TIME TO RE-REGISTER YOUR BRAND

By Laura Hughes – Kaufman County Clerk of Court

The Kaufman County Clerk would like to remind everyone that it is time to re-register their brands.  According to state law – beginning Aug. 31, 2011 through Feb. 29, 2012 -- all currently registered marks, brands and tattoos must be re-registered with the County Clerk. 

On March 1, 2012, all brands that have not been renewed or re-registered will become “open brands” for the general public.

The cost to register a brand/mark in Kaufman County is $16 per “brand” (horse, cow, etc.) plus $5 for each additional location on the same animal. 

To make the process easier and more accessible, the Clerk’s office has worked hard to automate the process.  They have created and placed an editable registration form on the county website,  (www.kaufmancountyclerk.com ).  This form can be completed and printed before being brought to the courthouse for filing. 

In addition, all the currently registered brands have been scanned, indexed and placed on the web (www.countygovernmentrecords.com ) for review and printing. 

For those who prefer not to use the Internet, the Clerk’s office now has the ability to create a new form using the ranchers existing brand data. 

“All that will be required is for the cattlemen to draw their brand and sign the form.” County Clerk Laura Hughes explained, “With Kaufman having over 500 brands that need to be re-registered, our goal was to make this process as quick and stress-free as possible for everyone involved.”

For additional information, contact the Kaufman County Clerk’s Office, 100 W. Mulberry, Kaufman, Texas   75142:  972-932-4331-1104.  Business hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

AgriLife Research helps pave the way for a new livestock feed product

AMARILLO - A  two-year study by a Texas AgriLife Research team in Amarillo has helped bring a new product to market that could allow the cattle feeding industry to realize efficiencies in mills and more weight on cattle, according to Dr. Jim MacDonald.

MacDonald, an AgriLife Research beef cattle nutritionist, finished his second trial of cattle early this year studying starter diets in feedlots during the transition phase from pasture to feed yard.

Typically, a steer or heifer will come off of a forage diet when it goes into the feedlot, he explained. For the first 21 to 28 days in the feedlot, the cattle are fed a diet that allows their rumen microflora to adapt to grain
instead of forage.

“This is usually done with roughage, and as they go through the period of adjustment, the amount of roughage goes down and the amount of grain goes up,” MacDonald said.

If the animal is not allowed to go through this process, it can suffer rumen acidosis, which is typically characterized by decreasing rumen pH and digestive disorders that cause the cattle to go off feed, he said.

The problem for feed yards, MacDonald said, is handling the roughage needed for this transitional diet can be inefficient. Roughage is typically expensive per unit of energy and is bulky and difficult to handle in the feed mills. Also, there can be a substantial amount of shrink depending on the roughage used.

Through a grant funded by Cargill Corn Milling, MacDonald conducted two trials with 315 cattle in each to help develop a product that acts like a forage in the rumen but has the energy value of corn.

Cargill already produces Sweet Bran, a branded corn gluten feed that is high in digestible fiber with an energy value similar to corn, but without the potential to cause rumen acidosis, he said.

Cargill is expanding on the Sweet Bran product with a new one called RAMP, he said. RAMP is a complete starter feed to adapt cattle to finishing diets of Sweet Bran pre-mixed with cottonseed hulls, alfalfa hay, vitamins and minerals.

“Our first trial was to determine if the concept would work in the Southern Plains and to help determine what level of cottonseed hulls might be optimal,” MacDonald said. “Our second study looked at how many days the product should be used to step the cattle up.”

The trial looked at 14-30 days, and while statistically it didn’t seem to make a difference on the length of time fed, MacDonald said he is most comfortable with feeding the product at least 18 days or more. He said the 14-day period may be too fast.

“Maximum energy intake early in the feeding period appears to have a large impact on growth and performance,” MacDonald said. “By using RAMP, we increased their energy intake during the adaptation period. Our studies showed it allowed an additional 17 pounds of hot carcass weight to be captured on
average.”

In addition to increasing weight gain, RAMP helps improve feed mill efficiencies because of the reduced forage that needs to be handled – about one-third less – and the reduction in the number of diets that they were having to mix, MacDonald said.

“This is one more step that allows feed yards to improve on their efficiency with beef production, capture more pounds of beef per animal, and potentially reduce the cost of beef to the consumer,” he said.

