Agriculture Natural Resources AUGUST 2017 Newsletter

Transcription

1 Agriculture Natural Resources AUGUST 2017 Newsletter Linda McClanahan, Mercer County Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources Cooperative Extension Service Mercer County 1007 Lexington Road Harrodsburg, KY (859) Fax: (859) mercer.ca.uky.edu MONEY FOR FARM IMPROVEMENTS AVAILABLE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM (CAIP) Applications will be available for Mercer County s CAIP to assist farmers in making important on-farm investments. Application Period: July 19 August 9, 2017 No applications will be accepted after August 9. Mercer County Conservation District 227 Morris Drive Harrodsburg, KY john.overing@ky.nacdnet.net Application Availability: Mercer County Conservation District Office Monday Friday (8 a.m. 4:00 p.m.) For More Information: Contact John Overing at or john.overing@ky.nacdnet.net All applications are scored, based on the scoring criteria set by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board. Mercer County Cooperative Extension Office Open House Thursday, August 10 th from 6-8pm Come out and learn about all the services and programs that are available through the Mercer County Extension Office and enjoy a free meal! RSVP by calling MERCER COUNTY FARMERS MARKET The market is open at The Stable, Home of the Mercer County Farmers Market at the Fairgrounds. Hours are Wednesdays 3-6 PM and Saturdays 9 AM-1 PM. Extension Agents Jessica Bessin and Luci Hockersmith have teamed up to offer a Garden Flavors Program monthly at the Farmers Market. Come out August 9 th to learn about sweet corn.

2 Reducing Shipping Fever in Beef Calves Dr. Roy Burris, Beef Extension Professor, University of Kentucky Kentucky is a major feeder calf producing state but our calves are generally shipped to other parts of the country where they are finished. Feedlots are generally about a 1,000 miles from our farms and calves are sometimes weaned on trucks and might even be commingled from several sources. These procedures may represent stress, exposure to disease pathogens and, consequently, economic losses to the beef industry and our cattle producers. Shipping Fever, or Bovine Respiratory Disease, is the major health problem encountered by beef calves upon arrival at cattle feeding operations. There are many management practices, in addition to vaccinations, that can aid in reducing the occurrence of shipping fever. These efforts generally focus on (1) increasing disease resistance of calves and (2) lowering or spreading out the disease challenge. Resistance can be increased by providing good nutrition, immunity (including vaccinations), disposition and maintaining good overall health. The disease challenge can be several of the following factors: weaning, castration, dehorning, feed and water deprivation, inclement weather, infectious agents, transportation, dehydration and parasitism. Management practices which can minimize sickness can be considered according to their timing in the production cycle of feedlot cattle pre-shipment, during shipment and post-shipment (receiving). Pre-shipment practices. Calves should get a good start in life. Intake of colostrum at birth can help get calves off to a good start and provide them with immunity. Preconditioning is a practices that gets feeder calves ready for shipment to feedlots. Preconditioned generally refers to calves that are preweaned (45 days), vaccinated and boostered, trained to eat feed and drink from a trough, treated for internal and external parasites, dehorned and castrated (healed). During shipment. Calves that may have been recently weaned are commingled with other calves (and potential pathogens) and may undergo crowding along with feed and water deprivation. Transportation stress manifests itself in the form of shrink (weight loss) and sickness. Weight loss is in the form of gut fill and tissue fluid loss and must be regained before the cattle begin to make production gain (return to payweight). The time that cattle are in transit has the greatest effect on shrink and should be minimized. Rumen function is also reduced as much as 75% during feed and water deprivation. (continued on next page)

