Excellent discussion and education related to Beef Nutrition.  This is the first of a two part series were we talk about protein and energy needs of cows and heifers during different times of year and reproduction.  We also discussed knowing your hay.  This discussion included hay testing, understanding test results, sampling, important results to make decisions on supplementation, examples of hay tested after the recent wildfires, testing variations and types of hay, risk avoidance from prussic acid and nitrates in certain hay, and frost/drought issues that might impact these risk factors.  Dr. Jason Smith, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension led the discussion and provided outstanding information.   We will be following this program up with the second program focused on decisions on supplementation and feed sources available.  This should be a great followup to this program.

Excellent update on early returns on yield and grade from the 2024 Cotton harvest.  Outstanding discussion on what they are seeing and what to expect going forward.  Excellent conversation

The duo of Caitlin Frederick and Brant Baugh, AgriLife Extension Agents in Crosby and Lubbock Counties respectively, bring you another informative episode.  Their discussion is about tools available to determine or estimate the Net Return of the current cotton crop based on your projections of costs and returns.  They visit with AgriLife Extension Economist Dr. Andrew Wright on how to use the Harvest Decison Budget Analyzer to find these answers.  This is very usefull and timely information.  The location of this analyzer tool is at lubbock.tamu.edu.  Dr. Wright also discussed this information in his latest blog post, Ag Economics on the Plains, and can be located at AgriLife.org/AgEco.

Excellent discussion on the harvest aide decisions being made in the area and the challenges, weather impact, drift safety precautions, and general information related to using harvest aides and products.  There was also discussion on the upcoming tour in Crosby and Lubbock Counties on October 9 where producers will have an opportunity to see variety trials on drip and research trials comparing row spacings and seeding rates under pivot.   Great information.  Danny

Outstanding discussion related to current conditions and issues (recorded on August 9) to decisions that can be made related to harvest aides, defoliants, and much more (recorded August 22)  This conversation with Dr. Ken Lege, Texas A&M Cotton Specialist in Lubbock, Brant Baugh (Lubbock County CEA-Ag/NR), and Caitlin Frederick (Crosby County CEA-Ag/NR) deals with the current status of the crop, current string of 100 degree days and its impact, foliar/fertility decisions and timing, variety drought stress capabilities, enhancing an early harvest with harvest aides, penetrating hardened leaves, nodes above cracked boles (timing), and the purpose of harvest aide decisions and economics.   This is incredible informatioin that is timely and relevant to decisions producers are facing to complete this cotton crop.  I hope you enjoy the discussion.

Outstanding information provided with Dr. Tiffany Lashmet and Mark Carroll as they discuss lease agreements and details regarding how to set them up and where to get quality information.  This was part of the regular radio interview that County Extension agents Mark Carroll and Andy Hart deliver regarding livestock and ranching information.  Their program is called "The Graze".  I hope you enjoy this discussion.

Outstanding conversation and discussions with Dr. Peter Dotray and agents regarding the current weed situation and potential issues following rains.  This conversation is very timely and important as we anticipate weed breaks earlier than normal due to abundance of rains in the area and potential of early breakdown of pre and at plant applications.  I always enjoy the discussions with agents as they visit about the current landscape they are seeing in their counties.  We are extremely fortunate to have the expertise of Dr. Dotray and others to analyze and discuss whats needed now and going forward in dealing with these issues.

Excellent discussion on the use of PGR's in Cotton with County Extension Agents Dr. Caitlin Frederick and Brant Baugh along with AgriLife Cotton Specialist Dr. Ken Lege.  Enjoy the discussion related to timing, products, effectiveness and much more.  Outstanding job of breaking it down. 

Andy Hart (Hale County) and Mark Carroll (Floyd County) Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agents recently interviewed Dr. Morgan Treadwell (Range Specialist) with AgriLife Extension about grazing management.  Thier discussion covered the stocking rates, perfered forages, fencing and infastructure, grazing decisions, etc. Dr. Treadwell does a good job of discussing the advantage to sheep, goats, cattle and some management decisions necessary when utilizing all species of livestock in pastures.  Enjoy the discussion on a growing topic for our are in implementing sheep and goats with our traditional cattle and farming operation.  

