ADA, Ohio -- From nutrient management to cover crops, nearly 65 presentations related to conservation tillage crop production will be offered during this year's Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference.
The event will take place Feb. 21-22 at the McIntosh Center of Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. The conference is being sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Northwest Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Districts, U.S. Department of Agriculture Resources Conservation Service, USDA Farm Service Agency, the Ohio No-Till Council and Wingfield Crop Insurance Services.
Registration, received by Feb. 15, is $30 for one day or $50 to attend both days. Registration thereafter is $40 for one day or $60 to attend both days. The fee includes breakfast and lunch.
Nearly 70 experts from academia to industry will present during the Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, considered one of the premier farm conferences in the nation that covers conservation tillage practices. In 2007, a record attendance of over 680 farmers, crop consultants and agency personnel from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania attended the show.
This year's conference opens with three general session speakers discussing biomass production, setting rental rates for cropland, and soil quality. Apart from the general sessions, participants can choose from four concurrent sessions on each day.
Sessions on Feb. 21 will cover nutrient management, soil and water, economics, wheat and planters, and first detector training for the National Plant Diagnostic Network.
Nutrient management topics include: economics of nutrient sources, utilizing manure nutrients, slow-release nitrogen, the nitrogen cycle, applying nitrogen, and distillers dried grain as a soil nutrient.
The soil and water topics will cover water table management, constructed wetlands for irrigation, soil compaction, and hypoxia issues. A major portion of this soil and water session will focus on cover crops.
The conference will also highlight a session on "first detector training" for the National Plant Diagnostic Network. The training, new to Ohio, prepares industry personnel for detecting and diagnosing high-risk pests or pathogens found in the field. To learn more about that session, log on to http://cbc.at.ufl.edu.
Ken Ferrie, a crop consultant who conducts on-farm testing for Farm Journal will speak on Feb. 22. He will present such topics as switching to no-till, nutrient management, variable rate technology and economics of specific systems.
Other concurrent sessions being offered on Feb. 22 include soil fertility, ethanol, cover crops and soil and water, conservation tillage and precision agriculture.
The precision agriculture session includes RTK networks, precise placement of inputs, and a farmer panel.
Additional topics during the conference include management of weeds, insects and disease, wheat production and intercropping, planter adjustment, ethanol issues, and twin rows. Two farmer panels will share their success stories on no-till, strip-till and cover crops.
Crop Certified Advisor credits be will offered during the Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference. To learn more about the conference or registering, log on to http://ctc.osu.edu. For more information on CCA credits contact the OSU Extension office in Hancock County at (419) 422-3851.