Page 24


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News

Chillin’ outForageandpastureoptions forwinteringcattle

By ROBERT FEARSand JANELLE FEARSSpecial to The Eagle

Successful ranchers, whetherthey realize it or not, grow for-age as their primary businessand use cattle to harvest it.The primary forage base

for pastures and rangeland in Texas iswarm-season perennial grasses. Thesegrasses have restricted to non-existentgrowth after the first killing-frost andduring the wintermonths, so an arrayof options and associated costs need tobe considered for wintering cattle.Options for wintering cattle were

discussed at the recent 2014 AnnualTexas A&MBeef Cattle Short Course byMonte Rouquette Jr.of the Texas A&MAgriLife Research at Overton. The fol-lowing paragraphs were primarily takenfromRouquette’s presentation, which isprinted in the Beef Cattle Short Courseproceedings.

Stockpiled ForageOne of the options for wintering cattle

is stockpiling forage by grazing defer-ment during late summer/early fall forsubsequent use after frost occurs. Cattlemay graze the dormant forages duringlate fall and winter. A forage sample forquality analysis is a good investmentfor determining whether supplement isneeded. If it is required, decisions can bemade from the analysis on whether thesupplement should be energy-based orprotein-based. Management strategiescan be developed on grazing durationby estimating the amount of standingforage.Clipping of quadrats is themost ac-

curate way of measuring forage produc-tion. A quadrat or frame can bemadefrom steel rod or¼-inch pipe. A com-mon size is an 11.5-inch by 22-inch framewhich equals a 1.92 square foot area. Se-

lect locations that represent the averageforage production for the pasture andrandomly throw the quadrat a distanceof approximately 10 to 15 feet for eachclipping.Work the frame through veg-

etation to the ground in the spot whereit lands.Take a photograph of the vegetation

in the frame from an angle and sunposition that offers the best perspective

when viewed. Clip at ground level thevegetation rooted within the boundariesof the frame. Place each sample in a pre-

Photo By Robert FearsAnnual ryegrass is a common winter pasture forage. It is not a small grain, but it is a cool-season annual grass that does well on heavier, wetter soils. Annualryegrass can be planted from early fall through late winter. Most of its forage production occurs late in the spring.

On the cover: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Kay Ledbetter

See FORAGE, Page 17


Newsweighed paper bag andweigh each sam-ple using a gram scale. Sample quadratsuntil there is confidence that a represen-tative sampling has been obtained, usu-ally 10 clippings. Sample dry weights areused to calculate carrying capacity.Forage utilization and stocking strate-

gies may range from a continuous, non-restrictive access to an entire pasture to

a rotational process of grazing a part ofthe pasture to a certain vegetative heightand thenmoving the cattle to a differentarea by relocating electric fencing.Since the bottom third of a plant is al-

ways lower in nutritional value than thetop third, animals in a rotational grazingsystem that are forced to consume thebottom third of the plant may need sup-

Forage, from Page 16

Table 1. Estimated hay costs for cows with variable costs per ton and duration of feeding.

Hay Costs ($)Cost/ton 80 100 150 200 250 300Cost/lb 0.04 0.05 0.075 0.10 0.125 0.15Cost/day2 1.00 1.25 1.875 2.50 3.125 3.75

Duration of Haying (days) Hay Costs per Cow ($)60 60 75 113 150 188 22590 90 113 169 225 281 338120 120 150 225 300 375 450150 150 188 281 375 469 563180 180 225 338 450 563 675

1Taken from “Forage and Pasture Options for Wintering Cattle.” Monte Rouquette, Jr., PAS, Proceedings of the 60th

Annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, August 4-6, 2014. P B-80 through B-94.2Assumes hay fed at 25 lbs/da per cow which approximates free choice quantity for a mature cow.

Photo By Robert FearsThe pile of grass on the left is the amount of forage eaten daily by a 1,200-pound cow and the one on theright is the amount consumed daily by a 1,000-pound cow.

SeeWINTER, Page 18


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Newsplement in order tomaintainbody condition. Supplementrequirements in these systemswill depend largely upon thecattle lactation or pregnancystages.

