Ag Insights March 2025
Saturday, March 1, 2025
Starting Off Right With Grain Sorghum
Josh Bushong, Area Extension Agronomist
Grain sorghum has been a great crop option if it’s managed right. It still is a great drought and heat tolerant summer crop option in the region, but maybe not as “low input” as rumors once were. As with any crop, getting started off right can often mean the difference between raising a successful crop or coming up a little short of expectations. Farmers will need to determine which hybrid to plant, how to plant it, fertility recommendations, and how to economically control pests.
Besides the obvious hybrid selection factors like yield potential and maturity, sorghum aphid (formerly known as the sugarcane aphid, SCA) tolerance has become one of the top selection factors in recent years. Luckily, in the past few years there haven’t been any major issues with SCA. Most fields I’ve scouted have stayed under treatment thresholds.
Planting early with a tolerant hybrid will greatly reduce the risk of needing an insecticide applied. Economic thresholds for SCA are 20% plants infested with an SCA colony at the pre-boot and boot-growth stages and 30% after the heading stage. After the crop gets past the dough stage, SCA will not likely reduce yield, but the honeydew produced can still cause harvest issue.
There are three herbicide-tolerant traits available in grain sorghum. These grass controlling technologies include Igrowth, Double Team, and Inzen. The Igrowth technology uses Advanta bred hybrids and the herbicide Imifex from UPL. The Double Team Sorghum Cropping Solution uses S&W Seed Co. bred hybrids and the herbicide FirstAct from ADAMA US. The Inzen trait uses Pioneer brand hybrids and the herbicide Zest WDG from Corteva. Both Imiflex and Zest WDG are Group 2 herbicides. FirstAct is a Group 1 herbicide.
Using pre-emergent herbicides in combination with Atrizine is often needed even if using an herbicide-tolerant sorghum hybrid. Group 15 herbicides are strongly recommended for many grassy and small seeded broadleaf weeds. Treating seed with a seed safener, such as Concept or Screen, is needed to prevent crop injury from this group of herbicides. Group 15 herbicides contain active ingredients such as metolachlor or S-metolachlor (i.e. Bicept and Dual), acetochlor (i.e. Warrant), and dimethenamid (i.e. Outlook).
After getting the crop started clean of weeds, early post-emergence herbicide applications can be needed. Often a tank-mix of atrazine and/or a group 15 along with a group 4 herbicide are needed to keep broadleaf weeds at bay. For the group 4 herbicides, quinclorac (Facet), bromoxynil (Buctril), or dicamba (Clarity, etc.) are good options. Huskie (group 6 & 27) has been a good option for pigweeds and can be applied up to 30 inch sorghum or flagleaf, whichever comes first.
A tank-mix of atrazine and quinclorac can provide some control of crabgrass, broadleaf signalgrass, and barnyardgrass when weeds are small. Halosulfuron (Permit) applied after sorghum gets to 2 leaves can control nutsedge.
Fertility management can easily limit yield potential if not managed correctly. Obtaining a soil sample will help assist in proper nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium recommendations. Sorghum performs best between a soil pH of 5.5 to 7.0 and needs about 1.2 pounds of nitrogen per bushel of yield.
Planting is often referred to as “the most important pass” with many crops and grain sorghum is no exception. Take action now to get the right hybrid planted on time into a weed free seedbed with proper soil fertility and the rest of the crop year will go much more smoothly. A nice thick even stand will assist in preventing weed emergence by reaching canopy closure faster, create a higher tolerance to pest infestations, and provide a more even maturity at harvest.
Foot and Mouth Disease
Barry Whitworth, DVM
Senior Extension Specialist/BQA State Coordinator, Department of Animal & Food Sciences, Ferguson College of Agriculture
On January 10, 2025, Germany announced an outbreak of Foot and Mouth (FMD) disease on the outskirts of Berlin. This is the first case of FMD in Germany in over 40 years. The case occurred in a herd of water buffalo. An import alert was issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Service (VS) on January 13, 2025, restricting certain animal commodities from Germany. Based on epidemiological evidence, the alert was revised to an effective date of November 3, 2024.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals. Important livestock species, that can be infected with the virus, are cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. The disease is not a public health threat. Unfortunately, the disease can spread easily and cause severe economic hardship.
