Category Archives: Life Extension

Welcome to a new job, Brad Stevens. Now negotiate how much Robert Williams III is potentially worth.

Thats at least one of Stevens many duties in the coming weeks and months as he shapes the Celtics roster to a contender. Its all about shaping the Cs to success around Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Williams, who was drafted in 2018, can sign an extension starting this offseason. Thats another challenge for Stevens. Williams holds seemingly all the potential in the world as Bostons center of the future, but his injury-prone career muddies up how much he can make an impact.

Of course, Williams isnt the only player whos looking for an extension. Marcus Smart is in a similar spot, entering the final year on his contract and searching for some long-term stability with the only franchise hes ever known.

Both players hold intriguing value, both on-court and in trade talks. Smarts an expiring contract while also being a valuable role player; that makes him a target from potentially interested executives.

Heres a look at Smart and Williams, along with how much they could be worth.

Marcus Smart

2021-22 salary: $14.3 million. Final year of a four-year, $52 million contract. Averaged a career-best 13.1 points and 5.7 assists per game last season.

One of the fortunate parts of Smarts future in Boston comes from Stevens promotion. Stevens is a big Smart advocate and sees his value beyond the on-court production, whether that be as a playmaker or defender. Newly-hired Celtics coach Ime Udoka appears to be in the same spot, adding Smart as one of the pillars of the team.

The Celtics are in a tricky spot with their salary cap. Overspending on Smart can hamstring their finances, just when they cleared it up with the Kemba Walker trade. Much of that future is dependent on if the Celtics re-sign Evan Fournier this summer, too. Bostons also looking to stay away from the repeater tax in the future.

Smarts likely looking for a modest raise while solidifying his near-future in Boston. Hes a bargain at his current salary, and a few more million on top should still mean a nice fit on the roster from a financial standpoint. If Smart creeps north of $19 million or so, then it could get costly.

But a slight overpay might still be worth it for the Celtics to retain Smart, their emotional leader. His tough, defensive-minded play should mesh well with Udoka, who earned his chops in the league with a similar style.

Smarts playmaking also becomes more valuable as the Celtics still search for some scoring and a point guard. He led Boston in assists last season and is a solid secondary playmaker, who can even slide in as the primary point guard. While the offseason is young and the Celtics do have some options Smart has some leverage there.

Robert Williams III

2021-22 salary: $3.6 million. Final year of a four-year, $9.3 million rookie contract. Averaged a career-best 8.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season.

Williams had easily the best year of his young pro life, playing a career-high 52 games last season despite the shortened schedule. Of course, he was still hampered by injuries which is the main knock on him. He set a franchise-playoff record with nine blocks in Game 1 against the Nets in the playoffs, then couldnt make an impact the rest of the series because of injury.

The Celtics were cautious with Williams all season, limiting minutes despite fans clamoring for more of the 23-year-old big man. Williams showcased some impressive playmaking ability as a passing big, which coupled well with his athleticism as he soared for high-flying lobs.

So whats the best route and salary for Williams? When hes on the court, hes a difference-maker who fits well with Tatum and Browns timelines. But it doesnt seem like Williams can consistently play a full, 82-game season throughout his career. The Celtics are most likely going to be cautious once again, limiting his playing time as he rarely goes above the 25-minute mark.

Williams is worth more than a $10 million salary pending his health. Thats what murks up all of the uncertainty. Theres also the chance both sides agree to a long-term deal thats not worth much, but secures the financial future for Williams.

Its a risk for the Celtics, but if Williams pans out then hell be on a bargain. Its a similar principle to when Boston recently gave Brown his contract, which looks like a steal as Brown ascended to his All-Star self last season. There are differing factors with Williams, but the risk could be worth it for the Celtics as they need at least a few breaks to get back into championship form.

