PAGE 2C PLAINVIEW HERALD, SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018GRAIN PREVIEW

Special to the Herald

Willie Strain, owner of Willie’s Tire had a certain way he liked to run his business, openly, honestly and with a lot of enthusi-asm. Tony Velasquez, General Manager of Willie’s Tire, has many memories about Willie, “he taught me a lot, not only about business but about life.” Velasquez stated he first met Willie when he was seventeen

years old; however, he did not begin work-ing for Willie until about ten years ago. At that time, Velasquez stated he did not know much about the business but shortly after starting to work for Willie, he would find himself in a position where he would have to learn a lot and very quickly. Velasquez went on to reminisce about Willie “he never met a stranger and he never forgot a face.” Velasquez spoke about how Willie

ran his business. “He loved people and he went out of his way to make sure they got what they needed.”

Willie Strain passed away in March of this year. Velasquez stated that was a very difficult time for him both personally and professionally. Even though things are not quite the same, Velasquez and the rest

of the crew at Willie’s Tire have continued to operate as before. Willie’s Tire continues to offer the same great services. They sell and fix tires, sell batteries, rotate and bal-ance tires, replace tire sensors. Customers can also get an oil change a car wash and as always, you get service with a smile.

Willie’s Tire, Business as usual

Special to the Herald

It is no secret farmers across the state have faced a hot, dry summer – remi-niscent of the drought in 2011. While the heat has been turned up in the fields, farmers are also feeling the heat on international trade.

This year, American farm-ers have been at the mercy of negotiators in Wash-ington, D.C. Markets have been especially sensitive to these trade negotiations, as farmers have had little protection from retaliatory tariffs on agricultural com-modities.

For corn farmers, tariffs on grain, ethanol and meat exports equates to a tariff on corn. For example, in Texas more than 96 percent of the corn grown will eventually make it to feed livestock. This means that tariffs on the beef, milk, chicken, and pork indus-tries fall back to hurt farm-ers, too.

In July, representatives from Texas Corn Produc-ers Association (TCPA) visited Washington, D.C., to discuss the impact tariffs are already having on the farm.

“The agricultural indus-try relies on the steel and aluminum industry,” David Gibson, executive vice president of TCPA, said. “These tariffs have driven up costs for farmers in the form of casing for wells, tractors, implements and more.”

While trade has been at the forefront of many farm-ers’ conversations, there are several issues they are look-ing to Congress for help.

As TCPA recently met with members of Congress, committee staff, and agency administrators, the meet-ings focused heavily on: 1) risk management programs in the progressing farm bill, 2) current changes taking place on biofuel policy, 3) the latest information on legislation regarding the agricultural guest worker program, and 4) staffing issues in county offices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Back in Texas, corn farm-ers have also been giving their insight into other statewide issues. With the

state legislature discussing its interim charges over the summer, impacts of agricultural fees and water conservation were among the most important issues to corn growers. Several growers spent time at hear-ings providing testimony to committees, stressing the importance these issues have to farmers.

Some issues for our corn farmers are being left to fate.

From a wet spring delay-ing planting in some parts of the state to a blazing, dry summer for crop growth, the weather has not shone favorably on many Texas farmers. However, rains in

recent months have timed well for some fields that are now looking forward to an above average crop if the course holds.

This could be a much-needed relief for corn farm-ers in the Panhandle.

During the 2017 harvest, farmers across the state saw a rise in mycotoxins. Specifically, farmers in the Panhandle region were surprised to find exception-ally high fumonisin levels in their grain, costing them greatly at the elevator and feedyard.

The Texas Corn Pro-ducers Board (TCPB) reaffirmed its dedication to

research efforts searching for effective mycotoxin mit-igation. TCPB is optimistic recently-funded research projects will yield results with cost-effective solutions for corn farmers.

Texas Corn Produc-ers, through both TCPB and TCPA, is committed to continuing its work as the farmer’s advocate. To see the latest in advocacy, education, promotion, and research, visit www.Texas-Corn.org or follow TCP on social media.

Texas Corn Farmers Stay Strong Through Strife

PAGE 3C PLAINVIEW HERALD, SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018 GRAIN PREVIEW

August 3, 2018Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Michael Clawson, 806-746-6101, m-clawson@tamu.edu

               LUBBOCK – The Texas A&M AgriLife Exten-sion Service announced two new staff changes within the agency’s 20-county South Plains District headquartered in Lubbock.

