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AgriLife agents report stronger irrigated yields, warn of dryland losses and water stress
Summary
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agents Robert Scott and Brent Baugh told the court the county saw improved irrigated-crop yields compared with recent years, but that dryland acreage remains underperforming and water availability is declining; agents also highlighted youth programs and vector management training.
Robert Scott and Brent Baugh from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service presented highlights from quarterly programming and field research.
Scott summarized outreach and youth programming — vector-management training for municipalities and homeowners, grilling/gaming youth events that drew dozens of participants, a fishing tournament and strong participation in junior livestock shows. "We had vector management training... that went over really well," Scott said, noting extension efforts to keep local officials and volunteers current on mosquito identification and West Nile precautions.
Brent Baugh discussed crop outlooks, saying irrigated crops performed better and yields were expected to exceed the prior two years, while dryland acreage faced heavy stress; he estimated only about 10% of dryland acreage might be harvested. He described research such as seed-drop-population trials and ultra-wide row spacing to conserve irrigation water and invited commissioners to field events (an Oct. 9 variety trial). Baugh warned about falling irrigation availability and the need to evaluate seeding rates for limited irrigation scenarios.
