Forage Management: Looking Back on 2025 as a Year of Progress for Tennessee Beef and Forages

Dec 19, 2025

By Bruno Pedreira

As we wrap up another year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what 2025 looked like for the UT Beef and Forage Center and, most importantly, how our work continues to support Tennessee livestock producers. It has been an honor to lead the Center for over two years, alongside a strong and growing team, now including David McIntosh as Coordinator and Malerie Fancher as Research Specialist. Every conversation with producers and county agents helps guide where we focus our efforts next.

Throughout the year, our mission remained the same: to advance Tennessee’s beef and forage industries through research and practical, science-based information. One area where that commitment really showed was in communication. The Live.Stock platform continued to grow, with a monthly podcast and newsletter that reached producers across the state. Our YouTube channel gained momentum in 2025, surpassing 18,800 views and 820 hours of watch time, and growing to over 800 subscribers. The UTBEEF.com website reached more than 150,000 unique users, while our social media channels helped share timely information during key management windows. We also continued working closely with Tennessee Cattle Business magazine, which reaches more than 7,000 producers statewide.

Behind the scenes, the UT Forage Laboratory remained a critical resource. This year alone, we analyzed more than 2,100 producer samples, helping guide hay and pasture management decisions across Tennessee. In addition, over 11,000 research samples were processed through the lab and the NIRS Consortium, generating nearly $420,000 in savings compared to traditional wet-chemistry methods.

Source : tennessee.edu

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.