               Kyle Howard is the new AgriLife Extension ag-riculture and natural resources agent in Lamb County, and Nancy Trevino-Schafer is the agency’s youth development agent in Lubbock County, a new position for the district,

said Michael Clawson, AgriLife Extension district adminis-trator at Lubbock.

Kyle Howard. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)

               Both started their employment Aug. 1, though Howard will be completing AgriLife Extension’s First Step orientation program for new employees in Lubbock County during August prior to assuming his permanent Lamb County assignment, Clawson said.

               “These are dynamic young agents with very bright futures ahead of them,” Clawson said. “Kyle is very familiar with AgriLife Extension and the expectations of a county Extension agent. Kyle is strong in both the produc-tion and technical sides of agriculture. Growing up, he was a very active 4-H member in Nolan County for 10 years, and served as a summer counselor at the Texas 4-H Center at Brownwood for two seasons. Kyle’s knowledge of Exten-sion and passion to help others will allow him to transition into his new career with ease.”

               “Nancy has an impressive academic resume and work history with a strong foundation in positive adoles-cent development and parenting practices, which will serve her well in her new job,” Clawson said. “She is also very familiar with the area and both the dynamics and demo-graphics necessary for developing a successful educational community outreach program in Lubbock.”

Nancy Trevino-Schafer. (Texas A&M AgriLife Exten-sion Service photo)

               Howard earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural leadership from Texas Tech University at Lubbock. His past job experience includes time as a herdsman involved in all aspects of a 300-head cow/calf operation. He has also worked as a chemical lab technician and as a truck fleet manager.

               Trevino-Schafer is set to graduate with a Ph.D. in

philosophy, human development and family studies from Texas Tech University in August. She also earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in the same major from Texas Tech as well as an associate of arts in English from South Plains College in Levelland.

               While attending Texas Tech, she was involved with a number of research projects and teaching assign-ments as well as counseling endeavors as a student and later as a graduate assistant.

               For more information, contact Clawson at 806-746-6101, m-clawson@tamu.edu.

AgriLife Extension names two South Plains county agents

May 2, 2018Writer: Blair Fannin,

979-845-2259, b-fannin@tamu.edu

Contacts: Dr. Mark Welch, 979-845-8011, jmwelch@tamu.edu

 Dr. Scott Nolte, 979-845-4880, scott.nolte@tamu.edu

 Dr. Clark Neely, 979-845-3041, cbneely@tamu.edu  

McGREGOR – The impacts of potential trade tariffs on crops such as soybeans would send ripple effects through other agricultural commodities, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.

Dr. Mark Welch, grains marketing economist in College Station, told farm-ers at the Central Texas Small Grain Field Day at the McGregor Research Center that a Purdue Uni-versity study recently pro-jected a 25 percent import tariff by China soybeans would result in a 37 percent decline in U.S. exports.

Consequently, a decline in U.S. soybean exports would lead to fewer soy-bean acres.

“Where are those acres going to go? They will go to corn,” Welch said. “Given where our corn prices are, we don’t really want any more corn acres.”

From decreased land values to lessening farm net worth, the potential repercussions of tariffs on exports to China could have big impacts, Welch said.

“All of this highlights the fact that these trade impli-cations really do matter to production agriculture,” he said.

Currently, wheat farmers projecting 45-acre bushel yields at $5 per bushel can cover their costs and make some profit.

“That works,” he said. “But if you cut that yield by 25 percent, you’ll need $6.50 a bushel to make it work. That’s why we need to pay more attention to marketing activities.”

Welch said to mitigate potential price risks, producers can integrate

cash marketing with other marketing tools and crop insurance.

“What we need to do is sit down and develop a map, a marketing plan based on production and price objectives,” he said. “This approach widens the marketing horizon from pre-plant to post-harvest, providing guidelines that manage marketing oppor-tunities. Run the numbers. What if I sell some grain, but don’t have a crop in the ground? What will my revenue projection be?”

Welch proposed a couple of scenarios that stabilize farm revenue, even the abil-ity to hedge crop insurance indemnities in the face of downward price risk and poor production prospects.

Dr. Mark Welch, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service grains marketing economist from College Station, discusses market-ing options to attendees of Central Texas Small Grain Field Day at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at McGregor. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin)

“This gives you the opportunity to protect increased farm revenue in a low-price, low-yield envi-ronment,” he said.