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How much are Boston Celtics Marcus Smart, Robert Williams worth in contract extension talks? - masslive.com

Carlee Quinn| Chillicothe News

The Grundy County University of Missouri Extension Office has moved! It is now located inside the Green Hills Regional Planning Commission office located at 1104 Main St., in Trenton. We also have a new phone number! It is 660-359-5636. Our normal office hours are 8:30 a.m.,to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

How can our office benefit you, your family, your business, and your community? MU Extension staff can provide information about growing and preserving healthy food, building and growing profitable businesses, improving your overall health, developing better relationships, increasing agricultural production, and can provide professional training in business, health, and safety. Extension Agronomy Specialists can provide Private Pesticide Applicators training in order to obtain a Department of Agriculture license to apply chemicals on farm ground. Publications and MU Guides on numerous topics can be obtained from our office or on https://extension.missouri.edu/

Our office has a 4-H Youth Program Associate who can assist in enrolling children ages 5-18 into 4-H. Missouri 4-H is an active, dynamic organization of young people who are learning, growing and preparing to be leaders of today and tomorrow making a real difference in their community, country, and world. 4-H gives youth opportunities to gain leadership, citizenship, and life skills through fun and innovative hands-on activities. These youth can build friendships at camps, conferences, and events as well as club and project meetings. They can showcase their work and creations at the North Central Missouri Fair, county fairs, and Missouri State Fair.

If your farm fields, flower or vegetable garden, or yard needs the soil tested, our office manager can ensure the lab in Columbia receives your sample. We just need about a cup of soil collected about 6 inches deep. Soil sample results are typically received in two weeks. Stop by to see us if we cannot help you, we will locate an MU specialist who can!

Quinn is a County Engagement Specialist for the University of Missouri Extension.

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Grundy Co. Extension office has moved - Chillicothe Constitution Tribune

The Sims 4 is one of precious few PC games with a wide variety of mods and software-based customizations. Unfortunately, game mods can sometimes be fickle, either choosing when to work or being outright busted. In the case of The Sims 4 UI Cheats Extension, the mod will sometimes appear to work but not actually do anything. Heres what you can do to fix the problem.

If The Sims 4 UI Cheats Extension is not working, its probably because either the game or mod is out of date. To fix the problem, you need to make sure your copy of the UI Cheats Extension is compatible with your version of The Sims 4. Otherwise, it may be conflicting with another mod.

In most cases, this is a very simple fix. Each version of the UI Cheats Extension is designed to work with a specific version of The Sims 4. According to the UI Cheats Extension Patreon page, latest version 1.26 only works with The Sims 4 version 1.77.131. Maxis just released patch version 1.77.131.1030 earlier today, and while the update shouldnt break the extension, strange behavior may be possible.

To fix the problem, make sure your copy of The Sims 4 is completely up to date. Then, make sure youve installed the latest version of the UI Cheats Extension. Assuming you dont have any other mods or extensions causing interference, the mod should work as intended.

The extensions Patreon page also mentions this fix specifically, saying If you experience UI issues from this mod (such as missing interface, graphical or textual glitches on UI panels, freezing menus, etc.), it is always because there is a mismatch between your game version and the mod version.

In other words, the Sims 4 UI Cheats Extension wont work if the game and mod arent running compatible versions. Youll need the latest update to The Sims 4 and the UI Cheats Extension in order to fix the problem. Otherwise, you may be running into a conflict with one of your other game mods. For more help with Maxis popular life management game, check out our selection of The Sims 4 guides.

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The Sims 4 UI Cheats Extension not working fix - Game Revolution

More than one kid has wrapped the leg of their understanding pet, pretending to be a veterinarian. But to help move this game of pretending to a profession in later years, theTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Servicecreated the 4-H Veterinary Science Camps.

The goal of the 4-H Veterinary Science Camp is to provide experiential learning opportunities for students participating in theVeterinary Science Certificate Program, VSCP, where they can learn basic clinical skills for small animal and large animal veterinary medicine under the direction of a veterinarian.

More than 275 youth applied this year from 11 states and one territory for the opportunity to participate in one of the three-day camps, and only 75 spots were available, said Tyler Vogel, AgriLife Extensionprogram specialist in theDepartment of Animal Sciencewithin theCollege of Agriculture and Life Sciencesand one of the events facilitators.

