HONDO – The Medina County Crops Field Day sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will be held from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 21 at Hondo City Park #1.
The field day will begin with registration, coffee and refreshments from 7-8:30 a.m., followed by opening remarks by Jason Ott, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Medina County.
“The field day presentations will be on the topics producers have told us are of greatest need and interest to them,” Ott said.
Speakers will include Ott, AgriLife Extension experts from Uvalde and College Station, and a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department expert.
He noted that a total of five continuing education units – three in the general category, one in integrated pest management and one in laws and regulations — will be available to program attendees.
Field day instruction begins at 8:40 a.m. with a presentation on the topic of nitrate, prussic acid and other forage quality considerations during drought.
“It is important that any drought-stressed crops a grower may try to salvage for forage be checked for these potentially toxic conditions before they are fed to livestock,” Ott said.
Other morning presentations will include a cotton root rot and aflatoxin update, laws and regulations discussion, cotton variety trials, and late-season fertility and feeding using nitrogen for crop management.
A catered lunch break sponsored by area banks from noon-1 p.m. will follow the morning’s presentations.
Afternoon instruction will include presentations on predation of field crops, feral hogs and integrated weed management.
“Feral hogs are always a big concern, and this year as we’ve seen a large amount of crop loss from predation by deer as well, especially on irrigated crops,” Ott said. “That’s especially tough in times of drought.”
The field day will conclude at 3 p.m. with the issuance of certificates for those receiving continuing education units.
Registration is $15 on or before June 17 and $20 at the gate.
For more information, contact Ott at 830-741-6180 or j-ott@ag.tamu.edu.
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