The multi-county Top of Texas Cotton Conference will be hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service on Jan. 15 at the M. K. Brown Auditorium, 1100 W. Coronado Drive, Pampa.
The AgriLife Extension offices in Carson, Gray, Roberts, Wheeler and Armstrong counties are collaborating to address the concerns of cotton producers in the region.
The program will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by 2 p.m. Preregistration is requested by 5 p.m. Jan. 13 to the AgriLife Extension office in Gray County at 806-669-8033.
“We expect a big crowd,” said Nick Simpson, AgriLife Extension agricultural and natural resources agent in Gray County. “We’ve had some issues with seedling disease this year due to wind and cool, wet weather. This meeting will kick off the 2020 cotton season, and we plan to have several research plots in Gray County to monitor cotton growth.”
Four Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units – one each in laws and regulations, drift management, integrated pest management and auxin training—will be offered.
Program topics and speakers will be:
• Market Outlook/Farm Bill, Justin Benavidez, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist, Amarillo.
• Rhizoctonia and Verticillium Wilt Management, Ken Obasa, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, Amarillo;
• Herbicide Update: What Worked and What’s Coming, Peter Dotray, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension weed specialist, Lubbock;
• Cotton IPM, Blayne Reed, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent, Hale and Castro counties; and
• Auxin Training, Simpson.
For more information, contact one of the following AgriLife Extension agents: Simpson at 806-669-8033; Jody Bradford, Carson County, 806-537-3882; Michael Wilkes, Roberts County, 806-868-3191; Tommy Meek, Wheeler County, 806-826-5843; or Derek Williamson, Armstrong County, 806-410-1296.
