April

Fruit and Nut

Don’t spray insecticides during fruit tree bloom or pollination may be affected. Dis-ease sprays can continue according to schedule and label directions. (EPP-7319)

Control cedar-apple rust. When the or-ange jelly galls are visible on juniper (cedar), following a rain, begin treating apple and crabapple trees with a fungi-cide. (EPP-7319, EPP-7611)

Fire blight bacterial disease can be con-trolled at this time. Plant disease-resistant varieties to avoid diseases.

Continue spray schedules for disease prone fruit and pine trees.

Tree and Shrub

Proper watering of newly planted trees and shrubs often means the differ-ence between success and replace-ment.

Remove any winter-damaged branches or plants that have not begun to grow. Prune spring flowering plants as soon as they are finished blooming. (HLA-6404, HLA-6409)

Control of powdery mildew disease can be done with early detection and regular treatment. Many new plant cultivars are resistant. (EPP-7617)

Leaf spot diseases can cause prematur-death of foliage and reduce plant vig-or.

Flowers

Most bedding plants, summer flowering

bulbs, and annual flower seeds can be plant-ed after danger of frost. This happens around mid-April in most of Oklahoma. Hold off mulching these crops until spring rains subside and soil temperatures warm up. Warm-season annuals should not be planted until soil temperatures are in the low to mid 60s.

Harden off transplants outside in partial protection from sun and wind prior to planting.

Let spring flowering bulb foliage remain as long as possible before removing it.

Landscape - General

Hummingbirds arrive in Oklahoma in early April. Get your feeders ready using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Do not use red food coloring.

Keep the bird feeder filled during the sum-mer and help control insects at the same time.

Lace bugs, aphids, spider mites, bagworms, etc. can start popping up in the land-scape and garden later this month. Keep a close eye on all plants and use mechanical, cultural, and biological control options first.

Be alert for both insect pests and predators. Some pests can be hand picked without using a pesticide. Do not spray if preda-tors such as lady beetles are present. Spray only when there are too few pred-ators to be effective.

Lawn

Warm-season grass lawns can be estab-lished beginning late April from sprigs, plugs or sod. (HLA-6419) Fertilizer pro-grams can begin for warm-season grasses in April. The following recommendations are to achieve optimum performance and

Landscaping & Maintenance

Special points of

interest:

• Wheat Plot Tour

• Musk Thistle Weevil

Roundup

• Tractor & Machinery

Operators Certifica-

tion Program

• OHCE Spring Meeting

• Alfalfa County Flower

Show

• 4-H Picnic & Officer

Elections

• 4-H Parent –

Volunteer Confer-

ence

Alfalfa County Cooperative Extension

News

A l f a l f a C o u n t y C o o p e r a t i v e E x t e n s i o n S e r v i c e

http://oces.okstate.edu/alfalfa

April / May 2020

Horticulture Tips 5

Wheat Plot Tour 8

OHCE News & Notes 12

Family Fun Fair 14

Alfalfa County Flower

Show 15

4-H Camp 23

Tractor & Machinery

Certification Program

24

Inside this issue: Agriculture Newsletter

2

OSU Fact Sheets

appearance of commonly grown species in Oklahoma.

- Zoysiagrass: 3 lbs N/1,000 sq. ft./year

- Bahiagrass: 3 lbs N/1,000 sq. ft./year

- Buffalograss: 2 - 3 lbs N/1,000 sq. ft./year

- Buffalograss/grama mixes: 3 lbs N/1,000 sq. ft./year

- Bermudagrass: 4-6 lbs N/1,000 sq. ft./year

- Centipedegrass: 2 lbs N/1,000 sq. ft./year

- St. Augustinegrass: 3-6 lbs N/1,000 sq. ft./year

When using quick release forms of fertilizer, use one pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. per application; water in ni-trate fertilizers. (HLA-6420)

Mowing of warm-season lawns can begin now (HLA-6420). Cutting height for bermuda and zoysia should be 1 to 1½ inch-es high, and buffalograss 1½ to 3 inches high.

Damage from Spring Dead Spot Disease (SDS) becomes visible

in bermudagrass (EPP‑7665). Perform practices that pro-mote grass recovery. Do not spray fungicides at this time for SDS control.

