workshop Archives - Department of Soil and Crop Sciences

Three Big Country Wheat webinars set for August

7Aug

By: Susan Himes

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be presenting the annual Big Country Wheat Conference as webinars this year. The free event will run on three consecutive Thursdays starting Aug. 13 from noon to 1 p.m. each day.

“We feel these online events will provide area producers with valuable information heading into the upcoming wheat planting season,” said Steve Estes, AgriLife Extension agent for Taylor County. “This series offers something for everyone regarding the new crop, whether it be pricing strategies, managing risk, picking the best variety of seed, or managing the crop once it’s in the ground.”

Participants may attend any or all of the sessions online. Preregistration is required.

The Big Country Wheat webinar series begins August 13 (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedekre)

Conditions permitting, there is also a limited number of in-person seating for Big Country Wheat at both the AgriLife Extension offices in Taylor and Callahan counties. This option requires an RSVP to 325-672-6048.

The Aug. 27 session will have one general Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education unit available.

The themes, topics and speakers for each session are as follows:

Aug. 13, Wheat Marketing and Risk Management Strategies

Market outlook, pricing strategies and marketing plans – Mark Welch, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension grain marketing economist, College Station.
Risk management opportunities, price loss coverage and crop insurance options – Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist, San Angelo.

Aug. 20, Wheat Variety Selection

Variety performance data and 2020 wheat variety picks – Emi Kimura, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Vernon.
Variety traits, disease and pest resistance options – Reagan Noland, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, San Angelo.

Aug. 27, Planting and Crop Management Considerations

Seedling rates, seedling target and seed counts; seed options, certified vs. saved seed; fertilization timing, yield and protein considerations; current weed and insect control options – Noland and Fernando Guillen, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension small grains specialist, College Station.

New St. Augustinegrass hybrids highlighted at annual turfgrass field day

11Nov

Turfgrass needs to be drought tolerant, shade tolerant and disease resistant in order to thrive in Texas. A Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass breeder discussed genetically engineered St. Augustinegrass events and hybrids bred to meet these criteria during the recent Texas A&M AgriLife Turfgrass Field Day in College Station.

Ambika Chandra, Ph.D., a turfgrass breeder in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences based at the AgriLife research and extension center in Dallas, and Lucas Freshour, from Scotts Miracle-Gro, are working together to test Pro-Vista St. Augustinegrass for the Texas turfgrass industry.

Lucas Freshour (far left) and Ambika Chandra (center) discuss Pro-Vista St. Augustine hybrids with participants at the Texas A&M AgriLife Turfgrass Field Day. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“ProVista is a new technology developed by the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company by introducing genes into Floratam and Raleigh, two very old and very successful cultivars of St. Augustine grass that have worked very well in our industry,” Chandra said. “The result is a St. Augustinegrass that is resistant to glyphosate-non-selective herbicide. It also has a dwarfing effect, which limits the vertical growth of the plants and reduces the frequency of mowing.”

“Scotts has been working on this for 22 years and ProVista St. Augustine is already commercially available in Florida,” Freshour said. “We expect to have 2,000 acres in commercial production by the end of the year, but we don’t want to push those too hard in Texas because we need more cold hardiness here. That is where Chandra’s hybrids come in.”

Chandra explained that she is crossing the base genetics developed by Scotts with elite germplasms developed by AgriLife Research to create a cultivar that will flourish in the Texas environment.

Participants at the field day viewed research plots of the hybrids Chandra has developed using the Pro-Vista technology. This plot was sprayed with glyphosate ten days prior to the field day. The bermudagrass and slender aster are dying, with no damage to the St. Augustine. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“At the end of the day, we are looking not only for reduced mowing and glyphosate resistance, but also for drought tolerance, shade tolerance, disease resistance and other traits that are important to us here,” Chandra said.

One of the challenges of this breeding effort is that Floratam is sterile. The maternal plant does not produce enough nutrition for the embryo to develop into a mature seed. To overcome this, Chandra and her team use embryo rescue technology – removing the embryo 21 days after making pollinations and growing it in the lab in a sucrose-based tissue culture medium.