Drought Puts The Heat On Poorly Constructed Ponds

With the ongoing drought, many ponds in Texas, such as this one in Rusk County, were nearly dry by late June. This pond dried out prematurely not just due to the drought but because of lack of sufficient clay content in the liner and a limited drainage area, according to Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas AgriLife Extension Service wildlife and fisheries specialist

“You know it’s dry when your fish have ticks,” joked Dr. Billy Higginbotham, AgriLife Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist. 
Jokes aside, it’s a serious matter as water levels drop for the owners of the more than a million private water impoundments in Texas, Higginbotham said. Channel catfish, bluegill and largemouth bass must survive both a shrinking habitat and dropping water-oxygen levels.
Dropping oxygen levels can be a problem during a hot Texas summer even when there’s normal rainfall. But there’s nothing like a drought to highlight a poorly constructed pond and magnify the potential for fish kills, he said.
“It’s hot and dry even by Texas standards, but the ponds that show the problem first and foremost are those that have either very small watersheds or those ponds that were built on marginal soil,” he said.
A small watershed means there is not a large enough area surrounding the pond for sufficient runoff to maintain water levels, even during years with average rainfall, Higginbotham explained. To hold that runoff, the soil the pond is situated in should contain enough clay.
“These are important construction concepts for landowners to remember whether they are watering livestock or if fish are an important recreation use of that pond,” he said. “Fish remain a primary concern to many owners of small ponds, and there are more than a million private impoundments found statewide.”
Obviously, Higgibotham said, when ponds are not much more than mud wallows, there’s little that can be done about saving fish.
“Certainly, when pond levels reach this point, I hope they have done something about fish populations already, hopefully harvested them,” he said.
But even if a pond is well-constructed and its water level has only dropped a foot or two, it still behooves pond owners to pay attention to fish management and water oxygen levels, Higginbotham said.

This pond had a sufficient watershed (drainage area) but would not hold water because of the gravel content of the subsoil, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, Texas AgriLife Extension Service wildlife and fisheries specialist. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Robert Burns)

“In any case, we want to avoid trying to carry more than a thousand pounds of fish per surface acre during the warm months,” he said.
A thousand pounds of fish per surface acre of water is a good rule of thumb for a number of reasons.
“As water temperatures increase, the ability of that water to hold oxygen decreases, so typically, the hot summer months are when oxygen depletions are most likely to occur,” Higginbotham said.
Also, as water temperature rises, the metabolic rate of fish, being cold-blooded animals, will increase, and with that increase comes a need for more oxygen. But under sunny conditions and moderate temperatures, aquatic plants — mostly single-celled algae — will produce enough oxygen to somewhat offset the low oxygen concentration levels of warm water.
Cloudy days have been rare during the 2011 drought, Higginbotham noted, but when skies are overcast, photosynthesis is decreased and oxygen levels drop further.
“If the pond is too heavily stocked, fish can run into an oxygen debt,” he said. “Hot weather can even bring about oxygen debt in moderately stocked ponds.
“Furthermore, small ponds that are intensively managed for high-standing crops of catfish at or above 1,000 pounds per surface acre are going to be among the first ponds to experience oxygen shortages as water levels drop.”
Higginbotham said he has found that many pond owners over-estimate the surface acreage of their ponds by a factor of two or three.
There are simple methods to determine the size of a pond, he said. If the pond is more or less rectangular, the simplest way to determine its size is to measure the length and width in feet, then multiply one measurement by the other to get surface area in square feet. Divide this number by 44,000 to get the approximate area in acres.
As an example, a relatively square pond measuring about 200 feet on each side will have 40,000 square feet of surface area, or about one acre.
Calculating a round pond’s size is a little more complicated. Divide the distance across the pond by two, square the result, then multiply that number by 3.14.
Once the approximate surface area is determined, the next step is to determine the pounds of fish in the pond, Higgibotham said.
“Usually, the pond owner knows how many catfish were originally stocked in the pond and has a pretty good idea how many have been removed since stocking,” he said. “By catching a few fish and weighing them, an owner can estimate the total pounds of fish in the pond.”
Pond owners who suspect low oxygen concentrations should monitor their ponds closely, even if their stocking levels are 1,000 pounds per acre or less, Higginbotham said.
“Visit the pond shortly after daybreak,” he said. “If fish are crowded up at the surface at first light, that’s a pretty good indication that you’ve got low-oxygen levels.”
If this is the case, pond owners should either immediately harvest fish to reduce the stocking level or aerate that water, Higginbotham said.
“Aerate with a pump or boat motor just to get over the hump and through the immediate emergency in order to raise the oxygen levels, so you don’t lose an entire pond of fish

