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.

Agricultural Waste Pesticide Collection Program - October 28

    The Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Agriculture, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has organized a regional collection of unwanted or unused (waste) pesticides as part of the Agricultural Waste Pesticide Collection Program.
The local event will be held on Thursday, October 28, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds located at 219 W. 5th Street in Sinton, Texas.
    This free collection, conducted rain or shine, will give agricultural producers who use pesticides in Texas an opportunity to dispose of unwanted products that may pose a hazard to them, their families, and their surrounding farming and ranching communities. The program is strictly voluntary and no one is required to participate. All this is done at no expense to them.
The participants do not have to identify themselves. However, there is a short survey in which the participants are asked to complete.
    These items are accepted at the collection events; triple rinsed - empty pesticide containers, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, nematicides, bactericides, growth regulators, harvest aid chemicals, pesticides used on livestock, other miscellaneous pesticides, all formulations of herbicides, unknown substances (please label the container "unknown"),  used motor oil and oil filters, lead-acid batteries, paint, petroleum products, batteries, and antifreeze.
    Correctly using these agricultural pesticides and safely recycling, reconditioning, or disposing of the empty containers is a must for all agricultural users. Proper use and management practices can help keep you and others safe. Unusable or waste pesticides can be disposed of at regional waste pesticide collections. However, there are limited options for disposing of pesticide containers.
    Currently, properly rinsed agricultural chemical containers are not classified as hazardous waste, and in many cases, are disposed of in sanitary landfills. However, due to limited capacity problems and more stringent state regulatory requirements, many landfills have already begun to refuse these containers. Other methods once used to destroy these containers, such as burning or burying them, are no longer viable disposal options. In Texas, open burning of pesticide containers is illegal and disposal at specially designed incineration facilities is often too costly for the average applicator.
    Burying these containers may lead to serious environmental consequences, such as groundwater contamination. Today, many environmentally concerned land developers, buyers, and lenders require that environmental audits be conducted on a property before it is purchased or sold. For these reasons, burying agricultural chemical containers is not recommended.
    Disposal options for empty agricultural chemical containers are becoming more limited in Texas, so government and industry are promoting and researching alternatives such as recycling.
Agricultural chemical containers come in many shapes and sizes and may be made of paper, metal, or plastic. Empty paper containers cannot be reconditioned or recycled; take them to an authorized incinerator or landfill. Metal and plastic containers can be reconditioned or recycled if they are properly rinsed.
    Rinsing containers is required by law, but it is a simple, essential step before they can be recycled or disposed. Rinsing them can minimize health and environmental risks, as well as save money by ensuring that none of your agricultural chemical product is wasted.  
    The upcoming Ag waste collection is open to Texas residents who apply pesticides or other agricultural chemicals for the production of agricultural products in Texas or for those residents that have banned or unwanted agricultural chemicals.  For more information contact the San Patricio County Extension Office at 361-364-6234 or TCEQ at 512-239-3100.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS!

Wow, last week was one for the record books for Nueces and surrounding counties, as the rain just kept falling. I personally measured 15.5 inches over the recent ten day period and 11 to 15 inches were common reports and some reported more.  What a difference a year makes, as we have gone from desert like conditions to the swamp.  Obviously the rainfall has prevented field work from occurring, thus we still have cotton in the field, along with cotton seedlings and stalks that are not destroyed.  As a result the cotton stalk destruction deadline has again been moved.

The Chairman of the Zone 2 Cotton Producer Advisory Committee has sent a request to TDA to extend the cotton stalk destruction deadline for Zone 2 Areas 2, 3 & 4 until October 15, 2010.

With this request, Zone 2 Areas 2, 3 & 4 will have an October 15 stalk destruction deadline.  This includes the following counties:  Aransas, Bee, Calhoun, Goliad, Jim Wells, Kleberg, LaSalle, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Victoria.

For producers in these counties that still have unharvested cotton and have not filed for an individual extension this season, an individual extension request must be submitted to TDA no later than October 5, 2010.   For producers that have already applied for an individual extension for unharvested cotton, subsequent extensions for unharvested cotton may be made up until the extended deadline of October 15th instead of the original requirement of requesting 10 days prior to the deadline.

Producers in these counties with harvested, regrowth, and volunteer cotton will have until the day of the deadline (October 15, 2010) to apply for an individual extension if necessary.

Extension requests for fields in Calhoun, Goliad and Victoria Counties should be faxed to TDA's Houston office toll free at (888) 223-5606.

Extension requests for remaining counties in Zone 2 should be faxed to the Corpus Christi office toll free at (800) 909-8223.

For complete information on the Cotton Stalk Destruction program visit the Texas Department of Agriculture website at www.TexasAgriculture.gov
To Navigate to Cotton Stalk Destruction, click "Programs", then click "By Name", then click "Cotton Stalk Destruction"