Author Archives: skledbetter

About skledbetter

Kay Ledbetter is an associate editor/communication specialist for Texas AgriLife Research and Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Amarillo & Vernon. She worked 23 years at the Amarillo Globe-News as a general assignments reporter, farm and ranch reporter and editor, and assistant regional editor before joining the Texas A&M System in 2005. She earned a bachelor of science degree at West Texas State University in Canyon. She is responsible for writing news releases and feature articles from science-based information generated or provided by Research & Extension faculty at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Amarillo and at Vernon.

Buck Creek watershed effort earns Texas Environmental Excellence Award

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Phyllis Dyer, 940-552-9941, pmdyer@ag.tamu.edu Dr. Paul DeLaune, 940-552-9941, pbdelaune@ag.tamu.edu VERNON – A 10-year effort by Texas A&M AgriLife Research on the Buck Creek watershed will end this month and be recognized with a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Texas Environmental Excellence Award for agriculture in May. Buck Creek was [...]

Texas A&M students recognized as Monsanto’s Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars

Addition makes five, setting Texas A&M apart from other universities Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Ed Runge, 979-845-3066, e-runge@tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION – Silvano Ocheya and Ahmed Elsayed, two Texas A&M University doctoral students in the soil and crop science department, have been selected as recipients in Monsanto’s Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program, according to [...]

New cowpea varieties offer promise in South Africa, other parts of the world

AgriLife Research and Buffett Foundation partner on research project Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Dr. B.B. Singh, 979-845-3041, bsingh@ag.tamu.edu COLLEGE STATION – New cowpea varieties developed by Texas A&M University and tested at the Nature Conservation Trust Ukulima Farm in South Africa could make a major contribution toward production in other tropical and subtropical [...]

‘Saving Water Makes Sense’ set for April 17 in Dalhart

Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Kay Rogers, 806-862-4601, kwrogers@ag.tamu.edu DALHART – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Dallam and Hartley counties will conduct “Saving Water Makes Sense – Making Every Drop Count” on April 17 in the Rita Blanca Coliseum, 219 Farm-to-Market Road 281 in Dalhart. The program, from 5:30-7 p.m., will feature Dr. Joyce [...]

New Prairie View A&M agent added to AgriLife Extension staff in Potter County

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Lizabeth Gresham, 373-0713, lizabeth.gresham@ag.tamu.edu AMARILLO – Lizabeth Gresham has been named the Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program agent for family and consumer sciences in Potter County, according to Dr. Angela Burkham, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service regional program coordinator for family and consumer sciences in Amarillo. Gresham [...]

AgriLife Research: Groundwater challenges emerging around Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex

Future groundwater availability, quality dependent on conservation efforts Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Srinivasulu Ale, 940-552-9941, sriniale@ag.tamu.edu Dr. Sriroop Chaudhuri, 940-552-9941, schaudhuri@ag.tamu.edu   VERNON – Two Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists recently completed an evaluation of groundwater resources in the Trinity and Woodbine aquifers under the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and published their findings in an [...]

AgriLife Extension to offer Food Manager Certification Training May 22-23 in Claude

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Leicia Redwine, 806-226-3021, l-redwine@tamu.edu  CLAUDE — Before the next health inspection, restaurants and other food-service operations may want to review whether or not they have a certified food manager. If not, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is offering a course to help them meet state requirements. “Food Safety:  It’s Our [...]

Water Wise Living Conference set for April 15-16 in Dumas

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Marcel Fischbacher, 806-935-2594, mhfischbacher@ag.tamu.edu  DUMAS – A Water Wise Living Conference will be held April 15-16 at the Moore County Community Building, 1600 S. Maddox Ave., Dumas. The program is a joint effort of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Moore County, Moore County Extension Leadership Advisory Board [...]

AgriLife Extension names Dukes as new district administrator in Amarillo

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Brandon Dukes, 806-677-5600, bkdukes@ag.tamu.edu AMARILLO – Brandon Dukes will be stepping up April 15 to assume new duties as the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service District 1 administrator in Amarillo, according to Dr. Darrell Dromgoole, associate director for county programs in College Station. Currently the 4-H and youth development [...]

Wheat insect monitoring beginning to spot aphids and mites

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Ed Bynum, 806-677-5600, EBynum@ag.tamu.edu AMARILLO – Russian wheat aphids, brown wheat mites and greenbugs – they are all beginning to show up in High Plains and South Plains wheat fields, and primarily because of the drought, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist. But the big [...]