Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - 11:00 AM
143-6

Forage Applied Research/Demonstration Plots – New Partnership with County Agents.

Yoana Newman1, J.P. Muir1, and Larry Redmon2. (1) Texas A&M Univ. Soil & Crop Science, 1229 North US Hwy 281, Stephenville, TX 76401, (2) 349C Heep Center, Texas A&M University - Rangeland Ecology & Management, Soil and Crop Science Dept., 2474 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843

Customarily, outreach efforts in the area of forages have relied on the traditional use of single, non-replicated demonstration plots. Demonstrations in a broader sense are a powerful tool to showcase particular field procedures or practices, but when making inferences about the effects of certain practices or treatments (i.e. fertilizer rate, use of species for nutrient removal, variety comparisons, as few examples), they lack error measurement and consequently the effectiveness in error control brought by replication. Outreach in forage production, for the north-central region of Texas, is participating in a new partnership with county agents and producers through the development of forage applied research/demonstration plots. Efficacy of this new partnership requires simplicity in plot and design layout, choosing reliable cooperators, and close follow up with county agents. Outreach experiences with overseeding of cool-season legumes (Burr medics, arrowleaf, crimson, and sweet clover) into warm-season grasses (coastal bermudagrass and bahiagrass) at several locations throughout the north-central region of Texas in one of the driest years recorded will be discussed.