Pike County Farm and Garden - uaex.edu 2017 Newsletter.pdf · 2017. 10. 26. · hay while grazing...
Transcript of Pike County Farm and Garden - uaex.edu 2017 Newsletter.pdf · 2017. 10. 26. · hay while grazing...
1
Decreasing Waste, Increasing
Gain: Winter Feeding Tips
Following a cooler and wetter summer than
average, the water faucet got turned off
and a drought set in for most of September
and October for much of Arkansas. Thank-
fully most producers experienced greater
than average hay production this summer
and have plenty of reserved roughages.
Our specialist and agents have been rec-
ommending the addition of fall forages
such as brassicas
and wheat for the
last several years.
During times of
dry weather, farm-
ers are reminded
that the weather is
many times the
greatest limiting
agent to their operation. With that said, I
recommend that area producers remain
conscientious of winter weather outlooks.
Winter annuals can provide nutritious,
plentiful forages to bridge the gap between
winter and spring.
How we feed our hay is a crucial factor in
determining how much should be stored.
Proper storage allows hay to be a vital
source of nutrition for several years. Next
year could be a drought and a surplus of
stored hay will be money in the bank.
Rolling out hay or placing bales without a
hay ring can lead to a great amount of
waste. Trampling and defecating on the
hay while grazing is a likely problem that
will occur with these methods of feeding.
This method also leads to a greater
amount of weeds being spread in the field,
Using a hay bale ring will limit the amount
of waste due to these actions. Using a
feeder that raises the hay off the ground
will also reduce waste.
Submitting hay samples for analysis gives
producers a greater understanding of the
nutrition they are provid-
ing their herd. Other-
wise, supplemental feed-
ing is a guessing game.
The greatest waste re-
ducer is using a shred-
der/mixer and feeding in
bunks. However, this
method does have a
large initial cost and may
not be feasible for small operations.
Please take this scenario into considera-
tion. Storing a bale uncovered, on the
ground can result in a loss of 30% dry mat-
ter. Unrolling the bale can result in another
40% percent loss. Combined 70% of the
bale is lost. That’s roughly 700 lbs of a
1,000 lb bale. Enough to feed a 1000 lb
cow for a month. With winter feeding mak-
ing around 70% of the total operational
cost, a producer can quickly see that feed-
ing methods can easily decrease wastes
and increase gains.
Pike County Farm and Garden
Inside this Issue
Cover- Reducing Waste,
Increasing Gain.: Winter
Feeding Tips
Page 2- Gardening Ba-
sics: Soil Health
Page 2– Privet Control
Demo
Page 3– Ag Demonstra-
tion Summary
Back– Calendar and Pro-
gramming Schedule
Inside this Issue
Cover- Reducing Waste,
Increasing Gain.: Winter
Feeding Tips
Page 2- Gardening Ba-
sics: Soil Health
Page 2– Privet Control
Demo
Page 3– Ag Demonstra-
tion Summary
Back– Calendar and Pro-
gramming Schedule
Inside this Issue
Cover– Decreasing Waste,
Increasing Gain: Winter
Feeding Tips
Page 2- Gardening Basics:
Soil Health
Page 3– Privet Control
Demo
Page 3– Ag Agent Demon-
stration Summary
Back– Calendar and Pro-
gramming Schedule
The University of Arkansas
System Division of Agriculture
offers all its Extension and Re-
search programs to all eligible
persons without regard to race,
color, sex, gender identity,
sexual orientation, national
origin, religion, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, ge-
netic information, or any other
legally protected status, and is
an Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity Employer.
Terrell Davis, Staff Chair
County Ag Agent
Pike County
Cooperative Extension Service
Fall 2017
2
For all mineral soils, the proportion of sand, silt,
and clay always adds up to 100 percent. These
percentages are grouped into soil texture
“classes”, which have been organized into a
“textural triangle”.
Soil texture can affect the amount of pore
space within a soil. Sand-sized soil particles fit
together in a way that creates large pores; how-
ever, overall there is a relatively small amount
of total pore space. Clay-sized soil particles fit
together in a way that creates small pores;
however, overall there are more pores present.
Therefore, a soil made of clay-sized particles
will have more total pore space than a will a soil
made of sand-sized particles.
Gardening Basics: Soil Health
The base for all agricultural sys-
tems is soil. Whether it is a
home garden, livestock pasture,
or row crop field, soil is the start-
ing point. Understanding some
basic soil properties might help
you when making decisions
about your soil’s health.
Soils texture refers to the com-
position of soil made of the
three soil separates– sand, silt,
and clay. Sand is the largest
and is positively charged. This
means that sand does not have
the ability to “grab” the nutrients
that plants need to perform
basic functions. Pure sand is
infertile and made primarily of
rocks, quartz and other miner-
als.
Silt is basically organic matter.
We can increase the silt compo-
sition of our soils, and add lots
of nutrients, by adding compost.
Silt is more negatively charged
than sand, but still lacks the
strong charge needed to hold
on to essential nutrients.
Clay is the smallest separate
and the most negatively
charged. This charge gives clay
the ability to hold on to nutri-
ents. This is referred to as the
Cation Exchange Capacity or
CEC. You will see this term on
soil reports. Simply put, the
greater the CEC, the greater the
amount of clay in a sample. A
weak CEC indicates that fertiliz-
er might need to be applied
more frequently.
The three main micronutrients
are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus
(P), and Potassium (K). An easy
way to remember the function of
each nutrient is Shoots, Roots,
and Fruits. Nitrogen is required
for vegetative growth. In the
pasture it grows leaves. In the
garden it grows leaves and
stems that will be required for
the blossoms and eventually the
“fruit”. Nitrogen will go through a
physical change and turn to gas
and dissipate. Therefore, never
add nitrogen until you have
plant material that can utilize it.
