Ag News and Views: September 1999

There have been many recent changes affecting the Agriculture Testing Services (ATS). In July we moved one-half mile west from our cramped quarters on The Noble Research Institute's campus to a much larger facility that was formerly a Pepsi Cola bottling plant. We have expanded our office and sample preparation area, and the new arrangement facilitates efficient use of our sample-processing machinery.

Why spend the effort to collect deer population data? Simply, the information is necessary to successfully manage deer in many situations. Proper management of any resource, including deer, begins with establishing goals, learning about the resource, and inventorying the resource.

Oklahoma - grown pecans have a reputation for good - quality nut meats, but also are known for containing larvae of the pecan weevil. Now is the time to protect your pecan crop from possible destruction by the pecan weevil.

Many producers are practitioners of rotational grazing management in various forms. Although they are willing to implement a rotational grazing scheme or a fertility recommendation, few are keeping grazing records that can determine the effectiveness of such recommendations.

If you have not already decided what you are going to do with your spring-born calves, now is an excellent time to start thinking. As of this writing, cattle prices have been strong, but there is always a danger that prices may level off or even drop.

Common concerns of many involved in the "Beef Industry" are "What is our current status?" and "Where are we going?" I am not sure that anyone can address these concerns fully; however, we should gain insight into them by exploring who cattle producers are and who is guiding the industry.