October 2005 AgNews Links

October 31, 2005
Phorid Flies Found in North Texas  
DALLAS – Entomologists have achieved another milestone in the war against the red imported fire ant. This month phorid flies, a natural enemy of fire ants, were found on the county line between Denton and Wise counties.

October 31, 2005
Insect Control Pioneer Leaving the Lower Rio Grande Valley  
WESLACO – Herb and Betty Dean have been digging up lots of memories recently. For several weeks the couple have been preparing to move, going through the seemingly endless drawers, boxes and closets of the house in Weslaco they've called home since 1950.

October 28, 2005
Texas A&M Regents Weigh in Favorably on Concept of Obesity Center  
COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents exercised voting privileges today on a heavy issue – national obesity – and agreed to the concept of a center aimed at research to trim the problem.

October 28, 2005
Dugas Named Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Associate Director  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. William A. Dugas was named associate director for operations with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station during the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents meeting today.

October 28, 2005
Center for Equine Business Studies to Form at Texas A&M  
COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M University System Board of Regents on Friday approved a concept proposal for a new Center for Equine Business Studies.

October 28, 2005
Animal Disease Study Researchers Renew Request for Producer Participation  
COLLEGE STATION – The initial phase of a new animal disease study has begun, but more producer participation is needed, said a researcher from the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense at Texas A&M University.

October 28, 2005
Galveston Elementary Students Venture the Bay from the Classroom  
GALVESTON – When fifth-grade students at Morgan Elementary School scored higher than expected on the science portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test last Spring, it was just one of many successes, according to the volunteer who developed the Bay Adventures program.

October 27, 2005
Grapevine Dedicates EarthKind Rose Trial Garden  
DALLAS – When Grapevine residents drive down the newly completed Dove Loop Road they pass by a rose garden in full fall bloom. At nearly 800 feet alongside the road, the garden features 60 rose bushes.

October 26, 2005
One Picture Is Worth A Thousand Holiday Greetings  
MULESHOE – Cody Black, 17, has been in 4-H in Bailey County for about five years. Most of his projects have been with animals. He has shown steers and pigs at stock shows, and his steer won second place at the recent South Plains Fair in Lubbock.

October 25, 2005
Texas Crop and Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – With dry pastures in parts of the state, many cattle producers must prepare to supplement feed for a long winter, according to a Texas Cooperative Extension expert.

October 25, 2005
Cyclical Population Explosion of Cotton Rats Causes Concern  
CANYON – The Texas Panhandle and South Plains needed a pied piper this summer to deal with a population explosion of cotton rats.

October 25, 2005
Drip Tape Irrigation Useful, Convenient for Small Acreage Forage Production  
UVALDE – Convenience was the "mother of invention" for research on producing livestock forage on small acreage, said a researcher at the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Center here.

October 25, 2005
Texas Cooperative Extension Names New West Region 4-H Program Director  
SAN ANGELO – Charla Bading has been named Texas Cooperative Extension's west region program director for the 4-H youth program, effective Oct. 1.

October 24, 2005
Treated Seeds Show Promise Against Pests  
WESLACO – A new seed technology being tested in Weslaco could mean the end of early insecticide sprays on some vegetables. It's called "film coating," a process which treats seeds with insecticides and other materials to manage insects.

October 21, 2005
Hurricane Rita Relief Livestock Show Second Chance for 4-H, FFA Exhibitors  
ANAHUAC -- About 75 volunteer parents, corporate sponsors and community leaders have organized the Hurricane Rita Relief Show, giving 4-H'ers and FFA members the chance to demonstrate showmanship and auction their animals.

October 21, 2005
High Cost of Nitrogen Calls for Caution With Winter Pastures  
OVERTON – With continuing dry conditions and the high cost of fertilizer, a Texas Cooperative Extension forage specialist advises producers to proceed cautiously with their winter pasture plans this year.

October 21, 2005
Texas Apiary Inspection Service Invites Public Comments  
COLLEGE STATION – The Texas Apiary Inspection Service is encouraging everyone with an interest in the state's bee industry to participate in the agency's review Oct. 28.

October 21, 2005
Morrison Fills Kleberg Chair in Wildlife Ecology at Texas A&M  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Michael Morrison has been chosen for the Caesar Kleberg Chair in Wildlife Ecology at Texas A&M University. Morrison previously was director of the Great Basin Institute at the University of Nevada-Reno.

October 20, 2005
Drive Safely: Don’t Let a Spooky Holiday Turn into a Tragedy  
COLLEGE STATION – For some, ghoulies and ghosties and ‘long-leggety beasties' are festive costumes for Halloween celebrations. But for others "things that go bump in the night" lead to crumpled vehicles and serious injuries.

