Regenerative agriculture evaluation gets underway in Texas and Oklahoma

3Dec

Written by: Kay Ledbetter

From carbon sequestration to greenhouse gas emissions to cover crops, this fall a team of Texas A&M AgriLife faculty and others will begin evaluating the impacts of regenerative agriculture in semi-arid ecoregions in Texas and Oklahoma.

A small white piece of equipment sits in a field - it will measure greenhouse gas. A cart on bicycle tires hauls the equipment

Soil carbon capture and greenhouse gas emissions will be measured in the field in the sustainable agriculture study. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Katie Lewis)

The Texas A&M AgriLife-led team aims to further understand and encourage the widespread adoption of regenerative practices that increase agricultural production and profitability while reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint.

Katie Lewis, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research soil scientist, Lubbock, who will lead the project, said relationships between soil health and implementation of regenerative practices, agricultural production, climate change and regional economics are complex and poorly understood, particularly in the Southern Great Plains.

Without this understanding, the adoption of regenerative practices across the region and in similar ecoregions will remain limited. This will increase the vulnerability of agricultural production to climate change and continued depletion of water resources while passing up opportunities for carbon sequestration, enhanced agricultural production and greater agricultural resiliency.

The five-year “Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Enhancement Through the Utilization of Regenerative Agricultural Management Practices” project has been funded by a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

“What’s so exciting about this research is it will be the first regenerative agriculture project to cover this large of an area across both Texas and Oklahoma,” Lewis said. “With carbon being such a hot topic, we want to take a closer look at carbon sequestration – what is being captured and what is being lost through greenhouse gas emissions.”

Region-specific research to address semi-arid issues

Cattle graze is a field of corn growing in wheat stalks that were left to biodegrade

The study will look at implementing and grazing cover crops during fallow periods to evaluate environmental, economic and agronomic sustainability of regenerative agricultural systems.. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Paul DeLaune)

Many times, talk of cover crops or regenerative agriculture in the U.S. refers to areas with 40 to 50 inches of rain per year. This amount of rain is not what typically occurs in Texas and Oklahoma, one of the largest cotton and livestock production regions in the nation.

But little research has been conducted to better understand how regenerative agricultural practices, when incorporated into a larger production system, perform under the varying precipitation of these regions.

“We want this to be as real as possible,” Lewis said. “There’s just so much information that is not suited for our regions. This project is going to result in the optimization of practices for semi-arid regions that will result in profitable and sustainable practices.”

The team’s approach will look at not just one practice in isolation but the entire agricultural production system that includes cover crops, crop rotations, grazing and other management techniques that can work on a farm-by-farm situation.

“Long-term, region-specific research, especially in semi-arid regions, is needed to better understand regenerative practices and the effects on soil health and water use in cotton agroecosystems,” Lewis said.

Determining ways to alleviate the risk involved in raising crops as well as protecting the environment and natural resources are among the main goals of the project. The project encompasses short-term, medium-term and long-term goals, which will enable continued improvement even after the project ends.

Two men stand beside a flume and gearbox at the edge of a field

Texas A&M AgriLife researchers Paul DeLaune and Srini Ale look at an edge-of-field automatic water sampler near Vernon that will evaluate the effects of soil health promoting practices. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

“We plan to identify the immediate challenges on the ground and reduce the risk that is associated with change when it comes to farming practices,” Lewis said. “It’s nothing but change from one year to the next in farming, but helping to alleviate that risk is one of our main goals as well as to protect the environment and natural resources.”

More than just a research project
Equally important as determining the most efficient agricultural practices, Lewis said, is the need for further outreach and education for producers and landowners in these regions. Part of the project is a careful examination of how producers interpret information the team presents.

“This is not just a research-based project,” Lewis said. “It includes research, extension outreach, education – there’s so much misinformation that is published and available to the general public.”

Meeting the short-, medium- and long-term goals of the project involves working directly with producers, she said, but it also includes reaching out to students and consumers.

“We wanted to be able to start young with our college-age students and the general public and let them make more informed decisions when it comes to things that impact farmers and rural communities.”

field showing crop rotation wheat and fallow

The wheat, cotton, fallow rotation will be studied to determine the impacts of different management strategies on soil properties and crop performance. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Paul DeLaune)

The team’s approach to Extension outreach and education will go beyond that of many traditional projects, which rely on field days, workshops and farmers asking specific questions when they encounter a problem.

