The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/60507
D-4 Agricuture Week Wednesday, March 21, 2012 Beef breeding programs help producers capitalize on strong prices Artificial insemination breeding programs can help cattle producers cap- italize on prices that are at an unprecedented high, a Purdue Extension beef specialist says. While many cow-calf producers shy away from artificial insemination be- cause of the extensive man- agement requirements, Ron Lemenager said incor- porating an estrous syn- chronization program into the breeding plan can re- duce time spent detecting estrous and increase the number of cows bred in the first week of the breeding season. "Cow numbers are the lowest since 1952. This puts the cow-calf produc- ers in the driver's seat if they play their cards right," he said. "A bred cow is worth about twice as much as an open cow, so it's im- portant to get these cows bred as early as possible." Getting cows bred the first week of the breeding season helps ensure that calves are older and heavi- er at weaning. It also means more uniform calves. Lemenager recommend- ed that producers consider an estrous synchronization program such as the 5 Day CO-Synch + CIDR. The CI- DR is a controlled inter- nal drug-releasing insert that contains progester- one and can "jump-start" cows to enter the estrous cycle sooner. This five-day day protocol allows produc- ers to eliminate the labor associated with estrus de- tection and breed cows by timed artificial insemina- tion (TAI). "Work done at Purdue, Ohio State and other uni- versities has demonstrat- ed that the use of the 5 Day CO-Synch + CIDR protocol is very effective in getting cows bred to artificial in- semination sires," he said. "The advantage to using this type of protocol is that it synchronizes estrous be- havior, the follicular waves and, ultimately, the ovula- tion more effectively than other protocols used in TAI." Other protocols for those interested in synchroniz- ing estrous can be found at http://www.thebeefcenter. com under "reproduction." Before entering the breeding season and se- lecting an estrous syn- chronization protocol, Le- menager said producers need to make sure the an- imals are ready. "Cows need to be in mod- erate body condition and they need to be approach- ing 45 days postpartum," he said. In addition to an estrous synchronization program, sire selection will play an important role in getting cows bred to bulls that will minimize dystocia, or calv- ing problems. Replacement heifers are most suscep- tible to dystocia and are prime candidates for es- trus synchronization and AI. "The use of artificial in- semination allows us to in- dividually mate cows to bulls that will optimize performance," Lemenag- er said. "It easily facilitates crossbreeding and allows the use of proven bulls for traits such as calving ease, growth and carcass char- acteristics. It also minimiz- es the potential for disease transmission." Regardless of the breed- ing protocol selected, Le- menager said that produc- ers need to plan ahead to have a successful breeding program. "Depending on the es- trous synchronization pro- tocol, it can take anywhere from eight to 33 days to complete the process," he said. "That means produc- ers need to look at their first breeding date and plan accordingly. If they want cows to start calving on Feb. 1, they need to have them bred in late April. Now is a great time to start preparing." The Press-Dispatch Artificial insemination breeding programs can help cattle producers capi- talize on prices that are at an unprecedented high, a Purdue Extension beef specialist says. Weed scientists: Scout now for weeds in winter wheat Winter wheat growers need to start scouting their fields and planning to control weeds that have survived the mild Midwest winter, say two Purdue Extension weed scientists. If not controlled ear- ly, common broadleaf weeds, such as dande- lion, purple deadnettle, henbit, chickweed, Can- ada thistle and wild gar- lic can cause problems for the wheat crop as it comes out of winter dor- mancy. "These winter annu- al species that emerge in the fall can remain relatively inconspicu- ous through the winter but become competitive and troublesome dur- ing spring, if they are not controlled early," Bill Johnson said. The severity of infes- tation will determine whether herbicide appli- cation is necessary and, if so, what type of herbicide should be used. Johnson and Travis Legleiter said producers need to scout entire fields and identi- fy problem areas before making those decisions. "Wheat fields that con- tain uniform infestations of at least one broad- leaf weed or three grass weeds per square foot should be taken into con- sideration for a herbicide application, to avoid yield loss and harvest interfer- ence problems," Legleit- er said. "Some fields that have less uniform infes- tations but, rather, pock- ets of severe infestation, should be managed to re- duce weed seed produc- tion and future infesta- tions." The stage of the wheat crop also should be con- sidered in herbicide pro- gram decisions. Nearly all wheat herbicides are labeled for application at certain growth stages. Some commonly used herbicides have a very short application window. "The popular broadleaf herbicides, 2, 4-D and MCPA, are efficient and economical, but can only be applied for a short pe- riod of time between til- lering and prior to joint- ing," Johnson said. "This is a short window that oc- curs early in the spring, and might occur even earlier this year if current weather conditions hold." One option for wheat farmers to consider is the use of liquid nitrogen fer- Delivery Man Mike Russell 812-486-9311 Delivery Man Mike Russell 812-486-9311 Your Local Your Local FRETTE ENERGY CO., INC. 504 West Walnut Street PO Box 267 • Washington, IN 47501 812-254-3671 Steven K. Frette~President Steven K. Frette~President tilizer solution as a car- rier for herbicides. The combination allows pro- ducers to topdress the crop in a single pass over a field. However, Johnson said this technique requires caution because it can cause moderate to severe crop injury - especially in saturated conditions. "Many post-applied wheat herbicide labels allow for liquid nitrogen carriers, but require dif- ferent rates and types of surfactants than if the herbicide was applied with water as the carri- er," he said. Growers who plan to plant double-crop soy- beans also need to con- sider plant back restric- tions. Many herbicides, especially those that con- trol ryegrass and brome, have soybean plant back restrictions longer than DRIVING EFFICIENCY DRIVING EFFICIENCY Maximize the effi ciency of your farm with reliable, high-performance fuel. We're committed to delivering premium, top quality diesel fuel at a good price Maximize the effi ciency of your farm with reliable, high-performance fuel. We're committed to delivering premium, top quality diesel fuel at a good price Maximize the effi ciency of your farm with reliable, high-performance fuel. We're committed to delivering premium, top quality diesel fuel at a good price the usual three months. "Soybean plant back re- strictions greatly reduce the number of options available to wheat pro- ducers who double-crop soybeans after wheat," Legleiter said. For more information and the latest weed sci- ence updates, visit the Purdue Weed Science home page at http:// www.ag.purdue.edu/bt- ny/weedscience/Pages/ default.aspx You won't want to miss this. FRETTE ENERGY CO., INC. 504 West Walnut Street PO Box 267 • Washington, IN 47501 812-254-3671 0 4 . 0 4 . 1 2