Phosphorus is needed for root
structure. In lawns, a fall appli-
cation helps the plant overwin-
ter. In gardens, a spring applica-
tion helps the plants to create a
strong network of roots that will
anchor the plant and prepare it
for dry summers. Common
sources of P include bone meal
and rock phosphate.
Potassium is responsible for
many processes in the plant in-
cluding stomata functions and
protein synthesis. Potassium is
often refer to as potash. Wood
ash can be a source for those
who have a wood burning fur-
nace.
Commercial fertilizers are a
good source for all types of sce-
narios because the buyer knows
the content of the fertilizer being
applied. Take into consideration
that organic sources of fertilizer
can vary in quality.
3
Cool Season Control of Chi-
nese Privet
An integral part of the Cooperative
Extension Service is demonstra-
tions. The idea of “I’ll believe it
when I see it” has a powerful per-
suasion to producers and home-
owners alike. This belief also helps
us make scientific recommenda-
tions that are true and proven. One
of this years demonstrations will be
privet control. The first phase will
test the effectiveness of a fall basal
application of 25% Triclopyr
(Remedy Ultra) in a oil based carri-
er such as diesel. Privet has a very
thin, smooth bark which allows the
treatment to soak in.
The other applications include a
hack and squirt application of piclo-
ram and a spring foliar application
of glyphosate on plants under 6’
tall. A summer program will be of-
fered to present demo results.
2017 Demonstration Summaries
Pond Weed Control
Three Pike County Producers al-
lowed ANR Agent Terrell Davis to
install pond weed control demos on
there ponds. Pond 1 was infested
with Water Primrose. An applica-
tion of Imazapyr( Habitat) was ap-
plied in mid-April. Three weeks
post treatment and the pond had
90% control of the Water
Primrose.
The other two treatments
included 2,4-D Amine on
Water Pennywort and
Triclopyr (Renovate) on
Water Pennywort. Both
treatments showed great
control within 2 weeks.
The 2,4-D application did
see re-infestation at a
much lower rate later in
the summer.
One call we get often but was not
tested is water meal and duck-
weed. Tradewind and Clipper are
excellent choices for these two
pests who love to be partners in
crime.
Bermuda Stem Maggot
The BSM demo was installed at the
farm of Tony Kassos on Hwy 27,
south of Murfreesboro. The treat-
ment of 2.6 oz/ac Lambda-cy was
sprayed 10 days post harvest. Data
was collected 40 days post harvest
just before the next cutting. Nutri-
ent analysis determined there was
no significant difference between
treated and controlled. However,
yield differences were dramatic.
Infestation on the control plot was
60% and the treated plot was 25%.
When comparing yields, the control
field produced 17.4 g/ft and the
treated plot produced 31.6 g/ft. Av-
erage height of the control plot
measured 5” and the treated plot
measured 12”. The end result
yielded 55% more dry matter with
the treated plot vs the control plot.
Therefore, producers would be
wise to treat 7-10 days post har-
vest on all hay fields to control Ber-
muda Stem Maggot.
Fall Armyworm Control
The FAW demo was installed with
producers Bubba and Stephanie
Jackson on their lease at the jct of
Hwy 379 and Pike City Road. A
control plot, a plot treated with
Lambda-cy @ 3.2 oz/ac, a plot
treated with Lambda-cy 3.2 + Dimil-
lin @ 2 oz/ac, and a plot treated
with Besiege @ 6 oz/ac made the
demo. Worm counts were taken on
days 3, 7, 14, and 21 after treat-
ment. Re-infestation never oc-
curred therefore, residual control
could not be established. However,
initial control was established and
gave some insight to potential
choices for future insecticide choic-
es.
In the chart below, the average
number of Fall Armyworms per plot
were collected from days 3-21.
4
Upcoming Ag and Natural Resources Programming
November
27– Private Pesticide Applicator’s Training– Murfreesboro—Pike Co CES Office– 6:00
28– Private Pesticide Applicator’s Training– Glenwood– Pike Co Fairgrounds– 6:00
December
1– Retirement reception for Mrs. Avonne Petty– Murfreesboro Municipal Building—4:00-6:00
5– Pike County Cattlemen’s Meeting– Murfreesboro Municipal Building– 6:30
7– Beekeeping Basics with Dr. Z– Glenwood- Pike Co Fairgrounds– 6:00 PM
14– Four States Cattle Conference– Texarkana– TAMU Texarkana– 8:00
February
6– Winter Annuals/ Electric Fencing/ Drill Calibration Demo– M’boro Municipal Building– 3:30 PM
6– Pike County Cattlemen’s Meeting– Murfreesboro Municipal Building
15– Crepe Myrtle Pruning Demo– Glenwood- Pike Co Fairgrounds– 12:00-12:30
22– Rose Pruning Demo– CADC Sr Citizens Center– Glenwood– 11:00-11:30
26– Private Pesticide Applicator’s Training– Murfreesboro– Pike Co CES– 6:00
27– Private Pesticide Applicator’s Training– Glenwood– Pike Co Fairgrounds– 6:00
Don’t forget to bring in your samples!
Soil– FREE
Hay- $18 Routine*
Feed- $18 Routine*
Litter- $18 (as feed), $27 (as fertilizer)
We ship samples Monday through Wednesday.
* Routine checks moisture, %CP, ADF, NDF, TDN, NE
Pike Co Cooperative Extension Service
870-285-2161
Did you know that current and past newsletters can be found at uaex.edu/pike?