Reference Guide for Collin County Landowners
Agriculture Statistics for Collin County
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Presentations from previous programs may be found here
Online list of local contractors (List does not indicate endorsement and is for information only)
Selected Publications in Agriculture and Natural Resources:
Soil Management
Soil Properties and Quality
- E-534 – Testing Your Soil; How to Collect and Send Samples
- SCS-2001-06 – Soil Acidity and Liming
- Penn State Extension – Introduction to Soils; Managing Soils
- Penn State Extension – Introduction to Soils; Soil Quality
- Texas A&M Soil Testing Forms
Soil Conservation
- EL-5532 – Improving Water Quality with Grassed Waterways
- Baumhardt, R., Stewart, B., & Sainju, U. (2015). North American soil degradation: Processes, practices, and mitigating strategies. Sustainability, 7(3), 2936-2960.
Water
Wells and Drinking Water
- B-6257 Texas Well Owner Network: Well Owner’s Guide to Water Supply
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Publication GI-432 – Disinfecting Your Private Well
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Publication GI-433 – How to Sample Your Well Water and Understand the Results
- Texas A&M Water Testing Form
Wastewater and Septic Systems
- B-6171 – On-Site Water Treatment Systems: Homeowner’s Guide to Evaluating Service Contracts
- L-5347 – On-Site Water Treatment Systems: Operation and Maintenance
- Additional information on septic and other on-site sewage treatment systems may be found at https://ossf.tamu.edu/educational-materials-2/
Ponds and Pond Management
- EWF-003 – Texas Farm Pond Management Calendar
- EWF-004 – Aquatic Herbicide Selection Tables
- EWF-006 – My Fish are Dying
- EWF-008 – A Pond to Call My Own; Understanding Water Law in Texas
- SRAC-410 – Calculating Treatment Area for Ponds and Tanks
- The Texas A&M AquaPlant website has an easy to use Pond Weed ID and control information
Vegetation, Pasture/Range, and weed control
Pasture/Hay Meadow Management
Publications
- SCS-2015-01 – Forage species for Texas
- ENRI-006 – A Simple Method for Estimating Plant Biomass Used in Grazing Management
- E-179 – Forage Bermudagrass – Selection, Establishment, and Management
- E-308 Establishing Cool Season Annual Grasses
- E-273 – Hay Production in Texas
- ESC-024 – Weed Control in Pastures and Forages
Web Resources
- Texas A&M Plant/Forage Testing Form
- Texas A&M Manure/Biosolids Testing Form
- Fall Armyworm Fact Sheet
Rangeland Management
- ENRI-006 – A Simple Method for Estimating Plant Biomass Used in Grazing Management
- EL-5456 – Restoring Native Grasslands
- B-1466 – Chemical Weed and Brush Control – Suggestions for Rangeland
- ESC-046 Quick Reference for Command Rangeland and Pasture Herbicides
Brush and Weed Control
- ERM-046 – Managing Texas Juniper with Prescribed Burning
- B-6079 Weed Identification
- B-1466 – Chemical Weed and Brush Control – Suggestions for Rangeland
- E-154 – Brush Control for Small Acreages
- ESC-024 – Weed Control in Pastures and Forages
- SCS-2017-09 – Managing grassy weeds in a grass pasture or hay meadow
- SCS-2013-04 – Weed Control for Newly Sprigged Bermudagrass
- SCS-2018-11 – General Information About Glyphosate
- SCS-2015-10 – Rainfastness of Select Pasture and Hay Meadow Herbicides
- SCS-1998-01 – Boom Sprayer Calibration
- ESC-046 Quick Reference for Command Rangeland and Pasture Herbicides
- SCS – Choosing the Right Nozzle to Reduce Spray Drift
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a great website for their Brush Busters program: https://texnat.tamu.edu/about/brush-busters/. This resource covers a multitude of methods to control brush and other noxious species of plants.
Prescribed Fire
- Getting Started with Prescribed Fire
- ERM-021 – Effects of Fire on Wildlife
- ERM-022 – Legal Barriers to Prescribed Burning
- ERM-023 – Understanding Wildfire Response
- ERM-035 – Prescribed Burning: Liability and Insurance Considerations
- ERM-037 – Wildfire Ready Checklist
- ERM-046 – Managing Texas Juniper with Prescribed Burning
- ERM-052 – On-Site Brush Pile Burning in Texas
- OSU NREM-2988 – Prescribed Burn Equipment
- OSU NREM-2902 – Cut and Stuff Practices for Enhanced Cedar Control with Prescribed Fire
- OSU NREM-2903 – Prescribed Burning: Spotfires and Escapes
For more information about implementing prescribed fire, please visit the Texas Prescribed Burn Handbook at https://agrilife.org/rxburn/
Farming and Crop Production
Crop Production
- EHT-016 – High Tunnels for Crop Production in Texas
- EHT-029 – Specialty Crops for High Tunnel Production in Texas
- EHT-105 – Cost of Constructing a Metal Hoop High Tunnel
- E-244 – Installing a Subsurface Drip Irrigation System for Row Crops
- EHT-087 – Soil Solarization
Aggie Horticulture Small Acreage Crops Resources – contains information on beginning the grow crops on small acreages, and includes guides on expected yields, profitability, and other information.
