Where Can I Find Information About Bermudagrass in North Carolina?

So you want to put in some bermudagrass for warm season grazing or haying.

Here are a few quick facts about bermudagrass:

• Bermudagrass is a warm season perennial that can be seeded or sprigged.

• There are many varieties, sprigged and seeded, that are appropriate for forage systems.

• Bermudagrass grows well in sandy soils, can tolerate drought and heat, and can produce high yields under favorable conditions, growing in southeastern North Carolina about six months out of the year under most conditions. Bermudagrass requires well-drained soils and in general can tolerate close grazing.

• Producers can extend the growing season by overseeding a winter annual such as ryegrass into their bermudagrass for 10-12 months of forage. It is imperative that this overseeded crop be removed in a timely manner to allow bermudagrass to green up in the spring.

• Bermudagrass requires good fertilization and favorable pH, so soil tests are recommended to accurately determine crop needs. It is best to apply fertilizer in split applications since bermuda will need fertilization over a period of months.

• When seeding bermudagrass, it is critical that seed not be planted too deep. Seeds should be set at ¼ inch deep. Sometimes it is helpful to prepare the seedbed, cultipack the seedbed, broadcast seed, and cultipack once more, particularly in loose, sandy soils. Seed can also be drilled but care must be taken to ensure seed is not set too deep.

• When sprigging, sprigs should be planted at least two inches deep. A pre-emergent herbicide, Diuron, is labeled for newly sprigged bermuda. Follow label instructions before using any pesticide.

• Weed control will be important even after the first year of establishment since bermudagrass does not tolerate shading.

• Bermudagrass is capable of rooting at the nodes on the stem, which makes it able to run and cover areas of a field.

• Bermudagrass has average crude protein content but can be relatively high, some studies show 14%, at good nitrogen fertilization levels. Comparable forages nutritionally can include bahiagrass and crabgrass. Most bermudagrass is adequate for most production types of animals, particularly those without a high energy or protein requirement such as dry cows.

• Bermudagrass does not have numerous pest or disease problems but some that can be a problem for yield and quality include fall armyworms, leaf spot (a fungal disease), some types of nematodes, and weeds. Most of the solutions are cultural practices such as frequent mowing, irrigation timing, and avoiding sites that are not well-drained. A number of insecticides are labeled for fall armyworms to reduce yield losses and a number of herbicides are labeled for different weeds to reduce competition. Some livestock will not graze some weeds, which may lead to shading on bermuda. For nematodes (if you have a proper diagnosis), you will have to rotate crops or irrigate, fertilize and possibly lime bermuda more diligently to strengthen the root system since nematicides are not labeled on bermuda forages.

For more information, contact your local extension agent and see the publication “Bermudagrass Production in North Carolina” as a reference (scroll down to “More News” and “Learn more using the resources below")

The use of brand names in this publication does not imply endorsement of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

Ticks Control for Horses

Although today is fairly cool (by May standards), summer is just around the corner.  With those warm temperatures, ticks are certain to rear their ugly head.  Actually, they’re already out there as I have pulled a couple off of my dogs.  Now is the time to start thinking about how to protect your horses from those pesky insects.  There are measures that can be used to reduce tick infestations around your property in order to protect you and your family (2-legged and 4-legged).

Keeping the pasture mowed short will cause the eggs to desiccate and reduce the numbers in the long run.  The problem is the deer and wild animals that move from the wooded area into the pasture bring the ticks with them and re-infest the pasture.  Some people have had success with creating a chemical barrier between the woodlot and the pasture by spraying insecticide in the buffer zone.  Texas A&M has a pretty good Tick App that is more general for livestock, humans and pets.  http://tickapp.tamu.edu/control.php

Another option is to look at seeding pastures down with nematodes that would eat flea and tick larvae.  You will not see immediate results but will notice a difference in 3-9 months down the road.

