Vegetable Spring Field Day in Uvalde set May 2
Climate-smart agricultural practices, tomato grafting and hydroponics featured
Texas A&M AgriLife Research will host the Vegetable Spring Field Day on May 2 in Uvalde.
The free event will take place from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Uvalde, 1619 Garner Field Road. Registration is required by April 24 by visiting https://tx.ag/UvaldeVegSpringFieldDay.
There will be three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units in the general category available for private pesticide applicator license holders. Lunch will be provided and there will be door prizes given.
A vendor showcase will be available for participants during the program.
Morning session activities
The event will begin with a welcome from Daniel Leskovar, Ph.D., professor and center director, and a field tour led by the center’s research teams.
The field tour will cover the following research areas: hydroponics, high tunnels, specialty crops and tomato grafting.
Afternoon session topics and speakers
The afternoon sessions will be from 1-4 p.m. There will be a tomato grafting hands-on workshop available for participants interested in learning about tomato grafting basics.
The educational presentation topics and presenters include:
- Why should I consider climate-smart agricultural practices? — Julie Howe, Ph.D., professor and assistant department head for undergraduate programs, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
- Consumption trends and emerging commodities for Texas — Sabrina Fisher, director of marketing and communications, Texas International Produce Association, Mission.
- Producer resources from food banks — Dayna Robokowski, food industry partnership manager, San Antonio Food Bank, San Antonio.
- Challenges of rural and urban organics — Bob Whitney, Regents Fellow and AgriLife Extension organic program specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Stephenville.
- Global market analysis for Texas organic specialty crops — Luis Ribera, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist, professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and director of the Center for North American Studies, Bryan-College Station.
- Biostimulants benefit organic onion production: Enhancing growth and drought tolerance — Qianwen Zhang, Ph.D., AgriLife Research postdoctoral research associate, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.
- Bioprotection and grafting strategies to suppress pest pressure under controlled environments — Prosanta Dash, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Al Rayyan, Qatar.
For more information, including sponsorship opportunities, contact Liza Silva at 830-278-9151 or [email protected], or Leskovar at 830-988-6124 or [email protected]
