Farm & Ranch
SAN ANGELO – Wildfire season is here and there’s fuel to burn.
By: Steve Byrns
Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Morgan Russell, 325-657-7317, [email protected]
SAN ANGELO – Wildfire season is here and there’s fuel to burn.
That’s the assessment of Dr. Morgan Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service range specialist at San Angelo. She said during the week of Aug. 9, the Texas A&M Forest Service responded to 68 fires on 22,519 acres. Large fires were reported in Kimble, Edwards, Tom Green and Crockett counties.
“Extremely hot temperatures, low humidity, large amounts of dry grass and increasingly windy conditions are the perfect recipe for cooking up a very busy fire year,” Russell said.
Russell said the National Preparedness Level that monitors fuel and weather conditions, fire activity and resource availability for the Texas Interagency Coordination Center at Lufkin was increased to Level 5, the highest level, on Aug. 13.
“Given the continuing hot and dry weather and the major increase in fire activity, the decision to move to Preparedness Level 5 shows the complexity fire managers are facing to assure adequate firefighting resources are available to protect life, property and our state’s natural resources,” she said.
Russell offered the following “watch-out” potential wildfire situations to keep in mind over the coming months if dry weather lingers:
– Watch for fires starting in bar ditches along roadways, often caused by cigarettes or idling vehicles. Report the fire immediately to local authorities and clearly state the location.
– Watch for dragging trailer safety chains that can easily spark roadside fires.
– Watch for sparks coming from tire rims running on flat tires.
– Keep all firefighting resources such as slip-in pickup pumper units and sprayers filled and ready.
– Be aware of active county burn bans in your area.
– Be careful when welding and when using a chainsaw.
“Hunting season is about to start and with it will come an onslaught of off-road vehicles,” Russell said. “When driving anything – pickups, utility task vehicles or UTVs and ATVs through pastures, be aware that idling the vehicle in tall, cured grass can quickly spell disaster. Also, know that grass seed heads impacting the exhaust manifold can start fires.
“If conditions remain as they are, there will probably be some fires set by Mother Nature, but as a rule, most fires start from human carelessness,” she said. “Or, simply not realizing that some common practices, given the right conditions, can actually spark a fire.
“If we all remain vigilant and observant, hopefully we can stay safe until this wet El Nino weather system that’s been talked about so much arrives this fall.”
For more information, contact Russell at 325-657-7317, [email protected] .
To view prescribed burning information go to: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZiB7zLZEoDKhOOE0ayATyiwv4SGzg32W .
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Find more stories, photos, videos and audio at http://today.agrilife.org
By: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
Since their introduction to the U.S. in the early 1900s, Old World Bluestems such as King Ranch bluestem and Dahl bluestem have become established on farms and ranches from the Rio Grande to Nebraska. With such a wide range of adaptability, these species are subjected to a wide range of management, depending on location and the goals of the rancher.
Due to the aggressive nature of OWBs, producers in far South Texas have been trying to find a way to eradicate OWBs in their pastures. Texas AgriLife Extension bulletin “Introduced Bluestem Grasses: Management on Native Lands” describes several methods being used in the effort to rid pastures of OWBs. In 2016, one project involved using chemicals, plowing, mowing, reseeding, summer burning, and combinations of these practices.
To read the about the researchers findings and hear Tony’s take, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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