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AND ANCH Q u l l e t in Vol. 15, No. 6 June 15, 1960 C R O S S B R E E D IN G BEEF C A TT LE Crossbreeding produces beef calves that are heavier at weaning time, grade high as slaugh ter calves, and gain rapidly on feed and pasture, according to scientists with the Animal Industry Department of the Louisiana Agricultural Ex periment Station. calves at weaning time, either as feeders or as slaughter animals, and want the calves to weigh heavy and grade high. Cattlemen on a feeder calf program look first for “weight without wait”— the ability of calves to put on as much weight as possible at early ages. Live grade, to gether with estimated yield, determines the price per pound of the animals. Therefore, ranchers and feed-lot operators want cattle that not only gain rapidly but also have sufficient conforma tion, quality, and finish to grade high. In recent years, cattlemen in the Gulf Coast region have crossed Brahman cattle with Euro pean beef breeds to obtain adaptation to heat and humidity and resistance to external para sites and tick-borne diseases. Except in this area, planned crossbreeding of beef cattle has In the Louisiana study, calves raised by Bran been limited by difficulties in herd segregation gus cows were substantially heavier than those and management. raised by the other three breeds. The Brahman In 1952 the Louisiana Agricultural Experi cows weaned calves at much heavier weights ment Station began an extensive beef cattle than did Angus and Hereford cows. Thus, the crossbreeding project to determine whether value of Brahman breeding (either purebred or there might be additional benefits from cross crossbred) for superior mothering ability under breeding. Several different breeds and crosses southeastern conditions is clearly indicated. were evaluated under similar managerial and Charolaise and Hereford bulls sired calves environmental conditions. which were considerably heavier at weaning Bulls of six breeds— Angus, Brahman, Bran- time than those sired by bulls of the other four gus, Charolaise, Hereford, and Shorthorn— breeds. Weaning weights of calves sired by were mated to Angus, Brahman, Brangus, and Shorthorn, Brahman, and Brangus bulls were Hereford cows, thereby producing 24 different about the same, while those of calves sired by kinds of cattle. Five first-cross calf crops were Angus bulls were considerably below the 421produced, and comparisons were made on the pound average for the group. basis of weaning weights, slaughter calf grades, Grades of calves at weaning time corre performance of steers on pasture, and carcass sponded closely with weaning weight, especially merit of steers. according to breeding of the dam. This fact in The needs of cattlemen with cow and calf dicates the importance of maternal influence programs or with feeder calf operations were and suggests that careful attention be given to kept in mind when evaluating the results of the the genetic background of cows which are to be study. Southeastern cattlemen usually sell their used for slaughter calf production in a cross- FEDERAL RESERVE DALLAS BANK T E XAS OF DALLAS breeding program. Eight of the 11 types of calves grading highest on slaughter calf grade were from Brahman and Brangus females, dem onstrating the value of Brahman blood in dams used for slaughter calf production. All steer calves in the Louisiana experiment were fed on wheat and rye grass pasture for 168 days after weaning. In addition, they received limited amounts of corn and cottonseed meal. The steers were slaughtered, at about 13 to 14 months of age, in the Louisiana State University Meats Laboratory to provide carcass data. Steers from Hereford and Angus cows gained considerably faster than did those from Brangus and Brahman dams. Thus, when cattle are placed on feed after weaning, much of the weaning-weight restriction exerted by maternal influence is overcome. With respect to the total weight per day of age, steers from Brangus dams generally remained heaviest, as was also the case with steers sired by Charolaise breeds. Shorthorn and Charolaise bulls sired calves that showed the fastest gains on feed. When the yearling steers were graded on the hoof for slaughter, seven of the 11 steers having the highest slaughter grades were from dams with non-Brahman blood— almost completely reversing the ranking for slaughter calf grades. Therefore, indications are that Brahman blood is more valuable in slaughter calf production than in the production of feeder calves to be slaughtered as yearlings. Shorthorn bulls sired the highest grading car casses, followed by Hereford, Angus, Brahman, Brangus, and Charolaise sires. In accordance with Federal grade standards, Charolaisecrossbred carcasses did not carry sufficient fin ish and marbling to grade as high as they