Ag News and Views: January 2013
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Careful management aids drought survival
The majority of Oklahoma and Texas are currently in severe to extreme drought with northern Oklahoma and the Panhandle in exceptional drought. Things will get better; until then, producers will need to do an above average job of forage management.
Cooperatives support wildlife goals
Have you considered the effects on the buck population when an area is chopped up by many different landowners and infiltrated by several deer hunters who want to shoot a buck?
Do high nitrogen prices justify feeding soybean hulls?
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the price of nitrogen fertilizer increased more than 120 percent between 2000 and 2007. More alarming are the unexpected periods when the price of nitrogen spikes well above the trend price.
Move coarse, volatile fuels away from firebreaks
Coarse and volatile fuels cause problems when located too close to firebreaks during prescribed burns. Coarse fuels are woody materials that burn for a relatively long time, such as brush piles, snags, logs or stumps.
Research yields findings for greenbrier control
Most ranchers are aware that greenbrier can be a problem in pastures and rangeland, and is hard to control. There are various ideas on how to control greenbrier.
Stacking technologies increases stocker profitability
Implants and ionophores are both proven technologies for stocker cattle production. However, some producers have asked what happens when these technologies are "stacked" together. Do these technologies retain their full efficacy when they are used simultaneously?
Techniques help establish gardens, orchards in clay soil
If you are struggling to garden on tight, poorly drained clay soils or want to establish an orchard or garden on clay soils, don't despair. Many techniques can be used to make clay soils more people and plant friendly.