College of Agriculture and Technology to conduct Soil and Water Education Conference, Jan. 31
JONESBORO – The College of Agriculture and Technology at Arkansas State University will conduct the 2013 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference Thursday, Jan. 31, at the Convocation Center, 217 Olympic Drive.
Butch Calhoun, secretary of agriculture for the State of Arkansas, will be the featured guest speaker for the conference luncheon.
“The goal of this annual conference is to educate farmers, producers, consultants, policy makers and students about current issues and management practices in the area of soil and water management and conservation,” according to Dr. Steve Green, associate professor of soil and water conservation at ASU and a member of the conference committee.
Dr. Donald (Bud) Kennedy, dean of the college, said, "The ASU College of Agriculture and Technology is committed to support this conference and research efforts to find real solutions to soil and water problems of our state and region." Dr. Kennedy will welcome the audience at 8:15 a.m. in the Convocation Center auditorium.
During the opening session. speakers will discuss crop production methods, soil health, and residue management; in the second session, results of water quality and management studies will be the topic.
“The afternoon workshop this year will be conducted by David Lamm, who leads the National Soil Health and Sustainability Team with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Greensboro, N.C.,” Dr. Green added. “This workshop, from 1 until 3 p.m., will be a dynamic and demonstrative workshop on soil health. You won’t want to miss this workshop.”
Conference organizers are Arkansas State University, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, the USDA Agricultural Research Service, and the Arkansas Water Resources Center.
The program committee for this event includes Dr. Green, Dr. Tina Gray Teague, Robert Young, Dr. Earl Vories, Dr. Bill Humphrey, Dr. Greg Phillips, Jason Stewart, Dr. Jennifer Bouldin, Dr. Paul Counce, Dr. Keith Morris, Kevin Cochran, Dr. Michele Reba and Dr. Chris Henry.
The registration fee for the day-long conference, including lunch, is $20 through Jan. 23. After that date, the fee is $40. Certified Crop Advisor Soil and Water Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be awarded to those who attend.
To register online, individuals may follow the conference link on the College of Agriculture and Technology website, http://www.astate.edu/college/agriculture-and-technology/, or contact Chris Jones, chrisjones@astate.edu or (870) 972-3364.
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Program
Arkansas Soil & Water Education Conference
January 31, 2013 -- ASU Convocation Center Auditorium
8:00 Registration – Coffee, Fruit and Pastries – Meeting Room A
8:15 Welcome—Dr. Donald Kennedy, Interim Dean, College of Agriculture and Technology, Arkansas State University
Session I Moderator:
8:30 Using Precision Agriculture Methods to Improve Cotton Irrigation Management—Dr. Earl Vories, USDA- ARS, Fisher Delta Research Center, Portageville, MO
8:50 Soil Health for Better Agricultural Production—Mr. David Lamm, USDA-NRCS, Greensboro, NC
9:20 Weather in 2012/Forecast for 2013—Mr. John Lewis, National Weather Service, Little Rock
9:40 Crop Residue Management: Consequences of Burning, Baling, Incorporating, Leaving on Surface
10:00 Break – Refreshments, Displays, Demonstrations, and Poster Session; Meeting Room A
Session II Moderator: Dr. Brian Haggard, Director and Professor, Arkansas Water Resources Center, University of Arkansas
10:30 The Mississippi River Basin Initiative in Arkansas—Ms. Nancy Young, USDA-NRCS, Little Rock
10:50 Stakeholder Awareness and Outreach Relative to the Arkansas MRBI Program—Dr. Mike Daniels, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Little Rock
11:10 Edge of Field Monitoring for Water Quality and Quantity in Arkansas—Dr. Michele Reba, USDA-ARS, National Sedimentation Laboratory, Jonesboro
11:30 Proposal Insights and Perceptions from an Arkansas MRBI Project Sponsor—Alice Weeks, USDA-NRCS, Fort Smith
11:50 Q and A
12:00 LUNCHEON – Meeting Room B
Luncheon Address—Mr. Butch Calhoun, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture
Session III (Workshop): Soil Health
1:00 Soil health workshop—Mr. David Lamm, USDA-NRCS, Greensboro, NC
2:30 Q and A
3:00 Adjourn
