Latest Extension Guides: Tree Fruit Crop Protection, Improving Genes in Beef Cattle

Feb 13, 2025

By Seth Truscott

Each month, scientists at Washington State University publish online guides aiding Northwest agriculture and our economy. The latest guides from WSU Extension include a primer on using genomic selection to improve beef cattle, as well as a revised look at protecting tree fruit orchards from diseases and pests.

New: Implementing Genomic Selection in Beef Herds (FS393E)

Genomic selection is a tool that can be used to identify superior heifers for breeding. Sharing information about the benefits and use of selection, this guide explores opportunities and costs, survey results of beef producers, and how to get started. Authors are Allison Herrick, doctoral candidate in the Department of Animal Sciences; Shannon Neibergs, director of the Western Center for Risk Management Education and Extension specialist; and Holly Neibergs, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences.

Revised: Crop Protection Guide for Tree Fruits in Washington (EB0419)

The 2025 edition of the Crop Protection Guide covers examples of registered pesticides used to stop orchard insect, disease, and weed pests in Washington, and includes efficacy and toxicity charts. Cost is $27.

View more original and revised guides online at the WSU Extension Publications website.

Source : wsu.edu

Video: What is Chicken Feed Made From?? | MD F&H

In Queen Anne in Queen Anne’s county, Farmer David Denny works hard to raise hundreds of chickens so that they may reach regular growth milestones on schedule. This is important because poultry integrators like Purdue require the chickens to be a certain size and weight in a set number of weeks. How can such a feit be accomplished so consistently in such a short period of time? It’s all due to the birds' carefully planned diet, which is tailor-made to meet their nutritional needs. The process begins long before any chickens even arrive on the farm all thanks to Farmer David and the grains he grows throughout the year. These grains are in turn used to create the exact feed which provides the necessary nutrients to the David Denny Farm’s poultry.