Texas Forage and Grazing Council Meeting Set June 22 at Overton
Presentations will include how to optimize grazing during drought
OVERTON — The second quarterly meeting of the Texas Forage and Grazing Council will be held June 22 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton.
“This is a forage program with updates on forage research being done here at the center,” said Dr. Gerald Evers, Texas AgriLife Research forage management scientist and president of the council.
With the ongoing drought and dwindling or non-existent hay supplies, it’s ever more important to optimize grazing efficiency, he said.
The morning program will feature outdoor tours of many of the forage-research projects, including those of Tifton 85 Bermuda grass grazing studies, best practices for trapping feral hogs in pastures and forage-cropping systems.
Evers noted that without rain and with hay supplies short, there aren’t too many options other than to either buy hay or cull herds. But there are some things that can be done to best manage dwindling resources.
“The reason we’re going to talk about Tifton 85, for example, is because it is highly drought-resistant,” he said. “It’ll stay green and more productive than any other warm-season grass we have.”
Following lunch, the program will move indoors to the center’s air-conditioned auditorium, Evers said. Indoor presentations will include insect control in pastures, grazing systems that will help reduce winter feedingand the best forage legumes for East Texas.
All presentations will be made by AgriLife Research and Texas AgriLife Extension Service scientists and specialists.
Registration for the program may be paid at the door. The cost is $20 for council members and $30 for non-members, and includes lunch and break refreshments. An RSVP is requested by June 17 to Dr. Vanessa Corriher, 903-834-6191, vacorriher@ag.tamu.edu.
The center is located 1 mile north of downtown Overton on Farm-to-Market Road 3053.
For driving directions to the event go to http://overton.tamu.edu/info-maps-history/maps/ or call 903-834-6191.
Source: Texas Agrilife Extension