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by Jeffrey Hester, UT Extension Agent

Delay in Newsletter

I wanted to apologize for the delay in the summer issue of ‘Extension Solu-tions’. I have been out of the office for almost 3 weeks and returning phone calls, emails, and getting this newslet-ter completed has been a task! I hope that you will take time to read through this issue, as I think you will find this information to be rather useful as in other issues before!

Doesn’t That Just ‘Tick’ You Off!

As I mentioned above, this issue is a few weeks behind getting to you, how-ever from this delay, I can share with you all some breaking news! At the beginning of the month, an Asian Longhorned Tick (a new tick to Ten-nessee) was found in eastern Tennes-see. This is the third county to find this tick in our state. Attached with this newsletter is some information about this tick and what it might mean for you.

“Perfect” Spring |“Perfect” Storm

Now that spring is behind us, I think it is safe to say that we had a very, near perfect season. The right temperatures and adequate to excessive rainfall in

our county was a great thing to have for our crops and livestock, but it also can lead to other issues. I am not sure about your hay fields and pastures, but we had our hands full trying to man-age weeds before hay cutting.

I heard a farmer tell me, “All this rain means a hot dry summer”. Although, I haven't come across any research that proves this theory, I can say that for the end of May and the first of June, we were needing some rain! This springtime season and beginning of our Tennessee summer is just a re-minder to be mindful of the shift in weather patterns and keep a close eye on livestock and crops. It is easier to fix an issue if you catch it quick, but rather difficult and expensive if caught at a later point.

Livestock & Forages

It’s getting that time of year to be checking your BQA certifications to make sure you haven't expired come time to apply for the TAEP (Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program). If you are needing to get your BQA recertified or if you’re interested in taking the Master Beef Program this fall, make sure you contact me and let me know!

If you are unsure about either of these programs, feel free to reach out to me! I will be glad to go over the benefits of these great programs!

Volume 3 Issue 3 | June ‐ August 2019

Agriculture and Natural Resources & Community Development

The Joys & Challenges of Spring & Summer Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

By the time this article reaches the eyes of most readers, cattle producers will have completed their 2018 taxes, spread fertiliz-er, sprayed some herbicide, evaluated the fall calving herd for pregnancy, and turned bulls in for the spring calving herd (technically winter calving). Those same producers will be weaning fall born calves, preparing for hay harvest, continuing to spray herbicides, and preparing for a drought, flood, or a July snow storm. In other words, cattle producers are busy dur-ing the spring and summer months and there is no shortage of decisions to be made.

Thinking about the decisions made on a cattle operation,

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HESTER’S EXTENSION

HAPPENINGS

Inside this edition… Hester’s Extension Happenings

Joys & Challenges

Summertime Weeds & Forage

Prion Diseases

Weed Fact Sheet: Buttercups

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the decisions are not always right or wrong, but there generally is one alter-native in that decision making process that results in the best outcome.

For instance, if a cattle producer has grandchildren that are “soft” and need to learn how to work, then the correct decision may be to leave fences unre-paired so the grandchildren can round up the rogue cattle and then repair the fence when the cattle visit the neighbor. Alternatively, another producer may be short on labor and his or her time may be better spent conducting preventative repairs to a fence so the cattle stay on the farm.

Fertilizing hay and pasture is one deci-sion that is tough for some producers. This decision becomes tougher when fertilizer prices are high. A producer may say, “Fertilizer prices are too high so I am not fertilizing this year.” The question a producer should ask is, what are the implications to the operation if I do not fertilize? The implication will be reduced pasture and hay production which could lead to overgrazing pas-tures, weed encroachment, stand loss, and increased supplemental feed costs. There is no doubt a producer can forgo applying fertilizer this year, but it may have long term implications and hit the money bag harder than the fertilizer cost.

Another tough decision is pregnancy evaluation. Actually, many producers do not even think of pregnancy evalua-tion as a decision but that in and of it-self is a decision. Many producers use the method of “wait and see if she calves” as the pregnancy evaluation model. This is a tried and true model, because the cow either has a calf or she does not have a calf. There are other models that are beneficial such as pal-pation, ultrasound, and blood tests that cost less than $10 per head. Waiting to see if a cow or heifer calves results in

feeding a cow through the entire gesta-tion period regardless if she is bred or not. The cost associated with the wait and see method is all the feed she is eating that could go to the animals that are bred. In a herd of thirty cows, iden-tifying one open animal immediately following the breeding season will pay for the cost of pregnancy evaluation. Finding more open animals sounds like a cost savings measure.

