NMSU Cooperative Extension Service assists with pecan weevil identification, education

NMSU Cooperative Extension Service assists with pecan weevil identification, education DATE: 04/11/2017 WRITER: Kristie Garcia, 575-646-4211, kmgarcia@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Jane Pierce, 575-748-1228, japierce@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Carol Sutherland , 575-646-1132, csutherl@nmda.nmsu.edu The New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service is working with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to identify pecan weevil – and pecan weevil damaged nuts – and to educate the public in eastern New Mexico, where the pest has affected some pecan trees in residential areas and commercial orchards. NMSU Extension Plant Sciences Entomologists Jane Pierce and Carol Sutherland, along with NMSU county Extension agents, have been very involved in identification of pecan weevils and weevil larvae damage to nuts. NMSU Extension specialists and staff have also developed and disseminated educational material and have assisted with on-site visits. A fact sheet titled “Pecan Weevil: Wanted DEAD, Not Alive” is available on the NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences website at http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR683.pdf. The fact sheet describes pecan weevil, its life cycle and the many problems it creates for New Mexico pecan producers, from backyard to large-scale commercial growers. While pecan weevil adults will not emerge from the soil until later in the summer, people who suspect pecan weevil in their pecan trees should contact their local county CES office: - Eddy County: Woods Houghton, 575-887-6595, whoughto@nmsu.edu - Lea County: Wayne Cox, 575-396-2819, hwcox@nmsu.edu - Chaves County: Sandra Barraza 575-622-3210, sbarraza@nmsu.edu - Curry County: Patrick Kircher (Roosevelt CES) 575-356-4417, pkircher@nmsu.edu CES agents will continue to take calls from both the public and pecan producers in their counties and have disseminated information about this economically significant pest. The agents will continue to do this for the next several years as the pecan weevil infestation eventually is eradicated by NMDA. NMSU Extension specialists and staff have worked closely with the NMDA to develop quarantine guidelines and to provide basic information about the pest (http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/21.17.36-NMAC-3.27.2017-AMENDED.pdf). If this information does not answer your questions, please call your CES office listed above, as your agent is aware of the situation in your respective county. Sutherland is responsible for confirming the presence or evidence of pecan weevil in nut samples submitted to CES agents, as well as those collected by NMDA inspectors from the public and commercial orchards in those communities affected by the quarantine. Pierce is based at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Artesia and was able to make site visits to some of the affected areas, and she worked closely with the NMDA inspector responsible for the affected counties. The Agricultural Science Center at Artesia produced a poster used by Extension agents and NMDA to help the public identify this pest. Pierce is also developing a research program based out of the Agricultural Science Center at Artesia to support eradication and control efforts. Everyone involved responded quickly and shared their findings, permitting rapid and targeted response to this serious problem. Sutherland said now that it is April, the 2016 crop should be long gone. “The 2016 nut crop should be cracked and cleaned, frozen or consumed by now,” she said. “Pecan weevil adults emerge from deep in the soil mid-to-late summer but are not easily noticed, being very shy and well-camouflaged. If anyone in the public or the pecan industry thinks they see an adult pecan weevil this coming summer, capture it intact and immediately submit it to your county agent for confirmation.” Sutherland also said the public will be more likely to see damaged nuts or possibly larvae. “Pecan weevil larvae – creamy white, multi-segmented, legless creatures with reddish brown head capsules – won’t be seen again until the 2017 crop of pecan nuts is mature and ready for harvest,” she said. “Mature pecan weevil larvae will bore a BB-size hole through the woody shell prior to their escape. If the public, pecan producers or nut processors see anything out of the ordinary in their 2017 crop – a large snout beetle, a white legless grub inside a nut or a BB-sized emergence hold in the nut shuck or shell – they should collect and freeze this evidence immediately and report it to their county Extension agent.” Pierce said while there have been surveys to detect pecan weevil this past season, some infestations may have gone undetected, particularly in residential areas. “The weevil can only be eradicated if infested trees are identified,” she said. “To help in this effort, growers and homeowners are encouraged to be vigilant about examining nuts as they are harvested this fall.” Sutherland made it clear that nobody involved wants to have that threat of infestation – or establishment – in New Mexico at all. “Pecan weevil is not known to be established in New Mexico, and we want to keep it that way,” she said. “Prompt and aggressive response to this invasive creature is of paramount importance to our state’s pecan industry. A team approach involving producers at all levels, regulatory personnel from New Mexico Department of Agriculture and expertise from Cooperative Extension Service faculty is essential for getting the problem under control, plus planning and execution of eradication measures.” Pierce agreed. “It’s very worrisome,” she said. “Growers are well aware of the problem, but most homeowners haven’t heard about pecan weevil at all and don’t understand the importance of not moving unshelled pecans from their quarantined areas. People love to share nuts with friends and relatives who sometimes throw the bad nuts in the backyard for birds to eat, not understanding that this could spread pecan weevil into their backyard trees.” - 30 - Follow NMSU News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nmsunews Follow NMSU News on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NMSUNews

