Agriculture producers throughout West Texas will have the opportunity to attend the first Organic Cotton/Peanut Production Seminar on Jan. 26 in Seminole. The program is hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
The Organic Cotton/Peanut Production Seminar will be held at the Seminole Community Center, 801 N. Main St. The free seminar will start at 8:30 a.m. and last until mid-afternoon. Lunch will be served. All peanut and cotton growers with an interest in organic production are invited to attend as well as allied industry representatives.
Four Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education credits – three integrated pest management and one laws and regulations – will be offered to pesticide applicators who attend. To reserve a spot, or for more information, call 979-571-2086 or email bob.whitney@ag.tamu.edu.
“Organic production has continued to increase in West Texas, and demand by consumers for organic peanuts and cotton is at an all-time high,” said Bob Whitney, AgriLife Extension organic specialist, Stephenville.
The West Texas area has developed a great reputation for their peanuts and cotton, and both organic peanuts and cotton from this area are known worldwide for their outstanding market quality, Whitney said. In addition to increasing demand, high producer prices and good growing conditions are improving farmer prospects in organic agriculture.
“The increasing demand and high prices have more growers interested in learning about organic production,” he said. “Texas A&M AgriLife specialists, agents and researchers recognized the need for more education and have worked to put together this seminar to educate growers about production practices, marketing and organic rules.”
On the agenda
The seminar will feature the following topics and speakers:
- Organic cotton varieties and production, Emi Kimura, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist and state peanut specialist, Vernon.
- Organic peanut varieties and production, John Cason, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research peanut breeder, Stephenville, and Dylan Wann, Ph.D., International Peanut Group peanut breeder, Lubbock.
- Organic seedling diseases and the problems with cotton FOV 4 disease, Cecilia Monclova-Santana, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, Lubbock.
- Panel discussion on organic cotton and peanut production issues with growers.
- Soil organic matter, carbon, cover crops and overall soil health, Katie Lewis, Ph.D., AgriLife Researcher soil scientist, Lubbock,.
The afternoon agenda includes:
- TDA Organic Certification Issues and How to Avoid Them,” Brandi Chandler, TDA organic certification program coordinator.
- Organic crop budgets to use in crop planning, Pancho Abello, Vernon, and Will Keeling, Lubbock, both AgriLife Extension economists.
- Common agronomic issues in organic crops in 2021, Justin Tuggle, Ph.D., crop consultant, Stephenville.
- Organic crop outlook for 2022, Abello.
Seminar sponsors include the Texas Peanut Producers Board, Certis Bio, South Plains Compost, IPG Seed, Trico Peanut, Helena Agri-Enterprises, Algrano Peanut Shelling, Valent USA, Aqua-Yield and Texas Earth, New Deal Grain, Kunafin “the Insectary,” Viatrac Fertilizer, Wilco Peanut and BH Genetics.
