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Cotton harvest was still a ways off, and some producers were preparing to apply harvest aides to get the cotton out in a timely manner. Increased fall armyworm activity is being reported around the state and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts recommend forage producers be prepared to fight infestations. See, 2022 crop year: "Worse than 2011" Fall armyworm populations typically build following large rain events that promote grass growth for the pest populations to develop and build. [Extracted from the article]

Wheat harvest is upon us, and that leads us to think about forage opportunities after harvest is complete. If the cropland is not irrigated, receiving some rains after wheat harvest is, of course, going to be necessary to grow that forage crop. [Extracted from the article]

The 2022 Texas hay production outlook appears in doubt due to high fertilizer prices and widespread drought.. Joe Paschal, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock specialist, Corpus Christi, and Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension forage specialist, Overton, said dry weather, high temperatures and reduced inputs like fertilizer have inhibited warm-season grass production across much of Texas. Avoid overstocking as forage conditions decline Paschal said hay production and grazing conditions were spotty and mirror scattered rainfall in south Central Texas from Del Rio to Kerrville and east of Corpus Christi back to the Rio Grande River. Plan for tight supplies, test hay Both Corriher-Olson and Paschal expect hay supplies to be tight and low quality going into winter if conditions do not reverse soon. [Extracted from the article]

Watermelon production was coming to a close, and cantaloupe and honeydew harvests were well underway in the Rio Grande Valley. Cotton planting continued, and wheat harvest was underway, though very few acres were being harvested for grain. Cantaloupe producers have reported that the lack of rainfall and excess moisture has resulted in brix levels rivaling famed Pecos cantaloupes, Stein said. The rainfall should encourage crop and forage growth. [Extracted from the article]

Texas olives face hard seasons, hopeful future Olives were first planted in Texas around 1995 and were becoming an increasingly successful niche crop for hobbyists and Texas olive oil producers between 2015 and 2020. Some understocked pastures had some available forage with good nutrient value, but most rangelands and pastures were stressed from drought and overgrazing. Soil moisture conditions were fair in some areas, but high temperatures and winds were causing moisture decline. Texas' burgeoning olive industry has been aided by recent Texas A&M AgriLife Research variety trials and grants from Texas Department of Agriculture, Janak said. [Extracted from the article]

Pecan crops were as expected with those with a heavy crop last year struggling and those who were light last year enjoyed a good harvest with very good prices. "Feed prices and decreased production are among the top factors driving egg prices up, but then the dip in cheddar prices compared to rising butter prices is a little bit more difficult to say why with the available information", he said. It typically goes back to supply and demand, so if prices went down, they likely had a good crop or lower than normal demand, and if the price went up, there might be an issue in production or supply and/or increased demand." Costs for preparing holiday meals will be higher this year as prices for most everyday staples and specialty items used in traditional baking recipes are up, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. [Extracted from the article]

Overall range and pasture conditions were poor to fair, and overall crop conditions were fair to good. Small grain crops and native pastures needed more rain. While prospects for cool-season crops in South and Central Texas look positive, increased production costs and pandemic-related challenges will likely have a negative impact on pricing and producer profitability, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. [Extracted from the article]

Producers were busy with silage and corn harvests and planting wheat and preparing for cotton harvest. Wheat plantings should ramp up once fields dry enough, but fertilizer and fuel prices and nitrogen fertilizer availability may impact producer decisions and ultimately acres. Consumers can expect higher prices and fewer options for whole turkeys leading into this Thanksgiving, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. [Extracted from the article]

Factors weighing on cotton prices Robinson said the cotton price rally started three weeks ago when it became clear prices would be up and the number of futures contracts held by long speculators were targeting cotton. Prices good for cotton growers Robinson said Texas cotton growers should not expect prices to necessarily continue climbing. Consumers and cotton prices Despite some reports, Robinson said higher cotton prices are not the reason consumers may see higher prices on cotton-dependent clothing and apparel. [Extracted from the article]

