Farm & Ranch
[AgriLife Today] Four viticulturists hired to help Texas wine industry flourish
Writer: Kathleen Phillips, 979-845-2872, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Justin Scheiner, 979-845-1870, [email protected]
COLLEGE STATION — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has hired four viticulture program specialists to assist grape growers with challenges and educational information, officials said.
The positions, strategically located across the state, were funded by the Texas Legislature in acknowledging that Texas is the fifth leading wine producing state in the nation with more than 350 licensed wineries, and vineyard acreage has more than doubled over the past decade, according to Dr. Justin Scheiner, AgriLife Extension state viticulturist in College Station.
The new viticulturists and their locations are: Piere Helwi, High Plains and West Texas regions; Andrew Labay, Texas Hill Country; Fran Pontasch, Gulf Coast region; and, Michael Cook, North Texas region.
“The Texas wine industry has great potential,” said Dr. Dan Lineberger, head of the horticultural sciences department at Texas A&M University where the four will be academically connected. “We’re anxious to get this team in place, and we’re excited about the opportunities to work closer with new growers, current growers and members of the Texas wine industry.”
Lineberger said AgriLife Extension has had “an excellent relationship with the grape growing and wine industry since its inception,” and these specialists will help the industry continue to grow toward the future.
Pontasch, who is based in College Station, previously served as a viticulture advisor with AgriLife Extension in the North Texas region. She has worked as a vineyard manager and vineyard consultant. Pontasch earned a bachelor’s in horticulture at Texas A&M and a master’s in biology from Sul Ross University where she studied Pierce’s Disease in grapes in the Davis Mountains.
Cook, who is based in Denton, has a bachelor’s in horticulture from Texas A&M and a master’s in viticulture from Fresno State University in California where he studied the effects of fruit zone light management and applied water on grapevine productivity and phenolic composition.
Helwi comes from Bordeaux, France where he recently completed a doctoral degree in enology from the University of Bordeaux. His dissertation research focused on the effects of nitrogen nutrition on aroma compounds in grapes and wine. He will assume his duties based in Lubbock on Feb. 15.
Labay has been working as an AgriLife Extension associate since 2010 in the viticulture program at the Fredericksburg Viticulture and Fruit Lab. He holds a master’s in functional plant biology from the University of Montpellier II in France and is pursuing a doctoral degree in horticulture at Texas A&M. He will be based in Fredericksburg beginning in June.
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By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
Since their introduction to the U.S. in the early 1900s, Old World Bluestems such as King Ranch bluestem and Dahl bluestem have become established on farms and ranches from the Rio Grande to Nebraska. With such a wide range of adaptability, these species are subjected to a wide range of management, depending on location and the goals of the rancher.
Due to the aggressive nature of OWBs, producers in far South Texas have been trying to find a way to eradicate OWBs in their pastures. Texas AgriLife Extension bulletin “Introduced Bluestem Grasses: Management on Native Lands” describes several methods being used in the effort to rid pastures of OWBs. In 2016, one project involved using chemicals, plowing, mowing, reseeding, summer burning, and combinations of these practices.
To read the about the researchers findings and hear Tony’s take, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Rayford Pullen
Watching our pastures over the years, I have noticed our forages quit growing when nighttime temperatures begin hitting that 45-degree mark, and in North Texas, that will usually be around October 20.
While growth stops, our forages will still be high quality which allows our momma cows to gain weight for another 40 days or so.
Getting these cows in better condition is key to getting them through the winter and breeding after they calve.
Read more in the October issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available online and in print. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive NTFR in your inbox each week.
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