could have graded on their conformation and quality. However, Charolaise bulls sired steers with the largest area of rib-eye muscle (9.27 square inches). Steers from Brangus and Angus dams produced rib-eye areas which were larger than the average (8.70 square inches) for all steers slaughtered. Tenderness, as determined by shearing strength of the meat, was most pronounced in beef from steers with Hereford dams and Angus sires. Beef from straight-bred Brahmans was rated the least tender of the 24 types of cattle studied. This first-cross study at the Louisiana Agri cultural Experiment Station is the first part of a three-phase crossbreeding project. The second part involves backcrosses, and the third will evaluate crosses of three breeds. When the proj ect is completed, results will be interpreted in terms of probable future trends in beef produc tion in the South. Prospective changes in m ar keting and in meat processing— such as changes in grade standards, the use of tenderizers, and prefabricated cuts—will be considered in help ing southern cattlemen select breeds and plan profitable breeding programs. C o tto n Pests Resist Some Insecticides Tests by United States Department of Agri culture scientists C. R. Parencia and C. B. Cowan, Jr., have shown that boll weevils and cotton flea hoppers resist chlorinated hydro carbon insecticides normally used for their con trol in the important cotton-producing area of central Texas. However, the scientists found that effective control of the pests can be achieved with phosphate and carbamate insecti cides, as well as with a 2:1 combination of toxaphene and DDT. Tolerance of weevils to dieldrin and toxa phene had risen to such an extent that satisfac tory control of heavy infestations with these insecticides was impossible during the USDA tests. Cotton flea hoppers resisted test dosages of dieldrin, heptachlor, and toxaphene a t strengths up to three times more concentrated than those previously used to maintain control. Populations of young flea hoppers increased on the infested plants during treatment with these insecticides, indicating that lack of control was not due to new migrations of adults into the area. Follow the Rules W h e n Using Pesticides Recommendations of fungicide and nematocide manufacturers should be followed carefully in order to safeguard against excessive residues of these chemicals on harvested crops and to protect persons who handle the materials, says Harlan E. Smith, Extension Plant Pathologist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. The labeling of all fungicides and nematocides shipped interstate must be registered with the United States Department of Agriculture. Applications for registration or labeling of the chemicals are examined thoroughly in order to remove or modify directions which do not meet requirements of the law. The USDA also deter mines whether any treatment is likely to leave excessive chemical residues on the harvested raw agricultural commodities. Mr. Smith cautions that a fungicide or nematocide should be used only on the crops for which it is recommended and in the amounts specified on the label. Moreover, applications of the pesticide should be made in accordance with directions on the label. Growers who follow the recommended time and rate of application can be assured that the pesticide will not contaminate the edible part of the fruit or vegetable and will have been re moved or decreased enough by weather, decom position, or some other process so that the resi due will not be excessive at harvesttime. R ecent Research Results ★ Effective control for bacterial blight of cotton may be possible as a result of recent research developments. Scientists of the United States Department of Agriculture and the Cali fornia Agricultural Experiment Station have isolated and determined the race of the diseasecausing organism. This information facilitates the breeding of resistant cotton varieties. The scientists also found an organic phosphate which is useful in controlling the disease in the field. ir Important increases in grain yields have been obtained from sorghum hybrids in central Texas, with 15 hybrids producing average yields which were 16 to 39 percent above those of Martin and Combine—the standard varieties for this area. The Texas Agricultural Experi ment Station points out that factors other than yields are also important in the selection of hy brids. Some of the hybrids with medium-high yield may be desirable because of their early maturity, good harvesting characteristics, and tolerance to head smut. 7^ Continuous grazing of Dallis grass-white clover pastures produced more gain per steer and per acre than did a system of rotational grazing in each of three grazing trials at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Substation at Angleton during 1956-58. Steer