2014 Hale County Field Day

                It is so obvious that it sounds almost cliché to state that those in today’s agricultural production face many challenges.  This has been true for generations but the fact seems to deepen every season.   As one of the world’s most dependable commodity breadbaskets, Hale County producers are again in the thick of it.  Some of our County’s biggest production issues are dwindling irrigation sources, weed control, incorporating new technologies and genetics, and making the most out of every acre with dwindling resources.  Standing with our producers remains their old standby friend and supporter the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.  The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service continues to work for the producers at the State, Regional, District, and County level offering unbiased research based solutions to the problems producers face today. 

                On September 18, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service in Hale County will hold a Field Day at the Halfway Experiment Station to showcase some of the latest work being done toward answering many of the most pressing issues area producers face today.  From 8:15 – 8:30 am we will hold a brief sign in at the Halfway Station located 14 miles west of Plainview on Highway 70.  At 8:30 we will meet Dr. Jim Bordovsky, Research Engineer, Halfway, in his research plots to discuss his latest work in irrigation timing and scheduling in cotton.  At 9:30 we will catch up with Dr. Mark Kelley, District Cotton Agronomist, to discuss emerging cotton genetics, technologies, and some of his harvest studies.  At 10:15 we will move to the turn row near Dr. Wayne Keeling’s, District Systems Agronomist, herbicide plots to learn about his studies involving some of the new cotton herbicide technologies soon to be released.  At 11:15 we will migrate over to Blayne Reed’s, EA-IPM Hale & Swisher, sorghum planting date study for economic and IPM management for a first hand view of that trial, a rundown of the current IPM situation, and some IPM tips for 2015.  By noon we will meet back at the Halfway Station headquarters for a quick lunch either in the east meeting room or under a shade tree where Dr. Kelley will re-engage us for a quick harvest aid rundown.  By 1:00 pm we will follow Blayne off station to Klepper Farms near Edmonson to tour an outstanding sorghum variety trial where Phillip Thornton, Sorghum Partners, and Blayne will give a guided tour of one of the trials replication blocks.  

                The cost to attend the event will be $15.  A quick lunch and 3 CEUs will be provided.  We will see you Thursday, September 18, 2014 for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Hale County Field Day.