Grub damage can be visible in lawns at this time. Check for the presence of grubs before ever applying any insecticide treatments. Apply appropriate soil insecticide if white grubs are a problem (EPP-7306). Water product into soil.

Vegetables

Wait a little longer for it to warm up before planting cucurbit crops and okra.

Plant vegetable crops in successive plantings to ensure a steady supply of produce rather than harvesting all at once.

Cover cucurbit crops with a floating row cover to keep out insect pests. Remove during bloom time.

Watch for cutworm damage and add flea beetle scouting to your list of activities in the vegetable garden.

Page 2 Alfalfa County Cooperative Extension News

Extension Fact Sheets provide research-based information on a wide variety of subjects in regard to agriculture, economic development, family and consumer sciences, and youth development. To access a Fact Sheet you can visit http://oces.okstate.edu/alfalfa . There you will a see a tab that says “OSU Fact Sheets” click on it and it will take you to where you can search any topic you are interested in. If you were interested in “gardening” type it into the search bar and there will be several sheets for you to chose from. Each Fact Sheet will have a code for example;

• HLA-6004: Oklahoma Garden Planning Guide

• NREM-2905: Prescribed Fire, Understanding Liability, Laws & Risk

• ANSI-3934: Caring for Older Horses

• PSS-2261: Methods for Applying Topdress Nitrogen to Wheat

There are also current reports on the website as well

• CR-7668: Foliar Fungicides and Wheat Production in Oklahoma

If you have any further questions on how to find OSU Fact Sheets on the internet call the Alfalfa County Extension Office.

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M A Y

Fall Calving

1. Develop marketing or retained ownership plan for calves.

2. Look for unsound cows that should be culled due to feet and leg, eye or udder problems. 3. Weigh calves, adjust weaning weights, and calculate ratios. Identify and cull bulls that have sired groups of calves that are significantly

below the herd average in weaning weight. 4. Purebred breeders should send records to the national breed association for processing.

Spring Calving 1. Castrate, dehorn, implant (except replacement heifers), and vaccinate new calves for 7-way Clostridial bacterin, Intranasal IBR, PI3

vaccine (consult your local veterinarian).

2. Vaccinate heifer calves for brucellosis between four and 10 months of age. 3. If not previously done this year, after calving and 30 days before breeding, vaccinate cows with Leptospira/Campylobacter bacterin,

IBR, PI3, BRSV and BVD vaccine depending on the veterinarian’s recommendations. Also vaccinate all bulls with the above vaccines. 4. Vaccinate bulls with the above vaccines on a yearly basis.

5. Deworm cows and bulls from mid May to early June, if needed. 6. Turn bulls out with cows. Assign yearlings 10 to 15 cows; two- to three-year-olds, 20 to 25 cows; and aged bulls, 25 to 40 cows.

7. Critically evaluate body condition in thin cows. If body condition score is less than 4, consider weaning calves early, especially first

calf heifers. See Extension agriculture educator for assistance.

General Recommendations:

1. Implement a fly and tick control program for all cattle.

2. If adequate new growth is available, warm-season grasses provide all nutrients for cow herd except salt and water.

3. Fertilize Bermudagrass and old world bluestem with 50 to 60 lbs. N/acre and with P and K, according to soil test. Set temporary fences to establish grazing rotation system.

4. Rotation graze or harvest weeping lovegrass for hay at about 35-day intervals (rest four weeks, graze one week). 5. Harrow Bermudagrass pastures to scatter manure and reduce internal parasite problems.

6. Plant sudan and sudan hybrids for summer grazing or hay, fertilizing according to soil test. 7. Continue anaplasmosis control program.

8. If a rotational grazing system is used, graze native grass using 40-day intervals (rest 40 days, graze five days).

A P R I L

Fall Calving

1. Although some spring growth may appear, continue to supplement cows grazing lovegrass, Bermudagrass, and native grass pastures.

2. Follow vaccine program as outlined in March, if not done at that time.

Spring Calving

1. Check weight and body condition score on replacement heifers and adjust supplemental feeding program as necessary. Begin breed-

ing replacement heifers 20 to 30 days before the rest of the cow herd. 2. Although some spring growth may appear, continue to supplement cows grazing lovegrass, Bermudagrass, and native grass pastures.