These camps are an event that can provide hands-on veterinary experiences to those students who have said since they were 6 years old that they want to be a veterinarian when they grow up, said Susan Culp, DVM, AgriLife Extension veterinarian and event facilitator in the Department of Animal Science. These camps have given the kids, especially those from urban areas with little livestock experience, the opportunity to experience things that maybe they have never had the opportunity to experience. These kids desperately want the hands-on opportunities with animals.

Expanding the camp opportunities

The first camp was in 2014, when Joe Mask, Ph.D., the AgriLife Extension youth veterinary science specialist at the time, felt youth going through the certified veterinary assistant curriculum needed something more.

The first camp was hosted at Texas A&M University in conjunction with 4-H Roundup to allow the youth to go through the camp and then compete at the Skillathon. This path was followed for two years before a second camp was added at West Texas A&M University, WTAMU, in Canyon.

In 2018, Vogel was hired, allowing for the expansion and growth of the program. And in 2019, a third camp was planned in partnership with Christine Hoskinson, a licensed veterinary technician and assistant director for the Veterinary Technology Program at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

Christine hit the ground running, planning for the 2020 camp, but then COVID-19 happened, and the first camp that was scheduled there was canceled, Culp said. This year, we are holding all three camps for the first time: June 7-9 in Kingsville, June 14-16 at College Station and July 12-14 at WTAMU.

Camper selection

The camps are aimed at junior high and high school students, Vogel said. These students gain access to hands-on veterinary skills taught by industry leaders in education, animal science and veterinary medicine. Initially, they were only open to 4-Hers.

This year, though, he said they opened it to all students 13-18 years old and not just from Texas, as the camps are rapidly becoming a signature event and garnering far greater interest than camper spots available.

Because there is so much interest, weve developed a blind application process, and campers are selected and assigned to a camp, based on their answers to their questions, Vogel said. Its very objective to recognize the students who are very interested in the information and animal experience.

The camps are 90% veterinary science-focused, with the remainder being certifications in Beef Quality Assurance, BQA, and Pork Quality Assurance Plus, PQA Plus, he said.

We want these students to understand why we do the things we do. We also talk about animal welfare and animal rights; the goal is to make sure these kids know why these are important issues, what the truth is, and how they can help defend against misinformation.

Skills learned in the 4-H Veterinary Science CampStudents attending camp deal with a variety of animals, including livestock and smaller animals, Vogel said.

When studying cattle, they learn about chute safety, cattle handling, physical exams, dystocia, pulling calves, large animal instruments and when and how they are used. The equine portion discusses how to safely interact with horses, stalls, leg bandaging, physical exams, aging and injections.

When students move to the small animal side of things, the camp uses stuffed animals to allow them to learn how to interact with clients, ask the right questions, conduct physical exams, use small animal instrumentation, and discuss fecal examinations and why they are necessary.

In addition to the three-day overnight camps, two one-day camps were offered in El Paso on June 30 and July 1 that attracted another 59 youth.

This is the first time that we are expanding our footprint out to the El Paso area, Culp said. The one-day camps provide both large and small animal experience and veterinary skills lessons, but also offer a different keynote speaker each day, focusing on advocacy and leadership.

Culp said that the reception from the entire El Paso veterinary medical community has been overwhelmingly positive, and she hopes that they can return to El Paso every year, possibly even offering more opportunities in the future.

Determining a path forward

These camps can help youth make better-informed decisions about a career path in the veterinary profession, and it helps them make that decision sooner, Culp said.

These camps are so formative to the participants lives. We wish we had the staffing to offer 10 or more veterinary science camps every year, as the demand is certainly there.

By Kay Ledbetter with AgriLife Today here.

Photo: Outdoor pen and chute-side discussion at the 4-H Veterinary Science Camp on June 15 in College Station. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Sam Craft)

Likeand followMyParisTexas.comonFacebook, and share this story Reporting local news in Paris and Lamar County, Texas.

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Youth step into the world of a veterinarian AgriLife Extension camps give 'hands-on' experience to future professionals - MyParisTexas.com

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14 July 2021

-Victorian State Government extends financing ofJJIPO@Monashfor an additional two years

-Extension will further boost Victorian hub for researchers and early-stage companies to connect with industry experts and deliver novel healthcare solutions

MELBOURNE, Australia,July 15, 2021/PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson Innovation announced today the extension of the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office at Monash University'sClayton CampusinMelbourne(JJIPO@Monash) in collaboration with the Victorian State Government.

