UNL CropWatch Jan. 17, 2011: Register by Jan. 18 for Southeast Nebraska No-Till Conference

UNL CropWatch Jan. 17, 2011: Register by Jan. 18 for Southeast Nebraska No-Till Conference

Jan. 17, 2011

Enhancing soil carbon levels will be one of the featured topics at the Southeast Nebraska No-Tillage Conference being held Jan. 21 at the Hallam Community Center.  The program begins at 9 a.m. and runs until 3:30 p.m. Registrations are required for a noon lunch count and are due by end of day Jan. 18.  The conference is free.

Additional No-Till Conferences

The Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District will be hosting similar no-till meetings in the next week:

  • Hastings, Jan. 20, Adams County Fairgrounds
  • Seward, Jan. 27, Seward County Fairgrounds.

Both meetings will be from  9 a.m to 3 p.m.

To register call Patty Kyhn at 402-362-6601.
 

Featured Speakers and Topics

The keynote speaker is Dwayne Beck, manager of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm near Pierre, South Dakota.

One of many things that clearly sets Beck apart from most other no-till cropping system researchers is his appreciation and understanding of farm machinery, said Randy Pryor, extension educator in Saline County and conference host. Beck knows the cost of inputs. He knows the challenge of marketing many crops. Producers quickly will sense that he’s talking from real experience, Pryor said.

Beck's record irrigated no-tll corn yield is 270 bu/ac and his dryland winter wheat yield is 107 bu/ac. He considers 100 bu/ac dryland corn a crop failure. He credits crop rotation strategies, aggressive nitrogen management, and incredible soil porosity as leading the way to higher yields.

“Seeding cover crops to enhance carbon levels in soils will also be a point of emphasis of this conference”, said Pryor.

Featured speakers and their topics are
 

  • Uniformity in No-Till — A System Approach, Paul Jasa, UNL Extension Engineer
  • Cover Crop Use in the Great Plains, Jim Schneider, UNL Extension Educator
  • Soil Quality — An In the Field Perspective, Dan Gillespie, No-Till Specialist, Natural Resources and Conservation Service, Battle Creek
  • Part I: What's Your Problem and Part II: The Who, What, Where and Why?, Dwayne Beck, manager, Dakota Lakes Research Farm
  • How Crop Yield Impacts Nutrient Removal and Replacement, Ray Ward, Ward Laboratories

Registration and Credits

Preregistration is required by end of day Jan. 18.  For more information or to register, contact the UNL Extension Office in Saline County at (402) 821-2151 or email lhajek2@unl.edu.

Certified Crop Advisor continuing education credits will be available.

The conference is free and the meal is free to those who preregister, courtesy of AgQwest, AgXplore International, Upper Big Blue NRD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Farmers Cooperative, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

 

 

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