3. If not previously done this year, after calving and at least 30 days before breeding, vaccinate cows with 5-way Leptospira/

Campylobacter bacterin, IBR, BVD, PI3, and BRSV vaccine. This schedule should be approved by your veterinarian. 4. If not previously done in February and March, complete sire selection and culling of replacement heifers. Base decisions on perfor-

mance records as outlined in January, February, and March sections. 5. Conduct fertility check and provide a breeding soundness exam for all herd sires.

6. Plan and implement MGA based synchronization program for artificial insemination. If the MGA system will be used (14 days of

MGA feeding followed by 17 days without MGA and a prostaglandin injection on day 31) for cows or heifers to be bred in early May, MGA feeding will need to begin in early April.

General Recommendations:

1. Vaccinate bulls for anaplasmosis, if not previously done this year, and continue other control measures for the herd. 2. Plan fly and tick control program. Check spraying equipment, dust bags, and oilers, and purchase needed chemicals or tags for fly and tick

control. Use insecticide impregnated ear tags if ear ticks are a problem and there is no resistance in your area.

3. For establishing new stands of lovegrass, seed in April and May. Spray or burn weeds in Bermuda and native grass pastures in late April or May.

4. Use prescribed fire to eradicate cedars and improve forage quality. 5. Utilize a controlled burning program on native range, to control weed and brush. Controlled burning has also been shown to increase

weaning performance of fall-born calves. 6. As temperature increases, remove cattle from endophyte infected fescue pasture; usually by early May. For fescue or other cool sea-

son forages, manage pastures to keep forage from maturing and incorporate legumes to aid in preventing fescue summer slump.

Page 3 Beef Cow Herd Calendar

4 Page 4

Find Farm Management Resources from the Field Producers can find information on farm financial management, production, marketing, and

risk management topics through their smartphone by visiting the e-Farm Management website.

This site contains videos, decision tools, and publications for farmers and ranchers to strength-

en their farm management skills.

In the Types of Tillage video, viewers learn about the two main categories of tillage. The video examines the purposes of

and distinguishes between primary and secondary tillage. Finally, viewers learn about ways to decide which type of till-

age to use based on their end production goals.

To view this video and find additional information on grain production visit: http://agecon.okstate.edu/

efarmmanagement/grain.asp.

More information on this and other farm management topics may be found: 1) by contacting your nearest Extension

Educator (https://extension.okstate.edu/county/index.html) 2) on the e-farm management website (http://

agecon.okstate.edu/efarmmanagement/index.asp) or 3) on the OSU Ag Econ YouTube Channel (https://

www.youtube.com/user/OkStateAgEcon).

Farm Management

Record meat supplies in 2020 Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

Disruptions in normal activities due to COVID-19 have produced a surge in at-home food demand. Recent re-ports indicate a 77 percent year over year increase in grocery meat sales in mid-March. The spike in grocery demand has overwhelmed the retail meat supply chain resulting in temporary shortages of meat in many gro-cery stores. The shortages are due to the tremendous logistical challenges of shifting meat supplies from food service channels to retail grocery channels.

It is critical for consumers to know that there is no shortage of meat in the U.S. In fact, production of beef, pork and poultry are projected at record levels in 2020 and are at record levels in the first quarter of the year. Pro-duction of all meat is projected at 109.3 billion pounds in 2020, up 4.3 percent year over year. Total meat pro-duction in the first quarter of 2020 is estimated at 26.9 billion pounds, up 6.9 percent year over year. Total meat production includes, beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton, broiler, other chicken and turkey.

Broiler production, which represents about 88 percent of total poultry production, is projected at 46.0 billion pounds in 2020, up 5.8 percent year over year. Broiler production is up due to both increased slaughter and heavier bird weights so far this year. Broiler production in the first quarter is up 7.7 percent year over year.

Pork production in 2020 is projected to total 28.9 billion pounds, up 4.4 percent year over year. Hog slaughter is up 4.7 percent thus far in 2020 and carcass weights are heavier this year. First quarter pork production is estimated to be 7.6 percent higher year over year compared to one year ago.

Beef production is projected to be 1.9 percent higher year over year in 2020, totaling 27.7 billion pounds. In-creased beef production is concentrated in the first half of the year. Total steer and heifer slaughter is up 3.9 percent year over year for the year to date. Steer carcass weights for the year to date are up over 21 pounds year over year with heifer carcass weights up over 12 pounds. First quarter beef production is estimated to increase 6.6 percent year over year over last year.