HayOne of the oldest methods of

conserving forage is hay pro-duction. Although there havebeenmajor improvements intechnology andmechanizationof baling, storing and shippinghay, product costs continue todepend largely upon a supply-demand scenario.

Excess forage for hay produc-tion becomes a limited commod-ity in prolonged drought condi-tions such as those experiencedin Texas during 2010 and 2011.During periods of below aver-age forage production, manag-

ers are forced to cull cattle and/or initiate hay feeding prior tothe onset of the normal winterfeeding period.

Perhaps themost concerningand distressing formanagersis the general lack of hay avail-ability in addition to the in-creased costs. Table 1 providesestimated hay costs for cowsthat consume 25 pounds per dayduring a haying period of 60 to180 days, with cost of hay rang-

Winter, from Page 17

SeeOPTIONS, Page 19

Photo By Robert FearsRange cubes should only be fed as asupplement, not a substitute for forage.


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News

ing from $80 to $300 per ton.The obvious spreadsheet in-

formation shows that expensivehay and prolonged haying peri-ods cannot be tolerated exceptunder specific circumstances.The best option is to continuallymanage pastures for droughtperiods and avoid the need tobuy hay.

Round bales fed with free ac-cess can result in hay loss thatexceeds 25 percent. One wayto prevent this loss is to feedround bales from a hay ring.Avoid feeding too much hayat time to help reduce waste.A cow eats about two percentof her body weight daily; so a1,200-pound cow will consumeapproximately 24 pounds of for-age daily. If she receives supple-ment, consumption of foragewill be reduced.

Winter optionsTexas cool season pastures

normally contain annual plantsthat have to be planted everyyear. Choices include smallgrains such as oats, wheat, ryeor ryegrass and legumes suchas medics and clovers. Triti-cale, another annual grass hasshown good winter hardnessand production capabilitiesin winter forage trials at theLuling Foundation and may be

another good choice.In the absence of moisture

and anticipated rainfall, an-nual plants may not be a viable,productive option. With theincreased cost of hay and re-duced availability of forage forgrazing, however, use of winterpastures may offer an excellentoption for wintering cattle pro-vided there is sufficient mois-ture to grow the crops.

Management and utilizationof cool-season annual foragesfor optimum economic returnsinvolve an integration of ba-sic forage-animal productionknowledge with ability to makedecisions on implementing vari-ous tasks in a timely manner.

The art and science of aneconomically successful graz-ing venture with winter annualpastures is not always easy tomaster. Managers are requiredto make projections on foragedry matter growth and produc-tion as well as forage removalby grazing in order to establishan initial stocking rate.

These stocking rates need tobe adjusted during the growingseason based on forage utiliza-tion.

When choosing winter feed-ing options, make sure thatyour selections fit the ranchenvironment and managementsystem. Economic returns needto be calculated on each option.

Photo By Robert FearsFeeding round bales in a hay ring reduces waste, thus saving money.

Options, from Page 18


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NewsLIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT

Brazos ValleyResults of the Brazos Valley Live-

stock Market’s Aug. 12 sale:Head: 742Steers: 200-300 lbs., $309-

$370; 300-400 lbs., $284-$340;400-500 lbs., $239-$310; 500-600 lbs., $214-$260; 600-700lbs., $200-$227; 700-800 lbs.,$204-$217.Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $260-

$330; 300-400 lbs., $249-$310;400-500 lbs., $209-$245; 500-600 lbs., $195-$232; 600-700lbs., $184-$215; 700-800 lbs.,$190-$199.Slaughter bulls: $125-$149.Slaughter cows: $90-$132.Bred cows: $1,200-$1,975.Cow/calf pairs: $1,300-$2,250.

