News Update
July 14, 2014
Beef Checkoff Website Offers Facts
The beef checkoff’s http://FactsAboutBeef.com site is debunking beef myths every day — about what consumers define as hot-button issues, including animal welfare, antibiotics in cattle, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), beta-agonists, cows and global warming, environmental stewardship, factory farming, food safety, Meatless Mondays, and beef nutrition.
Consumers have questions about where their beef comes from and the Facts About Beef website is addressing and answering those questions and concerns, stomping out misinformation from consumer media along the way. Use the site to boost your own advocacy efforts by sharing the facts.
Speaking of advocacy, did you also know that you can join the more than 5,000 beef producers and industry allies across the country who are Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program alums? The MBA program equips you with the information you need to be everyday advocates for the beef industry.
Corn Producers Need to Watch for Southern Rust
A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service plant pathologist recently met with corn growers at a field day near College Station to discuss southern rust, a foliar disease that can be problematic for growers and threaten yields.
Tom Isakeit shared practical advice and application methods at the 2014 Crop Tour, sponsored by AgriLife Extension and BASF Corp., at the Texas A&M University field laboratory near College Station, which serves as a research and teaching platform for Texas A&M AgriLife.
More than 100 area producers, consultants and industry partners attended the field day. Southern rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia polysora, is the most important foliar disease of corn in the Upper Coast region of Texas, Isakeit said. In some wetter years, when very susceptible hybrids are grown, it may require a fungicide treatment to minimize yield loss.
Isakeit told producers application of fungicide early on will help prevent rust from developing on leaves even if the farmer can’t visually see the rust infection.
“Southern rust is recognized by small circular orange pustules and this is in comparison to common rust, which is reddish and more elongated,” Isakeit said. “If you have corn that is at tasseling to early grain development stage, you want to check your lower leaves. If leaves have 3% to 5% pustules, that will be your trigger to spray.”
In determining whether to spray or not, he said when the crop is still in the vegetative stage, don’t spray. When the crop is near flowering and development of the ear of corn, that would be the most beneficial time to apply fungicide.
Isakeit said there are many fungicides Texas farmers can choose from, but the key is prevention of rust on upper leaves during the grain fill period.
“Any fungicide would be fine under Texas conditions,” he said. “You can see rust as early as a vegetative stage, but I’ve seen it more as corn is flowering. There is a limited window of time during early flowering and ear development that you would need to worry about disease development and need to spray a fungicide.”
Isakeit suggested farmers read a bulletin he authored on southern rust that is available at http://agrilife.org/plantpathology/files/2011/05/Southern-Rust-of-Corn_2014.pdf.
Manure Event to Show New Ways
to Boost Both Crops and Water Quality
Manure has two shades of green, so to speak. The green of greater farm crop yields, and the green of a cleaner environment.
Organizers of the Aug. 14 Manure Science Review say farmers can see both at the same time and that the event will show how to do it.
“Manure is an excellent product for improving soil quality and increasing crop yields when handled correctly,” said Glen Arnold, field specialist in manure nutrient management systems with the Ohio State University Extension.
“As new manure application equipment becomes available, manure application methods change and farmers can better utilize the nutrients in manure,” he said.
“The Manure Science Review is a great place to learn this cutting-edge information.”
The program takes place at Rupp Vue Farm in Wayne County in northeast Ohio. It features talks and demonstrations on manure handling, storage and application. Speakers will be from the college, the farming community, and state and federal agencies.
Hours are 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 14636 Seville Road in Sterling.
The program will emphasize keeping lakes, rivers and streams clean, said David White, executive director of the Ohio Livestock Coalition, a sponsor of the event.
Experts say farm nutrient runoff, especially phosphorus, is a cause of the algal blooms plaguing Lake Erie, Grand Lake, St. Marys and other Ohio water bodies.
“Nutrient management and water quality are critical issues and understanding their importance has never been more important,” White said.
“By attending and participating in the program, farmers who use manure as a nutrient for crop production can learn how to adopt and utilize management practices and technologies that will help them do an even better job of protecting and conserving precious natural resources.”
Sessions will look at the Rupp farm’s practices, manure’s economic value, nutrient variations in liquid manure, the benefits of using manure to side-dress corn, a new device for subsurface application of poultry litter and the effectiveness of setbacks in preventing winter nutrient runoff.
A farmer panel will discuss plans and solutions for manure storage.
Field demonstrations will feature the new poultry litter applicator, a mobile solar unit, cover crops’ benefits to soils, calibration of solid manure spreaders, effects of manure application rates on yields, and applicators for injecting liquid manure, side-dressing liquid manure and dragline systems on corn.
Registration costs $25 by Aug. 6 and $30 after that date. Continental breakfast and lunch are included.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Summer Agriculture Update Meeting Set
for July 22 in Haskell, Texas
A Summer Agriculture Update Meeting will be hosted July 22 at the Haskell Expo Center, 200 South Ave. B in Haskell, Texas.
The meeting will be sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Haskell County, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont and Farm Credit Bank.
Registration is $10 and will begin at 8 a.m. The meeting will start promptly at 8:30 a.m. and include lunch, according to Jason Westbrook, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Haskell County.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units — two general and one drift — will be offered. RSVPs are required by July 17 for meal planning purposes. Those who do not RSVP will not be guaranteed a lunch, Westbrook said.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.