Red River Crops Conference Jan. 24-25 in Childress, Texas

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Oklahoma and Texas agricultural producers and others interested in learning the latest information about best crop production practices for the Red River region should register now to attend the Jan. 24-25 Red River Crops Conference in Childress, Texas.

A collaborative effort by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and Texas AgriLife Extension that alternates between Oklahoma and Texas annually, the conference focuses on providing relevant management information applicable to the Red River area that can help enhance the potential profitability of farm and ranch enterprises.

“Cotton will be featured on Jan. 24 and in-season and summer crops will be featured on Jan. 25,” said Gary Strickland, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension agricultural educator for Jackson County.

The two-day conference will take place at the Childress Event Center, located at 1100 N.W. 7th St. Each day will begin with on-site registration at 8 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. Cost is $25 per participant and includes both days.

“We ask that participants pre-register as it greatly aids our planning for meals, refreshment breaks and conference materials, helping us to ensure everyone has the best conference experience possible,” Strickland said.

Registration forms are available online through http://agrilife.org/redrivercropsconference. Make checks payable to the Red River Crops Conference and mail to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Childress County Courthouse, Box 9, Childress, Texas 79201.

Continuing education units will be offered, including 12 for certified crop advisors, six for Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicators and four from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

The following are topics and speakers for the Jan. 24 Cotton Day
● A National Cotton Council update will be presented by Jody Campiche, National Cotton Council director for economics and policy analysis.
● John Robinson, AgriLife Extension economist cotton marketing, will provide a cotton market update and outlook.
● Insights into cotton weed control and herbicide use will be provided by Todd Baughman, OSU Institute for Agricultural Biosciences program support leader.
● The latest information about bacterial blight management will be provided by Jason Woodward, AgriLife Extension/Texas A&M associate department head for plant pathology and microbiology.
● A Texas and Oklahoma cotton genetic performance and variety update will be provided by Gaylon Morgan, AgriLife Extension agronomist for cotton, and Randy Boman, OSU Southwest Research and Extension Center research director and cotton Extension program leader.
● Research-based recommendations relative to cotton insect management will be provided by David Kerns, Louisiana State University Jack Hamilton Regents Chair in cotton production.
● Jackie Smith, AgriLife Extension economist-management, will showcase the benefits of the crop profitability evaluation and spreadsheet analyzer.

Topics and speakers scheduled for the Jan. 25 In-Season and Summer Crops Day will include:
● A grain and livestock market update led by Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist-grain marketing.
● The latest research-based information relative to permanent pasture production and management provided by Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension Regents professor and associate head of Texas A&M’s department of soil and crops sciences.
● Practical tips and Insights about canola production and management provided by Josh Lofton, OSU Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist.
● Joe Outlaw, AgriLife Extension economist, will share a mid-term review of the 2014 Farm Bill.
● An annual forage production and management review by Strickland and Emi Kimura, AgriLife Extension economist.
● Jourdan Bell, AgriLife Extension agronomist, will lead an update about grain sorghum production and management.
● A session detailing an agronomic and economic evaluation of cover crops will be led by Paul DeLaune of Texas A&M AgriLife Research environmental soil science.

“In the Red River region, obstacles can include water and land resources, not to mention weather extremes such as hot and dry summers and bitterly cold winters, the combination of which place a strong emphasis on the need to make informed decisions and stay abreast of the latest science-based practices,” Strickland said.