Hi everyone, we have a great show that we're lining up for you today on SUNUP.

After the recent and much needed rainfall, is prussic acid a concern this late in the growing season?

We're continuing our discussion on ponds and livestock.

Today's topic is blue-green algae.

And the agriculture connection uniting these beloved icons on the OSU football field.

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Welcome to SUNUP, I'm Lyndall Stout.

Even though parts of the state saw rain last week, drought and heat are still pretty well locked in across Oklahoma.

With that in mind, we wanted to know if prussic acid was still a concern this late in the growing season.

Spoiler alert, it still is.

Here's Dr.

Paul Beck.

Hello, I'm Paul Beck.

I'm Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist.

Oklahoma has gotten some really nice rains within the last week.

And, you know, we've had a lot of concerns with our Sudan grasses and other forages like Johnson grass that would tend to be nitrate and prussic acid accumulators.

There's been a lot of concern, fertilized crop fields, these forages with nitrates.

And there's also been some issues with prussic acid with the drought.

So I'm going to talk to you about prussic acid and how it forms in the plant.

It's a hydrocyanic acid and it's an intermediary within those plant metabolites that whenever the plants are stressed, as it's young and growing, it will accumulate in those fresh growth tissues, usually in the leaves.

And that's how it's different from nitrates where it accumulates mostly in the stems but can accumulate in the leaves.

Prussic acid occurs with fresh regrowth that's under stress so that when the drought started occurring, we were concerned about prussic acid in those plants because those plants that had been actively growing with moisture were under drought stress and were accumulating prussic acid.

Now that we've got the rain, those plants that had stopped growing because of the drought started regrowing, hopefully with this rainfall, and that would increase the chance of prussic acid being in those newly growing tissues of the Johnson grass and Sudan grasses and those types of forages.

So the rule of thumb is what we need to wait at least five days before we turn cattle out into these pastures.

Fresh growing, small plants are very palatable to cattle and they will consume those preferentially and get toxic doses.

Or better, if we wait two weeks after that rain, let it accumulate and get at least one foot to 18 inches tall before we try to start growing those forages again.

We have test kits available in our county offices to see if prussic acid is within those plants.

We can sample several places throughout the field, but also this fall, as we get deeper into the fall and we have our first frost that's not a killing frost, that will stress those plants again and cause prussic acid issues to occur again.

So it occurs whenever those plants are stressed.

So anything that causes a stress, the drought that we had through July and into August with those extremely high temperatures, then regrowth whenever we have a rain and it starts growing again, we need to wait about two weeks now after this rain before we start grazing them again.

And then later on in the fall, when we have a frost that stresses the plants, we need to wait about two weeks after that frost or until those plants are completely dry and desiccated before we graze them again in the fall after those frost events stress those plants.

For a link to some of those resources I mentioned, go to the SUNUP website.

Good morning, Oklahoma.

I'm Aaron Long here with the Oklahoma Mesonet and Oklahoma State University Extension Service.

I'm going to give you our weekly Mesonet weather report.

So jumping into things, looking at our rainfall map for the last seven days, we did finally get some rainfall across portions of the state.

And that's some really good news.

The eastern third of Oklahoma really picked up the best totals widespread across that region.

We've got one to three inches of rainfall.

Pockets are even approaching three and a half inches in the far northeast.

Central Oklahoma, generally speaking, we're looking at about a quarter of an inch to an inch of rain, which is really helpful, but only a drop in the bucket compared to what we need.

And unfortunately, western Oklahoma and the Panhandle, majority of that we're looking at less than a quarter of an inch.

And many of our stations are reporting near zero or zero measurements still.

So a good rain in Tulsa in our northeast.

Green country doesn't really fix a dry pasture in Guymon, so we're still waiting on heavier rains to help us with our drought situation in the future.

So speaking of our drought, let's move on into the drought monitor and look at what's changed from last week to this week.

