Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contact: Robert Pritz, 325-672-6048, r-pritz@tamu.edu
ABILENE – Several Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices will collaborate on the annual Multi-County Wheat Tour beginning at 8:30 a.m. May 2 at the Taylor County variety plots located off State Highway 351 on County Road 52, also known as Mesquite Lane.
Participants will hear reviews on this season’s planted varieties along with an overview of the current small grain situation, both offered by Dr. Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension small grains and oilseed specialist at College Station.
The tour will then move to the Callahan County plots to view varieties there and hear Dr. David Drake discuss managing wheat for forage and grain. Drake is the AgriLife Extension agronomist at San Angelo.
“With the continuing dry weather, this year’s variety plots should definitely reveal, the survival of the fittest,” said Robert Pritz, AgriLife Extension agent in Taylor County. “It’s been a tough year and continues to be, but I think wheat producers who attend this tour will take home some valuable information on which varieties stand a chance of some level of production and which don’t under current growing conditions.”
The tour will conclude at the Eula Lions Club where Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist in San Angelo, and Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist in College Station, will present “Economics of Wheat Forage and Market Situation,” and “Market Strategies,” respectively, prior to lunch and sponsor updates.
Following the industry-sponsored lunch, Paul Weiser, Texas Department of Agriculture, Lubbock, will make a presentation on laws and regulations. Three continuing education units will be available.
Pritz said the tour is free and open to the public but asks those attending to RSVP by calling his office at 325-672-6048 or the AgriLife Extension offices in any of the participating counties. Those are Callahan, 325-854-5835; Shackelford, 325-762-2232; or Jones, 325-823-2432. Further information is available at those numbers as well.
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