BuffaloResults of the Buffalo Livestock

Market’s Aug. 9 sale:

Head: 1,505Steers: 150-200 lbs., $325-

$400; 200-300 lbs., $300-$355;300-400 lbs., $285-$350; 400-500 lbs.,$235-$340; 500-600 lbs.,$215-$290; 600-700 lbs., $200-$240; 700-800 lbs., $195-$215.Heifers: 150-200 lbs., $285-

$390; 200-300 lbs., $270-$350;300-400 lbs., $265-$345; 400-500 lbs.,$235-$295; 500-600 lbs.,$205-$260; 600-700 lbs., $195-$250; 700-800 lbs., $150-$210.Slaughter bulls: $110-$160.Slaughter cows: $65-$139.Bred cows: $1,350-$3,000.Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$2,900.

Caldwell

Results of the Caldwell LivestockCommission’s Aug. 13 sale:Head: 743Steers:200-300 lbs.,$320-$360;

300-400 lbs.,$260-$300; 400-500lbs., $235-$280; 500-600 lbs.,$220-$255; 600-700 lbs., $199-$220; 700-800 lbs., $180-$205.Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $265-

$350; 300-400 lbs., $260-$345;400-500 lbs., $230-$275; 500-600 lbs., $210-$270; 600-700lbs., $196-$265; 700-800 lbs.,$175-$200.Slaughter bulls: $125-$1407.Slaughter cows: $85-$130.Stocker cows: $1,310-$1,825.

Groesbeck

Results of the Groesbeck Auctionand Livestock Exchange’s Aug. 14sale:Head: 621Steers: 300-400 lbs., $285-

$350; 400-500 lbs., $275-$320;500-600 lbs.,$225-$255; 600-700lbs., $200-$230.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $265-$300; 400-500 lbs., $200-$250;500-600 lbs.,$180-$230; 600-700lbs., $175-$220.Slaughter bulls: $137-$154.Slaughter cows: $82-$136.Stocker cows: $1,400-$3,500.Cow/calf pairs: $1,800-$3,500.

Milano

Results of the Milano LivestockExchange’s Aug. 12 sale:Head: 658Steers: 300-400 lbs., $221-

$351; 400-500 lbs., $247-$299;500-600 lbs.,$217-$255; 600-700lbs., $196-$221.Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $236-

$291; 400-500 lbs., $230-$251;500-600 lbs.,$209-$243; 600-700lbs., $193-$203.Slaughter bulls: $130-$144.Slaughter cows: $81-$125.

Stocker cows: $1,600-$3,025.Cow/calf pairs: $2,350-$2,875.

Navasota

Results of theNavasota LivestockAuction Co.’s Aug. 9 sale:Head: 1,685Steers: 150-300 lbs., $200-

$435; 300-400 lbs., $200-$365;400-500 lbs., $175-$315; 500-600 lbs.,$160-$260; 600-700 lbs.,$155-$230.Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $195-

$365; 300-400 lbs., $185-$295;400-500 lbs.,$175-$265; 500-600lbs., $165-$507.50; 600-700 lbs.,$160-$223.Slaughter bulls: $100-$148.Slaughter cows: $85-$129.Stocker cows: $1,200-$1,825.Cow/calf pairs: $1,500-$2,300.

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NewsViral disease chikungunya has arrived inTexas

By Paul SchattenBergTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

Chikungunya, a viral diseasetransmitted by mosquitoes, hasbeen identified in five Texascounties—fourof theminSouthCentralTexas—andmaybecomeendemictothestate,accordingtoTexas A&M AgriLife ExtensionService entomologists.As far as the Texas cases are

concerned,at this timeitappearsin each instance the disease wascontractedinoneof thecountrieswhere it is more common, saidSonjaSwiger,AgriLifeExtensionentomologist at the Texas A&MAgriLifeResearchandExtensionCenter in Stephenville.“The first confirmed case of

the disease in Texas was in Wil-liamson County, and the mostrecent confirmed case was inBexarCounty,” saidMollyKeck,AgriLifeExtensionentomologistandintegratedpestmanagementspecialist, Bexar County.AccordingtotheTexasDepart-

ment of State Health Services,cases also have been confirmedin Gonzales, Travis and Harriscounties.The Centers for Disease Con-