Advance lines and hybrids with the ProVista technology are being tested in College Station and Dallas, as well as at Milberger’s Landscape and Nursery, a turfgrass producer near San Antonio, TX, where they are evaluating the cycle of production and how well it can be harvested for sod.

During the field day, participants had the opportunity to look at the test plots, which had been sprayed with glyphosate 10 days prior, to see the effect on the new hybrids, the parent cultivars and St. Augustinegrasses without the ProVista technology. Research Assistant Syed Ahmed explained that the plots are all mowed to 3 inches and monitored for weed pressure.

“In the check plots we manually pull weeds, but we spray Roundup® on the others and watch to see if it gets dinged up or not,” Ahmed explained. “So far the ProVista is a success.”

Master’s student Will Bowling discussed the use of soil amendments in sand capped turfgrass during the field day.

The field day also highlighted other research being done at the College Station facility, including evaluation of alternative landscapes, the use of spent coffee grounds as a soil amendment, the effects of wetting agents in sandcapped systems, options for controlling Poa annual bluegrass and more.

The annual field day alternates locations each year, with the next to be held at the new research and extension Center in Dallas.

Chrissie Segars, Asst. Professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Turfgrass Specialist – Dallas, demonstrated methods of testing firmness of sports fields.

Turfgrass professionals gathered in College Station for the Texas A&M Turfgrass Field Day.

Winter feeding program for beef cattle producers Aug. 16 in Overton

10Jul

By: Adam Russell
Contact: Vanessa Corriher-Olson, VACorriher@ag.tamu.edu
Michelle Sensing, 903-834-6191

A program on the reduction of winter feeding by stockpiling warm-season forage and/or planting cool-season pastures is scheduled for Aug. 16 in Overton.

The event is from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1710 N. Farm-to-Market Road 3053.

Stockpiled forage and cool season forages can help reduce winter feeding costs.

The cost is $60 per person if registered by Aug. 6 and $75 per person if registered by Aug. 14. Fees include lunch and all program materials.

Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units, one integrated pest management and one general, will be available.

The program will be presented by Drs. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service forage specialist, and Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, both in Overton.

Corriher-Olson said the subject should be of great interest to beef producers following recent hay shortages.

“People were scrambling to secure hay this past winter,” she said. “Attending this event will help producers better prepare their operations and reduce feeding of hay next winter.”

Topics include:

Stockpiled forage management and utilization.
How many acres of stockpiled forage and winter pasture do you need?
Cool-season forages and variety selection.
Establishment and fertilization.
Monthly and seasonal forage production potential.
Appropriate mineral supplementation.
Estimated costs for various scenarios.

“We’ll be looking at the economics of these options,” Corriher-Olson said. “Whether they forgo that last harvest of Bermuda or Bahia grass as a stockpile option or plant cool-season grasses, planning ahead can help avoid unnecessary costs and benefit an operation’s bottom line.”

Register online at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu; or call AgriLife Extension Conference Services at 979-845-2604. For more information on this program, contact Michelle Sensing at 903-834-6191.

Coffee Education Symposium

11Oct

A Coffee Education Symposium will be held at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Center on F and B Road in College Station, Thursday, November 8, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Lunch and a coffee tasting will be included.

The symposium will include presentations on the Texas A&M Coffee Center, coffee chemistry, coffee sensory, the research and development of coffee projects, and an overview of the coffee industry and its current trends. Dr. Ben Wherley, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, and Amanda Birnbaum, Dept. of Horticultural Sciences, will present agronomic opportunities for spent coffee grounds followed by a field tour of ongoing research with spent coffee grounds.

For more information, contact: Dr. Ben Wherley, b-wherley@tamu.edu or (979) 845-1591.

The full agenda and RSVP is found on the Center for Coffee Research and Education website.

Water quality training October 9 in Austin will focus on Shoal Creek

27Sep

Contact: Michael Kuitu, 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu
Joanna Wolaver, 512-565-0812, joanna@shoalcreekconservancy.org
Noel Troxclair, 512-854-9600, noel.troxclair@ag.tamu.edu

A Texas Watershed Steward workshop on water quality related to Shoal Creek will be held from 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. October 9 at the Lamar Senior Activities Center, 2874 Shoal Crest Avenue in Austin. Interested persons are also invited to attend an 11:00 a.m.-noon Shoal Creek stakeholder meeting immediately prior to the workshop.

