News Update
July 5, 2011

Stiles Farm Field Day Focuses on Managing Crops During Dry Times

The ongoing drought has taken a toll on agricultural trials at the Stiles Farm Foundation, but this year’s field day featured plenty of discussions on how to manage dry conditions as a crop producer, according to organizers.

Though there were no field tours for the 48th annual field day, discussions focused on aflatoxin affecting Texas corn crops, fertilizer carryover in drought conditions, farm safety and feral hog control methods.

“Though the drought changed our itinerary this year with our traditional field tours, I think producers came away with several informative discussions that they can take back to their farms and implement,” said Archie Abrameit, Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist and farm manager.

“These are the driest conditions for eight months since records were first kept in 1895,” said Pete Gibbs, AgriLife Extension associate director. “Both the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas AgriLife Research stand ready to help the state’s farmers and ranchers.”

Gibbs said both agencies continue their respective work, researching drought-resistant crops and providing educational resources through various specialty departments.

The morning program featured Tom Isakeit, AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, providing an update on cotton root rot research and aflatoxin, a poison produced by a fungus that infects corn. With the current drought causing many corn crops to fail, many producers may opt to bale it for hay or silage.

“I’d use caution with this,” Isakeit said. “If there is an ear of corn in there, there could be potential aflatoxin contamination. This is something we don’t want to go into dairy operations.”

Isakeit also advised producers to test hay or silage for aflatoxin.

Mark McFarland, AgriLife Extension soil fertility specialist, gave a presentation on managing soil fertility in response to the drought. He advised producers to take soil samples to determine how much residual nitrogen and other nutrients may still be in the soil and available for the next crop to utilize.

“Soil samples collected from the surface 6 inches (in.) will measure carryover fertilizer which can be substantial when drought reduces yields or causes crop failure,” McFarland said.

Taking a second, deeper sample from 6-18 in. or even as deep as 24 in. can detect additional residual nitrogen that can be credited to further reduce fertilizer costs.

“Potassium generally has not been an issue in the Blacklands since most clay soils are naturally rich in this nutrient,” McFarland said. “However, in some areas, soil potassium levels are becoming marginal. When this is coupled with conditions that limit root activity, such as extremely dry or compacted soil, potassium deficiencies can occur and adversely affect crop yields. Only by soil testing can one determine if a field is approaching this threshold so that fertilizer can be added if necessary.

“Overall, soil testing is the single most important nutrient management tool producers have. And, with rising fertilizer costs, it can have a major impact on production economics.”

During the event, Katherine McCarthy of Leander received a $4,500 Stiles Farm Foundation Scholarship. She plans to attend Texas A&M University and major in animal science. Also, Daryl Eschberger was named Agriculturalist of the Year from Williamson County.

The Stiles Farm is a nonprofit, self-supporting institution established by bequest of the late J.V. and H.A. Stiles for the advancement of agriculture to benefit all Texans. A field day is held at the Stiles Farm each year to introduce producers to the latest research and best management practices.

— Release by Blair Fannin, Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Lowest-cost Registration Deadline Looms for Oklahoma No-Till 2011 Conference

Farmers and ranchers seeking to benefit from the latest developments in no-till cropping systems have until July 8 to receive the lowest cost for attending the Oklahoma No-Till 2011 Conference, July 22-23.

“A key advantage of attending the conference is the opportunity to interact with both technical specialists and experienced no-till farmers,” said Chad Godsey, Oklahoma State University (OSU) Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist. “It’s a great way for producers to get answers to any number of questions they may have about no-till systems.”

The conference will take place at Norman’s National Center for Employee Development (NCED), located at 2801 State Highway 9 East. Conference sessions will begin at 8 a.m. on both days and will finish mid- to late afternoon.

Cost of attending the conference is $125 per person if registered by July 8, and $150 per person thereafter. Reservation information is available at http://orangehub.okstate.edu.

“We originally had the conference scheduled for Feb. 1 but were literally snowed under,” Godsey said. “A number of producers who had preregistered told us to hold onto their fee and just tell them when the meeting would take place. July turned out to be the next best choice, and we don’t have to worry about blizzards affecting everyone’s travel plans.”

Session topics will include managing soil acidity in no-till; proper use of tissue testing; no-till production of wheat, cotton, corn and soybeans; water use of double crops compared with traditional fallow periods; on-farm research; soil biology; and intensified management tips and practices, among others.

“We will be using a combination of general and breakout sessions to allow participants as much choice as possible in attending sessions of greatest interest to them,” Godsey said.

Sponsors for the 2011 conference include OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and National Resources, Natural Resource Conservation Service and Oklahoma Conservation Commission.

The registration fee does not cover the cost of hotel accommodations. For persons wishing to stay at the NCED, mention the Oklahoma No-Till 2011 Conference to get the conference rate of $77 per night.

“Please make your reservations early, as there are a limited number of rooms available,” Godsey said.

