July 05, 2005
Improving Crop Water Efficiency Focus of August Conference
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Improving crop and irrigation water use efficiency will be the focus of an August conference here sponsored by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.
The first Great Plains Conference on Improving Crop Water Productivity will be Aug. 10-11 at the Mid-Plains Community College South Campus and at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte.
The conference will highlight the latest research and developments for improving water use efficiency. Irrigators, water managers and others will have a chance to exchange ideas. These discussions should give water managers additional insight into producer concerns, said Bob Klein, cropping system specialist at the university's West Central Research and Extension Center.
"Since water is our most limiting resource in crop production, anything we can do to improve crop water use efficiency will have a major impact in the agricultural economy in the state," said Klein. "Also, with the many recent changes in policies and regulations dealing with water, it is good to get people together to make the best use of this resource."
Many irrigators in west central, south central, southwest Nebraska and the Panhandle are facing water use limits because of ongoing drought as well as recent legislative, legal and regulatory developments.
The conference will feature numerous speakers from the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources as well as representatives from water-related federal, state and local agencies.
Greg Ibach, director, Nebraska Department of Agriculture, will start off the conference with a presentation on Nebraska and Water. Other presentations will include a history and status report on Nebraska groundwater resources by Jim Goeke, a Conservation and Survey Division hydrogeologist. Ann Bleed, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources deputy director, will offer a similar report on surface water.
Derrell Martin, a UNL biological systems engineer, will discuss responses of various Nebraska crops to water, and Klein will outline cultural practices to improve strategies to reduce crop water use
efficiency of both dryland and irrigated crops. Bill Kranz, irrigation specialist at the university's Northeast Research and Extension Center, will outline ways to fine tune center pivot systems and Dean Yonts, an irrigation engineer at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, will focus on furrow irrigation management for conservation. Steve Melvin, extension educator in Frontier County, will cover ways to improve productivity with limited irrigation.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey S. Perlman will discuss the university's response to the state’s water situation on Aug. 11. Representatives of 15 Nebraska agencies will also outline policies and procedures that address the water shortage.
The second day also will feature morning field tours at the West Central center.
Early registration is $40, due Aug. 1, after which the fee increases to $50. For the Aug. 10 portion only – no steak feed – registration costs $20 before Aug. 1 and $25 after.
For more information about the conference and to register, contact Bob Klein, West Central Research and Extension Center, 461 West University Drive, North Platte, Nebraska 69101, (308) 696-6705.
7/5/05-FC
Bob Klein
Agronomy
Professor
(308) 696-6705
Faye Colburn
West Central Research and Extension Center
Communications Specialist
(308) 696-6741
Vicki Miller Research Communications Coordinator (402) 472-3813
Department: West Central Research & Extension Center
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