“We’re going to have a hands-on approach with the creation of a Master Soil Steward Program that will allow farmers to see results on their farm,” Lewis said. “It will be much more personal, and we’ll be able to talk with them on a farm-by-farm basis.”

Additionally, undergraduate and graduate courses will be established in regenerative agriculture at Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and West Texas A&M University utilizing data collected from this research.

Conducting the research, education and outreach
Within the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the project will include team members from the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Department of Agricultural Economics, Department of Animal Science and Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, as well as the Texas Water Resources Institute. In addition to the Texas A&M flagship campus, these individuals are located at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Centers in Lubbock, Amarillo, Vernon and Overton and represent AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Additionally, team members represent the Soil Health Institute, Morrisville, North Carolina; Texas Tech University, Lubbock; West Texas A&M University, Canyon; Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, and Oklahoma Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Goodwell; and the Office of Education, Innovation and Evaluation, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.

The Team
Project Director:
Katie Lewis, Ph.D., AgriLife Research soil scientist, Lubbock.
Co-Project Directors:
Allen Berthold, Ph.D., Texas Water Resources Institute assistant director, Bryan-College Station.
Kevin Wagner, Ph.D., Oklahoma Water Resources Center director, Oklahoma State.
Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Amarillo.
Paul DeLaune, Ph.D., AgriLife Research soil scientist, Vernon.
Donna McCallister, Ph.D., Texas Tech University assistant professor, Lubbock.
Co-Investigators:
Ali Mirchi, Ph.D., assistant professor of water, Oklahoma State.
Alexandre Caldeira Rocateli, Ph.D., Extension forage systems specialist, Oklahoma State.
Bruce McCarl, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agricultural economist, Bryan-College Station.
Dianna Bagnall, Ph.D., Soil Health Institute research soil scientist, Morrisville, North Carolina.
Wayne Keeling, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension cropping systems and weed specialist, Lubbock.
Gerald Smith, Ph.D., AgriLife Research plant breeder, Overton.
Monte Rouquette, Ph.D., AgriLife Research forage physiologist, Overton.
Jason Smith, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Amarillo.
Terry Gentry, Ph.D., AgriLife Research soil and aquatic microbiologist, Bryan-College Station.
Sumit Sharma, Ph.D., Extension irrigation management specialist, Goodwell, Oklahoma.
Briana Wyatt, Ph.D., assistant professor in soil science, Bryan-College Station.
Lucas Gregory, Ph.D., Texas Water Resources Institute assistant director, Bryan-College Station.
Jason Warren, Ph.D., soil conservation Extension specialist, Oklahoma State.
Srinivasulu Ale, Ph.D., AgriLife Research geospatial hydrologist, Vernon.
Murilo Maeda, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension cotton specialist, Lubbock.
Andrea Jilling, Ph.D., assistant professor in environmental soil chemistry, Oklahoma State.
Seth Byrd, Ph.D., Extension cotton specialist, Oklahoma State.
Bill Pinchak, Ph.D., AgriLife Research animal nutritionist, Vernon.
Emi Kimura, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Vernon.
Bridget Guerrero, Ph.D., agricultural economics/business associate professor, West Texas A&M.
Will Keeling, AgriLife Extension risk management program specialist, Lubbock
Cindi Dunn, director, Office of Education, Innovation and Evaluation, Kansas State

Adaptive swarm robotics could revolutionize smart agriculture

3Dec

Written by: Steve Kuhlmann, Texas A&M University College of Engineering

Texas A&M University System researchers are working to establish a configurable, adaptive and scalable swarm system consisting of unmanned ground and aerial robots designed to assist in collaborative smart agriculture tasks.

The use of adaptive swarm robotics has the potential to provide significant environmental and economic benefits to smart agriculture efforts globally through the implementation of autonomous ground and aerial technologies.

A rotary wing drone captures images over a weed research plot at Texas A&M University, College Station. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan)

“Agricultural robots, when used properly, can improve product quantity and quality while lowering the cost,” said Kiju Lee, associate professor and Charlotte and Walter Buchanan Faculty Fellow in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution and the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M.

