HIGH PLAINS AG AGRICULTURE ON THE HIGH PLAINS OF TEXAS | MAY 2016 | HIGHPLAINSAG.COM
NO-TILL FARMING
JEFFREY KITTEN AND HIS 3 BROTHERS EMPLOYS NO-TILL TO REDUCE SANDFIGHTING & CONTROL WEEDS.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: COTTON, CORN, PEANUTS, SORGHUM & WINE GRAPES
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Cotton
SAVED BY THE RAIN: PLANT SURVIVES WITH HELP OF RAINWATER
.................................................................................................p4
Peanuts
DOUBLE CHECK WAREHOUSE SPACE BEFORE PLANTING IN 2016
.................................................................................................p6
In The Field
GIN MERGERS, EPA COMMENTARY & COTTON THRIP CONTROL
.................................................................................................p7
Feature
EMPLOYING NO-TILL FARMING
.................................................................................................p8
Sorghum
STEPS TO MANAGE THE SUGARCANE APHID IN GRAIN SORGHUM
.............................................................................................. p11
Wine Grapes
GROWERS ARE OFF TO A GREAT START IN 2016
.............................................................................................. p12
Corn
TEXAS FARMERS CONNECT WITH FOOD INFLUENCERS ................................................................................................................................................. p14
To submit article ideas, photos from the field or news related Info, please send an email to rowdy@texasautoguide.com.
ABOUT HIGH PLAINS AG MAGAZINE High Plains Ag Magazine, based in Lubbock, Texas, is proud to feature local articles about farming and ranching on the High Plains of Texas. For more information, please contact one of the representatives below:
Rowdy Bolen - Publisher, 806-687-4814, rowdy@texasautoguide.com Elaine Witherspoon - Sales, 806-687-4814, elaine@texasautoguide.com
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COTTON
SAVED BY THE RAIN: LOCAL INDUSTRIAL PLANT SURVIVES WITH HELP OF RAINWATER Story & Photos By Adeline Fox High Plains Water District When the most important resource for running a business starts to deplete, immediate attention is required. Water supply became an issue following the great drought of 2011 for a Lubbock manufacturing plant when their groundwater wells began pumping less water than the plant needed for operation. Choosing rainwater as an alternate water source provided both the quantity required as well as a significantly increased water quality for improved operations. THE WATER ISSUE Established in 1948, Samuel Jackson, Inc. manufactures moist air generators used in the cotton ginning process. Moist air generators optimize cotton moisture content to preserve yield and fiber properties while reducing the gin press cycle time for more profitable gin operations. The company has four locations nationwide and one in Paris, France. Operating a manufacturing plant making and testing water evaporators requires a predictable supply of high quality water. However, water wells near the plant became less reliable last year. “We cannot function as a factory without high quality water,” said Company President Chris Jackson. “We have a number of water supply options available, but nothing compares to the quality of filtered rainwater and it is certainly the most responsible choice when all things are considered.” RAINWATER HARVESTING Inspired by Richard Heinichen of Tank Town, a popular rainwater harvesting company in Dripping Springs, TX, Chris Jackson pursued the concept of rainwater harvesting to supply the industrial plant with an adequate water supply. The company installed two 15,000 gallon fiberglass tanks in September 2015. Lubbock recorded several inches of rain soon after installation. Because of the amount of rainfall collected, the plant did not need to pump groundwater
Page 4 \ May 2016 \ www.HighPlainsAg.com
Mark Fullingim, owner of Llano Estacado Construction, and Chris Jackson, president of Samuel Jackson, Inc. stand in front of one of the 15,000 gallon fiberglass tanks used for rainwater catchment.
from their wells until early 2016. In February, four additional 15,000 gallon tanks were installed increasing total capacity to 90,000 gallons. “We can now sustain our operations on a total annual rainfall of only six inches, “ said Jackson. Rain is collected from the 48,000 ft2 roof surface area of the industrial plant. Water flows from the gutters into three 550-gallon “eliminator” tanks, which collect any undesirable particles from the roof surface. Once these smaller tanks are filled, water begins flowing into the fiberglass tanks. USING RAINWATER INDOORS Collected rainwater is used indoors, which requires a more advanced filtration system than landscape use. After collecting in the tanks, rainwater is pumped through a five micron filter to remove any fine particles. From there, the filtered rainwater travels through an ultraviolet Sanitron treatment, which purifies the water for safe consumption. Rainwater is naturally more pure than groundwater. The water evaporators that Jackson manufactures are benefited by the high purity water, which leaves no scale or water spots during the extensive testing process. In fact, water from the wells near the plant Continued on p.5
COTTON contain more than 1,000 parts per million total dissolved solids (TDS) in comparison to collected rainwater with only five parts per million TDS. “We don’t even have to wipe the glass viewing windows to the spray chamber following testing,” said Jackson. “Our customers receive products that have been thoroughly tested but appear completely pristine because the water we are using is about ten times more pure than reverse osmosis could provide from our traditional raw water sources.”
