AgriLife Extension names Gonzales to South Plains integrated pest management post

Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, [email protected]

Contact: Dr. Charles Allen, 325-653-4576, [email protected]

            MULESHOE – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has hired John David Gonzales as the new integrated pest management agent for Bailey, Castro and Parmer counties.

            Gonzales, who started Feb. 1, is headquartered in the AgriLife Extension offices in Bailey County located at 118 W. Ave. C in Muleshoe.

            “We are excited to have John David join us and believe he will be a great asset to producers in these three key agricultural counties on the South Plains,” said Dr. Charles Allen, AgriLife Extension associate department head for entomology headquartered at San Angelo.

            “John David was raised in the Castro County area, so he is very familiar with the region,” Allen said. “He has worked in the area of integrated pest management on cotton and other crops in the region. He has also worked for AgriLife Extension and Texas A&M AgriLife Research and for the Louisiana State University AgCenter in Louisiana. In addition, he has spent time working in other facets of the agricultural industry. So he has a well-rounded background I feel will be of great help to the region’s producers starting this spring.”

            Gonzales earned an associate degree in math and science from New Mexico Military Institute, a bachelor’s in agricultural leadership and development with an emphasis on entomology from Texas A&M University, and is completing a master’s in entomology from Louisiana State University.

            He was previously employed as a research associate with the LSU AgCenter, where he worked on projects managing insect pests of cotton and grain sorghum and was responsible for plot maintenance with Dr. David Kerns, formerly at LSU and now Gonzales’ supervisor in his role as AgriLife Extension’s state integrated pest management coordinator at College Station.

Earlier work experience included serving as an AgriLife Research assistant working on beneficial fungal endophytes in cotton with Dr. Greg Sword, Charles R. Parencia chair in cotton entomology at College Station. Other employment included serving as a sales intern with Micogen Seed Company and as a summer bug scout with AgriLife Extension’s integrated pest management program.

For more information, contact Gonzales at 806-272-4583, [email protected] .