November 2005 AgNews Links

November 30, 2005
Texas 4-H Meat Judging Team Wins National Championship  
COLLEGE STATION – Ashley Come wanted to get to the meat of the matter. So did Lucas Gaston, Jodi Miller and Loni Woolley.

November 29, 2005
Texas Cooperative Extension Offers Continuing Education Course  
SAN ANGELO – Private pesticide users can earn five continuing education units at a right-of-way-management course scheduled to be held here Dec.6.

November 29, 2005
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – Even after a long drought, this year's Christmas tree crop has experienced excellent growth, according to Texas Cooperative Extension.

November 29, 2005
Care Doesn’t End When There Is No Cure  
AMARILLO – A terminal illness diagnosis may mean the doctor can no longer help the patient, but care doesn't stop just because there is no cure, said a Texas Cooperative Extension specialist.

November 28, 2005
Blackland Income Growth Conference Scheduled Jan. 17-18  
WACO – Tips on feral hog control and management, plus an update on the national animal identification system, will be offered at the 44th Blackland Income Growth Conference.

November 28, 2005
High Plains Vegetable Conference Slated for Jan. 24 in Canyon  
LUBBOCK – Vegetable growers, processors, market gardeners and master gardeners can renew production and marketing skills at the annual High Plains Vegetable Conference in Canyon. The conference on Jan. 24 will feature information on organics, crop rotations, fruit trees, sustainable vegetable production, and insect, disease and weed control.

November 25, 2005
Dry Weather May Bring ‘Winter of Discontent’ for Texas Cattle Producers  
CORPUS CHRISTI – Cattle producers can expect to spend extra money to get their breeding stock through the winter, especially if parts of Texas don't get a significant amount of rain soon, said experts with Texas Cooperative Extension.

November 24, 2005
Texas 4-H'ers Teach Leadership By Serving Others  
BROWNWOOD – Take 88 kids, ages 8-13. Add 19 high school kids and a weekend away from home. It's a recipe for disaster, right?

November 23, 2005
Gift that Grows: ‘Literature in the Garden' Perfect for Reading, Science Teachers  
COLLEGE STATION – Skip the apple trinkets this year, if buying a gift for your favorite teacher. Go instead for earth clocks, cracked teacups and bent cake pans, to name a few.

November 22, 2005
Texas Crop and Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION - Texas cotton producers are calling 2005 a banner year with one of the best quality and largest crops on record, said Texas Cooperative Extension experts.

November 22, 2005
Improved Irrigation Scheduling Network Helps Make Every Inch of Moisture Count  
AMARILLO – With high fuel prices, no producer wants to pump more water than necessary to raise a crop.

November 21, 2005
Cooler Weather Good For Valley Crops  
WESLACO – Cooler weather at this time of the year in the Rio Grande Valley is good news for the commercial production of winter vegetables, citrus, sugarcane and even orchids. Scientists say lower temperatures help some vegetables grow better, help citrus and sugarcane mature and promote flowering of moth orchids.

November 21, 2005
Patil Receives India’s Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Bhimangouda S. Patil has received the Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award for "outstanding contributions to the state and country." He is director of Texas A&M University's Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center.

November 18, 2005
Prescribed Burning Workshop Scheduled in Sonora  
SONORA – A prescribed burning workshop will be held Jan. 19-21 and Feb. 16-18 at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Sonora.

November 18, 2005
Texas Cooperative Extension Offers Chances for Continuing Education Units in December  
ABILENE – Area residents have opportunities to earn Texas Department of Agriculture and Structural Pest Control Board continuing education units in December through training sessions conducted by Texas Cooperative Extension specialists.

November 17, 2005
Drought Losses Significant, But Agriculture Has Some Bright Spots  
COLLEGE STATION – Losses from the 2005 drought in Texas are mounting in the eastern half of the state, but agriculture still has some bright spots.

November 17, 2005
Third Annual Panhandle Beef Conference Scheduled for Dec. 1  
AMARILLO – The 2005 Panhandle Beef Conference will provide an update on the National Animal Identification System.

November 17, 2005
Researchers Test Drip Irrigation Design And Returns  
HALFWAY – Crop producers on the Texas High Plains have long considered subsurface drip irrigation systems the "Cadillac" of irrigation technology. They maximize water use efficiency, boost crop yields in most cases and require less labor during operation due to automation.

November 16, 2005
Borlaug Elevates Agriculture as Reason for National Medal of Science Honor  
COLLEGE STATION – At 91, Dr. Norman Borlaug recounts a lifetime of work in agriculture, targeting food for the world's hungriest, poorest nations. And for all the miserable, malnourished multitudes, he holds this hope: accessible education for everyone in every country on Earth.

November 16, 2005
Medicare Part D Prescription Plan, The Rest of the Story  
AMARILLO – Reduced prescription costs are the goal of the new Medicare Part D program. But potential users may need to take some time to figure out how the plan will work best for them, said one Texas Cooperative Extension specialist.

November 15, 2005
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – Texans can enjoy their holiday turkey without fear of contracting avian influenza, a Texas Cooperative Extension expert said.