A swarm robotics project is being led jointly by Lee, Muthukumar Bagavathiannan, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research weed scientist in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences; and Juan Landivar, Ph.D., center director at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi.

Other investigators on the team include John Cason, Ph.D., AgriLife Research peanut breeder, Stephenville; Robert Hardin, Ph.D., agricultural engineering assistant professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering; Luis Tedeschi, Ph.D., AgriLife Research ruminant nutritionist, Department of Animal Science; Dugan Um, Ph.D., associate professor, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Department of Mechanical Engineering; and Mahendra Bhandari, Ph.D., AgriLife Research crop physiologist, Corpus Christi.

Funding is being provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the National Robotics Initiative 3.0 program.

Configurable, adaptive and scalable swarm
The entire multidisciplinary group is working to establish a configurable, adaptive and scalable swarm, CASS, system consisting of unmanned ground and aerial robots designed to assist in collaborative smart agriculture tasks.

“We will develop the technical and theoretical groundwork for the deployable, scalable swarm system consisting of a physical robotic swarm of both ground and aerial robots, a digital twin simulator for low- and high-fidelity simulations, and an easy-to-use user interface for farmers to put this CASS system into use,” Lee said.

This approach to smart agriculture, enabled by the CASS technology, could result in long-term benefits thanks to reduced waste through better logistics, optimal use of water and fertilizer and an overall reduction in the use of pesticides.

The research team believes that by utilizing smaller machines to reduce soil compaction and working to avoid herbicide-resistant weeds through nonchemical methods of control, significant ecological and environmental benefits can be achieved.

Recent trends in smart agriculture focused on the usage of large machinery have had the objective of maximizing product quantity and minimizing costs — an approach that has resulted in some economic and environmental concerns.

Lee said issues including soil compaction, a limited ability to address small-scale field variability and reduced crop productivity are some of the long-term issues that have emerged from this approach.

CASS offers flexibility in addressing challenges

By leveraging the flexibility of swarm robotics, the CASS system is intended to become a platform technology that can be configured to meet application-specific needs.

“Current trends in precision agriculture and smart farming mostly focus on larger machinery or a single or a small number of robots equipped and programmed to perform highly specialized tasks,” Lee said. “This project will serve as a critical pathway toward our long-term goal of establishing a deployable easy-to-use swarm robotic system that can serve as a universal platform for broad agriculture applications.”

Although other systems employing swarm robotics exist, they are typically designed to perform just one specific task rather than being adaptable to a variety of situations.

Moving forward, the team will have the opportunity to address several challenges related to the complex and varying scale of agriculture applications through the design and implementation of their system.

“Despite the great potential, swarm robotics research itself has been largely confined to low-fidelity simulations and laboratory experiments,” Lee said. “These rarely represent the intricacies of an agricultural field environment. Also, human-swarm collaboration has not been extensively explored, and user-in-the-loop development and evaluation approaches are needed, in particular for the target end-users — in our case, farmers.”

-30-

Soil and Crop Sciences students among new student ambassadors at Texas A&M University

15Sep

Three students in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences here at Texas A&M are among the 11 selected to serve as ambassadors for the university.

Christopher Barron, Grace Bodine, Ariana Lazo, and the other ambassadors will share their Aggie pride and experiences as undergraduates with current students, as well as prospective students and their parents.

Charles Simpson honored for lifetime dedication to peanuts

7Jul

Story by Kay Ledbetter

For 54 years, Charles Simpson, Ph.D., has been making a difference in the peanut products America eats – and on July 1, he was honored by the American Peanut Council with the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award at the USA Peanut Congress in New Orleans.

Simpson, peanut germplasm explorer and breeder for Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Stephenville, was recognized “for his tireless efforts in peanut germplasm collection and preservation.”

Charles Simpson, peanut germplasm explorer, breeder and Texas A&M AgriLife Research emeritus (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

Simpson, a professor emeritus in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences plant breeding program, retired in 2003 but still maintains an extensive germplasm collection at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Stephenville.

“This award is the most prestigious honor in the industry,” said Shelly Nutt, executive director and leadership in the Texas Peanut Producers Board, who nominated Simpson. “Dr. Simpson has been recognized internationally for his efforts in collection preservation, maintenance, distribution and use of wild and exotic germplasm.

