The East Texas Fruit and Vegetable Virtual Conference will be held Oct 7. While this annual event has been held for years, the hosts are offering it online for the second time out of caution for everyone’s health.
The seminar starts at 9 a.m. with a presentation on small fruit production for the homeowner. Blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, fig and more will be covered. Stephen Janak, AgriLife program specialist for sustainable fruit production, works out of Texas A&M in College Station and will bring his wealth of knowledge about the options for a small home orchard.
Later that morning at 10 a.m., state renowned professor Monte Nesbitt will discuss pecan production for the homeowner. Pecans can be found growing naturally throughout the state but can have unique challenges for the homeowner who expects a substantial, annual crop of pecans. Water, nutrients and pest control for an optimal pecan crop will be covered.
The last session from 11 a.m. to noon will be on tomato pest management for the homeowner. Juan Anciso, AgriLife horticulturalist working in the Weslaco Research Station in the Texas valley, will be covering organic and conventional methods to keep disease, insects and mites away from this prized garden crop.
You can register for the event at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/Veggies . Cost is $15. Once registered, participants will receive instructions a few days ahead of the conference on specifics of registering.
For more information, contact Joe Masabni, AgriLife Extension small acreage vegetable specialist, at jmasabni@ag.tamu.edu .
