Fifty Plus Ph.Ds. Made Presentation at Recent Conservation Systems Agriculture Conference
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
The 26th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference, Southern Soybean & Corn Conference, Delta State Irrigation Conference and Southern Precision Ag Conference held recently in Baton Rouge, Louisiana drew an eager in-person crowd.
“The crowd was great, we had an attendance of well over 600. Each farmer in attendance averaged yearly over 5500 acres of Agriculture Production,” said John M. LaRose Jr., President and Publisher, MidAmerica Farm Publications.
When asking a Farmer who was attending the conference for the first time, what he thought about the conference, he stated. “It is a casual atmosphere and offers a lot of opportunity for me to interact with other farmers about what works on their farms, as well as the ability to discuss one-on-one with leading MidSouth Ag Researchers from all agriculture crops & disciplines. Sessions were aligned with current cropping situations, which is so vital to know & to make better decisions on my farm”.
The conference is a production of MidAmerica Farm Publication, and AgWiki.com. The Conference has been sponsored for 26 years by Cotton Incorporated and 24 years by U.S. Rice Producers Association. For the past 26 years, Academic Partners have been Auburn University, University of Arkansas, LSU AgCenter, Mississippi State University, University of Missouri, University of Tennessee and Texas A&M University.
Following remarks by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards during the Award Luncheon, Conservation Systems awards were presented to:
Dr. Lori Duncan, University of Tennessee, Cotton Researcher of the Year,
James Hawkins, a Georgia Farmer, Cotton Farmer of the Year,
Dr. Arlene Adviento-Borbe, USDA-ARS, Jonesboro, Arkansas, Rice Researcher of the Year,
Neal Stoesser, a Texas Farmer, Rice Farmer of the Year,
James Hendrix, LSU AgCenter, Soybean & Corn Researcher of the Year,
Kris & Meredith Baker, Husband & Wife, Soybean & Corn Farmers of the Year,
Dr. Joseph Massey, USDA-ARS, Jonesboro, Arkansas, Irrigation Researcher of the Year
Sledge Taylor, a Mississippi Farmer, Irrigation Farmer of the Year,
Nick McMichen, a Mississippi Farmer, Precision Ag Farmer of the Year.
Over the two-day period there were 70 researchers, 24 farmers, 12 Professional Crop Advisors, which included 51 Ph.Ds. who gave presentations on their research and on-farm studies. There were 18 Cotton presentation, 22 Rice presentations, 16 Soybean presentations, 9 Corn Presentations, 18 Irrigation presentations, 4 Precision Ag presentations, 7 other presentations and 5 Roundtable Discussions facilitated by 19 experts.
There was a 64 Exhibitor Trade Show and the social reception sponsored by U.S. Rice Producers Association, entertained attendees with the live music of “Mitch Landry & the Cajun Ramblers”, drinks, hors d’oeuvres and attendance prizes.
Corporate co-sponsors were: Agrocete US, BASF Corporation, Bayer Cropscience, Corteve Agriscience, Cargill Cotton, Gowan USA LLC, Horizon Ag LLC, Koch Agronomic Services LLC, Pinion, RiceTec, Inc. Syngenta Crop Protection, UPL and Vayda.
Academic Partners were: USDA-ARS Research Laboratories located in Oxford, Mississippi, Stoneville, Mississippi and Auburn, Alabama. AgMedia Co-Sponsor was Farm Press Publications.
Plans for the 27th Annual National Conservation Systems Cotton & Rice Conference, Southern Soybean & Corn Conference, Delta States Irrigation Conference and Southern Precision Ag Conference are underway and will be announced shortly. ∆