Welch said his market-ing newsletter outlines strategies producers might consider. To receive the newsletter, email Welch at JMWelch@tamu.edu .                                  

“We all know produc-tion and prices are going to impact your farms this year,” he said. “We are not hopeless, just sitting back and watching the markets. We can be proactive in developing plans.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Scott Nolte, AgriLife Extension state weed specialist in College Station, advised farmers on using Dicamba and proper spray tank sanitation.

Nolte said farmers pay a considerable amount for herbicides and its impor-tant they hit their targets and are used efficiently.

Sprayer contamination can also be an issue.

“Regardless of what product you are using, most product labels will tell you to triple rinse,” he said. “Use a tank cleaner and remove end caps. Clean the tops and screens to make sure everything has been thoroughly rinsed and re-moved. Things accumulate over time, so it’s important to thoroughly clean these pieces of equipment.”

Nolte said even the small-est amounts of Dicamba can affect sensitive crops.

“From vineyards to gardens, physical drift can severely harm these crops,” he said. “It’s important that we make sure our sprayers are performing efficiently and we are being good stewards.”

A UAV demonstration was part of the Central Tex-as Small Grain Field Day at McGregor. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin)

Earlier in the day, Dr. Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension small grains specialist in College Sta-tion, discussed a number of wheat varieties under testing. Overall, he said the Central Texas wheat crop yields should be close to average this year.

“We are anticipating 45 bushels to 50 bushels per acre in the Central Texas region,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see some 60 bushel yields in some areas. I would say 45-50 bushels per acre is fairly typical for this region of the Black-lands.”

The field day also fea-tured a UAV demonstration by John Otwell, UAV prod-uct specialist with RDO Equipment in Pflugerville. Experts discussed a range of emerging UAV field uses.

“UAVs are an excellent tool to scout fields and monitor crop conditions,” Neely said. “You can tell when a crop is stressed, but we are not quite there yet in the ability to always determine what the cause actually is.”

The day’s program was

hosted by the AgriLife Extension crop committees in Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Hamilton, Johnson, Falls,

Limestone and McLennan counties.

(Texas A&M AgriLife

Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin)

Economist: Marketing plans can help Central Texas farmers capitalize on grain markets

PAGE 4C PLAINVIEW HERALD, SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018GRAIN PREVIEW

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Only several months into the event, Gebo’s Save A Life Saturday has seen success in adopting or foster more than two dozen animals.

Save A Life Saturday, scheduled for the last Satur-day of the month, occurs at Gebo’s locations throughout the South Plains (including Plainview). Local animal res-cue organizations are invited to their local Gebo’s location to help bring awareness to the needs of the local shelter, how best to care for your animal and animals are available on site for adoption.

“I worked with rescue animals in Plainview and saw the needs of the shelter and all the animals available for adoption,” says Nikki Mc-Carty, Gebo’s Representative. “Most of our office and store employees are big animal lov-ers – we wanted to help in the best way possible to give these rescues a home.”

The success of the event has encouraged others to partner

with Gebo’s. Merrick Pet Food has recently partnered to supply information about how best to care for your animal and they also donate a four pound bag of food and other promotional items for owners adopting at the event. An-

other partner is Defender Mobile Vet Clinic – they visit Gebo’s loca-tions offering reduced veterinary services on site.

“Animals can be expensive to properly care for,” says McCarty.

“Having the mobile vet services not only helps fray costs but is convenient for pet owners.”

The next Save A Life event is scheduled for Saturday, August 25th. For more information about

Save A Life events, contact Nikki McCarty at nikkimccarty@gebos.com or contact your local Gebo’s store.

August 13, 2017Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@

ag.tamu.edu Contact: Dr. J. D. Ragland, 806-468-5543, j-ragland@tamu.edu

CANYON – The 41st annual Randall County Ag Day and Crops Tour hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Exten-sion Service is set for Aug. 29 at the Kuhlman Extension Center, 200 North Brown Road, Canyon.

“We have a great program lined up that offers something for just about everyone interested in agriculture in Randall County,” said Dr. J. D. Ragland, AgriLife Extension agricul-ture and natural resources agent in Randall County.

The morning portion will kick off with registration at 8:30 a.m., followed by the program at 9 a.m.

