Crop Conditions and Drought Continue to Worsen Across Southern Plains 

Hail and severe storms hammered portions of central and southeastern Oklahoma last weekend.  Drought conditions, however, continued to worsen, especially in the northwestern portion of the state. Winter wheat was struggling due to the prolonged drought and the freeze from the previous week. Topsoil moisture conditions were rated 28 percent adequate to surplus and 72 percent short to very short. Subsoil moisture conditions were rated 20 percent adequate to surplus and 80 percent short to very short.

Winter wheat conditions were rated mostly poor to very poor with 26 percent rated fair. Winter wheat jointing reached 90 percent, two points behind last year. Winter wheat headed reached 45 percent by Sunday, 26 points ahead of the previous year and 14 points behind the five year average. Canola conditions were rated 75 percent poor to very poor, with 19 percent rated fair. Canola blooming reached 88 percent by week's end, the same as this time last year.  (Click here for the full Oklahoma Crop Progress and Condition report.)

Fewer Cattle on Feed; Seasonal Slaughter Increases Ahead 

by Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

The April Cattle on Feed report showed that feedlot inventories as of April 1 were 10.86 million head, 99 percent of inventories one year ago. March placements were down 3.7 percent from last year; a surprise compared to the pre-report expectations for placements to be up slightly year over year. One again regional variation help to explain the differences, with placements in the Midwest and Northern Plains consistent with the expectations while placements in the Southern Plains were significantly lower, which pulled down total placements. Feedlot marketings in March were 96 percent of year ago levels, close to expectations.

USDA estimates that total cattle slaughter for the year to date is down 6.4 percent leading to a cumulative decrease in beef production of 5.8 percent so far this year. Actual slaughter data for the first 12 days of April shows that total cattle slaughter decreased year over year by 12.3 percent including a 5.8 percent decrease in steer slaughter and a 19 percent decrease in combined heifer and cow slaughter.   The number of heifers on feed for April 1 was 94 percent of year ago levels. Fewer heifers are in feedlots as has been the case in the previous quarterly reports for January and last October and, unlike last year there is little indication that poor forage conditions will redirect heifers into feedlots as happened in the middle of the year in 2013.

Click here to read more of this story.  

Brian Arnall Says It's Not Too Early to Think Soil Fertility in Areas Hit By Harsh Winter Weather

Oklahoma State University's annual crop tour is underway and attendees looked at wheat and canola crops last week near Chickasha. Brian Arnall, assistant professor of nutrient management, told me it's obviously been a tough year for wheat and canola growers in that area. He said it is hard to generalize, but areas of wheat that were well fertilized have fared better than those that were underfertilized. The differences were not so stark when it came to canola.

"For the most part, canola just got hit hard," he said. It didn't seem like overall soil fertility had much impact whether the crop had to weather drought, freezing temperatures or both. But, other variables in soil nutrient profiles did show differences.

"If we look at soil conditions-low phosphorous, low soil-test pH-those levels did get harder hit on winter kill, harder hit on the drought. Effectively, when you have low nutrient availability in phosphorous or even K, low pH, that crop is not able to put out a root system. It is not able to put up the plant it needs to take a winter like we've had."

What that shows him, Arnall said, is that it is extremely important to establish the optimal nutrient profile and maintain it throughout the growth cycle for canola to give it the best chance of withstanding tough weather conditions. At a site near Fairview, Arnall said they were recently able to confirm that properly-fertilized two-foot-tall canola plants had sent roots down four to six feet through limiting layers of clay. That gives those plants the ability to survive drought conditions which would otherwise damage a wheat crop.

You can catch my interview with Brian or read more of this story by clicking here.
 

Advanced Viticulture and Enology Training Workshop Slated May 7th

For more than a dozen years, Oklahoma State University has offered a Grape Management Course to those individuals who have an established vineyard, or to those who are just getting into the industry.

Due to the popularity of the course, grape growers in the area now have a chance to expand their knowledge by attending the first in a series of educational opportunities called the Advanced Viticulture and Enology Training Workshops.

