Author: Jon Harp

In the wake of the pandemic, though the extension office has been closed to the general public, Horticulture Agent Drew Jeffers has responded by moving his programs to virtual, as well as answering stakeholder calls and emails remotely. Drew has answered 757 phone call and email client questions between March 2020 and October 2020 and has performed 34 site visits for government and residential clients. Over the past 7 Months, Jeffers has conducted a total of 19 webinars, produced 10 quick tip Facebook videos, and held 2 online self-paced courses, reaching a grand total 4,648 people.

Landscape management firms need access to research backed training. A team of extension agents led by Horticulture Agent, Drew Jeffers, worked for just over a year to develop a comprehensive, online training course. The South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional Online Program (SCCLP) is designed to give landscape professionals an avenue for convenient training and continuing education. The program aims to help landscape professionals set themselves apart as individuals going above and beyond to make sure they deliver high-quality service and accurate knowledge. Upon completion, the participant will receive a certificate with their certification number, a logo embroidered shirt, and a vehicle magnet. Once certified, the professionals will have to maintain this certification by completing continuing education credit hours. There are also additional courses available for professionals to go beyond the initial certification and receive additional training. The SCCLP website,  provides not only information about the course, but also a listing of SCCLP certification holders. Homeowners will be able to verify credentials and search for a certification holder that may be in their area. The course was launched as pilot in mid Spring 2020, with 32 participants and a 100% completion rate. The Fall 2020 Course has a total 92 registrants and is expected to have a 100 % completion rate. Registration is now open for the Spring 2021 course.

Jeff Fellers has adapted his programming to the COVID -19 situation. In addition to Spartanburg, Fellers also covers Newberry, Union, Cherokee, York, Chester, and Lancaster counties. Fellers has helped 316 people via phone calls,  emails, and site visits, impacting 3,907 acres for forest and pond management. Fellers has produced 50 videos, housed on the Union County Facebook Page, reaching a total of 57,704 people as of the time of this article, with an average of 2,219 people per video. Fellers has also conducted webinars, providing educational outreach to nearly 60 participants (See list below for details).

· May 22, 2020 – Wildlife Food Plot 101 – 8 Participants
· August 25, 2020 – Virtual Forestry Association Meeting – Fall   Food plots – 50+ participants
· October 27, 2020 – Virtual Forestry Association meeting – Privet Control – Participants TBA

The warm weather has many Cherokee county residents preparing fields, lawns, and gardens for spring. Let Clemson Extension help you make this the most productive season. We offer various sampling and testing services to help you grow the best lawn, tomato, or herd of cattle. While we provide analyses of surface water, plants, poultry litter, feed, and forage, our most popular test is soil sampling. Whether you plant a raised bed or hundreds of acres of soybeans, sampling can prescribe the correct amount of fertilizer or soil amendment to help the plant reach its full potential. Without a test, it’s just a guess. Guessing at the amount of fertilizer or lime is poor practice. Excess nitrogen and phosphorous runoff cause algae bloom and many other issues that have been demonstrated to have serious impacts on our environment, human health, and economy.

Of course, soil sampling requires planning ahead to allow shipment and processing of the samples. Most of the year, the lab can process samples in 5 days, but it can take as much as 10 to 14 days during peak season. So plan on getting by the office soon to get your samples sent off. For your convenience, we added a drop box at the front door of the county administration building. There you will find the soil sample bags and forms. Standard soil samples are $6 and payable by check or card. Soil samples may be dropped off Monday through Friday 8:30 to 5; all other samples must be scheduled. For more information on the dropbox, call the office (864.489.3141) or contact the Home and Garden Information Center at 1-888-656-9988 for more information on sampling and other garden questions. Follow this link for a how-to video on collecting a soil sample.

https://hgic.clemson.edu/how-to-take-a-soil-sample/

Christopher LeMaster
Livestock and Forage Agent
Cherokee, Spartanburg, Union, and York
Clemson Cooperative Extension Service
clemast@clemson.edu

Chris LeMaster, Livestock & Forage Agent

Mud is a universal issue among all species of livestock, and South Carolina’s mild winters and heavy rainfall contribute to its abundance. While mud is not unique to winter, it is usually a greater concern during periods of heavy feeding. Join us on March 18th from 12 to 12:45 to discuss the challenges of mud as it relates to animal health and nutrition, as well as issues with pasture and soil damage. You must register to attend this free, virtual event.

Animals use more energy standing and moving across soft muddy ground than hardened or dry surfaces. The increased difficulty of traveling through the mud for feed and water has a compounding effect by decreasing intake and increasing energy requirements, which can decrease animal performance up to 25%. This can affect the profitability of production animals such as cattle. The Alberta Feedlot Management guide reports cattle standing in four to eight inches of mud can experience an 8% to 15% decrease in feed intake and a 14% decrease in daily gains. In hock-deep mud of twelve to twenty-four inches, expect a reduction of 30% in feed intake and a 25% decrease in daily gains. Muddy conditions also reduce the animal’s ability to maintain critical body temperature. Mud-caked coats reduce insulation and thereby increase energy demands to maintain core body temperatures, which have negative effects both in summer and winter. These environmental stressors can decrease the animal’s immune response and predispose it to infections such as foot rot. Additionally, muddy conditions can lead to abscesses, poor udder hygiene, increased calf sickness, and calving problems. For equine, slick conditions can increase the risk of injury.

