The Nebraska Sorghum Producers Association (NeSPA) together with the Grain Sorghum Board and Nebraska Extension will host the 2019 Sorghum Symposium January 24 in Grand Island. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. at College Park, 3180 West US Hwy 34.

The program continues the tradition of offering a farmer-focused educational program designed to provide timely and useful information to help sorghum farmers make confident, informed production and management decisions as they plan for the 2019 crop.

“Making decisions amid many uncontrollable variables is a real challenge,” says Lynn Belitz of Fullerton, NeSPA president. "We’ve designed a program to help producers better understand their options.”

Speakers and topic include:

• Al Dutcher, associated Nebraska state climatologist, with a weather outlook;
• Brent Bean, agronomy director for the National Sorghum Checkoff, on sorghum production and management and new technologies;
• Lucas Haag, Kansas State University northwest area agronomist, on sorghum under irrigation;
• Brad Lubben, Extension ag policy specialist, with an overview of the new Farm Bill recently passed by Congress;
• Kevin Grooms of American Agricultural Labs will discuss fertility management in sorghum;
• Nebraska Extension Educators Jennifer Rees and Sarah Sivits on identifying and managing diseases in sorghum; and
• Chuck Burr, Extension crops and water extension educator, will share the latest results of the Sorghum TAPS Program.

“The TAPS program is designed to showcase best crop management and marketing practices by allowing individuals or teams to compete,” said Mike Baker, chair of the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board and participant in this year’s competition. Winners are categorized by most profitable, most water efficient and highest yielding operation.

“The results are pretty remarkable and may actually challenge current management decisions by many growers,” Baker added. The day’s program will conclude with the annual NeSPA membership meeting and an update by the Grain Sorghum Board. All sorghum growers and allied industry are invited to attend.

“Farmers are making decisions now for the 2019 crop,” adds Belitz. “This program is designed to provide information they can apply immediately to their operations.”

Conference registration can be done by emailing sorghum.board@nebraska.gov or by calling the office at 402-471-4276. The program is free and includes lunch. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with coffee and rolls and commercial exhibits to showcase new products and production/management information. CCA credits have been applied for.