The workshop is presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board in cooperation with the Shoal Creek Conservancy and Texas State University Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. The training is free and open to anyone interested in improving water quality in the region. Light refreshments will be provided. Participants are encouraged to preregister at the Texas Watershed Steward website at http://tws.tamu.edu.

“This training is designed to help watershed residents improve and protect their water resources by becoming involved in local watershed protection and management activities,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension program specialist and coordinator for the Texas Watershed Steward program, College Station. Kuitu said the workshop will include an overview of water quality and watershed management in Texas, but will primarily focus on Shoal Creek.

The training will include a discussion of watershed systems along with types and sources of water pollution. There also will be a group discussion on community-driven watershed protection and management.

Shoal creek running under a stone bridge

A Watershed Protection Plan is being developed for Shoal Creek, which runs through parts of Austin. (Photo by: Ted Eubanks)

“Shoal Creek is an incredible asset of the Austin community, providing resources ranging from recreational use to flood control,” said Joanna Wolaver, Executive Director of the Shoal Creek Conservancy.

Wolaver noted that even though Shoal Creek is not designated as impaired by the state, bacteria in the creek is often reported at concentrations in excess of state standards during routine water quality monitoring. “Therefore, we are working toward developing a watershed action plan for Shoal Creek to address the challenges presented in this urban watercourse,” Wolaver added.

With funding assistance from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Shoal Creek Conservancy will work in partnership with local stakeholders and Texas State University’s Meadows Center for Water and the Environment to develop the plan. More information on this project, including how to become involved, will be presented at the workshop.

“In addition to discussing the Shoal Creek watershed, the workshop will offer a variety of continuing education credits for multiple professional disciplines,” said Noel Troxclair, AgriLife Extension agent for Travis County.

Troxclair said he wants to encourage local residents and other stakeholders to attend the workshop to gain more information about water resources and water quality improvement and protection.

Attendees of the workshop will receive a copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and a certificate of completion. The Texas Watershed Steward program offers four continuing education units in soil and water management for certified crop advisers, four units for professional engineers and certified planners, four credits for certified teachers, and two credits for nutrient management specialists. A total of four professional development hours are available for professional geoscientists. In addition, three general continuing education units are offered for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide license holders, and four for certified landscape architects. Four continuing education credits are provided to certified floodplain managers. Four continuing education credits are also offered for each of the following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality occupational licensees: wastewater system operators, public water system operators, on-site sewage facility installers, and landscape irrigators. Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists may also earn continuing education.

“Participating in the Texas Watershed Steward program is a great opportunity to get involved and make a difference in your watershed,” said Wolaver.
The Texas Watershed Steward program is funded through a Clean Water Act §319(h) nonpoint source grant from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on the Texas Watershed Steward program and to preregister, go to the website or contact Kuitu at 979-862-4457, mkuitu@tamu.edu; or Troxclair at 512-854-9600, noel.troxclair@ag.tamu.edu.

For more information about watershed protection efforts for Shoal Creek, visit www.shoalcreekconservancy.org/watershedplan, or contact Wolaver at 512-565-0812, joanna@shoalcreekconservancy.org.

Rainwater harvesting, turf management training Sept. 20-21 in Boerne and San Antonio

18Sep

By: AgriLife Today
Contacts: John W Smith, 979-845-2761, johnwsmith@tamu.edu
Dr. Becky Grubbs, 979-845-3041, bgrubbs@tamu.edu
Dr. Diane Boellstorff, 979-458-3562, dboellstorff@tamu.edu
Reagan Hejl, 979-845-5252, Reagan.hejl@tamu.edu
Lee Marlowe, 210-302-3624, lmarlow@sara-tx.org

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program is hosting two residential rainwater harvesting and turf management trainings in Boerne and San Antonio on Sept. 20 and 21, respectively.

The first training, in collaboration with the Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed Partnership, will be from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Cibolo Nature Center, 140 City Park Road in Boerne.

The second training, in collaboration with the San Antonio River Authority, will be from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 21 at the river authority, 100 E. Guenther St. in San Antonio. Lunch will be provided at the San Antonio training.

