Pricing the N. February 2009

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1 February 2009 Con t Pricing the N Care of Newly Purchased Bulls 2 3 Hessian Fly 4 Pricing the N N, P, and K are three letters that agricultural producers are quite familiar with. As wheat producers begin to evaluate their fields for potential of a harvestable wheat crop they should also consider their options regarding sources of nitrogen for topdressing. The following fertilizer prices are average prices from 6 fertilizer dealers south of I-40 and east of I-35 at the beginning of February. The price of actual nitrogen was calculated by taking price per ton of fertilizer and dividing it by the total actual pounds of nitrogen in that type of fertilizer. Why Don t We Soil Test This Understanding Neonatal Calf Diarrhea SW Average Actual N Type of Fertilizer ($ per ton) ($ per lb) Anhydrous Ammonia (82-0-0) Urea (46-0-0) Urea Ammonium Nitrate (32-0-0) Urea Ammonium Nitrate (28-0-0) It is easy to see that Anhydrous Ammonia is the cheapest source of nitrogen at $0.25 per actual pound of nitrogen; however it cannot be applied as a topdress source without destroying much of the wheat crop. Urea is the second cheapest source at $0.44 per actual pound of nitrogen. While this is the cheapest topdressing source it may not be the most economical. At the time that wheat producers are considering topdressing they are also considering insecticide, herbicide, and/or pesticide applications. There are really two options producers now have: 1) Use the cheaper source of nitrogen with one pass across the field and apply the other chemicals with a second pass or 2) use a liquid nitrogen source that the other chemicals can be mixed with and apply both in one pass.

2 Using the OSU Oklahoma Farm and Ranch Custom Rates, factsheet, found at osufacts.okstate.ed, and assuming a topdress rate of 30 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre, the following fertilizer costs with application was found: Urea ($/ac) UAN-32 ($/ac) $0.44 x 30 lbs of N= $13.20 $0.46 x 30 lbs of N= $13.80 Applying dry fert Applying liquid fert Fertilizer Cost $16.91 Fertilizer Cost $17.41 If you plan to apply other chemical treatments and can do it for less than $0.50 per acre it is more economical to apply Urea as your topdressing source of nitrogen but if it costs you $4.05 per acre as reported on the factsheet, it is more economical to use UAN-32 as your source of topdress nitrogen in combination with other chemical applications. UAN-32 and UAN-28 are very similar products with varying levels of nitrogen. By comparing these average prices, you can see that UAN-32 is the cheaper source of nitrogen by $0.03 per actual pound of nitrogen. At 30 pounds of nitrogen on 160 acres this is price difference of $144. In a majority of locations both products were not available but if they are, compare the two to determine which provides nitrogen at the cheapest price. This example assumes that everything is being custom applied. These calculations may vary if you already own your own application equipment. Understanding your costs and being able to manage these costs is an important aspect in management. Take the extra time to compare costs and look at the bigger picture instead of focusing on just small individual aspects of production.

3 Care of Newly Purchased Bulls Bob LeValley Bull sale season has arrived and often producers have concerns about purchasing a highly fitted bull that has been on a high concentrate ration. A common complaint of producers is the run down condition of young bulls after their first breeding season. Most young bulls will lose weight and condition. Managing the weight and condition loss may extend the bull s usefulness and productivity, especially during the initial breeding season. Often young gain tested bulls are returned to the owner s ranch to be properly conditioned before the sale date. Any rancher who purchases a young, highly conditioned bull should plan to gradually reduce the fleshiness of the bull before the breeding season. To let these bulls down, it is a good practice to start them on a ration that is not too dissimilar to the one they have been consuming, but that is fed at about 60 to 70 percent of their previous intake. The amount of grain can be reduced by about 10 percent per week until the desired level is achieved. At the same time, substitutions should be made in the form of light, bulky feeds such as oats, alfalfa, and other high quality hay. Ideally, this let down should be completed prior to the time the bulls are turned out. Drastic nutritional changes can have an adverse effect on fertility, so it is important that these ration changes occur gradually. If possible, continue feeding the grain mix at about.5-.75% body weight during the breeding season. For a 1200 lb bull, that would mean 6-9 lbs per day. One might assume that having bulls enter the breeding season overly conditioned would be good, since they would have the chance of still being in good condition at the end of the season. A potential problem with that theory is the bulls might be less active, especially during the heat of the summer. Under conditioned or too thin bulls may perform the same, in that their activity may also be limited. The goal of course, is to have the bulls in the right body condition. A good target is to have the bulls in a body condition score 6. This is about the amount of body fat we would like to see on a first calf heifer at calving time. Plan ahead and find out about the prior nutrition program for the bulls you purchase. That way, no sudden, extreme changes in the diet will occur and you can better manage your investment. For additional information on management considerations for bulls, see the Oklahoma Beef Cattle Manual, available at the OSU Extension Center.

