We rely heavily on our bermudagrass pastures and hay meadows during the summer in some parts of Texas. Often times we are disappointed with production, see a thinning of our stand and/or see disease like symptoms. This is often times referred to as “Bermudagrass Decline.” We quickly blame weather. Granted weather can have an impact on each of those issues. However, there is often a deeper problem that we need to access. Primary Causes: Low Potassium (K) Fertility: A deficiency in K will result in poor stress tolerance,… Read More →

Crabgrass is a warm-season annual grass that is commonly found in pastures and hay meadows in parts of Texas. Relative to other warm-season annual grasses, crabgrass has a low- to medium-yield potential but is high in forage quality. As such, it is often a desirable component in pastures and is sometimes planted for forage in pastures. As is the case with many annual grass species, crabgrass is a prolific seed producer which enables new stands to establish in subsequent growing seasons for summer grazing. Due to its high-volume… Read More →

Dallisgrass is a warm-season perennial that has grazing potential. Dallisgrass is palatable and has a higher level of nutritive value than bahiagrass and some bermudagrass varieties, and it can retain its nutritive value later into the summer. Dallisgrass, however, produces a lower dry matter yield than some bermudagrass varieties. One concern with dallisgrass is the potential for an “ergot” fungus (Claviceps spp.) to infect seedheads and cause dallisgrass poisoning (also known as dallisgrass staggers). The fungus infects the seedheads typically in late summer or fall. The affected animals… Read More →

Nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient. Plants readily take up and use two forms of soil nitrogen, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-). Other forms of nitrogen must be converted to one of these compounds before plants can utilize them directly for plant growth. Sources of Nitrogen: Plants such as legumes “make their own” nitrogen. A symbiotic (positive for both parties) relationship between a legume and rhizobium bacteria develops and the bacteria “fix” nitrogen out of the atmosphere and convert the nitrogen gas into forms that can be used… Read More →

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 and residue. If a spray tip does clog, only use a soft bristled brush or… Read More →

Baleage involves baling forage with 50 to 65 % moisture content, then wrapping the bales in plastic to create an air tight environment. This reduces the weather risk producers commonly face while waiting for the forage to field cure and harvest. Harvesting the forage at higher moisture levels allows for the forage to more readily retain its nutritive value and digestibility compared to conventional hay. Aerobic (free oxygen requiring) bacteria consume the oxygen remaining inside the hay within a few hours. Under these conditions, anaerobic (non-free oxygen requiring) bacteria… Read More →

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. Volunteer annual ryegrass can be common in hay meadows. Winter rainfalls can promote seed germination and seeds can survive for multiple years in our soils. Later maturity of annual ryegrass can delay or prevent our warm season perennial forages (i.e. bermudagrass or bahiagrass) from breaking dormancy in April/May therefore delaying our initial hay cutting.   So how do we manage… Read More →

With the First Day of Spring upon us and the most recent warm weather and sunny days we start thinking about our warm season pastures and hay meadows. A few things to keep in mind as our warm season forages begin to break dormancy… Soil Test!  Soil Test!  Soil Test!  If you have not done so for this year, please consider obtaining a soil test now.  There is not much that can be done regarding the high cost of fertilizer, but there is much we can do regarding… Read More →

Friday, April 4, 2025 Virtual Program Living with fire ants Weed Control in Pastures and Hay Meadows Laws and Regulations of Pesticide Use Rodent management on the farm Getting the most out of your spraying equipment FLYER Meeting will be conducted with ZOOM Registration: Cost: $35/person Register online at: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/ansc-ev-073 For information on this program please contact Michelle Sensing @ 903-847-0611 The program will be divided into 2 sessions to allow attendees to have a break between sessions 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM… Read More →

Fertilizer is and has always been a significant production expense whether you are growing corn, cotton, or pasture forage. Fertilizer costs have increased tremendously over the last few decades. Commercial fertilizers are the most costly input in warm season grass forage production. Below are some important issues relative to fertilizer efficiency as well as alternatives for reducing fertilizer use and reducing production costs for forage production. Soil Test: Adequate soil fertility is one key to successful forage and livestock production in Texas. Soil testing is still the best… Read More →