Effectiveness of Tronador to Control Brittlebush in Buffelgrass Pastures at Central Sonora, México

Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.) is an introduced species which is planted in low productive semi-arid rangelands in northern Mexico to increase productivity and ranchers profit. Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) is a native half size shrub of low forage value that invades buffelgrass stands. Buffelgrass pastures lose productivity as brittlebush densities increase. Once brittlebush infestations occur plant densities do not decline unless brush control practices are applied. Mechanical treatments are mainly used when grass seeding is needed. Prescribed burning and manual control as well as granular herbicides have resulted on good plant control. Most liquid herbicides are either not as effective for plant control or not economically feasibles. Tronador is a new released herbicide but no data is available for its use. This study was conducted to evaluate several doses of Tronador to control brittlebush infestations and measure buffelgrass forage responses

Vegetation Changes Following Biosolids Applications at an Old Boer Lovegrass Pasture in Northern Sonora, México

Short grass prairies (Bouteloua-Aristida) are the main vegetation type in northern Sonora, México, however, factors such as land fragmentation, overgrazing, severe droughts and lack of infrastructure in most ranches poor grazing management has caused land degradation. Boer lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula var. conferta) is an introduced species planted to increase productivity on deteriorated rangelands. Forage production with Boer lovegrass increases two to three fold as compared to native grasses after range seeding but productivity declines as stands become old. Biosolids have been recognized as a useful soil amendment and source of nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter and other nutrients, which can enhance soil physical properties as well as plant yield (US Environmental Protection Agency 1999, Kinney et al. 2006). These organic compounds of human origins may play an important role in rangelands increasing soil fertility, however data do not exist to justify its use in México. This study was conducted to evaluate forage responses of old Boer lovegrass stands to biosolids applications

Incidencia y costo de la Mastitis en un establo del Municipio de Santa Ana, Sonora

With the objective to know the mastitis cost for milk producer, was developed this study, with duration of a year in a milk farm of the North region of Sonora. The cost of the clinical and subclinical mastitis was estimated, taking into account the milk production, treatment costs and commercial milk value. The information was recorded monthly, the incidence of subclinical mastitis was obtained using California MastitisTest (CMT) and clinical mastitis incidence was obtained from farm health records. Was an incidence average of 18,3% of subclinical mastitis, whereas the incidence of the clinical form of mastitis was of 5,35%. The average monthly cost of each animal with mastitis was $185.40; altogether the mastitis had a cost of$30.966,34 annually, corresponding $12.470,75 (40,3$18.459,59 (59,7%) to clinical mastitis. Diseases total cost represents a third part of annually obtained milk production in the milk farm

LA PRECIPITACIÓN PLUVIAL Y LA PRODUCCIÓN BOVINA EN SONORA

Statistical information of diverse official sources with respect to rain was revised and factors of productivity of the system bovine meat in the state of Sonora, Mexico, for the period from 1999 to 2008. Nine variables were analyzed statistically to obtain the Coefficient of Correlation(CC), using the package SPSS, Version 12. The variables were: 1. rain in mm, 2. number of heads produced, 3. volume of meat production in tons, 4. value of the production in thousands pesos, 5. price of the carcass in pesos by kilogram, 6. weight of the carcass in kilograms, 7. number of calves exported, 8. number of heifer exported and 9. price average in US dollars by pound of it exported; all the variables were expressed considering the rain of each with the productive parameters of the following year during the period. The variable rain and number of heifer exported they were the unique significant with CC=0.664. It is concluded that in the years of the period analyzed, to greater annual rain a greater number of heifer was reflected they exported to the following year