Category Archives: 2021
Freeze Injury, Low Temperature Stress and Chill Injury in Corn and Sorghum
Dr. Ronnie Schnell Cropping Systems Specialist – College Station Introduction Recent cold weather has affected newly planted, emerging or emerged corn or sorghum throughout south and central Texas. Corn and sorghum will experience similar types of injury although tolerance to low temperatures does differ between the crops to some degree. Sorghum generally requires warmer soil temperatures. Three types of injury may be observed, depending on stage of growth and temperatures experience above and below ground. This includes imbibition injury, cold stress, and frost/freeze damage…. Read More →
2020 Hemp Variety Testing Wrap-Up & 2021 Trials
Hemp variety trial results at San Angelo (cannabinoids) and Lubbock (cannabinoids and fiber) will be completed shortly after the first of the year. I will detail results in my January hemp newsletter. Results will also be posted at http://varietytesting.tamu.edu/hemp/ AgriLife will update program information for the 2021 round of variety trials in January. In addition to test sites offered in 2020 (Lubbock, San Angelo, College Station, Commerce), at least one additional fee-based test site will be offered in South Texas mostly likely Weslaco in the Lower Rio Grande… Read More →
Key Considerations about Phosphate Applications in Agriculture
Worldwide, mother nature is not making new phosphate deposits to meet agricultural demand. The reserves in premium rock phosphate deposits are decreasing. Thus, it might require the processing of, for example, 125 tons of rock phosphate raw material to obtain the same amount of P derived from 100 tons previously. Phosphorus is the second most limiting nutrient in crop production. But its behavior in soils limits its availability and can make adequate crop P nutrition an essential management issue. Fertilizer for monoammonium phosphate (MAP, or 11-52-0) is currently… Read More →
Grain Sorghum Pricing for 2021 & Managing Your Crop
Updated from the November ‘Texas Sorghum Insider’ (Texas Grain Sorghum Assn.) Prospects for grain sorghum acreage in Texas in 2021 are more favorable than the past several years. Pricing is up with adjustments relative to Dec21 corn ($4.18/bu as of this writing). Depending on your Texas location this puts the hundredweight price in the range of $8.00/cwt and even $9.00/cwt near the Texas Gulf Coast. Of course, there is a lot that can happen between now and planting time let alone harvest time in 2021. These… Read More →
Harvest Weed Seed Control Tactics Can Aid Herbicide Programs in Managing Italian Ryegrass in Texas wheat
Aniruddha Maity1, Blake Young1, David Drake2, and Muthukumar Bagavathiannan1 1Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 2Integrated Pest Management Extension Agent, Commerce, TX Italian ryegrass has been a persistent problem in wheat production in the Texas Blacklands. Great adaptability, profuse tillering, and high seed production make this a troublesome weed. Rapid development and spread of resistance to some of the important herbicides warrants the development of additional interventions for its control. As this species reproduces by seed, a seedbank in… Read More →
Later Winter Oats to Bridge Forage Shortfall
In much of the Texas High Plains wheat pasture conditions are poor. There is likely a substantial shortfall in the grazing and hay from wheat. In previous years, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has suggested farmers consider planting medium to long maturity oats, particularly for hay, to recapture needed forage for livestock. At some point in the Texas High Plains, there is substantial potential that any late-planted winter wheat will not receive the needed hours/days of cold weather, the chilling requirement, to ensure the transition from vegetative to… Read More →