East Region AgriLife Conference and Expo slated for Jan. 7 in Tyler

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the East Region AgriLife Conference and Expo on Jan. 7 in Tyler. 

The event is presented by AgriLife Extension offices in Anderson, Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Kaufman, Marion, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood counties. 

The conference and expo will be held at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center, 2000 W. Front St. from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $10 and online registration is available at https://tx.ag/ERACE until Jan. 5. 

On-site registration, which is $20, will be available beginning at 7:15 a.m. on the day of the event.

Continuing education units available

Five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be available, including two general, one laws and regulations, one integrated pest management and one drift. 

Six structural pest control service continuing education units will also be available, including one termite, one pest, two general, one weed, and one lawn and ornamental. 

Speakers and topics

Topics and speakers for agriculture pesticide applicators include:

• Pest identification and control using integrated pest management strategies — Jacob Wightman, AgriLife Extension program specialist, Agricultural and Environmental Safety Unit, Bryan-College Station.
• Pesticide safety — Mark Matocha, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension environmental unit pesticide safety education specialist, Agricultural and Environmental Safety Unit, Bryan-College Station.
• Pesticide laws and regulations update — Wightman.
• Weed I.D. and control in East Texas forage systems — Scott Nolte, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide weed specialist and associate professor, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station. 
• Spray drift management — Nolte. 

Topics and speakers for structural licensing include:

• Termite identification and control — Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension senior program specialist, School of Integrated Pest Management,  Department of Entomology, Dallas. 
• Pest identification and control using IPM strategies — Wightman.
• Pesticide safety — Matocha.
• Pesticide laws and regulations update — Wightman.
• Water x weeds: An approach to integrated weed management — Brad Voss, AgriLife Extension horticulture agent, Collin County.
• Turfgrass diseases and control — Greg Grant, AgriLife Extension horticulture agent, Smith County.

For more information, contact Amanda Southard at [email protected].