Livestock Producers Should Be Aware Of Prussic Acid Levels In Forages

COLLEGE STATION – Livestock producers can quickly lose animals if they fail to carefully monitor forages as the Texas drought continues, according to a toxicology expert from the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.  Dr. Tam Garland, head of the toxicology section, said producers should look for high levels of prussic acid and nitrate that can build up in drought-stressed forages. Testing is the best way to monitor for these conditions.  Johnsongrass can become especially lethal during a drought, she said.  “Typically, we tend to see high levels of prussic acid in johnsongrass when we get hot weather or dry signs,” she said, “or when dry johnsongrass is exposed to a little moisture and grows very quickly. Prussic acid may also be high when johnsongrass is exposed to frost.”

Producers should beware when they see a ribbon-like appearance to johnsongrass leaves, she said.  “That’s a huge indicator it’s under drought stress and may be hot with prussic acid,” Garland said.

Any of the sorghum species – such as haygrazer, sorghum sudan and some milo – may also contain high levels of prussic acid, she said. 

Nitrate levels in forages are also a concern, Garland said. Sorghum hybrids, corn and grain sorghum may contain high levels, as may silverleaf nightshade and pigweed or careless weed.  Livestock producers can take several precautions, Garland said.  First, producers should test all forages for high levels of prussic acid and
nitrate. Each plant sample should include 10 to 12 plants, which should be randomly selected from a field. Cut samples about 3 to 4 inches above the ground.  For a large field, divide the land into manageable sections. Label each sample according to the section from which it was taken, and include that information on the paperwork that accompanies the samples.  Fold the samples if necessary, and place them in a garbage bag (which should be tied tightly) or into a large zip-lock baggie. Next, box up the bags with cool packs and send them by an overnight courier to the TVMDL laboratory at 1 Sippel Road, College Station,Texas 77843.
Samples must arrive within 24 hours after they are cut. Garland suggests cutting samples at 3 p.m. and sending them with the last daily shipment.  Garland also advises producers to probe any hay that has recently been baled, if it was not tested before baling.  “Take three or four probes, put those individual samples into a glass canning jar, and submit them to the lab for testing,” she said.  Be sure to label the jars if the samples represent hay from separate fields.  "If a round bale shows high levels of prussic acid levels," Garland said, "let
the bale cure for 30 days, re-probe it and re-test it. Or, roll out the bale and air it out for five days, then re-bale the hay."

Additionally, producers should isolate their livestock from suspected plants, Garland said, including any that may grow on the other side of a fence or along a right-of-way. Farmers and ranchers should also take caution when moving cattle from one pasture to another.  Concerned producers should tightly control their livestocks' grazing, Garland said, and should consider supplementing – or replacing grazing entirely – with dry hay.  "This is especially true when forage test values for prussic acid are dangerously high," Garland said. "Finally, producers should be prepared to quickly treat animals that have ingested forage with high levels of prussic
acid or nitrate. Treatment generally must take place within minutes to save an animal."

For sample submission instructions, visit http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/services_offered/forms/index_forms.php . For more information about the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory visit http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/ .

Texas Agricultural Drought losses reach a record $5.2 billion dollars

COLLEGE STATION – The historic Texas drought has led to a record $5.2 billion in agricultural losses, making it the most costly drought on record, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists.
“The drought of 2011 will have a lasting impact on Texas agriculture,” said Dr. Travis Miller, AgriLife Extension agronomist and a member of the Governor’s Drought Preparedness Council.  “This drought is ongoing,” said Dr. David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. “Further losses will continue if rainfall does not come soon to establish this year’s winter wheat crop and wheat grazing.”

