News Update
Nov. 2, 2009

NDSU 12-month Livestock-Pasture-Forage Management Planning Workshop Offered

A three-day planning workshop on 12-month pasture and harvested forage management will be offered to livestock producers, land managers and college students on Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 5-7, 2010, at the new office building at North Dakota State University (NDSU) Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC). The building is on the corner of State Avenue and Empire Road in Dickinson.

The workshop is designed to scientifically address the persistent problems in animal agriculture of high production costs and low profit margins because of the mismatch of forage nutrients required and forage nutrients available between modern, high-performance cattle and traditional low-performance, old-style livestock forage management practices.

“During the workshop, each participant will learn how to develop and operate a biologically effective management strategy that provides a full 12-month forage sequence for his or her ranch,” says Lee Manske, DREC range scientist and a workshop instructor. “These science-based management strategies meet the nutrient requirements of livestock during each production period, meet the biological requirements of grass plants and soil organisms, increase the quantity of forage nutrients produced and improve the efficiency of forage nutrient capture and its conversion into saleable animal weight commodities. This will generate greater new wealth from the land’s natural resources without depleting future production.”

Information related to the workshop material is available at http://www.GrazingHandbook.com/.

To design pasture and harvested forage management strategies specific to individual ranches, maps with each pasture and field for the entire land holdings, including owned and leased land, need to be made and acreages of each soil type in each parcel of land need to be calculated prior to the start of the workshop. This information can be compiled electronically for participants by a crew of ArcGIS specialists. The specialists will be working with another workshop instructor, Toby Stroh, assistant professor in the Dickinson State University Agricultural Department.

Location descriptions of land holdings will need to be provided a month prior to the workshop to give sufficient time to develop the maps.

The land holdings and acreage information also can be developed a more difficult way by the participants by preparing a complete set of maps from aerial photos showing pasture and field boundaries. Participants will need to calculate the acreage of each pasture and parcel of land and determine forage type and acreages of each soil type within each parcel. Instructions are available on how to do this at http://www.GrazingHandbook.com/.

The only nonoptional cost of the workshop is a $25 lab fee per person to cover supply costs, refreshments and a working supper on the second day. The regular registration fee of $70 has been waived. Three textbooks are available at a cost of $75. The optional but highly recommended ArcGIS map set will cost approximately $50 per ranch. An option for professional development with one or two graduate credits for a continuing education course is available from NDSU at a cost of $50 per credit. Participants will supply their own calculators and notebooks.

The workshop will run from 1 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 5 and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan. 6. The Jan. 7 session will go from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dickinson is in the Mountain time zone. Participants requesting ArcGIS maps to be developed for their ranch must register by Dec 7. Space is limited, so those who wish to attend are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

For information or to register, call 701-483-2348, ext. 118.

— Release by NDSU.

USDA-Funded Swine Genome Sequencing Project Succeeds in Completing First Draft

An international team of scientists, funded with a $10 million grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), has completed the first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig. This first draft sequence will spur advancements in swine production and human medicine.

At 98% complete, the draft sequence will allow researchers to pinpoint genes that are useful to pork production or are involved in immunity or other important physiological processes in the pig. It will enhance breeding practices, offer insight into diseases that afflict pigs — and, sometimes, also humans — and will help in efforts to preserve the global heritage of rare, endangered and wild pigs.

— Adapted from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report.

Number of cattle with TB down 20%

The Irishtimes.com reports that the number of cattle with tuberculosis (TB) is down 20% in the past year. New field trials to stop the spread of TB in cattle were developed by vaccinating badgers rather than exterminating them and it is showing good results, according to the Ireland Department of Agriculture.

A statement from the department said the research project with University College Dublin and the United Kingdom government’s department of agriculture on the efficacy of an orally delivered vaccine to badgers is “showing promising results.”

For the report click Read More.

Oklahoma AgrAbility Project assists farmers and ranchers

A farming environment can be challenging for people with disabilities; however, help is available.

The Oklahoma AgrAbility Project can assist Oklahoma farmers, ranchers and their families who have been affected by disabilities and face barriers to continuing participation in an agriculture-related occupation.

“Agriculture is an important industry in Oklahoma,” said Randy Taylor, co-director of the Oklahoma AgrAbility Project and Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering professor. “The Oklahoma AgrAbility Project strives to keep farmers with disabilities on the job and a productive piece of this important industry. Though Oklahoma AgrAbility cannot directly purchase assistive technology, it is designed to help determine a course of action and link clients with appropriate funding sources.”

If a person has a disability and is experiencing barriers in the farming industry, assistive technology devices and services are available and can be recommended by the Oklahoma AgrAbility Project.

“Oklahoma AgrAbility assists farmers with health challenges make informed choices about returning to work with a greater likelihood of success,” said Linda Jaco, Oklahoma AgrAbility co-director.

Any Oklahoma resident with a disability, who is currently working in agriculture or has a desire to work in agriculture, is eligible. AgrAbility staff members can make farm visits to help determine technology needs through an on-farm assessment.

The on-farm assessment is a comprehensive evaluation conducted by AgrAbility staff, which matches an individual's agricultural employment goals with appropriate ways to achieve them by reducing barriers through assistive technology.

Assistive technology for people who live in farming communities includes any kind of device, modification or service that will help a person with a disability work and live more independently in the rural setting. Examples of assistive technology include motorized lifts, outdoor mobility aids, modifications to farm buildings or farm tools and automated gates.

An AgrAbility specialist can help determine what assistive technology is needed and how to obtain it. The specialist can also make referrals to funding sources appropriate to the individual’s need and use.

The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services may be one option for assistance. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. Another funding option is the Oklahoma Assistive Technology Foundation, which assists people with disabilities purchase needed assistive technology through low interest cash loans. Application processes are required for both of these funding sources.

There is no fee for AgrAbility professionals to provide on-farm assessments to determine what assistive technology may benefit you or your farm operation. The assistive technology costs are determined on a case-by-case basis depending upon the specific device(s) needed by the individual with a disability.

For more information about the program contact Oklahoma AgrAbility at 888-885-5588 (voice/tty), agrability@okstate.edu, or view the Oklahoma AgrAbility web site at http://www.agrability.okstate.edu/.

— Release by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.

— Compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.