Jack Frost wreaks havoc on fruit crop
The cold weather over the weekend sure put a damper on many folks? plans for earlier crop yields and a big fruit crop this summer. I figure the cold hurt many different crops, especially fruit.
Jim McCorkle at Pa?s Orchard doesn?t expect to harvest any apples this summer. Similar comments were made early this week from many different folks. Walter Clarke has about an acre of plasticulture strawberries. It looks like everything above the ground was burnt off. Depending on the crown for more fruit buds is his only hope for a crop. Nursery seedlings, early planted corn and wheat are also under pressure.
It?ll take a few days before we know the extent of the cold. I?ve heard comments about temperatures as low as 14 degrees. That?s a severe killing freeze. We know in a few days how much damage we?ve had. The water department in McMinnville has reported .85 inches of rain as of Monday of this week.
Sub-freezing weather statewide this past weekend has created questions regarding wheat stands. The concern in many cases is plant viability including nitrate levels. Producers wanting to harvest damaged wheat for haylage or hay might want to screen for nitrates, especially if fields were top-dressed late or moisture has been low. The UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center can provide this screening at no cost. The same solution we provide for checking nitrates in other forage crops will work. If a nitrate screen tests positive, we can provide a quantitative result in 24 to 72 hours (this time may vary with sample load) from time of receipt. If you have questions about wheat that was damaged by the cold weather give me a call here at the Extension office.
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2007 Cumberland Beef Day Announced
The Ninth Annual Cumberland Beef Day will be held on April 12 at the White County Fair Complex in Sparta from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will again be co-sponsored by the White/Van Buren Cattlemen?s Association, University of Tennessee Extension, and area Extension Agents.
The 2007 Cumberland Beef Day?s theme will be ?Focusing on Forages? and will include discussions and demonstrations from experts, specialists and industry representatives from across the country presenting information which will provide producers with valuable insights and tools to improve profitability of their beef operations.
John Queen, National Cattlemen?s Beef Association President along with Dr. Richard Daugherty, President of Tennessee Cattlemen?s Association will be presenting information on the status of the beef industry in the U.S. and Tennessee.
John Queen is a third-generation producer who grew up 30 miles west of Asheville, N.C., and 24 miles east of the Tennessee line. Queen has been involved as a cow-calf producer, auction-barn owner, feeder and grazer.
Today, he’s an order buyer, backgrounder and owner of Southeast Livestock Exchange, a video-telemarketing company in the Southeast.
Other topics on the program will include:
Comments on the TN Beef Industry, Ken Givens, TN Commissioner of Ag
The Importance of Forage Production in Tennessee, Dr. Jim Neel
Utilizing Bermudagrass, Mr. Terrell Vaughn, Vaughn?s #1 Bermudagrass
New Tools for Weed Control in Forages, Dr. Neil Rhodes
A look at New Forage Varieties, Dr. Gary Bates
Feeding Blends with Forages, Dr. Warren Gill
Haylage?Is it practical? Bernard Adams, Haylage Specialist Quebec, Canada
Live demonstrations will include:
Latest Tools for Feeding Large Round Bales, Dr. Clyde Lane
Evaluating Hay Quality and Inventorying Supplies, Gill & Lane
Equipment for storing and feeding Forages, Industry Representatives
The beef day will also feature an extensive trade show of farm products, equipment, services and beef cattle. A sponsored meal will be provided at noon.
For Information contact the Extension office at 473-8484.
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It was kinda cold up at the Farmer?s Market Saturday morning. The weather for the coming weekend looks a lot better.
Go by and have a look Saturday. I know a lot of folks will be wanting to replace a lot of those tomatoes, pepper and other plants that the freeze got last weekend. You can get those second planting plants at the local Farmer?s Market in downtown McMinnville.