Robert Pore's Ag Blog

LINCOLN — "The Future of Water Use in Agriculture" will cover topics ranging from economics and policy to technology and biology and the fast-emerging biofuels market in a two-day March conference sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
UNL's fourth annual Water Law, Policy and Science conference is March 26-27 at Lincoln's Embassy Suites.

Much of the conference will explore the economics and policy dimensions of agricultural water use.

"Increasing competition for water resources in Nebraska and the Great Plains is creating both exciting opportunities and stiff challenges," said UNL Water Center director Kyle Hoagland. "The purpose of this conference is to glean ideas for the future from some of the nation's top experts."

Key speakers in this first of three main conference topic areas are David Sunding, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California-Berkeley; federal reserve and irrigated agriculture financial expert Jason Henderson of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, Omaha; Daryll E. Ray, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Tennessee, on policy effects on decisions in the agricultural economy; and Charlton Bonham, Trout Unlimited, on legal implications of competing water uses.

Syndicated agricultural columnist Alan Guebert will speak on water and ethanol connections at Monday's luncheon.

Afternoon discussions shift to technical and biological issues related to agriculture and future water use.

Leading the discussions on agricultural landscape evolution in an adaptive management framework will be Christopher Lant, executive director of the Universities Council on Water Resources, Department of Geography at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill.
Vikram Mehta, Center for Research on the Changing Earth System, Columbia, Md., will speak on how climate variability and extreme climatic events impact water and agriculture; Pamela Nagler of the U.S. Geological Survey, Tucson, Ariz, will speak on evapotranspiration and riparian species; and David Nielsen of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's -Agricultural Research Service, Akron, Colo., will discuss alternative crops and deficit irrigation.

Also Monday afternoon will be presentations by Derrel Martin, UNL agricultural engineer, and Mark Lagrimini, head of UNL's Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, on genetic improvements in drought tolerant crops.

Evening dinner speaker will be Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory Hobbs on the role of climate on western water institutions.

The focus on Tuesday will shift to the emerging biofuels arena.
"The rapid growth of the biofuels industry has tremendous economic potential, but also much broader impacts than many of us realize," said Lorrie Benson, UNL Water Resources Research Initiative senior program manager. "Our conference will examine impacts and ways to minimize impacts on communities, the livestock industry and, of course, on water and other environmental aspects."

Ken Cassman, director of UNL's Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research, will lead off with a discussion of the impacts of biofuels production on food crops.

Wallace Wilhelm of UNL and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service will look at opportunities and challenges in the ethanol industry.

Clarence Lehman of the University of Minnesota's Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior will speak on the environmental, economic and energy costs of biodiesel and ethanol production and use. Tom Sinclair, Department of Agronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., will offer predictions for improvements in water efficiency in the biofuels arena.

Other speakers address related topics such as biofuels impact on livestock and livestock markets and how this growing industry could affect agricultural sustainability.

Full conference registration is $350 until March 7 and $425 thereafter. Partial registration options are also available. Students can attend the conference free.
For more information or to register, contact Tricia Liedle, UNL Water Center at (402) 472-3305, e-mail pliedle2@unl.edu or go online to http://snr.unl.edu/waterconference.
Co-sponsors of the conference are the university's Water Resources Research Initiative, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water Center, School of Natural Resources, Departments of Geosciences and Biological Systems Engineering, College of Law and College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Labels: Ag News: Policy

LINCOLN — A University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension workshop March 14 will offer agribusiness professionals a better understanding of the principles behind integrated weed management.

The workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Plant Sciences Building on UNL's East Campus and conclude around 5 p.m. Participants will learn a multidisciplinary approach to weed control and the effective and environmentally sound use of herbicides when working in production agriculture.

Workshop topics include the importance of weed biology and ecology, concept of critical periods of weed control, concept of weed thresholds, weed shifts and why they occur, concept of biologically effective doses, issues with widespread use of herbicide-resistant crops and basic rules of thumb with integrated weed management.

Certified professional agronomists and crop consultants, crop production and pest management industry personnel, producers, extension educators and science and vocational agriculture teachers are encouraged to enroll. Attendance is recommended, but all materials will be available online for individuals unable to attend.

Registration is $100 before March 7 and $125 after and covers all workshop-related materials, parking permit, lunch and refreshments. Continuing education credit also is available. Internet access and e-mail are required.

For more information visit the Web at http://estore.adec.edu and click on the integrated weed management workshop link or call Stevan Knezevic at (402) 584-3808.
UNL Extension is in the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Labels: Ag news: Field Conditions

WASHINGTON, DC- Nebraska Congressmen Adrian Smith (R-NE), Lee Terry (R-NE), and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) today wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), requesting agency funding continues to be devoted to rural water initiatives - including the Nebraska Rural Water Association.

When Congress passed legislation funding the federal government earlier this year, some funding attached to specific projects were eliminated, including funding for rural water initiatives. All three members of the Nebraska delegation voted in opposition of the bill which eliminated the funding. The letter from the delegation was sent to ensure this important assistance continues.

"As you know, the rural water initiatives have been operating in Nebraska for many years and have been the main source of compliance and assistance for small rural communities struggling to meet federal water standards. Because of limited local resources, any reduction in funding will place severe hardships on these communities as they implement the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act," the letter reads.

"We urge you to include funding for important rural initiatives at a level which allows local field staff to continue their important work throughout Nebraska."

Labels: Ag News: Rural events