Farm & Ranch

New turf grass handbook available through AgriLife Extension

Published

8 years ago

April 29, 2016

NTFR

By: Kay Ledbetter

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Casey Reynolds, 979-845-0603, [email protected]

COLLEGE STATION – Homeowners and professional turfgrass managers now have a new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service publication available to help them when selecting herbicides, insecticides and fungicides to control common turfgrass pests.

Weed, Insect, and Disease Control in Turfgrass was authored by AgriLife Extension turfgrass specialists Dr. Casey Reynolds, College Station; Dr. Matt Elmore, Dallas; and Dr. Young-Ki Jo, College Station; as well as Diane Silcox Reynolds, a postdoctoral research associate.

“It’s a pretty extensive document that I think will be useful to those managing turf in Texas,” Reynolds said. “In addition to providing information such as the common and trade names, application rates and intervals and mode of action, we’ve included notes and cautions throughout to help you improve control and learn about restricted-use pesticides, use sites, turfgrass tolerance and other issues of importance.”

Reynolds said the 120-page guide will be useful for anyone responsible for maintaining athletic, golf course, landscape, recreational or utility turfgrasses.

The document can be found in the publications section of AggieTurf, the Texas A&M turfgrass program’s website: https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/publications/.

For more information on this publication or other AgriLife Extension turfgrass programs, contact Reynolds at [email protected].

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Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

5 days ago

April 21, 2024

NTFR

By Barry Whitworth, DVM

Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.

Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.

To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.