August 24, 2022 Issue, Page 4 of 10

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4 - The Beckham County Record August 24,2022 SE Urban Grants Available from Oklahoma Forestry Services Farmer’s ‘irst National Bar: OKLAHOMA CITY - Urban and Com- munity Forestry Grants will be available by 5 p.m. November 18, 2022 to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, technical skills of those who plan, devel- op, and maintain trees in urban and com- Co-op & r Trust of Elk City to Oklahoma communities again this Food and Forestry in Oklahoma City. munity forests. A simple tree inventory year. The federal grants, administered by “Research and studies have proven can help communities recognize imme- ae Oklahoma Forestry Services, are intend- time and time again that trees help im- ed primarily to help communities and prove everything from personal health diate concerns about their trees, he said. non-profits develop local forestry plans, and quality of living issues, to boosting “It’s vital that rural communities and YES broaden urban forestry programs, and economic growth opportunities for pri- provide training opportunities. vate homes and local business and busi- metropolitan areas take a progressive approach to caring for their trees. If we ‘The Urban and Community Forestry FINANCE ness districts,” said Mark Bays, Oklaho- don’t plan for the future, we stand to lose Grants are available to non-profit orga- ma Urban Forestry Coordinator. “They these valuable assets in our hometowns,” nizations, local government agencies, help solve tough environmental prob- Bays said. educational institutions, and civic or lems commonly found in communities. Successful grant recipients should be neighborhood associations. They range ‘The bottom line is healthy trees translate Farm Credit TERRY'S FURNITURE into healthy communities and healthy notified before January 1, 2023 and will from $1,000 to $10,000. Recipients are lives,” have one year to complete their projects WESTERN OKLAHOMA required to provide matching funds in SHOWROOM Communities that have participat- once started. ol SOVTHMA cash, donations or in-kind contributions ed in the urban forestry grants program and services. Grant applications are available on have developed a better understanding BUKCIY OLAHOMA Applications for Urban and Commu- nity Forestry Grants must be submitted of the value of the services trees provide. We have also been able to enhance the the Oklahoma Forestry Services website or by contacting OFS. STATE FARM Farmers face uncertainty with summer crops INSURANCE ® ton said. “But in saying that, the inherent risk is you don’t can count on a regrowth.” Rocateli said it does not tential of making some yields. However, a lot of cotton Lisa Prentiss know when it will freeze for make sense for producers to acreage has burned up in the the first time.” cut a high stand of 6 inches or drought. f producers wait too long above because the parts of the “There's no question that to give their crops the oppor- plant that will be left in the the amount of cotton we pro- tunity to mature, they could field are deteriorating, and Weekly duce in this area will be down new leaves are not growing. from previous years,” Strick- Weather lose the crops anyway in an early frost. “Make sure you have min- land said. “There have been “We're behind on soybeans. imal trampling if you opt to pockets where producers have We should be filling pods vig- graze a drought/dormant been able to irrigate that may ‘Thursday 87/63 Alot of Oklahoma corn crops are being repurposed for orously by now, and a major- alfalfa stand as a last forage have average harvests, but animal feed due to the drought causing crop failure. Yield ity of people I've heard from resort,” he warned. “Do not even with irrigation, tem- Sunny are saying the pods are set, graze lower than 6 inches to peratures have been so high is predicted to be lower than usual for most Oklahoma but the seeds and pods are keep a minimum amount of during the day and evening 6% precipitation summer crops. (Photo by Todd Johnson, OSU Agricultural Communications Services) very small or don’t seem to leaves there for the alfalfa hours, even irrigated fields be growing. That’s a concern,” to continue doing minimal have suffered.” Lofton said. “Making hay out photosynthesis to resist the Strickland advised that pro- Friday 88/65 By Alisa Boswell-Gore A lot of Oklahoma corn, es- of soybeans may be more drought.” pecially dryland corn outside ducers considering planting Sunny worth it to a grower than risk- Rocateli said the alfalfa wheat in a field with a failed STILLWATER - Harvest the Panhandle region, has ing waiting to see if their soy- growing season is only half- cotton crop should take soil is approaching for Oklaho- been repurposed for animal 5% precipitation beans will mature.” way complete right now, so samples. He said most of ma summer crops, and fields feed. Alfalfa the drought does not mean are either looking really good “Hay and animal feed stocks Alex Rocateli, OSU Exten- producers won't get any more these fields will have nutri- or really bad with no middle are low, so it’s good to have sion forage systems specialist, forage from the crops. ents available from the fer- Saturday 89/67 ground, according to Oklaho- something, especially for folks said this is the hottest and dri- “We just need to hope for tilizer applied to the cotton Partly Cloudy ma State University Extension who have cattle. It’s just un- est year he has experienced in because of the crops’ limited more rain and wait for four crop specialists. fortunate we are having to sac- his seven years in Oklahoma. growth. This can help save weeks after rain, and alfal- 19% precipitation Overall yields for crops, rifice corn crops to get that,” Right now, alfalfa crops are fa could really catch up with significantly on the fall wheat such as corn, soybeans, milo Lofton said. “I know more going into dormancy, mean- growth. You could have at crop budget. and cotton, are projected to be people not taking corn to yield “Of course, the other side lower statewide. than previous years. We might ing the plant is not growing least two cuts this season,” he to that thought is that we Sunday 89/68 “Even the crops that look anymore and is flowering. said. have a short harvest