2009 Soil and Water Conservation Conference to be held at ASU

Jan. 9, 2009 -- Arkansas State University-Jonesboro’s College of Agriculture and Technology will host the 2009 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference, an all-day event that will take place on Thursday, Jan. 22, at the Convocation Center, 217 Olympic Drive, Jonesboro. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in Convocation Center Meeting Room A, and is followed by a welcome in the Convocation Center auditorium at 8:15 a.m. and the opening session at 8:30 a.m. All sessions will be held in the Convocation Center auditorium.

The registration fee for the day-long conference is $20 and includes refreshments and a luncheon. The conference is divided into three sessions focusing on the bioenergy outlook for eastern Arkansas, managing agricultural inputs to maximize profits, and climate change in Arkansas and its potential impacts on agriculture. Register online at: http://www2.astate.edu/a/agriculture/outreach-programs/soil-and-water-conference/, or contact Loretta Thornton (lthorn@astate.edu) for more information at (870) 972-3364.

Dr. Steven Green, professor of soil and water conservation, said, “The goal of this annual conference is to educate farmers, producers, consultants, policy makers, students, and others with a vested interest in soil and water management. The educational focus of the conference is current issues and management practices in soil and water conservation and management.”

Session I, ”Nutrient Management Strategies in a High-Input Cost Environment,” includes presentations by three speakers: “Soil Sampling for Optimum Nutrient Management,” will be presented by Dr. Leo Espinoza, associate professor of Soil Science, University of Arkansas, Little Rock; “Soil Testing and Alternative Nutrient Sources,” will be presented by Dr. Morteza Mozafarri, director and assistant professor, Soil Testing and Research Laboratory, University of Arkansas, Marianna; and “Using Precision Agriculture to Maximize Income,” will  be presented by David Wildy, Wildy Farms, Manila.

Session II, “Bioenergy Crops for Eastern Arkansas,” includes three presentations: “Bioenergy Outlook for East Arkansas,” by Jim Wimberly, Bioenergy Systems, Fayetteville; “Bioenergy Crops,” by Dr.Chuck West, professor of Forage Physiology and Ecology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; and “Bioenergy Crop Management: Soil and Water Resources,” by Dr. Don Tyler, Professor of Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Jackson, Tenn. A question-and-answer session on “Dedicated Bioenergy Crop Management” will follow.

Luncheon will be held at 12:15 in Convocation Center Meeting Room B, and the luncheon address will be presented by Jeff Hall and Todd Fuggit, both of the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Little Rock.

Session III, “Climate Issues in Arkansas,” will include “Overview of Climate Change Issues Facing Arkansas,” by Dr. Jerry Farris, professor of Environmental Biology, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro; “Climate Change in Arkansas,” by Don Richardson, director, Arkansas Climate Awareness Project, Little Rock; and “CoCoRaHS ( Rainfall Data Network),” by Michael Borengasser, state climatologist, Little Rock: A panel discussion on climate change at 2:25 p.m. closes Session III, and the conference adjourns at 3:30 p.m.           

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