This joint initiative between Johnson & Johnson Innovation, the Victorian Government and Monash University will be extended for approximately two years throughJune 30, 2023. The agreement will allowJJIPO@Monashto continue connecting with the Victorian innovation ecosystem, nurturing and accelerating innovative research, new product development and commercialisation for a global market, as well as boost local job creation inVictoria.

"Our collaboration with Monash University represents Johnson & Johnson Innovation's ongoing commitment to foster diverse healthcare ecosystems acrossAustralia. This extension will further help connect life-science innovators inVictoriato accelerate their healthcare solutions across the globe," saidStacy Feld, Regional Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC,West North America,Australia&New Zealand.

Since 2012, Johnson & Johnson Innovation has played an active role in establishing connections with key stakeholders in theAustralialife-science ecosystem, including academia, government and venture capitalists, to enable public-private collaboration and support early-stage entrepreneurs and academic researchers.JJIPO@Monashwas originally launched in 2018 to provide crucial support to researchers and companies in the Victorian life-science sector as part of the Government's commitment to the medical technologies and pharmaceuticals sector one of eight priority growth sectors. The public-private partnership between Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Monash University and the Victorian Government is one of only three such offices located across the world.

"Victoriahas one of the world's largest life science clusters composed of medical technologies (medtech), biotechnologies and pharmaceutical industries. It's home to a vibrant commercial sector, key R&D infrastructure and advanced manufacturing expertise making it a highly sought-after destination by global healthcare companies," saidJaala Pulford, Minister for Innovation, Parliament ofVictoria. "This is why we are delighted to extend our joint agreement with Johnson & Johnson Innovation to maintain the partnering office at Monash."

"This contract extension demonstrates the valuable work that is taking place atJJIPO@Monash," saidKathy Connell, Senior Director, Early Innovation Partnering, Australia&New Zealand, Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd. "Several high impact Victorian healthcare collaborations have been signed since our launch, including those novel medical technologies and treatments for neurodegenerative and autoimmune conditions, and solutions for significant unmet needs in global public health including maternal mortality and infectious diseases."

Since its inception in 2018,JJIPO@Monashhas provided a platform for major life-science collaboration inVictoriato strengthen the healthcare ecosystem and enable future impact, including:

Monash University Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Senior Vice-President (Enterprise & Governance), ProfessorKen Sloan, said the contract extension will further raiseVictoria'sreputation as a global innovation hot spot.

"This partnership is helping to bridge the gap between academic research and industry application by driving cross-industry conversations, leading to project innovations and investment. I am excited to see what we will achieve in this new phase," said Professor Sloan.

JJIPO@Monashprovides mentoring, training and networking with emerging healthcare companies and academic researchers at no financial cost to life science stakeholders acrossVictoriato help nurture the next generation of innovators. Commercialisation training, mentoring and networking support is provided to accelerate translational life science research along the path to commercialisation and to connect Victorian innovators with stakeholders from Johnson & Johnson Innovation's vast global networks. These activities are part of Johnson & Johnson Innovation's ongoing commitment to strengthenVictoria'shealthcare innovation ecosystem and to accelerating the opportunity for locally developed technologies to receive investment dollars, to reach patients faster, and to realize a fair return on investment.

The Victorian Government's renewed financial support will continue to strengthen the partnership. The program of activities offered throughJJIPO@Monashwill ensure Johnson & Johnson Innovation has an ongoing and active presence inVictoriaand will continue to build a commercially viable bio-medtech innovation network, create sector employment and ultimately deliver Victorian-originated healthcare solutions to people inAustraliaand around the world.

Originally posted here:

Johnson & Johnson Innovation announces extension of innovation partnering office at Monash University in collaboration with Victorian State...

Image: American Principles Project

On Monday, an interesting new tool called Big Tech Funding went live on the Chrome Web Store. The browser extension allows Twitter users to see disclosures on the profiles and tweets of users who "are affiliated with think tanks, academic centers, and advocacy groups that are funded by Big Tech, but many users are unlikely to realize that its being funded by far-right political operatives.