Although recent rains have greened up drought-stricken pastures in northwest Iowa, grazing is pretty well finished for this season. If chopping the corn for silage, allow a minimum of three weeks for fermentation, and test the silage for nitrates before feeding. B Feed greenchopped corn or corn silage. b Northwest Iowa pasture and hayfields were as not as productive this summer, but we have a bright spot - our corn crop. [Extracted from the article]

Texas pumpkin growers faced countless challenges to produce average yields, but demand for the fall cooking and decorative staple remains high, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Migrant harvest crews with H-2A work visas he typically hires were not allowed into the country, and finding people to harvest, clean and stack pumpkins has been his biggest challenge this season. Field preparation continued in other fields for small grain planting once rain has provided moisture. Winter pasture and wheat plantings began and should pick up with recent moisture. [Extracted from the article]

Beef cattle prices and forage conditions have been much improved for Texas producers so far in 2021, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. "Nights are cooler, so I doubt there will be any additional summer grass growth even if it did rain, but we could use the moisture to replenish tank water for livestock and wildlife and for any winter pasture that is planted." Cattle, forage conditions in South, Southwest Early dry conditions turned extremely wet as the Upper Coast entered summer while rains came later and lighter to South and Southwest Texas, Paschal said. Pastures remained dry and in need of rain, but rangeland and pasture ratings ranged from poor to excellent. [Extracted from the article]

B Feed green-chopped corn or corn silage b NW Iowa pasture and hay fields were as not as productive this summer, but we have a bright spot - our corn crop. Green-chopped corn is an excellent fall feed, and corn silage is a great winter feed. Although recent rains have greened up drought-stricken pastures in northwest Iowa, grazing is "pretty-well finished" for this season. [Extracted from the article]

Farmers who typically grew confectionary sunflower and sesame seed reduced alternative acres or dropped the crops for the 2021 season altogether to take advantage of higher prices elsewhere, Trostle said. Alternative crops like sunflowers and black-eyed peas experienced a mixed bag of production and market conditions this season, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. The crop is the No. 4 oilseed globally, but it is a delicate crop that continues to be hand-harvested throughout most of the rest of the world because traditional varieties shatter their seed, which makes mechanical harvest difficult. [Extracted from the article]

For example, peanut-producing areas that received 1.9 inches of rainfall from April to September last year received 1.8 inches of rainfall in April alone this year. Texas peanut growers have favorable market and growing conditions, and with a little down-the-stretch cooperation from Mother Nature, 2021 could be a bumper year, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Corn and sorghum growers were stopping harvest midway through a field due to high moisture levels, thus slowing harvest. Hay baling delays continued due to rainfall events, but hay production was at record levels after the first cutting. [Extracted from the article]

Out-of-control weeds are the latest challenge to hit Texas producers among the negative effects related to untimely rains since late spring, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Heavy rains saturated soils in many areas around the state initially, and sporadic rains since have continued to make fieldwork, especially weed control, difficult from the Coastal Bend to parts of the Panhandle, Nolte said. Soil moisture levels were short to adequate in northern and central parts of the district, with southern areas reporting adequate soil moisture levels. Nolte said there were some cotton fields with a range of maturity ranging from 6-inch-tall plants to plants with blooms due to the rainfall. [Extracted from the article]

When managed with care and patience, a prairie-modeled pasture planting can provide high-yielding, good-quality forage in the hottest and driest part of the growing season. If I were to make a playlist for establishing native warm-season pastures, these songs would be on it: "Patience" by Guns N' Roses "No Rush" by Josh Turner "Fools Rush In" by Elvis Presley "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes "I'm in a Hurry" by Alabama Yes, patience is the theme of the playlist, and patience is a virtue when establishing pastures that mimic native prairie ecosystems. [Extracted from the article]

The soil moisture has created an excellent soil moisture index for hay-producing parts of the state that Corriher-Olson said could, with a few timely rains, carry good hay production into October. The rainfall and previous rains have dramatically improved rangeland, pasture, and corn and sorghum conditions. Rains and the threat of rain have kept forage producers in hay-producing regions of the state out of fields and behind schedule for the season, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. PANHANDLE Timely rains improved the soil moisture profile, benefitted the maturity and yields of winter small grains, and improved emergence of recently planted crops. [Extracted from the article]

