Ag News and Views: August 1996

August, 1996 Table of Contents News & Views Archive Issues

Economics
Of markets, cycles, booms and busts, feasts and faminies... by Fred Schmedt
Someday in the future we may look back and think the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities sums up the situation facing production agriculture in the mid 1990's.

Forage
Avoid A Crisis Due to Drought by Chuck Coffey
Hindsight is always "20/20" but droughts should be considered normal because they will occur either regionally or locally and they cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is essential for you to make plans in advance.

From the Director
Food for Thought by Jim Schaffer
In the last two years, I've had a chance to get out and visit a number of you and observe the resources available in this area. The longer I look, the more this area appears to be ideally suited to beef cattle production, particularly for the cow-calf producer.

Horticulture
Transplanting Trees by Dooley Barlow
Many trees are poorly selected and improperly planted. Proper care of the transplanted tree is very important, especially during the first year.

Livestock
Nitrate Poisoning by John Winder
By now, we are all very aware of the effect of drought on available forage and hay in the southwest. There are other hidden effects that may not be felt until next winter. One of these is increased risk of nitrate poisoning.

Soils
Nitrogen Fertilization of Small Grains for Pasture by Randy Boman
Forage yield data from a replicated nitrogen (N) experiment on a rye/wheat/ryegrass mixture established by Jerry Rogers and Wadell Altom on the Red River Farm in the 1970's show that the response to applied N is linear up to the highest rate used (200 lbs of actual N per acre).

Wildlife
The Establishment of Food Plots by Russell Stevens
The need for food plots is debatable and for good reason. Food plots often do not address the factors most limiting the population. Too often, food plots are planted without forethought in regard to timing or need.