TAWC Water College spotlights High Plains irrigation technology, research
By: Norman Martin
The Texas Alliance for Water Conservation (TAWC) hosted its 6th Annual Water College on Thursday (Jan. 23) at Lubbock's Memorial Civic Center. Connecting today's producers and crop consultants
with the latest in irrigation technology and research was the focus of the free event.
The program brought together more than 200 area producers, consultants and agriculture industry leaders in an effort to present the latest in water management technologies and practices, upcoming weather patterns, and industry news. There was also a trade show area displaying more than 20 agricultural company booths. In addition, U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington (R-TX 19th District) was the event's luncheon keynote speaker.
Among the Water College's highlights were:
• Kevin Brinkley, President and CEO, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association; "Undeniable Demographic
Changes: Where Will the World's Population Live in the Future and What Will They Eat
and Wear?"
• Kris Verett, Producer (Lubbock, Texas); "Using Cover Crops to Manage Soil and Weed Control While Being Economically Sustainable"
• Lloyd Arthur, TAWC Cooperating Producer (Ralls, Texas) and Jeff Miller, Forefront Agronomy; "Real Farm Data - Using Irrigation Management
Technology to Conserve Water and Gain Profitability"
• Brooke Paup, Texas Water Development Board; "Update from Texas Water Development Board"
• Brian Bledsoe, Chief Meteorologist/Climatologist Colorado Springs; "Upcoming Weather Patterns -
What is in store?"
• Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, Extension Specialist Agricultural Law, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; "Hot Topics
of Texas Water Law"
• Ken Burton, Executive Director of U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, National Cotton Council; "U.S.
Cotton Trust Protocol - What Farmers Need to Know"
• Luis Herrera-Estrella, Texas Tech President's Distinguished Professor of Plant Genomics; "The Future of
Cotton Genetics and Weed Control"
Registration for the TAWC Water College began at 8:30 a.m. with the program starting at 8:50 a.m. The college was free of charge with lunch provided and CEU credits available. The program concluded at 4:30 p.m.
Based at Texas Tech and funded by a grant from the Texas Water Development Board, TAWC is a partnership of producers, technology firms, universities and government agencies working to extend the life of the largest subterranean aquifer in the United States. Stretching from the Texas panhandle in the south to the northern boundary of Nebraska, the Ogallala Aquifer lies beneath one of the most important agricultural regions in the United States.
The project uses on-farm demonstrations of cropping and livestock systems to compare the production practices, technologies, and systems that can maintain individual farm profitability while improving water use efficiency with a goal of extending the life of the Ogallala Aquifer while maintaining the viability of local farms and communities.
All production-related decisions are made by the more than 20 producers involved in the project. The project field sites involve more than 6,000 acres in Castro, Crosby, Deaf Smith, Floyd, Hale, Lamb, Lubbock, Parmer and Swisher counties. These sites represent the range of agricultural practices including monoculture cropping systems; crop rotations; no-till, limited-till and conventional tillage practices; land application of manure; and fully integrated crop and livestock systems.
Sponsors for the TAWC 'Water College' include the Texas Tech College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; BASF; Cotton Inc.; DuPont Pioneer; Indigo Ag; Texas Corn Producers; Diversity D Irrigation Services; and Pioneer Seed.
CONTACT: Samantha Borgstedt, Communications Director, Texas Alliance for Water Conservation Project, Texas Tech University at (806) 789-4177 or samantha.borgstedt@ttu.edu
0103NM20 / Editor's Note: For more detailed information on TAWC's 6th Annual Water College, click here
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