2001 ANNUAL REPORT

AGRICULTURAL COMPLEX

FOR

ADVANCED RESEARCH

AND

EXTENSION SYSTEMS

(AG-CARES)

AND OTHER

DAWSON COUNTY

AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS

IN COOPERATION WITH

LAMESA COTTON GROWERS

TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE

TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

The Agriculture Program

THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Lubbock
Route 3, Box 219
Lubbock, TX 79403-9803

AG-CARES continues to be a premier site to develop, demonstrate, and deliver agricultural technology and information to producers in the Southern High Plains. This is the twelfth year that Lamesa Cotton Growers has supported research and extension work at AG-CARES. Scientists feel that both the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas Cooperative Extension value this location where both irrigated and dryland information can be developed and applied for the local area.

Profitable and sustainable farming systems for the area continues to receive the major emphasis at AG-CARES. Long term results under the varied weather conditions experienced in the region continue to be compiled for your reference. Conservation tillage methods for wind protection are compared with conventional tillage programs. Water conservation continues to be a major focus of programs for all crops. The use of LEPA irrigation techniques on peanuts was demonstrated as a viable alternate to spray irrigation at this site. Precision Agriculture (site specific farming) studies have been underway for four years. Our scientists, like their counterparts across the U.S., are finding that accurate and dependable information is very time consuming and expensive to collect and that data is complex and difficult to interpret due to the large number of factors being studied. Currently, no new practices related to site-specific farming are being recommended for adoption by producers.

AG-CARES continues to allow us to leverage funds provided by producers groups, commodities, state agencies, and industries to meet and address agricultural needs of producers in the area. Major funding sources include Lamesa Cotton Growers, Texas State Support Committee for Cotton, Cotton Incorporated, Texas Peanut Producers Board, and several businesses in Lamesa. Our federal, state and county elected officials continue to provide strong support for the success of AG-CARES.

Strong leadership and direction for our programs are provided by Ronnie Thornton and George Hardberger (Lamesa Cotton Growers), Dr. Randy Boman and John Farris (TCE), and Drs. Wayne Keeling and Mike Schubert (TAES). Danny Carmichael serves as the site manager. We are indebted to all those mentioned above as well as the many staff members of the Lubbock Research and Extension Center and the Dawson County Office who provided support at this site.

Jaroy Moore Jett Major
Resident Director of Research District Director