Ag News and Views: November 2004

November, 2004 Table of Contents News & Views Archive Issues

Economics
The Best of Times Still Have Challenges by Dan Childs
The abundance of forage, combined with excellent cattle prices, has different repercussions for different operations. If you are predominantly a cow-calf producer, then you have to be concerned about a potentially higher-than-normal taxable income, and if you are a stocker operator, then you have to deal with much higher input costs.

Forage
Think About Putting Away Pasture for the Winter by Hugh Aljoe
The question is, “Are your pastures ready for the winter?” Have you planned well enough ahead to bring warm-season pastures through the winter and have them respond as needed or expected next spring?

Forage Improvement
Ecotype-Derived White Clover Cultivars and Their Place in the Southern Great Plains by Joe Bouton
White clover is the most widely used cool-season pasture legume throughout the world due to its aggressive running stems, called stolons, and its excellent reseeding ability. Can cultivars available to producers in the southeast U.S. be adapted for the southern Great Plains?

From the Farm
Use Caution and Common Sense When Operating ATVs by Russ Gentry
In the last few years, it seems an increasing number of people are getting injured or killed while operating an ATV.

Livestock
An Ounce of Prevention … May Lead to More Pounds of Live Calves From Heifers by Billy Cook
With the current price of replacement cattle, we must maximize the number of heifers that become productive cows. What part does nutrition play in the birth of healthy calves?

Soils
Using In-Season Response for Effective Management of Nitrogen Fertilizer in Bermudagrass Hay Pastures by Jagadeesh Mosali
Bermudagrass is responsive to nitrogen fertilization. New technologies allow for more efficient fertilizer application and decreased production costs.

Wildlife
Walnut Bayou Deer Management Association Profile by Russell Stevens and Kent Shankles
A deer management association is a group of land managers in a region who share common deer management goals and make a decision to cooperatively manage their shared deer herd. The 12,640 acre Walnut Bayou Deer Management Association has deer statistics dating back to 1996 illustrating the advantages of land-owner cooperation.