GULF COAST COTTON WORKSHOP SERIES BEGINS FEB 25

        The first in a series of Gulf Coast Cotton Management Workshops will be held on Friday, February 25, 2011 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center on Hwy. 44 just west of the Corpus Christi Airport.  The focus of the first workshop will be the “Pre-season Planning to Emergence” period.  This series, offers producers the opportunity to ask questions and interact with industry representatives, consultants, county agents and AgriLife Extension and Research personnel.  With cotton prices currently at record levels, it is important to fine tune cotton production needs to be as efficient as possible to take advantage of the excellent prices.   This workshop is designed to provide local cotton growers with tools to help them be successful in the coming growing season, according to Dr. Juan Landivar, Director of the Corpus Christi Agrilife Research and Extension Center.

          The workshop will begin at 1:30 p.m. and conclude by 5 p.m.  Topics will include a discussion of weed management to avoid the growing herbicide resistance problem emerging in the cotton belt by an invited guest speaker, Dr. Peter Dotray, Associate Professor of Plant and Soil Science at Texas Tech University.  Representatives from cottonseed companies will discuss cotton cultivars for the 2011 season.

        Locally developed online management tools available at the Crop Weather Program website will be discussed and demonstrated.  Agronomic considerations for producing a good cotton crop will also be discussed, including temperature and soil moisture effects on germination along with seeding rates and final lint yields.  Early insect management will also be reviewed, including seed treatments and their role for early-season insect protection.

          The session will wrap-up with a discussion on cotton prices and marketing strategies for the upcoming crop.  3 CEU’s will be offered for pesticide applicators and certified crop advisors.  This workshop is being sponsored by Texas AgriLife Research and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office at 361-767-5223 at least eight days before all programs for assistance.

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all citizens without

regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

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Sorghum Referendum Underway

    The referendum period to vote to continue the United Sorghum Checkoff Program began February 1st and runs through Monday, February 28. All sorghum producers who have grown sorghum between July 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010 are encouraged to participate in the voting process. In order for a ballot to be considered valid, producers must include a copy of a settlement sheet or seed receipt proving that they grew sorghum and paid into the checkoff during the aforementioned time period. Ballots and proof of production must be returned to a producer’s county FSA office in person, by mail or via fax no later than Monday, February 28. One vote may be cast per entity. For more information about the voting process as well as who qualifies to vote, please visit www.voteforsorghum.com. Ballots are available  at your county FSA office, online at www.voteforsorghum.com or through Kristin Utterback. Please feel free to contact Kristin with any questions or concerns at 979-218-3029 or kristin@texassorghum.org.

TIPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR PESTICIDE APPLICATORS LICENSE

    To help you meet the continuing education requirements of your pesticide applicator
license or certificate, here are a few recommendations.  Start early! Continuing education activities occur year-round across the state. In Nueces County alone, in the year 2010, 34 hours of CEU’s were offered by the Nueces County Extension Office. You may not find affordable, convenient or sufficient numbers of opportunities if you wait until your license or certificate renewal deadline is near.

    Monitor the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) list of approved recertification courses and training contacts. It’s available from the Certification and Training Division by calling 800-835-5832 (800-TELL-TDA). The list, along with links to Internet - accessible continuing education units (CEU’s), is also posted on the TDA website at: http://ceusearch.texasagriculture.gov/  Another excellent source of CEU information is your local County Extension Agent with Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
                              
    So what CEU’s do you need to maintain your pesticide license?  For Private Applicators: 15 CEU’s every five years, including a minimum of 2 in Laws and Regulations, and 2 in Integrated  Pest Management (IPM). Up to 10 CEU’s may be obtained through TDA approved home study programs, including online courses.  For Commercial and Noncommercial Applicators: 5 CEU’s annually, including at least 1 CEU each in two of three special topics: Laws & Regulations, IPM, and Drift Minimization. CEU’s from TDA-approved home study may be used to re-certify only every other year.  No CEU carryover is allowed as CEU’s must be acquired prior to renewal. Extra CEU credit obtained in one renewal cycle cannot be forwarded and used in the next renewal cycle.

    Retain your Certificates of Completion obtained from participating in CEU courses.  Although some commercial trainers may provide duplicate certificates, there is no recourse for lost certificates from the Extension Service. No single source provides cumulative tracking of all the CEU’s that you acquire. It is up to the individual to keep their certificates on file so they can be accessed if you are subject of a TDA audit.