The $5.2 billion in losses exceeds the previous record of $4.1 billion during the 2006 drought. The losses also represent 27.7 percent of the average value of agricultural production over the last four years, Anderson said.
The current drought losses have reached record levels in large part due to Texas farmers failing to cash in crops during times of high commodity prices, economists said. The state’s cattle producers continue to cull herds at historic levels and spend money on expensive supplemental feed.  “Livestock losses include the increased cost of feeding due to lack of pastures and ranges and market losses,” Anderson said. “Market losses include the impact of fewer pounds sold per calf and the impact of lower market prices due to the large number of cattle sold in a very short time period.”

The following are losses by commodity:
- Livestock: $2.06 billion (includes $1.2 billion previously reported in May);
- Lost hay production value: $750 million;
- Cotton: $1.8 billion;
- Corn: $327 million;
- Wheat: $243 million;
- Sorghum: $63 million;

To remain comparable to past drought loss estimates, Wednesday’s loss estimates do not include losses to fruit and vegetable producers, horticultural and nursery crops, or other grain and row crops.  “In that regard, these estimates are considered conservative,” Anderson said.

The $5.2 billion total released Wednesday takes into account $1.2 billion in drought losses previously reported by AgriLife Extension in May, which were primarily livestock-related losses due to added supplemental costs and lost grazing.  “The drought began for much of the state in September 2010,” Miller said.  “Much of the Gulf Coast, Central, West Texas and the High Plains had seen abundant moisture in the summer from Tropical Storm Hermine and other rainfall events. An unusually strong La Nina pattern moved into place in the fall of 2010, which had an impact comparable to turning off the ‘rainfall switch’ for most of Texas and surrounding states.”  October 2010 through July 2011was the driest 10-month period in recorded Texas weather, Miller said.  “The drought, coupled with prolonged high winds and record temperatures were
enormously destructive to Texas agriculture and natural resources,” he said.  “The summer rains caused grass growth, which provided fuel for an unprecedented fire season, with more than 3.3 million acres of Texas ravaged by wildfire.  “This destructive climatic pattern has taken a huge toll on crops and forages, and the timing could not have been worse for Texas producers, as all of the major agricultural commodities are enjoying strong prices.”

Combined losses for wheat, corn and sorghum grain farmers in Texas due to drought are more than $600 million. Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension grains economist, said Texas wheat production in 2011 is about half what it would have been in a normal year.  “Wheat yields were down from a five-year average of 30 bushels to 26 bushels per acre and abandonment was up,” he said. “Given this year’s plantings of 5.7 million acres, we would have harvested 2.8 million in a normal year. In 2011, harvested acreage is estimated at only 2 million acres, down 800,000 acres. The combination of yield losses on harvested acres and higher
abandonment put Texas wheat-for-grain losses at $243 million.” 

Texas corn production is estimated to be down about 30 percent in 2011, Welch said, with harvested acres down 16 percent due to higher abandonment rates.  “Yields are down 16 percent statewide,” he said. “Highlighting the severity of this year’s heat and dry conditions is that the most severe yield losses are seen in the irrigated corn grown in the Panhandle. The average corn yield in the northern High Plains is estimated at 165 bushels per acre compared to a five-year average of 205 bushels, down 40 bushels per acre. Yield losses and abandonment will cost Texas corn producers about $327 million in 2011.”

Grain sorghum production in Texas, according to Welch, is expected to be about half of normal in 2011. The 1.6 million acres planted spring marked the lowest in Texas history.  “Then drought lowered yields and raised abandonment rates,” he said. “The drought estimates for sorghum reported are based only on the yield and
harvested acreage estimates from U.S. Department of Agriculture. This totals about $63 million.”

Meanwhile, Texas cotton growers faced unprecedented impacts from drought in 2011, said Dr. John Robinson, AgriLife Extension cotton economist. Robinson said in August USDA projected “a relatively low average cotton yield of 636 pounds per harvested acre” in addition to a “historically high abandonment of
52 percent.”  “Compared to five-year average yields and abandonment, 2011 represents a huge loss in potential production,” Robinson said. “Applied to USDA’s measure of 7.1 million planted cotton acres in Texas, and valued at their projected price of 95 cents per pound, this loss adds up to $1.8 billion.  “It’s that $1.8 billion is also the 10-year average total value of cotton lint and cottonseed production in Texas. So, Texas cotton growers lost as much market income in 2011 as they would normally make for an entire cotton crop.”

