Extension Agent – IPM – Garden City, TX
Education:
BS – Texas A&M University 1980 – Entomology
MS- Texas Tech University 1984 – Entomology
Experience:
1980-1981 County Entomologist, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Motley, Hall, Briscoe and Floyd Counties.
1981-present Extension Agent-Integrated Pest Management, Texas AgriLife Extension, Glasscock, Reagan and Upton Counties.
IPM Unit Description:
Farmers in the Glasscock – Reagan – Upton county program have planted a ten-year average of 129,380 acres of cotton since 2001 (NASS 2011). They have harvested crops with an average value of $33.9 million per year during that time.
There are 50,000 acres of drip irrigated cotton in Glasscock, Reagan and Upton Counties. Cotton produced using drip irrigation is capable of making high yields on limited amounts of water delivered to the crop though subsurface drip irrigation lines. In drip irrigated fields, the amount of water stored in the soil is limited. So irrigation termination techniques developed for furrow or center pivot irrigated fields are not a good fit and normally result in losses in yield.
Meetings and Publications:
Hundreds of county and local presentations, 14 regional and 31 state and national presentations.
County IPM Newsletters (20+ per year) and IPM Annual Report.
3 Extension Publications
Collaborative Work:
St. Lawrence Cotton Growers Association, Cotton Incorporated, USDA-APHIS, USDA-ARS, many research and extension cooperators, Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, many seed chemical and fertilizer cooperators, St. Lawrence Coop Gin and the National Cotton Council.
Scholarly Presentations:
Multer, W.L. and C.T. Allen. 1985. Lubber grasshopper control on cotton in West Texas. Intern. Cotton Pest Work Comm. San Carlos, Sonora, MX.
Multer, W.L. and C.T. Allen. 1986. Mist blower sprayers for bollworm and grasshopper control. Intern. Cotton Pest Work Comm. Mazatlan, Sinaloa, MX.
Multer, W.L., C.T. Allen, and R.R. Minzenmayer. 1987. Management of cotton fleahopper in West Texas. Intern. Cotton Pest Work Comm. San Diego, CA.
Multer, W.L. and C.T. Allen. 1988. Evaluation of insecticides for cotton aphid control. Intern. Cotton Pest Work Comm. Mazatlan, Sinaloa, MX.
Multer, W.L., R.R. Minzenmayer, and C.T. Allen. 1988. The effects of various insecticides and combinations against bollworm and tobacco budworm in West Texas., Beltwide Cotton Conf., National Cotton Council, Jan. 5-8, New Orleans, LA.
Multer, W.L., C.T. Allen, and V. Lucero. 1990. Insecticides and combinations for cotton aphid control. Intern. Cotton Pest Work Comm. Mazatlan, Sinaloa, MX.
Multer, W., J. Gully, C.G. Sansone and S. Biles. 2004. Determining the optimum timing for the final drip irrigation on cotton based on crop monitoring. Beltwide Cotton Conf., National Cotton Council, Memphis, Jan. 5-9, San Antonio, TX.
Multer, W.L. and C.G. Sansone. 2007. Determininge the optimum timing for final drip irrigation on cotton based on crop monitoring: West Texas. Beltwide Cotton Conf., National Cotton Council, Jan. 9-12, New Orleans, LA.
Multer, W., T. Doederlein, M. Cataneo, J. Pierce, C. Allen, R. Zink, M. Walters, D. Kerns and J. Westbrook. 2011. Pink bollworm trapping in the southern plains of Texas and New Mexico. Beltwide Cotton Conf., National Cotton Council, Jan. 4-7, Atlanta, GA.
Recent IPM Emphasis and Accomplishments:
For 5 years Mr. Multer conducted field trials to test a crop monitoring based system which to assist growers in making decisions on when to terminate irrigations at the end of the season. This work culminated in delivery to growers of a system for determining the optimum time to terminate drip irrigation of cotton in his region, nationally and world-wide. In 2009, Warren surveyed cotton growers in his area who were using the system. Respondents said that that pumping water cost them an average of $12 per acre inch. Using the irrigation termination system, they would save an average of one acre inch of water. The cost savings on the 50,000 acres was $600,000. More importantly, use of the irrigation termination system left 50,000 acre inches of precious water per year in the underground aquifer.