    Shortly before your license or certificate expires, you will receive an application for renewal from the Texas Department of Agriculture. Be sure to notify TDA if your address has changed. After you submit the application for renewal, your license or certificate should arrive within a few weeks. Keep your Certificates of Completion for one year following renewal.


PRIVATE APPLICATOR TRAINING & TESTING DATE SET
    The Nueces County Office of Texas AgriLife Extension Service will conduct a Private Pesticide Applicator Training on Monday, February 7, 2011,  at the Nueces County Extension Office located in the Calderon Bldg. at 710 E Main in Robstown, Texas. The training will begin at 8:00 a.m. followed by testing administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
    A Private Applicator is defined by law as a person who uses or supervises the use of a restricted-use or state-limited use pesticide for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity.
    Participants in the training should secure a study manual from their local Extension Office prior to the training. The study manual is $25.00. Furthermore, participants in the training are encouraged to bring a pencil and calculator for the exam. Reviewing the study manual prior to the training and test will improve ones performance on the exam.  For additional information about the training contact Jeff Stapper, County Extension Agent - Agriculture & Natural Resources at (361) 767-5223.

VIDEO CEU CONFERENCE - FEBRUARY 9
    Every year about this time my telephone starts ringing with questions about where one can get some CEU’s for their pesticide applicators license, since they just got their renewal notice in the mail from Texas Department of Agriculture.     To help meet the needs of some last minute CEU hunters, a Video CEU Course will be conducted on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at the Nueces County Extension Office, (710 E. Main - Calderon Bldg. in Robstown, Tx) beginning at 8:30 a.m. and concluding by 4:00 p.m.  A total of 6 CEU’s will be offered ( 2 L&R, 2 IPM, 2 G).

    Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office eight days before all programs for assistance.

CROP SYMPOSIUM TO FOCUS ON EMERGING ISSUES

            The Coastal Bend Crop Symposium will be held on Friday, January 21, 2011 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center on Hwy. 44 just west of the Corpus Christi Airport. The focus of this symposium will be on emerging crop issues and research that will enhance local farming operations.

            Registration for the symposium will begin at 8:15 am followed by the program at 8:30 am. Morning topics will include; Weed Herbicide Resistance Management and Herbicide Tolerant Sorghum, Planning for Insect Management in Row Crops, Farm Policy Update & Market Outlook, Strategies for Boll Weevil Eradication, Pesticide Laws Review, and a Weather Outlook for the upcoming growing season.

            Following a catered lunch, topics for the afternoon session will include; Cotton Root Rot Research Update, Crop Disease and Management Update, Sunflower Production and Soil Fertility Management, Cotton Technology Update, Drought Tolerant Research in Cotton, and Insect Research Management. 

            Registration fee is $10 per person which includes the catered lunch and all those planning to attend should call the Extension Office at (361) 767-5223 by January 18 to aid in meeting preparations.  5.5 CEU’s will be offered for pesticide applicators and 6 CEU’s  for certified crop advisors.  This symposium is being sponsored by the Nueces and San Patricio County Office of Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the local Crops Committees.

Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office at 361-767-5223 at least eight days before all programs for assistance.

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin.

WILDFIRE DANGER ISSUE ADDRESSED

            The above normal rainfall from this past Spring and Summer here in South Texas, followed by drier than normal conditions this Fall have led to conditions that could to lead to wildfires in the coming weeks, as the fuel load from good forage growth, which is now drying along with drying soils and lower humidity, provides the perfect conditions for wildfire on our rangelands and pastures.  To address this issue, the National Weather Service’s 2010 South Texas Fire Weather and Drought Partners meeting will be conducted on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at the Del Mar College - West Campus, 4101 Old Brownsville Rd, Corpus Christi, Texas.  The meeting will be held in the Emerging Technologies Building, Room 105, with registration beginning at 8:00 a.m. followed by the program from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

            This meeting is designed for wildfire and prescribed burn interests, farmers and ranchers, broadcast and print media, and emergency managers.  The meeting will provide a detailed outlook for the 2011 fire season, comparisons of this season to recent wet to dry pattern transitions, drought outlooks, lessons learned from recent prescribed burns, decision making in ranching based on weather predictions and much more.  Pesticide applicators will be awarded 3 CEU’s for participating in the meeting. 