4 Hessian Fly Update Terry Pitts There have been recent detections of Hessian Fly pupae in various wheat fields throughout western Oklahoma this includes areas from the Kansas state line to Texas. This is a reminder that NO remedial actions are suggested for infestations in established wheat fields. If infestations are present at high levels (one or more pupae per tiller) then grazing should be considered as those tillers with pupae will not produce a full head of wheat and lodge. Please note Hessian Fly larvae and Pupae (often called flaxseed) are shown in wheat tillers below: Over summering generation infests wheat in fall Emergence is often triggered by favorable temperatures (45 to 50 degrees, and after a rain event). Note it s not feasible to spray adults or other life stages due to the long periods of egg lay and the fact that larvae and pupae are inside wheat tillers. Hessian Fly Larvae Please remember prevention is suggested for the Hessian Fly and that includes: 1-Destroy volunteer prior to planting Hessian Fly Pupae 2-Plant after the fly free date 3-Plant tolerant or resistant varieties (Duster) When you plant the use of Cruiser or Gaucho seed treatment is suggested. Both Cruiser and Gaucho are labeled for the prevention of a fall infestation of the Hessian Fly. We Adults attack wheat in the fall and infest are seeing Hession Fly infestation in Guacho new emerging plants and repeat the cycle with 2 XT and Cruiser treated wheat this year. We -3 generations per year. will be evaluating our field plots with higher rates of seed treatment insecticides to see if protection is improved with higher rates. We will report our findings at the end of harvest.

5 Why Don t We Soil Test This Time of the Year to Determine Topdress Needs of Wheat for Grain? Mark S. Gregory Soil testing and calibration of those soil tests in Oklahoma has been done for many years and are used for getting a wheat crop off to a good start and for the crop s season-long production. But we also know that many factors during the production season can influence the final crop yield. We prefer to do the soil testing in a continuous conventional wheat production system following harvest but before any residue is tilled into the soil. Once any residue is tilled into the soil, Nitrogen is required by soil micro-organisms to begin to breakdown that old crop residue, thereby affecting the results of a Nitrogen soil test reading. This breakdown can continue into the spring, depending on the weather conditions. The soil test taken in the spring in a wheat field, would give us a Nitrogen value, but with each year being very different, it is difficult to know how much Nitrogen is being released or will be released by soil organic matter. And, even though we have a rule of thumb about how much Nitrogen is removed in forage, by the time a soil test will be taken in the spring, it is difficult to know how much of the season s Nitrogen has already been taken up by the plant. So, the soil test works best with a predicted yield goal determined prior to planting. And it uses the established practice and rule-of-thumb of 2 pounds of Nitrogen required for each bushel of grain expected. The in-season use of a soil test is not a very good indicator of what Nitrogen will be needed for the remainder of the season. However, sensing the growing crop is a good indicator to help determine Nitrogen topdress needs of wheat, because of the many factors that occur during the cropping season and how those factors affect plant growth and final grain yield. Neonatal calf diarrhea or CALF SCOURS generally is caused by one or more of the following disease organisms: Rota virus, Corona virus, Cryptosporidium parvum, E. coli, or Salmonella. Understanding the impact that these disease-causing agents have on baby calves can

