By Robert Burns
With the likelihood of a moderately strong El Niño this fall, the prospects for winter pasture are better than they have been in years, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
To help beef and forage producers capitalize on the expected extra moisture, Dr. Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Overton, and his colleague, Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, AgriLife Extension forage specialist, Overton, will be conducting a training Aug. 12, “Winter Pastures for Central and East Texas.”
El Niño refers to warmer-than-average ocean water temperatures off the Pacific coast of South America, which usually means more moisture to parts of the Southwest and Southeast U.S. during the late fall and winter, according to climatologists.
And for winter pastures, the timing couldn’t be better, Banta said. Improved odds of adequate moisture during critical planting and development stages takes a lot of the risk out of establishing winter pastures.
“Hay prices have remained historically high since 2011, and hay feeding during the winter represent one of the highest annual costs to cow-calf producers,” he said. “Planting winter annual forages can reduce both hay and supplement costs for cow-calf producers.”
The training will be held 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton.
Registration for the program is $60 before Aug. 5 and $75 before Aug. 11. Registration includes lunch and program materials. Register online by going to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu or call Extension Conference Services at 979-845-2604, entering “pasture” in the search window.
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