Ag educational conference being held in East Memphis

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

The conference will mark the 28th year that the University of Missouri and six other mid-south state universities have co-sponsored these 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 advisors 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 profarmer.com and participates 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 are soil health, regenerative agriculture, pest management, precision agriculture, and 14 presentations on irrigation. There will be six round table breakout sessions to learn about soil testing and health, soil moisture sensors, drones and regenerative cotton. Certified crop advisors can choose from over 70 CEU (continuing education unit) courses in various disciplines.

Four Agriculture Ph.D.’s from the University of Missouri are among 64 who will make presentations, along with researchers from 10 universities across the United States. There are farmers and certified crop advisors from Missouri speaking. The 64 Ph.D. speakers 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,” said John LaRose Jr., steering committee chairman and Perryville businessman. “This conference has the reputation as being the number one 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.”

LaRose encourages anyone involved or interested in agriculture to make plans to attend.

The annual conference was first held in Little Rock in 1998 and has been held since then in the cities of Dallas, Tunica, Marksville, Houston, Baton Rouge, Memphis, or Jonesboro.

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