The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is hosting the Southern Region Water Conference, “Improving Adoption of Sustainable Water Management Practices,” July 23-25 at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center, 177 Joe Routt Blvd. in College Station.
Dr. Drew Gholson, AgriLife Extension program specialist, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and conference organizer, said the conference is designed to provide relevant information to farmers and ranchers, agricultural professionals, researchers, agency representatives and students about optimizing water-use efficiency and protecting water quality in the south.
“This conference will have farmers and specialists describing practices and research with direct application to agricultural enterprises,” Gholson said. “Ag producers and water resource professionals will be addressing barriers to water-use efficiency, the use of effective techniques and adoption of new practices."
The deadline for the submission of abstracts for oral presentations, poster sessions or a workshop is March 29 and can be submitted online.
“This conference is intended to be practical with presentations that skip the complicated charts and use straightforward communication styles to deliver relevant information for the farmer,” Gholson said.
Early registration is $150 for general attendees, $75 for farmers and producers and $25 for students. After May 15, registration is $200 for general attendees, $100 for farmers and producers and $50 for students. Registration is available online.
Conference topics include:
- Irrigation water management
- Nutrient and pest control to protect water quality
- Water considerations around the home, including:
- Private water well management
- Protecting drinking water supplies
- Septic system management
- Turf management and irrigation
- Rainwater harvesting
- Soil health, including:
- Cover crops, conservation tillage, no-till
- Watershed management, including:
- Fish and wildlife water needs and restoring fish and aquatic habitat
- Forest management related to water issues
- Programs/incentives for growers, including:
- New Farm Bill programs
- U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service programs
- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) opportunities
The conference is a collaboration between SARE and:
- AgriLife Extension
- Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Program
- Mississippi State University Extension
- University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
- North Carolina State Extension
- University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension
- University of Georgia Extension
- Oklahoma Water Resources Center
- Alabama Cooperative Extension of Alabama A&M University and Auburn University
- Louisiana State University Ag Center
- Texas Water Resources Institute
The conference is supported in part by Southern SARE project #LS18-288.