The enterprise also has pasture and row crop ground in Carroll County, roughly 15 miles from the Robbins' farmstead. The Iowa Cattlemen's Association recently recognized Justin and Lacie Robbins of Robbins Land & Cattle LLC as the 2021 Iowa Environmental Stewardship Award Program winner. From rebuilding and implementing farm ponds on pasture ground to establishing cover crops on a large portion of his row crop acres, Justin strives to leave the land better today than he found it yesterday. [Extracted from the article]

Drought and good prices will influence the final total acres of cotton planted, especially in Texas, said John Robinson, AgriLife Extension cotton marketing economist in the Texas A&M University Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station. Small amounts of rainfall received could help germinate dry-planted cotton and aid cereal crop filling. Irrigation would likely not support the crop without rainfall because the moisture deficit is too high. Jim Hogg County reported some rainfall improved crop and pasture conditions slightly. [Extracted from the article]

Going forward Take these actions to safeguard your pastures: B Monitor drought conditions regularly. b This will provide direction in how to proceed this spring with turnout, seeding, fertilization and weed control. B Check forage stand for plant vigor and density. b If drought conditions improve, consider frost seeding red clover or interseeding drought-tolerant species. [Extracted from the article]

Texas spinach growers were reporting fewer planted acres due to COVID-19, but excellent quality and growing conditions this season, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. EAST Rain and snow rolled through the region saturating the ground and filling up ponds. The rainfall and a recent snowstorm have improved soil conditions, but more rain will be needed before planting season. PANHANDLE Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions were mostly very short with reports of short topsoil moisture in central areas of the district. [Extracted from the article]

Throughout his childhood, Wade Dooley has dealt with flooding every year on his farm along the Iowa River in Marshall County, Iowa. Cover crops also help improve soil water infiltration, drying out flooded soil and making it easier to plant. [Extracted from the article]

Liberty, Ill., farmer Brett Mathews says he's nearly done putting fence back around his family's 200-acre farm. "I have a row crop farmer who's planting cover crops and a grazier who lives nearby that wants to graze those cover crops for fall and winter forage. But farmers who raise both crops and livestock profit an average $77 per acre when grazing cover crops because of cost savings on winter feed, Filbert says. [Extracted from the article]

Drones have become increasingly important within the agriculture industry, leading farmers to consider purchasing them to further the technological advances on each farm. Drones now have the capability for farmers to buy software subscriptions that are compatible with their drones. Graph Drones and livestock The drone's ability to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time is useful for other common farm activities. [Extracted from the article]

Sugarcane aphids are not "as big a deal as they were years ago", says Pat Porter, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension entomologist, Lubbock. Forage sorghum Forage sorghum, however, continues to be affected by sugarcane aphids because there are very few aphid-tolerant forage sorghum hybrids. Texas A&M AgriLife Research efforts show that timely identification and management help reduce sugarcane aphid effects on forage yields and quality. "With the arrival of sugarcane aphids on the Texas High Plains, we have seen many forage sorghum fields lost to sugarcane aphid feeding as well as yield and quality reductions", she said. [Extracted from the article]

This "pasture cropping" - integrating crops and livestock to regenerate soil health - maintains perennial grasses in a pasture for livestock to graze while simultaneously growing annual crops. Dryland cover crops for grazing In eastern Washington, dryland farmers work with the Okanogan Conservation District and the Washington State Department of Agriculture to integrate cover crops and livestock grazing. Graph WINTER FOOD: Dryland farmers near Okanogan, Wash., intercrop a cover crop with their cash crop for winter livestock grazing. [Extracted from the article]

Texas' hay season has been a mixed bag for producers with results heavily dependent on Mother Nature and timing, said Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service forage specialist. The Texas A&M AgriLife station in Corpus Christi recorded around 2 inches of rainfall in 2020 before a recent rain, and McGinty said the number was from many small rains that likely evaporated. But the station recorded 2.3 inches of rainfall from one rain event last week, and more rain was forecast. Recent rains should help rangeland and pasture conditions and get hay fields growing again for a second cutting. [Extracted from the article]

