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 jdsugg@ag.tamu.edu 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: jdsugg@ag.tamu.edu

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., jpbanta@ag.tamu.edu Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator)

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, JUNE 17