One decision that is supported by the tax structure is purchasing equipment

to avoid paying taxes. Farmers and cat-tle producers need to understand that it is sometimes a good thing to pay taxes because that means the operation is profitable. When the bottom line at the end of the year is displaying a profit then producers should evaluate poten-tial assets that could be purchased to improve efficiency and future profita-bility of the operation. If there is a need for the asset and its inclusion results in greater profits then make the purchase and benefit from the tax structure. If the asset will not result in future profitabil-ity then pay the taxes on this year’s profits and thank the Lord for another successful year.

These are just a few of the decisions on the farm that impact the financial suc-cess of an operation. Decisions that influence one’s financial success seem long lived in the world, but they are short lived in eternity. A decision that is long lived in eternity is the decision

to follow Christ or not follow Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:38). Realizing the decisions made in the cattle business are irrelevant to eternity, have you made the decision to follow Christ Je-sus? Is so, do your actions and thoughts reflect this decision?

Summertime Weed Control

Dr. Gary Bates, Director UT Beef & Forage Center

It’s June and the weather is warm. The first cutting of hay is done and in the barn. Calves are on the ground and breeding season is almost over. It’s time to sit back, watch a ballgame or two and relax. But wait. All of a sudden you look up and wonder “where did all these weeds come from?’’ You may have done a good job controlling but-tercup in the spring, but I’ve got some bad news. There is another set of weeds waiting in the wings to take over your pasture. Here are a few, with the con-trol options for each.

Horsenettle – This weed is sometimes known as bullnettle. It is a perennial weed, so it can come back from rhi-zomes (underground stems) or germi-nate from seed. It has spines on the stem and underside of the leaf, making it unpalatable to grazing animals. It has white/light purple flowers, and produc-es a berry that is green and eventually turns yellow. The berry is about the size of a cherry tomato.

Control- This is a hard to kill weed. Herbicides,

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like 2,4-D and Banvel will only burn the top. Research by Dr. Neil Rhodes has shown that GrazonNext HL is one of the best herbicides available to control horsenettle. Use 1.6 pints per acre any time prior to berry formation and you will see good control.

Spiny Pigweed – This weed is official-ly spiny amaranth, a warm-season an-nual weed. It is often found in areas destroyed by winter hay feeding, just inside gates, around water troughs, and other areas with poor stands of grass. It is a prolific seed producer, and seed can germinate every time there is a summer rain. This makes control difficult, since a spray early in the summer may not keep the area weed-free the entire sum-mer.

Control – 2,4-D gives good control of this plant. You can’t wait until the plant is 3 foot tall with seed to spray, however. You need to spray when it is 6- 8 inches tall. You may also need to make more than one application during the summer, since there can be several crops of germination during the sum mer.

Ragweed – This is another summer annual weed. It is actually very palata-ble to cattle, causing it be readily grazed. However, left uncontrolled it can become a very troublesome weed in just a few years. Similar to spiny pigweed, it is easy to control, if it is sprayed when small.

Control – 2,4-D will give fan tastic control of ragweed. Timeliness of application is key – 6-8 inches tall is the best time to spray.

Anytime you get ready to use a herbi-cide during the summer, make sure to be aware of any sensitive plants in the area. You don’t want to kill your gar-den, or your neighbor’s crop, due to spray drift. Contact your local Exten-sion office for more info on herbicide application. Go to UTBeef.com for more help on weed ID.

Summer Forage Management & Production

Dr. Gary Bates, Director UT Beef & Forage Center

What kind of summer will we have? “I would be better at predicting the future if I knew what it was going to be. “

It is always challenging to write arti-cles during this time of the year. Should I write about handling severe drought, or maybe using sum-mer grasses to deal with short droughts? Poisonous plants, or maybe weed control. It is hard, because no one knows what the summer is going to be like, particularly a month or so ahead when I have to pen the arti-cle. Should I assume a summer like last year, when there was plenty of rainfall, or other years, when there was severe drought? It is probably best to assume there will be short periods of drought that become more frequent during the summer. Here are some things you want to pay attention to.

Watch for summer weeds and con-trol as needed. As tall fescue pastures and hayfield become stressed by heat and reduced moisture, summer weeds will begin to germinate and grow. Don’t let the plants become the dominant component of a field. Plants such as spiny pigweed, horsenettle and tall ironweed can reduce the palatabil-ity and ultimately the yield of a field. Get the weeds in your field iden-tified and select the proper herbicide for control. Don’t let these weeds get too far ahead of you before you do

something about them.

