SW New Mexico News

New Mexico State University’s annual field day at the Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center in Tucumcari, New Mexico, will be held on August 6 and will cover topics such as forage sorghum, alternate cropping systems, and cattle genetic testing. This event is free and open to the public.

Registration for the event begins at 4:30 p.m. at the science center, located three miles northeast of Tucumcari on Highway 54. Interested participants can register online.

NMSU Associate Dean and Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station Jay Lillywhite will deliver the keynote presentation on the economic outlook for eastern New Mexico at 5:15 p.m.

Following dinner on the hay wagon tour, Marcy Ward, Extension livestock specialist, will discuss the New Mexico Youth Feeder Beef contest and the Ranch to Rail program. The contest helps young people learn about the commercial beef industry by raising a steer, taking it to Tucumcari for evaluation, and recording performance measurements. In its third year, this program offers participants prizes and scholarship opportunities.

The Ranch to Rail program allows cattle producers to evaluate their cattle's genetics during feeding without significant financial investment. Normally requiring a minimum of 90 heads sent to a feedyard at ranchers' cost, this program permits ranchers to bring three steers to Tucumcari for evaluation. Producers receive information on rate of gain, feed efficiency, cost of gain, and carcass trait data.

“Between the two programs, there are over 40 steers being fed at Tucumcari,” Ward said. “Several of the producers have made it a family affair where both themselves and their kids are participating in both programs. Members of the Tucumcari Bull Test station have played a key role in allowing these programs to take place.”

Beef is available for sale through both programs; interested parties can contact Ward at 575-644-3379.

Other topics discussed on the hay wagon tour will include alternative cropping systems for semi-arid environments from Murali Darapuneni, associate professor; sorghum forage and herbicide options from Mark Marsalis, research director and Extension forage specialist; biochar and manure applications for forage sorghum updates from Liman Abdullahi, graduate student; corn and cover crop intercropping for forage from Leonard Lauriault, research director and forage crop management scientist; and management practices for building soil health from John Idowu, Extension agronomy specialist. Dinner will be provided with an ice cream social following the tours.

“Our field day is meant to be a family event to expose our community to the value of agriculture and provide information to farmers and ranchers to help them in their ventures,” Lauriault said.

For additional information or if you require auxiliary aid or services due to disability to participate in the field day, contact the center at 575-461-1620 or tucumcar@nmsu.edu.