3 Post-shipment (receiving). When cattle are received at the feedlot after hauling, they should consume feed and water as soon as possible even before processing. Feed intake of stressed calves will not be normal upon arrival. Thus, they should receive an energy dense diet that contains about 16% crude protein. Potassium level in the receiving diet should also be increased to 1.2 to 1.4%. Calves have generally been receiving forage diets and can best be started on lowstarch feeds and leafy, clean hay. Bunk space should be adequate and waterers should be kept clean. Shipping fever results in major losses to the beef feeding industry. Vaccinations and management practices can, if used properly, decrease those losses. Immunity is needed before disease challenges occur and disease challenges should be minimized and spread out. Researchers from the U.K. Department of Animal and Food Sciences (Matthews, Burris and Bridges) are working on increasing immunity of calves before shipping by improving their trace mineral nutrition. A study was recently conducted and data is now being analyzed to determine if we could improve the immune status of calves which were removed immediately from the pasture, and their dams, and shipped for 18 hours (around 900 miles) on a semi-trailer. Calves were not commingled with other calves or off-loaded at different locations. They were brought back to their original location so that we could measure the effects of transit stress on green calves which had received different forms of selenium since conception. We are looking at performance, morbidity, mortality, return-topayweight, etc. along with blood parameters which are indicative of stress and immunity. More results later from this exciting research. ANIMAL SCHEDULE August 17-20, 2017 Dairy Goats, Dairy Cattle, Poultry, Pigeons and Rabbits August 17-22, 2017 Mules & Jacks August 21, 2017 Changeover Day* August 17-21, 2017 Meat Goats August 22-27, 2017 Sheep August 23-27, 2017 Swine and Beef Cattle August 24, H & FFA Sale of Champions August 27, 2017 Draft Horse and Mule Pull WEST WING Stop by! Hundreds of animals make their home in the West Wing during the Kentucky State Fair dairy cattle, beef cattle and Miller s border collies. Daily breed show schedules will be posted. PAVILION Drop in for the poultry, pigeons, rabbits, pigs and sheep Rooster Showdown Crowing Contest! Daily breed show schedules will be posted. *Changeover Day is when animals are moved in and out of West Wing and Pavilion.

4 Mercer County Farm Bureau Young Farmers Pool Party We have rented Anderson Dean Park Pool for our Summer Cookout for local young farm families! Free Admission and Free Food Sunday, August 6, 2017 at 6:00pm Please come out for an evening of fun for the whole family! The Mercer County Farm Bureau Federation s Young Farmer Committee would like to invite all local young farmers to a free family pool party at Anderson Dean Park Pool. Call Beth Kelly at the Farm Bureau office, , Zack Ison , or Jamie DeHart to reserve your meal for the Young Farmer Pool Party. Please RSVP by August 3.

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6 Update on Southern Rust of Corn Carl A. Bradley, Extension Plant Pathologist Southern rust of corn (caused by the fungus, Puccinia polysora) caused yield losses on several acres of corn in Kentucky during 2016, which raised awareness of this disease going into the 2017 growing season. The southern rust pathogen does not overwinter in Kentucky (or really much at all in the continental U.S.), thus, occurrence of southern rust is different every growing season. Each year, southern rust generally is observed first in southern states (such as Texas and Louisiana), and weather systems move rust spores northward into states like Kentucky. Fungicide Application Guidelines When it comes to yield losses caused by this disease, timing is everything. It is not uncommon for southern rust to show up late in the season in Kentucky after a point in time when yield losses are unlikely. Although more research is needed in Kentucky to help determine the exact point in the crop s development southern rust infections will not cause yield losses, Table 1 provides general guidelines. This table was modified from a Texas A&M University publication, and developed by several plant pathologists across the corn-production region in the U.S. According to these general guidelines, if southern rust is observed between tasseling and R3 (milk stage), then protecting leaves with a foliar fungicide may be beneficial. If southern rust is observed at R4 (dough stage), then a benefit from a fungicide is not as likely, and fungicides will not provide a benefit at R5 (dent) or beyond. Table 1. Possible benefit from spraying a fungicide at different corn developmental stages in which southern rust is first detected. (Table modified from Texas A&M University publication) Crop stage in which Southern Rust is first detected Vegetative VT (tassel) to R3 (milk) R4 (dough) R5 (dent) and beyond Possible benefit from spraying a fungicide Not likely to find southern rust at this stage Yes Maybe, with severe disease pressure No Status in Kentucky Southern rust on corn was confirmed by the University of Kentucky July 17 from a sample taken in Graves County and has been confirmed in several Western Kentucky counties since. While this is an earlier-than-normal occurrence of the disease, crop progress and timing are very important factors on whether it will cause significant yield losses. Producers can track the movement of southern rust on the Integrated Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education website, also known as ipipe, Correct Identification is Critical Scouting is important, as well as properly identifying southern rust. Southern rust can easily be confused with common rust, especially at the early stages of development (Figure 1). Since the threat of yield loss of most yellow dent corn hybrids to common rust is low, properly differentiating between common and southern rust is extremely important. Working with a local County Extension Agent to submit samples to the University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (PDDL) is important for proper identification and to help Extension personnel get the word out about southern rust. Recently, a picture of common rust affecting a Kentucky corn field was widely circulated with the assumption that it was southern rust, but when the sample was submitted to the PDDL, it turned out to be common rust. Tips on how to differentiate between common and southern rust are available on a free on-line video available here:

