INDUSTRY NEWS

Solar tents can easily, inexpensively and successfully kill weed seeds and rhizomes, eliminating the need for hauling weeds out of remote areas where the unwanted plants have taken hold, a UC researcher has demonstrated.

Research by Jim Stapleton, a UC Cooperative Extension advisor based at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, was published as "Feasibility of solar tents for inactivating weedy plant propagative material" in the March 2012 issue of the Journal of Pest Science.

Monsanto’s search for America’s Farmers Mom of the Year is back for 2012, along with a $10,000 grand prize. Anyone can nominate their favorite farm mom by visiting AmericasFarmers.com by April 23 and submitting a 300-word essay explaining how she contributes to her family, farm, community and agriculture.

Surveys are now arriving in mailboxes around the nation to help identify all active farms in the U.S. The National Agricultural Classification Survey (NACS), which asks landowners whether or not they are farming and for basic farm information, is one of the most important early steps used to determine who should receive a 2012 Census of Agriculture report form.

What do weeds, grasshoppers, armyworms and feral hogs have in common?

The answer is that all are pests that disrupt pasture production. And the control of all will be covered at the upcoming Dallas County Pasture Management program on March 30, 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., according to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service experts conducting the program.

The program will offer five continuing education units to holders of Texas Department of Agriculture private applicators licenses, three in the general category, one in integrated pest management and one in laws and regulations, said Dr. Vanessa Corriher, AgriLife Extension forage specialist and one of the program speakers.

After a year of drought, East Texas hay stocks remain low, making production efficiency ever more important, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service expert.

On April 27, AgriLife Extension will offer a full day of training on hay production and purchasing that producers are not going to find anywhere else, said Dr. Vanessa Corriher, AgriLife Extension forage specialist.

Held at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, registration for the training is $60 and includes lunch, break refreshments and program materials.

Free educational seminars will be held in three states for farmers interested in learning about production practices and the benefits of growing Genuity Roundup Ready alfalfa.

Presentations will include academics and industry spokespersons discussing practices for optimum alfalfa stand establishment and management, dairy rations and weed management recommendations.