Ag educational conference for farmers to be held in Tennessee

The National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice, Southern Soybean and Corn, Delta States Irrigation and the Southern Precision Ag Conferences will be held at the Hilton Convention Center on Monday, Jan. 27, and Tuesday, Jan. 28, in East Memphis, Tennessee.

The conference will mark the 28th year that the University of Missouri and six other Mid-South State Universities have co-sponsored the conferences. The other universities are: Auburn University, LSU AgCenter, Mississippi State University, University of Arkansas, University of Tennessee and Texas A&M University.

Farmers will be able to choose from 137 different presentations over two days by researchers, farmers and certified crop advisers from 13 states across the Southern U.S. and Washington, D.C. A total of 87 researchers, 31 mid-south farmers, 16 certified crop advisors and three VIP’s will be presenting their latest agriculture production research.

The keynote speaker, Jim Wiesemeyer, contributes daily to Pro Farmer’s online website at www.profarmer.com and is also a participant in Farm Journal’s “Agri-Talk” radio program. He will provide the latest information on agricultural policy and trade development. Wiesemeyer serves as a Washington analyst for Pro Farmer and Farm Journal.

In addition to the major crops, topics covered will be soil health, regenerative agriculture, pest management, precision agriculture and 14 presentations on irrigation. There will be six roundtable breakout sessions where attendees can learn about soil test and health, soil moisture sensors, drones and regenerative cotton. Certified crop advisers can choose from more than 70 CEU courses in various disciplines.

Four agriculture speakers with Ph.D.s from the University of Missouri are among the 64 with Ph.D.s who will make presentations, along with researchers from 10 universities across the United States. There will be a farmer and certified crop advisers from Missouri speaking. The 64 speakers with Ph.D.s represent all disciplines and most agriculture crops.

“The conference is a gathering of the most knowledgeable researchers/specialists in the mid-states and midsouth-states, and highly productive farmers who produce cotton, rice, soybeans and corn,” stated John LaRose Jr., steering committee chairman. “This conference has the reputation as being the No. 1 place in the United States where all producers can learn the latest agriculture production methods and techniques being utilized by leading agriculture farmers, researchers and the Ag industry. I encourage anyone involved or interested in agriculture to make plans to attend,” LaRose added.

The conference was first held in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1998 and has been held yearly since then in either Dallas; Tunica, Mississippi; Marksville, Louisiana; Houston; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee; or Jonesboro, Arkansas.

For abstracts of speakers, registration or further information, visit www.nctd.net or phone (573) 547-2244.