| May 5, 2003 |
 |
|---|
The harvest of wheat will soon begin. As you harvest samples from variety tests, please record the information on the foot of drill row(s) harvested and the number of inches from drill row to drill row. I will need this information to calculate the yield per acre. The thrasher is located at the Research and Extension Center at San Angelo. You may want to team up with another county to thrash samples. It takes at least two people to do the job efficiently. After the thrashing of grain is complete, the grain weights can then be entered into a spreadsheet and the information you want determined. Also, at the time of harvest you may want to get the production information from your demonstration cooperator.
Runnels, Callahan, Taylor and Tom Green counties have been added to the list of counties with Hessian Fly. For the counties that have Hessian Fly, you may want to let producers know of cultural practices they can use to reduce the population of the insect pest. 1) Don't spread the problem--be sure that harvesters are clean before they leave the field. 2) Turn the residue under (9 or more inches is needed). 3) Planting wheat after November 1 helps reduce the problem. 4) Select resistant varieties to plant next season. Linked is a list from 2002 that gives a rating of the resistance of wheat varieties to Hessian Fly, Leaf Rust and Stem Rust (This information will be updated in May as wheat plots are evaluated).
NOTE: The heat of a controlled burn is not hot enough to kill the insect at or below the soil surface. Burning wheat stubble would only get rid of the organic mater--not the insect.
I want to thank Russell Baker, Stephen Biles, Michael Brooks, Warren Multer and Tommy Yeater for their assistance in obtaining, sorting and distributing cottonseed for District 6 and 7 variety tests.
It was brought to my attention that the cottonseed obtained from Delta and Pineland Company (Deltapine and Paymaster) was treated with an insecticide. The seed treatment will provide three weeks of protection to the emerging cotton. If early season insects become a problem, an application of insecticide will be needed on the other varieties to keep that variable from impacting test results.
There is a new publication out "Cotton Stalk Destruction with Herbicides" written by Robert Lemon, Charles Stichler, and John Norman, Jr. [PDF version is almost 7 megs; click here for HTML version].
The annual cotton insect scout school will be held June 9, 2003 at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center at San Angelo [click here for agenda]. If you would like to travel to Uvalde, Texas to fine-tune your scouting skills, please contact Rick Minzenmayer at (915) 365-5212.
On May 12, there will be a training conducted at Abilene for producers needing to obtain a Private Applicators license. For more details and to register for the meeting call Gary Bomar at (915) 672-6048.
Several agents indicated that it would be useful to have the weeds grouped by bloom color. In an attempt to get started, compiled is a list of weeds that will have purple blooms in the spring. Each small picture is linked to a larger picture. Let me know if this is what you asked for.
May 1, Concho and McCulloch Counties, Wheat Field Day
May 2, Coleman, County, Wheat Field Day
May 3, Tom Green County, District 4-H Roundup
May 5, District 7 Office Conference
May 6, Runnels County, Farm Safety School Meeting
May 9, Taylor and Callahan Counties, Wheat Field Day
May 14, Runnels County, Wheat Field Day
May 15, Fisher County, Extension Agents Meeting
May 16, Tom Green County, Professional Ag Workers
May 28, Schleicher County, Soil Fertility Program
May 30, Tom Green County, Phil Thompson Retirement Event
June 4, Tom Green County, Farm and Ranch Safety School
June 6 - 10, Brazos County, 4-H and Youth Development
June 18, Tom Green County, West Texas Dryland Institute Tour
June 20, Tom Green County, Professional Ag Workers
Sincerely,
|