Crop, livestock risk protection seminar set on Dec. 17 across Panhandle, South Plains
AgriLife Extension offers in-person locations in 42 counties, 8 continuing education units
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the AgriLife Extension Crop and Livestock Risk Protection Seminar Dec. 17 throughout Panhandle and South Plains counties.
The speakers will be virtual, but AgriLife Extension 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.
The seminar will begin at 8 a.m. with registration at each location. Event fees and lunch arrangements vary by location. A complete list of in-person locations is available at https://tx.ag/CropLivestockRiskProtection, along with phone numbers for individuals to contact to preregister and for more information.
“We want to make sure everyone across the region has the same opportunity to hear these speakers and obtain the same continuing education units,” Nusser said.
He said utilizing the Microsoft Teams virtual format allows them to bring speakers together from across the state without requiring producers to travel beyond their home county.
Eight Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units — four general, three integrated pest management, and one laws and regulations — will be offered.
On the agenda
The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. The following topics and AgriLife Extension speakers are on the agenda:
- Opportunities for Providing Mitigation Strategies to Prevent Wildfires in 2026 – Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., range specialist and professor, Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, San Angelo.
- Small Grains Management Decisions to Improve Yield, Grazing and Silage Potential – Brandon Gerrish, Ph.D., statewide small grains specialist and assistant professor, Bryan-College Station, and Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., agronomist and associate professor, Amarillo, both in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.
- Resistant Weed Update. Focus on Reduced Input Weed Management – Peter Dotray, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension weed specialist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and at Texas Tech University, Lubbock.
- Insect Updates and Preparing for Some New Pest Issues – Suhas Vyavhare, Ph.D., entomologist and associate professor, Department of Entomology, Lubbock, and Tyler Gilreath, Ph.D., entomologist and assistant professor, Department of Entomology, Amarillo.
- Preparing for Screwworms in Texas and an Update on Where We Are Currently – Sonja Swiger, Ph.D., entomologist and professor in the Department of Entomology, Bryan-College Station.
- Cotton Research and an Emphasis on How to Get the Most Out of Input Decisions – Ken Legé, Ph.D., cotton specialist and assistant professor, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Lubbock.
- Unlocking the Genetic Potential of Corn/Sorghum Hybrids, Both for Grain, Forage and Silage Production: How to Protect Your Investment and Select Technologies That Not Only Optimize Yield but Mitigate Risk from Pests Such as Weed, Disease and Insects – Bell and Kevin Heflin, Ph.D., agronomist and assistant professor, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Amarillo.
- Know Your Pesticide Laws and Regulations – Comprehensive Look at the Pesticide Laws and Regulations, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Updates and Licensing/Certification Guidelines – Cheryl Goswick, assistant regional director-pesticides, Texas Department of Agriculture, Amarillo.
