MCKINNEY — Anyone can design, plant and manage an attractive landscape that is low-maintenance and tolerant to heat, drought and torrential rain, “the ultimate in environmental responsibility,” said Dr. Steve George, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service landscape specialist in Dallas. George is creator of the Earth-Kind Environmental Landscape Management System and organizer of the annual […]
DALLAS — A first-of-its-kind zoysia grass hybrid promises superior putting green performance and quality while requiring fewer inputs compared to other warm-season turfgrasses on the market, said Dr. Ambika Chandra, Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass breeding program leader in Dallas. The new variety, tested as DALZ 1308, produced average roll distances above 9 feet in […]
DALLAS – A few simple practices can give outdoor plants a chance to survive the coming freeze, but picking the right plants ahead of planting is the best defense against low winter temperatures. That’s the seasonal message from horticulturists of Water University, a joint public outreach program on water conservation and quality protection by Texas […]
COLLEGE STATION — The first students who will earn certificates in winemaking, or enology, from Texas A&M University, College Station, have uncorked their first bottles. The enology class began working with wine in September as the university launched the certificate program, said Dr. Andreea Botezatu, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service enology specialist in College Station. […]
DALLAS — A discovery by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists in Dallas provides new insights about the biological or circadian clock, how it regulates high water-use efficiency in some plants, and how others, including food plants, might be improved for the same efficiency, possibly to grow in conditions uninhabitable for them today. The scientists in […]
DALLAS — Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have discovered a ribonucleic acid, or RNA, that can increase the thale cress plant’s resistance to stress from drought and salt. The discovery could help illuminate a new pathway to engineering drought- and salt-tolerant plants, including food crops, said Dr. Liming Xiong, AgriLife Research associate professor, Dallas. The […]
OVERTON – Statewide tomato trials revealed a fertilization program can help plants reach their production potential, in some locations over 30 pounds of fruit per plant, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist. Dr. Joe Masabni, an AgriLife Extension small-acreage horticulturist in Overton, has concluded his 2017 tomato trial investigating grafted versus non-grafted plants […]
DALLAS – Dr. Ambika Chandra, lead scientist of the turfgrass breeding program at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Dallas, has been reelected to a new three-year term representing Texas A&M AgriLife Research on the Texas A&M University System Council of Principal Investigators, or CPI. The CPI serves as an interface between researchers […]
OVERTON – Patti Cates, of Hughes Springs, planted her pink flag among the fiery red and orange Zahara Double Fire blooms. The flag signified the flower as one of her favorites among more than 500 ornamental varieties on display June 29 at the 24th annual Northeast Texas Horticultural Field Day. Cates and her husband Tony […]
COLLEGE STATION – Disease problems for vegetable producers and gardeners are popping up around the state, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Conditions have been good for vegetable production around much of the state following mild spring conditions and ample rains, but the weather is also setting the stage for plant […]