Great early season discussion on where we are with weed control and some great information related to BMP's going forward (following labels, boom heights, speed when spraying, etc.).  There was some discussion on weeds control in Organic Cotton, Conventional Cotton, and Improved varieties.  Megan is a grad student with Dr. Peter Dotray and starting her pHd work at TTU, Caitlin is the AgriLife Extension Agent in Crosby County and Brant is the agent in Lubbock County.  Enjoy and if you have any questions, call them or your local agent

Kerry Siders and Ken Lege discuss potential issues for early cotton with nematodes, insects, and disease issues to be looking for in cotton fields.  Great information as we join North Region Extension agents who are learning from these experts.

Dr. Smith goes into great detail regarding the use of minerals and vitamins in beef herds and at all stages of development.  He indicates the requirments for all stages and how to make sure we are providing enough to our herds.  This is a bit longer than an hour but well worth it because of the detail and discussion surrounding this important topic.  

Dr. Jason Smith, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Amarillo discusses opportunities to enhance the value of your calves through management and marketing.  Great discussion and questions as well.

Dr. Jenna Funk is an instructor in with VERO at the Texas A&M Vet School located at WTAMU and instructs 4th year vet students.  She is a Beef Cattle Vet and certified Beef Cattle Specialist.  She recently visited with AgriLife Extension Agents Andy Hart (Hale) and Mark Carroll (Floyd) on their radio interview "The Graze".   Dr. Funk discussed calf losses to pneumonia and went into detail regarding the differences in AIP and BRD pneumonia.  She discussed the causes of death, symptoms of the problems, diagnosis, and prevention.  This is a very good discussion and I hope you will enjoy.

Incredible information presented by Dr. Jourdan Bell and Dr. Kevin Heflin related to Corn and Sorghum Hybrids.  The emphasis was on the impact of production decisions on yield and selection hybrids based on these influences.  Hybrid differences, history, inputs, ear flex, and other agronomic influences were talked about in detail.  Emphasis was also placed on weed control, transpiration of the plant, water needs, soil holding capacity, optimizing your water, and irrigation strategies.  Sorghum stress benefits vs. corn, limited irrigation, diseases, maturity, growth and development, planting dates, etc.   This was an excellent conversation and presentation from our December on-line meeting.

Learn from Dr. Morgan Treadwell some of the management tools and resources available to help with control of problem weeds and brush.  Dr. Treadwell starts with management of your grasses and provides a great run down of all the tools available to you.  This an excellent presentation that we capture at our recent AgriLife North Region on-line program in December.  Enjoy!

Management of weeds in the High Plains is challenging and much of the success with control is because of the tools available.  Dr. Dotray discusses these options and some of the issues you might face that can contribute to the challenges and some of the management decisions that can help deal with these challenges.  

Ionophores have been around and research has indicated they are an effective tool for economical and efficient growth in growing cattle.  Dr. Jason Smith covers some of those results but also dives into the impact ionophores can have on cattle on forage.  Interesting information on how these products can be used to decrease intake and maintain body condition.  Think of the possiblities for some to extend forage (grass or hay) or to increase stocking rates.  Great information and discussion regarding these findings.  He also got into the background and how ionophores work along with economics of the products.  We talked about the positive impact of these on weaned cattle, heifers, and in conjuction with the use of implants.   Some of the best information we have delivered via this podcast and I hope you enjoy it.  Just a hint it pays in almost every situation.  

Discussion with County Extension Agents Marcus Preuninger (Gray County) and Andy Holloway (Hemphill County) about the upcoming program focused on preparing and response to potential wildfires in the region.  Information on preparation through grazing management, utilization of prescribed burns, and controlling brush.  We will here from Extension specialist and local ranchers on these topics.  We also talked about the involvement of a panel of producers, firemen, local officials, and Texas A&M Forest Service who will share experiences and preparation for the next fire event in our area.   I'm excited about the meeting to be held on November 9 in Pampa (in-person) and satellite sites in Post, Lubbock, Crosbyton, Amarillo, and Spearman.  Get all the details in this podcast.

Caitlin Frederick (County Extension Agent for Ag/NR) and Malory Lindsey (Crosby and Garza County Game Warden) discuss everything you need to know for the upcoming hunting season.  These ladies have a great time discussing preparation for hunting season, licensing , requirments for mandatory testing in CWD zones, CWD in general, youth license requirements, digital licensing, available apps, Wast of Game regulations, and much more. This was a fun podcast loaded with outstanding information.

