Ag News and Views: July 2002

A fish kill caused by dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion can be a catastrophe for pond managers. Fish kills can occur any time the DO demand is greater than the water can supply - but managers can take steps to avoid such an event in their ponds.

For ranchers who use rotational grazing and spend time in their pastures with the cattle, there is a reliable way of predicting future forage supply relative to livestock demand. The method is called the Reserve Herd Day (RHD) concept, and it is credited to retired Foundation forage specialist R.L. Dalrymple.

A doctor needs certain information to make a correct diagnosis. When "diagnosing" soil samples, soil fertility specialists also need certain information in order to make recommendations.

A joint Noble Research Institute/Oklahoma State University study evaluated several commercial strawberry varieties using the annual plasticulture system, and though additional trials need to be conducted before any variety can be recommended with a high degree of certainty, the future of annual strawberry plasticulture in Oklahoma appears to be good.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) recently changed Texas' status concerning cattle tuberculosis. People who own cattle in Texas or routinely purchase or sell cattle in Texas need to be aware of the current information on the changes.

On May 1, the House of Representatives passed a new farm bill. The Senate passed the bill on May 8, and President Bush signed it into law on May 13, 2002. The new farm bill denotes a complete change in philosophy from the 1996 Farm Bill, and many of the details are not public and are yet to be decided by USDA. However, this article summarizes some of the highlights of the new bill.