High Plains Vegetable Conference Debuts Jan. 14, 2003

Writer: Tim W. McAlavy, (806) 746-6101, t-mcalavy@tamu.edu
Contact: Russ Wallace, (409) 746-6101, rwwallace@ag.tamu.edu

LUBBOCK – A perennial favorite of vegetable growers in West Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and
Colorado will return with new vigor January 14, 2003. That’s the date for the High Plains Vegetable
Conference at West Texas A&M University in Canyon.

“This is a rebirth of the former West Texas Vegetable Conference, organized each year by my predecessor,
Dr. Roland Roberts,” said Russ Wallace, assistant professor of horticulture and Texas Cooperative
Extension vegetable specialist at Texas A&M’s Research and Extension Center here. Wallace joined the
Extension staff at the Lubbock Center earlier this year.

“We expect more than 150 growers from four states, as well as agribusiness and industry representatives,
county agents, master gardeners, consultants and shippers,” Wallace said. “Participants can earn CEUs
towards their pesticide applicator licenses. Certified crop advisors can earn professional development
credits, and certified master gardeners can earn credits toward their vegetable specialty certification.”

The conference will run from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the West Texas A&M University Alumni Banquet
Facility (located at the corner of North 3rd and 25th Streets). Registration over coffee and donuts begins at
7:45 a.m. and costs $25 per person; which includes lunch, conference handouts, and admission to the
accompanying agri-industry trade show. The deadline for pre-registration is Dec. 31, 2002.

The first morning session will cover crop pests; with presentations on vegetable diseases, insect control,
nematode problems, chemical and alternative weed control, and information resources to aid management
decisions. The second morning session will cover risk management, an update of current Texas Department
of Agriculture rules and regulations, and an industry perspective on pest management.

The keynote luncheon speaker is Ken Mattingly, owner-operator of M-B Farms, Inc., a 1,700-acre
vegetable farm in LeRoy, New York. Mattingly will discuss how commodity groups, universities, and
industry work together on vegetable research to benefit growers in New York state.

Speakers at the first afternoon session will discuss “what’s new in vegetable crops,” such as results from
Texas A&M’s 2002 statewide watermelon trials; yellow vine disease in High Plains pumpkins; and updates
on New Mexico State University’s chile pepper program and potato varieties for 2003.

The second afternoon session will include presentations on soil microbes and plant health; successful crop
rotation strategies/sequences on the High Plains; and irrigation and water quality issues.

“This is a valuable opportunity for growers, market gardeners, crop consultants, agri-industry and shippers
to get together and discuss the state of their industry on the High Plains,” Wallace said. “It’s also a great
way to update your production skills and knowledge with new information from many different scientists,
Extension specialists and experts.”

Conference sponsors include Texas Cooperative Extension, the High Plains Vegetable Growers and
Shippers Council, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, West Texas A&M University, and the Texas
Department of Agriculture.

For registration or more information on the Jan. 14 High Plains Vegetable Conference in Canyon, contact
Russ Wallace at (806) 746-6101 or your local county Extension office.