Excellent conversation with Katie Rivers and Rock River Labs.  Mark Carroll, CEA-Ag in Floyd County and Andy Hart in Hale County interviewed Katie and discussed the labs services, current testing results, and additional information regarding nitrates, prussic acid, and feed samples.  Great information and thanks to Andy and Mark for this interview.

Dr. Thomas Hairgrove and Mark Carroll discuss everything about parasite control in cattle and decisions impacting this topic.  They get into resistance to products, specific worm issues, life cycle of these parasites, wormer classes and options, nutritional impact on parasite load, grazing management impact, and proper care of products. Good and timely information provided by Mark Carroll, CEA-Ag in Floyd County.  

The third in a series of wheat focused podcasts features Dr. Jourdan Bell, Agronomist with AgriLife Extension in the Amarillo area.  Dr. Bell discusses a wide range of topics and issues related to wheat and small grains as an option for forage along with issues related to growing this crop.  We also get into some conversation regarding sorghum and corn silage harvest and even a little cotton in the area.  Great job by Dr. Bell, Dr. Trostle, Dr. Rudd, and Steelee Fischbacher for contributing to this series about wheat.

We will be uploading a 3 part series on Small Grain/Wheat production starting with a discussion with Dr. Calvin Trostle.  Dr. Trostle is an agronomist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and works in a variety of cropping systems including small grains.  He talks about variety testing, the "pick list" and how it is determined, fertility needs and timing, seed treatment, certified seed, and much more.   We will be following this discussion up with more from Dr. Jourdan Bell, Dr. Jackie Rudd, and Steelee Fischbacher.  You will want to here all of these in the coming days.

Outstanding conversation with Range Management Specialist Dr. Tim Steffens, North Region AgriLife Extension Agents, and a few producers.  Dr. Steffens is with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and West Texas A&M and brings a variety of experiences and knowledge with drought, grasses, livestock, and management.  He gets into all aspects of manageing rangelands and decisions related to grazing and livestock during this conversation and answers questions from the participants during the presentation.  I think you will enjoy the conversation and thought provoking discussion.    

This podcast covers the conversation regarding corn, sorghum, and small grain diseases and viruses.  Dr. Tom Isakeit, Dr. Ken Obasa, and Dr. Terry Wheeler focus on management, recognition, and control of these issues.  Dr. Isakeit starts us off with Corn and Sorghum, Dr. Ken Obasa with Small Grains, and Dr. Wheeler discusses cotton and also Nematodes.   There is some excellent information that will help with pre-plant decisions and in-season management.  There are slides referenced in the discussion at times but the conversation is very good.  If you have questions about the information please contact your county Extension agent or these individuals directly.  

The Hansford County AgriLife Extension Committee and County Extension Agent Kristy Slough identified the need for education related to Natural Gas prices and considerations for locking in prices or developing risk strategies to control input costs related to irrigation on the High Plains.  Kristy and committee member and Hansford County farmer, Quentin Shieldknight, led this podcast.  Joining them were members of the StoneX marketing team to discuss gather information about the possible opportunities available to producers.  Representing StoneX were Jim Schall, Dan Conrath and Rick Wordekemper.  I think you will enjoy the conversation with these individuals and there are certainly some important discussions that could be very valuable to producers dealing with volatile input costs and erratic natural gas prices.  Great Podcast.  Hope you enjoy.  Danny

This episode will feature Dr. Peter Dotray, Weed Specialist with Texas A&M Extension and Research and Texas Tech University discussing some very important points about resistance.  Dr. Dotray has done some interesting research related to resistance and gets into the best management decisions to contain these weeds.  This is a very timely issue and there is nobody better to discuss this than Dr. Peter Dotray. This presentation was part of our December 20 Crop Production and Plant Protection Conference held in 35 AgriLife counties in the Panhandle and South Plains.  Future discussions will include variety selection in cotton, small grains, and feed grains; disease/virus issues in cotton, feed grain, and small grain.  Be looking for those in the coming weeks.    

Mason Carter and Dr. Jason Smith discuss what to expect from future FDA antimicrobial regulations including procedures producers can take to be prepared and products that will be impacted.  This is an excellent update for everyone.

Making decisions based on drought that relates to marketing females to meet your available long-term forage goals was the focus of this discussion.  This was the first of a series of 3 on-line discussions focusing on drought.  Dr. Jason Smith and Dr. Justin Benavidez led the discussion and did an outstanding job of looking at all potential decisions.  They also discussed economic implications and resources available for use in making decisions. 