This event is free, with the registration fee covered by Happy State Bank.

The following topics and speakers are on the morning agenda:

– Wheat Varieties and Yield Results from the High Plains Region, Dr. Jourdan Bell, AgriLife Extension agronomist, Amarillo.

– Considerations for Purchasing and Managing Cows/

Calves; and Does Future Outlook Have Profitability?, Dr. Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Amarillo.

– Current and Future Commodity Outlook; Expected Pricing?; and Marketing Options, Dr. Steve Amosson, AgriLife Extension economist, Amarillo.

– Commodity Group Updates; Panel Question and Answer Session – Texas Corn Growers, Angie Martin, grassroots director, Lubbock; Texas Sorghum, Dr. Brent Bean, director of agronomy-Sorghum Checkoff, Amarillo; Texas Wheat Producers, Steelee Fischbacher, director of policy/marketing, Amarillo; Plains Cotton Growers, Cody Bessent, vice president of operations and legislative affairs, Lubbock; and High Plains Underground Water District, Victoria Messer, governmental affairs director, Lubbock.

The noon luncheon will feature a team of AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agents present-ing “Recent Wildfires – The Lasting Impact on the Texas Panhandle.”

Following the keynote addresses will be the presentation of the Randall County Extension Top Hand, Outstand-ing Result Demonstrator and Outstanding Agribusiness awards.

The luncheon and awards presentation is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank of Canyon.

At 1:30 p.m. all participants will have an opportunity to view and learn about the newest technology in agricultural equipment with displays and presentations from local and area dealers just south of the Kuhlman Extension Center. Then the tour bus, sponsored by the Palo Duro Soil and Water Conservation District of Canyon, will be loaded and make stops to include the following topics and presenters:

– Lone Star Dairy Products Plant Tour, Travis Bland, plant controller in Canyon.

– R.A.C.E. Dryland Cotton Variety Trial on Danny Hicks Farm, Bell.

The busses will return to the AgriLife Extension office around 5:30 p.m.

Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing edu-cation units – one drift minimization and two general – will be available for private pesticide applicators.

An RSVP is requested by Aug. 25 by calling 806-468-5543. For more information, contact Ragland at that number or email him at j-ragland@tamu.edu.

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Annual Randall County Ag Day and Crops Tour set Aug. 29

PAGE 5C PLAINVIEW HERALD, SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018 GRAIN PREVIEW

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Through the Texas Corn ProducersAssociation (TCPA), corn producers’voices are heard from the state legislaturein Austin, to the halls of the Capitol inD.C. By educating key influencers on theissues farmers face, we work for betterfarm policies.

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Through checkoff dollars, Texas CornProducers Board (TCPB) funds researchand technologies that advance cornpest and disease management, varieties,breeding practices and more.

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Texas Crop and Weather Report – July 31, 2018

July 31, 2018

Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.rus-sell@ag.tamu.edu

Contact: Contact: Dr. Ed Bynum, 806-677-5600, ebynum@ag.tamu.edu

AMARILLO – Infesta-tions of damaging pests are increasing on corn, sorghum and cotton crops in the South Plains and Pan-handle, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist.

Producers are monitoring crops, but Dr. Ed Bynum, AgriLife Extension ento-mologist, Amarillo, said they should remain vigilant in scouting and be prepared to act with pesticide treat-ments if infestations reach damage thresholds to avoid yield losses.  

Bollworm in cotton boll. (Texas A&M AgriLife Ex-tension Service courtesy Dr. David Kerns)

Bynum said damages vary depending on the pest and crop, but that produc-ers have seen increased numbers of spider mites, bollworms and sugarcane aphids over the last few weeks.

Spider mite infestations are primarily in corn, but have been noted in sorghum as well, Bynum said.

“Corn is in the ear de-velopment growth stages,” he said. “Feeding by spider mites kill individual plant cells, and the accumulation of feeding will kill leaves. When you have enough leaves killed during ear and grain development, it will ultimately reduce yields.”

Bynum said producers were scouting fields on a regular basis and treating based on pest numbers. Some fields have not need-ed to be treated because beneficial predator popula-tions are present.

The primary mite preda-tors that help control spider mite populations are six-spotted thrips, predatory mites, minute pirate bugs

and “spider mite destroyer beetles” – small lady beetles or stethrou, which occur naturally in fields and can keep spider mite popula-tions in check, he said.

