Kerry Siders is a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent (IPM) for Hockley, Cochran, and Lamb Counties. A Texas Tech graduate, he has been with Texas AgriLife Extension since 1990. Siders provides education and applied research pertaining to weeds, insects, diseases, nematodes, growth regulators, and harvest aides in cotton. He is a member of the High Plains Association of Crop Consultants.
Blayne Reed is the IPM Extension Agent in Hale, Swisher, and Floyd Counties. A native to the area he serves, Blayne received a BS degree in agriculture services and development with minors in agronomy and entomology from Tarleton State University and an MS in entomology from Texas Tech. He specializes in applied row crop entomology for cotton, corn, sorghum, wheat, and alfalfa, as well as herbicide-resistant weed control, cotton irrigation scheduling, and plant growth regulator management and has nearly 30 years of field experience.
Suhas Vyavhare focuses on planning, developing, and executing Extension education programs and applied research that primarily addresses insect pest issues of cotton in the Texas High Plains—an area encompassing more than 4 million acres of cotton. As an Extension specialist, he provides general technical expertise on cotton integrated pest management (IPM) in Texas. The current cotton insect management goals in Texas are to optimize yields and profits while conserving natural enemies with the judicious use of insecticides and other management tactics.