http://agnews.tamu.edu/Daily Agriculture NewsMon, 12 Sep 2005 18:37:00 GMTen-us WESLACO -- Hurricane Dolly's trek through South Texas last summer is the likely suspect in a 12 percent drop in citrus production there, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service citrus specialist.“Based on historical trends in citrus production here, the 2008-2009 citrus harvest should have been up by 5 or 6 percent from the year before,” said Dr. Julian Sauls. “Instead, it was down nearly 12 percent. Combining those two factors brings the total loss close to the 20 percent that ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1282 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1282 Agriculture Program WESLACO -- A new and as yet unidentified insect is causing heavy damage to Lower Rio Grande Valley cotton fields already battered by an extended drought, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service cotton expert.“We know this new pest is what's commonly called a bean thrips of the genus Caliothrips,” said LeeRoy Rock, a cotton integrated pest management specialist in Weslaco. “What we don't know yet is its species, but we're working on it.”Rock has sent out a special alert advisory ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1290 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1290 Agriculture Program AUSTIN – The 4-H Children and Parents Involved in Technology and Literacy AmeriCorps project is looking for service-minded young adults to work with Austin-area kids, said a program coordinator. “The project is a great way to teach and inspire kids and to serve the community,” said Anne Bormann, AmeriCorps program manager. “Not only do project members help by presenting after-school instruction to kids, they also build leadership skills and get practical work experience.”The project is ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1287 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1287 4-H and Youth Animal Science FORT WORTH – The Texas Watershed Steward program will host a free workshop July 15 on protecting the Eagle Mountain Lake Watershed.The workshop, which will be open to the public, will run from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Lighthouse Fellowship Church at 7200 Robertson Road, Fort Worth.The watershed steward program will educate property owners and other area residents on maintaining a healthy watershed, said Clint Wolfe, project manager of the North Central Texas Water Quality Project, based at ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1288 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1288 Drought General Texas Agricultural and Natural Resources Summit Initiative Texas Drought COLLEGE STATION – Temperatures climbing into triple digits across parts of the state are drying the vegetation down, causing an increase in wildfires and concerns about Fourth of July festivities. The Texas Forest Service reports it has responded to 61 fires for 1,710 acres in the last seven days, including one large fire that consumed 750 acres in Erath County. Hot, dry conditions continue to plague extreme South Texas, said Dr. Ruben Saldana, the Texas ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1289 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1289 Drought Fire Texas Drought Texas Forest Service COLLEGE STATION - Texas conditions could be simply summed up as "hot and dry." But read between the lines and you'll find drought severely stressing crops, livestock, agricultural producers and rural communities, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. "The crops continue to be affected adversely by the continuing drought," said Ron Holcomb, AgriLife Extension agent for http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1283 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1283 Texas Crop and Weather Report Texas Drought PERRYTON – The 11th annual Wheatheart Wheat Conference will update area producers on the carbon credit trading situation and how they might fit into the picture, as well as provide them with the latest information on the crop, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service agents hosting the event.“Area ag producers need to become aware of what carbon credits are, what ‘cap-and-trade' is, and how to potentially add a few more dollars of income to their farming operation,” said J.R. Sprague, ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1284 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1284 Agriculture Program Soil and Crop Sciences COLLEGE STATION – Continued growth among the global population will heighten demand for food worldwide. Beef producers will need to be prepared to meet the challenges, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist. “Farmers and ranchers of the world will be challenged to feed this ballooning population,” said Dr. Jason Cleere, who is coordinator of the 2009 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course scheduled Aug. 3-5 in College Station. While the global ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1285 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1285 Animal Science BUSHLAND – A combination of academic, industry and legislative efforts have created a premier research cattle feeding facility at the Texas AgriLife Research and U.S. Department of Agriculture complex near Bushland. The $450,000 facility was dedicated on June 29. With the influx of distiller's grains into the cattle feeding industry and the regulatory push to monitor greenhouse gases and other air quality contaminants, it was necessary to build some new ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1286 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1286 Agriculture Program Animal Science WESLACO -- Breaking ground for a new citrus center in South Texas signals the next chapter in the book of 60 years of research excellence, said Dr. Michael D. McKinney, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System.McKinney and others ceremoniously turned spades of soil June 23 to kick off the construction of new research facilities for the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center at Weslaco.