Congregation and high traffic areas around gates, feeding, or watering areas are the most difficult areas to keep free of mud. These heavy-use areas are often over-grazed, exposing bare ground that is further devastated by hoof traffic and feeding machinery. Furthermore, the standing pressure of cattle and horses, at 27 pounds per square inch (psi), is twice that of a human at 14 psi, whereas tractors place 175 psi on the soil. Many South Carolina soils can withstand pressures up to 28 psi when dry but will quickly weaken when wet.

Allowing livestock to graze wet pastures can crush and bruise plants while damaging soil structure. Treading damage from grazing livestock exposes bare soil, increases compaction, and reduces soil infiltration rates. Compaction in the soil further reduces plant and root growth, the water-holding capacity of the soil, and infiltration rates compounding the poor drainage issues in the pasture. Bare soil also increases the risk of erosion and nutrient run-off. Research in New Zealand documented a 50% to 64% reduction in spring pasture productivity following wet winter treading damage.

Unfortunately, there is no “silver bullet” solution to managing mud; however, there is a systems approach requiring many small changes to your operation and feeding practices. View Clemson’s Land-Grant Press article for more information, references for data in this blog, and mitigation recommendations.  Some of these recommendations can (and should be) implemented immediately, however many require dry weather and time to get satisfactory results.

Like many things in 2020, 4-H had to find a new way to operate. In March, we learned how to continue with 4-H programming even though we could not host the in-person, face-to-face meetings that we were used to doing. To begin tackling this new way of operating, Midlands 4-H agents, which I was a part of, developed 4-H@Home program. 4-H@Home was a free program where registered participants received free daily lessons electronically. These lessons were created by myself and fellow 4-H agents. We also peer-reviewed them and ensured they would work for youth of all ages. These daily lessons covered many different topics and could be completed in or around the participants’ homes with minimal supplies. The daily lessons began on March 18th and ended on May 29th. Registered youth continued to receive one lesson a month until August. This program reached over 2,400 individuals worldwide, youth from every county in South Carolina, with over 50 participants in Edgefield County.

This was just the start of all the great things we developed to continue with 4-H through COVID-19. Instead of traditional summer camps, 4-H agents again got creative and developed summer camp kits. Edgefield County youth had the opportunity to register to receive several different subject-specific camp kits. Each kit contained materials needed for youth to complete the fun hands-on learning activities.

While this has been a crazy time for everyone, 4-H is continuing to offer a variety of programs to keep youth engaged and active. For more information on the Edgefield County 4-H program, contact Julia Cox, at julia7@clemson.edu to receive program updates.

You may already be aware that Gary Coleman is no longer the Clemson Extension Livestock and Forages Agent for Edgefield County after leaving that position to pursue other endeavors. In his absence, I have been filling in to ensure there is no disruption of coverage. At this time, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself. I am Brittany Flowers, Clemson Livestock and Forages Agent for Aiken County. I have been with Clemson Extension since June 2015, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to work with producers to improve their livestock operations. During the COVID 19 pandemic, I have continued to do farm visits, hosted webinars, and assisted with the 4-H CU YALL (Youth Academy of Livestock Learning) program. Currently, I work out of the Aiken County Extension Office, and if I can assist you in any way with your livestock or forages issues, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

I am looking forward to assisting the producers in Edgefield County. You can reach me at bepeaco@clemson.edu or (803) 649-6297.

2020 has been a year for resiliency. Crops demanded attention despite a global pandemic. Like most years, research was done to improve our knowledge of crops for the future. Some of the projects done throughout the Ridge, specifically in the peach crop this year, included work on herbicide effectiveness, bacterial disease management, and nutrient management and retention. Throughout the season, we maintained research trials at various locations along the Ridge in order to gain information on techniques, products, and management strategies that offer the best results for growers and the peach production industry. These research projects will continue throughout the coming seasons in order to collect more information to compile for further research.

In addition to several research projects in the area, a new weather station was erected in one of our peach variety trial fields. The weather station will help collect better data on temperatures and weather patterns that can affect the peach crops. One of the critical factors that impacts the peach crop is the number of chilling hours that a crop builds throughout the dormant season. Peaches require a certain number of “chill hours” to be accumulated during dormancy. These chill hours determine when the variety will flower and can impact the quality of fruit as well as the quantity. Having a local weather station with reliable readings will be extremely helpful in predicting future seasons.

For more information on commercial horticulture, please contact Sarah Scott by email oswald@clemson.edu or by phone 803-384-4152.

Becky Davis began as the Savannah Valley District Water Resources Agent in January 2020. Although most of her extension career has been during the pandemic, she has been involved in statewide programs dealing with water-related issues and answering stakeholders’ calls. One program she has assisted with is a webinar course on home well maintenance called “Be Well Informed”. This program provided participants with an overview of home well maintenance best practices, well water quality considerations, and a question and answer session. In the future, “Be Well Informed” will be an in-person lecture and well water screening program presented throughout the state. Becky has also presented to a group of Master Gardeners. Additionally, she assisted in an agricultural water use questionnaire of irrigators in counties with the state’s greatest irrigated water use. This survey included Edgefield County farmers.

Before joining Clemson Extension, Becky has over 30 years of experience as an agricultural technician at the Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville. While at Edisto REC, she conducted beef cattle grazing trials of winter forages and worked with the irrigation specialist on projects involving irrigation scheduling, sub-surface drip irrigation and crop water use. Her interests are in management practices relating to soil and water conservation. Becky’s home office is in Bamberg County, and she can be reached by email rwllms@clemson.edu or by phone 803-245-7114.