“Natural infestations of predators will build as spider mite populations increase,” he said. “Good populations of beneficials can mean producers may not have to spray their fields.”

Bynum said producers were beginning to see cot-ton bollworms as the crop enters the flowering period and boll development stage. Bollworms feed on bolls and small squares.

“We’ve seen an increase in moth activity and egg lays,” Bynum said. “Produc-ers are watching closely because we are starting to see some damaging infesta-tions in a few fields.”

Bynum said second – Bollgard II, WideStrike and TwinLink – and third generation Bt cotton varieties with the Vip3A trait have held up against pests on the High Plains. However, farmers still need to monitor their Bt cotton fields for damage because in other cotton-growing areas there have been issues with bollworms in the second generation Bt cotton variet-ies.

Sugarcane aphid numbers were beginning to increase as well, Bynum said.

“Producers should be monitoring for sugarcane aphids because they are in the area, and their num-bers can build rapidly,” he said. “They’ve arrived later this year in the South Plains.  Producers have done a good job managing them the last few years, but sugarcane aphids can do damage to an individual’s field in a hurry.”

Bynum said tolerant sor-ghum varieties have helped delay sugarcane aphid build up, but damaging popula-tions can still build to the point producers should make timely pesticide appli-cations and use spray rates to get good plant coverage.

Pest numbers climbing in South Plains,Panhandle summer crops

PAGE 6C PLAINVIEW HERALD, SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018GRAIN PREVIEW

By Melinda Brown Plainview Herald Correspondent

Everyone knows that customers are the backbone of any successful business and understanding customer needs are vital to remaining successful. Besides their outstanding customer service for long term agriculture loans, the local branch of Plains Land Bank takes it a step further with a facility designed specifically for customers (stakeholders) in every inch of the building.

Plains Land Bank relocated to their new location at 3102 W. 7th Street in May and one of the major changes to help meet stakeholder needs is the work space –dou-bling in size of their previous building. This includes easier to navigate office spaces, private offices for staff, additional offices that allows for more growth and other accessories such as a data materials room, reception area, upgraded data systems, con-ference/training room and a break room. The conference room doubles as a training area and partitions are built to divide the training room from the other offices. This allows for meeting space for customers and still allow business to be conducted in other areas of the building.

“As farming becomes more sophisticated, farmers are spending more time with pro-fessional tasks such as management, finance and marketing,” says Kenneth Hooper, Senior Vice President Lending. “The train-ing room allows us to help our stakehold-ers with training, meeting space and other amenities for our customers.”

The additional space also allows for easier and more organized record retention.

“There is no paperless banking records,” says Hooper. “There are many files required for us to retain and they are filed the old fashioned way – in shelves and filing cabi-nets. The additional space allows easier ac-cess and more organization for the records.”

Besides the additional space and ameni-ties, the new building is more accessible to customers. The previous building’s small parking lot allowed only staff parking, leaving customer parking options to nearby streets, sometimes a block away. Not only does the new building have parking spaces, the new parking lot was designed at an angle allowing stakeholders with larger vehicles and trailers the ability to pull in off of Ennis Street and exit on 7th Street with ease. Additionally, the lot includes several parallel parking spaces for customers haul-ing trailers.

Furthermore, the new location also brings more visibility to Plains Land Bank. While not directly on 5th Street, the angle design of the building allows it to be showcased from Plainview’s main business thoroughfare.

“Our new location has brought a signifi-cant presence of our bank to the people of Plainview and has greatly increased what I call walk in trade,” says Hooper. “Our other building was non-descript and passersbys didn’t think about stopping by. We have people walk in weekly to look at the build-ing and find out what we do.”

One of the most visible changes is the sign. The location of the other building allowed for little signage. Now, Plains Land Bank has signage visible blocks away and includes a display screen.

“I had a couple of parents tell me that they told their kids that was their curfew clock,” laughs Hooper.

Plains Land Bank Plainview has been in existence since 1917 and provides mort-gage financing for agricultural produc-ers and rural property owners. Part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, the Amarillo-based lending cooperative has branch offices in Amarillo, Pampa, Perryton and Plainview.

“We assist farmers, ranchers or anyone interested in rural property with purchase, refinance or improvement loans from start to finish,” says Hooper. “It can be from an inquiry about purchasing land, reviewing the numbers to make it work for their bud-

get, land values, market values, obtaining the loan, closing and future loan servicing if needed.”