    “Perhaps the most telling thing about the 2011 drought was that even irrigated farmers were not spared,” Miller said. “While most Texas irrigation systems work well in normal or even below normal rainfall, many irrigators found that water supplies were not able to provide all of the water requirements of the crop in the absence of any rain and excessive heat.  By mid-July, farmers began to try to stop (economic) losses, dedicating all of their water supplies to a reduced amount of acres as water demand from the crops was higher than their ability to supply it.” 

The following is a list of economic drought losses from 1998 through 2011
compiled by AgriLife Extension economists:
* 2011– $5.2 billion
* 2009 – $3.6 billion
* 2008 – $1.4 billion
* 2006 – $4.1 billion
* 2002 – $316 million
* 2000 – $1.1 billion
* 1999 – $223 million
* 1998 – $2.4 billion

TURF TIPS

James A. McAfee, Ph.D.

Extension Turfgrass Specialist

Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Dallas, Texas

April 2, 2011

Spring Transition:

By now, most of the warm season turfgrasses have broken dormancy (greening up) and started to grow.  The bermudagrass lawns are further along than the St. Augustinegrass and the centipedegrass lawns in spring green up.  However, if no green up has occurred in the lawn or in sections of the lawn, then winter kill may be a problem.  So far, it appears that the degree of winter kill/winter injury is a lot less than what was anticipated following a very cold winter period.   Added to the low temperatures in the winter months are the extremely dry conditions across the state.  Most areas of the state have been dry since last fall and if homeowners did not apply some supplemental irrigation to their landscape during the fall and winter months, then this could have added to the problems associated with low temperatures injury.

Providing adequate supplemental irrigation for spring green up is very important.  If rainfall does not occur, then approximately 1.0 inch of supplemental irrigation water should be added to the lawn each week.  While it is important to make sure adequate soil moisture is available for spring transition, it is also important to make sure the landscape is not over watered.  Excess irrigation will create shallow rooted plants going into the hot, dry summer months and it can also encourage disease problems such as gray leaf spot in St. Augustinegrass.  Also, with the dry conditions we need to make sure irrigation is being applied to the landscapes as efficiently as possible so there will be adequate water for the rest of the year.

Factors to help turfgrass through spring transition:

  1.  Provide adequate soil moisture for good spring growth.  Again, approximately 1.0 inch per week if

        adequate rainfall does not occur should meet the needs of the turfgrass plants.

  2.  While it is too late to scalp the turfgrass growing in the lawn, mowing the grass slightly lower than

        normal and mowing it at least once per week will help force the grass to spread laterally and form a

       dense stand of turfgrass.  As temperatures start to warm up, mowing the turfgrass more than once per

       week will help to force the grass to spread faster and form a dense lawn.  Low, frequent mowing

       along with fertilizer is the best way to force thin areas in the lawn to grow and thicken up in the

       spring months.

3.  During the spring transition, use herbicides carefully, especially on the St. Augustinegrass and

      Centipedegrass lawns.  While bermudagrass and zoysiagrass can tolerate the spring applications

      of most herbicides, St. Augustinegarss and Centipedegrass can be injured in some years.  This is

      especially true for lawns that might have already been injured by the hard freezes last winter.  Once

      the grass has totally greened up and is actively growing, then it should be safe to make a postemergent

      herbicide application to the lawn.

4.  Monitor the lawn for any insect or disease problems.  If a pest problem occurs, then apply appropriate

      controls to prevent the disease or insect from causing any damage.  Fortunately, there are not a large

      number of insect and disease problems at this time of the year on the warm season turfgrasses.

Weed Control:

By now most people are aware that after December 31, 2010 organic arsenical herbicides such as MSMA, DSMA, etc. cannot be sold for use in residential lawns, commercial lawns, sports fields and right-of ways.  However, if you purchased one of the organic arsenical herbicides prior to this deadline and still have some in inventory, then it can be used until you have depleted the inventory.  The organic arsenicals herbicides can still be purchased for use on golf courses, sod farms and on cotton farms.  For lawns and sports fields, the one weed that is going to be difficult to selectively control in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass is dallisgrass.  At this stage, there really isn’t an effective herbicide for the selective control of dallisgrass.