For reservations, contact the NCED online at http://www.nced.com or by phone at 405-447-9000, extension zero.

— Release by Donald Stotts, OSU.

Texas A&M Meat Science Team Wins National Quiz Bowl

A team of students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences department of animal science at Texas A&M University recently won the national championship in the American Meat Science Association Intercollegiate Quiz Bowl.

The competition was June 19 during the association’s 2011 Reciprocal Meat Conference held at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.

Two teams from Texas A&M competed against 29 teams from 18 universities. The A&M maroon team of Jae Ebeling from Plainview, Jessica Steger from Del Valle and Lance Wheeler from Dallas were undefeated through the competition, defeating North Dakota State University in the final round.

A second A&M team of Trey Brooks from Llano, Rachel Glascock from Pilot Point and Lauren Thompson of Grandview finished in the top eight. Kaitlin Shaw from San Antonio served as alternate.

“These seven students have been studying all facets of the meat and livestock industries, and the meat and animal sciences for the past six months,” said Dan Hale, Texas AgriLife Extension Service meat specialist and team coordinator. “I consider them all national champions. The contest preparation and participation have prepared these students to be the next key leaders in the food, meat or animal industries.”

The quiz bowl is designed to encourage interaction among students from different universities, increase student interest in the area of meat science and provide a field for friendly competition within academia.

The teams are divided into a double elimination bracket. Each round consists of 40 questions on meat safety, quality and chemistry; muscle biology; animal physiology; meat production, industry history and current events; and human nutrition and health.

The team is coached by graduate students Carson Ulbrich of Jourdanton, Kayla Nelson from Houston and Adria Grayson from Childress. In preparation for the contest, the team members trained with the coaches and meat science faculty in the animal science department.

— Release by Blair Fannin, Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

USDA Awards Grants to Help Producers Adapt to Global Climate Change Effects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded 13 grants to research possibilities for agriculture and forestry producers to adapt to climate change and to best take advantage of variable climate patterns.

These grants were awarded through USDA’s highly competitive Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and administered through NIFA. AFRI supports work in six priority areas: plant health and production and plant products; animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition and health; renewable energy, natural resources and environment; agriculture systems and technology; and agriculture economics and rural communities.

“Anticipating and adjusting to long-term climate patterns is vital for successful agricultural production,” said Chavonda Jacobs-Young, acting NIFA director. “Sound science helps farmers, ranchers and foresters make the right decisions to reduce the effects of climate change and increased variability on their operations. The grants we are announcing today support a wide range of fundamental global agricultural concerns, from cereal crops and animal production to forestry and pest management.”

The announcement represents an investment of more than $53 million to study how climate patterns and variability affect agricultural production. The long-term goal of these USDA-sponsored projects is to help prepare the nation’s agricultural and forestry sectors for unpredictable global climate effects, while helping agricultural and forestry production systems play a valuable role in addressing the global challenge of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration.

Fiscal Year 2010 projects were funded in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Project highlights include:

• A project in Arkansas to evaluate options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from swine operations and develop accessible and practical means for swine producers to put these options into practice.
• A project in Indiana to study the biophysical and economic factors related to climate change and examine the challenges to successful cereal crop harvests presented by climate variability, while developing training materials to help farmers make effective decisions to keep their operations productive and successful.
• A project in California to develop strategies for rice growers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the state’s primary water supply hub, to maintain economic competitiveness while improving water quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A full list of awardees can be found online at
www.nifa.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2011news/climate_change_awards.html.
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. More information is available at www.nifa.usda.gov.

— Release by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Livestock and Seed Program Consolidates Branches

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced the consolidation of the Livestock and Seed Program’s Audit, Review and Compliance and Meat Grading and Certification Branches.

“The consolidation of the branches ensures that AMS will continue to provide marketing services to the livestock and meat industry in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible,” said AMS Administrator Rayne Pegg. “We strongly believe that the merger will accent the best of both branches and position the program to increase the availability of innovative value-adding services to meet the emerging needs of an industry that is critical to the nation’s economy.”

The restructured organization, named the Grading and Verification (GV) Division, is headquartered in the Denver, Colo., area and led by Larry Meadows, division director, with Stephen Cave and James Riva as deputy directors. Cave will manage the financial, administrative and personnel functions, and Riva will oversee grading, certification and auditing services.

For those who rely on official USDA grading, auditing and certification services — from producer to consumer — the transition to the new GV Division will be seamless. The GV Division will continue to provide the critical marketing services that communicate product attributes and differentiate products in the marketplace without interruption.

The GV Division provides official USDA grading for over 20 billion lb. of beef and 108 million lb. of lamb each year through its highly skilled meat graders. In addition, GV Division certified auditors provide internationally recognized verification services that facilitate the marketing of approximately $27 billion of agricultural commodities in domestic and world markets each year to over 400 different commercial programs.

— Release by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.

— Compiled by Katie Gazda, editorial intern, Angus Productions Inc.