Navarro County Agricultural Conditions

Grain harvest is underway in Navarro County. Many producers started harvesting corn initially but switched to grain sorghum as moisture in corn was running a bit high. Grain sorghum yields have been good to fair with fields ranging from 3500 to 5000 lbs. per acre. County grain sorghum plots averaged 4,646 lbs to the acre and for the most part grain sorghum harvest is complete in the county. Corn yields have been on the low side with fields ranging in the 40 to 60 bushels per acre range due to the extremely dry conditions. The county corn plots have not yet been harvested and there is still quite a bit of corn left to be harvested in the county. Cotton tends to be small and is suffering from water stress. Rain would still be of benefit to the cotton but that window of opportunity for the plant to make use of the water is closing quickly. Some fields have bolls starting to open already. Soybean plants are also small due to the moisture situation. Some soybean fields have a good number of pods per plant but they tend to be lower on the plant and may be hard to pickup with the combine. Some soybean fields did not set pods very well. Soybean yields are expected to on the lower side.

Preparations for fall small grain and grazing plantings are starting as producers are considering options and searching for fertilizer and seed. If you want information regarding fall forage or grain crops you can go online to http://foragesoftexas.tamu.edu/ and access a wide variety of information. Range and pasture conditions are also suffering from the lack of rain and it is time to start planning your fall supplemental feeding program. With conditions being so dry it will be important to secure hay supplies early. It will also be important to know the quality of the hay so start planning for the Navarro County Hay Testing Drive which will kick off in October.

It is also time for fall garden crops to go into the ground and many home gardeners have started planting. The Texas AgriLife Extension Service “Fall Gardening Guide” tells us that “Proper timing is probably the most important factor in successful fall gardening. Regardless of variety selected or cultural practices used, if a gardener does not do the right thing at the right time, any chances of success are diminished.” To access this guide you can go online http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/fallgarden/fallgrowing.html for all kinds of horticulture information. Also, the county pecan crop looks light due to water stress, insect pressures early on and alternate bearing patterns.

Beef Health and Nutrition Tips for August

Well the dog days of August are here. History has shown that this month will be hot and dry in an average year and this year has been a little hotter and drier than average so tuck your head down and get ready. I want to provide some beef cattle health and nutrition tips for the month of August. This month you want to treat cattle for grubs. You also want to be observing and de-worming cattle showing symptoms of internal parasites. When in drought conditions you may consider de-worming the entire herd as animals may be grazing plants shorter than usual and encountering more parasites because of that.

August and September are generally months conducive to anaplasmosis so check cattle regularly for anemic animals that are weak and lagging behind the herd. Affected animals may refuse water and feed. Skin around eyes, on muzzle, lips and teats may become pale. Later the animal may show constipation, excitement, rapid weight loss, and yellow tinged skin. The animal may fall or lie down, and be unable to rise. Cattle may recover as the immune system will attempt to fight off anaplasma parasites in the blood. Vectors of the disease include horse flies, deer flies, stable flies, mosquitos and man (dehorning saws, castrating knives, etc.). Identifying sick animals and treating them under the direction of a veterinarian is best and helps to prevent animal loss and animals carrying the disease that may have recovered from it at one time.

During August you will also want to consider increasing nutrition for cows bred to calve in early fall. It is also time to begin assessing hay supply needs for winter feeding and given the dry conditions this year the earlier you secure those supplies the better. Also plan ahead for winter supplements as prices traditionally increase in the fall.

Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. The Texas A&M; University System, US Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.

A member of The Texas A&M; University System and its statewide Agriculture Program.