The Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine’s plan for supporting veterinary antimicrobial stewardship will be fully implemented in 2023 when all remaining over-the-counter antibiotics are switched to prescription-only status.

The medically important antibiotics (used by humans and animals) becoming prescription-only include injectable tylosin, injectable and intramammary penicillin, injectable and oral tetracycline, sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethazine, and cephapirin and cephapirin benzathine intramammary tubes. In addition, the OTC status of the swine antibiotics lincomycin and gentamicin is switching to prescription-only.

Vaccines, dewormers, injectable and oral nutritional supplements, ionophores, pro/prebiotics and topical non-antibiotic treatments will not require veterinary prescription.

The Center for Veterinary Medicine evaluates the safety of drugs used in food-producing animals, the impact drug resides have on human intestinal microflora, and the development of human antimicrobial resistance. Drug residues in meat, milk, eggs and honey from treated animals expose bacteria to trace amounts that don’t kill them, but rather allow for the development of antibiotic resistance. Veterinarians are tasked to slow the rate of bacterial resistance by using antibiotics only when necessary to treat, control or prevent disease. Doing so preserves antibiotic efficacy for humans and animals.

Under the new rule, producers with a current veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) may purchase antibiotics directly from their veterinarian or from a distributor with the vet’s prescription. Local distributors (for example, farm supply stores) are evaluating their ability to manage prescription pharmaceuticals in the future.

The VCPR is the key that unlocks the medicine cabinet. Wisconsin Statutes’ Chapter 89 defines the VCPR as the relationship between a licensed veterinarian, a client (who owns the animal) and the patient (the animal) in which all the following apply to the veterinarian:

• assumes responsibility for making medical judgments regarding patient, and client agrees to accept judgments and follow vet’s instructions
• has sufficient knowledge of patient to initiate general or preliminary diagnosis because of recent exam or medically appropriate and timely visits to animal’s premises
• is readily available for follow-up treatment patient may need, including adverse reactions to medications used or prescribed by veterinarian

Livestock veterinarians are in short supply in some areas of Wisconsin, so it is with urgency that I encourage all producers to develop their veterinary relationship. Engage a veterinarian today to visit your farm to advise treatment protocols and drug orders so you are prepared to treat your animals in a timely and effective manner.

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FEWER PECANS THIS YEAR

Texas pecan orchards were expected to produce a mixed bag of results amid good prices and strong demand, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.

A tractor with a pecan shaker shakes a pecan tree during harvest.

A pecan shaker does its work at the Texas A&M AgriLife pecan orchard during the 2021 harvest. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Laura McKenzie)

Larry Stein, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Uvalde, said the drought and heat likely impacted some orchards, and 2022 was expected to be a below-average year also because last year’s crop was heavy.

Pecan trees typically go through cyclical performance year to year. Heavy crops are typically followed by lighter yields and vice versa.

Stein said harvest for early varieties like Pawnee will begin this week, but most of the other later varieties will be harvested in October. Pecan orchards in the Far West were showing good crop loads while trees in Central Texas were expected to provide below-average yields.

“The crop looks good, but it is hit and miss this year,” Stein said. “If you want pecans, I would suggest finding them early to make sure you get some.”

Texas pecan prices good, domestic demand up

Drought will likely mean smaller pecan size, but Stein said that is not necessarily a bad thing because kernels fill out easier. He said the widespread rainfall should help most pecans, but moisture in the form of rainfall or irrigation will be needed to help kernels fill over the next few weeks.

Most commercial producers have irrigation, which is an important factor for producing retail-quality pecans. The moisture will help trees finish the crop, but it will also keep the tree healthy and help it store food for next year’s pecan crop. Stein recommends 2 inches of water at and beyond the drip line per week through harvest.

Pecans laying in a bin during harvest

Pecans harvested at Texas A&M AgriLife pecan orchard during the 2021 season. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Laura McKenzie)

“Drought was stressful on the trees, but the producers who were able to keep up on irrigation should be fine,” he said. “They’ll continue to irrigate to finish the crop.”

Very early retail quality Pawnee pecans were selling between $2.40 to $2.75 per pound in the shell, she said. Prices in recent years have been between $2 to $3 per pound for in-shell pecans and around $4 for shelled pecans.

Domestic demand for pecans was stronger this year, and export demand from other countries, including Mexico, South Africa and South American nations, has filled the gap the trade war with China created for U.S. pecan growers.

Yellow aphids a sticky situation

One pest – yellow aphids – are making their presence known, especially in homeowner trees, Stein said.

Stein said he has seen reports and received calls about yellow aphids more than usual this year. Yellow aphids are to blame for the sappy excretion homeowners may have noticed if they park under pecan trees. Yellow aphids feed on leaves and expel the liquid. Infestations do not typically harm trees, and aphid populations usually crash without treatment.

The emergence of yellow aphids is later than usual this year, likely due to extended drought, but their numbers appear to be heavier than normal across the state, he said.

“They’re cyclical and will go away but seem to have come out of the woodwork after the last few weeks of rain,” he said. “We typically tell people to leave them alone because we think the damage to trees is minimal and sprays can actually make things worse.”