So far the weather is drier this spring
than the last couple of years but the dry weather sure hasn’t
slowed the melons. Plants have made great progress with the clear
sunshiny days but as always growers need to be alert to possible problems.
Diseases and insects created a significant amount of problems last
year and to stay on top of things this year growers can start the
year off well attending the “Early Season” MelonTour to
be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2005.
This is commonly known as a turn row tour where participants will
travel from field to field to discuss common problems and solutions
to those problems with vegetable experts. Commercial melon and vegetable
growers who wish to attend this tour will assemble at the Gustine
Pavillion in Downtown Gustine at 8:30 a.m. for registration and the
tour will leave before 9:00 a.m. This tour is especially designed
for commercial vegetable growers who need to spend time with other
growers and experts in the field looking at vegetable production and
asking questions. There will be few formal presentations on the tour
and two pesticide credits will be offered. After the tour growers
will return to the Gustine Pavillion for a catered lunch.
The special invited experts for the tour include a wide range of knowledge
and expertise. These include Dr. Frank Dainello, Extension Vegetable
Specialist from Texas A&M University, Dr. Chris Sansone, Extension
Entomologist, from the Texas A&M Center in San Angelo, Dr. Russ
Wallace, Extension Horticulturalist, Texas A&M Center in Lubbock
and Dr. Tom Isakeit, Extension Plant Pathologist from Texas A&M
Universtiy.