“Still today, he remains one of the leading experts in wild species peanuts and his accomplishments have opened the possibility of using the vast reservoir of genes in wild peanuts to improve cultivated peanuts,” Nutt said in her nomination.

Simpson still diligently “volunteers” daily at the greenhouses to preserve and utilize the peanut collection, mentor colleagues and students, and provide expert advice to industry partners, said Bill McCutchen, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife center director at Stephenville.

“Dr. Simpson is a treasure of knowledge for the industry and very deserving of this award,” McCutchen said. “Even almost 20 years after his retirement, he actively remains involved in maintaining the collection here, making him the foremost authority in the U.S. with respect to collection, evaluation and preservation of genetic resources of peanuts.”

The Texas Peanut Producers board has pledged funds to the Charles Simpson Endowment for the AgriLife Research peanut collection, one of the largest, most diverse collections worldwide, and can no longer be replicated, McCutchen said.

A lifetime dedicated to peanuts

Simpson has spent over 50 years serving the peanut industry as a breeder, successfully transferring at minimum seven different disease resistances as well as high oil content into over 23 cultivars and an additional seven germplasm releases.

One of his major accomplishments over his long career occurred when his program released the first root-knot nematode-resistant peanut cultivar created from a wild species peanut introgression. He introduced resistance genes from wild species collected in east-central Bolivia in 1980 to address root-knot nematode, a serious threat to peanut production in parts of Texas.

He released COAN, the first root-knot resistant peanut cultivar in the world, as well as Webb, the first high oleic nematode-resistant peanut released by the AgriLife Research program. The gene introgression for nematode resistance was made from a complex hybrid involving three wild species peanuts.

But Simpson might be most renowned in peanut breeding circles for his lifelong passion for collecting and preserving wild and cultivated Arachis germplasm. His extensive germplasm-gathering forays have included trips to Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

In 1980, Simpson assumed the role as co-leader of the Arachis – flowering plants in the pea family – germplasm project and traveled annually until 2004. His desire to collect and preserve the peanut species carried him to remote and inaccessible areas of South America on over 28 collection expeditions, his nomination stated.

His work was funded by the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, a part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. Through his collection trips, Simpson and his colleagues collected over 1,800 wild peanut accessions, over 5,500 cultivated landraces and over 500 Rhizomatous accessions.

Charles Simpson, Ph.D., stands among his collection in the greenhouse. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by John Cason)

Today, his research continues to influence. In a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant, Plant Breeding Partnerships: Genomics-Assisted Introgression and Molecular Dissection of Resistance to Pests and Diseases in Peanut, the breeding team will transfer novel wild species alleles from a population developed by Simpson into a set of back-crossed breeding lines sharing a common, popular genetic background. Each possesses a small segment of chromosomal DNA inherited from the wild species parents.

Sharing knowledge for future generations

Simpson has been author or co-author on 22 species descriptions and was a leader in translating the peanut monograph describing 69 of the 81 wild species into English. In addition, he was co-editor of subsequent supplemental publications with new species descriptions.

He also has authored or co-authored 133 refereed journal articles, 179 scientific presentations, 131 popular press articles and 19 book chapters.

“I am deeply grateful for this recognition of the work I have loved doing for the past 53 years,” Simpson said. “There are no plans on my part to stop doing the work to aid the younger generation in utilizing the valuable plant collection we have assembled. The collection will be the lifeblood of peanut improvement for many years into the future.”

Student Receives Senior Merit Award

22Apr

The Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences congratulates the outstanding students receiving 2021 Senior Merit Awards. Presented by the College for over 50 years, these awards recognize the best of the best graduating seniors.

Walker Crane

Walker Crane

Walker Crane is a Plant & Environmental Soil Science major. In his free time, Walker enjoys hiking, cooking, and playing golf. Upon graduation this May, he will continue his education with a Masters in Soil Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Congratulations Walker on your hard work and dedication!

Baldi, Hague, Ibrahim receive Vice Chancellor Awards in Excellence

14Jan

Congratulations to Heather Baldi, LeAnn Hague, and Amir Ibrahim, Ph.D. who all received Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence this year. These awards recognize the commitment and outstanding contributions displayed by faculty, students and staff members across Texas A&M AgriLife.

