Category Archives: Extension
Study suggests growth-stage-based irrigation strategies for high-yielding cotton
Cotton is sensitive to water stress at different growth stages, needing water at specific times to produce a high-yielding crop. A Texas A&M AgriLife Research study investigated the best strategies to improve irrigation water-use efficiency while maintaining high yields. “Evaluation of crop-growth-stage-based deficit irrigation strategies for cotton production in the Southern High Plains,” was authored by AgriLife Research scientists Srinivasulu Ale, Ph.D., geospatial hydrologist, and Sushil Himanshu, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate, both in Vernon, and James Bordovsky, senior agricultural engineer, Halfway, along with and Murali Darapuneni, New Mexico… Read More →
Urban Riparian, Stream Restoration Workshop set for April 17 in Corpus Christi
CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas Water Resources Institute’s Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Program will host a workshop from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. April 17 in Corpus Christi for professionals interested in conducting stream restoration projects around the area. The morning session will be at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, 8545 S. Staples St. The afternoon session will be outdoors along Oso Creek, where participants will learn stream surveying techniques. Early registration is encouraged as the workshop is limited to 40 people. The $100 cost includes… Read More →
Diversifying the Water Portfolio for Agriculture in the Rio Grande Basin
Dr. Askarali Karimov of BAEN is Co-Principal Investigator on Diversifying the Water Portfolio for Agriculture in the Rio Grande, a 4-year project with estimated budget of $5 Million based on the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2017-68007-26318. The Rio Grande extends 1,900 miles from Southern Colorado through New Mexico and Texas to the Gulf of Mexico and is the fourth longest river in the U.S. It is listed, however, as one of the world’s most endangered rivers. The Rio Grande… Read More →
Texas 4-H Youth Water Ambassadors Creating Leaders for the Future
The Texas 4-H Water Ambassador Program (initiated in 2017) provides high school aged youth an opportunity to gain advanced knowledge and practice leadership skills related to the science, technology, engineering, and management of water in Texas. Through their participation in a summer 4-H2O Youth Leadership Academy and (40) hours of annual service, water ambassadors gain insight into water law, policy and planning as they interact with representatives from state water agencies, educators, policy-makers, and water resources managers. Water ambassadors also gain an appreciation for the complexity of managing… Read More →
High Plains Irrigation Conference set Feb. 7 in Amarillo
The annual High Plains Irrigation Conference will be Feb. 7 in the North Exhibit Hall of the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo. The program, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association, will address a wide variety of topics of interest, said Dr. Charles Hillyer, program coordinator and AgriLife Extension irrigation specialist in Amarillo. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the program starting at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m. Cost is $30 and includes breakfast burritos and… Read More →
Water rights seminar to address who gets dwindling reserves
A powerhouse speaker’s panel highlights the 2017 Seminar on Water Rights and Public Policy – The Waters of the Rio Grande to be held from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Oct. 25 at the McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Boulevard in McAllen. Concerns about how dwindling water supplies are distributed once reservoirs start running dry will be one the topics covered in the upcoming seminar, according to Dr. Guy Fipps, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service irrigation engineer and professor in the biological and agricultural engineering department… Read More →
Sheng named resident director for Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center-El Paso
Dr. Zhuping Sheng has been named director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center-El Paso, effective Sept. 1. Sheng joined the center in April 2001 and is a professor of agricultural engineering with AgriLife Research. “Dr. Sheng’s expertise in agricultural engineering and water along with his proven leadership ability make him an excellent choice for guiding the El Paso center’s research efforts,” said Dr. Craig Nessler, AgriLife Research director, College Station. According to AgriLife Research, the mission of the El Paso center is to lead and conduct innovative… Read More →
Water quality fellowship provides hands-on learning opportunities at Texas A&M
A summer program at Texas A&M University recently provided 15 undergraduate students with fellowships in water quality to study the impacts of on-site sewage facilities on soil and water quality. The students were from Texas A&M, Prairie View A&M Florida A&M, and Kansas State universities. The two-year undergraduate program is offered by Texas A&M and Prairie View A&M universities and was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture. According to program coordinators, the goals of the Research and Extension Experiential Learning program are… Read More →
Irrigation auditor training to be offered April 25-26 in San Antonio
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct a two-day Landscape Irrigation Auditing and Management short course April 25-26 at the Customer Service Center Building of San Antonio Water System, 2800 U.S. Highway 281 N. in San Antonio. The course will be from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. April 25 and 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. April 26. It is co-hosted by AgriLife Extension’s Texas A&M School of Irrigation and San Antonio Water System. “This course is designed for Texas licensed irrigators, technicians and inspectors to get the required continuing education units… Read More →
Specialty irrigation courses offered in College Station March 14-15
Two specialty irrigation courses will be offered in College Station on permitting of wastewater for irrigation use and advanced landscape irrigation auditing March 14-15. The courses, Permitting of Alternative Water for Irrigation and Advanced Landscape Irrigation Auditing, are offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Cost for both courses is $165. The first course, Permitting of Alternative Water for Irrigation, will be March 14. “Wastewater is a broad term that refers to water, which originates from a wide variety of sources ranging from home sinks, showers and… Read More →