The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the AgriLife Extension Crop Production and Protection Seminar Dec. 20 at locations across the Panhandle and South Plains.
The speakers will be virtual, but AgriLife Extension county agents in almost every county of the agency’s District 1, headquartered in Amarillo, and District 2, headquartered in Lubbock, will host an in-person event for producers to attend, said Danny Nusser, AgriLife Extension program leader for the North Region.
Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. at each location. The fees and lunch arrangements will vary from location to location. A complete list of the 38 in-person locations and contacts for more information is available at https://tx.ag/NorthRegionDec20.
“We want to ensure everyone across the region has the same opportunity to interact with these experts, get cutting-edge information, and obtain needed CEUs,” Nusser said.
He said they will utilize the Microsoft Teams platform to bring all the speakers together from across the state without making anyone travel any further than their home county. Participants will be able to ask questions of the speakers at each location.
Five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units – one general, two integrated pest management, one drift and one laws and regulations – will be offered at each location.
On the agenda
The program will begin at 9 a.m. The following topics and speakers are on the agenda:
- Laws and regulations: TDA guidelines for licensing, Mark Matocha, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agricultural and environmental unit pesticide safety education specialist, Bryan-College Station.
- What goes into selecting a variety? Ensuring seed quality and a good stand
– Cotton, Craig Bednarz, Ph.D., crop physiologist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and West Texas A&M University, Canyon.
– Feed grains/silage/forage, Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Lubbock. - What protection can you count on with insect technologies?
– Understanding Gene Transfer and Protection, David Kerns, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state integrated pest management coordinator, Bryan-College Station.
— Seed/in-furrow treatments for pests, Blayne Reed, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent in Hale County.
— Efficacy of pesticides and economic thresholds, Pat Porter, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension entomologist, Lubbock. - Plant health and protection decisions related to disease, viruses and nematodes
— Cotton planting decisions, prevention measures, etc., Terry Wheeler, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, Lubbock.
— Corn/sorghum prevention, awareness, control, Thomas Isakeit, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, Bryan-College Station.
— Small grains identification, prevention, control, Ken Obasa, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, Amarillo. - Management of resistant weeds and new technologies, Peter Dotray, Ph.D., AgriLife Research weed scientist, Lubbock.
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