Web address is: http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/pest-solver-guide-fleas-ticks/26

Another option is to use Pyranha products found on the following URL:  http://www.pyranhainc.com/products_horse_care.html  They have both oil and water based products, all of which are labeled for tick control.  One word of advice - if using the aerosol, do not spray in such a way that the horse can inhale it.

If you have dogs and cats that move around the pasture, you should consider treating them for ticks in some way.  If not, they could bring ticks into the areas you have treated negating your efforts.  There are lots of options available to treat these critters, you should choose the one you feel most comfortable with. 

Here is an additional article from the University of Kentucky:  http://pest.ca.uky.edu/EXT/Recs/ENT513-Horses.pdf

The North Carolina Chemical Manual section on insect control is found here:  http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/21240.pdf  Page 136 is where the horse section is located. 

Beware of Poisonous Trees in Pastures

With all the unsettled weather we have had lately, a word or two of caution may be in order regarding protecting horses from potentially poisonous plants they may encounter after a storm, particularly a storm that blows trees down. Wild Cherry and Red Maple trees are common across the southeastern United States, growing naturally in forested areas and along fence rows.  Most of the time, these trees provide a lot of shade, for which our horses are grateful during the hot summer months.  However, if a Cherry or a Red Maple tree gets blown down during a storm, suddenly the our horses are served a new dish of leaves that they find pretty tasty.  In this case, though, those tasty leaves are also pretty deadly. 

Cherry tree leaves, seeds, and buds contain cyanogenic glycoside and amygdalin.  Wilted wild cherry tree leaves, like those on a blown-down tree or broken limb, are highly toxic and can kill horses if they eat the parts of the tree that contain the poison.  The cyanide potential is greatest three to four days after branches have been broken off or blown down. Horses can show signs within an hour of eating wilted leaves. Clinical signs include severe respiratory distress, even sudden death.  Dry leaves are not hazardous to horses.

Red Maple leaves cause a significant breakdown of red blood cells when too many are eaten.  Treatment is extremely difficult, expensive, and largely unsuccessful. Horses will eat leaves from trees or branches that get blown down, or will eat wilting leaves that fall into or get blown into the pasture.  Clinical signs, which include weakness, depression, increased heart and respiratory rates, dark red urine, yellow colored mucus membranes, occur one to three days following ingestion of leaves or bark. The breakdown of red blood cells is a cause of death.

Consider the formula of lots of rainfall = looser soil around the tree roots.  Add in high wind velocities, and conditions are right for trees to get blown down.  Just be aware and check pastures next to wooded areas to make sure that there are no trees blown down.  If there are, don’t let the horses near until it has been verified that the blown down tree(s) are not Wild Cherry or Red Maple.  By the way, in addition to removing blown-down trees, be sure to bring along the fence-mending tools.  Trees that get blown down during a storm almost always fall across a fence.

Dr. Richard Mansmann of the NCSU College if Veterinary Medicine has a paper titled “Stupid Trees to Have Around Horses” that folks may want to take a look at for more information.

Red Maple Leaves in their Fall Color

Wild Cherry in Bloom.

Embryo Transfer

Embryo Transfer? What is it? Why would I want to do it? How much is it going to cost me?

All great questions that can be considered in a horse breeding program. Basically embryo transfer is the transfer of an equine embryo from one mare to another. Most often it is considered in the case of a valuable but not breeding viable mare, meaning the mare for whatever reason can’t carry a foal to term. There are a wide variety of reasons a mare can’t carry to term such as age or physical condition. It can also be used to have more than one foal for a given mare or to be able to continue the show career of a mare and yet start her breeding career at the same time.  Most breed associations now allow registrations of multiple foals, with the exception of the Jockey Club for Thoroughbreds. Most of this information has come from Colorado State University.

The donor mare’s job is to conceive. The mare is bred either by natural cover or by artificial insemination there by conceiving an embryo. Most mares have an estrous cycle of 21 to 22 days, with the cycle beginning on the day of ovulation. Hormonal changes determine the cycle.  Keeping records on your mare’s estrus cycle will greatly help with the breeding of the mare, and may actually help cut down on costs. Timing is crucial for successful embryo transfer and ultrasound scanning is used to determine which stage the mare is in the cycle. Each ultrasound adds to the cost and if you know the approximate stage of the cycle you may be able to eliminate additional tests.

