One of the most damaging diseases in pecans is pecan scab, caused by the fungus Fusicladium effusum. It infects actively growing tissue, such as stems, leaves and nut shucks, when temperatures are above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity is above 90 percent.
Lime and fertilizer make up a substantial portion of the costs of producing winter pasture. Lime may or may not be needed - only a soil test can tell you for sure. If lime is recommended, its application can pay good dividends.
For decades, scientists have used molecular markers for research and breeding purposes to increase yields and water and nutrient efficiencies as well as disease and insect resistance in agricultural crops. Recently, pecan scientists have looked at the development of new technologies used in this research and considered its use in pecan breeding and research.
Let's say you look at the results from your soil sample and see there is a recommendation for lime. You check around and discover this is going to cost $40-$50 per acre. A normal person would question whether the value received from liming is worth the cost.
As we approach the end of 2011, many soil sample results have considerably higher than average amounts of nitrates, especially in wheat and winter pasture fields.
Sesame is one of the most ancient oilseed crops and is used for cooking and other culinary preparations in various parts of the world. Sesame seed contains 50 percent oil and 25 percent protein.
Traditional soil test methods have typically involved treating a soil sample with various acids and other reagents to extract a portion of the inorganic nutrients in the soil. This can hopefully be done with as few processes as possible to be fast and cheap, and fit the industrial model.
Numerous nontraditional fertilizers are being marketed with little replicated research demonstrating their effectiveness compared to traditional commercial sources of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Economist Myriah Johnson offers advice to beef producers considering whether they should pull cattle off wheat pastures so grain can be harvested or leave the cattle through graze-out.