With the losss of the organic arsenicals such as MSMA, it is going to be even more important that a spring preemergent herbicide application be applied for the control of summer annual grassy weeds such as crabgrass.  In past, some people would use MSMA as a postemergent control for grassy weeds in large turf areas such as sports fields, golf fairways, etc.  Cost of using the MSMA was generally less expensive than applying a preemergent herbicide.  Now with the loss of MSMA, using a preemergent in the spring is going to probably be the best control for summer annual grassy weeds.  Note, I still do not recommend a preemergent herbicide in spring for St. Augustinegrass and Centipedegrass lawns.

The herbicide Drive XLR 8 (quinclorac) does work pretty good as a postemergent on some grassy weeds such as crabgrass, barnyardgrass, broadleaf signalgrass and torpedograss.  It is also affective on some of the broadleaf weeds commonly found in lawns.  For the warm season turfgrasses, quinclorac is only labeled for use in bermudagrass, buffalograss and zoysiagrass.  It can also be used in cool season turfgrasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, Tall Fescue and Perennial ryegrass. There are also several new herbicides on the market that contain quinclorac plus some of the hormone type herbicides which provide not only grassy weed control, but a wider range of broadleaf weeds. Also, there are several new products found in the garden/retail stores that contain quinclorac.

While the quinclorac will do a pretty good job of controlling crabgrass, timing is going to be very important.  Quinclorac does a good job on young crabgrass seedlings and also works well on mature crabgrass plants.  However, it is not as nearly effective for the intermediate stages of crabgrass growth.

New Herbicides:

Listed below are some of the new commercial brand herbicides sold for weed control in different turfgrass sites.  Some of these new herbicides are also available in herbicides sold in the garden/retail stores.  I have included several herbicide tables that contain the more commonly sold herbicides for use in home lawns.

  1.  Celsius (thiencarbazone, iodosulfuron, dicamba)

      a.  sold by Bayer Environmental Services

      b.  at this time not available in garden/retail stores

      c.  can be used in bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, Centipedegrass, zoysiagrass and buffalograss.

      d.  can be used to control broadleaf weeds in St. Augustinegrass and Centipedegrass lawns.  There

            are fewer and fewer herbicides labeled for broadleaf weed control in these lawns.

      e.  while it is primarily a postemergent broadleaf herbicide, some university researchers have observed

           good control of young crabgrass seedlings.  However, Bayer wants to see more research before

           they place crabgrass on the label.

2.  Specticle ( indaziflan)

      a.  also new product from Bayer Environmental Services

      b.  sold as a preemergent herbicide for use on bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, Buffalograss,

            Centipedegrass, Bahiagrass and Zoysiagrass.

      c.  Applied at extremely low rates, 2.5 to 5.0 ounces per acre.

      d.  Excellent control of crabgrass, goosegrass and poa annua.

      e.  At this time is not available in the garden/retail market.

3.  Lockup ( penoxsulam )

      a.  manufactured by Dow AgroSciences.

      b.  Dow is selling the active ingredient to different companies so they can make their own

           formulations.  Note, the Lockup is sold primarily as a granular product at this time. 

      c.  Some companies are adding other postemergent herbicides such as 2,4-D and Dicamba to

           help increase activity of the penoxsulam. 

      d.  Lockup is being sold as herbicide only or some companies are blending it with a fertilizer and

           selling it as a weed and feed.

      e.  Lockup is labeled for use on bermudagrass, Centipedegrass, zoysiagrass, Kentucky bluegrass,

           perennial ryegrass and some fescues.

      f.  Has shown good activity on dollar weed, English daisy and white clover, but will also control

           other broadleaf weeds.

4.  Katana (flazasulfuron )

      a.  sold by PBI/Gordon, Inc. in the US

      b.  newest sulfonylurea herbicide

      c.  can be used in bermudagrass, centipedegrass and zoysiagrass.

      d.  excellent control of tallfescue

      e.  good ryegrass transition herbicide, works faster and in cooler weather than other sulfonylurea

           herbicides.

      f.  works well on most of the sedges as well as some broadleaf weeds.

5.  Solitare ( sulfentrazone + quinclorac )

      a.  manufactured by FMC

      b.  can be used on tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, bermudagrass, buffalograss, centipedegrass and

            zoysiagrass.

      c.  good activity on numerous broadleaf weeds and some of the sedges.

