LEAKEY – The Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in Real County will conduct a pecan management program from 9 a.m.-noon Jan. 4 at the Frio Pecan Farm.

The farm is located at 144 E. Ranch Road 337 in Leakey. From the Leakey County Courthouse, go south on Market Street or Highway 83, turn left on 6th Street, which is also Ranch Road 337 East. The farm is 1.8 miles down 6th Street on the right.

“Pecan trees have suffered due to the drought and prolonged hot weather like everything else this year, but now is the time to start thinking about next year,” said Travis Helm, AgriLife Extension agent in Real County. “The dormant season is a good time to catch up and gear up for next year’s production. The goal of this program is to help producers literally nurse their trees back to health, and we’ve gathered our area’s top most experts to share their knowledge on how to do that.”

The program’s scheduled speakers are Drs. Larry Stein and Mark Black, AgriLife Extension horticulturist and plant pathologist, respectively, at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde.

Their topics will include:

- 2012 Orchard Management-Impacts of drought and how to manage orchards to recovery.

- Disease and Pest Management-Past season insect and disease pressure and the products and know-how to treat them.

Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered – 1.5 general, one integrated pest management and 0.5 drift minimization.

Individual preregistration is $10 due Jan. 3 to the AgriLife Extension office in Real County.

For more information or to RSVP, call the AgriLife Extension office in Real County at 830-232-6673.