Guide A-152: Reducing Tillage in Arid and Semi-arid Cropping Systems

The following new CES publication is now available online in PDF format. Guide A-152: Reducing Tillage in Arid and Semi-arid Cropping Systems: An Overview John Idowu (Extension Agronomist, Dept. of Extension Plant Sciences) Sangu Angadi (Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Plant and Environmental Sciences) Murali Darapuneni (Asst. Professor, Agricultural Science Center at Tucumcari) Rajan Ghimire (Asst. Professor, Agricultural Science Center at Clovis) http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_a/A152.pdf

Managing Risk and Thinking Ahead

Managing Risk and Thinking Ahead If there is interest in Eddy County you can ride with us but call and let me know ASAP. Join agricultural producers and professionals for an interactive workshop discussing current and future challenges facing agricultural production in the Southern High Plains of New Mexico and West Texas. Representatives from the National Drought Mitigation Center, NOAA, NMSU, and the USDA will be presenting on weather- and climate-related challenges along with resources and research that support producer decision-making and risk mitigation. Workshop topics will include short- and medium-range weather forecasts, historical climate trends, local monitoring activities, drought tools, drought early warning resources, and USDA programs. Climate Outlook Forum Managing Risk and Thinking Ahead Date: April 26th, 2017: 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Location: Indoor Pavilion, Curry County Fairgrounds, Clovis, NM Register online: https://swclimatehub.info/content/registration Register by Date: April 26th, 2017: 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Location: Indoor Pavilion, Curry County Fairgrounds, Clovis, NM Register online: https://swclimatehub.info/content/registration Register by phone: Caiti Steele: tel. 575-646-4144, email. caiti@nmsu.edu Limited travel support available for agricultural producers and Extension - Enquire early! Lunch, coffee and snacks provided Please register to secure your seat!

USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing in Response to President Trump's Directive

USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing in Response to President Trump's Directive 04/04/2017 12:30 PM EDT WASHINGTON, April 4, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), acting in response to a directive from President Donald J. Trump, today authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands located in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas – the three states which were most heavily impacted by ongoing wildfires which began on March 6, 2017. USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael L. Young issued a memorandum authorizing the emergency grazing of cattle by ranchers, who are facing the ruination of their herds due to lack of sufficient grazing land. The authorization is pursuant to appropriate restrictions and conservation measures, which can be found in the Acting Deputy Secretary’s memorandum. Release No. 0028.17 Contact: Wayne Maloney FSA: (202)720-6107 USDA Authorizes Emergency Grazing in Response to President Trump’s Directive WASHINGTON, April 4, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), acting in response to a directive from President Donald J. Trump, today authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands located in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas – the three states which were most heavily impacted by ongoing wildfires which began on March 6, 2017. USDA Acting Deputy Secretary Michael L. Young issued a memorandum authorizing the emergency grazing of cattle by ranchers, who are facing the ruination of their herds due to lack of sufficient grazing land. The authorization is pursuant to appropriate restrictions and conservation measures, which can be found in the Acting Deputy Secretary’s memorandum. “Ranchers are facing devastating conditions and economic calamity because of these wildfires and they need some relief, or else they face the total loss of their herds in many cases,” said Acting Deputy Secretary Young. “These measures will allow them to salvage what remains of their cattle and return to the important business of feeding Americans and the rest of the world. I commend and thank President Trump for acting decisively in response to this dire situation.” The USDA action is required to direct the Farm Service Agency to permit the grazing on lands covered by the CRP, which exists to conserve and improve wildlife resources. In this case, the grazing will overlap with the primary nesting season of the lesser prairie chicken. CRP has procedures in place, already developed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to permit emergency grazing on protected lands during nesting season. Lesser prairie chicken nesting season runs in Texas from March 1 to June 1, in Kansas from April 15 to July 15, and in Oklahoma from May 1 to July 1. Ranchers and farmers are only now able to begin to estimate losses, since the fires are still burning in some places and access to the lands to survey the damage has been limited. Damages in the states are expected to grow, but are now estimated as follows: Kansas • Counties affected include Clark, Comanche, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Hodgeman, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Meade, Ness, Russell, and Seward. • An estimated 630,000 acres burned, primarily pasturelands. • Estimated livestock loss: between 3,000 and 9,000 head of cattle. • Large volumes of hay and feed destroyed. • Estimated cost of fencing destroyed exceeds $36 million. Oklahoma • Counties affected include Beaver, Ellis, Harper, Roger Mills, Woodward, and Woods. • An estimated 389,533 acres burned. • Estimated livestock loss: 3,000 head of cattle. • An estimated cost of structure loss of $2 million. • Estimated cost of fencing destroyed exceeds $22 million. Texas • Counties affected include Armstrong, Carson, Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Hansford, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, and Wheeler. • An estimated 550,000 acres burned, affecting 346 farms and ranches. • Estimated livestock loss: at least 3,000 cattle and 1,900 swine. • Thousands of miles of fences expected to be a total loss, but so far unable to be surveyed. The Acting Deputy Secretary’s memorandum can be found on the USDA website (PDF, 387 KB).

