Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Guy Fipps, 979-845-7454, g-fipps@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, area water districts and others will be presenting back-to-back Center Pivot Workshops Feb. 7 and Feb. 8 in Medina and Atascosa counties, respectively.
“We typically hold a South Texas Irrigation Conference in the region every two or three years,” said Guy Fipps, AgriLife Extension agricultural engineer – irrigation and water management, College Station. “But this time around we’re trying a more targeted program in order to address current needs and interests in the South Texas and Winter Garden areas.”
Fipps said in addition to presentations by experts, there will be industry exhibits to include the country’s four major center pivot manufacturers at both workshops.
The two primary manufacturers of pivot water applicators and accessories will also be represented.
“Reinke Inc., Valley Irrigation, Lindsay Corporation and T&L Irrigation will all be represented at the workshops and attendees will be able to see how pivot technology and software have become more sophisticated to provide greater efficiency and efficacy,” he said. “Additional exhibitors will include Southwest Irrigation Supply House, also known as SWISH, Agri-Inject, Senninger Irrigation, Nelson Irrigation, and Micrometer.”
Fipps said he expects attendees to be particularly interested in the workshop presentation related to performance reviews of four drag line systems installed within the past two years.
The first workshop will be at Brady’s Bloomin’ Barn, 2050 County Road 271 in Rio Medina. The second will be at the AgriLife Extension office for Atascosa County, 25 E. Fifth St., Leming.
Both workshops will be from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., followed by lunch. The cost is $25 for either workshop.
Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units in the general category are available to workshop attendees.
The Medina County workshop will include updates on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program of the USDA-NRCS, the Edwards Aquifer Storage and Recovery Program, local underground water conservation districts and the Medina Valley Soil and Water Conservation District.
The Atascosa County workshop will include updates on EQIP and the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District.
Additional presentations and presenters for both workshops include:
— Successful Renozzling of Pivots, Fipps.
— Variable Frequency Drives for Pumps, Greg Sokora, zone engineer, USDA-NRCS, Lubbock.
— Pivot Control Systems manufacturer’s panel, representatives from various center pivot manufacturers.
— Panel Discussion of Pivot Water Management with Soil Moisture Sensors and ET.
— Update on Field Evaluations of Dragging Drip Lines on Pivots, Charles Swanson, AgriLife Extension irrigation specialist, College Station.
— Why Consider LESA/LEPA Water Application Systems, Jim Bordovsky, AgriLife Research senior research scientist and engineer, Lubbock/Halfway.
“These workshops will give producers a closer look at irrigation components and technology and help them determine how to best use center pivot irrigation to benefit their operations,” Fipps said.
To RSVP for the Feb. 7 workshop, contact the AgriLife Extension office for Medina County at 830-741-6180 or visit the office at 1506 Ave. M. in Hondo.
To RSVP for the Feb. 8 workshop, contact Dale Rankin at the AgriLife Extension office in Atascosa County at 830-569-0034 or dw-rankin@tamu.edu; Jaime Lopez in the AgriLife Extension office in Frio County office at 830-334-0099 or Jaime.lopez@ag.tamu.edu; or Bryan Davis at the AgriLife Extension office in Wilson County at 830-393-7357 or Bryan.Davis@ag.tamu.edu.
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