The Healthy Lawns Healthy Waters Program is hosting trainings in Boerne and San Antonio. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Kay Ledbetter)

Both events are free and open to the public. Participants at either training can have their soil tested free of charge. Both trainings will review how to access soil test results and provide nutrient recommendations.

The Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program aims to improve and protect surface water quality by enhancing awareness and knowledge of best management practices, coordinators said. At the trainings, attendees will learn about the design and installation of residential rainwater harvesting systems and appropriate turf and landscape species based on local conditions.

Seating is limited, so attendees for either program are requested to register at the Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters website.

Those attending the program in Boerne should register at https://hlhw.tamu.edu/workshops/2018/september-20-boerne/. Those planning to attend the San Antonio program should register at https://hlhw.tamu.edu/workshops/2018/sept-21-san-antonio/.

Those interested in either program can also contact John Smith, AgriLife Extension program specialist, College Station, at 979-845-2761 or johnwsmith@tamu.edu.

Dr. Becky Grubbs, AgriLife Extension turfgrass specialist, College Station, said management practices such as using irrigation delivery equipment, interpreting soil tests and understanding nutrient applications can help reduce runoff and provide additional landscape irrigation water.

“These trainings can improve participants’ understanding of rainwater harvesting and landscape management,” she said.

Dr. Diane Boellstorff, AgriLife Extension water resource specialist, College Station, said proper fertilizer application and efficient water irrigation can protect and improve water quality in area creeks and collecting rainwater for lawn and landscape needs reduces stormwater runoff.

Reagan Hejl, research associate in the soil and crop sciences department, College Station, said soil samples will be submitted to the AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Lab in College Station for routine analysis, including pH, conductivity, nitrate-nitrogen and other parameters.

Residents can pick up a soil sample bag with sampling instructions from the AgriLife Extension office in Kendall County, 210 E. San Antonio Ave., Suite 9 in Boerne or at the AgriLife Extension office in Bexar County, 3355 Cherry Ridge St., Suite 212 in San Antonio.

For more information about the Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed Protection Plan, go to https://www.ci.boerne.tx.us/147/Upper-Cibolo-Creek-Watershed.

At the San Antonio program, Lee Marlowe, sustainable landscape ecologist at San Antonio River Authority, will discuss updates on watershed protection plan activities to improve and protect water quality in the Upper San Antonio River.

For more information about the Upper San Antonio River Watershed Protection Plan, go to https://www.bexarflood.org/#!/main/map

Funding for the Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters Program is provided in part through a Clean Water Act grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.

4th Annual Women’s Stewardship Conference in Fredericksburg October 1-2

6Sep

By: Beth Ann Luedeker
Contact: Matt Brown, matthew.brown@tamu.edu

Maureen Frank, Texas AgriLife Extension, spoke to attendees at the 2017 conference about birds and birding.

The fourth annual women’s stewardship conference sponsored by the Bennett Trust and Texas A&M AgriLife will be held October 1 -2 at The Inn on Barron’s Creek in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Tiffany Lashmet in front of room addressing a group of women

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet spoke to 2017 attendees about agriculture laws. She will be returning this year to provide another entertaining and informative presentation.

This year’s conference, “Empowering Women – New Stewardship Traditions”, will include presentations and discussions of land stewardship followed by an outdoor session and tours of agribusinesses owned and/or run by women.

Day one of the conference will include presentations on topics from both traditional and non-traditional agriculture. This year’s agenda includes small ruminants, horses, bee keeping, birding, prescribed burning, agriculture finance, agriculture law and more.

Following breakfast on day two, we will travel to a nearby ranch where attendees will rotate between different activities – plant identification, animal track and scat identification, skeet shooting and archery. Professionals will provide instruction in safety and operation of shotguns and bows before allowing the participants an opportunity to test their marksmanship.

women with animal track molds on a truck tailgate

Analiese Scoggin showed participants a variety of animal tracks and scat before leading the group through the woods to see natural evidence of wildlife.

