Country World Archives 2001-2008
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Best Texas hay producers awarded at state event; Crockett man named Grand Champion |
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By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition |
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January 16, 2003 -- The hay produced by Wayne Thompson of Crockett, which tested 28.8 percent protein, won the Grand Champion title at the 2002 Texas State Hay Show, held in late 2002 in Fredericksburg. Winning champion titles with the World Feeder variety bermudagrass has been a common occurrence for Thompson, who has won the county hay show each year since 1994. "We do exactly as we're supposed to do with the fertilizer," Thompson said. "Not just the N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), but also with the trace minerals ... according to (Texas) A&M recommendations." Thompson, a former employee of Agricultural Enterprises, Corp., which patented the World Feeder variety, first saw an advertisement for the grass in 1992, and in 1993, he cleared a field of pine trees and planted his first crop of the variety. "In 1993 I started with dirt," he said. But with careful culturing of the land "there's soil out there now." The hay grower said in preparing the land for hay production, Thompson first applied lime, then followed up with chicken litter applications. Because of the organic components of the chicken litter, beneficial earthworms became common in the soil. In 1996, Thompson said he was running 29 cows/calves on nine acres planted in the World Feeder variety. The next year he had 16 cows/calves on six acres, and he baled a total of 1,000 square bales (three cuttings) off three acres. Today Thompson limits his ag production to just hay and he averages "171, 60-pound square bales to the acre." He stresses it is important for producers to soil test their hay fields. "I soil test each year, and I fertilize after each cutting." Because of the hay's quality, Thompson said "99.9 percent of my customers are horse owners." He said the hay is attractive to dairy producers, as well. Dr. David Bade, Extension forage specialist, was one of the judges at the 2002 Texas State Hay Show. "I remember his sample well. It was a good sample." But Bade said there are other options for hay producers to consider. "The yield is not as good as some of our other bermudagrasses, such as Tifton 85, Jiggs," etc. World Feeder bermudagrass has been commercially available since the early 1990s. "It was found growing naturally in Oklahoma, apparently the result of a mutation or natural hybridization," Bade cited in a presentation he made at the Southern Pasture and Forage Crop Improvement Conference in June 2000. World Feeder "is known to exhibit good winter hardiness and a rapid establishment rate. ... It has good quality and palatability." In Bade's presentation, he cited a paper by Dr. Don Ball that evaluated the merits of various bermudagrasses. The relative yields of World Feeder were lower than other bermudagrasses, such as Tifton 85, Coastal, and Jiggs. Thompson said he is sold on World Feeder's quality. "It's a good grass. It's cold tolerant enough that it grows well in Canada; and it outproduces alfalfa at times." Among his wins from hay shows, the lowest crude protein of the World Feeder was 17 percent. At this year's state hay show, the hay sample was 28.8 percent crude protein, and it had an ADF (acid detergent fiber) value of 25.3, and an estimated gain of 3.42 ADG (average daily gain). East Texans capture first place titles Several East Texans captured top wins at the recently-held 2002 Texas State Hay Show. Wayne Thompson of Houston County captured the Grand Champion title with his World Feeder bermudagrass (see related story). His hay first captured the first place title in the other bermudagrass category. Winning first place in the Summer Annual Grass category was Mary Prud'homme of 7P Ranch, Smith County. Her hay was analyzed to have a 24.7 percent crude protein; an ADF (acid detergent fiber) of 32.5; and an estimated gain on a 500-pound stocker calf of 2.56 ADG (average daily gain). Dr. David Bade, Extension forage specialist who served as one of the state hay show judges, explained the ADF is basically the fiber content of the hay. "The lower the number, the better," he added. Mitch Brown of Van Zandt County submitted the hay that won first place in the Other Legumes and Legume Mix category. Brown's hay tested 22.4 percent crude protein, 29.9 ADF, and 2.45 ADG. Also announced at the Texas State Hay Show, conducted by the Texas Forage and Grassland Council, were the results of the "Field of Dreams Bermudagrass Challenge" issued by BASF and Progressive Farmer magazine. The challenge invited growers of premium bermudagrass to submit photos of their fields as part of a search for the highest quality stand. BASF co-sponsored the contest to spotlight that grass weeds infest tens of thousands of bermudagrass hay meadow and pasture acres in the South, costing ranchers and farmers more than $20 million annually. Approved in 2002, BASF's Plateau® herbicide is the only EPA-approved product that can be used to treat a broad-spectrum of unwanted grass weeds. Ricky Hevron of Lyday Farms, Honey Grove, was named one of three finalists in the Field of Dreams challenge (other two finalists were Fred Yanta of Devine, Texas; and Sid Lloyd of Sid Lloyd Farms in Madison, Miss.). The winner of the challenge was Del Roy Reichenau/Gene Geistweidt of Haymakers, Inc. in Mason, Texas. The duo was awarded the $10,000 grand prize. The finalists, and winners, in the challenge each received a certificate of recognition and a Carhartt jacket. Yanta, who owns Fred Yanta Hay Farms, also captured the Reserve Champion title of the 2002 Texas State Hay Show with his coastal bermudagrass sample that tested 21.9 percent crude protein, 24.1 ADF, and 2.71 ADG. Other first place wins at the state hay show were:
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