“We break ground today for new facilities at the birthplace of the Star Ruby and Ruby Red, ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1281 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1281 Agriculture Program COLLEGE STATION – The question is not if those involved in animal waste management can afford to attend the upcoming conference. It's whether they can afford not to, said Dr. Saqib Mukhtar, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agricultural engineer. It's been 10 years since the last manure management conference, Mukhtar said. Since that time there have been major advances in technology to help manage animal manure and process ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1278 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1278 Agricultural Engineering COLLEGE STATION – Over half of all Texas farms have some type of Internet access, according to the latest census data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “These data suggest more agricultural producers are using the Internet as a source of information and for business management,” said Dr. Dean McCorkle, Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist. McCorkle and agricultural economics colleagues Dr. Gene Nelson and Dan Hanselka have researched Texas-specific census data involving ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1279 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1279 Agricultural Economics COLLEGE STATION - People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it's sweetness and a sense of healthy eating that lands a melon in a shopper's cart. Plant breeders now have a better chance to pinpoint such traits for new varieties, because the melon genome with hundreds of DNA markers has been mapped by scientists with Texas AgriLife Research. That means tastier and healthier melons are likely for future summer picnics."This will help us anchor down some of the ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1271 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1271 Food and Nutrition Horticultural Sciences DALLAS – Owners of small farms and ranches now have access to Web-based help for managing their land.Four online courses designed for agricultural novices will be offered by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service beginning July 6, said Rebecca Parker, AgriLife Extension's Dallas-based regional director of programs in agriculture and natural science.The courses were organized to meet the demand for information from the growing group of small-acreage landowners, said Parker, who cited the ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1275 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1275 Agricultural Economics Agricultural Education General SONORA – For the second time in as many years, each team at this year's National 4-H Wool Judging Contest at Sonora yielded a high individual point score which, according to a contest official, is very unusual. “Each of the four teams, two from Texas, one from Wyoming and one from New Mexico, had at least one individual in the top five of the contest,” said Dr. Frank Craddock, Texas AgriLife Extension Service sheep and goat specialist at San Angelo. “This very seldom ever happens and to ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1276 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1276 4-H and Youth Agricultural Communications Animal Science General Rangeland Ecology and Management AMARILLO – Two days of informative meetings and field tours are planned for the Great Plains Sorghum Conference and Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America, to be held Aug. 11-12 in the Amarillo area. The meeting will start at 8 a.m. Aug. 11 with presentations at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Amarillo. The presentations will be followed by afternoon tours of an ethanol plant, dairy, Advanta and Richardson Seed, said Dr. Brent Bean, Texas AgriLife Extension ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1277 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1277 Agriculture Program Biofuels Soil and Crop Sciences COLLEGE STATION – Ants aren't the only little creatures that can spoil a summer picnic, said a food safety expert with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.“Another thing that can spoil a picnic or other outing is food-borne bacteria from improperly handled, prepared or stored foods,” said Rebecca Dittmar, AgriLife Extension associate for food protection management.“Hot temperatures accelerate the production of bacteria that contain toxins which may cause food poisoning,” Dittmar said. ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1273 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1273 Consumer and Family Sciences Food and Nutrition General AMARILLO – Many Conservation Reserve Program participants find themselves facing some tough decisions after being notified their contracts will not be renewed, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialist.“I think we need to keep most of this land in rangeland,” said Dr. Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist.The land put into the federal program commonly called CRP in the mid 1980s was planted primarily in the High Plains to native grasses, Old World bluestems or ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1274 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1274 Rangeland Ecology and Management AUSTIN – While the debate on climate change policy continues in Washington, Texas' agriculture industry representatives were all ears recently at the 2009 Ag Forum in Austin learning more about the potential impacts on livestock and crop production. “Texas is front and center in the carbon debate,” said Dr. Mark Hussey, vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences for the Texas A&M University System, speaking to the 150 attendees. “Whether it's a farmer, rancher or researcher, ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1268 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1268 Agricultural Economics Editor's note: An acccompanying YouTube video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDXy8GUsIgU. THRALL – Input costs and lack of rainfall were on the minds of many row crop producers at the 46th Stiles Farm Field Day recently. http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1269 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1269 Soil and Crop Sciences QUITO, ECUADOR – Texas AgriLife Extension Service has signed an agreement