Ag News and Views: July 2014

To help provide producers options for managing and marketing cull cows, researchers at the Noble Research Institute and Oklahoma State University teamed up and conducted a study that evaluated the economics of two alternative management and marketing systems for retaining open beef cows.

The bermudagrass stem maggot was first discovered in southern Georgia in 2010. This small fly is native to South Asia, and it is unknown how it invaded the United States.

Alfalfa stands within the Southern Great Plains are often infested with cotton root rot, causing heavily affected fields to be taken out of production within two to three years.

As an educator and consultant, I have been asked numerous times by work associates and growers to produce a "how to" resource on hoop house construction. I've been hesitant to do so because hoop house design and construction techniques are always evolving.

For some of us, mowing the lawn is a pleasant summer activity. Many people love the fresh air, the aroma of fresh-cut grass and the satisfaction of getting a chore done with a side helping of exercise. And we can continue to enjoy mowing if safety precautions and measures are in place and taken.

Some of the best duck hunting is a result of abundant food, and the most important foods are primarily aquatic plants. Since most aquatic plants grow during the summer, management for those plants should be done at that time.

Given the importance of weight in cattle production, it is important to capture weight data when necessary to make good management decisions.