Wheat scouting school addresses new pests, diseases in Tx Panhandle

RANDALL COUNTY, Texas (KFDA) — The Randall County Extension Office held a wheat insect and disease scouting school today for area producers.

Dr. JD Ragland, Randall County extension agent, said wheat producers throughout the High Plains face new diseases and insects each year.

“Yeah, well, each year, you know, our wheat producers here throughout the High Plains tackles many issues on a given wheat year, no doubt,” Ragland said. “But it seems like we continue to try to struggle with these new diseases and insects that are constantly coming about.”

Ragland said the history of some of the issues is still being studied.

“A lot of them we don’t know about. Some of the history of them we’re still learning,” Ragland said. “And it becomes very devastating throughout the growing season as well as when it comes time for harvest.”

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Ragland said specialists are still learning more about many of the issues, and the school focused solely on that topic.

“So we’re going to start off talking about wheat pests, about identifying how to go about identifying the insects that are causing us trouble,” Ragland said. “Then we’re going to maybe focus on some of the beneficial insects that occur during the growing season.”

Ragland said the training also covered when and how to scout for the issues, along with treatment information.

“And then really dive into how to scout for them, when to scout, what timing of the year that we need to be prevalent of looking for these sort of issues as a producer,” Ragland said. “And then try to give a little bit of information about how to go about treating for those various types of issues.”

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