The annual High Plains Irrigation Conference will be Feb. 4 in the North Exhibit Hall of the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo.
The program, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association, will address a wide variety of topics of interest to the general public, as well as to agricultural producers, landowners, crop consultants and irrigation professionals, said Dr. Dana Porter, program coordinator and AgriLife Extension agricultural engineering specialist-irrigation and water management, Lubbock.
A concurrent trade show will also provide opportunities for attendees to see new products and technologies, and to visit with experts from industry, non-profit organizations and agencies.
Registration will be onsite only, beginning at 8 a.m., with the program starting at 8:30 a.m. The fee is $30 and lunch is included.
Continuing education units for Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicators – one general and two integrated pest management – and certified crop advisers – five soil and water management, two integrated pest management, one half crop management and one half professional development – will be offered. Additionally, seven Agricultural Irrigation Association certified irrigation designer and certified agricultural irrigation specialist units will be offered.
The keynote address on Issues in Water Law and Agriculture will be given by Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, AgriLife Extension agricultural law specialist, Amarillo. Other topics and speakers will be:
- How Crops Use Water – Dr. Jourdan Bell, AgriLife Extension agronomist, Amarillo.
- Practical Irrigation Scheduling Tools – Dr. Jonathan Aguilar, Kansas State University Extension water resources specialist, Garden City, Kansas.
- Monitoring and Interpreting Soil Moisture – Dr. Saleh Taghvaeian, Oklahoma State University Extension water resources specialist, Stillwater, Okla.
- Applied Variable Rate Irrigation Technology – Dr. Charles Hillyer, AgriLife Extension irrigation specialist, Amarillo.
- Technology Standardization: AgGateWay – Hillyer.
- Notes From the Field: Irrigation in the Context of Integrated Pest Management / Integrated Crop Management – Blayne Reed, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent in Hale and Swisher counties.
- Water Management Considerations in Integrated Pest Management – Reed
- Irrigation “Ex-Spurts” – Thomas Marek, Texas A&M AgriLife Research irrigation engineer, Amarillo; Keith Sides, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service irrigation engineer, Lubbock; Farris Hightower, Lindsay Corp., Lubbock; Rusty Houston, Eco-Drip Irrigation, Lubbock; Edwin Smith, Senninger Irrigation Inc., Lubbock; Kenneth Ewings, Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association vice president, Lubbock; and Reed.
The meeting will conclude at 5 p.m.
For more conference information, go to the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association website