Teaching Awards

The Graduate Student Teaching Award was presented to Heather Baldi, graduate research assistant, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. Baldi’s duties as a graduate teaching assistant involved directing, mentoring and advising student-led science projects and presentations. She also helped train graduate students and undergraduate student workers on the perennial grass breeding and genetics lab procedures. She also served as an officer in the Soil and Crop Sciences Graduate Organization. Her research advisor said, “I believe Heather will be a superior instructor and researcher in the future, and I have no doubt she will be successful in her career.”

Staff Awards

The Office and Administrative Staff Award was presented to LeAnn Hague, senior academic advisor, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences dean’s office. Hague helped develop/coordinate the Distance Education Program in Plant Breeding in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, provided administrative support for the Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences graduate program, and coordinated several symposia for the Plant Breeding Grand Challenges initiative. A nominator said Hague, “has the unique ability to counsel students who are excelling as well as students who are struggling. Her counsel is practical, with the appropriate levels of compassion, empathy and kindness, but with sternness when necessary.”

International Achievement Award

The International Involvement Award was presented to Amir Ibrahim, Ph.D., professor and AgriLife Research small grains breeder, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. Ibrahim is an international leader in wheat breeding, known for his work as an educator, graduate student advisor, geneticist and expert in end-use quality characteristics. Ibrahim served as an ambassador for the U.S. Wheat Industry in seven countries. In addition to his duties as a professor and researcher, he serves as the department liaison for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas.

A full list of award winners was announced on AgriLife Today.

Adapting to the “New Normal”

7Aug

By: Beth Ann Luedeker

Soil and Crop Sciences faculty and staff weigh in on the impact of COVID

Change is inevitable, but this year it has been extreme. The COVID19 pandemic disrupted our personal and professional lives, creating an avalanche of change.

Faculty, staff, and students in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences will see a much different semester this fall. Teaching faculty has been scrambling to provide remote options to classes that will remain in place even after face-to-face instruction resumes. Updated classrooms now include the technology to meet the demands of virtual attendance needs.

Labs and other hands-on activities will take on a whole new look.

group of students at construction area looking at plans

Students in the Sports Field Construction class got hands-on experience building a putting course in 2019.

“My class typically introduces students to real-world challenges that they will face in the turfgrass industry. In the past it has involved several site visits, hands-on activities, and guest speaking arrangements and interactions,” said Chase Straw, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Science who joined the faculty this spring. “Unfortunately, this year is going to be a much different experience for the students because the site visits will be minimal and many of the guest speakers will talk to the class via Zoom. I still very much look forward to teaching the course; it is just not what I expected for my first go-around at A&M.”

“Our need for social distancing has made me rethink how I can deliver information and assess learning,” said Dr. Steve Hague, Ph.D., Professor and cotton breeder. “I am anxious to roll out these new techniques and interact with students on a regular basis.”

Extension

Like others, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension faculty and program specialists have totally revamped their programs. Zoom meetings and video have taken the place of the standard meetings, presenting both benefits and challenges.

While all hope to be able to continue with their face-to-face meetings, changes were necessary, especially in the short run.

Program Specialist Michael Kuitu answers questions during a previous Texas Watershed Stewards workshop. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“I am planning to continue Texas Watershed Stewards (TWS) workshops in person, with an option to attend remotely,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension Program Specialist and program coordinator. “However, there are still multiple hurdles to get through. Since we will be delivering curriculum via a new format, we need to get new approvals from the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas Floodplain Management Association and other professional organizations we provide continuing education for.”

“The Texas Soil Service and Water Conservation Board has approved a one-year, no-cost extension for TWS, and we will be adding a virtual attendance option to our in-person workshops”, Kuitu said. “We have yet to see how it goes. I’m sure there will be some learning on my part, but I am looking forward to it!”

man holding tree seedling talking to a woman

John Smith gives a seedling to one of the participants at a Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters program in 2019. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“One thing that is really different for me is the absence of field days and crop tours,” said Dale Mott, AgriLife Extension Program Specialist in the cotton program. “Some field days and trainings were cancelled, and others had to move to a virtual platform. This provided an avenue to discuss current hot topics and management strategies, but I feel my message may not come across with the same impact as it can with an in-person event in the fields.”

