http://agnews.tamu.edu/ Daily Agriculture News Podcasts from Texas A&M University Podcasts produced by TAMU Agricultural Communications en-us Copyright 2007 agnews.tamu.edu b-fannin@tamu.edu http://agnews.tamu.edu/graphics/logophotocomp_rss.jpg http://agnews.tamu.edu/ 120 35 Podcasted Audio-Texas A&M University Agriculture Program News 60 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=106COLLEGE STATION Cotton needs heat units to mature and while things started out slowly for much of the crop, it is now back on track in the High Plains, said a Texas Cooperative Extension specialist.'The cotton crop looks good,' said Dr. Brent Bean, Extension agronomist in Amarillo. 'It certainly has matured on out.'Bean said a cool early August put the crop a couple of weeks behind.'But we had a good (late) August and September and things ...Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=129SAN ANGELO The Southern Rolling Plains' 13-year-old boll weevil eradication effort has made tremendous progress, but 2007 will be remembered for a late resurgence of the boll weevil, said a Texas Cooperative Extension expert. 'The boll weevil eradication program continues to make good progress overall, but 2007 will go down as a real learning year about the resiliency of the boll weevil,' said Dr. Chris Sansone, Extension entomologist at San ...Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=160COLLEGE STATION – E. coli and salmonella cases are headline news. However, steps can be taken to safeguard your and your family's health, according to a Texas Cooperative Extension meats specialist.This includes cooking meat properly at home and being careful in restaurants, said Dr. Davey Griffin.“We need to make sure that we take time to be sure that the products we're cooking are cooked adequately,” Griffin said.Meats have known pathogens associated with them, he said, and it's hard ...Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=163COLLEGE STATION — With the passing of Halloween, and Thanksgiving pie baking a few days away, Texas pumpkin producers are bringing in the final harvests from the South Plains region. “Pumpkin sales are still taking place, but starting to slow down,” said Jett Major, Texas Cooperative Extension district administrator in Lubbock. “Yields and sales have been slightly better than last year.” Extension regional offices reported the following conditions for the past week: Central: Windy ...Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=157COLLEGE STATION – Going without rich, sweet pecan pie this holiday may be unthinkable, so indulge. But after the feast, keep pecans in the diet – minus a sugary coating – advises Dr. Leo Lombardini, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station pecan researcher. “Pecans should not be associated only with Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays,” Lombardini said. “We usually recommend just a couple of ounces per day. They are loaded with antioxidants. And they have vitamins, a lot of fiber and a lot ...Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=165COLLEGE STATION – Despite scary headlines about salmonella and avian influenza, turkey is a safe and nutritious Thanksgiving meal option, according to a Texas Cooperative Extension poultry specialist. Dr. Mike Davis said, “The easiest way to make sure your family is safe is to cook your food thoroughly.” Make sure to cook poultry to 180 F internally. Measure the temperature with a meat thermometer, he said. “That way we will kill any potential bacteria that may be on or inside of the ...Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=173UVALDE – Forget the moo-moo here and quack-quack there. Farmers may find phytochemicals to be the barnyard bonanza. And water may be the drop in the bucket that cashes in on the tug-o-war between urban and rural interests, according to research by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. That's because applying less water to certain vegetables in the farm patch increases disease-preventing phytochemicals, or nutrients, for which consumers may one day pay a premium, scientists ...Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=205COLLEGE STATION – Some moisture fell over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend across the state, but more is needed for pastures and wheat crops and to abate the threat of wildfires, according to Texas Cooperative Extension reports from around the state. From far West Texas to the Panhandle and Rolling Plains, the wildfire danger is still high, said Extension officials. The limited moisture also is causing havoc with the wheat crop, which in many places is considered worse than normal, said ...Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=261COLLEGE STATION – Conditions in much of the state remained dry, stressing pastures and winter pasture crops. Long-term dry conditions are not just stressing crops. They are changing the face of agriculture, said Dr. James Gallagher, Texas AgriLife Extension Service wildlife and fisheries specialist based in Uvalde. With rainfall historically low in the grassland savannah region of Texas – what's commonly called the "brush country" – wildlife incomes are surpassing those of ...Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=272COLLEGE STATION – Cold, dry weather is suppressing winter pasture growth and stressing cattle, reported Texas AgriLife Extension Service agents and specialists throughout much of the state. "We've had some rain, but we need more to see good winter pasture growth," said Rick Hirsch, AgriLife Extension agent for Henderson County. "Ryegrass pastures are not looking very good, said Clint Perkins, AgriLife Extension agent for Wood County. "Producers are concerned about grazing, and ...Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=287COLLEGE STATION – January cumulative moisture totals were below normal for most of Texas, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly all counties east of a line from Amarillo through Big Spring and on south through San Angelo and Del Rio saw at least 1inch less of rain than would be expected for January, according to the weather service. And as one travels farther east, the shortfall generally increased to 2 -3 inches below normal. The more western counties saw normal moisture to ...Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=350AUSTIN – Agribusiness professionals can learn more about marketing products to Cuba at a conference scheduled for March 6 at the Texas Department of Agriculture in Austin. “Exporting to Cuba” will help agribusiness, export service providers, producers and government officials better understand how to distribute goods to the Cuban export market, said Dr. Parr Rosson, Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist and director of the Center for North American Studies at Texas A&M University. ...Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=351COLLEGE STATION - A continued shortage of farm labor, particularly in certain South Texas vegetable operations, could lead to a spike in cantaloupe and onion prices this summer without changes to immigrant worker policy, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist said. “We've seen some fairly major shortages in field labor the past couple of seasons,” said Dr. Parr Rosson, AgriLife Extension economist and director of the Center for North American Studies at Texas A&M University. ...Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=362COLLEGE STATION - A new high-definition television set. A Carribean cruise. Pay off bills.Lists are being made all across the nation now as Americans ponder how to spend a tax refund.But financial planners encourage a different mix - one that allows some spending but also adds “Save” to the list.“Sometimes when I am doing tax work, I'll ask, what are you going to use your refund for, and a lot of people say paying bills, buying a car, or getting a car to get them to work if ...Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=368COLLEGE STATION – High fertilizer prices have many producers worried, said Clint Perkins, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent in Wood County. Perkins' Wood County producers aren't alone. Armon Hewitt, AgriLife Extension agent in Trinity County, reported "... fertilizer prices will be extremely high ...Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=383COLLEGE STATION -- Most counties in the eastern half of the state received from a half-inch to slightly more than 1 inch of precipitation during the last week, according the National Weather Service. Many counties in that region received as much 2 inches of moisture, with scattered reports of 3 to 4 inches. Westwardly, some counties received from one-tenth of an inch or less of moisture, with Far West Texas and much of the Panhandle remaining dry. Where moisture was received, it ...Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=403COLLEGE STATION -- In much of Texas, planting of corn, sorghum and other crops continues to be delayed because of lack of soil moisture, said an agricultural economist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service . Farmers in southwest Texas and other areas of the state should be planting corn now, while sorghum should have been planted in February, said Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=439COLLEGE STATION – Don't go overboard buying energy efficient products now. The federal government will make it less taxing in May. The first-ever Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday will be observed May 24-26. Shoppers will get a break from state and local sales taxes on certain energy-efficient products from 12 a.m. on May 24 until 11:59 p.m. on May 26, said Janie Harris, Texas AgriLife Extension home environment specialist. “Every person can make a difference," Harris said. "If everybody ...Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=440COLLEGE STATION – For those who live in a home that was built when “green” meant having avocado-colored appliances, adopting environmentally friendly practices is challenging but doable, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist. Greening a home is “the practice of increasing the efficiency with which a building uses the resources – and these include energy, water and materials – while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment,” said Janie Harris, ...Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=441COLLEGE STATION – Texas AgriLife Extension Service agents from across the state report that whether there was rain or no rain, the high price of nitrogen fertilizer and diesel fuel are a dark cloud on the horizon for many producers. Many AgriLife Extension districts received rain, while others still suffered from dry and windy conditions. The Coastal Bend ,Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=450COLLEGE STATION – With few exceptions, most of the state's topsoil remained critically dry. And in regions where a little rain came, strong winds followed, taking moisture with it. Conditions were particularly severe in the Panhandle and the Southwest, reported Texas AgriLife Extension Service agents. "Soil moisture levels are still the same , basically non-existent," said Rick Auckerman, AgriLife Extension agent in ...Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=462COLLEGE STATION – Crop conditions improved in Central, East, North and parts of the Rolling Plains thanks to rain, according to reports from Texas AgriLife Extension Service agents. However, much of the rest of the state remains short of moisture. The cost of fertilizer remains a critical issue for many producers throughout the state. "Still no changes in weather; it's dry!" said J. D. Ragland, Texas AgriLife ...Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=474COLLEGE STATION – Most of the western parts of the state remained drought-stressed, while the northern and eastern parts of the state saw some relief, according to reports from Texas AgriLife Extension Service agents across the state. "Well, I guess I could be accused of sounding like a broken record, but I can't help it that Mother Nature won't allow me to report on anything else," said J. D. Ragland, AgriLife Extension agent ...Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 EST