So despite our recent rainfall, the most recent drought monitor report still shows that 100 percent of the state is in some form of drought.

Over 86 percent of the state is in severe drought or worse, which would be categories D2 to D4.

Over half are in extreme drought.

And nearly 17 percent, which is primarily in western and southwest Oklahoma, are now in exceptional drought, which is the worst category on our scale.

Compared to three months ago, only about 7 percent of the state was in D3 or D4.

And so that footprint has just been building all summer.

And unfortunately, again, this week's rain didn't actually move a single county out of the drought.

And we're going to talk a little bit about why.

So to help us understand why our drought hasn't actually improved, even though we received some rain, let's take a look at some soil moisture maps and get a sense of what's going on.

So the two maps that I have on the screen were taken at the same depth at the same day.

One is our soil moisture measure with a fractional water index where zero is as dry as possible and one is a fully saturated soil.

The one on the left is going to be our bare soil.

So there's no vegetation on top.

And then the one on right is a soil moisture sensor that is at the same depth, but it has vegetative cover on top.

Looking at our bare soil map, most of central and eastern Oklahoma is in the 0.6 to 0.9 range, and you'll notice that it's green.

The rain that fell is still sitting there in the soil and is able to be picked up by our sensors.

But if you look over at the vegetation map, those same locations are now trending in the red.

The fractional water index values are between zero and 0 .3.

Western and central Oklahoma are really struggling still, but that's reflected on the rainfall map as well.

So what's going on?

Really what's happening is our drought-stressed plants needed that rainfall, and so they're already pulling any of that rainfall that fell up into the plant.

The water's getting used, and it's getting taken out of the soil.

And so to put all this into context, I've got a graphic here that shows our departure from the normal amount of expected rainfall over the last 60 days.

And taking a look at this, in the previous two months, we're the second driest period on record in the state.

Our record holder is 1936 in the Dust Bowl.

And so that gives a really good sense of context for just how dry it's been in the time leading up to this week, and why even that little bit of rainfall that we received isn't pushing anybody out of a drought category, just because our dryness up to this point has been so severe.

For our producers, I would recommend use the Mesonet.

We have our phone app, or we have our online website, and these soil moisture maps are available to you every single day.

And so you can go on and keep a good eye on our soil moisture, and that'll help you make your decision so that you know that we haven't just received a little bit of rain, but it's actually made it down into the soil to get things ready for you to plant.

Thank you very much.

Have a great day.

We're joined now by Dr.

Todd Hubbs, our OSU Extension Crop Marketing Specialist.

Todd, some USDA reports have been released since we last saw you.

Kind of give us the rundown, what you're analyzing, and how prices have been affected.

Well, when they got released on Friday, we saw a pretty good sell-off in the wheat market, mainly because USDA raised world ending stocks, and raised production in some areas like the Southern Hemisphere, Australia, and Argentina.

There was some speculation that those crops might be in trouble due to the El Nino effect, but they're looking very good.

And that sort of puts a damper on the market going into the last quarter of the year.

Higher stocks, slightly down from last year, but still higher than maybe people would want them.

Even though we have all these issues in the Black Sea and the Gulf still, geopolitical issues in the war, in the Black Sea, the wheat's there.

It's a constriction, not a contraction, right?

So it's trying to find its way out.

You talked about wheat.

Are we seeing similar story with corn and milo?

Well, the crop production report released the latest corn yield that USDA projected.

It was 178.5.

Now that's quite a bit higher than what the Pro Farmer Tour said earlier this year.

I think most of the people in the market thought it would be somewhere around that range, not as low as 173.5.

That's not the final.

We'll see what it ends up being when it's all said and done.

I think that's probably pretty close according to my models.

It dropped corn production, and USDA just took out a feed and residual and left all the other demand the same.

I think that makes a lot of sense because we're seeing really strong demand for exports for corn and for ethanol due to policies and just general energy prices.

And milo, they dropped the yield one bushel to 54 .4.

I thought it might be lower.

