Texas Managed Pollinator Protection Plan – The purpose of the Texas Managed Pollinator Protection Plan (Texas MP3) is to establish a voluntary strategy to mitigate managed pollinator exposure to insecticides with minimal impact on production agriculture. The newly created program accomplishes this through improving communication between agricultural producers, applicators and beekeepers; increased awareness of Best Management Practices (BMP’s) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, and the creation of the Texas Pollinator Protection Advisory Group to facilitate implementation, provide periodic revision/updates, and facilitate evaluation of the Texas MP3. Wayne Cleveland currently serves as a stakeholder for the advisory group. Outreach for the Texas MP3 will be conducted by multiple agencies and organizations. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Department of Agriculture will be the primary distribution hub of information for growers and applicators. Dissemination will occur through licensing, educational meetings that provide Continuing Education Units (CEU’s), field days and other means. Texas Farm Bureau and various commodity groups will also serve to distribute material for the plan. The Texas Pollinator Protection Advisory Group will also serve as distributors of the information and continue to serve stakeholders through meetings and yearly evaluations of the Texas MP3.
WASDE Report Projects Sorghum Yield Record – USDA released the August World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, which projected a yield record for grain sorghum at 74.6 bushels per acre. The previous record was 73.2 bushels per acres set in 2007. The report also projects this will be the second most valuable sorghum crop in U.S. history valued at $2.23 billion, just behind the 1985 crop valued at $2.24 billion. American sorghum farmers are projected to harvest 573 million bushels, the largest grain sorghum crop since 1999.
NSP Yield Contest – It’s not too late! If you’re feeling like your sorghum crop could be high yielding, then don’t forget to enter the National Sorghum Producer’s (NSP) Yield Contest. Entry forms must be filled out and postmarked at least 10 days before harvest of the contest field and completed forms must be in the NSP office no later than Dec. 1, 2015. Contest winners are recognized each year at an awards banquet in conjunction with Commodity Classic, to be held in the fall in New Orleans, Louisiana. There are seven divisions including: conventional-till irrigated, conventional-till non-irrigated, no-till non-irrigated, mulch-till non-irrigated, reduced-till irrigated, double crop irrigated, and double crop non-irrigated. And if you’re thinking you could reach 250 bushels per acre, then you should definitely #gofor250. If you reach 250 bushels per acre or greater then you qualify for three prizes. First place gets a 3-year pickup least of a Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota ($25,000 value), second place gets an all terrain vehicle ($10,000 value), and third place gets a riding mower ($5,000 value). More contest rules and entry forms may be found by clicking here.