7 U.S. Ships First Beef to China: What Does this Mean for Cattle Producers? Brian R. Williams, Assistant Extension Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University Negotiations with China regarding the details of an agreement to ship U.S. beef to China have been ongoing for the last few months, and were finalized early last week. It didn t take long for the Greater Omaha Packing Company to take advantage. Last week, the beef packing company sent the first shipment of U.S. beef to China in 14 years. This presents a tremendous opportunity for U.S. beef producers. China is the world s second largest economy, and has a rapidly growing middle class. As China s middle class grows, so will China s demand for animal proteins. Despite gaining access to what will likely become one of the world s largest importers of beef, the trade deal does come with its caveats. Any beef that is shipped to China from the U.S. must meet a few requirements. First, all beef must be less than 30 months of age. That requirement isn t much of a problem, as the majority of beef coming out of U.S. feedlots easily falls under the age of 30 months. Second, the cattle must be traceable to its place of birth, and finally, the cattle must be free of growth promoters. These last two requirements are a bit more complicated. The U.S. does have an animal identification system in place in the form of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), however according to a study conducted by the USDA s Economic Research Service, only about a quarter of beef producers nationally are participating in the NAIS. The USDA also has requirements in place related to animal traceability, but the rule only applies to cattle over the age of 18 months that are moved across state lines. In other words, a significant portion of the cattle moving through feedlots across the U.S. are not included in any sort of animal identification system. The final obstacle that U.S. exporters need to overcome to ship beef to China is that the beef must be growth promotant free. According to the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), about 90% of feedlot cattle are given hormones, and close to 100% of the cattle on larger commercial feedlots are given growth promotants. This requirement, in addition to the age and source verification requirement, substantially cuts down on the amount of beef that qualifies for export to China. In the short term, this likely means that potential exports of U.S. beef to China will be somewhat limited. In the long term, prospects are much better. Now that we have our foot in the door, it is likely that a market will develop for beef specifically designated for export to China. The process will start at the top of the beef supply chain and work its way down, beginning with the beef packing industry offering a premium for cattle meeting all of the requirements from feedlots. Feedlots will then start offering a premium to cow-calf producers for feeder cattle that have been age and source verified. As the market for exports of U.S. beef to China grows and becomes established, the long term impact should provide a substantial boost to U.S. beef exports as well as a boost to cattle producers profitability.

8 Mercer County Extension Office 1007 Lexington Road Harrodsburg, KY NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID HARRODSBURG, KY PERMIT #72 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED August 6 August 9 August 10 August 10 August August August 31 September 7 September 7 September 11 September 19 September 21 September Mercer County Young Farmers Pool Party, Anderson Dean Park CAIP Application Deadline, 4pm Rinse & Return Program, 1-4pm Mercer County Extension Council Open House, 6-8pm Kentucky State Fair Pioneer Days, Old Fort Harrod State Park Midwest Beef Summit, Owensboro Mercer County Agriculture Field Day Fort Harrod Back Country Horsemen Meeting, 7pm Mercer County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting Master Cattlemen Series Begins Fort Harrod Goat Association Meeting, 6:30pm Kentucky Grazing School