November 15, 2005
Retail Security Technology Used to Research Deer Feed Consumption, “Theft”  
UVALDE – Supplemental feeding of white-tailed deer is a long-standing wildlife management practice in deer hunting areas, said a researcher at the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research and Extension Center here. But knowing which animals were eating what supplements, as well as knowing how much they were eating, used to be impossible to determine.

November 14, 2005
Arsenal of Remedies Almost Ready for Animal, Human Disease Defense  
COLLEGE STATION – Diseases that could obliterate livestock populations, infect humans in debilitating proportions and cripple a nation's economy make for good weapons in enemy hands.

November 11, 2005
Pesticide Recertification Training Offered Nov. 30 in Schleicher County  
ELDORADO – Texas Cooperative Extension will conduct a Pesticide Recertification Course Nov. 30 at the Schleicher County Civic Center here. Six Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered.

November 11, 2005
Beach Bum Wannabe Turned DNA Researcher Rides Waves of Success  
COLLEGE STATION – Marty Dickman left Long Island, N.Y., after high school with no thoughts of college. Hawaii was his goal. He and a buddy sought warm waves, sandy surf, and the beach-bum life.

November 10, 2005
First Texas Finding of Soybean Rust Confirmed  
COLLEGE STATION – Asian soybean rust – a potentially serious fungus of soybean crops – has been found for the first time in Texas.

November 10, 2005
Academy for Ranch Management Announces Upcoming Workshops  
COLLEGE STATION – The Academy for Ranch Management announced its schedule of 2006 workshops.

November 10, 2005
Child’s Play: Expensive Toys Not Needed  
COLLEGE STATION – Cooler weather means kids spend less time outdoors and more time indoors being bored, watching television or whining to their parents. But keeping them occupied doesn't have to be stressful, expensive or require electronic equipment, said an expert from Texas Cooperative Extension.

November 09, 2005
Master Marketer Program Set in Amarillo in January  
AMARILLO – The profit margin is so minimal in grain crops, producers need a way to lock in a profit, according to one Panhandle producer.

November 08, 2005
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – Many people cutting and collecting firewood should beware of transporting oak wilt, according to a Texas Cooperative Extension expert.

November 08, 2005
Tom Green County Names New 4-H Agent  
SAN ANGELO – Garry L. Branham has been named Texas Cooperative Extension's 4-H and youth development agent for Tom Green County effective Dec. 1. The joint announcement was made by Mike Brown, Tom Green County judge, and Scott Durham, Extension administrator here.

November 08, 2005
Program Helps Growers Control Ornamental Plant 'Scourge'  
OVERTON – For the last two years, Dr. Scott Ludwig has been practicing war against some of the hardest-to-kill members of the insect world: scale insects.

November 07, 2005
MEDIA ADVISORY: Black War Heroes to be Honored at Veterans Day Celebration  
HOUSTON - Buffalo Soldiers and black veterans of World Wars I and II will be honored during the Veterans Cultural Heritage Celebration on Veterans Day.

November 07, 2005
Two December Pesticide Applicator Training Programs Scheduled at Overton  
OVERTON – Integrated pesticide management for pastures is not just about when to spray, said a forage specialist with Texas Cooperative Extension.

November 07, 2005
Cotton, Irrigation Take Center Stage at Annual Farm Management Symposium  
AMARILLO – Growing interest in cotton in the northern High Plains is multiplying production issues and questions.

November 07, 2005
Retired Extension Director Doyle Warren Dies  
WESLACO – Doyle G. Warren, who served as Texas Cooperative Extension's district director for agriculture in South Texas for 15 years before retiring in 1997, passed away Nov. 1 at his home in Mission.

November 04, 2005
No Drought About It: Turf Research To Identify Drought Tolerant Grasses  
SAN ANTONIO – It's a turf battle, and the "combatants" are various Central Texas turfgrasses. Numerous turf types and cultivars will be denied water for 60 days to evaluate their drought recovery potential. Only the fittest will survive.

November 03, 2005
Preparing for Flu Season Nothing to Sneeze At  
COLLEGE STATION – In spite of wide-spread news reports, avian influenza isn't a problem in this country yet, said Dr. Carol Rice, Texas Cooperative Extension health specialist. Avian influenza – also known as ‘bird flu' – could have the potential to become the next pandemic, according to recent reports.

November 02, 2005
New Publication Gives Ins, Outs of Quail Habitat Monitoring  
UVALDE – Successful wildlife management depends on good habitat management, according to the new publication, "Habitat Monitoring for Quail on Texas Rangelands," by Texas Cooperative Extension wildlife and range specialists.

November 01, 2005
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – Much of the state is dry, and hay shortages are expected, according to Texas Cooperative Extension experts.

November 01, 2005
Canola Oil May Soon Burn in Engine Rather than Frying Pan  
AMARILLO – A growing market for biodiesel fuels is heating up interest in canola among Texas producers.

November 01, 2005
For Less Memorable Holidays, Help Prevent Foodborne Illness  
COLLEGE STATION – The holiday season must be coming – gift catalogues are beginning to arrive in the mail.