Webinar to address management timing in mesquite control on May 10

COLLEGE STATION – A “Mesquite Ecology and Management” webinar will be presented by Dr. Bob Lyons, Texas AgriLife Extension Service range specialist in Uvalde, on May 10.

“To manage mesquite successfully, landowners need to understand the plant’s growth and development processes as well as the management options that have been proven to be the most successful, cost-effective and environmentally safe,” Lyons said. “This knowledge will enable the landowner to time control efforts to treat the most vulnerable growth stage and the right part of the plant.”

This one-hour webinar is a part of a series offered by AgriLife Extension’s ecosystem science and management unit as a way to earn Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units online, according to Brittany Grube, graduate assistant and webinar coordinator.

The webinar is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m., Grube said, and is free to participants not seeking continuing education units. However, if participants want the Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education unit – one in integrated pest management – there is a $10 fee.

Lyons’ presentation will discuss mesquite seed survival, dispersal, germination and establishment. He will also discuss the relationship of mesquite to forage production, nitrogen fixation and wildlife.

Management options and considerations will also be discussed, including timing of herbicide applications relative to plant physiology and regional soil temperatures during the current growing season, he said.

This webinar, as well as others in the 2011 and 2012 series, can be accessed at http://naturalresourcewebinars.org. For more information on the webinars, contact Grube at Brittany.grube@agnet.tamu.edu .

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