Blackland Income Growth Conference recertification program set for Jan. 10

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be hosting the Blackland Income Growth Conference recertification program from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at the BASE Extraco Events Center, 4401 Bosque Blvd., in Waco.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.

Cost to register is $65, and the deadline to RSVP is Jan. 3. To RSVP, contact the AgriLife Extension office in McLennan County at 254-757-5180, or email Dana Gerick at dana.gerick@ag.tamu.edu or Nicole Kosier at nicole.kosier@ag.tamu.edu. Checks should be made out to McLennan County Master Gardeners.

The program will offer five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units toward recertification of pesticide applicators licenses. The CEUS include one laws and regulations unit, two integrated pest management and two general units.

A lunch will also be provided during the event.

Program agenda and topics

The following topics will be covered:

Herbicide traits and technology – Tyler Mays, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent, Hill County.

General laws and regulations – Brandi Kelm, inspector, Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin.

Managing ponds/lakes for fish production – Steven Bardin, fisheries biologist, Texas Pro Lake Management, Comanche.

Use of pesticide toxicants and other methods to control feral hogs – Zach Davis, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Hill County.

Persistent and emerging landscape plant diseases in Central Texas – Kevin Ong, Ph.D., director, Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories, professor and associate department head for AgriLife Extension programs in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Bryan-College Station.