CORPUS CHRISTI — As growers in the Coastal Bend area of Texas begin to make their preparations for the 2014 growing season, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Nueces and San Patricio counties will host an event to help them with their efforts.
The Field Crop Symposium will be held from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 10345 State Highway 44 in Corpus Christi, according to Jason Ott, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Nueces County.
A participation fee of $20 that includes a catered lunch will be charged.
Those attending will also be eligible to receive five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units — one in laws and regulations, one in integrated pest management and three general, as well as Certified Crop Advisors continuing education units.
While recent rains have added much-needed moisture into the soil profile, providing a much better footing going into this growing season, problems observed in 2013 have the potential to follow growers into this season, Ott said.
“To help ward off those potential issues, pest management issues, including insect, disease and weed management strategies, will be the central focus of the program,” he said.
Of particular interest will be a discussion of the 2013 outbreak of the sugarcane aphid, an invasive aphid that damaged grain sorghum in many Texas counties, including Nueces and San Patricio counties, as well as in neighboring states.
“The outbreak caused severe damage,” Ott said. “Producers and crop consultants estimated yield losses of 25 to 50 percent, and total yield losses in unprotected fields. Fall populations that survived recent chilling temperatures on remnant sorghum in harvested fields and johnsongrass have been detected in Nueces County and could position the aphid for possible outbreaks in 2014.”
Dr. Mike Brewer, an entomologist at the Corpus Christi center, is on the agenda to discuss the sugarcane aphid.
Dr. Tom Isakeit, an AgriLife Extension plant pathologist in College Station, will discuss disease issues of concern to cotton and grain sorghum growers, including cotton root rot, Ott said.
“Cotton root rot is an endemic problem here and Dr. Isakeit will share his expertise in the use of Top Guard, an extremely useful tool in the control of this disease, to help us get a better understanding of this product and its application.”
Dr. Mark Matocha, an AgriLife Extension program specialist in agriculture and environmental safety in College Station, will discuss herbicide-resistant weeds, Ott said.
“Dr. Matocha will offer his insight into rotation of chemical modes of action and other strategies to prevent the continued development of herbicide-resistant weed species, as well as suggestions for managing fields that have these resistant weed issues.”
Prior to lunch, Dr. Mark McFarland, the AgriLife Extension state soil fertility specialist in College Station, will discuss optimizing fertility management in both cotton and sorghum, followed after lunch by a discussion of pre-plant cotton management.
The symposium will conclude with a presentation of worker protection standards for agricultural employers.
Bobby McCool, the AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in San Patricio County, said it’s important that growers avail themselves of the information to be presented at the symposium.
“Timely and relevant information is key to positive outcomes in production agriculture,” he said, “and we believe this symposium will address issues that provide that resource.”
Seating is limited; those planning to attend should RSVP by Jan. 20 by calling the AgriLife Extension office in Nueces County at 361-767-5223.