The following new CES publication is now available online in PDF format

The following new CES publication is now available online in PDF format. Circular 684: Sheep Breeds Best Suited for Arid Climates Marcy Ward (Extension Livestock Specialist, Dept. of Ext. Animal Sciences & Natural Resources) http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR684.pdf

NIFA Announces $2.4 Million to Relieve Veterinary Shortages

I could not get into Veterinary school in 1982. NIFA Announces $2.4 Million to Relieve Veterinary Shortages Media contact: Scott Elliott, 202-720-7185 WASHINGTON, D.C. April 3, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced $2.4 million in available funding to relieve veterinarian shortage situations and support veterinary services. Funding is made through NIFA’s Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “Veterinarians play significant roles in assuring animal health and wellbeing, food safety and security, public health, and producer profitability, especially in rural areas of the country where most livestock production occurs,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “VSGP supports education and extension activities that will help veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technician students gain specialized skills and provide practices with additional resources." The Veterinary Services Grant Program supports development, implementation, and sustainability of veterinary services to relieve veterinarian shortage situations in the United States and insular areas. Grants will be made available on a competitive basis to: • Establish or expand accredited veterinary education programs, veterinary residency and fellowship programs, or veterinary internship and externship programs carried out in coordination with accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. • Provide continuing education and extension, including veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based education, for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other health professionals needed to strengthen veterinary programs and enhance food safety. • Cover travel and living expenses of veterinary students, veterinary interns, externs, fellows, and residents, and veterinary technician students attending training programs in food safety or food animal medicine. Eligible applicants for education, extension and training programs include: state, national, allied or regional veterinary organization or specialty board recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association; college or school of veterinary medicine accredited by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges; university research foundation or veterinary medical foundation; department of veterinary science or department of comparative medicine accredited by the Department of Education; state agricultural experiment station; or state, local or tribal government agency. Eligible applicants for rural practice enhancement programs include for-profit or nonprofit entities or individuals operating veterinary clinics in rural areas and veterinarian shortage areas as specified in the request for applications. The deadline for applications is May 19, 2017. See the request for applications for details. In 2016, the first year NIFA implemented VSGP, the agency awarded $2.3 million to support rural veterinary services in 11 states. Among them, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners in Opelika, Alabama will offer a two-year intensive training program to help practitioners manage and grow their business. Utah State University will offer workshops, technical training, and mentorship to strengthen the diagnostic skills of early career rural practitioners. NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education and extension and promotes transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. NIFA support for the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel has resulted in user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries that combat childhood obesity, improve and sustain rural economic growth, address water availability issues, increase food production, find new sources of energy, mitigate climate variability and ensure food safety. To learn more about NIFA’s impact on agricultural science, visit www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts, sign up for email updates or follow us on Twitter @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAimpacts. # USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider and employer.

Bat Bugs

BUGS My master’s degree is in medical and veterinary entomology, so when I get a chance to write about an odd happening in this field. I recently had a citizen who had a bat get into their house and roosted above her bed unfortunately and it took her a couple of day to get this unwanted houseguest removed and released to a place where both were much happier. After a few days, she had bites on her. She captured a few insects on tape that resembled bed bugs, brought these insect in for identification, and related her story about the bat. Breaking out the microscope and key to the cimex genera, I identified these as bat bugs, which to a Medical Veterinary Entomologist is extremely interesting, having been in NM my entire life and Eddy County for about 27 years I have never come across these before. The family Cimicidiae are blood-sucking insects that feed on birds and/or mammals. There are five member of this family present in New Mexico the notorious bed bug (Cimex lectularius) along with a close cousin the Bat bug (Cimex pilosellus), Swallow bug (Oeciacus vicarious), Poultry bug (Hamatoisphon inodorus) and Wood pecker bug (Hesperocimex coloradensis) which is mostly on the Colorado border on wood peckers and owls. In this article I am only talking about the bat bug (Cimex pilosellus), but some of this information can be applied to all. Prior to increase in bed bug, the bat bug was the most common bug found in homes in Colorado, according to Extension Entomologist with CSU. Bat bugs develop in colonies of roosting bats, which sometime occur in attics or behind walls of buildings. Bat bugs may move into human living areas and incidentally bite people. This happen more often after the bats either migrate or are removed from a roosting area. However, these insects are host specific and in the absences of a bat host, they cannot sustain and reproduce. They usually die out within a few weeks without the bat host, unlike its cousin the bed bug that does quite well on humans. The bites are however itchy and unpleasant but there are no known pathogens that are transmitted or vectored by the bed bugs or bat bug. Control of bat bugs focus on management on the roosting bats that are the original source of the insect. Removal and exclusion of the bats will prevent future infestations as the bat bugs will ultimately die –out in the absence of their bat hosts. However, like this citizen the problem may temporarily increase as the existing bat bugs migrate in search of new hosts. Any method of sealing off the area of bat roosting and human leaving space is useful to prevent these insects quest. If all ready in the human living space, the same treatment for bed bugs will help eliminate this temporary problem. Subscribe to Eddy County Ag news at: http://nmsueddyag.blogspot.com/ Eddy County Extension Service, New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating