The four-year, $7 million project, “Through the Grapevine: Developing Vitis x MuscadiniaWide Hybrids for Enhanced Disease Resistance and Quality,” is funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute Food and Agriculture grant.

The research involves the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arkansas, the University of Georgia and several other institutions and agencies. Research and extension efforts related to the project will be conducted and implemented with industry partners and stakeholders.

“This project is a part of a larger departmental mission focused on sustainability, wellness and food security,” said Amit Dhingra, Ph.D., head of Texas A&M’s Department of Horticultural Sciences. “The proposed work represents an opportunity to identify new muscadine varieties for Texas to support fresh market sales, wine and other products.”

Improving the muscadine grape

Muscadine grapes are one of the 13 species of grapes native to Texas and the only native grape species that has been improved through breeding and selection. After over 100 years of muscadine breeding, plant breeders developed the first seedless selections.

Muscadines grow well in East Texas due to the area’s humid climate but are also successful in a variety of soil types, especially those that are pH neutral or slightly acidic. In addition to pest and disease tolerance, the grapes demonstrate good drought tolerance.

The grapes are typically large and ripen individually. While the skin is somewhat tough, the fruit is highly flavorful and popular for use in jams, jellies and juices as well as home and commercial winemaking.

Developing varieties for both fresh and wine markets

The overall project will involve more than 30 viticulturists, grape breeders, physiologists, food scientists and economists. Their efforts will support grape growers in propagating new seedless muscadine selections for trials across the southeastern U.S.

Texas A&M AgriLife team members from the Department of Horticultural Sciences participating in the project include Justin Scheiner, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service viticulture specialist and associate professor, Bryan-College Station; Michael Cook, AgriLife Extension program specialist and doctoral student, Denton; and Andrew King, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulture scientist and assistant professor, Overton. Scheiner will provide leadership for the Texas A&M AgriLife team.

Texas A&M AgriLife will also host two research vineyard sites in northeastern and southeastern Texas to evaluate new “fresh eating” or table selections as well as those for processing. One research trial will be planted at Thomas Ranch near Richards, which is operated by AgriLife Research. The other trial will be at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton. Muscadine grape trials in Texas will be planted in the spring of 2025.

Another team member, Stephen Talcott, Ph.D., professor of food chemistry in the Texas A&M Department of Food Science and Technology, will analyze fruit composition and post-harvest quality of all materials from these trials.

“This project will seek to crossbreed muscadines and Vitis vinifera, or common, grapes to get the best characteristics of these two grape species,” Scheiner said. “Both generations of grapes will be instrumental in breeding new high-quality, climate-resilient cultivars for both the fresh market and wine production.”

Cook said he and the others are thrilled to be part of a national multi-disciplinary team exploring ways to improve muscadines, as well as bunch grapes, to provide tangible solutions for growers.

“We are particularly excited in the first objective of the project where we are doing trials of advanced muscadine cultivars,” he said. “This effort could change the face of the grape industry in Texas.”

According to Cook, various environmental and input factors have made growing grapes more difficult, risky and costly over time, so the results of this multi-objective study will be vital in aiding growers in regard to future cultivar selection and best practices tailored to a changing viticulture landscape.

“Texas grape growers have expressed great interest in this project and will be kept up to date with results and recommendations through various AgriLife Extension programming in the coming years,” Dhingra added.

The post First-Of-Its-Kind Project to Improve Muscadine Grapes appeared first on Morning Ag Clips.

While protecting Texas cattle from disease is always our number one priority, we need to carefully consider the ripple effects of drastic measures like closing the border to livestock and animal products. It’s a surefire way to create a crisis where there isn’t one—and consumers will feel it every time they visit the meat aisle.

Look, I know a thing or two about screwworms. I was about eleven years old when the United States eradicated the New World Screwworm. Before then, screwworms were a devastating problem for ranchers. Cattle infected with screwworms showed unmistakable and crass signs—open, festering wounds teeming with larvae. You’d see animals in obvious distress, licking at the wounds and losing weight rapidly. Believe me, if you’ve got a screwworm outbreak, it’s not a question of “if”; there’s no mistaking it. You can smell them from 100 feet away.

For starters, let’s not forget the facts. We’ve come a long way since those dark days. The sterile fly eradication program, developed decades ago, was a game-changer. By releasing sterile male screwworm flies into the environment, we broke the reproduction cycle and wiped out the problem in the United States.

Recently, only one cow of thousands that were crossing into Mexico was found just north of the Guatemalan border—1,100 miles away from Texas—with a screwworm infection. That’s proof that the system is functioning as it should. So, before we panic and shut down border crossings, let’s make sure we’re not creating a bigger problem than the one we’re trying to solve.

Instead of recognizing this as a victory, the federal government is talking about throwing $165 million worth of taxpayer dollars at a “solution” for a problem that hasn’t been fully identified. Listen, dollars don’t kill screwworms. Sterile flies do. Detection systems do. We already have the tools to manage this issue because we’ve been doing it successfully for decades.

Winter gives us an edge in fighting screwworm outbreaks because cooler temperatures slow down fly activity and reproduction. With fewer flies, there’s less risk of infestations, giving ranchers and agencies more time to contain the problem and protect our livestock.

We already take precautions at the border. Every head of livestock crossing the U.S.-Mexico border is subject to strict quarantine and inspection protocols to protect our agriculture and food supply. Cattle are required to have health certificates, vaccinations, and testing to prevent diseases like foot-and-mouth and bovine tuberculosis from entering the U.S. In some cases, livestock are placed in quarantine for further monitoring to ensure they meet our rigorous health and safety standards.

Closing the border to livestock or animal products—even temporarily—could send shockwaves through the beef market. Mexico is one of our largest trading partners for cattle and beef, with significant imports of feeder cattle that help keep supply steady here in the U.S. Cutting off that supply could lead to a bottleneck, reducing the number of cattle available to feedlots, processors, and grocery stores. Fewer cattle mean higher beef prices, increasing inflation at the checkout line.

And let’s not forget about our hardworking ranchers. Many Texas cattle producers rely on cross-border trade to keep their operations running smoothly. Shutting down the border could disrupt their business, leading to financial strain and fewer options for consumers.

As a rancher who’s seen the damage screwworms can do, I know the stakes are high. But I also know we’ve already won this battle once, and if need be, we’re equipped to win it again. The real threat here isn’t the screwworm itself—it’s the federal government that all too often overreacts and wastes taxpayer resources.

Protecting Texas cattle from screwworms is important, but so is keeping beef prices affordable for families and securing the livelihood of our ranchers. Closing the border might sound like a quick fix, but it’s a cure that could end up being worse than the disease.

The cattle industry in Texas remains strong, and with the right approach, we’ll keep it that way.

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The discovery has the potential to reduce reliance on antibiotics and ultimately help combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance in both humans and animals, said Adrian Barragan, associate research professor and extension veterinarian at Penn State and co-lead author on the paper.

The findings are particularly significant for the organic dairy industry where antibiotic use is restricted, he added, and may also pave the way for future studies in humans on the use of sugar-based formulations for uterine infections such as endometritis.

“The disease is an infection of the uterus that occurs after calving and it’s one of the top diseases that affect dairy cattle in the United States,” said Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes at Penn State and co-lead author on the study. “We treat cows with antibiotics only when necessary to ensure their welfare, following strict withdrawal periods to prevent residues in milk. Minimizing antibiotic use helps reduce the risk of resistant bacteria that can impact farm workers, families and communities. Antimicrobial resistance in human and veterinary medicine is a growing public health concern, so the main goal of this research was to test an antibiotic-free alternative option against the current gold standard for treating this prevalent disease.”

The study compared two treatments for a common uterine infection, called clinical metritis, that can lead to serious health problems for dairy cows. The condition is typically treated using systemic antibiotics, like ceftiofur, which are effective in treating the condition, but may contribute to the growing antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals.

“We have been searching for alternative therapies that can effectively treat metritis without relying on antibiotics,” Barragan said. “We asked two main questions when studying an alternative: Do the animals get cured with this treatment? And do treated animals have similar performance? Although the alternative treatment had the same clinical cure rate as the antibiotics, the answer wasn’t as clear cut as expected since performance between treatment groups differed based on disease severity.”

The study focused on using intrauterine dextrose, a sugar solution, as a possible alternative treatment. Dextrose has been extensively studied in animal and human clinical research for its ability to plasmolyze harmful bacteria, essentially the strong sugar solution pulls water out of the bacteria, causing them to dry out and die, Barragan explained. The approach had shown some promise in human wound healing, but previous studies in cattle yielded mixed results.

“We were hopeful that we would find positive results, but we were definitely not expecting to find that both treatments worked similarly for mild cases of metritis,” Barragan said. “That was a very exciting discovery.”

To investigate the effectiveness of dextrose, the researchers conducted a study on a dairy farm in central Pennsylvania. They enrolled 77 cows diagnosed with clinical metritis and randomly assigned them to one of two treatment groups: intrauterine dextrose or systemic ceftiofur. The researchers then monitored the cows’ recovery and analyzed their uterine microbial communities using advanced DNA sequencing to better understand the overall health of their microbiomes.

Although the sample size was not ideal for assessing clinical cure rate, Barragan said, the results suggested that both treatments had similar clinical cure rates, meaning dextrose could be just as effective as antibiotics in treating mild metritis cases.

Additionally, the analysis of the cows’ microbiomes revealed that dextrose does not significantly disrupt the bacterial balance of bacteria in the reproductive tract, unlike antibiotics, which can alter microbial communities and potentially impact the long-term health of the cow, Ganda explained.

Further research is needed to understand the full potential of dextrose as an alternative to antibiotic treatment, Barragan said, but one day that potential could even extend to treating humans.

“Our findings may be applicable for reproductive disease in human medicine,” he said. “In fact, we were inspired by medical literature and sugar-based wound treatments for people.”

The other Penn State authors on the paper are Jennine Lection, who earned a doctoral degree from Penn State and is currently an assistant professor at North Carolina State University; Emily Van Syoc, postdoctoral scholar; Asha Miles, former postdoctoral research associate who is currently a research geneticist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); Julia Hamilton, undergraduate student; Marcela Martinez, research technologist; and Justin Silverman, assistant professor of statistics and of medicine and faculty fellow of the Institute for Computational and Data Science. Santiago Bas of the Germany-based feed company Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH also contributed to the paper.

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hatch Appropriations, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of Health funded this research.

–Adrienne Berard
Penn State

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“The Corporate Transparency Act requires millions of family farmers and ranchers to file complex paperwork and disclose beneficial ownership information with the federal government under penalty of severe fines and jailtime,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus. “FinCEN should do the right thing and provide a realistic delay to the Corporate Transparency Act until Congress has an opportunity to provide a permanent fix that protects family farmers and ranchers.”

On Monday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a nationwide preliminary injunction on the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act, holding that the government is likely to prevail in a constitutional challenge. This decision places many small businesses in jeopardy that have not yet filed Beneficial Ownership Information with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

In light of the Fifth Circuit’s decision, FinCEN announced it will delay enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act until January 13, 2025—just three weeks from now. This delay does not allow enough time for millions of small businesses to comply with the law, and it is deeply concerning that FinCEN will proceed with enforcing this law when it has failed to give adequate notice and instructions to law abiding family business owners.

NCBA will continue fighting for a permanent solution that protects cattle farmers and ranchers from this overreaching mandate. In the meantime, cattle producers are advised to consult their attorney and/or tax professional regarding this new development.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy.  As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef.  Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To join, contact NCBA at 1-866-BEEF-USA or membership@beef.org.

–National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

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Other key findings in the report were:

• Of the 75.8 million hogs and pigs, 69.8 million were market hogs, while 6.00 million were kept for breeding.
• Between September and November 2024, 35.2 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, up 2% from the same time period one year earlier.
• From September through November 2024, U.S. hog and pig producers weaned an average of 11.92 pigs per litter.
• U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.93 million sows farrow between December 2024 and February 2025, and 2.95 million sows farrow between March 2025 and May 2025.
• Iowa hog producers accounted for the largest inventory among the states, at 24.6 million head. Minnesota had the second largest inventory at 9.50 million head. North Carolina was third with 8.20 million head.

To obtain an accurate measurement of the U.S. swine industry, NASS surveyed 6,046 operators across the nation during the first half of December. The data collected were received online through NASS’s Respondent Portal, by mail, telephone and through face-to-face interviews.

The Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report and all other NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.

–USDA NASS

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I hope all of you will be able to look back on the year’s greatness. Put your pencil to paper as you consider all you learned from 2024; some very important lessons were sprinkled in there.

To give time for reflection and enjoyment this holiday season, we will not be sending out our daily emails the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The Morning Ag Clips’ daily email will resume on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

There will still be news articles published on our site, so make sure to stay up-to-date by going to morningagclips.com. Every day there will be something new, and there will be an editor watching for breaking ag news every day. But like you, we all need a break, and the only way to get it is to be extremely intentional about it, so we are!

Here’s to you, your family, and a prosperous and healthy New Year! We will see you in 2025!

With love,
Kate

The post Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! appeared first on Morning Ag Clips.

Ranging from red, white, green, pink or a color combination, poinsettias can be maintained year-round, says Kansas State University horticulture expert Cynthia Domenghini.

