Food of the Red Drum, Sciaenops ocellata, from Mississippi Sound

Examined digestive tracts of the red drum in Mississippi Sound contained mostly decapod crustaceans. Crustaceans accounted for 34 of 59 encountered taxa, more than reported from any other region. Nevertheless, the general diet for 104 fish with food contents out of the 107 examined is similar to that reported for red drum in several other studies from other areas. In addition to crustaceans, fishes followed by polychaetes occurred as the most important items (in 99, 43, and 15% of the drum with food, respectively). Blue crabs occurred in even more drum than the frequently encountered penaeid shrimps. Other commercial species were negligible in the diet. Sixteen large drum from Georgia beaches were also examined; unlike those from Mississippi, many of these contained echinoderms, but not polychaetes or penaeids. We suggest that the red drum’s migrations may be regulated by optimal abundance of specific types of dietary organisms.

Making an ACRE Decision for 2009

The initial sign-up period for 2009 farm commodity programs and the choice between the new ACRE (Average Crop Revenue Election) program and the existing DCP (Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payment) program is quickly winding down. But as the current August 14 deadline approaches, producers know more and more about the potential safety net provided under the ACRE program, and have a better opportunity to analyze the economics of choosing ACRE versus the DCP program before visiting their USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.

NPCA EDUCATION COMMITTEE

The major thrust of the Education Committee results from the rather urgent need to implement interesting programs in which supervisors may train for examination and certification under the qualifications of the pesticide act. While it is not easy at this time to determine what certification is going to be, what supervisors are going to be involved, what kind of examination they are going to have to take, and how the state is going to interpret all of this, we therefore cannot be specific. The wheels are grinding away, and as you know, the timetable is winding down; and we may be faced with a rather short period of time to get these people qualified. Our industry hopes that we will have the training to offer and that all supervisors from around the country have the opportunity to prepare, take the examination, and be certified.