As for encouraging others to invest in rainwater harvesting practices, Jackson believes collaboration is important. “Rainwater collection is not a complete solution to the water challenges that face West Texas residents, but it is definitely one important component toward making our traditional water sources stretch farther than we can presently imagine. If we can start the discussion and show how the process works, then we can lead by example to help others get started,” said Jackson.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS INCLUDE SUSTAINABILITY AND EFFICIENCY. “We know exactly how much water we are using because we can monitor our tanks carefully,” said Jackson. “We know we reduced water use by 30 percent and when we can use 100 percent rainwater, nothing is wasted in a purification process, saving even more. There are also no harmful chemicals involved.” CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATIONS System installer Mark Fullingim of Llano Estacado Construction mentions design challenges when building such a large collection system. “The sheer volume of water running off of the roof is a challenge because we have to design a system that controls flow of the water while not overwhelming the storage tanks or collapsing the gutters,” said Fullingim. “In a strong West Texas downpour, we must manage gravity water flow of up to 7,200 gallons per minute into the tanks.”
The addition of four 15,000 gallon tanks in February now gives Samuel Jackson, Inc., the ability to capture 90,000 gallons of rainwater for use as an alternative water supply.
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PEANUTS
PEANUT PRODUCERS: DOUBLE CHECK WAREHOUSE SPACE BEFORE PLANTING IN 2016 Story & Photos Courtesy of Texas Peanut Producers With peanut production being up 20 percent over 2015, make sure your peanut crop has space in approved warehouse this year. Peanut warehouse capacity could reach its limit as the 2016 crop comes in, and farmers need to make sure that their peanuts will have room in a Commodity Credit Corporation-approved warehouse. According to the USDA, most states increased acreage in 2015, reflecting favorable of the farm bill and low prices for other commodities. The latest estimate shows a 6.21 billion-pound crop. Planted acreage at 1.63 million reflects a 20 percent increase, and harvested acreage at 1.57 million is 19 percent higher than the 2014 harvest. Overall, the total U.S. harvested acreage harvested is at nearly 1.57 million and is up from just 1.3 million in 2014.
Farmers need to make sure they have a binding agreement that their peanuts will have room in a Commodity Credit Corporationapproved warehouse. Peanuts not stored in approved warehouse cannot enter the federal peanut loan program. The U.S. peanut production is expected to be 3.16 million tons and that will be adding to an already 1 million-ton carryover from the 2014 crop. Expected total use, or consumption, for the next year will be around 2.7 million tons, which is up and going in the right direction, but leaves a potential 1.38 million ton unused supply from the 2015 crop. Before you consider planting peanuts, be sure to have an agreement with the warehouse and enroll in the Price Loss Coverage safety net program (PLC) or the Agriculture Risk Coverage safety net program (ARC). The ARC program protects producers against income losses relative to their recent income experience and the PLC program provides income protection against steep price declines. If the PLC option is chosen, producers have the opportunity to update their payment yields to 90 percent of the 2008-2012 crop year averages.
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IN THE FIELD
period was from 03/31/2016 to 04/30/2016 but Farmers Coop Assn of Sudan comment the EPA felt it needed more time to consider the amended and Farmers Coop Gin of application. The public comment period has produced over 3400 comments which range from approval to Amherst Merge To Form disapproval. Visit www.regulations.gov to submit your comment by May 31st. Texas Producers Coop in Sudan. AgriLife Extension entomolOn Monday, May 2nd, Directors and Shareholders from ogist: Monitor and treat early the Farmers Coop of Sudan met in a special meeting to for cotton thrips determine the future of the Sudan Gin and the Farmers Coop Gin of Amherst.
