Wharton - AgriLife Extension to host a Cotton Turn Row Meeting – July 17th

 By Corrie Bowen

County Extension Agent

Wharton County

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Wharton and Matagorda County Offices will host a Cotton Turn Row Meeting on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 in Wharton.  Registration will begin at the Directors Room at the Wharton County Fairgrounds at 8:30 a.m.  Program to begin at 9:00 a.m. with an overview of the 2018  Cotton Crop.  We’ll then proceed to our Replicated Agronomic Cotton Evaluation (RACE) trial where we’ll hear from Dr. Gaylon Morgan, Extension Cotton Specialist with discussion on cotton varieties and late season issues.  Dr. Scott Nolte, Extension Weed Specialist will follow with discussion on minimizing off-target herbicide movement.  By 11 a.m. we’ll return to the Directors Room where Greg Baker with discuss Worker Protection Standard requirements for pesticide workers and handlers. 

The WPS is a federal regulation originally enacted in 1992 designed to protect agricultural workers (people involved in the production of agricultural plants) and pesticide handlers (people mixing, loading, or applying pesticides or doing other tasks involving direct contact with pesticides). You probably need to comply with the WPS if you are a:  Manager or owner of a farm, forest, nursery, or greenhouse; or Labor contractor for a farm, forest, nursery, or greenhouse; or  Custom (for hire) pesticide applicator or independent crop consultant hired by a farm, forest, nursery, or greenhouse operator.  The EPA made significant revisions to the WPS provisions that became effective January 2, 2018.  Most WPS provisions are protections that you, as an employer, must provide for your own employees and, in some instances, to yourself. The WPS covers two types of employers, which it defines according to the type of work their employees do.  Bring your farm employees (agricultural workers and/or pesticide handlers) to the July 17th Turn-Row meeting, as the WPS training at 11 a.m. will satisfy the annual WPS training.  The WPS training video will be provided in English.  Please contact the Wharton County Extension office prior to July 17th at 979-532-3310 if you have employees attending who will need to view the Spanish version of the WPS training.

Program will conclude at noon.  3 CEUs will be offered for TDA pesticide license holders and 3 CCA credits have been applied for.  Please call the Extension Office by  5:00 p.m. on July 16 just to let us know that you’ll be attending.  A flyer  for the July 17th turn-row meeting is available at https://wharton.agrilife.org.

The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.  Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any Extension activity, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office for assistance 5 days prior to the activity.