  6.  One Time ( quinclorac, mecroprop, dicamba )

      a.  manufactured by BASF

      b.  can be used safely on Kentucky bluegrass, buffalograss, tall fescue, ryegrass and zoysiagrass.

      c.  controls some of the grassy weeds such as crabgrass, foxtail and barnyard grass plus numerous

           broadleaf weeds.

Following are several tables containing different herbicides sold in the garden/retail stores for purchase by homeowners.  These are not complete lists of herbicides found in the garden/retail stores, but do contain some of the more commonly found products.  Also, different stores carry different herbicide brands, so you may have to look at more than one store to found all of these herbicides.

It is always important to emphasize the importance of reading these herbicide labels before purchasing the herbicide and before applying the herbicide.  These labels change and it is important to make sure it is still labeled for the type of turfgrass being grown in the lawn and that it is labeled for the weed that you are trying to control.

Table 1.  Postemergent Herbicides for Control of Grassy Weeds in Home Lawns.

Common Name                                Trade Names (partial list)

1.  2,4-D, Quinclorac,                         Bayer Advanced Lawn Weed & Crabgrass Killer

       Dicamba                                       Ferti-lome Weed Out With Q

2.  Quinclorac, mecroprop_p,             Ortho Weed B Gon Max Plus Crabgrass Killer

        2,4-D, Dicamba

3.  sulfentrazone, quinclorac              Image Kills Crabrass

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________________________________________________________________________

Remember, the herbicide quinclorac is only labeled for use in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass, so none of these products can be used in a St. Augustinegrass or Centipedegrass lawn.

Table 2.  Postemergent Herbicides for Control of Broadleaf Weeds in Home Lawns.

Common Name                                Trade Names (partial list)

1.   2,4-D                                          2,4-D Amine No. 4; 

                                                         American 2,4-D Selective Weed Killer

                                                        

2.   2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba              Ace Spot Weed Killer

                                                         Green Light Wipe Out Broadleaf Weed Killer2

                                                         Ortho Weed-B-Gon Max

                                                         Specracide Weed Stop for Lawns

                                                         Hi-Yield Lawn Weed Killer

                                                         Ferti-lome Weed-Out Lawn Weed Killer

3.   carfentrazone, 2,4-D,                 Ferti-lome Weed Free Zone

      Mecroprop_p, dicamba              Weed B Gon Max for Southern Lawns

4.  2,4-D, mecroprop_p,                 Bayer Advanced Southern Weed Killer for Lawns   

       dicamba                                   Spectracide Weed Stop for Lawns

                                                        Ferti-lome Weed Out lawn Killer

         

5.   2,4-D, mecroprop,                    Total Lawn Weed Killer

          dichloprop  

6.   2,4-D, mcpp, dicamba,             Spectracide Weed Stop 2X for Lawns

         sulfentrazone

7.   mecroprop_p, 2,4-D,                Weed B Gon for Southern Grasses

      dicamba

                                                       

8.   2,4-D, triclopyr, dicamba         Weed B Gon Max Kills Weeds, Not Lawns

9.   2,4-D, Quinclorac, dicamba      Bayer Advanced Lawn Weed & Crabgrass Killer

                                                          Ferti-lome Weed Out With Q

                                                          Ortho Weed B Gon Max plus Crabgrass Control

10.  penoxsalum                               Green Light Wipe Out Tough Weed Killer for Lawns

______________________________________________________________________________

Table 3.  Herbicides for control of Sedges in Home Lawns.

Common Name                           Trade Names (partial list)

1.  imazaquin                                Image Kills Nutsedge 

2.  halosulfuron-methyl                Gowen Sedgehammer 

3.  sulfentrazone +                        Image Kills Crabgrass 

        quinclorac                                                                                                                                                    

Table 4.  Preemergent Herbicides for Use in Home Lawns.

Common Name                           Trade Names (partial list)

1. dithiopyr                                Greenlight   Crabgrass Preventor2

                                                   Hi-Yield Turf & Ornamental With Dimension

                                                   Vigoro Weed Stop Crabgrass and Weed Preventor

2. pendimethalin                        Scotts Halts Crabgrass Preventor,

                                                   Lesco Crabgrass Pre Plus Potash (0-0-7)

3. oryzalin                                  Southern Ag. Surflan A.S.

