Dr. Jason Banta and Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson released the 2019 Herbicide Cost Per Acre Spreadsheet for Pastures and Hayfields. It is a downloadable spreadsheet (Spreadsheet ) that calculates herbicide cost per acre for a partial list of available products. This spreadsheet is intended to serve only as a guide for determining herbicide cost per acre and is not an indicator of product effectiveness or appropriate use. The herbicide cost per acre spreadsheet should not be the only factor in choosing a product. In addition to cost, the following… Read More →

Ranchers Leasing Workshop $50 per person or $80 per couple April 9, 2019 9 am – 1 pm Nacogdoches Expo Center 3805 NW Stallings Drive Nacogdoches, TX 75964 FLYER     Focused specifically on grazing, hunting and livestock leases. Half day seminar, participants will be able to ask questions, interact with attorneys and economists. All participants receive their own copy of The Rancher’s Agricultural Leasing Handbook, which contains checklists and sample lease language.   Registration Required: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/Ranchers     Vanessa Corriher-Olson Forage Extension Specialist Soil & Crop Sciences,… Read More →

by Dr. Jourdan Bell, Jourdan.bell@ag.tamu.edu Dr. Ed Bynum, EBynum@ag.tamu.edu Dr. Ronnie Schnell, ronschnell@tamu.edu Carla Naylor, Preston Sirmon, Dr. Kevin Heflin and Katrina Horn   The 2018 Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Forage Sorghum Silage Trial consisted of 56 entries including forage sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass, sudangrass, and dual-purpose forage/grain sorghum hybrids. Two corn hybrids and two additional grain sorghum hybrids were included as checks. Of the 56 entries, 26 were brown midrib (BMR) forage sorghum and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, and 13 were brachytic hybrids. The average forage yield was 22.5 tons/acre with yields… Read More →

Basic Principles of Forage Quality AgriLife Extension conducts many programs across Texas on different kinds of forages.  We all know forage quality is important.  My observation is that many hay growers and hay feeders don’t test for it.  In fact, at sale I am sure most forage changes hands in Texas with no measurement of forage quality.  But forage quality indeed is a value factor.  Forage is not just about tons of hay per acre. A New Mexico State University colleague, research forage agronomist Leonard Lauriault, Tucumcari, shared… Read More →

Need a last minute Christmas gift or an extra stocking stuffer… Landowners interested in managing forage production for grazing and/or hay can use this calendar for management suggestions specific to each month and to record the dates of the management tasks performed. Keeping a record of management activities by date can help you document your management strategies for your pastures each year. To order a copy visit: http://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu                                            

by Scott Notle-Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; Peter Dotray-Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension; Muthu Bagavathiannan-Texas A&M AgriLife Research What is glyphosate? Glyphosate is an herbicide used to control a wide range of undesirable plants in lawns and gardens, row crops, pastures, aquatics, road sides, rights-of-way, and other managed area. First introduced for use in 1974, glyphosate is now one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States. Today, there are over 750 products that contain this active ingredient for agronomic, commercial, and home use. How does… Read More →

The fall armyworm is a common pest of bermudagrass, sorghum, corn, wheat and ryegrass and many other crops in north and central Texas. Armyworms are very small (1/8 inch) at first, cause little plant damage and as a result infestations often go unnoticed. Larvae feed for 2-3 weeks and full grown larvae are about 1 to 1-1/2 inches long. Given their immense appetite, great numbers, and marching ability, fall armyworms can damage entire fields or pastures in a few days. Fall armyworm outbreaks in pastures and hay fields… Read More →

TWO EVENTS   December 1, 2016 (5 pesticide CEUs: 1 Laws & Regulations; 1 IPM and 3 general) Weed Control in Pastures and Hay Meadows (2 hours) Getting the Most out of Your Sprayer Equipment Beef Cattle External Parasite Control Records, Your Best PPE December 6, 2016 (5 Pesticide CEUs: 1 Laws & Regulations; 2 IPM and 2 general) Pesticides and Pollinators Mosquito Control Update Turfgrass Insect Pest Update Wild Pig Control in Urban Environments On Site Registration Cost: $35/person (includes lunch) Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center… Read More →

For the first time in a while, not a single county in Texas is in Extreme or Exceptional Drought conditions (according to the latest US Drought Monitor). All of this extra rainfall has been appreciated but has also been cursed by many crop and hay producers. So what does all this rainfall mean for our forages? Weeds have matured and multiplied due to inability to spray at appropriate times. Once fields are accessible and there is a window of opportunity be prepared to control weeds whether mechanically or… Read More →