san patricio agriculturesanpatricio.agrilife.org/files/2012/10/september-20121.pdf · san patricio...

San Patricio Agriculture “Agriculture Affects Everyone” 1

Grain Indemnity Board 2

Beef Cattle Browsing 2-3

Farm & Ranch Show 3

iPads & iPhone Workshop 3

Corn Performance Test 4-5

Grain Sorghum Performance Test

6-7

Inside this issue:

Special points of Interest:

Soil Test Campaign Fall CEU Conference Farm & Ranch Show iPad & iPhone Workshop

San Patricio Agriculture “Agriculture Affects Everyone”

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating

Hello San Patricio County,

My name is Bobby

Ray McCool and I am your new ANR /

County Extension Agent. I am excited to have this opportunity to begin working with those involved with

the many facets of agriculture in this county. I have a passion for agriculture and the impact it has on everyone! I have been living

agriculture as long as I can remember.

I am a graduate of Graham High School, and Texas A&M University at College Station.

I have owned and operated a ranching

enterprise and have been a Liquid Feed Distributor twenty plus years.

I have been on the Refugio Co. Farm Bureau Board since 1992 and also have served on

the Woodsboro Farmers Coop Board for about the same amount of time.

My wife, Jami, is also an A&M graduate. My

oldest daughter, Kaitlin, is a senior in college, and my youngest daughter, Kasye, is a junior in high school. Both have been very

involved in 4-H, sports and numerous other community activities.

I also have served as a 4-H Adult Leader and coached softball for many years.

I have heard so many good things about San Patricio Co. and I am looking forward to working with this County and making new

friends along the way.

Bobby R. McCool

Volume 1, Issue 1 September, 2012

With the dry soils producers can gear up for next year's growing season by soil sampling now to determine the status of soil nutrients in their fields and pastures. A year with below normal rainfall resulted in some crops not performing to their fertilized potential, thus some nutrients remain in the soil for the next crop. Moreover fertilizer prices remain a significant input cost, all the more reason to soil sample now to determine what actual soil nutrients will be needed for the coming crop season.

The Coastal Bend Soil Testing Campaign, coordinated by local offices of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, for farms in Aransas, Bee, Jim Wells, Kleberg/Kennedy, Live Oak, Refugio, Nueces, and San Patricio Counties begins October 1—November 15, 2012. Soil samples may be turned in at your local County Extension Office for analysis at up to a 33% reduced testing fee. Soil tests will be run by the Texas A&M University Soil Testing Laboratory for a reduced fee of $7 per sample for the Routine Analysis and $14 for Routine /Micronutrient Analysis during this special campaign. This special soil testing campaign is for row crop farmers and ranchers with improved pastures. Soil sample bags and test information sheets may be obtained in the County Extension Office. For more information call the San Patricio County Extension Office at 361-364-6234.

Special Soil Test Campaign Implemented—Oct. 1-Nov. 15

EMAIL LIST: The Extension Office is updating our email list. If you would like to be added to our email list, please call the Extension Office or email at [email protected].


GRAIN INDEMNITY BOARD WORKS TOWARD NOVEMBER REFERENDUM

Members of the Texas Grain Producer Indemnity Board are working hard to get the word out about the upcoming producer referendum set for November 19 – December 7. The nine-member board was appointed by Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples. The representatives from grain producers, storage facilities, and grain buyers are: Charles Ray Huddleston, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) District 4 State Director Dale Artho, Texas Grain Sorghum Producers Association; Daniel Berglund, Texas Soybean Association; Guy Brady Jr., Texas Grain and Feed Association; John Cowan, Non-Warehouse Grain Buying Industry; Mitchell Harris, Expertise in Production Agriculture Financing; Brian McCuistion, Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council; Ben Scholz, Texas Wheat Producers Association, and Dee Vaughan, Corn Producers Association of Texas. In February, the board met to discuss assessment fees and other related items to get the fund in place so producers will be covered from losses when they are not paid for grain they deliver to a buyer or a storage facility. "I commend these individuals and others for working with the Legislature to address the need for developing self-funded solutions to benefit the Texas grain industry," Staples said in a Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) news release. "Protecting grain producers from losses due to (grain buyer) failures is a smart investment toward protecting our overall economy and ensuring consumer demand is met." Since the February meeting, final rules have been adopted for the referendum and members of the board are working to educate

producers regarding the referendum. The money supporting the fund will come from collections at the first point of sale of a grain commodity like wheat, corn, soybeans or sorghum. Some states’ fund assessment is for the amount to be two-tenths of one percent of sale (.002). This is projected to build a $12-15 million fund in four years. The indemnity fund will be 100 percent farmer supported and will operate at no cost to the state. The board will determine the maximum amount of the assessment and it will be included in the referendum vote. If a loss does occur, the indemnity fund would cover up to 90 percent of the farmer’s losses. “We dealt with a large grain elevator bankruptcy in north central Texas a couple of years ago and it took about two years for it to get cleared up,” said Charles Ray Huddleston in an interview with the TFB Radio Network. “In my situation we got about 35 cents on the dollar for the value of the grain.” Referendum ballots must be post-marked by Dec. 7. Ballots may be picked up at Texas AgriLife Extension Service county offices and must be mailed to TDA. A 66 percent majority vote must be cast in order for the referendum to pass. The collections for the assessment will begin early 2013 if the referendum passes. The grain indemnity board is still determining the levels of the initial assessment. “Personally I hope I never have to collect from this fund but it gives peace of mind to know that this will be there in the event of a failure like what we’ve seen in the past,” Huddleston said.