They didn't move Kansas' yield at all.

Oklahoma's yield was down four bushels an acre.

Shouldn't surprise anybody given the weather we've had in the state.

So I thought it'd be a little lower, but it's not.

Nonetheless, the ending carryout for milo is the lowest we've seen in four years.

Exports are projected down.

Ethanol use for milo is predicted down.

All that makes sense.

And we've seen basis in milo here in Oklahoma get a little stronger.

It's not near parity with corn because we really haven't seen China come in to buy milo for export yet.

They may.

They're buying beans, so maybe they'll come and buy some milo from us as well, which might narrow that margin a little bit.

But overall, you know, when we're looking at the market, still good demand, potential for lower supply.

The world supply is down mainly on us because we're the largest corn grower in the world.

And, you know, there's a potential there for some upside, particularly if the South American crop that's coming out can be harvested next spring and summer as an issue.

There's some real explosive potential there.

You briefly touched on Oklahoma prices as part of this larger context.

Can we can we look a little more closely at the specifics?

Basis in Oklahoma is fifty five to seventy hundred, depending on where you're at in the state for wheat.

And it's way higher than we thought it would be six months ago because of everything that's happened.

I know everybody's input costs are up and that's a real problem.

Diesel prices aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

And so when we're looking at planning this fall, you know, these prices are somewhat elevated from where we thought they would be.

But I know people's margins are tight.

I'd love to see the market run a little bit.

But because of what we were talking about earlier, it might be tough to get a good rally going unless we can get some spillover from corn and beans.

So better than it was, I'd like to see it higher.

How about the other crops in Oklahoma?

Corn basis is pretty good.

Our crops starting to come in and we're not in the heart of the Corn Belt.

And our basis is usually a little bit stronger than you would see in the Corn Belt.

We have a lot of end users down here in the livestock sector and Texas.

And so we're seeing a decent amount of price on corn also much higher than we expected earlier this year.

Like I was saying earlier, there could be room to run, but it may be out in the distance a little unless USDA lowers that yield some more.

I wouldn't bank on them lowering that yield.

And so I think unless we see some shock somewhere else in the world, we might be riding in this range for a bit.

Todd, great information for us.

We appreciate it and we'll see you again soon.

Rabies has been in the news lately in species that we don't always think rabies occurring in.

As a reminder, rabies can occur in any animal.

Recently, it was identified in goats outside of Oklahoma.

For those of us that deal with animals on a regular basis, my recommendation is to always vaccinate high value animals.

Whether those are animals that are high monetary value and or sentimental value or both.

Particularly if those animals have really regular interactions.

Show animals, for instance, our companion animals, cats and dogs with humans and in particular kids.

This of course serves as a good reminder as we're entering this fall fair season to keep biosecurity top of mind.

We want to make sure our exhibitors that are headed towards the fairs make sure that they are meeting those show requirements.

Particularly with certificates of veterinary inspection or health certificates as they're commonly called.

And making sure while they're at those events that they're keeping biosecurity top of mind.

And keeping it in the forefront when we head home too.

Good morning Oklahoma and welcome to Cow-Calf Corner.

This week we continue to talk about trying to control those unwanted eastern redcedar trees.

And particularly it leads us into the discussion about the benefits of prescribed burns on pasture lands.

John, I know it's been said that nothing can do more for a grazing ecosystem than a good prescribed burn.

The biggest reason is that most of our plant community that we have throughout Oklahoma, actually throughout the Great Plains and the world, is adapted to fire.

And it's all about man, man for centuries has used fire.

Native Americans used fire to manage their land.

And so that's again why you see those benefits that you don't see from other things.

Because they're just not adapted to that.

And you know a good prescribed fire is one that you know, number one we always say a good one is one we never use water on.

That's always a great one.

You know we have that ability there in case something was to happen.

But what we really want it to be is, you know, we never spray a drop of water.

But to get to that point is what we have to do is we have to plan.

