Farm: In Brief 08/29/08

August 29, 2008 12:04 pm

— Ag census begins in September
COLUMBIA, Mo. — During the first two weeks of September, the Missouri field office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service will contact more than 2,000 farmers across the state as part of its September Agricultural Survey.
Results will be released on Sept. 30.

Farm families honored at fair
SEDALIA, Mo. — Several Southwest Missouri farm families were recognized at the Farm Family Day at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia on Aug. 11.
Those families honored include: Chong, Haou and Yia Yang, Barry County; Doug, Cathy, Caitlyn, Chad and Chase McKibben, Barton County; Tim, Lori, Joseph and Thomas Eggerman, Dade County; Jeff, Jazan, Jenilee and Jacob Martin, Jasper County; Todd, Kelley, Tanner, Riley, Kassidy, Bo and Dakota Schubert, Lawrence County; Justin, Jessica, Colton and Emerson Ruddick, McDonald County; and Stever, Rebecca, Jessica and Jacob Johnson, Newton County.

Apply nitrogen now for berries
PINEVILLE, Mo. —It is time to apply nitrogen fertilizer on spring-bearing strawberry plants to increase production, according to John Hobbs, University of Missouri agriculture and rural development specialist.
A general application rate is one-half to three-quarter pounds of actual nitrogen per 100 feet of row.

Root weevils help fight knapweed
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Spotted knapweed root weevils have been shipped from Montana to Missouri to aid in controlling spotted knapweed, said Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Extension specialist.
The weevils have been released in heavily populated knapweed areas and along some highways.
The weevils alone will not quickly rid the state of knapweed, but will slow its spread, he said.
October is a good month to use herbicides to control musk thistle and knapweed, Cole said.

Apply parasite control
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Keeping the grazing heights of pastures no shorter than four inches will lower internal parasite problems in cattle, according to Tom Yazwinski, University of Arkansas parasitologist.
Other ways to reduce such problems:
*Weigh cattle to determine dosage levels each needs to save money.
*Remember that many generics are not as effective as name brands.
* Injectables are more effective than pour-on controls for internal parasites.
n*80 percent of a herd’s worms will be in 20 percent of the cattle. Consider fecal checks on all cows in a herd and find the 20 percent that have high egg counts and get rid of these animals.