trolandPreventionwebsitenoteschikungunya is not consideredfatal, but canhaveserious symp-toms, includingsevere jointpainand swelling, fever,muscle pain,headache and rash. Those mostatriskare theveryyoung,people65andolderandindividualswithchronicmedical conditions. Thevirus is not spread from personto person, and there is no treat-ment other than managing thesymptoms.Keck said the disease is fairly

well known in Africa, Asia andEurope, but has more recentlyfound itsway into theCaribbeanand the Americas.“Thebadnewsisthattheinsect

species that commonly transmitchikungunya, the Aedes aegyptiandAedesalbopictusmosquitoes,are found in Texas,” she said.“So we have the mosquito thatvectors the disease and we have

the host, humans. And since thediseasepathogen isalsopresent,we have all three components topotentiallymake the disease en-demic.”“Since the virus is known to

be in the area, people who havesymptoms should go to a physi-ciantodeterminewhatiscausingtheir illness,”saidWizzieBrown,AgrLife Extension entomologistin Travis County. “A blood testis required to test for chikungu-nya.”Brown said if people treat

their symptoms at home with-out seeing a doctor, it can causeinstances of the disease to beunder-reported.Keck noted it is “very likely”

that chikungunya can becomeendemic to Texas, possibly on agreater scale than theWest Nilevirus.“WithWest Nile, birds are the

primary host and humans arethe final or end host,” she said.“The virus never reaches a highenough level in our bodies for amosquito to pick it up from us.Therefore, there isa thirdplayer,birds, necessary for transmis-

sion of West Nile. But they arenotnecessaryas avector for chi-kungunya.”She said both Aedes aegypti

and Aedes albopictus mosqui-toes can carry the disease, butA. aegypti is primarily found inthe southernU.S.whileA.albop-ictushashasamuchgreater geo-graphic range.For more information about

chikungunya, go to www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/.“While there’s not much you

candoaboutchikungunya if youget it, there’s still much you cando to prevent mosquito bites inthe first place,” Keck said. “Forexample, if you’re planning totravel to the Caribbean or oneof the countries where chikun-gunya is more common, be sureto pack some insect repellent toreduce your risk of contractingthe disease.“And now that we have con-

firmed cases in Texas, it wouldalso be wise to apply insect re-pellent anytime you spend timeoutdoors, not just during dawnand dusk when mosquitoes aretypically the most active. The

mosquito species that transmitchikungunya are extremely ac-tive during the day.”Keck said the most effective

repellents are those containingDEET.“Repellents with up to 30 per-

cent DEET are usually safe foryoung children, but should notbe used on babies or infants,”she said.“Extension recommends re-

pellents approved by the EPAand recommended by the CDCfor their ability to effectivelyrepel mosquitoes for extendedperiods of time. These includeDEET, picaridin, IR3535 and oilof lemon eucalyptus.”If youneed tobeoutside, try to

wear light-colored, loose-fittingshirts or tops with long sleevesand pants, she said.“It helps to spray repellent on

your clothes too,” Keck added.Swiger said aedesmosquitoes

lay their eggs on moist groundaround the edges of water or theinsidewalls of artificial contain-ers. After water accumulates,the eggs become submerged andhatch.“If conditionsaretoodrywhen

the eggs are first laid, they willdie,” shesaid. “But if theembryocandevelopbefore it gets toodry,the eggs can withstand adverseconditions for long periods.”Kecksaid tohelppreventmos-

quitoproliferation,homeownersshould empty any containers,tires, buckets, bags, birdbathsor other items that may capturerainwater and become a mos-

quito breeding ground.“During the hot months, mos-

quitoes can go from egg to adultwithin a week; be sure to dumpstanding water at least everythree days,” she said. “You canalsoexcludemosquitoesbykeep-ing doors and windows fullyclosed and making sure screendoorsclose tightlyanddon’thaveany holes or tears in them.”Janet Hurley, an AgriLife Ex-

tension school integrated pestmanagement specialist in Dal-las, suggested emptying plasticwadingpoolsweeklyandstoringthem indoors when not in use.“You should also remember to

