Texas A&M hosts workshop for tomato growers

Tomato growers, whether at-home or commercial, are encouraged to attend a workshop on production improvement from 9 a.m.-noon July 28, according to Dr. Kevin Crosby, Texas A&M AgriLife Research horticulturist in College Station.

Tomatoes in the grocery store. (Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter)

The free workshop will be at the Texas A&M Horticultural Teaching, Research and Extension Center, 3199 County Road 269, south of Farm-to-Market 60 and west of Farm-to–Market 50 near College Station. The Texas A&M University department of horticultural sciences tomato improvement program is hosting the workshop.

“We will have some tomatoes of several Texas A&M lines to taste and will cover hands-on techniques such as pruning, grafting and pot culture,” Crosby said.

The workshop will also address new variety development, plant nutrition, disease management and organic practices.

In addition to Crosby, speakers will include Dr. Kevin Ong, director of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station; Dr. Carlos Avila, horticulturist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center-Weslaco; Dr. John Jifon, AgriLife Research horticulturist, Weslaco; Dr. Bhimu Patil, director of Texas A&M’s Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, College Station; and Dr. Joe Masabni, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Overton.

For more information, contact Crosby at k-crosby@tamu.edu or 979-845-7012.