Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Dana Porter, 806-746-6101, dporter@ag.tamu.edu
AMARILLO – The annual High Plains Irrigation Conference will be held Jan. 16 in the Regency Room of the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo.
The program, hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association, will address a wide variety of topics of interest to the general public, as well as to agricultural producers, landowners, crop consultants and irrigation professionals, said Dr. Dana Porter, program coordinator and AgriLife Extension agricultural engineering specialist–irrigation and water management, Lubbock.
“We wanted to offer farm owners and managers information on economic risk management tools for limited irrigation conditions, as well as research updates and new recommendations for crop-specific irrigation management,” Porter said.
A concurrent trade show also will provide opportunities for attendees to see new products and technologies, and to visit with experts from industry, non-profit organizations and agencies.
Registration will be onsite only, beginning at 8 a.m., with the program starting at 8:30 a.m. The fee is $30. Irrigation Association – five certified irrigation designer – and certified crop adviser continuing education units – 4.5 in soil and water management and one in crop management – will be offered.
Topics and speakers for the program will be:
– Regional Water Issues, Kyle Ingham, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission Regional Water Planning director, Amarillo.
– Texas Water Development Board Programs: SWIFT Updates and Agricultural and Rural Water Conservation.
– Trends in Agricultural Irrigation, Dr. Kevin Wagner, Texas Water Resources Institute associate director, College Station.
– Crop Insurance and Irrigation Best Management Practices, Jay Yates, AgriLife Extension economist-risk management, Lubbock.
– Risk Management Tools for Limited Irrigation, DeDe Jones, AgriLife Extension risk management program specialist, Amarillo.
– Applied Research Panel: Irrigation Management Strategies for High Plains Crops, Dr. Qingwu Xue, Texas A&M AgriLife Research crop stress physiologist, Amarillo; Thomas Marek, AgriLife Research senior research, Amarillo; and Jim Bordovsky, AgriLife Research scientist and agricultural engineer, Halfway / Lubbock.
– Irrigation Management Tools, Porter.
The meeting will conclude after 4 p.m. with a wrap-up, evaluation and CEU distribution.
For more conference information, go to the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association website, http://taia.org/HPIC_2014.html. Questions about the program can be directed to Porter at dporter@ag.tamu.edu . Trade show questions should be directed to Kern Stutler at 806-786-5644.
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