Nathan Smith, Field Editor

For a good many years, it has been recommended that heifers be developed to breeding to weigh 60-65% of estimated mature weight to insure high levels of first-breeding reproductive performance. Recent research with British-Continental types has indicated that a lower percentage of weight may be optimum, considering both biological and economic factors. Estimation of a heifer’s percentage of mature weight is often based on the average mature weight of the whole herd. A study was conducted to investigate possibilities of improving on use of that average. A maturity index (MI) was developed which included, in order of predictive importance, pre-breeding weight, birth weight, age, and dam weight. MI was found to be more accurate than basing percentage of mature weight on herd-average mature weight. The authors concluded that heifers of “relatively older age, smaller birth weight, smaller dam weight, and higher pre-breeding weight fed at higher nutritional levels would have a relatively higher maturity index and thereby a greater probability of becoming pregnant.” (2009 Univ. of Nebraska Beef Report, p. 15) In more recent reports, MI was compared to revenue, cost, and profit. Higher MI was associated with higher cost. Highest profit occurred at MI slightly below the MI producing highest gross revenue. The economically optimum MI was 61.3 (a heifer weighing 61.3% of her own mature weight at 15 months of age); however, that resulted from a nutritional level producing a heifer weighing 53% of herd-average mature weight, not of the heifer’s own mature weight. (Continued on pg. 3)

A Maturity Index to Estimate Breeding Readiness and Profitability in Heifers

BEEF CATTLE BROWSING

Dr. Stephen Hammack, Professor & Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Emeritus


FARM AND RANCH SHOW

Texas AgXchange When ……………………...Oct. 4&5 Where..RMB Regional Fairgrounds, 1213 Terry Shamsie Blvd. Events: South Texas Commodity

Symposium Extension Service Ag Conference Outdoor/Indoor Exhibits CEU’s to be offered FMI: www.TexasAgXchange.com

AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION OF

iPads & iPhone Workshop

Oct. 23 Pre-Registration Required

(361)767-5223 By Oct. 19

Class is limited SEE INSERT FOR MORE

DETAILS

iPad door prize to be awarded

Some interesting interactions were found. Restricting nutrition to younger heifers out of larger dams reduced profit. Conversely, high nutrition to older heifers out of smaller dams also reduced profit. The authors suggested that “when managing in groups, decision makers should either select like animals that match the management regime or the management regimes should be adjusted to match the animals selected.” (2012 Univ. of Nebraska Beef Report, p. 41 and p. 43)

EFFECT OF CASTRATION TECHNIQUE ON PERFORMANCE Calves averaging 200 days of age and 471 lbs were allotted to one of five groups:

castrated surgically using an emasculator

castrated with a Callicrate Bander

castrated surgically with a Henderson Castrating Tool

left intact as bulls

castrated surgically at 52 days of age (controls)

After 14 days, calves castrated earlier at 52 days of age and intact bulls had gained significantly more than the other groups, among which there was no significant difference. However, by 84 days, when the study was concluded, there was no significant difference among all groups in gain, nor in daily feed intake, daily water intake, gain:feed ratio, or residual feed intake. Surgical castration at the start of the study resulted in a short-term inflammatory response and banding resulted in a delayed response. NOTE: Other re-search has shown that pain due to castration is more acute and lasts longer as age, weight, and testicular size increase, so early castra-tion is more humane and is strongly recommended as a part of Beef Quality Assurance. (J. Animal Sci. 90:2345; Univ. of Florida)

A MATURITY INDEX TO ESTIMATE BREEDING READINESS AND PROFITABILITY IN HEIFERS

(Continued from pg. 2)


Bobby R. McCool County Extension Agent Agriculture/Natural Resources Texas AgriLife Extension Service, San Patricio County

Disclaimer - the information herein is for informational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is implied. Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin. Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service, or accommodation in order to participate in any Extension event are encouraged to contact their County Extension Office at 361-364-6234 at least one week in advance of the program in order for proper arrangements to be made.

In the event of a name, address or phone number change please contact the office at:

Texas AgriLife Extension Service

219 N. Vineyard Attn: Ag/NR

Sinton, Texas 78387 (361) 364-6234

Visit us online! http://sanpatricio.agrilife.org

Bobby R. McCool San Patricio County Extension Agent Agriculture/Natural Resources 219 N. Vineyard Sinton, TX 78387

Nonprofit Organization

US Postage

PAID

Permit No.115

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