Crop Pest Management
- ENRO-035 – Sugarcane Aphid: A New Pest of Sorghum
- ENTO-084 – Managing Insect and Mite Pests of Texas Small Grains
- ENTO-048 – Managing Insect and Mite Pests of Pecans in Texas
Livestock
Choosing Livestock Operations and Stocking Rates
- B-6091 – Livestock for Small Acreage Landowners
- E-152 – Stocking Rate Decisions
- ENRI-006 – A Simple Method for Estimating Plant Biomass Used in Grazing Management
Livestock Management, Nutrition, and Health
Cattle
- AN-010 – Texas Beef Cattle Management Handbook ($60)
- E-371 Buying vs Raising Replacement Heifers
- E-348 – Recognizing and Managing Common Health Problems for Beef Cattle
- E-470 – Managing External Parasites of Texas Cattle
- EDL-041 – Keeping Cattle Hydrated and Healthy During a Drought
- E-347 Seven Management Techniques That Move Cow-Calf Producers Toward Profitability
Sheep & Goats
- EL-5094 – Monitoring Internal Parasite Infection in Small Ruminants
- B-6212 – Biosecurity for Sheep and Goat Producers
Horses
- B-5025 Nutrition and Feeding Management of Broodmares
- HRG-021 – Care and Management of Horses on the Ranch
- B-6214 – Best Management Practices for Equine Disease Prevention
- EB-5033 – Selection and Use of Hay and Processed Roughage in Horse Feeding
- EB-6161 – Mature, Senior, and Geriatric Horses: Management, Care, and Use
- L-5210 Horse Theft Awareness and Prevention
Poultry
- Backyard Poultry Fact Sheet
- L-1247 – The Home Broiler Flock
- PS-5250 – The Small Laying Flock
- EPS-010 – Selecting Laying Breeds for Backyard Poultry
- E-445 – Poultry Pest Management
- EPS-011 – Common External Parasites in Backyard Poultry
- L-5182 – Poultry Facility Biosecurity
- B-1031 – Poultry Disease Manual
- EFN-049 – Selling Yard Eggs in Texas
More information may be found at the Texas A&M Poultry Science Extension Publications Page
Swine
Livestock Pests
Beekeeping
- Collin County Hobby Beekeeper Association – Main county resource for beekeeping education and programs in Collin County.
- Georgia Extension B-201045 – Honey Bees and Beekeeping
- Purdue Extension E-201 – What Beekeepers Should Know About Bee Mites
- Purdue Extension E-216 – Using Honey Bees in Pollination
- Purdue Extension E-260 – How to Minimize Pesticide Risks to Honey Bees
- Purdue Extension E-53 – Protecting Honey Bees from Pesticides
Wildlife
- EWF-034 – Managing Heat for Wildlife on Texas Rangelands
- NRI – Potential Uses for Trail Cameras in Wildlife Management
Wildlife Valuation for Agricultural Use
- ESP-377 – Wildlife Management as Agricultural Use for Property Tax Valuation in Texas
- Texas Comptroller – Guidelines for Qualification of Agricultural Land in Wildlife Management Use
- TPWD -Agricultural Tax Appraisal Based on Wildlife Management
The Wildlife and Fisheries Science Department at Texas A&M have a great website with information on wildlife management at https://wildlife.tamu.edu/new-landowners/
White-Tailed Deer
Feral Hogs
Publications
- L-5523 Recognizing Feral Hog sign
- ENRI-005 – Wild Pigs Negarively Impact Water Quality: Implications for Land and Watershed Management
- SP-472 – Feral Hog Population: Growth, Density, and Harvest in Texas
Web Resources
- AgriLife Extension Feral Hogs Website: https://feralhogs.tamu.edu/
- CDC – Wild Hog Hunting – Stay Healthy on Your Hunt
- SCWDS – Feral Hog Diseases
Quail and Upland Birds
Publications
- EWF-096 – Habitat Requirements of Texas Quail
- ENRI-007 – Potential Causes of the Texas Quail Decline
- NRI – Guide to Abundance Estimation Techniques for Rio Grande Wild Turkey
- NRI – Managing Brush near Rio Grande Wild Turkey Roosts
- L-5497 – Rio Grande Wild Turkey Life History and Management Calendar
Web Resources
Ranch Maintenance and Operations
Infrastructure, Fences, and Structures
- EAG-029 – Five Strands: A Landowner’s Guide to Fence Laws in Texas
- US Forest Service – A Landowner’s Guide to Building Forest Access Roads
Operating a farm/ranch business
- Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know
- Rancher’s Agricultural Leasing Handbook: Grazing, Hunting, & Livestock Leases
- Texas Oil and Gas Leasing Handbook
- RM-015 – Starting a Sustainable Agriculture Business
- E-171 – Business Entity Planning
- E-489 – Basic Business Structures: Sole Proprietor, Joint Operating Agreements and Partnerships
- E-492 – Business Plans for Agricultural Producers
- E-495 – Limited Liability Companies and Corporate Business Structures
- E-555 – Developing a Marketing Plan
- EAG-052 – Negotiating a Fair Cash Lease Rate in Texas
- EAG-058 – How Landowners Can Protect Themselves from Liability
- IRS-Publication 225 – Farmers Tax Guide (Updates annually)
