February 3, 2012

The Central Plains Irrigation Conference and Exposition will be held Feb. 21-22 at the City Limits Convention Center in Colby, Kan.

The conference is sponsored by Kansas State University, the University of Nebraska, Colorado State University and the Central Plains Irrigation Association.

Tracy Streeter, director of the Kansas Water Office, will represent Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback in giving the general session address, “Legislative Initiative to Manage the Ogallala” on Feb. 21.

Dan Rogers, agricultural engineer state leader with K-State Research and Extension will present “Kansas Irrigation Trends and Impacts” during the Feb. 22 general session.

The conference begins with registration and the opening of the expo at 9 a.m. on Feb. 21. Technical sessions start at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The Feb.
22 program begins earlier, with registration at 8 a.m. and technical sessions starting at 8:30 a.m. All technical sessions will be offered both days, but in different order.

Speakers from several universities, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency will present eight technical sessions, including:

• Crop Water Budget – Effects of Tillage Systems;
• Crop Water Budget – Effects of Irrigation Management;
• Optimizing Crop Water Productivity When Irrigation Water is Limited;
• Optimizing Crop Water Productivity Using Center Pivot Irrigation;
• Optimizing Crop Water Productivity Using Subsurface Drip Irrigation;
• Emerging Irrigation Scheduling Technologies;
• Decision Support Software for the Irrigation Manager; and
• Crop Insurance and Economic Issues.

The cost to attend the conference and expo is $85 for participants who are not seeking crop consultant advisor continuing education unit credit. For those seeking CEU credits, the cost is $100.

More information is available on the Central Plains Irrigation Association website or by contacting Donna Lamm at 785-462-3833 or donnalamm@yahoo.com.

News Release, Kansas State University