repair leaky pipes and outsidefaucets and fill any holes or de-pressions in trees with sand ormortar,” she said.Hurley said another way to

helpreduceadultmosquitopopu-lations is tomow tall grass areasand reduce the amount of brushorotherfoliagetoeliminatesomeadult mosquito resting sites.“You can also consider fog

treatment or surface treatmentsfor temporary relief in yards orhigh-trafficareas,”shesaid.“Butonly use insecticides that are la-beled for that purpose and applythem according to product labeldirections.”The entomologists said while

taking these measures may notkeep someone from getting bit-ten by mosquitoes, they can sig-nificantly reduce the numberof bites, which will reduce thechance of becoming infected byamosquito-borne disease.

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photo by Mike MerchantThe Aedes albopictus or Asian tiger mosquito (shown here) is one of the two mosquitospecies known to commonly transmit chikungunya. The other is Aedes aegypti. Bothspecies are found in Texas.



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NewsTempleGrandin tells how to handle livestock carefully


Service

Whenitcomestohandlinglive-stock, observing the little thingscanmake foramorepleasantex-perience — both for the animaland the livestock, according toTempleGrandin,ColoradoStateUniversityprofessorandanimalscientist.

“I stress to students the needto be observant,” said Grandin,who has advised ranchers, feed-lots and meat plants throughouttheU.S. andCanadaonhandlingequipment as well as developinganimalwelfareguidelines for themeat industry.

Grandin gave a lecture Aug.14 to Texas A&M University’sdepartment of animal sciencefaculty. Grandin also was thecommencement speaker andreceived an honorary doctoraldegree from the College of Agri-cultureandLifeSciencesduringgraduation ceremonies at TexasA&M University in College Sta-tion.

“I’m a visual thinker, and it’sall about the details when itcomes to cattle and horses andwhat theyare afraid of,” she toldfaculty members. “It’s the littlethings.”

Such things as a dangling

chain in a loading chute or dogsroamingaround theholdingpenand chute all can make livestockfrightenedandhardtohandle forproducers.

Grandin, who is autistic andwas the subject of an Emmyaward-winning HBO documen-tary in 2010, said her conditionhas helped her get a better un-derstanding of animals’ sensi-tivities to bright light, suddenmovements and strange objects.

Grandin said much unwantedcattle behavior can be avoided ifbasic livestock handling prac-tices are followed.

Research has shown that yell-ing and whistling will elevate

the animals’ heart rate, Grandinsaid.

“Never surprise an animal,”she added.

With cattle prices at historichighs,Grandinsaid,manyranch-

ersareshippingcalveswith littleornopreconditioning.Manyarepenningand loadingsale-weightcalvesontothetrailer forthefirsttime without any pre-condition-ing programs.

“With prices high, calves arebeing weaned on trucks,” shesaid.

That makes it even more diffi-cult to eliminate stress on calvesas they are sold off of ranchesand transferred to feedlot opera-tors and other segments of thebeef industry, Grandin said.

Manyhaveneverbeenexposedtohandlerson foot,horsebackorboth, she said.

Texas A&MAgriLife Communications photo by Blair FanninTemple Grandin,an expert in cattle handling and animal welfare,visits withTexasA&MAgriLife administrators before giving a lecture recently in College Station.


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gramscanrunatnight if needed,helping farmers adjust plantingwhenweather delays field work.“Whenconditionsarerightwe

have the ability to get in and getthat crop established so muchmore quickly than we could inthe past ...,” Welch said. “We’rejust creating an environmentthat when the weather cooper-ateswe’re capturingmore of the

potential and the possibilitiesgenetically that are within thatcorn plant.”During the lifetime of the av-

erageU.S. farmer,who’s 58, cornyields have more than tripledfrom a national average of 44bushels per acre in the 1950s tonearly 150 bushels per acre inrecent years.Average corn yields set a re-

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, FileFaced with tougher and more resistant weeds, corn and soybean farmers are anxiously awaiting government decisions on a newversion of a popular herbicide — and on genetically modified seeds to grow crops designed to resist it. The Environmental Protec-tion Agency is expected to rule in the fall on Dow AgroSciences’ application to market Enlist, a new version of the 2,4-D herbicidethat’s been around since the 1940s.

