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Cold temps can benefit ag
Dr. Victor Martin

The drought monitor report as of 8 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, shows no real change for our area this week. Southwest Kansas is the overall best shape for the state followed by Northwest Kansas. Unusual for this time of year. The six to 10-day outlook (October 11 to 15) indicates something we haven’t seen in a while – near normal temperatures and precipitation. Normal temperatures are in the mid to low 70s which is good. Normal precipitation isn’t much which is good for harvesting crops but not for wheat. The eight to fourteen-day outlook (Oct. 13 to 19) indicates normal temperatures and a 40 to 50% chance of below normal for precipitation. Remember normal is only about two inches for the month. Those areas fortunate to receive beneficial rains this week should feel blessed. That maybe it for a while.

By the time this is published, we may have flirted with 32 degrees for a low. Many are tired of summer but dread winter and freezing temperatures. Yet in agriculture, while early freezing temperatures in the fall and late ones in the spring aren’t helpful, overall cold and winter are extremely beneficial in many ways. How? Let’s see.

• Without winter, insect pest pressure would be much worse for crops and livestock. Some pests, like the sugarcane aphid outbreak from several years ago would be much worse as they know can’t overwinter here and have to move in from the Southeast U.S. 

• Disease pressure would also be much worse. Currently, a disease like leaf rust can’t overwinter here and if we have pressure, it must blow in from Texas in the spring. Mush better than having it present year-round. And there are other examples like rust in soybeans. For wheat producers, barley yellow dwarf would be more problematic without winter controlling aphids.

• Imagine how much are summer annual weed pressure would be without winter. Not to mention perennial weeds like bindweed and johnsongrass. Many summer annual weeds present during the fall in winter wheat fields are eliminated by fall freezes. 

• Soil structure is improved by freezing and thawing, especially with soil moisture. This helps break up the soil and create better soil structure.

These are just some of the examples of how winter temperatures benefit agriculture. These are also benefits that could be disappearing if climate changes forecasts for our region are correct. And so far, the models have been pretty accurate. A classic example is the movement of armadillos into our region. 


Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207, or martinv@bartonccc.edu.


Pawnee Valley Community Hospital now offers proven PAD treatment
pvch-set-pad
Sayra Santacruz, respiratory therapist, and Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, demonstrate supervised exercise therapy for patients with peripheral artery disease.

Anyone who has a diagnosis of peripheral artery disease (PAD) now has access to a “proven, effective treatment” at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital (PVCH), said Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services.

The treatment is called supervised exercise therapy (SET) and is specifically tailored to PAD, a condition in which blood vessels to the legs and feet become narrowed or blocked. This is due to a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries that limits blood flow.

“SET is a structured workout program designed to help people improve their physical health under the guidance of a trained professional,” Thacker said. “Sessions are tailored to the person’s needs and focus on improving strength, endurance and mobility.

“The treatment also helps improve circulation, which can reduce or eliminate pain while walking.”

Exercise sessions typically involve a combination of aerobics, strength training and stretching. This includes walking on a treadmill at a moderate pace, with an incline, until the patient begins to feel mild to moderate leg pain.

The patient then rests until the pain subsides before resuming the exercise during up to 36 sessions with a registered respiratory therapist.

“SET is a key treatment approach that focuses on improving blood flow, reducing leg pain and enhancing overall mobility,” Thacker summarized.

Smoking and diabetes are the strongest risk factors for PAD, Thacker noted. Other factors include being over 75; high blood pressure and/or cholesterol; not enough physical activity; stress; diets high in saturated fats; obesity; chronic kidney disease; and family history.

“A few classic symptoms of PAD are pain, burning or cramping in your legs and feet during an activity that improve with rest,” Thacker said.

Others are leg and foot pain at night or while lying down, as well as coldness or numbness in the legs or feet. Additional possibilities are leg weakness or heaviness, slow-healing sores on feet or legs, discolored skin and leg-hair loss.

The therapist offers education about smoking cessation, a heart-healthy diet, weight management, blood pressure control and increasing physical activity.

“We are pleased that we now offer this important exercise therapy,” Thacker commented. “Many of our patients have benefited from our Cardiac Rehab and Pulmonary Rehab services by gaining control of their symptoms, improving their quality of life and reducing the risk of future hospitalizations.

“SET is a similar service. Patients with PAD now have a treatment that can help them manage symptoms and improve overall vascular health.

“We are excited to expand our cardiopulmonary services and incredibly fortunate to partner with HaysMed and the DeBakey Heart Institute. This collaboration connects our Larned community with any necessary advanced services and direct access to cardiologists. It allows us to offer specialized care close to home, significantly enhancing the quality of care and positively impacting our patients’ health and well-being.”


Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, 923 Carroll in Larned, is a 25-bed facility, offering many services not typically available in a smaller facility. Included are 24/7 emergency care; acute, skilled and specialized nursing; surgery; high-tech imaging and laboratory tests; wound care; rehabilitation; and sleep and diagnostic center. PVCH Family Medicine provides the full range of family-medicine services; physician-assisted weight loss; and women’s health services. The hospital’s number is 620-285-3161; the clinic’s number is 620-804-6007.