On the positive side, Mott sees the possibility for the virtual crop tours to reach non-traditional participants and those who may not be available on the day of the tour. Those people can view the recorded program and even review sections at their discretion, he said.

people holding soil looking at texture chart

Participants at a previous Ranch Management University take the opportunity to hand texture soil. Virtual programs present challenges to hand-on activities. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“The thirst for outreach remains strong, and the virtual meetings are filling the gap to provide basic knowledge, but there is another level of education we can’t deliver virtually,” said Jake Mowrer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and AgriLife Extension Specialist for Soil Nutrient & Water Resource Management. “There is no substitute for face to face interaction and being outdoors looking, feeling and smelling as we did before.”

“We are handling it, doing the best we can, but we couldn’t have done it without the support of administration. They were quick to provide us the infrastructure and resources we need to fulfill our mission to our stakeholders,” he said.

group of people looking at mustard plants in field

Face-to-face programs like this cover crop workshop offer opportunities for spontaneous interaction between the participants and presenters. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“Testing the participants’ water samples is the meat and potatoes of the Texas Well Owner Network programs,” said Joel Pigg, AgriLife Extension Program Specialist and TWON coordinator. “There is a very small window to test for bacteria after the water is collected. This poses a problem for virtual meetings.”

Pigg pointed out that for his first virtual program, delivered to well owners in Hockley County near Lubbock, Program Specialist John Smith and the Hockley County Extension agent had to meet in Abilene to transfer the water samples.

“Face-to-face interaction is what makes this program. It is very hands on. At the same time, the average age of our participants is 50 to 70 years of age. They are the most vulnerable, and their health is a concern,” Pigg said.

The future remains uncertain, and time will tell. But for now, everyone is making a great effort to adapt and to continue educating as well as they can.

Field day participants have an opportunity to visit with vendors at a previous Stiles Farm Field Day. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

Sorghum producers see less damage by sugarcane aphids

7Aug

By: Adam Russell

Grain sorghum producers are reporting sugarcane aphids in the High Plains, but the pest has made little impact on the Texas crop during 2020, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.

But forage sorghum, an increasingly popular silage option, has experienced more significant losses, as producers and Texas A&M AgriLife scientists and specialists search for effective and efficient treatment methods. Those fields bound for forage production were not hard hit so far this year.

Pat Porter, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension entomologist, Lubbock, said sugarcane aphids have not been “as big a deal as they were years ago” due to creation of resistant hybrid sorghum varieties and vigilant monitoring and spray applications keeping their numbers in check as they migrate.

Sugarcane aphid nymphs and an adult on a grain sorghum leaf. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Pat Porter)

Sugarcane aphids devastated sorghum fields after their 2013 emergence in fields around Beaumont. They made their way to the Texas Plains by 2015, and the results were catastrophic for sorghum producers.

Producers in the Rio Grande Valley alone lost $31 million to the pest in 2015, according to an AgriLife Extension study that also showed producers who utilized recommended scouting and spraying regimens once the pest neared thresholds avoided $35 million in potential losses.

Since then, sugarcane aphids effect on Texas’ sorghum production has waned, and Porter said this season has shown numbers continue to decline.

“There’s so many fewer aphids coming up from South Texas,” he said. “The resistant hybrids are the No. 1 factor, and then you have producers in South and Central Texas who are on top of their numbers and really decreasing the migratory populations.”

Porter said some producers along the Gulf Coast sprayed their fields, but he suspects sugarcane aphids may be manageable in the High Plains without applications if beneficial insect populations are well-established.

Forage sorghum

Forage sorghum, however, continues to be impacted by sugarcane aphids because there are very few aphid-tolerant forage sorghum hybrids. It is also planted more densely and grows taller than grain fields. Those factors make spray applications less effective and forage fields more susceptible to significant infestations.

Jourdan Bell, Ph. D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Amarillo, said forage sorghum has become an increasingly important silage option for beef cattle and dairy producers in the region. It’s a drought-tolerant alternative to corn silage and can withstand intermittent periods of in-season drought stress without losing quality as quickly as corn.