to provide technical assistance for cattle production and dairy product quality improvement to Ecuador, according to project coordinators. Activities will be carried out in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service and Ecuador's Ministry of Agriculture. Technical assistance will be provided through the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture, part of the Texas A&M ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1270 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1270 Agricultural Economics Agriculture Program Animal Science Rangeland Ecology and Management Veterinary Medicine and Science OVERTON – Though she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and has to use crutches to walk, Pat Olson was one of the approximately 250 attendees at the East Texas Horticultural Field Day June 25 near Overton. Moreover, Olson is one of many East Texas Master Gardeners who make the annual field day possible through their volunteer hours. For the last five years, she has put in hundreds of hours helping get the event ready for the public viewing. "I can't kneel anymore, but I can work in ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1272 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1272 Horticultural Sciences ROBY– Texas AgriLife Extension Service's office in Fisher County will conduct a predator awareness program from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. July 21 in the community center in Roby. Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units (one general and two integrated pest management) will be offered. Dr. Dale Rollins, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at San Angelo and Rick Gilliland, Texas Wildlife Services district supervisor at Canyon, will ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1266 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1266 4-H and Youth Agricultural Communications Animal Science General Rangeland Ecology and Management Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences COLLEGE STATION - Without rain and with temperatures soaring to the high 90s or topping 100, large parts of the state continued to suffer drought-like conditions, reported Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel. Conditions in the North, South Plains, Rolling Plains and Panhandle regions were better as far as soil moisture levels were concerned. Soils in the Rolling Plains were saturated, and North Texas welcomed drier ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1267 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1267 Texas Crop and Weather Report Texas Drought SONORA – Texas AgriLife Research's annual Angora Goat Performance Test Field Day and Sale is set for July 23 at the Texas AgriLife Research Station at Sonora. The station is located 28 miles south of Sonora on U.S. Highway 55, between Sonora and Rocksprings. Activities will open at 10 a.m. with an informal viewing of the test animals and their records. Educational presentations will start at 10:30 a.m. and continue at 1 p.m. after lunch, which begins at noon. ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1265 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1265 Agricultural Communications Animal Science General Rangeland Ecology and Management AMARILLO – Kay Ledbetter, AgriLife Communications news specialist in Amarillo, Texas was elected chair of the Media Relations Special Interest Group at the recent Association for Communication Excellence meeting in Des Moines.The association's media relations group is designed to help members work effectively with media by facilitating networking and information sharing and developing and recognizing members' professional skills among ACE members who work ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1264 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1264 Agricultural Communications DES MOINES - Several professionals with AgriLife Communications in Texas won top national awards at the Association for Communications Excellence conference here recently. Two teams won Outstanding Professional Skill honors, the top placing in each of the contest's categories. The Outstanding Professional Skill for Marketing was presented to Helen White, Jon Mondrik, Mary-Margaret Shread and Angel Fattorini with photographer Jim Lyle for their work on the "Be a Dribble" campaign to ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1263 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1263 Agricultural Communications WESLACO -- The Texas A&M-Kingsville Citrus Center at Weslaco will host a groundbreaking ceremony for new facilities at 5 p.m. June 23 at 312 N. International Blvd. in Weslaco.The new facility will replace the center's aged facilities, World War II-era military barracks that have been remodeled over the years, according to Dr. John da Graca, the center's director.Construction on the state-of-the-art facility will begin next month and should be completed next summer, he said.“The first ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1261 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1261 Agriculture Program COLLEGE STATION - Most of the 750,000 acres of dryland cotton in the Texas High Plains looks "very rough," said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service agronomist. But irrigated cotton, though late in many areas, has dodged the bullets of hail and high winds and looks "decent," said Dr. Randy Boman, AgriLife Extension cotton agronomist, Lubbock. There have been rains in his area, which encompasses an ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1260 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1260 Texas Crop and Weather Report Texas Drought CANYON – Texas AgriLife Extension Service, in conjunction with West Texas A&M University, is increasing its service to the dairy industry in the Texas High Plains by adding two positions. Dr. Ralph Bruno and Kevin Lager, both hired as AgriLife Extension associates, will also be working as doctorate students at West Texas A&M University, according to Dr. Ellen Jordan, AgriLife Extension dairy specialist in Dallas. “We are bringing them in to increase dairy expertise in the ... http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1262 http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1262 Agriculture Program Animal Science