The 2022 Profitability and Sustainability in Ranching Symposium will be held in San Angelo, Texas on June 16-17, 2022. This two-day event focuses on decision-making processes in the ranching industry and long-term sustainability. The goal of the meeting is to attract landowners and land managers from across the state. Topics for the symposium will be presented by individuals in the ranching/beef cattle industry to address specific questions that impact long-term profitability and sustainability. A complete list of presenters and their topics is below. There will be 3 CEU credit for Private Applicator License holders each day. The cost to attend is $50.
There will be a tradeshow on Thursday, June 16th. The tradeshow will take place in the same venue as the symposium and at the conclusion of the day. An evening mixer will take place allowing vendors and attendees one last chance to interact.
Thursday, June 16th First Financial Bank Pavilion, San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo:
- Feeder calf evaluation Quality and Yield Grading
John Kellermeier, ASU Meat Scientist - Feeder Calf Preparation for Marketing
Ryan Moorehouse, Five Rivers Feedlot - Veterinary Medicine Challenges of Feedlot Cattle
Five Rivers Vet. - Morning Break – visit with Vendors
- Cow/calf Operation How to and Financial Returns
Wesley Welch, Spade Ranches - Fully integrated Cattle Marketing
Bill Belew, B&M Farms - Catered Lunch
- Value of Grass and Rest Leading to Sustainability
Frank Price, Price Ranch - Rangeland Health and Sustainability, Soil Health, Ecosystem Services
Chad Ellis, Texas Agricultural Land Trust - Integrating Stocker Operations with a Cow/Calf Operation
Cody Webb, Rocker B Ranch - Brush Control – Return on Investments
Justin Benavidez, Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Cost opportunities through NRCS
Kendall Tidwell, USDA NRCS - Targeting the Ethnic Market with Small Ruminants
Benny Cox, Producer’s Livestock Auction
Friday, June 17th ASU MIR Center:
Four stops/stations
- Carcass Evaluation
Robert Cope/Eddie Behrends, ASU Food Safety and Product Development Lab - Spray Equipment and IPT Applications
Morgan Treadwell, Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Carbon Credits
Anson Howard, Head of the River Ranch - Low-Stress Livestock Handling
Bruce Carpenter
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THE GREAT JOHNSONGRASS DEBATE
Polywire and metal gates aside, johnsongrass has farmers on the fence. On one hand, this warm-season perennial grass can be a high-quality feedstuff. On the other, johnsongrass is a competitive crop that can overwhelm forage stands.
The good
It leads the pack in many ways. When it comes to quality, when it comes to tonnage, when it comes to persistence, and also drought tolerance — it’s got all of those in the bag.
Results from a study by the Noble Research Institute in Ardmore, Okla., show johnsongrass averaged 11.6% crude protein and 58% total digestible nutrients (TDN). Another study by the institute compared a group of yearling steers’ grazing preferences to 14 forage species. Johnsongrass ranked second.
To utilize johnsongrass for grazing, turn livestock out to when plants are 12 to 18 inches tall and move animals when plant height is reduced to 6 to 8 inches. Interseeding cool-season grasses may extend the grazing season, and incorporating other crops like turnips, clovers, and small grains can benefit the system overall.
Johnsongrass can also be used for hay. Schnakenberg recommended harvesting at boot stage, or when plants are 40 inches tall — whichever comes first. He said johnsongrass can yield between 2 and 5 tons per acre.
The bad
Despite its merits, johnsongrass is considered a noxious weed in several states. Its aggressive reproductive patterns make it difficult to manage.
The bad part of johnsongrass is that it reproduces from both seeds and rhizomes. It’s a very prolific (seed) producer, and it’s taking light, nutrients, and water from other plants.
One johnsongrass plant can produce between 30,000 and 80,000 seeds, which can be viable for up to 10 years. Rhizomes also develop within 19 days of seedling emergence, and a single plant can have up to 275 feet of these modified underground stems.
Heavy, continuous grazing may deplete johnsongrass root carbohydrates and reduce rhizome development, and frequent mowing can prevent or limit seedhead production. However, slight delays in harvest can result in unwanted seed dispersal and lead to greater plant persistence.
You can mow johnsongrass and keep it in a vegetative stage, but if the timing of mowing is during a point where we’ve already reached seedhead production, and we’ve already got viable seed, we’re really not accomplishing much. We could potentially move it from field-to-field on the mower deck.
The ugly
Risk of prussic acid poisoning and nitrate toxicity are arguably johnsongrass’ worst attributes. The former is a concern for grazing livestock, especially in drought conditions and after a frost. The latter can also cause problems in pastures, but nitrate levels remain high when johnsongrass is harvested for hay, too.
To eliminate johnsongrass from a field, Schnakenberg suggested using a weed wiper or administering spot treatments with glyphosate. These options are relatively inexpensive but will take multiple passes through a field to be successful. Applying other herbicides that contain sulfosulfuron as the active ingredient may also be an effective approach, but carefully follow label instructions.
Pasture renovation may be justified in extreme cases of johnsongrass infestation. Schnakenberg encouraged producers to practice the spray-smother-spray method, although he cautioned that this strategy still may not eradicate johnsongrass entirely.