Behind the project is a far-right advocacy group funded by dark money known as the American Principles Project, which has the main goal "to make the family the most powerful, well-represented special interest group in Washington, D.C." To that end, the organization supports a variety of family-oriented political objectives like opposing Black Lives Matter, abortion access, LGBTQ rights, the bogeyman of critical race theory, and more.

The extension appends peoples Twitter profiles with a disclaimer: "Disclosure: This person is affiliated with an organization funded by, followed by the organizations theyre purportedly involved with. Most of the people sharing the tool online initially were not aware of the connection to the American Principles Project.

The extension relies on publicly-available data sources, compiled by staff at American Principles Project, including company funding disclosures, nonprofit annual reports, IRS documents, and news stories. The information is available in aggregate at BigTechFunding.org, the apps store page notes.

The American Principles Project did not immediately respond to Motherboards request for comment.

Big Tech Funding is the latest example of how right-wing interests have glommed on to criticism of large tech companies, albeit usually because of concerns over supposed censorship of conservatives rather than the many substantive issues pointed out by progressives and the left over the years. Indeed, while politicians like Republican Senator Jim Jordan decry the power of Big Tech companies, they also throw a fit and descend into conspiracies when someone (i.e. FTC Chair Lina Khan) tries to address the real issues around competition.

The American Principles Projects other interests read like a laundry list of current fixations of the conspiratorial right-wing. For example, the organization claims that Black Lives Matter was a rhetorical Trojan horse that was injecting dangerous ideas into the country and fomenting revolution.

"Black Lives Matter isn't about saving Black livesit's about staging a political and cultural revolution," one report by the group reads. "It's about shredding the Constitution and overthrowing our Republican form of government. It's about abolishing the rule of law and replacing it with an identiarian race-based caste system."

The organizations stances on other issues, such as abortion, are no more measured. "I am personally opposed to killing abortionists," founder Robert P. George wrote as a contribution to a 1994 symposium titled Killing Abortionists. "However, inasmuch as my personal opposition to this practice is rooted in a sectarian (Catholic) religious belief in the sanctity of human life, I am unwilling to impose it on others who may, as a matter of conscience, take a different view. George goes on with a tongue-in-cheek contribution that compares abortion to the murder of doctors who perform abortions.

In September, ahead of the general election, the group and its PAC proudly announced a $4 million ad campaign aimed at exposing the "transgender radicalism" of Democratic candidates. Three digital ads were released this week in Michigan drawing attention to Joe Bidens and Sen. Gary Peters support for policies which would allow biological males to compete in womens sports and push children into dangerous, life-altering sex-change sterilization procedures at young ages, said a press release by the group at the time.

The group is also concerned about another popular bogeyman for conspiracy-minded right-wingers: the proliferation of critical race theory. It endorsed Tom Cotton's Stop CRT Act which would stop federal funding for schools that "promote CRT" or "compel its adoption" as well as stop federal agencies or contractors from "indoctrinating employees in CRT."

CRT is a pernicious ideology which holds that Americans should not look at each other as equals but rather see one another as fundamentally different, with some being oppressors and others victims based on the color of their skin, said APP president Terry Schilling in a statement. And it also denies that Americas founding ideals were truly central to our country, instead telling us that the U.S. was and still is an inherently racist society.

Why is a group like this so keen on speaking out about Big Tech? As it turns out, most of the groups opposition to Big Tech has pertained to concerns about Big Tech censorship of conservativesspecifically by reforming Section 230. We have yet to see from this group, or really any major right-wing network, a condemnation of monopolies in and of themselves except those that are great rhetorical targets.

Take the telecom industry, which is largely dominated by anti-competitive firms that wield their enormous power to kill public alternatives, hijack prices, lay off scores of workers, and generally degrade the quality of their products and services. The telecom industry routinely engages in this exact behaviour. As attention has fixated on the perils of social media and big tech mergers, wave upon wave of anti-competitive, price-hiking telecom mergers have sailed through the bipartisan approval process, telecom reporter Karl Bode wrote for Motherboard in 2019. A few examples: Comcasts superunion with NBC, Spectrums acquisition of Time Warner Cable, AT&Ts acquisition of DirecTV, or T-Mobiles looming merger with Sprint.

