Forage Fax

Friday, February 21, 2020 Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center 1710 N. Hwy 3053, Overton, TX 75684   Effective weed control with weed identification, proper timing and herbicide selection Control  of  Forage  Insect  Pests Grazing Management to Reduce Herbicide Use Laws and Regulations of Pesticide Use Save money by understanding active ingredients, residual control and herbicide cost   Program starts 1:00 pm Adjourn 6:00 pm 5 Pesticide CEUs Available      Pre-register by Feb. 19, 2020: Cost: $25/ person On-Site Registration Cost: $40/person  Register online at: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/Overton;… Read More →

It’s always best to initiate the planning process the year prior to actual planting. So start planning in 2020 to plant in 2021. Instead of planning in 2020 to plant in 2020. Evaluate the farm’s forage needs. Consider how the forage will be used (grazing vs. hay), what species are better adapted to your area (season, soil type, rainfall) and what resources (equipment, money, and time) are available. Reestablishment should be considered when less than 40% of the desirable species exist. For exclusive hay production: Take visual appraisal… Read More →

    Merry Christmas from my family to yours! Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season.       Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Forage Extension Specialist Soil & Crop Sciences Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Overton,TX vacorriher@ag.tamu.edu 903-834-6191    

Now’s a good time to start your sprayer maintenance before the active spraying season begins. Tuning up your sprayer can better prepare you for accurate and effective herbicide applications. Any sprayer, old or new will perform better if you check it over before heading into the field. The most common causes of inconsistent spray patterns are nozzle tips with different fan angles on the boom, uneven boom heights and clogged nozzles. Follow manufacturer recommendations to select nozzles for the best coverage. Make sure nozzles are clear of debris… Read More →

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Ecosystem and Management Unit is offering Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) continuing education units (CEUs) for private applicators online in November. Private applicators need 15 CEUs every 5 years, and a maximum of 10 can be from recorded online courses and/or correspondence courses. Five CEUs must come from a live class or webinar in order to meet the TDA requirements to recertify. Of the 15 CEUs, a minimum of 2 must be laws and regulations, and 2 must be integrated pest management… Read More →

As forage producers, we focus most of our energy on our warm season perennial pastures and hay meadows (bermudagrass, bahiagrass, etc.). That means most of our weed control efforts are also focused on warm season weeds (such as carolina horsenettle, blackberry, etc). Unfortunately, cool season weeds can be just as detrimental to our warm season perennial forages.   Annual ryegrass…a cool season annual forage often utilized by livestock producers for winter grazing. However, it’s often deemed an enemy of many a hay producer in East Texas. Later maturity… Read More →

Pesticide Applicators Training (5 CEU’s) Thursday, December 5, 2019   Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center Overton, TX   Preregister by Nov. 30, 2019; Cost: $35/person On-Site Registration: $60/person (includes lunch)   Register online at: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/Overton   Topics: Weed Control Strategies for Pastures and Hay Fields Wild Pig Control Aquatic Weed Control External Parasite Control   8:30 am Program Starts 11:45 am Lunch Served 3:00 pm Adjourn   FLYER      

If left uncontrolled, thick thistle stands can reduce grazing and result in less forage production. A single thistle plant can produce at least 4,000 seeds, which increases the chance for higher thistle populations in the pasture the following year. Consequently, management practices need to be conducted prior to flower formation for effective thistle control. Even if thistles have not infested your pasture in the past, it is ideal that your pastures are scouted in late fall through mid-spring (November to March) to ensure that thistles do not get… Read More →

Fertilization of winter pasture should be based on a soil test to maximize forage production and prevent applying more fertilizer than is needed. Nitrogen fertilization of small grain and small grain-ryegrass mixtures can be split in 2 to 4 equal applications during the growing season. Two applications are often sufficient in Central Texas with lower rainfall and heavier textured soils. Three or four applications are required on the sandy soils in East Texas because of low nutrient holding capacity and high rainfall. Phosphorus and potassium can be applied… Read More →