Berry's Picks

It has been a rough two years for any forage production in the county, but bermudagrass is still a very high value crop in the county.

Bermudagrass has the most planted acres of any crop in the county. It is the primary forage for hay production in the county with an average of over 25 million in hay sales. It is also extremely important as grazing forage for our cattlemen. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Comanche County will be hosting a Bermudagrass Production Program. The program will be Friday, January 19th from 11:30 until 4:00 at the Comanche Community Center.

Speakers and topics at the program will include the following: Dr. Tony Provin, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service State Soil and Water Chemist, will discuss drought recovery, soil fertility and nutrient requirements for bermudagrass.

Dr. Scott Nolte, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Weed Specialist, will discuss weed control in your hay meadows and pastures.

Dr. Sonja Swiger, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Entomologist will cover insect identification and control in forages.

These speakers are exceptional in their fields and will do an excellent job of covering their material. If you grow bermudagrass for hay or grazing, you will not want to miss this program. I am hopeful that the predictions will be correct, and we will have above average moisture this spring and summer. If this is the case, we all need to be ready to take advantage of the increased production opportunities that may come with these favorable weather conditions. Whether you have been making hay for 50 years or just started, this program will have something to offer everyone.

As an added bonus, the program will offer 1 DOPA credit, and 2 IPM CEU’s. There is no charge for the program and lunch will be provided by our great local sponsors.

Comanche County CEU Program This crop program is packed with excellent information and lots of CEU’s. The program will be held Friday, February 16th at the DeLeon City Auditorium. Registration will begin at 8:30 AM and the program will run from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. We will be offering 5 total CEU’s, 3 L&R’s and 2 IPM’s. We will also be providing Auxin Training for those that might need it. Ther is a $50.00 fee and lunch will be provided. Here is the lineup for this program: “Auxin Training”- Dr. Scott Nolte “Crop Scouting Fundamentals for Corn and Cotton”- IPM agent Tyler Mays “New Technologies for Weed and Pest Control in Sorghum”- Dr. Ronnie Schnell “Organic Peanut and Cotton Opportunities and Requirements”- Bob Whitney “TDA Laws and Regulations”- Jason Jones For more information or to pre-register for these programs, please call the office at 325-356-2539. You can also find the flyers at our web page: https://comanche.agrilife. org/ or on our FB page: Comanche County Agriculture.