Jan. 25, 2021
Virtual conference to focus on sustainable soil, water health
By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Virtual Arkansas Soil & Water Education Conference will be Jan. 27, 10 a.m. to noon (CST)
- Winners of Most Crop Per Drop contest, Conservationist of the Year to be announced
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LITTLE ROCK — The upcoming 23rd annual Arkansas Soil & Water Education Conference will bring together experts on the latest issues and trends in soil and water conservation, including a talk with an Arkansas farmer who has increased the profitability and sustainability of his family farm through soil health management.
Certified crop advisors can receive two hours of continuing education credits (CEUs). Winners of the 2020 Most Crop Per Crop irrigation yield contest for corn, rice and soybean will be announced along with the Conservationist of the Year Award.
“The conference has been a staple of Arkansas conservation practices,” Adam Eades, district conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and chair of the conference planning committee, said. “It’s a chance for farmers to hear from their peers and experts about topics that they can use to improve their farming operation.”
The conference is open to anyone interested in soil and water issues, including growers, crop advisors, agriculture supply company personnel, agriculture teachers and students.
Guest speakers this year include Dr. James Rigby, a research hydrologist and acting branch chief with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center. Rigby will discuss “System-scale science to support groundwater resources: the present and future of the USGS Mississippi Alluvial Plain Project.” The study is one of the USGS's largest ongoing water availability studies.
Richard Prickett with P&P Consulting, based in northeastern Arkansas, will discuss “Drone Elevation Data and Its Practical Uses.”
Adam Chappell, a farmer from Cotton Plant, Arkansas, will speak on “Plant Intensification and Profit versus Yield.” Chappel farms 8,000 acres in northeast Arkansas, growing corn, cotton, rice, soybeans and a mix of small grains. He and his brother Seth actively manage soil health to fend off herbicide-resistant weeds and have increased their farm’s profitability and sustainability.
For more information or to register, visit www.arkswec.com. To learn more about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @UAEX_edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact:
Tracy Courage
Director, Communications Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
tcourage@uada.edu