Check for nitrates in summer plants during drought conditions. Drought often coupled with overfertilization with nitrogen can cause plants to take up more nitrogen than they can use for growth. This excess nitrogen is stored as nitrates. If a plant with high nitrates is grazed, it can be toxic to cattle. The same goes for hay that is cut from grass with high nitrates. If you suspect ni-trates to be high, contact your local Ex-tension office about methods to deter-mine nitrate levels in forage crops.

Don’t overgraze tall fescue pas-tures. Tall fescue is a cool-season grass, which means it is most adapted to cooler, moist conditions. High tem-peratures and the lack of moisture can be a large stress on tall fescue fields. If they are overgrazed during this period, the stress is increased dramatical-ly. There are few things that will weaken a tall fescue stand faster than overgrazing during drought condi-tions. Try to let pastures rest and re-plenish root energy reserves prior to putting cattle back on them. It will help maintain the stand and minimize the replanting that needs to be done in the fall.

Forage test spring hay crops. Now would be a good time to forage test your spring hay cuttings. This will help you know the protein and energy con-tent of what is going to get fed during the winter, and the need for any supple-mentations. There is no better time than the present to get this done. Oth-erwise you may forget before winter gets here.

Pay attention to these four points, and hopefully we can get through the sum-mer with minimal problems.

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With the rise in reports of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Tennessee deer, I have been asked several questions lately if CWD can be transferred to cattle. This is consid-ered a prion disease, and there are several misconceptions concerning this disease. I thought this would be an opportunity to briefly cover prion diseases that affect hu-mans and animals.

Before we move on any further, I want to also make sure everyone understands this misnomer. Some will refer to Johne’s dis-ease as chronic wasting disease. Johne’s is a bacterial disease of cattle that is fecal-oral transmitted to a calf less than 48 hours old. Johne’s is not the same as Chronic Wasting Disease of deer.

What is a Prion Disease? Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a family of rare progressive neurodegenerative disor-ders that affect both humans and animals. They are distinguished by long incubation periods, characteristic changes associated with neuronal loss (brain & spinal cord tissue), and a failure to induce inflammato-ry response.

The causative agents of TSEs are believed to be prions. The term “prions” refers to abnormal, pathogenic agents that are trans-missible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found most abundantly in the brain. The abnormal fold-ing of the prion proteins leads to brain dam-age and the characteristic signs of the dis-ease. Prion diseases are usually rapidly progressive and always fatal.

Chronic Wasting Disease Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer and moose. It has been found in some areas of North America, including Canada and the United States, Norway and South Korea. It may take over a year before an infected animal develops symptoms, which can include drastic weight loss (wasting),

stumbling, listlessness and other neurologic symptoms. CWD can affect animals of all ages and some infected animals may die without ever developing the disease. CWD is fatal to animals and there are no treat-ments or vaccines.

To date, there have been no reported cases of CWD infection in people. However, animal studies suggest CWD poses a risk to some types of non-human primates, like monkeys, that eat meat from CWD-infected animals or come in contact with brain or body fluids from infected deer or elk. These studies raise concerns that there may also be a risk to people. Since 1997, the World Health Organization has recommended that it is important to keep the agents of all known prion diseases from entering the human food chain.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE is an unusual prion disease in that the time between an animal's exposure to the disease and the onset of clinical signs nor-mally ranges from four to five years. Ani-mals with BSE may show a number of dif-ferent signs including nervous or aggres-sive behavior, abnormal posture, lack of co-ordination or difficulty in rising from a lying position, decreased milk production, and weight loss despite an increased appe-tite. These symptoms may last for a period of two to six months before the animal dies.

It is believed that the spread of this disease in cattle was caused by feeding protein products made from infected cattle or sheep. As of October 26, 2009, a regulation issued by FDA in April 2009 came into effect establishing an enhanced BSE-related feed ban in the United States. This enhanced ban will further harmonize BSE feed control measures in the U.S. In addi-tion, FDA continues to enforce its im-portant 1997 mammalian-to-ruminant feed ban through its BSE inspection and BSE feed testing programs.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, degenerative, fatal brain disorder. It affects about one person in every one million per year worldwide; in the United States there are about 350 cases per year. CJD usually appears in later life and runs a rapid course. Typical onset of symptoms occurs at about age 60, and about 70 percent of individuals die within one year. There are three types of CJD:

1) Sporadic CJD

The disease appears even though the person has no known risk factors for the disease. This is by far the most common type of CJD and accounts for at least 85 percent of cases.

