News Update
October 28, 2014
Susan Culp Receives Southwest Veterinary Symposium Visionary of the Year Award
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is pleased to announce that Susan Culp, lead veterinarian for Authorized Personnel Programs was recently honored at the Southwest Veterinary Symposium (SWVS) with the 2014 Visionary Award.
The SWVS Visionary of the Year Award is intended to honor an individual who is recognized by the profession and is actively engaged in private, public or corporate veterinary practice whose contributions elevate the standards and goals of veterinary medicine.
The SWVS is a partnership combining the efforts of the Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas veterinary medical associations to provide exceptional continuing education for veterinary professionals in the region and the rest of the nation.
Culp is responsible for overseeing the TAHC’s Authorized Personnel Program training for both veterinarians and non-veterinary professionals. This new Authorized Personnel Program launched Sept. 1, 2014.
Dee Ellis, TAHC executive director and state veterinarian, said, “The Texas Animal Health Commission is pleased to have Dr. Culp as part of the TAHC family. She has proven to be a tremendous asset to the agency. This award is truly deserved.”
Culp received her doctorate of veterinary medicine from Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001 and her undergraduate degree in wildlife biology from Texas State University in San Marcos. She practiced companion animal medicine, surgery and veterinary acupuncture in Austin for 12 years.
Founded in 1893, the TAHC works to protect the health of all Texas livestock, including cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats, equine animals and exotic livestock.
Try to Apply Fall Herbicide Treatments Before December
Now is a good time for growers to apply herbicide treatments to their fields to control weeds and help ensure a good start for spring planting.
In fact, anytime between now and the week of Thanksgiving is a good time for fall herbicide applications, according to a researcher from the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Although growers may be busy with harvest, now is the time to start thinking about next spring and how to control the weeds that can have a negative impact on planting, said Mark Loux, an OSU Extension weed specialist.
While some growers have applied herbicide treatments into late December, herbicide application is discouraged during periods of very cold weather or on snow-covered ground, Loux said.
“We have applied herbicides into late December and still eventually controlled the weeds present at time of application,” he said. “But once hard freezes start to occur, there is usually a substantial change in the condition of certain weeds, such as dandelion and thistle, which renders them less sensitive to herbicides.
“The problem from a grower’s perspective is that sometimes the weather is too wet during October and November, so they can go into December before they’re able to do herbicide applications.”
While late application isn’t recommended, the rate of kill for some weeds, including marestail, slows down but the weeds eventually still die, Loux said.
“Marestail, which is also known as horseweed, is the number one weed problem growers will have a problem controlling in the spring if they don’t do something to prevent the weeds in the fall,” he said.
Other weeds of particular concern for fall herbicide applications include:
- Purple deadnettle, which is a broadleaf weed that is a host for soybean cyst nematode. Controlling it with herbicide application in the fall can help keep populations from increasing, Loux said.
- Chickweed, which is a common weed of small grains and forage crops.
- Dandelion. Fall is a prime time for control for this weed.
The primary goal for fall application is to take out the weeds that overwinter and can have a negative impact in the spring, Loux said.
For more information, please view the full release here.
‘Science of Soil Health’ Videos Feature OSU Extension Experts
Soil researchers across the Midwest, including agronomists and scientists from the OSU College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, want to help growers unlock the secrets of soil health to improve yields, lower input costs and increase farm income.
A new series of YouTube videos, called “The Science of Soil Health,” is designed to provide new insight into how to improve soil health while benefiting the environment and lowering production costs, said Jim Hoorman, an OSU Extension educator and an assistant professor studying cover crops and water-quality issues.
Hoorman, along with Alan Sundermeier, an OSU Extension educator who specializes in agronomic crop production, participated in the series.
The video project is headed by Robin (Buz) Kloot, a research associate professor at the University of South Carolina. The YouTube video series includes interviews by some of the nation’s leading experts in soil biology, agronomy, entomology and soil ecology, organizers said. The project was done in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Hoorman and Sundermeier appear in a video on soil compaction, which can be viewed at www.go.osu.edu/rqQ. Hoorman also appears in a video on soil microbes, which can be viewed at www.go.osu.edu/rnj.
The goal of the videos is to educate farmers, Hoorman said.
“With all the issues surrounding nitrogen and phosphorus in Lake Erie, and all the issues regarding soil health, these videos are a quick, easy way to explain to farmers some of the benefits of using cover crops,” he said.
Already, the soil microbes video has been viewed more than 3,200 times, Hoorman said.
“Soil health is a hot topic that people want more information on as farmers are looking for ways to improve soil structure and reduce compaction,” he said. “Cover crops improve the soil by adding carbon, which makes the soil more productive.”
It also takes less fuel to plant a cover crop than it does to till the soil, Hoorman said.
“The added benefit of cover crops is the increase in soil organic matter,” he said. “Tillage destroys soil organic matter.
“Tillage will never make your soil better; it is a short-term benefit while cover crops are a long-term benefit.”
Live plants, Hoorman said, typically have 1,000 to 2,000 times more soil microbes living around the roots compared to bare soil.
For more information, please view the full release here.
USDA Proposes Inclusion of New, Innovative Products
in the BioPreferred Program
As part of the continued rapid implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Oct. 27 proposed new actions to include new forest products in the BioPreferred® program. The proposal also includes other traditional biobased products and other mature market products, which have been produced in innovative ways. USDA seeks public comment for 60 days on the proposed rules published in the Oct. 27 Federal Register.
“Today, small businesses and global companies alike have harnessed the power of America’s farms and forests to create new and innovative biobased products that are used all around the world,” said Vilsack. “The expanding bioeconomy means more than just additional consumer choices, it also means new jobs.”
The proposed action responds to new requirements in the 2014 Farm Bill for USDA to promote biobased products, including forest products, that apply an innovative approach to growing, harvesting, sourcing, procuring, processing, manufacturing or application of biobased products regardless of the date of entry into the marketplace. The proposed rules provide the framework for implementing the new requirements and will replace previous regulatory provisions excluding mature market products. The action further revises the definition of “biobased product” to state that the term includes forest products that meet biobased content requirements, notwithstanding the market share the product holds, the age of the product, or whether the market for the product is new or emerging.
USDA’s BioPreferred program works to increase the purchase and use of designated biobased products through a preferred procurement initiative for federal agencies. Designated products may also carry the voluntary “USDA Certified Biobased Product” label, which is designed to promote the broad-scale marketing of biobased products to consumers. Certified and designated products include construction, janitorial and groundskeeping products purchased by federal agencies, to personal care and packaging products used by consumers every day.
For more information, please view the full release here.
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