In fact, in its press release announcing the new tool, the group's top lobbyist, Jon Schweppe, reiterated that the groups main point of contention is supposed censorship of conservatives.

Last fall, powerful Big Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google waged an all-out attack on our democracy by suppressing news stories, banning users, blocking advertisements, and manipulating algorithms to promote one political party over another, Schweppe said in a statement. America wont survive long if large swaths of our population are cheated out of participation in the public square. At this point, reining[sic] in Big Tech needs to be a litmus test in the Republican Partyif youre not with us, youre against us.

Given the sort of society American Principles Project is fighting fora deeply reactionary, exclusionary, and bigoted oneits hard to imagine why anyone should want to be with the us they claim to be fighting for.

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A Right-Wing Dark Money Group Created This 'Big Tech Funding' Chrome Extension - VICE

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service| Runnels County Register

Runnels County Texas A&M Extension Service Agent Marty Vahlenkamp says that he has received calls regarding Army Worms starting to show up:

"I just received a call from a homeowner and from what he described it sounded like he has Army Worms. I had heard a report from other areas of Texas where they were seeing them. This is the first I have seen or heard in Runnels County. With the cooler temperatures and wet weather we have seen (more Fall like) I would encourage people to be on the lookout for them. If they are observed in a lawn homeowners should treat immediately. They generally will not kill a lawn, but will make it look bad for a while.

The below article on Army Worms was written by Chris Sansone, Rick Minzemayer, and Mike Merchant Extension Entomologists, Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Armyworm outbreaks are difficult to predict but infestations seem to occur in portions of the state every year especially after early fall rains. Common species of armyworms present in Texas include: the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda; the yellowstriped armyworm, Spodoptera ornithogalli; the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua; and the true armyworm, Mythimna (=Pseudaletia) unipuncta. The fall armyworm is the insect that causes the most problems in golf courses and home landscapes.

Biology

The fall armyworm has four life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The fall armyworm has not shown the ability to diapause so its ability to survive winter depends on the severity of the temperature. The fall armyworm does overwinter in the southern regions of Texas in the pupal stage. The adult is a moth that migrates northward as temperatures increase in the spring. Armyworm eggs and larvae are also sometimes transported from one part of the state to another on grass sod intended for residential and commercial turf.

The adult fall armyworm moth has a wingspan of about 1.5 in. The hind wings are white; the front wings are dark gray, mottled with lighter and darker splotched. On male moths each forewing has a noticeable whitish spot near the extreme tip.

Eggs are very small, white laid in clusters of 50 or more and are covered with grayish, fuzzy scales from the body of the female moth. The eggs are seldom seen and are laid at the base of appropriate host plants.

Larvae hatch from the eggs and when full-crown larvae are green, brown, or black and about 1 to 1.5 in. long when full grown. The larva has a dark head capsule usually marked with a pale, but distinct, inverted Y. Along each side of its body is a longitudinal, black stripe, and along the middle of its back is a wider, yellowish-gray stripe with four black dots on each segment. The larvae have five stages or instars and usually hide in debris on the soil surface in the middle of the day. When full grown, larvae will enter the soil and form the pupal stage. Adult moths emerge from pupae. Moths mate and lay eggs, thus starting the life cycle over again. Lush plant growth is preferred by the adults for egg laying.

Several generations (A generation is the development from egg to adult stage.) occur each year and typically the life cycle from egg to adult takes 28 days. The life cycle can be extended if cooler temperatures occur and can last up to several months. Armyworms in the spring and summer occur in more distinct groups than later in the season. Fall populations of larvae often blend together several generations and may appear to be continually occurring.

When feeding, larvae strip foliage and then move to the next available food. High populations appear to march side by side to the new food. Thus, the name armyworms has been applied.