FMD is caused by the Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) in the Picornaviridae family. The seven known serotypes of the virus are O, A, C, SAT 1, SAT 2, SAT 3, and Asia 1. Serotype O is the most common. The serotypes have multiple subtypes. The large number of serotypes makes vaccine development difficult since immunity to one serotype does not protect against others.
FMDV can be found in all fluids excreted from infected animals. This includes saliva, urine, feces, fluid from vesicles, semen, amniotic fluid, and aborted fetuses. Expired air from infected animals can transmit the virus in the right environment. The virus can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, and direct contact with infected animals. The virus can also be spread by contaminated objects and feed.
Clinical signs of the disease can vary between species. The most common clinical sign are blisters or vesicles on the tongue, gums, teats, and the interdigital space of the hooves. Other typical symptoms found are fever, loss of appetite, excessive drooling or salivation, lameness, and decreased milk production in dairy animals. In severe cases, particularly in young animals, FMD can cause heart inflammation, leading to sudden death. Most adult animals recover in two to three weeks. Although, some animals never return to full production or have permanent issues such as hoof malformation, chronic lameness, chronic mastitis, and weight loss.
FMD is a difficult disease to control. Most animals in the US are very susceptible to FMD. If an outbreak were to occur in the US, the disease could spread rapidly, unless detected early and eliminated. This is why, since the eradication of the disease from the US in 1929, the USDA has worked hard at keeping the disease out of the US. APHIS continues to work with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection at screening cargo at the border. The US restricts importation of animals and animal products from areas affected by FMD. APHIS deploys veterinarians worldwide to assist other countries in their efforts to control and eradicate the disease.
If a case of FMD occurs in the US, livestock producers will probably be the first to see it. For this reason, livestock producers should be familiar with the clinical signs of the disease. Any suspicious signs should be reported to their veterinarian. Livestock producers should maintain a good biosecurity plan. A key part of that plan should be to control who may enter their livestock operation. It is especially important to limit those who have traveled outside the US.
FMD is a constant threat to the US livestock industry. An outbreak would have significant economic consequences. US cattle producers should remain vigilant at keeping this disease out of the US. For more information about FMD, cattle producers may want to visit the Secure Beef Supply website.
Cow Calf Boot Camp to be held in Kingfisher in April
Dana Zook, NW OK Area Livestock Specialist
I hope this article finds everyone in warmer spirits after a very cold start to February. Spring is right around the corner, and I want to bring your attention to an educational event that will be held in Northwest Oklahoma in April. This year we are hosting a very popular event called Cow Calf Boot Camp in Kingfisher Oklahoma. This yearly “camp” is an all-encompassing three-day educational opportunity for cow calf producers.
This unique educational opportunity is designed for both beginner and experienced producers who are interested in increasing their level of management and their bottom line. The three days are packed full of hands-on information dealing with nutrition, health, forage management, and economics of cow calf production. At the camp, participants can expect to work “hands on” with live cattle, solve management problems in small groups, and have ample opportunity for questions and discussion. Since 2011, 14 camps have been held and over 560 people have graduated. This camp is known nationwide, and it is common for each camp to host cattle producers from surrounding states.
This year’s Cow Calf Boot camp will be hosted at the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds in Kingfisher, Oklahoma April 8th-10th. To offer the best experience, we have limited the participation to 50 people at each camp. This gives participants the opportunity to work closely with some of Oklahoma’s best livestock specialists and educators.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in, do not delay. Registration is $150 and includes educational instruction, 5 meals, and an OSU Beef Cattle Manual. Registration is being handled through the Garfield County Extension Office. To register, contact Dana Zook at dana.zook@okstate.edu or call the Garfield County OSU Extension office for registration and fee information about this year’s camp (580) 237-7677.
