WESLACO — Sporting a new name to reflect wider horizons, the Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society will hold its 69th annual meeting Feb. 6 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Weslaco, according to organizers.
Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. and talks begin at 8:20 a.m. at the center’s Hoblitzelle Auditorium. The center is located at 2415 E. Highway 83.
The registration fee is $35, payable at the door by cash or check only, and includes a barbecue lunch. Registration for students is $25.
Formerly known as the Rio Grande Valley Horticultural Society, then the Subtropical Plant Science Society, the new name reflects a broader mission to include animal and wildlife sciences, ecology and the environment, according to Dr. John da Graca, treasurer.
“The renaming and expanded mission of the almost 70-year-old organization, the Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society, is illustrated in this year’s program to include talks on cattle fever ticks, traditional horticultural topics and continuing issues related to water,” da Graca said.
One horticultural topic of special concern to be discussed is the growing threat of citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing or HLB, said Dr. Mamodou Setamou, an entomologist at the Texas A&M-Kingsville Citrus Center in Weslaco.
“HLB is a potential industry killer, and the disease has been spreading in recent months,” he said. “Infected trees have been detected in more than 30 groves in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and while it threatens the entire industry here, more infected groves are now being detected in the mid-Valley area. Growers are encouraged to continue HLB mitigation efforts, especially continuing their aggressive control of the vector, the Asian citrus psyllid, and by removing infected trees.”
Another important aspect of the meeting is the poster program that includes students from both sides of the Rio Grande presenting their scientific research and competing for awards, da Graca said.
Topics and speakers include:
— Overview of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program, Dr. Kim Lohmeyer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kerrville.
— Interaction of wildlife with cattle fever ticks in South Texas, Dr. David Hewitt, Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
— Update on citrus greening and its management in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Setamou.
— Impact and management of the sugarcane aphid in grain sorghum, Danielle Sekula-Ortiz, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management agent, Weslaco.
— Molecular pathways analysis for invasion of the Mediterranean fruit fly into California, Dr. Raul Ruiz, USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Mission.
— Hydrology of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Jude Benavides, University of Texas-Brownsville.
— Drought update and potential development of El Nino weather system, Barry Goldsmith, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, Brownsville.
Lunch will follow election of new society officers and the presentation of the annual Arthur T. Potts Award, in recognition of contributions to the area’s horticultural industry.
After lunch, from 1:30-4 p.m., students will present their research.
For more information, contact John Goolsby at 956-373-3223 or email john.goolsby@ars.usda.gov
“This meeting will be of special interest to agricultural producers, consultants, extension specialists and researchers working in subtropical agriculture, as well as the general public,” said Goolsby, secretary and interim president of the Subtropical Agriculture and Environments Society.