Colorado State University's Dirk Vanderwall, DVM, PhD, said, "We base all the procedures on the day the mare ovulated, as the age of the embryo is based on the day ovulation occurred, or Day Zero." When a mare conceives, the embryo first develops in the oviduct, then enters the uterus from 5 to 6 days after ovulation. Day 6 is the earliest date for embryo collection, when the embryo has most likely entered the uterine horn. At this date, the embryo is called a morula.

The collection process is non-surgical, performed by flushing the embryo from the uterine lumen. CSU technicians generally perform the uterine flush on Day 7. "We use a container full of a sterile salt solution, with some protein added," said Vanderwall. "We place a catheter through the vagina and through the cervix, and an inflatable cuff on the catheter provides a fluid-tight seal. The solution passes down through a tubing system into the uterine lumen.

"As the fluid swirls throughout the lumen and drains back out through gravity, it collects the embryo, which is swept back out. The fluid and embryo pass out through the tubing system, into and through an embryonic filter." The filter traps the embryo, and a technician examines the filter under a stereo dissection microscope. When the embryo is identified, it is removed into a more enriched medium until the time of transfer. At this point the embryo is about the size of a dust particle.

The surrogate or recipient dam must be ready to accept the embryo--her estrous cycle needs to be synchronized with the donor mare's cycle. The surrogate ovulates either one day prior, the same day, or one to three days after the donor mare. Colorado State University acquires and maintains a substantial number of recipient mares, certified through their age (three to 12) and a thorough reproductive examination. Their estrous cycles are recorded to match them with expected donor mares. If the cycles don't match, the laboratory uses hormonal therapy to synchronize ovulation.

Colorado State University transfers embryos using both surgical and non-surgical methods, with the surgical method resulting in higher pregnancy rates. Veterinarians perform a standing surgical process with the tranquilized surrogate mare standing in stocks. Under sterile conditions, the surgeon makes an incision in the recipient's flank, locates the uterus, and exteriorizes the uterine horn. The first pregnancy check on the recipient mare is day 11 of gestation (4 days after the transfer) and a definitive positive or negative is known by day 16 of gestation (9 days after transfer). If the mare is not pregnant the process must be repeated.

The transfer can either be done onsite or by shipping. For the onsite method you would have your mare at the transfer facility to be bred and flushed. For the shipped method you would have your mare at a breeding facility to be bred and then flushed having the embryo shipped to the transfer facility to be received by the recipient mare. Many transfer facilities maintain their own recipient mare herd, tracking their cycles, but you can provide your own recipient mare.

Size of the recipient mare compared to the embryo-donating mare is a consideration for choosing the recipient. Undergrowth or overgrowth of the fetus in utero may be maintained into maturity. Retarded growth within a smaller mare's uterus may present as physical and behavioral immaturity at birth. It can also delay a foal's time to stand and suckle.

The costs of each procedure should be stated when making the agreement for service, however the number of times each procedure has to be performed may vary for each mare making the costs of getting a foal by this method variable. The average costs of the procedures including lease of the recipient mare is about $5,000.00. This doesn't include any stallion fees, the transportation of the mares to and from the facility, and most recipient mare providers expect the mare to be returned within 6 months after foaling.

Obviously, embryo transfer is not for the average horse or horse owner, but if you find yourself in need of the service and blessed with the funds to make it happen, it is possible. The percentages of success are higher with younger mares, decreasing steadily with each passing year of a mare’s life. The rates of success for the facility you choose should definitely be a consideration when picking your location. Generally, if all parties considered (mare, stallion and recipient mare) in the breeding were at the same facility.

Anne Wicke is a Sampson County resident and NC Cooperative Extension certified REINS volunteer.  She is employed at Carroll’s Cutting Horses, a premier breeding operation located in Turkey, North Carolina.