The importance of fly management, utilizing drones to spay crops and the advantages and disadvantages of aerial seeding cover crops all were issues discussed during the August 16 Kansas Livestock Association/Kansas State University Ranch Management Field Day. Nearly 100 attended the event, which was hosted by Newland Farms near Thayer.
Cassandra Olds, assistant professor of veterinary entomology at K-State, gave an overview of the economic damage caused by flies due to blood loss in cattle, a decline in production, hide damage and the transmission of pathogens. Olds said stable flies, horn flies and face flies often are the focus of control measures, but house flies have proven to be equally concerning.
“If you think about these house flies and how they move throughout the day, they come into contact with a lot of different surfaces that are otherwise geographically separated,” she said. “They can feed on the animal feed, land on the animals themselves, move to the water areas and feed on the manure. This gives them the chance to pick up and move bacteria from all these different places.”
Olds explained that good sanitation is essential for control as Kansas has some of the most chemical-resistant house fly populations in the U.S. This can include making sure feeding sites are kept clean and having a sound manure management program in place. Olds said getting rid of the adult flies is important, but getting rid of the places where they breed is more important.
Alex Bennett with Agri Spray Drones was on hand to provide a demonstration of how drone technology can be used for pasture and crop spraying. He said using drones for application can be a cheaper option. The T30 sprayer drone Bennett had on hand would support 100 lbs. of fluid and spray about 30 to 35 acres per hour. It also requires little to no maintenance and can be used to spot spray.
In addition, a panel discussion was held on the use of aerial seeding for cover crops. This topic will be covered more in-depth in the October issue of the Kansas Stockman. The field day was sponsored by the Farm Credit Associations of Kansas and Huvepharma.
