Identifying resource concerns
Each year the Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) and Howard Soil and Water Conservation District (HSWCD) hold a Local Work Group meeting to receive public comment, identify and prioritize resource concerns facing the farmers and ranchers of Howard County. This year's meeting will be held January 27th at 4 pm at the USDA Center. Our natural resources of air, water, plants, animals and soil are impacted by climate and people. What the agriculture community does to conserve these vital resources is an on-going project.
Every time we are visited by our dust storms or especially the haboob that arrived last year, the need to prevent soil erosion and protect our air quality comes to mind. Windbreak trees help to control wind erosion. Air quality is greatly affected by our care of the soil. Soil quality is vital for plant growth which provides food and cover for wildlife, filters water, and of course grows the crops that we rely on to survive. There are a great many conservation practices uses to protect our natural resources. Modern farmers and ranchers plant cover crops, practice contour farming, and control brush to name a few.
Controlling invasive brush species is a constant battle that ranchers face every year. Two common invasive species, mesquite and prickly pear, reproduce and spread readily in the same environment. Ranchers are most often faced with trying to control both species. Because prickly pear is a low growing plant that can be easily hidden by the mesquite canopy and tall growing grasses, getting a good kill can be challenging. Understanding how it grows, the best chemical application method, and the optimum timing can increase good results.
Prickly pear can be a beneficial plant. It creates protective cover from predators for quail. White tail deer will also eat the fruit produced. When the plants start to take up over 10% canopy they can start causing a problem. Prickly pear creates competition for resources between it and the desired forage species for cattle. Treating prickly pear will increase forage production and the amount of grazable acres.
Prickly pear is most commonly spread by the detachment of pads. Each individual pad can reroot creating a prickly pear plant of its own during any time of the year. High winds, hard rains, animal disturbance, and mechanical treatment of mesquite are the most common ways pads can be spread. As mentioned above, the fruit produced by the plant are often eaten by animals. The seeds are spread by the droppings of white tail deer and other browsers.
Treating prickly pear with a chemical herbicide is the recommended method used to control the species. Corteva, a branch of Dow Agrisciences, has two chemicals that are most commonly used. Tordon 22K and Surmount can both be used in aerial application and for individual plant treatment. Both chemicals will not harm grasses and will suppress growth of weeds after the application.
It typically takes about two years for Surmount to completely kill the plant and three for Tordon. Corteva recently released a new chemical in 2019, Mezavue. It is more consistent, faster working, and has better long-term control. The key to getting a good kill of prickly pear is timing of the application, correct application rates, and making sure the chemical gets good contact with the plant. For aerial application, a good time of year to treat is typically in late fall or early spring. Mesquite leaves are typically not present which allows more of the chemical to get to the plant and these months typically bring rain. Getting some rainfall after application is needed to make sure the chemical is taken down into the roots. Some other beneficial practices that can aid in a good kill would be to graze tall forage before application or apply a prescribed burn to ensure obstruction by grass species will not be an issue.
The Mesquite tree is one of the most invasive tree species in Texas and is known for its extremely hard wood and the thorns which arm its branches. Although it provides food and cover for wildlife it is not a rancher's favorite tree. It fixes nitrogen in the soil, but is invasive, difficult to control, competes with desirable grasses, and the thorns can injure livestock. Besides chemical control, the mesquite tree can be mechanically grubbed with an excavator or bulldozer.
There are many other practices associated with the resource concerns in protecting our natural resources. Windbreak trees, grass seeding, brush management, effective livestock watering practices, fencing, and efficient irrigation methods are practices used to protect our natural resources. The Local Work Group is an important means to gather information on resource concerns of our local landowners.
Once again it is scheduled at 4pm on January 27th at the USDA Offices located at 302 W HWY Interstate 20. For more information please feel free to contact NRCS at 432-267-1871 extension 3.