season “If you see your alfalfa Learn about the cost of bail- still need rain to start plant- Mostly Cloudy good probably don’t look as due to the total number of has been stunted, flowered ing summer crops at SUNUP ing winter wheat,” Strickland good as they normally do,” acres being taken for grain be- and has less than 6 inches of TV. said. 24% precipitation said Josh Lofton, OSU Exten- ing significantly down.” growth, do nothing. Just let Cotton Josh Bushong, northwest sion specialist for cropping Milo and Soybeans it be,” Rocateli said. “As soon With lake water not being Extension agronomy special- systems. “We always have this ‘The story for milo and soy- as the rainfall returns, new released to Lugert-Altus ir- ist, said with many producers Monday 89/67 heat in July, but this has been beans is much the same. growth is going to come from turning failed summer crops along period to be at over 100 “Crops like soybeans are the bottom part of the plant.” rigation district producers in southwest Oklahoma this into hay, they need to test the Partly Cloudy degrees and expect crops to be very indeterminate, so just When the new plant’s summer, yields are likely to hay’s nitrate levels. Producers 24% precipitation able to come out of it positive- as easily as it can look bad, growth reaches about 10% be low or fail with typically can work with their OSU Ex- ly on the back end” we can get a good rainfall and bloom, producers can consid- irrigated and dryland cotton, tension county offices to have Corn some cooler temperatures, er harvesting. according to Gary Strickland, hay samples tested through For corn fields, Lofton said and it can still finish out,” Lof- the Soil, Water and Forage Tuesday 34/66 “On the other hand, some Jackson County director the biggest problem with the ton said. producers started to expe- and Southwest Research and Analytical Laboratory. Slight Chance Of Storms heat wave was pollination. He cautioned producers on rience drought when alfalfa Extension Center regional OSU Extension uses re- “Some of the corn in the haying out crops too soon but was in advanced vegetative agronomist. search-based information to 34% precipitation state tasseled right before this also with waiting too long. help all Oklahomans solve big heat wave, and that corn is “Don’t pull the trigger on growth, meaning it had high Strickland said some cot- plant stands and was close to ton on the eastern side of local issues and concerns, pro- probably okay, but some corn haying out a crop, especially flowering,” he said. “In these the southwestern region and mote leadership and manage Wednesday 84/64 tasseled during this heat wave, soybeans, before you are sure circumstances, I would say let some under center pivot and resources wisely throughout and that has left us with whole that most of the bulk yield has the plant get at least halfway drip irrigation systems where the state’s 77 counties. Most Partly Cloudsy cobs of corn that have very been lost because soybeans bloomed, preferably 100% water is supplied by a well are information is available at lit- few kernels on them,” he said. can still surprise you,” Lof- 24% precipitation bloomed. That way, producers faring better and have the po- tle to no cost. Oklahoma water center aims to conserve water through cover crops ByAlisa Boswell-Gore no till farming and grazing of cover crops effect perform in a semi-arid environment with less ers found during the first three runoff events soil health, soil carbon, nutrient cycling, green- rainfall and determine the barriers to adop- that there was three times higher water runoff STILLWATER - The Oklahoma Water Re- house gases emissions, and water quality and tion. amounts from the sites without cover crop ver- sources Center at Oklahoma State University quantity. The field research findings will then sus the sites that had an actively growing cover “The focus of this research is cotton as an is teaming up with Texas A&M University fora be used to develop river basin scale models to essential cash crop for southwestern Oklaho- crop in place. $1.7 million project to study the benefits of re- evaluate the effects of regenerative agricultural ma,” Wagner said. “Although cotton provides A new Extension Soil Stewardship Program generative agriculture in Oklahoma and Texas. practices at a regional scale. Output from these certain advantages over corn, such as higher is also being developed to educate producers “The water center's involvement was sparked models will be integrated with economic mod- tolerance for salinity and lower need for mois- on soil management and the research findings from discussions on how implementing soil els to show the potential economic impacts on ture and irrigation, it also has disadvantages, from the project. health practices would help achieve Oklaho- individual producers and surrounding commu- such as leaving very little cover for the soil af- “Producer concerns are always a top priori- ma’s Water for 2060 goal of consuming no nities. ter harvest.” ty in our research. It is part of the land-grant more fresh water in 2060 than was consumed Although cover crops have been heavily re- ‘The field research kicked off in the spring of mission to extend our research knowledge to in 2010,” said Kevin Wagner, OWRC director. searched in midwestern states, less research 2022 with the installation of 12 water flumes the public to help improve the lives of Okla- “There is evidence that practices to improve has been done in the drier environment of the (water collecting devices) at the Southwest Re- homans,” Wagner said. “We envision this re- soil health will also help reach this goal, but Southern Plains, according to Wagner, who search and Extension Center near Altus. The search being delivered to agricultural produc- there is a need for more research in the South- said part of the project will be studying using flumes collect runoff water samples during rain ers to provide them with the information they wheat as a cover crop for cotton in the Oklaho- events to study the effects of soil health prac- need to assess how integration of regenerative ma panhandle and southwestern regions. Re- tices on nutrients, E. coli, and sediment in the ag practices may benefit their farm and oper- eae preliminary results, research- ation.”