            Specific topics to be addressed will include; Fire and Drought Management, Impacts of Wet to Dry Season Transitions, Texas Forest Service Predictive Services Outlook, Lessons of Recent Prescribed Burns in Drought Stricken South Texas, Spring Outlook from State Climatologist, Benefits of Prescribed Burning, Decision Making in Ranching base on Weather Predictions, Pasture and Range Management, and Pesticide Laws and Regulations Update.

            Sponsors of this program include; The National Weather Service, Texas Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Office of the Texas State Climatologist, Texas Department of Agriculture and Texas AgriLife Extension Service.  All those planning to participate are asked to pre-register by December 8, 2010 to Jason Runyen via e-mail @ Jason.Runyen@noaa.gov or 361-289-0959 ext 1, as attendance will be limited to the first 100 RSVPs.  

Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office eight days before all programs for assistance.  Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.       

South Texas Cotton Data Available

A summary of South Texas Cotton Variety Data is now available and can be viewed at the following web site link;
http://varietytesting.tamu.edu/cotton/files/2010/Uniform%20Cotton%20Variety%20Trial%20Report%202010.pdf

COTTON VARIETY TEST RESULTS POSTED

Results from two cotton variety trials in Nueces County, including yield and lint quality data are complete and the good yields are reflective of  the good growing conditions that we had in 2010.  Recently cotton prices have moved well above $1 per pound and this should increase the acreage for the 2011 crop in the Coastal Bend.  Selecting the best suited variety for your farm remains one of the most important early decisions you can make as you plan for next year’s crop.

    A Uniformed Stacked-Gene Variety Trial was conducted with Jim Massey IV, just northeast of Petronila.  The plots were planted on March 27 with three replicates per variety in a randomized complete block design on 30-inch rows.  This dryland test was harvested by machine on August 27, 2010.  There were ten varieties in the test.  The test averaged just over 1,263 pounds of seed cotton per acre.  The best two performing varieties (no statistical difference between the two) were FiberMax 1740 B2F at 1,446 pounds per acre with a loan value of $0.537 per pound and DeltaPine 0920 B2RF at 1,403 pounds per acre with a loan value of $0.5118 per pound.
    Other varieties in this test and their yields were as follows; ST 5458 B2RF @ 1,315 lbs./ac, PHY 367 WRF @ 1,280 lbs./ac, ST 4288 B2RF @ 1,251 lbs./ac, PHY 375 WRF @ 1,231 lbs./ac, CL 3220 B2RF @ 1,208 lbs./ac, DP 1032 B2RF @ 1,186 lbs./ac, FM 9160 B2F @ 1,167 lbs./ac, and AT Apex B2RF @ 1,150 lbs./ac.  Overall the lint values per acre of this test (using the loan value) ranged from $616.70 to $776.30 per acre.
    A Liberty Link Cotton Variety Trial was conducted with Darrell Lawhon, east of Bishop.  The plots were planted on March 26 with three replicates per variety in a randomized complete block design on 38-inch rows.  This dryland test was harvested on August 17, 2010 by machine.
There were six varieties in this test that averaged more than 1,140 pounds of seed cotton per acre.
The best two performing varieties (no statistical difference between the two) were FiberMax 1845 LLB2 at 1,269 pounds per acre with a loan value of $0.5198 per pound and FiberMax 835 LLB2 at 1,223 pounds per acre with a loan value of $0.5418 per pound.
    Other varieties in this test and their yields were as follows; FM 1015 LLB2 @ 1,122 lbs./ac, FM 1035 LLB2 @ 1,094 lbs./ac, FM 1025 LLB2 @ 1,076 lbs./ac, and FM 1773 LLB2 @ 1,059 lbs./ac.  Overall the lint values per acre of this test (using the loan value) ranged from $544 to $659.70 per acre.
    These tests would not possible without the cooperation and support of local farmers and various seed companies, and for that we should all be grateful.  More detailed information about these tests can be obtained from the Nueces County Extension Office or can also be found on the web at   http://nueces-tx.tamu.edu/pubcat.cfm?COUNTY=Nueces&CatID=2757
For more information contact the Nueces County Extension Office at 361-767-5223.