More recently, Warren’s work to promote soil sampling and soil fertility education was evaluated in 2010. Growers responding to the survey reported indicated the program had an average economic impact of $16.50 per acre. This represented an average savings of $28,923 per participating grower, or about $1.8 million in economic benefit (without multipliers) to producers in the three county area.
In 2010, 32 farmers responded to a survey of Glasscock, Reagan and Upton cotton producers. Collectively, they estimated the value of the IPM program to farmers in the three-county area to be $42 per acre. If we assume the program value generated by the survey accurately reflects the value of the program to all producers in the IPM unit, the data suggest the IPM program has a value of $5.4 million per year to the growers who farm in the area.
Scholarly Publications:
Allen, C.T., W.L. Multer, R.R. Minzenmayer and J.S. Armstrong. 1987. Development of pyrethroid resistance in Heliothis populations in cotton in Texas. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. J.M. Brown and T.C. Nelson (eds.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 332-334.
R.R. Minzenmayer, C.T. Allen and W.L. Multer. 1988. Management of cotton fleahopper in West Texas. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. J.M. Brown and D.R. Richter (eds.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 290-291.
Allen, C.T., W.L. Multer and V. Lucero. 1990. Seasonal changes in cotton aphid susceptibility to insecticides in West Texas cotton. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. J.M. Brown and D.R. Richter (eds.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 287-289.
Henggeler, J.C., W.L. Multer and B.L. Unruh.1998. Managing cotton with water is limited. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. P. Dugger and D. Richter (eds.) National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 641-645.
Unruh, B.L. W. Multer, and J. Enciso. 2000. Narrow and Convention row Pattern Yield Response to Limited Subsurface Drip Irrigation. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. D. Richter (eds.) National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. p. 596.
Enciso J, D. Bryan Unruh, W. Multer, D. Porter. 2000. Optimizing Cotton Irrigation Frequency For Deficit Irrigation. Presented at the 4th Decennial National Irrigation Symposium, Phoenix, Arizona. pp. 6l8-623.
Enciso-Medina, J., B. Unruh, S. Sturtz and W. Multer. 2001. No till and tillage under subsurface drip irrigation. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. D. Richter (eds.) National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 299-300.
Thompson, W.J., J. Enciso-Medina, and W.L. Multer. 2002. Why Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) An Economic Analysis. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conference. J. McRae and D.A. Richter (eds.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. 3 pages.
Muegge, M.A., A. Knutson, B. Baugh, W. Multer and R. Baker. 2002. Development of a reliable and efficient sampling plan for cotton fleahopper and Lygus bugs using the beat bucket sampling method. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conference. J. McRae and D.A. Richter (eds.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. 3 pages.
Enciso-Medina, J. and W.L. Multer. 2002. Salinity Management with Subsurface Drip Irrigation. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conference. J. McRae and D.A. Richter (ed). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. 5 pages.
Enciso-Medina, J., W.J. Thompson, W.L. Multer and Charles Stichler. 2002. No Till and Tillage Under Subsurface Drip Irrigation. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conference. J. McRae and D.A. Richter (eds.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. 5 pages.
Enciso, J, D. Martin, W. Multer and Paul Colaizzi. 2002. Irrigating Cotton With Salty Water and Subsurface Drip Irrigation. Presented at the 2002 ASAE Annual International Meeting. Chicago, Illinois. ASAE Paper 022112.
Muegge, M. A., A. Knutson, B. Baugh, W. Multer, R. Baker and S. Downing. 2003. Development of a reliable sampling plan for cotton fleahopper and western tarnished plant bug using the beat bucket sampling method. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. D. Richter (eds.) Memphis, TN. pp 987-979.
Enciso, J. M., B. Unruh, P.D. Colaizzi, and W. Multer. 2003. “Cotton Response to Subsurface Drip Irrigation Frequency under Deficit Irrigation”. Journal of Applied Engineering. ASAE. Vol. 19(5): 555-558.
J. Enciso-Medina, W. J. Thompson, W. L. Multer. 2003. Optimum design capacities for subsurface drip irrigated cotton In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conference. D.A. Richter (eds.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 632-636.
Muegge, M.A., C. Payne, W. Multer and R. Baker. 2004. Sampling cotton bolls to estimate feeding caused by stink bugs. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conference. D.A. Richter (ed.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 1876-1878.
