Aug. 23, 2010

The importance of developing and maintaining soil health through no-till will be the focus of the Sept. 8 No-till on the Plains Whirlwind Expo at Auburn.

Featured speakers for the morning program will include

• Jill Clapperton, soil health consultant and an international authority on the microbial interactions in soil
• Francis Yeatman, an associate of Clapperton's from South Africa, who has extensive experience with intensive farming systems
• Ray Ward, no-till nutrient and soils expert and president of Ward Laboratories at Kearney
• Paul Jasa, UNL extension engineer and expert on no-till planting equipment and system management

During one presentation a rainfall simulator will be used to demonstrate the benefits of residue in reducing soil erosion and runoff.  Growers using continuous no-till can save over 5 inches of water per acre, reducing irrigation needs and greatly improving dryland yields. Fuel and labor requirements can be cut by 50% or more and soil erosion by wind and water can be reduced by an average of 4 to 14 tons/acre, greatly reducing blowing dirt and surface water pollution.

After a morning of demonstrations and speaker presentations, producers will have the opportunity to travel to the Ray Woerlen farm eight miles west of Auburn on Highway 136 to observe a soil pit and view the benefits of long-term no-till on soil structure.  Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for the afternoon field portion.

Event Location and Sept. 1 Registration Deadline

The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8 at the Arbor Manor Steakhouse at 1617 Central Avenue. Hosted by No-till on the Plains, the expo is funded through a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund and PrairieLand RC&D.

Registration is required by Sept. 1 for the expo and catered lunch. Cost is $30. To register, contact No-till on the Plains, Inc. at (888) 330-5142, register online at www.notill.org, or by mail with the registration form.

No-till on the Plains is a regional organization that reaches over 3,000 farmers yearly with information on the practical and scientific application of continuous no-till farming.