“Poinsettias do best with temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit,” Domenghini said. “Consistency is key, so avoid drafts from windows or heat sources, such as the fireplace or space heaters.”

While bright, indirect light is preferred, Domenghini advised keeping poinsettia leaves from touching cold windows. Soil should be kept moist as well.

“If it dries completely, the poinsettia will wilt and potentially lose some leaves,” Domenghini said. “Water the plant in the sink until water runs through the drainage holes of the container.”

She warns that the roots will rot if the poinsettia is left in standing water, such as in a saucer or in the plastic sleeve they are often sold in.

“Fertilizing and other maintenance is not necessary until after the holidays,” Domenghini said.

— K-State Research and Extension news service

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The victory is a direct result of the advocacy efforts of Texas Corn Producers Association, which joined the National Corn Growers Association and other state corn grower organizations in calling on the Biden administration to file a dispute settlement under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2023 after Mexico banned genetically modified white corn imports that year.

The organization’s leaders argued that the ban would significantly harm growers and rural communities, especially because Mexico is the number one export destination for U.S. corn. Mexico is an obvious integral player in Texas‘ corn market – playing a crucial role in market prices for farmers in the state.

“This outcome is a tremendous victory for our farmers and is a direct outcome of our advocacy efforts that have been underway for years since the initial Mexican decree of this nature in 2020,” TCPA President Jim Sugarek said. “It illustrates what we can accomplish when we work together.”

Since the enactment of USMCA, the formation of dispute panels has been uncommon and must meet a high threshold of requirements. National corn grower leaders noted the outcome is a big accomplishment.

“This is an incredible development for the nation’s corn growers and rural communities,” Illinois farmer and NCGA President Kenneth Hartman Jr. said. “This outcome is a direct result of the advocacy efforts of corn grower leaders from across the country. We want to thank the nation’s growers for speaking out and U.S. officials for listening and acting.”

Now that a decision has been made, TCPA will continue its efforts alongside NCGA to work with USTR and the incoming administration to ensure the ruling is enforced.

— Texas Corn Producers Association

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I expect the January Cattle Inventory report to show some additional liquidation has occurred leading to a smaller calf crop in 2025. It seems most likely that the summer of 2026 is the soonest substantial national heifer retention may begin. While there is recently elevated uncertainty around international trade that should not be overlooked, most anticipate domestic beef availability to decline perhaps by 2-3% per year (per person) in 2025 and 2026.

Given this setting and the opportunity for some extended armchair-pondering around the holidays, some context on economic concepts and an important historical reminder is prudent. Economists analyzing the beef industry use the term “demand” to refer to the willingness and ability to buy beef at a specific price. A change in beef demand is not triggered by changes in beef prices but rather by consumer income or wealth adjustments, changes in prices of other goods, or perceptions of beef quality evolving. To this later point, the clear improvement in overall beef quality (simple example is Prime or Upper Choice percentage versus past decades) has been core to beef demand growth (see K-State demand indices here: https://agmanager.info/livestock-meat/meat-demand/monthly-domestic-meat-demand-indices-usdabls-data/monthly-domestic-0 ).

As we turn to 2025 it is important to pause and connect the dots around things such as current feedlot supplies, future breeding herd size and corresponding beef availability, and what one may expect at the retail and food service level. Yes, lower beef supplies are expected and with that, most anticipate higher end-user beef prices. In fact, the industry should be hoping for that! Research with Melissa McKendree, Ted Schroeder, and Nathan Hendricks (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1093/ajae/aaz034 ) shows that feeder cattle sellers stand to gain the most when beef demand grows, and lose the most when demand falters.

If alternatively, lower beef availability is observed in conjunction with flat or lower beef prices, then beef demand clearly declined. In that unfortunate situation, economic viability for most in the industry also declines. While some younger market participants may dismiss this scenario, recall the 1980s & 90s was a period largely characterized by a shrinking herd, weakening beef demand, and overall decline in industry vitality. Indeed, lower beef volumes alone do not guarantee higher beef nor cattle prices. This experience is worth periodic reflection as the industry has made massive improvements that should not be overlooked or taken for granted. To the extent that beef prices increase reflecting stable or growing beef demand that indeed is a market outcome that should not only “be allowed” but encouraged. While the term “demand destruction” is likely to appear more in coming months, industry stakeholders are encouraged to take pause and in fact hope that higher prices develop reflecting stable or growing beef demand.

Finally, and most importantly I wish all readers a Merry Christmas, the ability to see the true reason for the season, and a joyous New Year.

— Glynn T. Tonsor, Ph.D., Department of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University

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