Home » Cotton Best Management Practice Workshops scheduled for Dumas, Lubbock

Cotton Best Management Practice Workshops scheduled for Dumas, Lubbock

Mar 17, 2008 10:06 AM, By Kay Ledbetter
Texas A&M University

Harvesting, irrigation and pest management methods will be discussed at two free Best Management Practices training seminars being offered by Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the National Cotton Council.

The meetings will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 1 at Moore County Community Building in Dumas and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 2 at Reece Technology Center in Lubbock, according to Randy Boman, AgriLife Extension cotton agronomist in Lubbock.

“I think this is a good opportunity for producers to hone in on very important subject matter within the realm of cotton production,” Boman said. “The format of these meetings will allow producers and consultants to ask questions of the speakers. Really, it is encouraged.”

Extension and research personnel from various states, as well as crop consultants from across the Cotton Belt, worked together to produce a set of best management practices, said Bill Robertson, Cotton Council manager. This was done with the overall goal of helping cotton growers increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of their production systems.

Two papers generated as a result of this collaboration – “The First Forty Days” and “Fruiting to Finish” – will be utilized during the workshops to generate in-depth discussions of variety selection, pest management and harvest practices, such as stripper versus picker harvesting.

Presenters will be from AgriLife Extension, Texas AgriLife Research and Texas Tech University.

“We certainly want to encourage producers to attend this, as well as crop consultants,” Boman said. “It won’t be a regular Extension meeting, but more of a discussion-oriented meeting.”

Continuing education units will be offered for certified crop advisors and for those who need credits from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico departments of agriculture, he said.

Seating is limited, Robertson said. Those planning to attend should RSVP to BMP@cotton.org and provide information concerning the meeting they want to attend, along with an e-mail address and phone number.

Lunch will be provided at both workshops, he said. Bayer CropScience sponsored the two papers and will sponsor the workshops.

For more information, contact Boman at 806-746-6101 or r-boman@tamu.edu, or Robertson at BMP@cotton.org.