Armyworms attack many different kinds of plants. When food is scarce, they will move to plants that are not normally attacked. Thus, armyworms can be found on nearly any plant as they migrate in search of edible foliage. Besides warm-season turfgrasses, plants attacked by armyworms include grain and forage sorghum, corn, small grains, sweet potato, beans, turnip, clover, tobacco, spinach, cucumber, potatoes, tomatoes, cowpeas, cabbage, bluegrass and others.

Damage consists of foliage consumption. The small larvae will chew the green layer from the leaves and leave a clearing or window pane effect. The first three instars do very little feeding while the last two instars consume 85% of the total foliage consumed.

Although armyworms outbreaks are memorable when they occur, in reality, the outbreaks are usually small in scope. Weather and multiple natural enemies usually act together to keep populations under control. Parasites such as wasps and flies are very effective against armyworms. Predators, such as ground beetles, are also effective in limiting outbreaks. Birds, skunks and rodents also consume large numbers of larvae and pupae. Diseases such as insect viruses and fungi can also be important.

Sometimes weather conditions occur that favor armyworms. High egg survival of fall armyworms is favored by above-average rains in August and September. Because armyworm moths are strong fliers, outbreaks can also occur when storms move the moths and allow them to escape natural enemies. Armyworms should be controlled when they occur in large numbers or plant damage is becoming excessive.

Armyworms should be controlled when they occur in large numbers or plant damage is becoming excessive. This will be apparent in turfgrass by examining the grass blades. Damaged areas of lawns appear off-color and eventually turn brown as damage progresses from small windowpane strips of damaged leaf tissue to destruction of entire leaves. Armyworms feed any time of the day or night, but are most active early in the morning or late in the evening.

Treat with a labeled insecticide when leaf damage becomes evident and large numbers of caterpillars are visible. Effective, low-impact insecticides include halofenozide (small caterpillars only) and spinosad. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) products are widely available and will selectively control small armyworm larvae without harm to beneficial insects; however, Bt residues does not last on turf for more than 1-2 days. Conventional insecticide choices for armyworms in lawns include bifenthrin, carbaryl, esfenvalerate, permethrin and others.

For more information about armyworms in agriculture, refer to Extension fact sheet B-1220, Managing Insect and Mite Pests of Texas Sorghum; B-1251, Managing Insect and Mite Pests of Small Grains; B-1401, Integrated Pest Management Guide for Texas Forage Crops.These publications, and help with additional questions about armyworms or other pest problems, can be obtained by contacting your county Extension office.

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Armyworms starting to appear; what you need to know - Runnels County Register

Throughout my studies in school, there were a handful of a-ha moments. For me, that was when I learned that plants have a budget. Instead of cash and bitcoins, theirs was measured (mostly) in water and energy. With this historic year of drought, a plant should make smart gambles, or its budget and life will shrivel.

Using what senses they have, plants make educated guesses about the situation. Unlike animals, a plant cannot walk to Lake Tetonka to take a drink. During this unprecedented drought, a plant must increase its odds where it is sown.

Often there is plenty of sun during drought. If left unchecked, photosynthesis can get out of control, using all the water the plant is trying to squirrel away. Just like us humans, plants need water for other things. So, one goal of many plants is to slow photosynthesis down, often by closing stomata. These stomata allow gases needed to make energy move in and out of the plant. When stomata close, water vapor also stops flowing out, helping the plant somewhat. A plant may also increase or at least maintain its root systemusually at the expense of leaves. Obviously, slowing photosynthesis causes issues, such as reduced growth. Yet, depending on the cards the plant is dealt, playing conservative and taking a hit in the future might pay off.

You have probably seen examples of a plant toning down photosynthesis in other ways. Corn was the easiest to spot this summer. When under drought stress, corn leaves seem to curl and stiffen rather than simply wilt. This curling process limits the sunlit area of the leaf, which puts a lid on photosynthesis. Within the curl, the air tends to be more humid too, preventing more water loss by wind.

However, a few species might decide to cash in their chips and sprint to the finish line. Also known as drought escapers, these plants live fast. By accelerating flower growth, drought escapers aim to get at least a few of their seeds in the ground before dying. Many annual flowers in the desert practice this, and even crops such as wheat can be bred to act more like a drought escaper.