gains were markedly higher in the spring than in the sum mer or fall, since spring forage was higher in protein than the predominant grass growth in the summer and fall. Pastures stocked at heavier rates in the spring produced more gain per acre than the moderately stocked pastures. Steer gains were in proportion to the amount of forage available and its protein content. The restric tions imposed by rotational grazing lowered the amount of forage available to the steers. -$r In a 140-day feeding trial at the Texas Agri cultural Experiment Substation at Spur, steers implanted with 36 milligrams of stilbestrol made significantly higher gains than did those which were not implanted. The addition of 2.5 milligrams of Tran-Q per head daily to the ra tion of one lot of implanted steers increased average feed-lot gains 25 pounds; however, the carcass weights were increased only 2 pounds over implanted steers which were not given the tranquilizer. Both lots of steers implanted with stilbestrol graded approximately one-third of a grade lower than the untreated steers as a result of less fat on the carcass, not because of any undesirable characteristics or conformation of the carcass. SAFETY STARTS W IT H Y O U ! N ew Disease-Resistant Rice V a riety Gulfrose, a new disease-resistant rice variety adapted to southern rice-producing areas, has been released cooperatively by the United States Department of Agriculture, the Texas Agricul tural Experiment Station, and the Texas Rice Improvement Association. Among the diseases to which Gulfrose is re sistant is hoja blanca, a virus disease capable of seriously damaging the Nation’s rice crop. The new variety is also resistant to blast, a funguscaused disease, but is slightly susceptible to straighthead, a disease that causes rice heads to remain upright at maturity because the few grains formed are too light to bend the head over in the normal manner. Gulfrose seed germinate rapidly, establishing stands earlier than other commercial types. The new rice variety matures approximately 6 days earlier than Nato and Zenith and 11 days earlier than Century Patna 231. Ripening characteris tics of Gulfrose are similar to those of Zenith, with the grain ripening rapidly and uniformly. The new variety combines well because the grains thresh from the stems easily. Gulfrose responds well to fertilizers and pro duces grain yields that are comparable to those of Nato and Zenith. It is comparable to Zenith in grade but is superior to Nato, since the milled rice usually shows less chalkiness. Gulfrose is well adapted for breakfast and baby foods. Instant Food Powders A new method of converting certain foods into high-quality instant food powders has been developed by scientists of the United States Department of Agriculture. The new process — called “foam-mat” drying — involves whip ping liquid food concentrates into a foam with the assistance of food additives that have been found satisfactory for the purpose; spreading the foam on a belt or tray; drying it in a stream of warm air; and, finally, compressing and crushing it into powder form. So far, powders of good color and flavor have been made from the juice of tomatoes, apricots, pineapples, ap ples, grapes, and oranges; from whole and non fat milk; and from coffee, prune whip, beef and chicken broth, and lemonade. Publications New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station, University Park: Forage Harvesting Costs in New Mexico, Bulletin 432, by James L. Stallings. Marketing Western Range Sheep and Lambs, Bulletin 434, by H. B. Pingrey. Zia Alfalfa, Bulletin 435, by M. L. Wilson, B. A. Melton, and C. E. Watson. Digestibility of Blue Grama Hay and Produc tion of Fatty Acids by Sheep, Bulletin 436, by K. A. Boiler, M. W. Dross, W. W. Repp, and W. E. Watkins. Wool Warehouses and Their Operation in the Eleven Western States, Bulletin 440, by A. D. Jones, Jr. Cultural Management Methods in a Young Apple Orchard under Irrigation, Research Report 19, by D. T. Sullivan and J. V. Enzie. Cotton Variety Tests in New Mexico, 1957 and 1958, Research Report 23, by R. L. Wood, A. K. Nielson, and D. H. Williams. Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Stillwater: Some Effects of Wheat Policy on the Okla homa Wheat Marketing Industry, Bulle tin B-521, by Adlowe L. Larson and Nellis A. Briscoe. Effects of Planting Dates and Storage on Sur vival of Eastern Red Cedar in Central and Western Oklahoma, Bulletin B-527, by Michel Afanasiev, Albert Engstrom, and Ernest W. Johnson. Copies of these publications may be obtained by request to the experiment stations. The F A R M A N D R A N C H B U L L E T IN Is p r e p a r e d in th e R esearch D e p a r tm e n t u n d e r th e d ire c tio n o f J . Z . R o w e, A g r ic u ltu ra l E co n o m ist.
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