By: Adam Russell
Contact: Vanessa Corriher-Olson, VACorriher@ag.tamu.edu
Michelle Sensing, 903-834-6191
A program on the reduction of winter feeding by stockpiling warm-season forage and/or planting cool-season pastures is scheduled for Aug. 16 in Overton.
The event is from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1710 N. Farm-to-Market Road 3053.
Stockpiled forage and cool season forages can help reduce winter feeding costs.
The cost is $60 per person if registered by Aug. 6 and $75 per person if registered by Aug. 14. Fees include lunch and all program materials.
Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units, one integrated pest management and one general, will be available.
The program will be presented by Drs. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service forage specialist, and Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, both in Overton.
Corriher-Olson said the subject should be of great interest to beef producers following recent hay shortages.
“People were scrambling to secure hay this past winter,” she said. “Attending this event will help producers better prepare their operations and reduce feeding of hay next winter.”
Topics include:
- Stockpiled forage management and utilization.
- How many acres of stockpiled forage and winter pasture do you need?
- Cool-season forages and variety selection.
- Establishment and fertilization.
- Monthly and seasonal forage production potential.
- Appropriate mineral supplementation.
- Estimated costs for various scenarios.
“We’ll be looking at the economics of these options,” Corriher-Olson said. “Whether they forgo that last harvest of Bermuda or Bahia grass as a stockpile option or plant cool-season grasses, planning ahead can help avoid unnecessary costs and benefit an operation’s bottom line.”
Register online at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu; or call AgriLife Extension Conference Services at 979-845-2604. For more information on this program, contact Michelle Sensing at 903-834-6191.