Enciso-Medina, Juan., B. Thompson, J. Robinson, W. Multer. 2004 “Economics of Drip-Line Spacing For Cotton. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conference.. D.A. Richter (ed.). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 901-903.
Enciso J. M., P. D. Colaizzi, W. L. Multer. 2005. “Economic Analysis of Subsurface Drip Irrigation Lateral Spacing and Installation Depth for Cotton”. Transactions of the ASAE 48(1):197-204.
Enciso J. M., W. L. Multer., C. Stichler. 2005. Injecting Phosphoric Acid though Subsurface Drip Irrigation Systems. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conference. P. Dugger and D.A. Richter (eds). National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 2472-2475.
Bronson, K.F., R. Yabaji, W. L. Multer, C. R. Stichler, J.M. Enciso, J.P. Bordovsky, D. O. Porter, and C.J. Green. 2006. Acid, chlorine, nitrogen, and phosphorus management for subsurface drip irrigation systems. pp. 26-30. In A.J. Schlegel (ed.) 2006 Great Plains Soil Fertility Conference, 7-8 March, 2006, Denver, CO.
Enciso J. M., P. D. Colaizzi, W. L. Multer, and C. Stichler. 2006. Knifing versus Injecting Phosphorus with SDI Systems in Cotton? In Proc. 2006 Irrigation Assoc. Meeting. 6 pages.
Enciso J. M., P. D. Colaizzi, W. L. Multer, and C. Stichler. 2007. Cotton response to phosphorus fertigation using subsurface drip irrigation. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 23(3): 299-304.
Enciso-Medina J., W. L. Multer., B. Wiedenfeld. 2009. Knifing versus injecting phosphoric acid with subsurface drip iIrrigation systems. Journal of Plant Nutrition, Volume 32, Issue 11. pp. 1975 – 1982.
Enciso-Medina J., W. Multer, and F. Lamm. 2009. Impact of Management on the Life Expectancy of Drip Systems. In Proc. Ann. International Irrigation Show. San Antonio Convention Center. Irrigation Association Meeting. pp. 1039-1056.
Enciso-Medina J., W. L Multer, F. Lamm. 2009. Evaluation of Old Subsurface Drip Irrigation Systems in Texas. Presented at the 2009 ASAE Annual International Meeting. ASAE Paper 095725. Reno, Nevada. American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
Muegge, M., D. Kerns, M. Vandiver, W. Multer, T. Doederlein, D. Patman, S. Russell, K. Siders, C. Multer and M. Parajulee. 2011. Comparison of sample methods and sample plans for thrips in cotton. In Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. Boyd, S., M. Huffman and B. Robertson (eds.).National Cotton Council, Memphis, TN. pp. 799-803.
Isakeit, T., R. Minzenmayer, D. Drake, W. Multer, A. Abrameit, M. Jungman, C. Crossland, D. Campion, N. Fryar, G. Morgan and D. Mott. 2011. Flutriafol for control of Phymatotrichopsis root rot of cotton. In: Proc. Beltwide Cotton Conf. Boyd, S., M. Huffman and B. Robertson (eds.). National Cotton Council, Memphis TN. p. 207.
Awards:
1982 TCAA, New Agents Recognition Award
1987 Friend of 4-H Award in Glasscock County
1988 Meritorious Service to 4-H in Glasscock County
1989 District VI Achievement Award Nominee TCAAA
1990 Outstanding EA-IPM Award Texas Pest Management Association
1995 Vice Chancellors Award in Excellence (Interdisciplinary Team)
1995 Superior Service Award (Team), Texas Agricultural Extension Service
1995 Award for Environmental Excellence, Clean Texas 2000 Governors Award
1997 Distinguished Service Award, TCAAA
1997 Distinguished Achievement Award – Agriculture, Texas Agricultural Extension Specialist Association
2000 Superior Service Award (Agent), Texas Cooperative Extension Service
2002 Excellence in IPM Programming Award – Texas Pest Management Association
2004 Outstanding EA-IPM Award – Texas Pest Management Association
2004 Level IV Agent – Texas Cooperative Extension Career Ladder System
2008 Superior Paper Award, American Society of Agricultural & Biological Engineering
2011 Outstanding Educator in Cotton Award – Texas Cotton Producers