The Board of Directors for the Amherst Coop had previously voted to join the Sudan Coop and a vote was cast to complete the merger on Monday night. The merger was approved by a vote of 154 to 43 by the Sudan shareholders. Along with the merger, Guyle Roberson the Amherst gin manager, was named the head of the newly formed Texas Producers Coop which will be located in Sudan.
Comment period closes May 31st on EPA discussion of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend for Cotton and Soybeans.
There’s still time for you to submit your comments to the EPA regarding the amended application of Monsanto’s M1691 Dicamba Herbicide for use on dicamba tolerant cotton and soybeans.
The most critical time for controlling thrips is the first two weeks after plant emergence, said Dr. Ed Bynum, AgriLife Extension entomologist in Amarillo. “It is important to control thrips before there is significant damage,” Bynum said. “Research has shown that if you use foliar insecticides and wait until you see damage or until you make an herbicide spray, the damage from thrips has already been done.” With thrips, feeding generally occurs in the new terminal growth and on the underside of leaves, causing stunted plants, deformed crinkled leaves that curl upward, and terminal loss, he said.
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NO-TILL FARMING JEFFREY KITTEN AND HIS 3 BROTHERS EMPLOY NO-TILL TO REDUCE SAND-FIGHTING & CONTROL WEEDS.
Story & Photos By: Rowdy Bolen, High Plains Ag Magazine
Page 8 \ May 2016 \ www.HighPlainsAg.com
FEATURE “There’s probably about $9,000 dollars worth of cotton seed in those boxes,” Jeffrey Kitten says as he’s loading cotton seed into his planter. “Well, now it’s closer to $10,000” as he and his hand put the covers back on the seed planter boxes. I stand back and watch them unfold the wings on their planter, a new Case IH variable rate 16 row planter they recently purchased. Jeffrey and his three brothers own Kitten Land Company and farm around 10,000 acres of land north of Idalou. “This is the first time I’ve used this planter and so far, it’s working pretty good. I was a little nervous switching to a red planter but I felt like it was a better option for our farms,” he says watching his hand begin planting. The Kittens plant 100% of their farm in cotton. If it gets hailed or washed out, they’ll come back and plant another crop like sorghum or corn but their primary focus is growing high quality cotton. The Kitten’s farm is sixty percent irrigated land and about two-thirds of that irrigation comes in the form of sub-surface drip. The remaining irrigated land is all under pivots. Every acre of the Kitten’s farm is no-till farm land, as I watch his farm hand turn the green JD tractor around to make another pass. It’s a process they began three years ago with a plan to cut tractor hours and fuel. By no-tilling their farms, they also remove sandfighting which, “can drive a person mad,” Jeffrey exclaims.
“We’d try and get out there and fight the blowing sand and with so much acreage, it just didn’t work. Sometimes it would be too wet to get in the field or we’d really need to be on a sprayer instead of sandfighting, we just felt like this would be a better way for us to go.” In order for the Kittens to go to no-till land, they had to make a few changes on the farm. After harvest every year, they “sling” wheat in the field in front of a tractor and allow the wheat to grow all winter. At the beginning of March, they’ll spray a herbicide to kill the wheat before the plant begins to head out. The wheat, which uses very little nutrients before boot, will act as a form of wind protection to prevent the tiny cotton plants from being damaged by the blowing sand. “It doesn’t look like much cover out there,” he explains of the dead brown wheat in his field. “But that’s just enough cover to protect those tiny cotton plants when they are the most vulnerable in the Spring.” Now that the Kitten’s aren’t sandfighting these days, they can spend more time on the sprayer, tackling weeds when they are small. As any farmer knows, timing is everything in effective weed control. Continued on p.10 www.HighPlainsAg.com / May 2016 / Page 9
FEATURE He and his brothers spray Liberty on their fields during the growing season as their primary form of weed control. “Liberty in the past was pretty expensive, but this last year, the price has gone down quite a bit. It’s a lot more affordable and works really well when applied correctly.” Jeffrey said the only way to make Liberty work is to hit those weeds when they are small. Small plants are easy to kill but those bigger plants become a challenge. “Sometimes, we’ll spray Liberty twice in a month, to eliminate small weeds and come back in a few weeks and get the ones that sprouted up later on,” he says. His primary goal is to be 100% weed free and by eliminating sand fighting, he can focus all of his efforts on weed control. By no-tilling their land, they are creating a field full or organic matter. “I could take a shovel to that ground right there,” as Jeffrey points to a specific part of the field, “and
Page 10 \ May 2016 \ www.HighPlainsAg.com
pull out a dozen earthworms. If I put a disc in the ground, I’d ruin the health of that soil. Tillage just destroys the soil.” In addition to the decomposing wheat and cotton stalks in their fields, each year, they purchase composted cattle manure and will spread it out over their fields. They usually put out about 3000lbs to the acre which is organically, a fertilizer mix of 30/30/30. They even buy some manure from a dairy just down the road and will apply some of it to their fields as well. This year, their goal is to produce high quality cotton in hopes of receiving the best possible price when it’s ginned. Also by removing sand fighting, they reduce hours on a tractor and reduce their fuel bill as well.
