January, 2008 Table of Contents News & Views Archive Issues

Economics
Rules for Deducting the Business Use of Your Vehicle by Dan Childs
When a vehicle is used in a trade or business, the expenses to own and operate the vehicle are deductible in most situations. It is common, however, for vehicles to be driven for both business and personal use. In this case, the business owner must divide these expenses, usually by miles driven for each purpose.

Forage Improvement
Can Legumes and Perennial Grasses Be Grown Together? by Twain Butler
With the increasing cost of inputs, many producers are looking for ways to cut costs while still maintaining yield. The most economical forage system will have a diverse set of species to provide high quality forage throughout the entire year to reduce the need for hay and feed.

Horticulture
Mother Nature Shelled It Out During the 2007 Pecan Season by Charles Rohla
Mother Nature blessed us with above normal rainfalls during the spring and early summer, which aided in a very heavy crop set for most of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas.

Livestock
Plan Your Breeding Season to Achieve Greater Profitability by Robert Wells
Everything we do throughout the year has an impact on a ranch's overall profitability. One thing that directly impacts the bottom line is the time of year that your calves are born. An annual plan should be in place well before bull turnout time.

Pasture and Range
Clearing Up Some Tall Fescue Misconceptions by James Rogers
Across the nation, tall fescue covers some 35 million acres making it one of the most popular forages in the country. Unfortunately, for many people the mere mention of tall fescue brings an automatic dismissal conjuring up bad experiences with poor animal performance or lack of persistence. There are a lot of negative feelings that need to be overcome before tall fescue becomes an accepted option.

Soils
Nitrogen Fertilizer Cost Per Cow by Jeff Ball
Fertilizer prices are at a historic high, and, with the amount of corn acres predicted in 2008, the outlook is that prices will climb even higher next spring. So, at what nitrogen fertilizer price is it no longer economical to fertilize bermudagrass in a cow/calf enterprise?

Wildlife
Bobwhite Habitat Assistance Program by Steven Smith
It has been well documented that bobwhite habitat has steadily decreased and habitat fragmentation has increased. In 2006, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service partnered together to improve bobwhite habitat on a landscape level with a program called the Quail Habitat Restoration Initiative through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program.