Crops, from Page 14

See SUMMER, Page 25


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Newscord in 2009 with 164.7 bushelsper acre. The USDA previouslyestimated 165.3 bushels per acrethis year.The record soybean yield also

came in 2009, an average of 44bushels per acre for a 3.36 bil-lion-bushel harvest. The USDAexpectsanationalaverageof 45.2bushelsperacreandacropof 3.8billion bushels this fall.WayneHumphries,who farms

about 1,000 acres in southeastIowa, recently attended a Na-tional Corn Growers conferencein Washington. What’s unusualaboutthisyear,he learned, is thatfarmerswhoirrigatedryareasofNebraska and Texas didn’t turnonthewateruntil late lastmonth—weeks later than normal.

“People were there from allover in corn-producing statesand they said it just looks reallygood,” he said.The downside of a bumper

crop is depressed prices for thefarmers’ haul, meaning theycould break even or losemoney.

The price for corn scheduledfor December delivery, widelyconsidered a benchmark, was$3.66 per bushel in mid-August.That’s at least 50 cents a bushelbelow what most farmers spentonseed, fertilizer,pest-andweed-control chemicalsand fuel.Somefarmers will store grain and sellwhen prices improve, while oth-ers may use a portion of theirfederal crop insurance thatkicksinwhenprices fall below certainthresholds.

Summer, from Page 24 AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, FileA farmer drives his tractor past a soybeanfield toward grain storage bins near La-dora, Iowa, early last month.This summerhas provded the optimumgrowing seasonin many parts of the country.


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NewsUnmannedaerial vehiclesproveuseful inagriculture

By Corey MoffetSamuel Roberts Noble Foundation

Unmanned aerial vehicles,more commonly referred to asdrones in a majority of mediaoutlets, have played an impor-tant role in U.S. military opera-tions. These sophisticated flyingmachines have proven their util-ity in this arena, albeit at a hugeprice. Now the unmanned aerialvehicle industry is looking toexpand into the civilian world,and the agricultural sector is ex-pected to play a large role in thisexpansion.Currently,theFederalAviation

Administration is determininghowunmanned aircraft systemsmight be integrated safely intothenationalairspacesystem.TheFAAuses the acronym “UAS” toinclude the unmanned aerial ve-hicles and all the associated sup-port equipment, such as controlstations, data links, telemetry,communications and navigationequipment. Often the image thatcomes to mind when thinkingabout drones is something likethe iconicPredatorwith itsnear-ly 60-foot wingspan and a loadedweight of more than 1 ton. Thistype of drone would occupy thesame airspace routinely used bygeneralandcommercialaviation.The challenge the FAA has

in figuring out how to integratesafely these largedrones into thenational airspace is not trivial.Agriculture,however,canbenefit

from drones much smaller thanthe Predator. A system with atakeoffweightlessthan55poundsisclassifiedasasmallunmannedaerialvehiclebytheFAA,andtheagency has made it a priority topropose new rules governingtheiruse.Thesedrones aremoreof the scale and type that legallyareflownnowatelevationsof 400feetabovegroundlevelandlowerbyhobbyists forrecreationalpur-poses.Manyof thesedronesscanbedisassembledeasilyandtrans-ported inacase thesizeof a largebriefcase.Like other classes of aircraft,

small drones can be fixed wingor rotary wing. The fixed-wingaircraft tend to be more stableand require less power to stayaloft than the rotary-wing craft,but theyarealso lessagile.Manydronesuseanautopilot systemtosense their positionandaltitude,andmake necessary correctionstostayuprightandonpath.Oncethis typeof drone isairborne, theoperator has little or nothing todo with the flight. Flight planstypicallyaredesignedusingsoft-ware on a laptop computer, andthe flight path is communicatedover a data link to the drone.

Photo courtesy of the Samuel RobertsNoble Foundation

Small unmanned aerial vehicleshave the potential to improve agri-cultural management.