October 19, 2005
Landowners with Hurricane-Damaged Timber Advised Not to Panic  
OVERTON – By all accounts, Hurricane Rita damaged millions of dollars worth of timber in East Texas. But a Texas Cooperative Extension expert said, "Don't panic!"

October 18, 2005
Texas Crop and Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – Aisles in garden centers across the state are blanketed with a seasonal staple. In assorted varieties, garden mums add splashes of color to the canvas of any fall garden, according to experts with Texas Cooperative Extension.

October 18, 2005
Drip Irrigation Opens New Frontier for Research on the Rolling Plains  
CHILLICOTHE – A new irrigation well and state-of-the-art drip irrigation system may dictate research here for decades, according to one scientist.

October 17, 2005
After All These Years, Social Security Still Misunderstood  
AMARILLO -- Social Security is a daily subject in many lives, but it is still misunderstood by countless Americans, said one Texas Cooperative Extension specialist.

October 17, 2005
Texas Cooperative Extension Sets Three Fall Predator Awareness Days  
CANYON -- Texas Cooperative Extension has set three Predator Awareness Workshops this fall.

October 17, 2005
Who Do You Call When the Wall Caves In? Hiring a Contractor Is Not as Easy as it Looks  
COLLEGE STATION – Suppose your house was damaged by a hurricane.

October 17, 2005
Ribera Named New Rio Grande Valley Ag Economist  
WESLACO – Texas Cooperative Extension has named Dr. Luis A. Ribera as agricultural economist at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Weslaco.

October 14, 2005
Texas A&M’s Boone and Crockett Chair in Wildlife and Conservation Policy Named  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Tarla Rai Peterson has been named Boone and Crockett Wildlife and Conservation Policy Chair at Texas A&M University.

October 14, 2005
Three Receive Texas A&M Outstanding Alumni Award  
COLLEGE STATION -- Three former students of Texas A&M University received the 2005 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award during the faculty and alumni awards convocation Sept. 30. They are Robert Avant Jr., of Taylor, Kenneth McGee of Athens, and Robert "Bob" Palm of Nacogdoches.

October 14, 2005
East Texas Greenhouse/Nursery Conference to Discuss Hurricanes' Effect on Industry  
TYLER – It sounds harsh, but from a nationwide perspective, hurricanes Katrina and Rita might have been good for the greenhouse and nursery industry, said a University of Tennessee Extension agricultural economist.

October 14, 2005
Quail Management Basics for West Texas Program Set Oct. 28  
RANKIN – Texas Cooperative Extension will host Quail Management Basics for West Texas on Oct. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Upton County Extension office,1000 North Hwy 329, here.

October 14, 2005
Researcher Gets to Teach Nutrition Science in Front of Camera  
COLLEGE STATION – At Texas A&M University, Dr. Joanne R. Lupton fills many positions. A regents professor and nutrition researcher with joint appointments from Texas A&M and Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, she is a University Faculty Fellow and holder of the William W. Allen Endowed Chair in nutrition with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M.

October 13, 2005
Avian Influenza Media Briefing Set  
WHAT: Avian Influenza Media Teleconference.

October 13, 2005
Multi-County Small Goat Herd Workshop Set Oct. 29 in Monahans  
MONAHANS – Texas Cooperative Extension will host the Small Goat Herd Management Workshop at 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Ward County Coliseum here.

October 13, 2005
Cotton Resource CD-ROM Available for Texas Producers  
COLLEGE STATION – For cotton producers, it's everything you ever wanted to know about cotton production at your fingertips.

October 12, 2005
Head of Agricultural Communications in Texas Retires  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Ellen Ritter, head of agricultural communications for The Texas A&M University System for 10 years, will retire at the end of November. Dave Mayes, currently associate head, has been named interim head.

October 12, 2005
Refinancing May Be More Costly than You Think  
COLLEGE STATION – It sounds almost as good as winning the lottery – reducing your monthly expenses and keeping more of your hard-earned cash for yourself by refinancing your mortgage.

October 12, 2005
Large Shade Trees at Risk as Drought Continues  
OVERTON – Large shade trees are like old people, said Keith Hansen, Texas Cooperative Extension horticultural agent in Smith County.

October 11, 2005
Texas Crop and Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – A small portion of the state's pecan crop was affected by Hurricane Rita in a big way, but most of the crop is suffering from drought, said Texas Cooperative Extension experts.

October 11, 2005
Brown Selected Wildlife Society President  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Robert Brown was named president of The Wildlife Society during its recent annual meeting in Madison, Wis. Brown is Texas A&M University wildlife and fisheries sciences department head.

October 11, 2005
True or Fall: Two Species of Armyworms March on Central Texas  
UVALDE – Hordes of fall armyworms and true armyworms have invaded several Central Texas counties, and the assault will likely continue, warned a Texas Cooperative Extension entomologist here.