It has been a very challenging year for producers with drought and the environmental roller coaster, global unrest, and high input costs.  The one thing that is encouraging is the price potential if we can get a crop in and grown successfully.  Dr. Mark Welch and Dr. John Robinson discuss this topic ahead of the June acreage reports and current global environment.  Their discussion was outstanding and they provided excellent information that should be useful to producers.  Both Drs. Welch and Robinson are experts in marketing of grains and cotton and both are Extension economists with Texas A&M AgriLife.  We also heard from Rodney Mosier with Texas Wheat and Angie Martin with Texas Corn to get updates from their producers.  Thanks to everyone that participated.

Focused on plant available water, soil/water relationships, web Soil Survey information and its uses, irrigation systems, soil moisture sensors, etc. This discussion includes; Dr. Dana Porter, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Dr. Craig Bednarz, WTAMU and Texas A&M AgriLife Research Dr. David Parker, WTAMU and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Timely and important information regarding carbon farming and issues associated with decisions and things to know.  Dr. Joe Outlaw visited about the current policy discussions surrounding carbon and Dr. Jourdan Bell discussed and explained what it all means to a producer.  This was outstanding conversation and I hope you enjoy the discussion.  

Emphasis on this podcast is on how to get your cotton crop off to a great start.  Dr. Ben McKnight visited about CWVI and seed lot quality and how that impacts stand of cotton.  He also visited with the group about seed breaks and their impact.  Dr. Suhas Vyavhare visited about seed treatments and in particular insecticide protection for thrips and wireworms.  Dr. Jourdan Bell visited about environmental influences and planter settings.  Dr. Emi Kimura discussed populations and planting dates on yield and maturity of cotton.  Great conversations and a ton of good information. 

Discussion with Dr. Peter Dotray, AgriLife Agronomist and Researcher with Texas A&M AgriLife and Professor with Texas Tech University on issues related to availability of herbicides and options for 2022 growing season.

Dr. Jason Smith and Mason Carter discuss the benefits of fenceline weaning and traditional weaning.  They get into the economics of fencing, facilities, value added benefits, weaning in relation to vaccinations and timing, and BMP's for minimizing stress during weaning.  

Discussion between Mason Carter, Briscoe County CEA-Ag and Dr. Sonja Swiger, Extension Entomologist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.  Dr. Swiger discussed background, timing, control, importance of controlling external pests and research that has been conducted in these areas.  

Dr. Tim Steffens continues discussion about grazing management and thoughts on introducing small ruminants into grazing systems. Robert Devin and Brady Miller with TCFA discuss the Youth Feed Yard Technician program designed to prepare youth for careers in this industry and Agriculture in general

Discussion with Dr. Tim Steffens and Marcel Fischbacher regarding drought decisions, recent rains and how that impacts long term decisions, grazing management decisions, and much more.  Keep in mind this recording was done before recent additional rainfall but the information is still timely and valuable.  This is the first of a two part discussion with Dr. Steffens regarding range management decisions.  

Dr. Tom Hairgrove, Dr. Jason Smith, and Andy Holloway discuss effects of Winter Storm Uri on the impact of reproduction in bulls and cows.  Great information supported by experience and research.

Dr. Morgan Treadwell, Extension Range Specialist, discusses tools to control brush and weeds in pastures and information regarding controlled burns opportunities.  Dr. Treadwell does a great job of laying out the positives and challenges of these tools. Brandon Boughen, Extension DAR Agent for the Amarillo district, discusses the new position that is engaged with the Covid 19 fight with other AgriLife employees helping with PPE's, testing, vaccines, and support for Texans.  We get into the long-range goals of this position and how it will assist local coordination, planning, education, and support for potential emergencies including wildfires.

Josh Brooks, Hall County CEA-Ag interviews Brent Baucom and Courtney Ruiz with the NRCS in Hall County to discuss background regarding CRP program signup, contract values, contract requirements, point system and how it is established, what land is eligible, etc.  They also talk about opportunities with EQIP to help producers with local needs through cost share programs. DeDe Jones, Risk Management Specialist also discusses the economics of decisions such as reenrollment in the program, taking land out for cropland and/or grazing purposes.  Shares resources that can be helpful for landowners making these decisions.