“The afternoon tours will include businesses we have not been to before,” said Matt Brown, conference organizer. “We will stop at Bridget’s Basket in Hunt, Texas, where we will eat lunch, and then travel to a couple other operations which we are still finalizing.”

instructor showing proper way to hold a bow and arrow

Larry Petty of Kerr County 4-H Shooting Sports provided archery instruction at the 2017 Bennett women’s conference.

The conference began in 2015 to meet the need of the increasing number of women who are becoming landowners. It offers women an opportunity to learn in a comfortable atmosphere, among other women of similar interests.

The two-day conference costs just $75, including all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation.
More information can be found on the website – https://agrilife.org/bennetttrust/
Register at: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/productListingDetails/2618

Several of the state’s top female shooters were on hand to provide shotgun instruction and give the women an opportunity to try their hands at skeet shooting.

Yaupon control discussed at 32nd Annual O.D. Butler Forage Field Day

12Jul

Story and Photos by : Beth Ann Luedeker
Contact: Vanessa Corriher-Olson vacorriher@ag.tamu.edu

Landowners fight a constant battle against invasive species of plants. Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Soil and Crop Sciences professor and AgriLife Extension forage specialist from Overton provided several control options for yaupon during the 32nd Annual O.D. Butler Forage Field Day and Camp Cooley Ranch.

Dr. Corriher-Olson speaking to group of people

Soil and Crop Sciences professor Dr. Vanessa Corriher-Olson discusses yaupon control measures during the O.D. Butler Forage Field Day at Camp Cooley Ranch. (Photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

Yaupon can be controlled mechanically or chemically, Olson told attendees. During her presentation Charles Fuchs with CF Mulching Services of Easterly demonstrated yaupon removal using a mulching machine.

“Mechanical control gives you instant gratification, because the vegetation is there one minute, then gone, but it is a temporary fix,” Corriher-Olson said. “Yaupon is a perennial, which means it has the ability to grow back from any live root material that is left behind.”

With mechanical control, you often see the vegetation come back with a vengeance. It will need to be retreated to take out the root structures.
“You also have to think about soil disturbance and how it will impact production and your production goals,” she said.

large track-driven mulcher removing undergrowth

CF Mulching Services provided a demonstration of mechanical yaupon control at the Butler field day.

Chemical control is more lasting, but there are drawbacks there too. Since yaupon tends to grow under desireable trees, care must be taken when applying herbicides to prevent unintended damage. It is also less obvious that plants have been treated, so areas should be marked after spraying.

Corriher-Olson pointed out that there are several ways to use herbicides to remove the yaupon. Some of the options are:

Cut Stump Treatment – a treatment of 15 percent Remedy and 85 percent diesel applied within one hour of taking the tree down will prevent regrowth. If the window is missed, a new cut can be made to treat.

Basal Stem Treatment – a mixture of 25 percent Remedy Ultra and 75 percent diesel sprayed on the yaupon.

“Yaupon needs to be sprayed under good growing conditions to insure the herbicide is translocated throughout the plant,” Corriher-Olson said.
Sprayed plants should stand for at least 12 months to take out the entire root structure.

“If you cut it too soon, it will come back,” she said.

group of people sitting in chairs and standing in sales facility

Producers filled the Camp Cooley Ranch sale building for the 51st Annual O.D. Butler Forage Field Day.

High volume foliar spray – a mixture of 1 percent Remedy in water with 1/4 percent surfactant sprayed on leaf material to the point of glistening, but not running off.

“When you are spraying under or around desirable trees you should avoid the heat,” Corriher-Olson said. “High temperatures will cause the herbicide to volatilize into the canopy of the desireable trees. You should also try to avoid contact with the bark, but the canopy is more susceptible to damage.”

group of people looking at tractor loaded on trailer

Mike Reddick of United Ag and Turf discussed securing a load for the road.

Rancher’s Leasing Workshop

29Jun

Contact: Tiffany Lashmet, tdowell@tamu.edu or 806-677-5681

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has scheduled three workshops focused on the grazing, hunting and livestock leases for this fall. These half-day seminars provide information beneficial to both landowners and lessees, and are offered free of charge.

Tiffany Lashmet, AgriLife Extension Specialist – Agriculture Law, grew up in a ranching family before attending law school and understands both sides of the leasing equation. In her straightforward and often humorous way, she presents leasing laws without the dry, confusing language typically associated with lawyers.

