Dothan, AL, August 14, 2020 -The Wiregrass Research and Extension Center (WREC) in Headland, Alabama hosted its first “social distancing” Wiregrass Weed Tour Thursday, August 13, 2020.
Attendees parked in the field and listened to the presenters by tuning to an FM frequency. Presenters were also videoed, and segments were shared to the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center Facebook page.
The Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA) extended a special thanks to its partners Auburn University (AU) and Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) for continued work on research projects during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist farmers in making wise production decisions to maximize profit and yield.
“This tour is a response from the ACES agronomic team to the COVID-10 pandemic,” said Steve Li, ACES extension weed specialist. “We are here to support our producers during a tough time in every way we can. Farmers can always rely on AU research and extension for crop management.”
The staff at WREC facilitated social distancing guidelines during the tour, and attendees said they appreciated the new approach.
“This tour was important,” said Jesse Scott, a Geneva County peanut farmer and APPA board member who attended the tour. “It covered how to control multiple types of weeds farmers encounter on their farms. I attended to learn about new crop protection products and application methods to control weeds, specifically pigweed.”
Presentations covered weed control in cotton and peanut; grass control research; pest management; a cotton update; and cover crops management for grazing. Presentations were given by ACES extension specialists from Auburn University. Those were Steve Brown; Scott Graham; Audrey Gamble; Steve Li; and Ron Smith. In addition, farmers saw their peanut check-off dollars at work. Several of the research projects presented were made possible through the APPA and the National Peanut Board because of check-off dollars contributed by farmers.