Every plant has a specific system of production, from planting to flowering to seed production to senescence. Chen notes that ZeaKal discovered a two-gene technology - branded PhotoSeed - that could boost oil in plants by up to 8% of dry weight. [Extracted from the article]

Tuesdays at the Fairview Sale Barn in Fairview, Ill., mean fat cattle and cull cow sales, and on a normal Tuesday in April, they'd run 300 head through the ring. Normally, they'd have buyers from four plants for slaughter cows and bulls, and three buyers for fat cattle. But nothing is normal these days, and Jake Fidler, the third-generation owner at Fairview, says for the first time ever, the sale barn didn't have a single market buyer for fats. [Extracted from the article]

Rains last fall filled soil moisture profiles for much of the state and set up a good yield potential for Texas farmers, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. "Deep soil moisture and regular rains through summer could bump yields of corn, sorghum and cotton up 10%-20%, and even more if you're a West Texas dryland farmer. Those rains brought much of those areas out of drought and created a deep soil moisture profile. [Extracted from the article]

Uncertainty surrounding the spread of coronavirus has Texas cotton producers in limbo regarding their crop options for 2020, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Nearly all counties reported adequate soil moisture, fair crop conditions and good overall rangeland and pasture conditions. Cold temperatures and much-needed rain delayed planting. Pasture and rangeland subsoil and topsoil moisture were short to adequate. [Extracted from the article]

Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, usually to help them thrive or to thwart competitors, predators or pathogens, but they can be important nutrients for grazing animals. Increasing plant diversity decreases vasodilation in the cattle and helps neutralize toxins including endophytes. The pastured beef and a few homegrown vegetables, fruits and herbs and forbs I eat every day represent hundreds and maybe thousands of different phytochemical compounds. [Extracted from the article]

Preparations and planting in South Texas are kicking off the 2020 growing season, but the region, like much of the state, is behind on rainfall, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists. Some warm-season crops are being planted, and growers are preparing cropland, including prewatering to improve soil moisture levels for seeds. Recent rains helped build the soil moisture profile. Continuous rain saturated the soil and more rain was forecast. [Extracted from the article]

Producers in Texas' Cotton Belt reported lower than expected yields as a result of a tough beginning, middle and end to the 2019 growing season, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Serviceexperts. Extended rain and wet conditions delayed plantings, and many producers missed the deadline to have seeds in the ground. Winter wheat planting was in full swing, and producers were finally seeing emergence following recent rains. Rangeland and pasture conditions improved in counties that received moisture. [Extracted from the article]

The future of U.S. pork belly supplies isn't so clear despite reports of an impending bacon shortage in 2020, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist. In general, pasture and soil conditions improved with recent rains, but a few areas continued supplemental feeding of hay and protein for cattle due to drier conditions. LaSalle County reported up to 2 inches of rain, and Dimmit County reported 3 inches of rain. Pasture, rangeland and winter crop conditions continued to improve in areas that received rainfall. [Extracted from the article]

Soil moisture levels and rainfall patterns delayed field activities and there were concerns about late plantings exposing plants to heat or drought conditions. There were also some issues of lost acres due to too much rain or poorly timed rains in other areas. Yields were variable in the Panhandle and were impacted by heat and drought, he said, though some acres benefited from spotty rains. "A lot of the Panhandle is irrigated, but even those acres depend on some rain when temperatures are that high and moisture levels are so low", he said. [Extracted from the article]

Texas' pumpkin growers expect a below-average harvest this season as they dealt with early-season rains and extreme heat and drought through the summer months. Pawnee pecan harvest should have started, but many pecan orchards were not prepared for harvest due to rain. Jefferson County received 43 inches of rain in 24 hours, which damaged rice crops, flooded hay stocks and stressed livestock. [Extracted from the article]

Texas rice growers faced a challenging 2019 due to early and late-season rains, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research expert. Texas' rice crop includes 100 percent of main crop acreage and the acres that producers decide to take to a second harvest, also known as the ratoon crop. Moisture may affect cotton yields and quality for bolls open to the rain. [Extracted from the article]