It's a planning process, right?

It's not something you wake up one morning and go, Oh, I think I'm going to go burn something today.

Let's go.

Come on, Mark.

Let's go burn something.

And it's not that.

It's six months.

It's 12 months out.

We need to do some planning.

You know, what area do we want to burn?

And probably first and foremost, and again, this is what differentiates controlled burning from prescribed burning.

Controlled burning is just people burning junk, debris, piles, and all that.

Prescribed burning is the application of fire to a specific piece of land for specific goals and objectives.

I'm doing it for a reason.

What kind of fire breaks do I need?

Again, these are going to help delineate the burn unit, how big an area, and do it.

I can use county roads.

I can use crop fields.

So things that may be out in the burn unit that could be problematic, we need to think about what do we need to do to protect those and protect what's going on.

Then we're going to also think about what kind of equipment do I need to do the burn safely?

How many people do you think it would take to do that burn?

And then we're going to start to plan that, goals and objectives.

But a lot of times, you know, we talk about good conditions is, you know, anything above, you know, 35 degrees.

And then you want humidities between, you know, 40, 60 percent relative humidity.

And then you want wind anywhere from 4 to 15 miles an hour.

Those kind of, that's our prescription, equipment, people, weather conditions, fire breaks, management.

And then we need to go through, we think about, we need to, who do we need to notify before we burn?

You know, it's good to notify your adjoining neighbors.

And then right before you burn, notify the local fire department or dispatch, whoever you're supposed to notify, and make sure those weather conditions are going to be met for that day.

Not only are you going to be looking at the forecast, but then when we get on site, we need to pull up and look.

You know, we can pull, if we live close to a Mesonet station, we can pull up and look at the pretty much real-time Mesonet data that's right there for that station.

Or if we have a weather instrument, a handheld weather instrument, we can pull out and take our weather, our temperature, winds, and relative humidity, and make sure it's within that prescription.

And if it is, then everything looks like a go.

We've notified everybody and everything's a go, so let's light that fire and go.

If something doesn't meet within our goals and our objectives of what we're trying to do, then it should be, no, we're not going to burn.

We need to figure out what do we need to do to correct it.

This is good stuff.

I know you and I can talk about this for a long time.

We really appreciate you guys joining us on Cow-Calf Corner this week.

Again, John, thanks to you.

Appreciate you all being here.

Finally today, we're continuing our discussion on ponds and livestock.

This week's setup's Kurtis Hair talks with OSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, Dr.

Dave Lalman, about algal blooms and the potential harm they could cause livestock.

Well, we're doing things a little bit different today with our OSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, Dr.

Dave Lalman.

We're standing in front of Theta Pond, and we're talking blue-green algae.

And Dave, right now, this isn't actually blue-green algae, even though this pond is green.

So what exactly are we doing in front of Theta Pond today?

Good question, and the president doesn't let our cows in this pond either.

But we've had a lot of heat, lack of rainfall in many areas.

We talked last week on SUNUP about the water levels declining, the potential toxins concentrating.

And one of those issues is potentially blue-green algae.

It's interesting, Theta Pond has a blue-green color to it.

It does.

It definitely does.

But it's not toxic.

Not toxic at all.

Big difference.

And so when people see stuff like this out there, what's the difference between just a green pond like this compared to what we saw last week out at the North Range in a pond that's in pretty rough shape?

Pretty tough, pretty tough conditions.

Well, I mean, Theta Pond is blue-green primarily because of the dye.

But there's some big differences between that and a pond that has high potential for a blue-green algae bloom.

The primary ingredients for that are, number one, the concentrating mineral content, organic content.

Paddles spending a lot of time in the pond increases organic content.

It increases the nitrogen and the phosphorus content.

That lack of turbulence in the water, so you have low oxygen content, not going to be a problem here at Theta Pond because it's aerated, right?

And so those ponds are stale or stagnant.

And that is another way or reason why those blue -green algae blooms are sort of encouraged or facilitated.

