LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) – The following is a news release from Texas Tech University:

The Texas Alliance for Water Conservation (TAWC) is hosting its sixth annual Water College on Thursday (Jan. 23) at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. Connecting today’s producers and crop consultants with the latest in irrigation technology and research is the focus.

The event is free and open to the public.

More than 200 area producers, consultants and agriculture industry leaders will come together in an effort to present the latest in water management technologies and practices, upcoming weather patterns and industry news. There also is a trade show area displaying more than 20 agricultural company booths.

Experts scheduled to speak at the program include:

  • Kevin Brinkley, president and CEO, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association; “Undeniable Demographic Changes: “Where Will the World’s Population Live in the Future and What Will They Eat and Wear?”
  • Kris Verett, producer, Lubbock, Texas; “Using Cover Crops to Manage Soil and Weed Control While Being Economically Sustainable”
  • Lloyd Arthur, Cooperating Producer, TAWC, Ralls, Texas; and Jeff Miller, Forefront Agronomy; “Real Farm Data – Using Irrigation Management Technology to Conserve Water and Gain Profitability”
  • Brooke Paup, Texas Water Development Board; “Update from Texas Water Development Board”
  • Brian Bledsoe, chief meteorologist/climatologist, Colorado Springs, Colorado; “Upcoming Weather Patterns – What is in store?”
  • Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, extension specialist in agricultural law, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; “Hot Topics of Texas Water Law”
  • Ken Burton, executive director, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, National Cotton Council; “U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol – What Farmers Need to Know”
  • Luis Herrera-Estrella, Texas Tech President’s Distinguished Professor of Plant Genomics; “The Future of Cotton Genetics and Weed Control”

Registration for the TAWC Water College begins at 8:30 a.m. with the program starting at 8:50 a.m. Lunch will be provided and continuing education unit (CEU) credits are available. The program concludes at 4:30 p.m.

Based at Texas Tech University and funded by a grant from the Texas Water Development Board, the TAWC is a partnership of producers, technology firms, universities and government agencies working to extend the life of the largest subterranean aquifer in the U.S. Stretching from the Texas Panhandle in the south to the northern boundary of Nebraska, the Ogallala Aquifer lies beneath one of the most important agricultural regions in the U.S.

The project uses on-farm demonstrations of cropping and livestock systems to compare the production practices, technologies and systems that can maintain individual farm profitability, while improving water-use efficiency. Its goal is to extend the life of the Ogallala Aquifer, while maintaining the viability of local farms and communities.

All production-related decisions are made by the more than 20 producers involved in the project. The project field sites involve more than 6,000 acres in Castro, Crosby, Deaf Smith, Floyd, Hale, Lamb, Lubbock, Parmer and Swisher counties. These sites represent the range of agricultural practices including monoculture cropping systems; crop rotations; no-till, limited-till and conventional tillage practices; land application of manure; and fully integrated crop and livestock systems.

Sponsors for the TAWC Water College include the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (CASNR); BASF; Cotton Incorporated; DuPont Pioneer; Indigo Ag; Texas Corn Producers; Diversity D Irrigation Services; and Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education.

(News release from Texas Tech University)