Upper Gulf Coast Feed Grain and Cotton Production Conference at Crescent – January 24, 2019

By Corrie Bowen

County Extension Agent

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Wharton County

Feed Grain and Cotton Producers and industry professionals need to mark their calendars for Thursday, January 24, 2019 for the Upper Gulf Coast Feed Grain and Cotton Conference.   This year’s conference will be held in Crescent Hall at the Wharton County Fairgrounds at 6036 FM 961 Road

Wharton, Texas 77488.  Registration begins at 8:00 a.m., with our first speaker beginning at 8:30 a.m.  The conference will conclude after the lunch meal at 12:30 noon.  3 CEUs will be awarded to pesticide license holders with the Texas Department of Agriculture ; and 3.5 CEUs for Certified Crop Advisors have been applied for.  Thanks to ag industry sponsors and the USDA Southern Plains Climate Hub, no registration fee will be charged.

The Feed Grain and Cotton conference will address the following topics:  Feed Grain Research Update- Dr. Ron Schnell, Extension  Cropping Systems Specialist; 2019 Texas Auxin Herbicide Training Dicamba and Enlist Technologies – Dr. Josh McGinty, Assistant Professor and Extension Agronomist; Bollworm  Update – David Kerns, Texas IPM Coordinator; Cotton Foliar Pathogens & Fungicides

Tom Isakeit, Extension Plant Pathologist; RACE Trial Update/Current Cotton Research – Dale Mott, Extension Program Specialist.  During the lunch hour we’ll hear from Texas Insurance and Financial and Financial Services Inc. about Insurance Products and Programs—Preparing for the next Natural Disaster.

What’s unique about this years’ Grain and Cotton Conference  is that the special, annual training that was required  last year for the new dicamba formulations applied on tolerant cotton and soybean crops,  will now be a two-hour training.  In addition to the EPA mandated dicamba applicator training, the Texas Department of Agriculture has added 2,4-D Choline formulations (Enlist Duo® and Enlist One) for use on 2,4-D tolerant crops to be included in the annual mandatory auxin trainings. The two hour 2019 mandated Auxin Training will include the following topics:  1) why do auxin herbicides require additional precautions, 2) label requirements for approved auxin formulations, 3) understanding temperature inversions, 4) spray system hygiene, 5) record keeping, and 6) using dicamba and 2,4-D in a weed management system.  The Auxin training that is provided as part of the Feed Grain and Cotton Conference will fulfill the annual auxin training requirements for Dicamba and 2,4-D Choline products and will include 2 hours of Laws and Regulations CEUs.  The extended dicamba labels for 2019-2020 include changes to ensure the new dicamba technology products continue to be used effectively and to address concerns about off-target movement.  New for 2019-2020, dicamba technology herbicide applications will be limited to certified applicators only.  The Enlist products are State Limited Use pesticides in Texas.  In contrast to the dicamba technology products, the Enlist products can be sold to and used by certified applicators or those working under the supervision of a certified applicator.

For more information or for a copy of the conference flyer, go to http://wharton.agrilife.org, or contact Stacey at the Wharton County Extension Office at (979) 532-3310, or stacey.shanks@ag.tamu.edu.  Please call or email Stacey by 12 noon on January 23^rd just to let us know that you’ll be attending.

The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.  Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any Extension activity, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office for assistance 5 days prior to the activity.

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Corrie Bowen, MS
County Extension Agent – Agriculture
Wharton County
315 E. Milam, Suite 112
Wharton, Texas 77488
(979) 532-3310