Bell said Texas A&M AgriLife Research efforts are showing that sugarcane aphid effects on forage yields and quality can be mitigated with actions that reduce their impact on grain fields – timely identification and management.

Untreated test plots experienced 33%-44% yield losses and reduction in quality as a forage, she said. Data showed relative feed quality was reduced by as much as 50% under heavy sugarcane aphid infestations.

“With the arrival of sugarcane aphids on the Texas High Plains, we have seen many forage sorghum fields lost to sugarcane aphid feeding as well as yield and quality reductions,” she said. “It is important that producers and consultants are scouting their forage sorghum fields and applying timely insecticide application to maintain yield and quality.”

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.

Student recaps summer internship with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension water programs

7Aug

By: Beth Ann Luedeker

For ten weeks this summer, Chase Murphy, a junior majoring in ecological restoration, participated in a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension internship program in water resource protection and restoration. He recently discussed his experiences with faculty, staff and students via Zoom.

three people by creek with testing equipment

As part of the internship, Chase Murphy (kneeling) collected water samples and conducted tests on the Mill Creek near Bellville with Ed Rhodes and Gabriela Sosa of TWRI. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photo by Ward Ling).

A main component of the internship, and a favorite part for Murphy, was sampling water quality in the Mill Creek Watershed near Bellville. Through a contract with Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), he participated in two sampling runs, and had the opportunity to use the same equipment used by water quality professionals. He took field measurements including transparency, water temperature, conductivity, pH, and dissolved oxygen, to name a few, and helped collect water samples for testing at the analytical laboratory.

Murphy also helped measure water flow in deep and shallow portions of the creeks using a river surveyor. This “boogie board” uses a Doppler flow sensor coupled with GPS to obtain highly accurate flow data.

“The river surveyor is calibrated by waving it around in the air,” Murphy said with a smile. “When they first told me to do that, I thought they were just hazing the new guy.”

young man with small raft covered by electronic equipment

Chase Murphy with the river surveyor used to collect flow data from the Mill Creek. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photo by Ward Ling)

The internship included much more than the fieldwork. Murphy also received professional trainings, including learning how to manage and update the Texas Watershed Stewards (TWS) and the Mill Creek Project websites. He helped record audio and video clips explaining the basics of a watershed, and posted the video on YouTube. He also served as a “second pair of eyes” to review and proof contracts, press releases, and other documents.

Each week, Murphy met with the specialists to discuss different aspects of watershed management and topics that aligned with his desire to explore environmental consulting as a career. This information could help him stand out among other graduates when he is ready to enter the job market.

“One of the biggest things I got out of this internship is the relationship,” Murphy said. “Everyone worked very hard to help me and I learned a lot about the steps to take after college.”

Intern Chase Murphy keeps an eye on the river surveyor as Ed Rhodes of TWRI records measurements sent by the device. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photo by Ward Ling)

“Though there are many benefits to an internship such as this, one unique aspect that comes to mind is our genuine desire to provide applicable, real-world experience,” said Michael Kuitu, AgriLife Extension Program Specialist in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and one of the mentors for this internship. “We try our best to task an intern with the same, or similar, work we are doing so they may get applicable experience. Moreover, we try to ensure an environment in which they may ask questions pertinent to a career field they are interested in exploring.”

Murphy is the fourth student to go through the internship program, and while his experiences were similar to his predecessors, his internship was undeniably impacted by the ongoing pandemic.

“For most of the summer I was unable to be on campus, so a lot of the work had to be done from home,” Murphy said. “On the sampling trips, we all had to take separate vehicles.”

“Unfortunately Chase missed out on the conversations that happen in the office and on the way to sampling sites. There is no good substitute for those spontaneous interactions,” said Ward Ling, formerly a program specialist with Soil and Crop Sciences and now with Texas Water Resource Institute.

Chase also missed the opportunity to present to a live audience at a TWS program, but he did get to be part of the video.

“I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to experience the full capacity of the internship due to COVID, but I was able to make the most of the internship because everyone wants you to succeed,” Murphy said. “They answered countless questions and gave me a lot of advice.”

Murphy highly recommends this internship to other students and offers this admonition – “don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everyone is here to help.”