4. isoxaben                                 Portrait Broadleaf Weed Preventor

5. benefin + oryzalin                  Green Light Amaze Grass & Weed Preventor

6. benefin + trifluralin               Hi-Yield Crabgrass Control with Balan

                                                   Southern Ag. Team 2 G

7. corn gluten meal                    Concern All Natural Weed Preventor Plus

                                                   Nature’s Guide Corn Gluten Meal

Spring Cultural Practices:

  1.  Fertilization:  In the spring, wait until the turfgrass is green and actively growing     before applying the

        first application of fertilizer.  Apply approximately 1.0 lb. of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq.ft.. 

       Ideally, amount of phosphorus and potassium applied along with the nitrogen should be determined

        by soil test results ( fertilizer ratio).  Many of our soils in Texas are high to very high in phosphorus

        and potassium and in these cases all you need to apply is straight nitrogen.  If a soil test has not been

       conducted, then recommend  a 4-1-2 to 3-1-2 fertilizer ratio.  Not all soils are high in phosphorus and

        potassium and if you are applying only nitrogen, then the turfgrass will become stressed.

       In heavily shaded areas, apply 0.5 lbs. of total nitrogen per 1,000 sq.ft., unless this is the only

       application that is going to be applied to the heavily shaded portions of the lawn.  Excess nitrogen

       in shade will eventually cause major problems with the turfgrass growing in these areas.

      Depending on type of turfgrass, soil type, environmental conditions (sun vs. shade) and level of

      maintenance desired, make a second application in approximately 5 to 6 weeks after the spring

      application.

2.  Mowing:  As previously mentioned, mowing the lawn at a lower height and more frequently will

      force the turfgrass to spread faster and form a denser stand of turfgrass.  The key is to mow the

      turfgrass often enough so that you never remove more than 30 to 40% of the leaf blade when the

      grass is mowed.  Removal of excess leaf tissue inhibits the plants ability to carry on photosynthesis

      properly, which means that the plant cannot produce enough food for new growth, especially new leaf

      growth. 

      Mowing frequency is going to be determined by height of cut and growth rate.  The lower the grass is

      mowed, the more frequently it needs to be mowed.  The more the grass is fertilized and watered, the

      more often it will need to be mowed. Mowing at the proper height and frequency will produce a

      denser stand of turfgrass, a deeper root system and more stored carbohydrates in the plant.

     Listed below are the recommended mowing heights and frequency for turfgrasses growing in home

     Lawns.  Note, frequency will vary during the year due to day length differences and due to changes

     in temperature.  In fall and spring, when we have longer nights and cooler nighttime temperatures, the

     warm season grasses are not going to be growing as fast as they will in late spring through early fall

     months.

     Recommended mowing height and frequency for turfgrasses growing in home lawns.

     Turfgrass                              mowing height                                            mowing frequency

                                                          (inches)                                                            (days)

Common bermudagrass                 1.5 to 2.5                                                             3 to 4

Hybrid bermudagrass                    0.75 to 1.5                                                            2 to 3

St. Augustinegrass (sun)                 2.0 to 3.0                                                            3 to 5

St. Augustinegrass (shade)             3.0 to 4.0                                                             6 to 7

Centipedegrass                                1.5 to 2.0                                                            4 to 5

Zoysiagrass (japonica)                    1.0 to 2.0                                                            4 to 5

Zoysiagrass (matrella)                    0.5 to 1.5                                                            3 to 4

Buffalogrss                                      2.5 to 4.0                                                           5 to7

3.  Irrigation:  As previously mentioned, it is very important to provide adequate moisture for good spring

     transition of the warm season turfgrasses.  Applying approximately one inch per week if adequate

     rainfall does not occur should meet the plants needs.  As temperatures start to heat up, then it maybe

     necessary to increase the rate of water applied each week.  Ideally, the rate of water applied to the

     landscape should be based on the PET (potential evapotranspiration ) rate for the week.  Note, if you

    are not familiar with the ITC-TexasET Network, this is a excellent site for finding ET rates for different

      parts of the state.  The web address for this site is:  http://texaset.tamu.edu/