This month, I want to identify and briefly discuss the top seven reasons I see that pasture weed control programs don't work as well as they should.

A popular comedian has a top 10 list for his act, but since I'm only about 70 percent as funny as he is, I only have a top seven list.

What is small, brown and defoliates alfalfa? While there are several correct replies, the most common answer is the alfalfa weevil. If not managed properly, this pest inflicts a wealth of damage on important first-cutting alfalfa stands.

Detecting the weevil by scouting and knowing what to look for is the first step to reducing the damage it can cause. Once identified, a producer can evaluate management steps to control it.

If you are in the farming and ranching business, a prolonged drought is impossible to ignore. Limited rainfall over the past couple of years has been hard on pastures, rangeland and hay production, as well as on people.

It’s not just minimal moisture that hurts forage production; one of the most aggravating side effects of drought can be a surge in hungry grasshopper populations.

Parts of Texas have been hit hard the last two years with this pest, and current conditions favor a third year of grasshopper pressure.

The bermudagrass stem maggot (BSM) has become a pest for cattlemen and hay producers across the Southeast.