News Update
June 4, 2014
Champions Parade at 2014 Atlantic National Super Point ROV Angus Show
Angus enthusiasts led 158 entries at the 2014 Atlantic National Super-Point Roll of Victory (ROV) Angus Show May 25 in Timonium, Md. Mike McGuire, Waverly, Ala., evaluated the 139 females, 16 bulls and three cow-calf pairs before naming champions.
2
Wright SCC Bootlegger 0522 claimed grand champion bull honors. Silveira Bros., Firebaugh, Calif.; Cade Stertzbach, Louisville, Ohio; and Logan Wright, Philippi, W.Va., own the Feb. 2012 son of SAV Brilliance 8077 that first won junior champion.
Stertzbach owns the reserve grand champion bull. SCC Top Shot EDA 351 is the May 2013 son of SAV Brilliance 8077 and first won summer calf champion.
Cherry Knoll Pleasant Elsa claimed supreme champion and grand champion female honors. Wright owns the Jan. 2012 daughter of SAV Brilliance 8077 that first won junior champion.
QVS Georgina 4142 was named reserve grand champion female and reserve junior champion. Jake Smith, Cullman, Ala., owns the Feb. 2012 daughter of SAV Brave 8320.
Justin Wood, Willow Spring, N.C., owns the grand champion cow-calf pair. WA Emblynette 165 is an Aug. 2011 daughter of Leachman Saugahatchee 3000C. A Jan. 2014 bull calf sired by WA Free Style 155 is at side.
Frey’s kjf arkpride m35 u108 claimed reserve grand champion cow-calf pair. Fred Frey, Drumore, Pa., owns the September 2009 daughter of G13 Stand Out. A March 2014 bull calf sired by Whitestone Blackdiamond B141 completes the winning pair.
For more information, please view the full release here.
OSU to Host National Beef Reproduction Conference
Cow-calf producers and large-animal veterinarians should plan now to attend the 2014 Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) conference hosted by the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Oct. 8-9.
“Think of the conference as one-stop shopping, in that participants of every experience level will be able to gain insights about subjects as diverse as basic cattle reproduction and artificial insemination (AI) to the latest advances related to embryo transfer and fertility technology,” said Megan Rolf, OSU Cooperative Extension beef cattle specialist.
A schedule of events is available online at www.beefextension.com/genetics. The two-day conference will take place in the OSU Student Union, located on the university’s Stillwater campus.
The conference is an annual Beef Reproduction Task Force event that alternates from state to state. The task force is a multi-state extension activity in cooperation with the North Central Agricultural and Natural Resources Program Leaders Committee and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.
“Educating cow-calf producers and those who serve them is a primary goal of the task force,” said Dan Stein, OSU Cooperative Extension livestock production specialist. “Reproductive efficiency is a major driver of profitability and sustainability, both for a producer’s individual operation and the industry as a whole.”
Key goals of the Beef Reproduction Task Force include promoting widespread adoption of reproductive technologies among cow-calf producers, educating producers in management considerations that will increase the likelihood of successful breeding of animals through AI and educating producers about marketing options to capture benefits that result from use of improved reproductive techniques.
Anyone seeking additional information about the Oct. 8-9 conference should contact Rolf by email at mrolf@okstate.edu or Stein by email at daniel.stein@okstate.edu.
For more information please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Weather Delayed Late Planting Increases Need to Scout for Pests
With fields beginning to dry out from the excessive rains experienced throughout the state and as temperatures begin to warm, crop growers should look to scout their fields for insects that have the potential to cause economic losses, an entomologist with the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences said.
In addition to cereal leaf beetle, alfalfa weevil and black cutworm, crop growers need to be on the lookout for slugs, especially in fields with a history of slug damage, said Andy Michel, an OSU Extension pest expert.
The region is likely entering into a period of heavy slug feeding, so corn and soybean growers need to be out inspecting their crops for the slimy pests, said Michel, who also has an appointment with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).
The slug issue is exacerbated by the cooler, wet weather experienced throughout the region this spring, which has caused delayed planting, he said.
“Slugs could be worrisome this year because we’ve had a lot of moisture and they are at their heavy-feeding stage,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of crops that are just getting in the ground or just emerging, which is when they are most susceptible.
“Delayed planting is impacting the ability of the plants to withstand some of the pest damage.”
Management options are more limited for slugs, Michel said.
“While slugs aren’t really widespread, those fields with history of slugs will likely continue to have slug issues,” he said. “This is significant because slugs have a high potential to contribute to significant yield loss for corn and soybeans.”
More information on slugs can be found at www.ohioline.osu.edu/ent-fact/pdf/0020.pdf.
For more information please view the full release here.
Texas A&M AgriLife Provides Leadership in Statewide Projects, Education
After a long dry period, many parts of the state have finally received some seriously needed rain, and those with rainwater harvesting systems have been reaping the rewards of this belated gift from Mother Nature, said Texas A&M AgriLife water resources experts.
“Rainwater harvesting is a time-tested and effective means of water conservation and irrigation,” said Billy Kniffen, retired Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service statewide water resource specialist and past director of the American Rainwater Catchment Association. “With drought affecting much of Texas, interest in rainwater harvesting from industry, various levels of government and homeowners is increasing. People in general are becoming more receptive to implementing these practices.”
As a long-time AgriLife Extension agent and water resource specialist, Kniffen has been involved in the planning, design and/or implementation of dozens of large- and small-scale rainwater catchment systems for offices, schools, community centers, libraries, hospitals and other facilities throughout Texas. Several of his many projects have been in his home county of Menard, with one notable example being the Menard Public Library.
Kniffen, along with Texas Master Gardener and Texas Master Naturalist volunteers, helped install a 2,500-gallon galvanized tank, along with drip irrigation and a rain garden to capture water runoff.
“One inch of rainwater dripping from a 1,500-square-foot roof can easily catch 600 gallons of water,” Kniffen noted. “At the library, the metal rainwater harvesting tank collects rainwater from two downspouts, and the water is used to irrigate more than 50 plots of native plants common to the region. Runoff goes into a shallow, flat bottom pond that would catch a two-inch rainfall event and have it infiltrated into the soil within 24 hours. Rainfall over that amount would overflow into an irrigation ditch.”
Another section of the library captures water using a “storm chamber” that stores and gradually releases water into the surrounding landscape.
Additional information on rainwater harvesting, events and training can be found at http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu. Texas residents wanting to know about a rainwater-harvesting program in their area may also contact the AgriLife Extension office in their county.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.