Slated May 7 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cimarron Valley Research Station near Perkins, the workshop will feature Keith Striegler of Flintridge Wine Growing Services. He will give an overview of new virus problems and availability of clean grapevine planting materials, as well as discuss vine balance and balanced cropping of grapevines.

Click here to read more of this story and to find reservation information. 

OACD President Kim Farber Asks Farmers to Think Before They Plow in Drought Areas 

As the ongoing drought increases its hold across Oklahoma and the rest of the Southern Plains, agriculture producers should think long and hard before rushing into their fields to plow up acres where wheat is being abandoned or where farmers are considering growing summer crops according to Kim Farber, President of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD).   


"We all know wind erosion is a constant concern in Oklahoma," Farber said. "With the coming summer months being the hottest and typically driest of the year and with the national weather service already issuing blowing dust warnings for areas of the state as far east as Kingfisher and Garfield Counties, we have to be careful that we not open ourselves up to the specter of soil loss and dust storms due to the volatile mixture of high velocity winds and dry soils."

"Producers need to look at all their options before they tear into their fields this spring and summer," Farber said. "Luckily there are alternatives that can help control weeds while reducing costs and exposure to wind erosion."

Click here to read more about the potential for soil erosion and the ways to avoid it even in D3 and D4 drought.

Local Cotton Growers Receive Section 18 Exemptions for TOPGUARD® Fungicide

Cheminova, Inc. announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted state specific exemptions under Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act to the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, for the use of TOPGUARD® Fungicide to control cotton root rot in cotton. This means cotton growers in both states can use TOPGUARD to manage cotton root rot problems for the 2014 season.

"TOPGUARD is the only fungicide known to protect cotton plants from cotton root rot and the EPA has granted this emergency use for cotton growers in Texas for the past three years," said Deneen Sebastian, Director of Marketing, Cheminova, Inc. "Cheminova is glad to see growers in Arizona and Oklahoma also receiving this exemption to provide them with greater success in managing this disease."

TOPGUARD may be applied at planting either as a T-band application or modified in-furrow. For T-band it is applied in a concentrated 3-4 inch wide band at planting perpendicular to row direction after furrow opening and seed placement, but prior to furrow closure. For modified in-furrow, TOPGUARD is applied using a splitter/Y shaped application mechanism or seed firmer that directs the product on the sides of the seed furrow and not in direct contact with the seed.   

For more of this story, please click here.

Busy Week Includes FFA Conventioning, Wheat Crop Estimating and Soil and Land Judging 

Several Thousand FFA students in their Blue and Gold jackets will be roaming Bricktown and everywhere else in downtown Oklahoma City as the 88th Annual Convention of the Oklahoma FFA is underway- highlights will include comments offered by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, State Speech Finals in the Prepared Public Speaking Contest, Announcement of the Stars of Oklahoma Agriculture and the announcement Wednesday evening of the new state officer team for the coming year.   

Click here for more details about this year's convention- their theme is Ignite- Leadership, Growth, Success!  Hashtag for you Tweet Peeps is #OKFFA14 

The annual Hard Red Winter Wheat Crop Tour is underway this morning- leaving Manhattan, Kansas- to arrive back in Kansas City on Thursday- this is being sponsored again by the Wheat Quality Council which has moved from Manhattan to Brighton, Colorado- Click here for their website and it appears that you can stay up to date on routes the tour will be taking by following many of the scouts on Twitter- the hashtag appears to be #wheattour14.

By the way- some of the tweets with this hashtag is quoting our interview this past weekend with Mark Hodges who told us that much of the wheat in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles is toast- drought being the major culprit.

As is tradition- the Oklahoma estimate will be set by wheat scouts who will be reporting Wednesday morning at the spring meeting of the Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association- that estimate is then reported to the folks with the Wheat Quality Council tour when they stop and report on Wednesday night in Wichita.

About a thousand 4-H and FFA members will be gathered in Central Oklahoma over the next couple of days for the 2014 National Soil and Land Judging Contest- click here for details of  this year's event which will be celebrated Thursday evening at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum as awards are passed out at the banquet for the contestants and supporters.

Over two dozen states will once again be represented at this year's competition- which includes, soil, rangeland and homesite evaluation.