Other plants plan for longer periods of dryness and have evolved ways to cope. Common purslane, for example, is living its best life right now. If you notice a rubbery, creeping weed with yellow flowers driving you nuts in your yard, chances are it is purslane. This plants fleshy leaves store water for later use, sort of like a cactus. Purslane can also choose between two types of photosynthesis, one better for harsh drought and another perfect for typical summer days. Because of this flexibility, purslane can save water and still grow, giving it a leg up on its wilting neighbors.

Whether a plant holds its cards, goes big, or has an ace up its sleeve, plants can have multiple strategies to survive. We will see who comes out on top this dry year.

Shane Bugeja is the extension educator for Blue Earth and Le Sueur counties Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources.

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Le Sueur County Extension: Plants need to make right bets to survive drought - Southernminn.com

Many hog buildings are starting to show their age, but focusing on regular maintenance could stretch out their shelf life.

Brian Dougherty, Extension ag engineer with Iowa State University in eastern Iowa, says many confinement buildings were constructed in the 1990s and have out-lived their predicted life span.

But he says areas like roof erosion should be addressed as soon as possible.

The pit fans send gas into the eaves opening, and when that condenses on steel, it causes corrosion, Dougherty says. Thats a very standard design issue with a lot of buildings.

Dougherty collaborated with other ag engineers to produce five publications that offer tips on how to properly maintain buildings.

Another potential problem is the re-circulation of undesirable gases during periods of minimum ventilation in winter. The ventilation fans pull the gases out, but these gases can often recirculate through the soffits, causing premature damage to the facility roof. One solution is to close the soffit air intakes and install new air intakes on the gable end of the facility.

Putting a large opening on the gable end is going to send in quite a bit of fresh air, Dougherty says.

Another area to check is concrete slats. Dougherty stays many of those slats are also deteriorating.

They are cracking, or you have re-bar exposed, he says. Those slats could collapse and send everything into the pit.

Dougherty says in some case, concrete piers built under the slats were not properly centered, causing one area to bear more of the weight burden than others, and thereby resulting in some cracks.

He suggests the use of an inspection camera that can be placed under the slat to check for damage. Dougherty says the camera can be operated with a smart phone.

Despite their age, some buildings remain in great shape even after three decades of service, says Kapil Arora, ISU Extension ag engineer in central Iowa. He says the rapid rise in the cost of building materials will likely prompt producers to extend building life as long as possible.

One area to address is ventilation. Arora says inlets need to be checked regularly, especially if they are part of an automatic system.

Some are going to get stuck. You want proper air circulation and no dead spots, he says.

Arora says all aspects of the ventilation system should be checked regularly, including curtains and fans.

As the ventilation needs go up, those multiple stage fans should be kicking in, he says. You need to keep an eye on them.

ISUs publications are free of charge and available to download for future use. They may be found online at https://bit.ly/3xI3jQU:

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Focus on maintenance to increase hog building life - Clinton Herald

AUSTIN (KXAN) An infestation of hungry caterpillars, also known as the armyworm, is invading a Leander neighborhood.

Whenever I was walking across the grass to go across the yard I noticed the grass was dying, which surprised me because we put a lot into the yard, then my eyes adjusted and I noticed on every single blade of grass there was a worm, said Katherine Gonzales, who lives in the Larkspur neighborhood.

These caterpillars dont do too much damage when they are small and just a few of them, but when they grow to about an inch and a half and a lot of them, they can devastate plant life in your yard or garden.

Usually, infestations take place in late summer or early fall, but the weather can play a big part. Experts say the rain can help with egg survival and it can also delay predators from feeding on the eggs.

The good thing is we have a lot of predators which are going to help us with a lot of this stuff, said Wizzie Brown, an entomologist with Texas A&M Agri Life Extension Service. It can be anything from small animals like armadillos, or skunks, or things like that which would be eating the caterpillars. We also have various insect predators like ground beetles.

Texas A&M scientists declared war on the fall armyworms back in February. A professor there received nearly $500,000 to track these worms behaviors and genomic traits, and that way they can learn to control the pests. The project will last three years.

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Armyworm infestation hits Leander neighborhood, experts say wet weather may be to blame - KXAN.com