Stakeholders benefit from the co-op busi-ness model. Unlike other entities who pay dividends, Plains Land Bank pays patron-age - refunding a portion of the interest that customers paid on their loans the previous year, thus effectively reducing their cost of borrowing for the year.

The Plainview branch covers Hale, Floyd, Motley, Briscoe and Hall counties and has six employees - three loan officers and three loan administration staff. They are located at 3102 W. 7th Street and can be reached at 296-5579 or www.plainslandbank.com.

Plains Land Bank ready to serve community at new location.

February 14, 2018AgriLife Research scientists don’t want weed picking up

novel crop traitsWriter: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@

ag.tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, 979-845-5375, muthu@tamu.edu Dr. Bill Rooney, 979-845-2151, wlr@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Johnsongrass and sorghum might be considered “kissing kin,” but a Texas A&M AgriL-ife Research team wants to know if there is more going on in the grain sorghum production fields and bar ditches of South and Central Texas than meets the eye.

An experimental field in College Station where outcross-ings between sorghum and johnsongrass are studied by the Texas A&M AgriLife Research team. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan)

Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, weed scientist; Dr. Bill Rooney, sorghum breeder; and Dr. Patricia Klein, sor-ghum geneticist and molecular biologist, all with AgriLife Research in College Station, have teamed up to study gene flow between sorghum and johnsongrass.

They have secured funding from a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant, award No. 2017-33522-27030, for the study.

“The two plants are genetically related and the fear is that through gene flow, johnsongrass can pick up traits from sorghum,” Bagavathiannan said. “What we don’t know is the frequency at which this happens, the genetic determi-nants of outcrossing and what the hybrid progeny look like in terms of fitness and invasiveness.”

While they started this type of work in 2014, he said, the funding last year allowed expansion of the research ques-tions.

Rooney and his associate scientist Dr. George Hodnett will look at the cytogenetics – how chromosomes relate to cell behavior – of outcrossing between these two species and how they are influenced by sorghum genotype.

Klein will investigate, using the genotyping by sequenc-ing approach, the chromosomal location of potential genetic barriers affecting successful hybridization between the two.

This four-year project – 2017-2021 – also includes work by postdoctoral research associate Dr. Sara Ohadi and master’s student Cynthia Sias, both working with Baga-vathiannan.

“Earlier studies have looked at the gene flow from sor-ghum to johnsongrass, but what also is important is to see gene flow in the opposite direction,” Rooney said.

The F2 progeny – the offspring of a cross between any two unrelated seed lines – of sorghum hybrids segregate for

male ste-rility and when present near johnson-grass, there is a high like-lihood the male sterile sorghum will receive pollen from johnson-grass, he said.

“We con-ducted a detailed survey to docu-ment the presence of feral sorghum and john-songrass on South Texas roadsides, and we will determine if there are hybrids occurring in nature, what they look like and if they are more aggressive than others,” Bagavathian-nan said.

He said they also are conducting field-level gene flow studies involving different genetic backgrounds and will grow harvested hybrid seed to observe growth characteris-tics and fitness.

Historically, controlling grass weeds in grain sorghum has been difficult because sorghum is also a grass; there have been very limited over-the-top herbicide options available for grass control in sorghum.

However, acetolactate synthase or ALS-inhibitor herbi-cide tolerance has been developed in sorghum over the past few years under the name Inzen sorghum that will allow for effective post-emergence grass control.

“This is a trait that has already been approved for com-mercial cultivation and growers are currently waiting on hybrid seed availability,” Bagavathiannan said. “But the longevity of this technology depends on how well we confine, mitigate and/or manage gene flow between the

two species.“Because johnsongrass is a problematic weed in sorghum

fields, transfer of the herbicide resistance trait into johnson-grass will make the technology ineffective,” he said. “This presents a serious agronomic problem. It doesn’t matter whether the resistance was introduced through classical breeding or through transgenic means.”

Gene flow between the two species can also cause ecological and environmental problems, especially if the introduced trait provides an adaptive advantage to the progeny such as disease or insect resistance, Bagavathian-nan said. In such a scenario, gene flow can be a boost for the weed. However, gene flow is not usually a concern with non-adaptive traits such as grain biochemical quality.

