As harvest winds down, now is the time for farmers to walk their fields, take stock of what worked this year, and start planning for next. For producers in both the crop and livestock sectors, that means taking the extra steps to improve pest management and reduce the impact of animal diseases.
Extend Late-Season Crop Harvest with Insecticide Application
Experts like Curtis Rainbolt, a technical service representative at BASF, pay close attention to pest management strategies, which is especially important in the seasonal transition to winter. Rainbolt says while farmers face plenty of financial challenges, some areas cannot be compromised.
“Unlike resistance in weeds, which can be a little bit easier to spot, it’s a little harder to tell with insects because they move in and move out,” Rainbolt said. “It’s not quite as obvious. So, if you dive back into what happened last season, what your applications were, maybe something you’ve been using successfully for multiple seasons, but it just wasn’t quite right. Take note of that, and that may be a potential case of insecticide resistance.”
Rainbolt says growers who used insecticides with unique modes of action will close out 2025 with healthier plants and an extended harvest window.
“Even in a depressed market, quality is something that growers can still benefit from,” he said. “Growing a crop that’s of the highest quality, has a nice size profile, so using some of our better insecticides can help with that as well.”
Managing Animal Diseases in Pig Shows
Livestock producers are also taking precautions to fight disease, amid growing concerns about swine traceability. The National Pork Board (NPB) said it is working to limit the number of animals affected by foreign animal diseases, but warns that show pigs remain at higher risk.
“I mean, show pig producers move a lot of pigs, a lot of pigs individually, in small groups, which is different from the commercial guys,” said NPB Director of Swine Health Brent Pepin. “Because the same pig might go to multiple locations, if there’s ever sort of an issue or a disease issue, that pig could have multiple contacts, and we need to be able to figure out where those contacts are, for the protection of our whole swine industry.”
NPB is working to improve traceability efforts through cooperative agreements with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute Radio Frequency Identity (RFID) technology to exhibition sites.
“Up to four handheld RFID readers,” Pepin explained. “They can utilize it for checking pigs into their exhibition sites. It’s a very good opportunity to start making it easier to check pigs into the show. First of all, it decreases the amount of time you have to spend looking at each individual pig’s ID in their ear. You can just scan their RFID for you to tag. You can pull up the individual animal number. You can send them on their way to get through the check-in process.”
The Pork Board is also working to address a gap in the traceability of cull sows. Producers are encouraged to take advantage of these programs while funds remain available through September.
From Junior Heifer Shows to Mustang Magic competitions, the 23-day event brings together 4-H and FFA participants, livestock enthusiasts, and families to celebrate North Texas’ rich Western heritage.
