Writer: Rod Santa Ana, III (956) 968-5581, r-santaana@tamu.edu
WESLACO — A row crops field day has been set for Thursday, July 2, at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center’s annex farm in Weslaco.
John Norman, cotton integrated pest management entomologist, says a planning committee continues to work on details of the day’s events, but all agree this year’s program will be shorter in length than in previous years.
“We’re going to concentrate on information growers need at that particular time of year,” he said, “and we’ll have many more signs than usual posted throughout our research field plots so that visitors can browse at will.”
Talks related to cotton, he said, will focus on plant population studies, cotton defoliation trials, and cotton foliar feed studies.
Dr. Tom Isakeit, an Extension Service plant pathologist, will discuss results of aflatoxin resistance studies of different corn varieties.
“These are evaluations of tropical varieties of corn that showed promise for resistance,” Norman said, “We started these tests in response to high aflatoxin levels that growers began experiencing a few years ago in food-grade corn.”
Entomologist Dr. Stormy Sparks will present information and data he is gathering in soybean planting date trials. Ten varieties of soybeans are being planted every two weeks to determine optimal planting dates. He is also evaluating the varieties for resistance to insect pressures.
In grain sorghum, Norman says results will be released in trials of Gaucho, a seed-applied insecticide. Applied directly to seeds before planting, the insecticide was developed for protection against aphids.
“We had two replicated trials last year and more trials this year, so we should have aphid-resistance information available within a few days, and harvest data in time for the field day,” Norman said.
Organizers are also working on providing continuing education units for those who attend.
The Weslaco Center’s annex farm is located one mile north of Expressway 83 on Mile 2 West Road. For more information, contact Norman at (956) 968-5581, or Robert “Dusty” McGee at (956) 968-5585.
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