The Bridle Bit New Mexico State University Department of Animal and Range Science

February 26, 2016 #338

NMSU faculty and students present and earn awards at

the 69th Annual Society for Range Management Meeting

The 2016 Society for Range Man-

agement meeting was held January 31

- February 4 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Dr. Andres Cibils acted as Modera-

tor during the technical session about

grazing ecology and management.

Presentations by faculty and stu-

dents include:

“Approaches To Manage Cattle Use

of Riparian Areas: An Example From

Southeastern Idaho,” Dave Stricklan.

“Using Adaptive Management to

Manipulate Where Cattle Graze,” Dr.

Derek Bailey.

“Stockmanship for Achieving Range

Management Goals,” Dr. Derek Bailey.

“Just Add Water: Seedling Establish-

ment Facilitation Using Biodegradable

Watering Vessels,” Jessee L. Page.

Mesquite Seed Density in Fecal Sam-

ples of Raramuri Criollo vs. Angus x

Hereford Cows Grazing Chihuahuan

Desert Rangeland,” Tatjana H. Merca-

do.

Evaluation Of Factors Commonly

Used To Calculate Cattle Stocking

Rates on Extensive and Mountainous

Rangelands,” Michael F. Millward.

“Development of Indices to Select

Grazing Beef Cattle for Terrain Use,”

Dr. Derek Bailey.

“Cross-context Consistency of Be-

havioral Type Differences in Relation

to Performance of Adult Rangeland-

raised Brangus Cattle,” Dr. Laura

Goodman.

“Using Fiber Optic Technology to

Characterize Rangeland Fire Behavior,”

Doug Cram.

“Vegetation Selection by Angus

Crossbred vs. Raramuri Criollo Cows

Grazing Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland

in Summer,” Shelemia Nya-

muryekunge.

Along with the presentations,

awards were given out and individuals

were recognized for their contribu-

tions in range management at the an-

nual meeting.

Among those receiving awards

were Dr. Laurie Abbott and Dr. Amy

Ganguli.

Dr. Abbott received the Fellow

Award from the Society of Range Man-

agement, in recognition of exceptional

service to the Society and its programs

in advancing the science and art of

range-related resource management.

Dr. Ganguli was awarded the Early

Career Undergraduate Teaching

Award by the Range Science Education

Council. This award recognizes the

excellence in teaching and advising

undergraduate range management

students by faculty/instructors who

are in the early stages of their teaching

careers.

Also bringing home honors was the

NMSU Range Club. They received

fourth place in the Chapter Display

Competition.

Award Dr. Laurie Abbott

(NMSU), Lovina Englund (University of

Idaho) and Dr. Amy Ganguli (NMSU) cele-

brate their awards at the 2016 Annual Meet-

ing of the Society of Range Management.

The Bridle Bit

Publications The following are recent depart-

mental publications:

“Managing Rangelands and

Cattle in Drought-Prone Areas of

the Southwest,” Nick Ashcroft.

2016

Guide B-113: Groundsels and

Livestock Poisoning. Revised by

Nicholas K. Ashcroft (Extension

Range Management Specialist,

Dept. of Extension Animal Sciences

and Natural Resources). http://

aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B113.pdf

Bruegger, R. A., L. A. Varelas, L.

D. Howery, L. A. Torell, M. B. Ste-

phenson, and D. W. Bailey. 2016.

Targeted grazing in southern Arizo-

na: using cattle to reduce fine fuel

loads. Rangeland Ecology & Man-

agement 69:43-51.

Travels NMSU associate professor in ani-

mal science, Dr. Eric Scholljegerdes,

recently traveled to San Diego to

speak at the National Cattlemen’s

Beef Association’s 23rd Annual Cattle-

men’s College.

During the convention on January

26 and 27, Dr. Scholljegerdes present-

ed on “Supplementing Trace Minerals

to Beef Cows.”

The New Mexico State University

Ranch Horse Team traveled to Ft.

Worth, Texas, February 19 and 20, to

compete in the National Reined Cow

Horse Association (NRCHA) World

Championship Show Collegiate Invita-

tional.

Representing the team in the com-

petition was Jacquie Best in the non-

pro division, Shelby Siegenthaler in

the limited non-pro division and

Braiden Clement in the novice divi-

sion.

Team members Haylee Lavouie and

Lily Woodall as well as Coach Joby

Priest also traveled to the event. The

team placed third overall.

NMSU Wildlife Specialist

appointed to state land trust

advisory board

New Mexico State University Associate Profes-

sor and Extension Wildlife Specialist Dr. Samuel

Smallidge was recently appointed to the State

Land Trust Advisory Board.

Aubrey Dunn, New Mexico’s State Land Com-

missioner, appointed Dr. Smallidge, and on Feb.

5, the New Mexico State Senate confirmed the appointment. Smallidge will

represent the beneficiaries to the advisory board.

The advisory board assists the land commissioner in the formulation of

policies and programs for the trust. After confirmation by the State Senate,

members of the board serve six-year terms.

Along with his other duties, Smallidge also serves on the Range Improve-

ment Task Force (RITF).

Have a story or infor-

mation for the Bridle Bit?

E-mail Jacinda Roybal at

jjhaggie@nmsu.edu or

stop by Knox Hall 219.

Page 2

The Bridle Bit

NMSU Alum Earns National Teaching Award Courtesy of NMSU

News Center and Shelby

Herrera

NMSU graduate and

current Centennial

High School agriculture

teacher Rachel Knight

was recently awarded

Agriscience Teacher of

the Year.

Knight and five oth-

er agriscience teachers from

across the country received

the award at the 2015 Na-

tional Association of Agricul-

tural Educators annual ban-

quet in New Orleans in No-

vember.

Knight graduated with

her bachelor’s in animal sci-

ence from NMSU in 2003

and followed up with her

masters in animal science

with an emphasis in repro-

ductive physiology.

Since 2012, Knight has

been teaching agriculture at

Centennial High School. She

resides in Las Cruces with

her husband, Seth, and their

two daughters.

Rachel Knight

Page 3

Academic Quadrathlon The annual departmental Academic Quadrathlon was

held February 19 and 20, and The Udderly Legendariry

Holstein team walked away with top honors.

The first place team was comprised of members Larisa

Estrada, Tiffany Fowler, Josiah Brooks and Brian Roberts.

Three other teams competed in the quadrathlon. They

were The King Ropes (Callie Chadborn, Kylie Welch, David

Gomez and Juan Carlos Cano), the Troubadours (Bailey

Bonfantini, Coy Dolan, Elliot Romo and Adam Alberson)

and The Brandonites (Brandon Meyerhoff, Cindy DeLa-

noy, Frankie Lopez, Adriana Alire and Daniel Chavez).

The winning team will have the chance to travel and

compete at the Regional Western Section of the American

Society of Animal Science. This year, the regional competi-

tion will be held at California State University in Chico on

April 15 and 16.

Left to right: Graduate Assistant Stacia Prosser, team mem-

bers Josiah Brooks, Tiffany Fowler, Larissa Estrada and Brian

Roberts and Dr. Soto-Navarro.

All participants from the Academic Quadrathlon.