See DRONES, Page 29


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NewsReplacement heifers with calfneed to continue to grow andmaintain body condition

By DonalD StottSOklahoma State University

STILLWATER, Oklahoma —While strong cattle prices areencouraging producers to de-velop replacement heifers to addto their current cow herd, cattleproducers need to be paying ex-traattentiontoconditioningbredheifers for optimal health.Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State

University Cooperative Exten-sion emeritus livestock special-ist, said bred replacement heif-ers that will calve in Januaryand February need to continueto grow and maintain body con-dition.“Ideally, 2-year-old heifers

should be in a body conditionscore of 6 at the time their firstcalf is born,” he said. “This al-lows them the best opportunityto provide adequate colostrumto the newborn, repair the re-productive tract, return to heatcycles, rebreed on time for nextyear and continue normal bodygrowth.”In terms of production and

management, the heifers typi-cally need to be gaining aboutonepoundperheadperday fromnowuntil calvingtime,assumingthat theanimalsare ingoodbodyconditioncomingoutof summer.Also, the heifers will need

supplemental protein, if thema-jor source of forage in the diet isbermudagrass or native pastureor grass hay. If the forage sourceis adequate inquantity andaver-age in quality, say 6 percent to 9percent crude protein, heiferswillneedabout2poundsof ahighprotein—between38percentand44 percent crude protein — insupplement each day.“This will probably need to be

increased with higher qualityhay such as alfalfa or additionalenergy feed such as 20 percentrange cubes as winter weathercreates additional nutrient re-quirements,”Selksaid.“Soybean

hulls or wheat-mids also may beused to ensure adequate energyintake of pregnant heifers.”Providedadequaterainfallpro-

duces necessary growth, wheatpasture can be used as a supple-ment for pregnant replacementheifers.Usingwheatpasturejudi-ciouslymakessense forpregnantheifers for two reasons:• Pregnant heifers consum-

ing full feed of wheat pasturewill gain about three pounds perhead per day. If they are on thewheat too long, the heifers canbecome obese and cause calvingdifficulty.• The wheat pasture can be

used for gain of stocker cattleor weaned replacement heifersmoreefficiently. If wheatpastureis used for bred heifers, use it ju-diciouslyasaproteinsupplementby allowing the heifers access tothe wheat pasture on alternatedays.Some cattle producers have

reported that one day on wheatpasture and two days on nativerange appear to work best.“This encourages the heifers

to go rustle in the warm seasonpasture for thesecondday,ratherthan just stand by the gate wait-ing to be turned back in to thewheat,” Selk said.Whatever method is used to

grow the pregnant replacementheifers, Selk reminds producerstobeawareof howtheirmanage-ment is ensuring theanimalsareingoodbodyconditionbycalvingso that the heifers will grow intofully-developedproductivecows.Cattle and calves are the num-

ber one agricultural commodityproduced inOklahoma,account-ing for approximately 50 percentof total agricultural cash re-ceipts.

When the flight is complete, thedronereturns toaspot theopera-tor has designated for safe land-ing. Some rotary-wing aircraftcan return to the very same spotwheretheybeganflight. Initially,droneswill be useful for agricul-ture because of their ability todeploymeaningfulsensors,mak-ing it easy forusers toobservere-sources fromavantagepointnotpreviously feasible.In some ways, drone technol-

ogy ispositionedwherepersonalcomputer technology was in thelate1970s.Computersat that timewere large and very expensive,but they had proven useful ingovernment and business. Thepersonal computer was mainlyof interest to hobbyists and pro-duced few real-world benefits.Manybelieved thepersonalcom-puterwouldremainacuriosityofthis small group of enthusiasts.

