Ag News and Views: July 2009

Water quality is one of the most overlooked aspects of pond management - until it affects fish production.

As part of our mission to benefit farmers and ranchers, the Noble Research Institute works to improve vital grasses and legumes through traditional breeding and scientific research.

Our typical nitrogen recommendation for wheat is 2 pounds per expected bushel of grain. Long-term data indicates that, on average, this is the correct rate. However, this average is too high a third of the time, too low a third of the time and about right the remaining third of the time.

We saw limited moisture in the fall, no rain during the winter and late rains in April to finally kick off the spring growing season 30 to 45 days behind schedule. If rainfall were a traded commodity, volatility in the marketplace would be extremely high.

The 2008 drought forced several area municipalities and rural water districts to place restrictions on the use of water for irrigating landscape plantings and home gardens. This should concern every gardener as demand for water is only projected to increase while ground water reserves are projected to decrease.

Since 2008, the cattle market has made dramatic adjustments as calf and feeder cattle prices decreased and the feedlot sector experienced significant losses.