January 11; updated January 28, 2013

The Wheat Technology Conferences scheduled for February 5 in Alliance and February 6 in Ogallala have been canceled due to lack of registrations.

"Sharpening Your Production Skills for Maximum Profit" is the theme of the 2013 Wheat Technology Conference to be held Feb. 7 in Sidney. UNL extension specialists will share research results, information, and recommendations on how to increase profits in 2013.

This conference will help provide western Nebraska wheat producers, who farm the state's major wheat
acreage, with state-of-the-art information related to wheat production and marketing, according to
Dipak Santra, alternative crops breeding specialist at the UNL Panhandle REC.

The focus of the 2013 Wheat Technology Conference will be on emerging insect, disease and weed
challenges, as well as fertilizer management, other production issues, industry trends, new technology in
wheat genetics, and market outlooks.

Several major issues have emerged since the last conference, Santra said. The wheat stem sawfly was almost unknown to Panhandle producers several years ago, but now has become a significant threat. New strains of stripe rust disease are threatening older wheat varieties, and their control poses a management challenge. A new weed threat in dryland cropping systems is glyphosate-resistant kochia.

The link between wheat quality and marketability also will be a focus topic.

An emerging issue is a new technology that already has revolutionized corn, soybean and sugarbeet production. Genetically modified or transgenic wheat is likely to be in widespread use soon, Santra said, and producers will want to learn more about their options.

Topics and Presenters

• Wheat Stem Sawfly (Jeff Bradshaw, UNL Extension Entomologist)
• Stripe Rust in Wheat (Bob Harveson, UNL Extension Plant Pathologist)
• Wheat Streak and High Plains Mosaic Viruses (Emmanuel Byamukama, UNL Plant Pathology Dept.)
• Wheat Seeding Under Dry Fall (Alexander Pavlista, UNL Plant Physiologist)
• Weed Management in Wheat (Robert Wilson, UNL Extension Weed Specialist)
• Fertility Management in Wheat (Gary Hergert, UNL Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist)
• Biotech Wheat and What Producers Need to Know (Amit Mitra, UNL Plant Pathology Dept.)
• Trends in Wheat Variety Development (Stephen Baenziger, UNL Professor, Agronomy and Horticulture)
• Wheat Variety Selection (Teshome Regassa, UNL State Variety Trial Coordinator)
• Trends in Wheat Quality and Identity Preserved Markets (Glen Weaver, ConAgra)
• Wheat Marketing (Royce Schaneman, Executive Director, Nebraska Wheat Board)

Information and Registration

For more information about the event contact: Dipak Santra, alternative crops breeding specialist, UNL PREC, 308-632-1244; dsantra2@unl.edu; Karen DeBoer, Extension Educator in Cheyenne, Banner, and Kimball counties, 308-254-4455 or 1-866-865-1703, email kdeboer1@unl.edu; or John Thomas, Extension Educator Box Butte County, 308-762-5616, email jthomas2@unl.edu.

At each location registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the program ends at 3:45 p.m. Early registration is possible by contacting the Panhandle REC at 308-632-1230. The Center's website, panhandle.unl.edu, has a downloadable brochure with a registration form that can be filled out and mailed back. The early registration fee is $35 per person by Jan. 28 and $45 thereafter and at the door.

Dave Ostdiek
Communications Specialist, Panhandle REC, Scottsbluff