Crops & Produce

From strategic agricultural production practices to safe handling of produce coming out of gardens and fields, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides in-depth information and a variety of experts to help food producers get fruits and vegetables and other crops to consumers safely.

Related Departments: Soil and Crop Sciences, Horticultural Sciences, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics

Cabbage growing in The Gardens at Texas A&M University

Cotton Insect Scouting School

This service provides training on how to scout for and identify insect, weed, and disease pests of cotton, and making pest management recommendations.
Bollworm on a leaf

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Crops & Produce

Publications

Publication

This factsheet instructs gardeners on the care of artichoke plants and provides two recipes that showcase artichokes.

Publication

This factsheet instructs gardeners on the care of sweet potato plants and provides two recipes that showcase sweet potatoes.

Publication

This factsheet instructs gardeners on the care of squash plants and provides two recipes that showcase winter and summer squash.

Programs

We offer numerous free and affordable programs on agriculture and natural resources, family and community health, economic health and youth development. We also offer many volunteer opportunities. Browse the list below.
Program

The Master Marketer program is a 64-hour intensive marketing education course during which agricultural producers, ag lenders, and others are trained in marketing techniques, marketing plans, technical analysis, futures and options, and many other marketing related skills.

Program

The Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) conducts analyses of the impacts of government policy proposals and/or implementation procedures on farmers, agribusinesses, taxpayers, and consumers.

Program

The Stiles Farm Foundation is a 2,716 acre farm located in Thrall, Texas in eastern Williamson County. The farm is managed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service as a living demonstration of research-based, profitable, and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices for the Texas Blackland Prairie.

Courses

Course

Do you want to restore native plants? Are you curious about when to plant and how to maintain it? This online course will discuss how land managers can select, plant, and maintain native plants and when to plant them.

Course

Once you finish this course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. The Certificate of Completion shows that you have completed the course, but does not qualify for continuing education credit, or CEU. A separate version of this course will be made available for CEU credit. Once the CEU version of the course is available, a link will be added here.

This course is intended for park and public works professionals, hourly workers, and volunteers.

Course

Once you finish this course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. The Certificate of Completion shows that you have completed the course, but does not qualify for continuing education credit, or CEU. A separate version of this course will be made available for CEU credit. Once the CEU version of the course is available, a link will be added here.

This course is intended for professional turfgrass parks and recreation managers, sports field managers, or landscaping specialists.

Tomato 101

This course teaches the basics of growing tomatoes in your garden and allows you to cover the material at your own pace and on your own time schedule so begin when you’re ready.

All Resources on Crops & Produce

  • Publication

    After decades of research, the effects and interactions of fertility, row, and plant spacing, planting date, environmental conditions, insects, diseases, and hybrids are better understood. All are important in determining sorghum crop yield. This publication gives information on growth and development, planting, plant density, fertility, and water. (13 pages)

  • Publication

    This publication aims to help producers make decisions on herbicide use for volunteer cotton. Volunteer cotton can compete with the crop and reduce yield. It also can make the boll weevil eradication program less successful’ primarily in South and East Texas’ because the plants can host boll weevils. Although complete control is a challenge, it […]

  • Publication

    The buildup of phosphorus in lawns, gardens, pastures, and croplands can cause plants to grow poorly and even die. Excessive soil phosphorus reduces the plant’s ability to take up required micronutrients, particularly iron and zinc, even when soil tests show there are adequate amounts of those nutrients in the soil. Phosphorus buildup is caused by […]

  • Publication

    Corn and grain sorghum producers who use atrazine herbicide will be interested in the results of this study of three application methods (the conventional broadcast method, the pre-plant incorporation method, and the banding method) to determine which is best for protecting surface water from contamination while preventing weed growth and preserving crop yields. (3 pages)

  • Publication

    his publication discusses the five types and proposes a year-round forage management system that combines types according to a particular producer’s needs.

  • Publication

    This 3-page publication explains how to make the best use of hay in beef cattle operations.

  • Publication

    This 5-page publication offers information on selecting the most suitable variety of bermudagrass; preparing the land; planting seed, sprigs, stolons, or tops; renovating bermudagrass fields; and managing and harvesting the crop.

  • Publication

    Hay production in Texas is a big business. This comprehensive guide explains all the considerations relevant to the hay enterprise. Topics include: Forage species selection Animal nutrient needs Soil fertility Weed management Forage harvesting and analysis Final considerations on the best ways to buy and sell hay. (17 pages)

  • Publication

    This 7-page publication uses a series of questions and examples to explain the considerations for choosing the right pasture plants.

  • Publication

    This 8-page publication explains how best to manage bluestem grasses.

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