Poultry, pork and beef production are all at record levels of production. Total domestic meat consumption in 2020 is projected at 228.2 pounds per capita (retail weight), up 2.1 percent year over year and a record level. While COVID-19 is changing how and where meat consumption happens and is temporarily overwhelming certain supply chains, supplies of all meats are assured in 2020.

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Page 5

Horticulture Tips April 2020

Garden Planting Guide for Warm-Season Vegetables

Vegetable

Time to Plant* Days to Harvest

Method of Plant-ing

Bean, Lima April 15-30 90-120 Seed

Beans, Green or Wax April 10-30 50-60 Seed

Beans, Pole April 10-30 60-90 Seed

Cantaloupe May 1-20 80-100 Seed or Plants

Cucumber April 10-30 or later 50-70 Seed or Plants

Eggplant April 10-30 80-90 Plants

Okra April 10-30 or later 60-70 Seed

Pepper April 10-30 or later 90-110 Plants

Pumpkin April 10-30 90-120 Seed

Southern Pea May 1-June 10 85-100 Seed

Squash, Summer April 10-30 or later 40-60 Seed or Plants

Squash, Winter May 15-June 15 110-125 Seed or Plants

Sweet Corn Mar. 25-April 30 80-100 Seed

Sweet Potato May 1-June 10 100-120 Plants

Tomato April 10-30 70-90 Plants

Watermelon May 1-20 90-120 Seed

Landscape - General

• Hummingbirds arrive in Oklahoma in early April. Get your bird feeders ready using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Do not use red food coloring.

• Keep the bird feeder filled during the summer and help control insects at the same time.

• Lace bugs, aphids, spider mites, bagworms, etc. can start popping up in the landscape and gar-den later this month. Keep a close eye on all plants and use mechanical, cultural, and biological control options first.

• Be alert for both insect pests and predators. Some pests can be hand picked without using a pes-ticide. Do not spray if predators such as lady beetles are present. Spray only when there are too few predators to be effective.

6

A good time to update the ranch record keeping system

Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist

The current “Covid-19” situation has temporarily changed a great deal about our daily lives. For many farm and ranch families it means that the son or daughter that had been going to high school or college is now at home and helping with the chores. Why not take advantage of the technology skills that these young people could bring to the operation?

They probably still have on-line class work to complete. Plus you need their assistance watch-ing cows or heifers at calving time, and with feeding and caring for all livestock on the ranch. In addition, that low spot on the south 40 needs to have the fence repaired or replaced.

After all of that work is done, perhaps they could perform an especially important task of starting a new digitalized record system for the cattle oper-ation. If the ranch already has an older comput-erized system in place, a modernized update of the system may make it more “user-friendly” and valuable.

A good place to start on record-keeping would be to study the National Beef Quality Assurance Manual Chapter 6. This document gives guide-lines of key items to record on the vaccinations and treatments that are given to cows, calves, or yearlings. The accurate, up-to-date health rec-ords can be of value to both you and your veteri-narian in assessing the effectiveness of treat-ments and disease protection. Plus these rec-ords can serve as aids in protecting your opera-tion in the rare case that a violative residue is found in an animal that previously was in your control.

Health records are not the only items of infor-mation that could be put to good use by having an easily updatable record system. Production records have always been useful in selection and culling decisions. Current inventory of cattle by pasture location will be very useful in the af-

termath of wildfires or tornadoes where fences are destroyed and cattle are scattered and mixed with others.

Working along side that young, tech-savvy son or daughter, as you develop a record-keeping system, will make it easier for “old-timers” to un-derstand the record program that was devel-oped. They young people will learn a little more about the ranch operation and you will learn a little about computer software. Who knows, you both may come away from this effort with more appreciation of each other’s skills.

Page 6

The Extension office follows OSU

guidelines as well as guidelines set forth by

the Alfalfa County Commissioners. At this

time the Alfalfa County Commissioners

have put a no rental or use of the Alfalfa

County Fairgrounds facilities until April

20th, 2020

The Election Board and the Alfalfa

County Extension offices are open. The Ex-

tension office continues to plan educational

events but would like for everyone to be

aware of cancelations or applicable changes.

Please call, 580-596-3131, or email cady.robles_tucker@okstate.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

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