“Findings of this study will guide the development of suitable strategies to address this problem and help the sorghum industry in sustaining the utility of upcoming technologies,” he said.

For more information on this project, contact Bagavathi-annan at muthu@tamu.edu, Rooney at wlr@tamu.edu or Klein at pklein@tamu.edu.

Outcrossing between johnsongrass, sorghum studied

PAGE 7C PLAINVIEW HERALD, SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018 GRAIN PREVIEW

Growing conditions are showing big differences compared to last year with lower rainfall and other unfavorable con-ditions, but officials with Azteca Milling said they are still looking forward to a successful harvest with all of their locally contracted corn growers.

Conditions prior to and during the growing season have been less than favor-able, said John Bickel, field representative with Azteca Milling. Precipitation over the area has been scarce with some loca-tions receiving around five inches over the past 11 months, with some locations having had almost no measurable pre-cipitation since the first week of October 2017, he explained.

Adding to that, the high temperatures throughout most of the growing season have had an adverse effect on both pol-lination and grain filling for many of our growers, Bickel added.

Although corn growing conditions have been less than ideal, Bickel said that Azteca Milling is still looking forward to a successful harvest with good quality corn from their locally contract growers.

“The La Nina weather pattern seems to be weakening and we are optimistic that 2019 will be a much better year. Over the past few weeks, some areas have been get-ting much needed rains that should help some of the corn fill the grain,” Bickel said

Azteca continues to point to its grow-ers with pride, with Ibarra calling their efforts at accepting the challenge again as something Azteca appreciates.

Ibarra, who began his career with Az-teca in Central America and then worked in corn production in Edinburgh, has had an opportunity to observe produc-ers in many locations. The corn manager continues to have kind words for growers of Azteca corn in Plainview.

“We are fortunate to have these grow-ers and we are proud of our growers, and hope they are proud of us,” he said. He called Plainview area growers “very informed, very professional.” He credits a plentiful pool of loyal and skilled produc-ers, willing to accept and fulfill contracts, as the key contributor to Azteca’s success.

Finding all the ingredients for success in the local area among its growers, Ibarra said the company intends to continue growing with the growing needs of its food corn market.

“We intend to continue with growth in the future,” he said. Ibarra directed the company’s first successful effort of its

kind – to transition to all locally grown corn – as Azteca’s manager of Corn Op-erations here.

Azteca looks with pride at three developments which should benefit area growers, Azteca and its force of workers and Plainview as well:

--Crop conditions have begun to improve and have set up prospects for a much more favorable corn growing year in 2019, Bickel said.

--Azteca won the Employer of the Year South Plains Workforce Solutions and entered in the statewide competition. They also won the Industry Sector Out-reach Award.

--Over the last few years, Azteca completed installation of a second set of scales at its main plant receiving facil-ity – bringing the number to two scales each at the main plant and the Airport annex. Growers and truckers should see enhanced efficiency this year with four scales able to serve harvest for the first time.

The Plainview plant was bathed in the spotlight in 2017 when South Plains Workforce Solutions awarded Azteca Pla-inview the Employer of the Year Award at an Awards banquet in Lubbock.

In presenting the award, Danny Soliz, director of business development for Work Force South Plains, listed some rea-sons for honoring Azteca: “Azteca Mill-ing, Plainview considers their employees their most valuable asset,” according to the award nomination. “Every effort is made to select only the best candidates so that both staff and company achieve shared goals working as an efficient, pro-fessional team. “

Azteca Milling offers career opportuni-ties in most major areas -- including sales, operations, and administration.

Azteca Milling continues to partner with Workforce Solutions using Working-Texas to staff their plant. Since January 2015, Azteca Milling has hired a total of 51 new employees.

The Plainview plant has a total of 246 employees and with an annual payroll of $5 million is considered a major em-ployer in Hale County. Azteca Milling continues to be an industry leader in sal-ary and benefits. They employ over 507 workers in Texas.

Ibarra became Corn Operations man-ager in Plainview last year as his prede-cessor Santos Gallegos was promoted to director of Corn Operations for GRUMA

Corp, Dallas, parent of Azteca Milling. He was Corn Operations manager in Edinburg for eight years and prior to that was associated with Azteca operations Venezuela and El Salvador.