6 Understanding Neonatal Calf Diarrhea Gene Parker Jr. DVM help cow-calf managers reduce the adverse effects of calf scours. Adequate, high quality colostrum intake by the calf is important for disease protection. A vigorous baby calf nursing a properly immunized, properly fed dam, is the best line of protection against calf scours. The first 3 organisms on the above list usually cause diarrhea at 7 to 21 days of age, while the common E. coli strains cause diarrhea within the first few days of life. The E Coli bacteria attaches to cells in the lining of the gut and turn on the fluid pump mechanism to cause excess water secretion into the gut. (Cow vaccination is helpful with this form.) The viral scours are caused by decreased absorption of water from the gut as the virus kills the cells of the gut papilla. (Cow vaccination is available but not always effective). Cryptsporidium and Salmonella are zoonotic (transferable to humans) problems. When should I treat the calf? Calves running around the pasture with their tails in the air, bucking and kicking with yellow or white diarrhea may not need treatment. The main indications for treatment are (1) attitude, (2) appetite, (3)dehydration, and (4) body temperature. If the calf is weak, depressed, or reluctant to move, these are all indications that something is wrong. If the calf is not nursing, the cow s udder will be distended and this is a sign of trouble also. Dehydration can be evaluated easily by pulling up the skin on the side of the neck or shoulder. In a normal calf, the skin snaps back into position quickly. In a dehydrated calf, the skin remains "tented" for a period of time the longer it remains "tented" the worse the dehydration. Also, as dehydration worsens, the eyeballs sink back away from the eyelids this is a bad sign and fluids are indicated immediately. Normal body temperature (measured with a rectal thermometer) is F to F. Body temperatures less than 100 F indicate poor circulation due to dehydration and treatment should be started immediately. Greater than 90% of the calves with scours will die due to severe acid/base imbalances associated with dehydration, not from the intestinal infection itself. What are the recommended treatments? The main treatment is fluid therapy. Secondary treatments are antibiotics and nursing care. Because the main problem in scouring calves is loss of body fluid and electrolytes, the primary treatment must be aimed at restoring the water and electrolyte balance. The calves are thirsty, but they are too sick to drink. Therefore, they must be drenched with an oral electrolyte solution. There are a number of excellent commercial products on the market for treatment of calf scours. All of these products contain glucose or a similar material, sodium chloride (table salt), potassium chloride and other electrolytes. The glucose and sodium allow the animal to absorb the water they need from their digestive tract. Giving straight water does not work. Do not use milk, even grandma knew not to give milk to animals with diarrhea, most of the time the fermenting milk will make the diarrhea worse. 2 quarts of the oral fluid solution is given 1 to 3 times per day to the sick calf. Consult with your veterinarian regarding the appropriate oral electrolyte product for your operation. Gatoraid is a good product to use if you find a scouring calf down on Sunday evening after all retail animal health retailers and vets are closed.

7 OSU Cooperative Extension Service This newsletter was developed by your team of Area Specialists in the Southwest District. Our goal is the dissemination of research-based information. Bob LeValley Area Extension Livestock Specialist Mark S. Gregory Area Extension Agronomy Specialist Gene Parker, DVM Food-Animal Quality & Health Specialist Daniel Skipper Area Extension Ag Economics Specialist 1313 W. Ash, Rm 108 Duncan, OK Phone: Fax: Antibiotics are often given to scouring calves even though antibiotics do not kill most of the calf scour agents. Due to damage in the gut of scouring calves, bacteria will "leak" into the blood stream of these calves and cause further problems. Antibiotics are of value for this reason. However, antibiotics may kill the normal flora bacteria in the gut and actually make the problem worse, but they must be used in circulating infections. Again, consult with your veterinarian regarding the correct choice of antibiotics to give. The vet has usually treated multiple cases of scours recently and knows which meds are working and which ones are not. Don t loose precious time guessing which medication to use. When treating sick calves, always treat them after you have attended to all the normal calves. This will decrease the spread of germs from the sick calves to the younger healthy calves. Also, keep all your treatment equipment clean including your hands and clothes, as you can easily transmit these agents. When do I need additional help? If your treatment methods are not working, contact your veterinarian immediately. If more than 5% of your calves are scouring and require treatment, you may need additional or alternative therapy. If death loss is greater than 2% due to calf scours, contact your veterinarian for management and medical suggestions. Terry Pitts Area Extension Entomology Specialist S Hwy 283 Altus, OK Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Robert E. Whitson, Director of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.