October 11, 2005
Feed Industry Profitability Workshop Dec. 6-8  
COLLEGE STATION – Managing costs and improving profitability and product quality are the goals of the Feed Industry Profitability Workshop scheduled for Dec. 6-8 in Omaha, Neb. The workshop will take place at the Educational Service Unit #3, 110th and Harrison streets in Omaha.

October 10, 2005
New Evacuees On Your Property May Be Stinging Pests  
HOUSTON—As East Texans begin cleaning up the rubble left by Hurricane Rita, they may find some unwelcome evacuees from "down under." These stinging invaders are Texas Red Imported Fire Ants who have moved into the piles of debris left behind the hurricane.

October 10, 2005
Community Gives Back to Texas Cooperative Extension for Years of Service  
CANYON – Randall County citizens said "thanks" to its Texas Cooperative Extension program for years of service by donating more than $150,000 to help build the Herbert F. & Jeannie Kuhlman Extension Center, 200 N. Brown Road.

October 10, 2005
Free Soil-Testing Campaign Kicks Off  
WESLACO – Stung by the rising costs of fuel and other operating expenses, Lower Rio Grande Valley farmers and ranchers may find some relief from a free soil-testing campaign sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension.

October 10, 2005
10th Annual Parenting Conference set for Nov. 3 in Lubbock  
LUBBOCK – How do I handle my child's eating disorder? Does my family need an investment plan? Is parental control of Internet access really that important? What are the fundamental principles of fatherhood?

October 07, 2005
Extension Hurries a Flurry of Hurricane Recovery How-to's to Counties  
COLLEGE STATION – A state-owned van navigated through the tree-littered highways of East Texas this week, distributing tens of thousands of publications bundled for victims of Hurricane Rita.

October 07, 2005
North Central Texas Cattleman's Clinic Set For Nov. 3  
GRAHAM – What's the time line for mandatory animal identification? Is there a good preventative for wheat pasture bloat? Is there a major change coming in cattle prices?

October 06, 2005
New Web Site Fertile Ground for Horticultural Help  
AUSTIN – Now gardeners, landscapers, weekend lawn warriors and commercial horticulturists no longer need to spend hours rooting around the Internet for information.

October 06, 2005
New Financial Education Program Invites Women to ‘Wi$e Up’  
COLLEGE STATION – A 29-year-old woman with $20,000 in credit card debt wants to know if she should use some of her 401(k) contribution funds to pay down her debt.

October 05, 2005
Getting Good Nutrition When The Power Is Out  
COLLEGE STATION – Even though some hurricane-ravaged parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama may be short on power for quite a while, people in these circumstances can still get adequate nutrition.

October 05, 2005
EarthKind Rose Brigade Issues Call for New Recruits  
DALLAS – If you love roses, but don't love all of the spraying and pruning that goes along with growing them, participating in a Texas A&M University rose research project may be just the thing for you. The EarthKind Rose Brigade is issuing a call for new recruits to assist with testing roses for possible designation as EarthKind.

October 05, 2005
Children Now Have Food Guide Pyramid Designed Just for Them  
COLLEGE STATION – Remember the "four basic food groups" of meat and poultry, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and breads and cereals? That nutrition advice got a facelift a few years ago when it was redesigned as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid. Then, earlier this year, that food guide was reissued as MyPyramid.

October 04, 2005
Texas Crop and Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – Texans have a reputation for being tough, and this year, the Lone Star state's sugarcane crop was too, say experts from Texas Cooperative Extension.

October 04, 2005
Cowpeas Could Add Sustainability to Cropping Systems  
AMARILLO -- Ground left fallow in the High Plains to store soil moisture between crops may be better off with a legume crop such as cowpeas, according to a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researcher.

October 04, 2005
Cotton Pests Under Assault in South Texas  
WESLACO – The noose continues to tighten around insects that harm the cotton crop of extreme South Texas.

October 04, 2005
Life, Agriculture Synonymous in Career Choice, Texas A&M University Leaders Say  
COLLEGE STATION – Life. It goes hand in hand with agriculture. Yet many turn a blind eye and a deaf ear toward the word "agriculture."

October 03, 2005
Gladney Selected for Potter County 4-H Position  
AMARILLO – Brenda Gladney likes to say 4-H is in her blood, so her new position as the Texas Cooperative Extension agent for 4-H in Potter County only comes natural.

October 03, 2005
Disaster Recovery May Include Replacing Personal Documents  
COLLEGE STATION – When disaster strikes, chaos reigns. Taking care of the safety of loved ones takes first priority, but recovery may also include rebuilding financial and personal data.

October 03, 2005
Environmental Quality Management Training Now Online  
COLLEGE STATION – Dairy producers can now take mandatory training for confined-animal feeding operations without leaving their homes.