By: Kay Ledbetter
806-547-0002
skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
While COVID-19 precautions may limit some activities, Texas A&M AgriLife is once again inviting producers to attend a wheat plot tour in person near Bushland on May 20 to look at variety performance and hear updates.
The free plot tour will be at the Conservation and Production Laboratory, which is operated by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.
The Texas Wheat Producers Board will also provide a Facebook Live broadcast for those who cannot attend in person.
The event will begin with refreshments at 9 a.m., and the broadcast will begin at 9:30 a.m. Those attending in person will have time at the end of the program to walk through the plots and discuss them with the presenting experts. The event will end at 11 a.m.
Producers will be able to see historic, current and new varieties growing in the field, said Jackie Rudd, Ph.D., AgriLife Research wheat breeder in Amarillo. The two newest varieties that will be highlighted are TAM 115 and TAM 205. Attendees will also get to view and hear about the impending release of the newest set of wheat and triticale varieties.
“Variety selection is one of the most important decisions a producer can make,” said Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist in Amarillo. “Selecting a variety based on yield potential as well as the variety’s disease and insect resistance, lodging and drought tolerance can enhance yield and ultimately minimize production risks.”
In addition to production and protection traits, bread-making quality is a very important consideration for end-users, Rudd said, and TAM varieties have outstanding milling and baking quality.
Plot tour topics and speakers
– Welcome – Brent Auvermann, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center director, Amarillo.
– Texas Wheat Producers Board update.
– Wheat Breeding Program Update, Rudd.
– Using Drones to Advance Wheat Breeding, Shannon Baker, AgriLife Research research associate, Amarillo.
– State Wheat Program, Fernando Guillen-Portal, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension small grains and oilseed crops specialist, Bryan-College Station.
– Wheat Disease Update, Ken Obasa, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, Amarillo.
– 2020-2021 High Plains Uniform Variety Trials, Bell.
For more information, contact Bell, Jourdan.bell@ag.tamu.edu, or Rudd, jcrudd@ag.tamu.edu.
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