Cattle producers get the goods -- from the ground, up

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

Soil specialist Dr. Mark McFarland explains the importance of “amendments” to beef and forage producers at a Fairfield workshop. � Photo by Mindy Poehl�

Nov. 3, 2005 - Healthy soil and the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) were discussed at the Fall Beef and Forage Workshop held in Fairfield Oct. 20.

Dr. Mark McFarland, Texas A&M professor and soil fertility specialist, described the importance of soil amendments, saying a soil amendment is any material added to a soil that improves the growth of plants in soil. Amendments, he said, help a soil's physical properties, such as water retention, permeability, water infiltration, drainage, aeration and structure, which provide a better environment for roots.

"Generally, we separate fertilizers from soil amendments by their higher nutrient content," explained McFarland. "The chemical properties that may be altered by soil amendments include the soil fertility and pH."

Organic soil amendments are currently the most common solution for improving physical characteristics of soil. 

"Organic soil amendments will increase aeration and porosity in heavy clay soils, while increasing water retention in sandy soils," said McFarland.

Many composted materials, such as composted sludge, composted animal manure, composted leaves, and composted yardwaste, are available as amendments. 

"For an amendment to work, it must be thoroughly mixed into the soil," McFarland said. "If you just bury it, its effectiveness is reduced and it can interfere with the water and air movement, as well as root growth."

Amending a soil is not the same thing as mulching although many mulches are also used as amendments. A mulch is left on the soil surface. Its purpose is to reduce evaporation and runoff, prohibit weed growth, and create an attractive appearance. Mulches also moderate soil temperature, helping to warm soils in the spring and cool them in the summer. Mulches may be incorporated into the soil as amendments after they have decomposed to the point where they no longer serve their purpose. 

When using manure as an amendment, fresh manure can harm plants due to elevated ammonia levels. To avoid this problem, use only aged manure (at least six months old). 

During composting, ammonia gas is lost from the manure. 

"Nitrogen levels may be lower in composted manure than in raw manure," McFarland said. "However, the phosphorus and potassium concentrations will be higher in composted manure. Salt levels will also be higher in composted manure  than in raw manure."

There are at least four factors to consider in selecting a soil amendment: 

* how long the amendment will last in the soil

* soil texture

* soil salinity and plant sensitivities to salts

* salt content and pH of the amendment

Dr. Jason Cleere, assistant Texas A&M professor and Extension beef cattle specialist, discussed the NAIS, which is a national program intended to identify animals and track them as they come into contact with animals, other than herdmates, from their premises of origin. 

The system is currently being developed for all animals that will benefit from rapid tracebacks in the event of a disease concern, such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, horses, poultry, bison, deer, elk, llamas and alpacas.

Many of these species can be identified through some sort of identification system, but "these systems are not consistent across the country," explained Cleere.  "This can make tracing an animal’s movements time consuming during a disease investigation, especially if the animal has moved across state lines." 

The system will be capable of tracing a sick animal or group of animals back to the herd or premises that is the most likely source of infection. It will also be able to trace potentially exposed animals that were moved out from that herd. 

"The sooner animal health officials can identify infected and exposed animals, the sooner they can contain the disease and stop it from spreading," said Cleere. 

One step in implementing the NAIS is identifying and registering premises that house animals. Such premises include locations where livestock and poultry are managed, marketed, or exhibited. 

"When you know where the animals are located, it makes for an accurate investigation and helps control diseases," Cleere added.  "To track animals, we must know where they are born and where they are moved."

Cleere explained that a few basic pieces of information will be reported to the national animal’s records bank: the animal identification number (AIN) or Group/Lot ID, the premises number of the receiving location, and the date of the animal’s or animals’ arrival. 

The Federal government is providing the national databases and basic infrastructure. The producers will identify their animals and provide necessary records to the databases. Marketers and processing plants will provide animal location records. 

"Beef producers must know about animal identification to remain profitable in the near future," Cleere said. "The U.S. beef industry is constantly changing to improve efficiency and the quality of beef, with the advancement of technology. Consumers are demanding a safe, wholesome, quality product. And, as a result, retailers are beginning to pay premiums for beef from source-verified cattle."