Participants leave with a better understanding of what questions to ask and how to ask them, as well as a copy of the Ranchers’ Agricultural Leasing Handbook. This book covers leasing laws and contains checklists and sample lease language.

Workshops are being offered September 7, 12:00 – 4:00 at the Brazos Center in College Station; September 18, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) Office; and November 8, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at McLennan County Community College in Waco.

Though the workshops are free, registration is preferred to ensure enough materials are available. AgriLife Extension is an equal opportunity program provider. If special accommodations are needed, Tiffany should be notified at least five days prior to the event so arrangements can be made.

For registration information contact Tiffany Lashmet – tdowell@tamu.edu or (806) 677-5681
Rancher Leasing workshop flier with workshop dates and contact information

Economics and herbicide drift discussed in McGregor

10May

Story and photos by: Blair Fannin
Contact: scott.nolte@tamu.edu
cbneely@tamu.edu

The impacts of potential trade tariffs on crops such crops would send ripple effects through other agricultural commodities, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.

Dr. Mark Welch, grains marketing economist in College Station, told farmers at the Central Texas Small Grain Field Day at the McGregor Research Center that a Purdue University recently projected a 25 percent import tariff by China soybeans would result in a 37 percent decline in U.S. exports.

Consequently, a decline in U.S. soybean exports would lead to fewer soybean acres.

“Where are those acres going to go? They will go to corn,” Welch said. “Given where our corn prices are, we don’t really want any more corn acres.”

From decreased land values to lessening farm net worth, the potential repercussions of tariffs on exports to China could have big impacts, Welch said.

Soil and Crop Sciences professors Dr. Scott Nolte, center, and Dr. Clark Neely, right, visit with Dow/DuPont representative Dillon DeMuth during the recent small grain field day in McGregor, TX.

He said to mitigate potential price risks, producers can integrate cash marketing with other marketing tools and crop insurance.

Soil and crop sciences professor Dr. Scott Nolte, AgriLife Extension state weed specialist in College Station, advised farmers on using Dicamba and proper spray tank sanitation.
Nolte said farmers pay a considerable amount for herbicides and its important they hit their targets and are used efficiently.

“Staying on target with herbicide applications is important for several reasons. First, it is good product stewardship and an EPA and label requirement,” Nolte said. “It also provides more consistent weed control and reduces risk for injury to neighboring crops.”

Off target movement most commonly comes from physical drift, but may also occur due to volatility or sprayer contamination. Nolte stressed that understanding each of these sources and how they cause off-target movement can help the applicator know which methods and practices will help keep them on target.

Common practices such as using correct nozzles, spraying during appropriate weather conditions and thorough spray system cleanout are just some of the methods described on nearly all herbicide lables.

Dr. Scott Nolte discussed the Flag the Technology app which is available from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension during the small grains field day in McGregor.

“Regardless of what product you are using, most product labels will tell you to triple rinse,” he said. “Use a tank cleaner and remove end caps. Clean the tops and screens to make sure everything has been thoroughly rinsed and removed. Things accumulate over time, so it’s important to thoroughly clean these pieces of equipment.”

Nolte said even the smallest amounts of Dicamba can affect sensitive crops.

“From vineyards to gardens, physical drift can severely harm these crops,” he said. “It’s important that we make sure our sprayers are performing efficiently and we are being good stewards.”

Earlier in the day, Dr. Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension small grains specialist in College Station, discussed a number of wheat varieties under testing. Overall, he said the Central Texas wheat crop yields should be close to average this year.

“We are anticipating 45 bushels to 50 bushels per acre in the Central Texas region,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see some 60 bushel yields in some areas. I would say 45-50 bushels per acre is fairly typical for this region of the Blacklands.”

The field day also featured a UAV demonstration by John Otwell, UAV product specialist with RDO Equipment in Pflugerville. Experts discussed a range of emerging UAV field uses.

“UAVs are an excellent tool to scout fields and monitor crop conditions,” Neely said. “You can tell when a crop is stressed, but we are not quite there yet in the ability to always determine what the cause actually is.”