The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is offering a free pest scouting program for producers in Fort Bend County.
The program is available for large-scale producers with a minimum of 25 acres. It will start March 15 and run through June 30.
Producers wanting to participate must fill out and return the form available at https://tx.ag/FieldPestRegistration. Spots are limited and visits are first come, first served so participants should sign up as soon as possible.
When a producer signs up to get their field scouted, they will need to provide information on the field’s primary use, size, expected pests, desired recommendations and preferred scouting dates.
“This is a program that I set up with the advice of my Row Crops Task Force,” said John Few, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Fort Bend County. “Fort Bend is a semi-urban/semi-rural county, and I have been looking for a way to provide the producers with data on what pests — weeds, insects, diseases, etc. — are on their fields and some recommendations on how to manage them.”
As a new agent, Few is also looking forward to meeting more of the county’s row crop and livestock producers.
Program goals
Producers who participate in the program will not only be provided with valuable information regarding their fields’ pest issues, but the data gathered will help contribute to the broader picture of the issues facing producers in Fort Bend County.
Program goals include:
- Providing producers with valuable information, recommendations and resources.
- Determining what future publications related to integrated pest management need to be written for area producers.
- Providing data on pest trends in the county.
- Allowing producers to better plan for what pests to expect during the growing season.
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