2) Hereditary CJD

The person may have a family history of the disease and test positive for a genetic mutation associated with CJD. About 10 to 15 percent of cases of CJD in the United States are hereditary.

3) Acquired CJD

The disease is transmitted by exposure to human brain or nervous system tissue, usually through certain medical procedures. There is no evi-dence that CJD is contagious through casual contact with someone who has CJD. Since CJD was first described in 1920, fewer than one percent of cases have been ac-quired CJD.

What about our cattle? Because CWD is a prion disease, con-cerns have lingered that (CWD) in deer and other cervids could eventually could spread to cattle. So far though, there has been no strong evidence that CWD can cross species barriers to af-fect cattle through typical environmen-tal exposure, or for that matter, humans who consume meat from infected cer-vids. New results from a long-term ex-posure trial now support the belief that the lethal prion disease is highly unlike-ly to spread to cattle.

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Prion Diseases Dr. Lew Strickland, Extension Veterinarian

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Classification and Description

Several species of buttercup are found in Ten-nessee. Two of the most common are hairy buttercup and bulbous buttercup. They are not native to the United States and are members of the but-tercup family (Ranunculaceae). They can be found in pastures, hay fields, roadsides and marginal areas. Although bulb-ous buttercup is a perennial and hairy butter-cup is an annual, they are similar in appear-ance (Fig. 1). Both species grow from basal rosettes that form in late autumn and winter. Leaves are pal-mately 3-lobed, 0.75 to 2 inch-es long and wide, alternate up-ward, and hairy. Stems are erect, hairy, single or branching from base, and can reach heights of 24 inches. Solitary flowers open in the spring and are pale to bright sulfur yellow, 0.5 to 1 inches wide, with 5 petals and numerous sta-mens (Fig. 2). The fruit is an aggregate of 10 to 40 achenes in a globose or oblong head, turning brown at maturity. The best way to differentiate the two species is to dig up and examine the underground plant parts. Bulbous buttercup has slightly thickened roots that arise from a corm or “bulb-like” base while hairy buttercup has fi-brous roots and does not have a swollen base (Fig. 3). Both species spread by seed but bulbous buttercup can also regener-ate from corms.

Problems in Pastures and Hay Fields

Buttercups are not as palatable as desirable forages in a pasture, and cattle will selectively graze around them. However, butter-cup spe-cies contain the oil protoanemonin, which can cause oral and gastrointestinal irritation. Tox-

icity varies with species, age, and habitat, but in general, the leaves and stems of flower-ing plants have the highest concentration. Poison-ing is uncom-mon, but can occur when desira-ble forages are in short supply. The oil volati-lizes rapidly, so plants found in dried hay do not pose toxicity problems. Buttercups can also compete with grasses and increase in density over time. Since buttercups ma-ture in late spring, they can significantly impact the first hay cutting. If not managed, buttercup seed will accumulate in the soil and provide new generations of weeds every year.

Management in Pastures and Hay Fields

Prevention is a crucial component in the man-agement of pasture and hay field weeds. Even just a few mature butter-cups growing in a field or brought in from hay bales can provide seed for hundreds of plants the following year. In severe infesta-tions, herbicides

are usually needed as part of a control pro-gram. Timing is critical for effective butter-cup management. Waiting to spray a field when it is a “sea of yellow” is too late be-cause many of the plants have already gone to seed. The best time to spray is in the fall (late October to early December) or late winter to early spring (March to early April). One ad-vantage of spraying in the fall may be time availabil-ity. Springtime is very busy for many producers who are in the middle of calving or preparing row crop ground. Anoth-er advantage of fall application is there may be fewer gardens and sensitive crops growing that can be injured by herbicide drift. Regard-less of a fall or spring application, it is im-portant to have three days where temperatures reach 60 F, so that herbicides can be most effective. Another factor to consider is the height of surrounding forages and thatch. Since buttercup rosettes are low growing, the grass should not be so tall that it prevents the

spray from reaching the weeds.