At that time, it would have beenhard to believe that one day ma-ny families would own multiplecomputers or even imagine thenow ubiquitous smartphonesand tablets. The high cost anddifficulty of using a personalcomputer in the 1970s were bigadoption hurdles.For theunmannedaerial vehi-

cle today, thehurdles are regula-tory(thoughforthesmalldrones,these should be overcome soon),

cost and the lack of simple toolsthat can use sensor data to helpproducersmake decisions.In crops such as corn and soy-

bean, a number of tools alreadyare available, and the develop-ment of similar tools for range-lands and forage crops will fol-low. If drones follow a similarpath as the personal computer,low cost and useful tools willcome—perhaps inwayswecan’teven imagine now.

Drones, from Page 27

Photo courtesy of www.precisiondrone.comDrones are increasingly being used in agriculture.


Questions AboutCattle Health?

Ask the Vet!

P.O. Box 3000 Bryan, TX 77805or [email protected]

Submit your questions to:

Steve Wikse - Retired DVM Large Animal Clinical SciencesCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University

WIKSE

NewsAgriLife growing colorful potatoes to appeal to younger consumers

By Kay LedBetterTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

SPRINGLAKE—A decline inoverall potato consumption hasTexas A&M AgriLife Researchbreeders working on “designer”spuds that meet the time con-straints and unique tastes of ayounger generation.CreightonMiller, AgriLife Re-

search potato breeder from Col-lege Station, recently conductedthe Texas A&MPotato Breedingand Variety Development Pro-gram field day at the farm of co-operator Bruce Barrett south ofSpringlake.“Potatoes are an important

delivery system for nutrients tohumans,” Miller said. “The av-erage consumption in the U.S. is113 pounds per year per person.But overall potato consumptionin theU.S.hasgenerallydeclinedsomewhat.“So what we are doing now is

developingunique varieties thathave a tendency to appeal to theyounger set with high incomewho are willing to try some-thing different,” he said. “Thishas contributed to an increasein consumption of these typesover the russets, which are stillthe standard.”Miller said the objective of

the Texas A&M potato breedingprogram is to develop improvedvarieties adapted specifically toTexasenvironmentalconditions.“However, some of our vari-

eties are widely adapted acrosstheU.S.,”hesaid.“Threeof themcollectively represent the fifth-

largestnumberof acrescertifiedforseedproduction in theU.S., sowe’ve released some successfulvarieties, and we are developingmore all the time.”The Texas Potato Variety De-

velopment Program currentlyhas 412 entries at the Springlaketrials and 927 entries at the Dal-hart trials.Additionally, the2014seedling selection trials at bothSpringlake and Dalhart include115,408 seedlings from 634 fami-lies or crosses.“We are always interested in

new and improved red varietiesand russet varieties, but thereare some other types that havebecomemore interesting lately,”Miller said.One type is a small potato, he

said,addingthatwithinthetrialshe is looking for varieties with aheavy set of small potatoes.“One of the reasons for the

popularity of the smaller potatoiswithbothspousesworking, theamount of time required to pre-

pare potatoes becomes an issuewith some people,” Miller said.“With the small potatoes, theycanbemicrowavedvery fast andbe on the table in a hurry.”Other varieties catchingmore

attention are red potatoes withyellow and white flesh and thepurple skinned potatoes with

yellow flesh, he said.The tubers with yellow flesh

contain compounds that are an-tioxidants, and that appeals tothe health-conscious consumer.“So in addition to having the

unique appearance, they arehealthier potatoes to eat,” hesaid.

And this year, Miller also hasspecialty potatoes with splashesof redandyellowontheskinthathave a yellow flesh.“Thesearereferred toasgour-

metpotatoesand thatniche is re-ceivingmoreemphasislately,”hesaid. “Thesearegenerallyboiledandadduniquecolor to theplatewhen served.”ButMillerwasquick tosay the

russet potato is still the primaryemphasis of the program, and anew russet being grown by theBarrett’swillsoonbereleasedforcommercial production.“Itpromisestobeverysuccess-

ful,” he said.

Texas A&MAgriLife Communications photos byKay Ledbetter

Above,purple potatoes.Right, in additionto the traditional russet potato, theTexasA&M Potato Breeding and Variety Devel-opment Program led by Creighton Milleris producing a variety of colored gourmetpotatoes.Far right,yellow-flesh potatoes.


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