Oklahoma Crops Conference set for four locations in July

Friday, May 26, 2017

Crop producers across Oklahoma should plan now to attend one of four Oklahoma Crops Conference events taking place in July.

“The conference sites collectively represent one of the premier agricultural events of the year, focusing on all critical crops grown in a region and highlighting research-based best management practices designed to help growers get the most out of their operations,” said Josh Lofton, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension cropping systems specialist.

Free of charge and open to the public, the conference sites are scheduled for Ardmore, July 10; El Reno, July 13; Alva, July 17 and Afton, July 20. Each meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and finish at approximately 3 p.m. A donor-sponsored lunch will be provided free of charge to participants.

The Ardmore event will take place at OSU’s Institute for Agricultural Biosciences. The El Reno event will take place at the OSU Cooperative Extension Conference Center. The Afton event will take place at the Leonard Family Farms operation. The specific site for Alva has not yet been finalized but will be by early June.

“Given current prices of Oklahoma commodities, it is important growers take full advantage of every opportunity to increase productivity while at the same time minimizing inputs,” Lofton said. “Information provided will include a number of new recommendations coming about from current research undertaken by OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.”

Topics will include timely and relevant information about important regional production systems, encompassing pasture, wheat, soybean, sorghum, corn, canola, sesame, cropping systems, no-till and cover crops, among others.

“We will also be showcasing a detailed prospective on risk management relative to Oklahoma cropping systems and what some options would be for growers to maintain or increase profits with lower risk practices,” said David Marburger, OSU Cooperative Extension small grains specialist.

Although each conference event is free and open to the public, participants are asked to RSVP for the specific site they will be attending by contacting Lofton by email at josh.lofton@okstate.edu or by phone at 405-744-3389, or Marburger by email at david.marburger@okstate.edu or by phone at 405-744-9617.

“Having a head count really aids with our planning and helps ensure we have sufficient numbers of lunches, refreshments and conference materials on hand,” Marburger said.

Lofton and Marburger expressed special thanks to lunch sponsors Oklahoma Sorghum Commission, Oklahoma Wheat Commission, Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association, Oklahoma Soybean Board and the Oklahoma offices of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education organization.

Oklahoma ranks eighth nationally in the number of acres devoted to farming, according to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service data.