Those would be the main thing.

You know, there's not a lot of animals.

We'll have maybe a goose every now and then over here in Theta Pond and perhaps a gold post.

Yeah, sometimes.

But this water, you would expect if we were to send the sample off, maybe we should do that.

But to send the sample off, it would come back very low in terms of that cyanobacteria that causes blue -green algae.

So when we're talking about blue-green algae, I think a lot of people are definitely familiar with when it comes to people.

You know, you hear about blue-green algal blooms in lakes and we're concerned from the human health aspect of it.

But when it comes to livestock, it's a really big concern as well too, right?

Yeah, I mean, for sure.

I mean, we have a lot of people that will call in and say, hey, we found some cows or cattle, other livestock, maybe wildlife, dead next to our pond.

And so there's two kind of components of the toxic piece of blue-green algae.

One is a sort of a neurotoxin and the other one is more of a liver toxin.

The liver toxicosis takes longer and it actually is probably more prominent in terms of blue-green algae.

But the neurotoxin, that occurs very rapidly.

And that's when you see cattle or wildlife, other livestock that die right away.

You know, before we get into testing, you know, with producers out there, especially this time of year, unlike a pond like this, out in the pasture, if you start to see your pond starting to turn green, that's a pretty good signal that you have an issue.

I mean, if that's a time when you should start perhaps intervening in one way or another, I mean, either find a new water source or go ahead and test it.

Because, yeah, that blue-green algae is only going to concentrate unless those conditions change.

Yeah, and obviously when it comes to management around that, it's, you know, pretty common sense would tell you to keep your cattle away from that pond.

But for that pond specifically, as you head into next year, is that going to be a problem?

How does that get fixed and all that?

Well, first of all, producers who are concerned about need to have a discussion with their veterinarian.

Also, according to the diagnostic labs around the country, it does appear that this is a repetitive thing.

The same ponds tend to have those blue-green algae blooms that are suspect.

So when it comes to testing, what's the proper way to collect a sample?

Sure, so first of all, our diagnostic lab here at Oklahoma State, they don't actually conduct a toxicology test here at OSU, but they'll send it off.

That costs about $18 a sample, and so it's not very expensive.

They need about 12 to 16 ounces of sample.

And so really, any bottle that's rolling around in your truck will work to collect a sample in.

Tips in terms of getting a sample, go to the downwind side, not the upwind side, because that's where that bacteria ought to be concentrated, is the downwind side.

Probably going to want to mount some sort of a cup on the end of a long stick so you get a little ways away from the shore.

Dip at least an inch deep, maybe a couple of inches deep.

But before you collect that sample, empty your container, rinse it in the pond that you're going to test a couple of times, and then fill that bottle, cap it off.

You can get on the Diagnostic Laboratory's website.

They have all the information you need there to fill out a form to submit that sample, as well as instructions on how and where to mail it.

Alrighty, thanks Dave.

Dr.

Dave Lawman, OSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist here at Oklahoma State University.

And if you'd like a link to some of the things that Dave talked about, just go to our website, sunup.okstate.edu.

That'll do it for our show this week.

A reminder, you can see SUNUP anytime on our website, follow us on social media, and of course, see us anytime at youtube.com/SUNUP TV.

We leave you today with highlights from OSU's home opener last Saturday.

Not the game itself, but a hats off from all of us here at SUNUP to three icons with an agriculture connection.

This year's Pistol Pete, Hunter Morgan, and Pete Littlefield are both students in the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

They split the duties of the mascot, bringing lots of energy on the field, firing up the crowds, and making hundreds of public appearances during the year.

But get this, for the first time ever, the spirit rider is also an OSU agricultural student.

Olivia Klug, who is working on her master's in international ag, rides bullet after every touchdown.

Congratulations to these hardworking students serving as the iconic faces of OSU this fall.

I'm Lyndall Stout, and we'll see you next time at SUNUP.