STEPS TO MANAGING THE SUGARCANE APHID IN GRAIN SORGHUM
Story Courtesy of National Sorghum Producers
To protect sorghum from potential early season infestations, Brent Bean, Sorghum Checkoff agronomist, advises growers to consider planting seeds treated with an insecticide seed treatment. “Any of the commonly used insecticide treatments such as Poncho, Cruiser and Gaucho are effective and should give up to 40 days of sugarcane aphid control,” Bean said. “In addition, there are several commercial hybrids available that have some degree of tolerance to the sugarcane aphid that growers may want to consider.” Once sorghum has emerged, it is recommended to scout sorghum fields at least once a week for signs of the aphid. Once aphids are found, fields should be scouted 2-3 times a week. Sugarcane aphids excrete honeydew, a sticky, shiny substance on the lower leaves, which is often the first sign of a sugarcane aphid infestation. Loss of plant sap, caused by the sugarcane aphids feeding on sorghum leaves, takes away nutrients from the plant that would otherwise be utilized for plant health and grain yield. Sugarcane aphid feeding, along with black sooty mold and other secondary diseases, eventually cause the leaves to turn yellow and die. The result is often uneven or lack of head emergence, poor grain set, and possibly an increase in lodging. A yield loss of up to 100 percent is possible if high aphid infestation levels occur prior to heading and are left untreated.
SORGHUM
One of the benefits of both Transform and Sivanto prime is they are not harmful to beneficial insects, which is important for the control of sugarcane aphids. Care should be taken in adding other insecticides to the mix that could be harmful to beneficial insects. Additionally, movement of Sivanto prime and Transform in the plant is minimal, making coverage essential for adequate control.
Unmanaged Sugarcane Aphids causing substantial damage to crops.
“It is extremely important to have multiple products available to treat the sugarcane aphid,” Bean said. “By rotating chemistries, we can avoid insecticide resistance and maintain control of the pest.” For those sorghum growers who experienced the sugarcane aphid for the first time in 2015, and maybe had to spray 2-3 times, it may be easy to get discouraged. However, Bean said growers everywhere should be encouraged by the experiences of those in South Texas and in Louisiana who have had the most experience with this pest and continue to successfully grow grain sorghum. For additional resources, including best management practices, tolerant hybrids, scouting recommendations and more, visit sorghumcheckoff.com.
Depending on the growing region and the growth stage, growers are encouraged to treat for aphids as soon as the action threshold is reached. A general guideline is to apply an insecticide when 25 percent of the plants have been infested with 50 aphids per leaf, but there are specific threshold levels suggested for different growing stages and geographical regions, so local experts should be consulted. For example, in the Texas High Plains, growers are advised to take action when 20 percent of the plants are infested with localized areas of heavy honeydew and established aphid colonies at the preboot and boot stages. At the heading, soft dough and dough stages, the advised threshold is when 30 percent of plants are infested with heavy honeydew and aphid colonies. When the grain black layer growth stage is reached, it is suggested to spray when honeydew presence is heavy and there are established aphid colonies in the head. At this point, treat only to prevent harvest problems. Two products proved to be very effective during the 2015 growing season—Sivanto Prime by Bayer CropScience and Transform WG by Dow AgroSciences. Sivanto Prime is available for use in 2016 under a federal 2ee label. Transform was recently approved for use in 2016 under a Section 18 label in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
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www.HighPlainsAg.com / May 2016 / Page 11
WINE GRAPES
WINEGROWERS OFF TO A GREAT START AGAIN IN ‘16. Rowdy Bolen - Winegrower - Hockley County rowdy@texasautoguide.com
With no late spring freezes being recorded in the Texas High Plains AVA this year, winegrowers are looking at another great start to 2016. Similarly in 2015, winegrowers did not experience a late spring freeze with led to a record harvest of over 11,000 tons of winegrapes being delivered to Texas wineries. This spring has been a little different than 2015 though. Last year, we had quite a bit more rainfall which helped fill our soil profiles for the upcoming year. This year, we’ve received about half the rainfall for the area. Most growers have already put out fertilizer with their irrigation and have begun spraying fungicides to keep their plants healthy and disease free. One thing that grapes need is water but not nearly as much as you’d think. Grapes prefer to live in well drained sandy loam soils where the roots stay wet but don’t get waterlogged. By inserting a fertilizer pump into the irrigation, farmers can supply needed nutrients directly to the plant roots without having to do much. Fungicide spraying is a different animal. Fungicides are required to grow quality wine grapes and with the rains we’ve recently received, it’s necessary to get out in the field FINANCING AVAILABLE FROM:
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and take care of business. The most common form of disease we find in our area is Powdery Mildew. Powdery can wreck havoc on a young grape plant, causing sometimes unseen damage that will affect the taste and flavor of wine some 1218 months after the vine has been infected. Bloom, when the grape clusters begin to flower, is the most susceptible time for powdery mildew in plants. This year, the High Plains Winegrowers Association will host a “Spray Off ” on June 21st where growers bring their tractor and fungicide sprayer to a vineyard and test their equipment. Growers will have a section in the vineyard where they will spray a unique “glow in the dark” solution. After the sun goes down, they’ll go in with black lights to determine coverage, precision and efficacy along with possible adjustments to be made. This is the first of it’s kind event on the High Plains and will provide an opportunity to make sure their equipment is hitting the mark. The following day, June 22nd, a Vineyard Spraying & Management Classroom segment will be presented by Dr. Andrew Landers of Cornell University in New York. The event is sponsored by Agrilife, Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association and High Plains Winegrowers and will feature topics on Canopy and Herbicide Sprayer designs, Sprayer Layout and Components, Nozzles & Droplets, Nozzle Selection & Calibration, Adjusting Sprayer for Improved Deposition, Pesticide Drift and Reduction, Safety and Reducing Operator Contamination & Exposure and Effective Vineyard Spraying and Management Precision. More info is available at www.highplainswinegrowers.org
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CORN
TEXAS FARMERS CONNECT WITH FOOD INFLUENCERS Courtesy of Texas Corn Producers Last week, two Texas farmers set out to tell their own farm stories – seeking conversations about the food they grow and how they produce it in the state’s first coordinated CommonGround effort. Bobbie Black and Ashley Pool, Muleshoe farmers alongside their husbands, spoke with attendees at the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Annual Conference and Exhibition in Arlington, Texas, April 27-28. CommonGround is a group of farmers having conversations about the food they grow and how they produce it. The farmer volunteers that make up this grassroots organization share their personal experiences, as well as science and research, to help consumers and food influencers sort through the myths and misinformation surrounding food and farming. Black and Pool are two of seven Texas farmers who volunteer for this effort. The pair had the opportunity to visit with nutritionists, dieticians and students from across the state – at a conference that boasted an attendance of nearly 800.
Muleshoe farmers Ashley Pool (left) and Bobbie Black (right)
CommonGround is funded by U.S. corn and soybean checkoff dollars, and as such does not promote any one farming practice or method over another. Volunteers for the effort across the nation agree to approach every conversation in an inclusive, positive, credible and real manner. Texas CommonGround has several more events planned for later this year, and state volunteers have already presented at several events across the state.
“At the start of the exhibition, we presented an industry briefing to the attendees – explaining who we are and that we are here to be a resource to them,” Black said. “From there, we were available throughout the show hours to visit with participants about how we farm, and discuss how we make choices on our farm so we can produce a quality product we’re comfortable using for our own families.”
Find out more about CommonGround at FindOurCommonGround.com. Female farmers interested in joining the conversation and being a part of CommonGround can contact Texas Corn Producers at info@texascorn.org or 806.763.2676.
Tackling issues many see in headlines every day was a common theme throughout the 2-day event.
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“Many people visited with us about the ‘hot button’ issues you see across the internet and TV,” Pool said. “What’s great about the CommonGround effort, is we’re just real people – real farmers – talking about what it is we do every day. Whether it was GMOs, organic and local foods, food safety or animal welfare we simply discuss what we do on our farm and why we do it.”
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Page 14 \ May 2016 \ www.HighPlainsAg.com
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