If You Are Having Ant Problems, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas During a recent trip to a producer hay field I noticed several ant mounts in his field. If you are having ant problems, the first step is to identify the species. There are hundreds of ant species in the southern United States, including some...
Forage Grasses and How Best to Handle Them in Different Regions of Texas, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas Cool-season annual forage grasses are well adapted to most regions of Texas with soil texture generally the most important factor in adaptability of each species. The choice of therefore, is largely dependent on the producer’s management philosophy and livestock production needs. Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Texas...
How to Get the Biggest and Best Yields For Cattle, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas The beef industry in Texas is huge. As I was reporting on this during the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services Beef Cattle Short Course many topics presented during this event related to ranch profitability. Profitability is defined by Dr. Dan Posey, Extension Veterinarian as net return to owner’s equity;...
Prepping for Gardening in September and October, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas If you haven’t already done so, this is the time to begin sowing seeds for fall transplants. By starting now, you can have pansies, calendulas, Johnny-jump-ups, flowering cabbage, lettuce and othe cool season transplants ready to plant in the garden in September or early October. If starting your own...
Keep an Eye on the Herd Bull, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas Many seasoned ranchers are fully aware of the importance of the herd sire and the potential consequences of making a wrong sire selection. Bulls are an expensive, labor intensive part of the herd management. Because of its size, financial investment and impact on the herd offspring, many attributes (and drawn backs)...
Fall Armyworms: How to Spot Them and What to Do, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas Recent rainfall events have been a major problem this summer. As a result of this rainfall, fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda) are thriving across the northern, central and eastern portions of Texas. Below is some information on the biology of the pest, how to scout for them, and control options to mitigate...
Garden Checklist for July, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas Garden Checklist for July Trim off faded flowers on crape myrtles to encourage later re-bloom. The more modern hybrids of the old-fashioned Lagerstroemia indica and L. faureii have larger, more conspicuous panicles of flowers, but these often...
How Best to Handle Invasive Insects, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas Many insects can be managed without using pesticides, but this cultural control requires extra time and effort. It may also result in slight damage to your plants. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, some of the cultural methods you can use to prevent or control insect damage are: Keep weeds and grass...
Tips For Grilling Season, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas Fire up your grills! The official start of grilling season, is here! Whether grilling a quick, light and healthy, summer meal or hosting a savory cookout with friends and family, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. is kicking off grilling season by sharing tips for a flawless grilled meal! Consider your cut While classics,...
Soil Solarization: Take Advantage of Summer Heat, by Mario Villarino
Developed by Dr. Mario A. Villarino, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources Hopkins County, Texas Summer is already here and making a statement. Few days ago I was involved with the District 4 4-H horse show and the intensity of the summer heat was very noticeable both to riders and horses! We, the “ground crew” noticed it as well. Most of our gardens and crop field are fully planted and waiting to harvest or...