Tariffs and Their Impact on Agriculture
Alberto Amador, Area Ag Economics Specialist
In the last few months, the term “Tariff” has been discussed across industries and becoming a popular topic at news and debates. You may have heard questions like: Will tariffs impact consumers? Who will bear the extra charge/cost? Are tariffs beneficial or detrimental? Or even, what is a tariff? In this occasion, I’ll explain what a tariff is, how it works, different perspectives on its effects, and possible impacts on farmers and food production.
At its simplest, a tariff is an economic charge or tax on goods imported from another country. There are two reasons for implementing tariffs. First, revenue generation for the federal government, applying an extra tax on multiple goods (consumption) would increase the total collected revenue. As consequence, the government can increase its total revenue allowing for greater investment in several sectors. Second, tariffs are a common tool of a protectionist strategy. The objective of this approach is to enhance domestic industries and jobs by encouraging domestic consumption.
Although the demand for a good can vary based on its price elasticity, adding boundaries to imported goods (an extra charge in this situation) naturally gives an advantage to domestic goods. Imagine that the government implements a tariff on citric, the market price of imported oranges would increase as well as demand for domestic oranges for its competitive price.
Note: Values are not adjusted for inflation. The trade balance is equal to the value of exports minus the value of imports. When the balance is negative, imports exceed exports.
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service using data from U.S Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
A big question is, do tariffs have more advantages than disadvantages? I’d say that it depends on one’s perspective. Following the prior example, the domestic citrus producers will agree to tariffs, as they could lead to higher sales and revenue. In addition, they might adjust their prices in response to market conditions, selling their product at higher prices to improve their profit. However, the perspective is different to industries that rely on imported goods. An orange juice plant would face budget challenges and higher costs due to increased price of imported oranges. Likely, an ordinary citizen who consumes orange juice daily would pay more to satisfy his consumption or reduce their consumption. The exports and imports of agricultural products have increased significantly over the past 35 years. From 2013 to 2023 the compound annual growth rate of imports and exports were 5.8% and 2. 1% respectively. Although the imports rate grew faster prior to 2018, the U.S presented a trade surplus in agriculture. In other words, the agricultural imports didn’t exceed exports. In 2024 the balance changed. Agricultural imports reached $215 billion while agricultural exports reached $156.8 billion. At least half of the rise in agricultural imports was driven by horticultural products (fruits, vegetables, spirits, wine, essential oils, tree nuts, and nursery stock). The domestic production of these products isn’t enough to meet their demand because other nations have competitive advantage due to weather conditions.
This brings us to a key issue: if the tariffs are applied to these horticultural products, the additional cost will either be absorbed by the importers (reducing their margin profit) or passed on to consumers who will face higher prices.
On the other hand, the agricultural exports have threats as well. The country’s primary agricultural exports (grains, feeds, oilseeds and products, and animal products) are at risk if other nations apply tariffs on U.S. goods in retaliation. If this occurs the U.S. exported goods’ demand could decrease and lose international market share. For example, during the 2018 trade conflicts, Brazil gained market share in China’s soybean market, which was previously dominated by the U.S.
Regarding general production, an important consideration is the impact of tariffs on fertilizer prices. Because 90% of fertilizer is imported and 80% of that comes from Canada. In recent weeks, Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, warned that Canada would implement corresponding tariffs if the U.S. proceeded with its own. Such retaliation could significantly increase fertilizer prices, especially for potassium. According to the Illinois Production Cost Report, potash prices could increase by more than $100 per ton for supplies sourced from Canada if the 25% tariff passes. Also, if domestic fertilizer prices mirror the increase in imported costs, farmers would bear the burden of higher prices.
While domestic industries may benefit from higher sales and less competition, industries relying on imported goods could face financial challenges. Agricultural products may experience significant shifts in market dynamics from retaliatory tariffs and increased costs. However, the current situation remains uncertain, we must stay tuned to future announcements in order to adapt accordingly. One thing is clear: agriculture must continue and adapt to any context!
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