University of Tennessee research indicates that 2,4-D ester applied pre-bloom will ade-quately control hairy buttercup. However, products containing aminopyralid (GrazonNext HL) or dicamba (Banvel, Clari-ty, Oracle, others) will give more complete control of bulbous buttercup. As is the case with all pesticide applications, be sure to thor-oughly read and follow the label directions. Also, remember that practicing good herbi-cide stewardship is everyone’s responsibility. For more information regarding herbicide stew-ardship and reducing off-target damage to sensitive crops, please visit our website: herbicidestewardship.utk.edu.

References

Everest, J. W., T. A. Powe, Jr., and J. D. Freeman. 1996. pp. 12-13 in Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States. Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Publ. ANR-975. 51pp.

Bryson, C. T. and M. S. DeFelice, eds. 2009. p. 268 in Weeds of the South, Univ. of Georgia Press, Athens, GA 30602. 468 pp.

Small, J. K. 1933. p. 522 in Manual of the Southeastern Flora, Science Press Printing Co., Lancaster, PA. 1554 pp.

Disclaimer

This publication contains pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. The recommendations in this publication are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specif-ic pesticide being used. The label always takes prece-dence over the recommendations found in this publica-tion. Use of trade or brand names in this publication is for clarity and information; it does not imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may be of simi-lar, suitable composition, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the product. The author(s), the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and Univer-sity of Tennessee Extension assume no liability resulting from the use of these recommendations.

UTBeef.com

Weed Fact Sheet | Buttercups Trevor D. Israel, Extension Assistant

G. Neil Rhodes, Jr., Professor and Extension Weed Management

Specialist

Department of Plant Sciences

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Upcoming Events June 27 Tobacco, Beef, & More Springfield, TN

July 8-13 Sumner County Fair

August 6 Steak & Potatoes Field Day Crossville, TN

This Fall Master Beef Program

October 7/8,14/15 Master Small Ruminant Dover, TN

Looking to the Future

UT Extension Sumner County | 658 Hartsville Pike | Gallatin, TN 37066 | (615) 452-1423

Hester Happenings (continued from P. 1)

In The Life of Hester

Last year at this time, I was writing to you about the birth of my nephew, so I can’t help but share him again! We just had Hudson’s first birthday party last week and let me just tell you, did he have a party! There were more Mickey Mouse items at this party than at Disney World itself! Is it just me or would someone agree with me that we spend more time and preparation into an event that the child will remember for how long? Exactly! But before you judge me, I will say that I would do it all again.

To help my sister, my fiancé and I baked and decorated Hudson’s personal smash cake. (*Strike and delete). My fiancé baked and decorated Hudson’s personal smash cake while I watched...and test tasted! When she finished, that was the best looking, and tasting, Mickey Mouse cake I had ever saw. Would you like to know how long that nice and decorated cake lasted? Let’s just say we had to wrap up “Happy Birthday to You” rather quickly! All of that hard work, gone before the candles had time to cool.

Lesson learned...never think you go underappreciated. All of that hard work that you put into something, someone is thankful for, even if it is only for 3 seconds. Cheers to you!

UT Extension Sumner County |

In a 10-year trial, researchers exposed groups of cattle to high levels of CWD pri-ons. The researchers used two methods and in different locations in Colorado, Wyoming and at the USDA’s National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. One group of 12 calves received an initial oral dose of brain material from CWD-infected mule deer, with five un-inoculated cattle serving con-trols. Two other groups of cattle spent 10 years housed in outdoor pens with CWD-infected mule deer or elk, with continuous exposure through feed, water and direct con-tact.

At the end of the trial, the researchers eu-thanized and examined all the surviving cat-tle. None of the cattle showed any sign of CWD or any neurological pathology during the trial period or at necropsy.

As with other transmissible spongiform en-cephalopathy (TSE) diseases, CWD can de-velop slowly, with exposed animals remain-ing healthy for years before showing clinical signs. Thus, a long-term trial using environ-mental exposure similar to what occurs in the field, helps answer critical questions about the potential for the disease to cross species barriers.

In a separate study, a mixture of brain/CSF from CWD infected cervids was injected directly into the brain and spinal cords of cattle. Two calves out of 14 did develop clinical signs, but this was not considered a significant amount. This rate of transmis-sion after intracranial inoculation suggests that risk of transmission through other routes is low. CWD is a disease that certainly should be kept on the radar as research continues to the transmission of the disease. If you have any questions concerning CWD, please contact your veterinarian, Extension agent, or my-self at, lstrick5@utk.edu, or 865-974-3538. sumner.tennessee.edu

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