Continuing to add harvest receiving efficiencies at the plant recently, Azteca has some additions that went into service within the last few years:

--The pre-cleaner system was improved at the front end of processing at the main plant, to have more efficient process and clean the corn better before it goes into storage bins, according to Bickel. “It will keep the corn in much better condition in the bin,” he said.

--Improved receiving will be seen at the Azteca annex south of Plainview-Hale County Airport with addition of another set of scales, bringing capabilities there to two scales there.

--Many improvements to the infra-structure have laid the groundwork for local contracting expansion in the future, as the company requirements grow.

That began with the addition of corn drying equipment at a leased annex on CR110 south of the Plainview/Hale County Airport in 2014. That brought corn receiving capabilities for yellow corn up to the level of Azteca’s main facility. Results were dramatically improved and producers liked the arrangement.

Recent improvements were made possible when Azteca’s leased corn annex south of Plainview-Hale County Air-port added two corn dryers to speed up processing. Prior to that, Azteca’s leased storage could only receive dry white corn, but now loads with higher moisture con-tent of both white and yellow corn can be accepted at either terminal which relieves waiting times at harvest.

This additional improvement allowed truckers to decide whether to deliver at the main terminal, or the annex, at their option rather than to be re-routed from one to the other.

That resulted in balanced receiving, with Azteca seeing deliveries of about the same volume at each location, the main plant, and the annex.

A bright spot for Azteca in this part of Texas has always been the abundance of producers wanting to grow corn. The plant continues to have inquiries each year during, and even after, contracting is closed.

Azteca uses 13 million bushels of corn per year. Azteca is able to acquire all its

requirements locally, where corn is grown on about 54,000 acres contracted with local growers within a radius of approxi-mately 40 miles from the plant.

Azteca Milling in Plainview remains one of the largest facilities for produc-tion of corn flour in the world. The plant produces instant masa corn flour for snack foods, bakeries and the well-known Maseca corn flour brand used in tortillas.

Opened in the 1990s, Azteca initially expected to contract only 50 percent of its needs locally and the rest from producers farther north, but that has changed over the years. As production locally met targets, and exceeded them in some years, progressively Azteca began acquiring 100 percent of its white and yellow corn needs from farms stretching from Muleshoe to Floydada, and Lub-bock to Dimmitt. In that time, Azteca has grown as well as expanded and diversified its products produced locally. In about 2002, Azteca acquired an additional mill-ing facility in Dawn near Amarillo, which increased corn needs.

And as the Corn Operations Depart-ment team focuses on contracting, growing and harvest, the plant, and its stable workforce of 245 to 250 employees continue their day to day mission of mill-ing a steady flow of premium corn flour for the world market.

A subsidiary of GRUMA, Azteca Mill-ing has been in business in the United States for more than 30 years. The Plain-view plant has been in production since December 1990. Azteca manufactures more than 50 types of corn masa flour that is utilized in traditional and non-tra-ditional applications, including usage in the tortilla, snack and baking industries.

As the industry leader in the corn masa flour market, Azteca Milling is commit-ted to manufacturing the highest quality products, delivering superior customer service, and investing in new product research and development.

They manufacture, distribute, and market MASECA corn masa flour. Azteca Milling’s extensive client list includes companies in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Middle East.

Their vision is to help customers achieve their strategic objectives with state-of-the-art technology and highly qualified, motivated and professional staff.

Conditions prior to and during the growing season have been less than favorable

Wehave a very exclusiveclub. Only the best whiteand yellow food cornhybrids on themarketare selected as membersof AztecaMilling’s

ApprovedHybrid List.Thanks go to our areacorn producers,TheWorld’s Best Growers,

who grow the outstandinghybrids in this club,helpingAztecaMillingsupply a growing

international demand forfood corn products.For grower info.call:

John BickelChristinaRodriquezor Guillermo Ibarra

293-0110

Growers, ¡Muchas Gracias!You have earned ourthanks for growing

quality-selected Food CornHybrids for 2018.

AIB, Kosher and SQF7.1 Certified

• AZTECA’s goal is to purchase more than 10 million bushels of white andyellow corn from area producers.• We are the LARGEST and MOST EXPERIENCED producer of masaflour in the United States.• As the INDUSTRY LEADER, we are committed to supplying the highestquality products and delivering superior customer service.

PAGE 8C PLAINVIEW HERALD, SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 2018GRAIN PREVIEW