July 9-10: Conservation Technology Information Center – Conservation In Action Tour
The Conservation Technology Information Center’s (CTIC) 2013 Conservation in Action Tour will take place July 9-10 at several sites around Livingston County, Illinois. Area producers and regional experts will share conservation success stories with a diverse audience of agriculture leaders, including farmers, crop advisers, regulators and lawmakers, from more than 20 states.
“Because our audience is so diverse and brings such a variety of perspectives and experiences, the dialogue that happens throughout the tour is always unique and beneficial,” said Karen A. Scanlon, executive director of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) in West Lafayette, Ind. “The tour gives the audience the chance to interact with others and to get up close to soil and equipment. Our goal is to give each attendee new information or new contacts that they can use to advance conservation in their own community.”
July 16 – 18: Info Ag
Steve Phillips, Southeastern Director for the International Plant Nutrition Institute, and Lara Moody, Director of Stewardship Programs for The Fertilizer Institute are partnering with a panel of growers and retailers to provide a two-hour session on 4R topics, presentation details below. TFI will also have a 4R booth in the expo where attendees can stop by to learn more.
4R is Precision Nutrient Management A common question regarding 4R Nutrient Stewardship is “How does precision agriculture ‘fit in’ to the 4Rs?” The answer is that it’s not a matter of one concept fitting into another, but rather a realization that they are one in the same – 4R is precision agriculture. The fundamental principle of 4R Nutrient Stewardship is applying the right nutrient source at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place and the “right” combination of these factors will be site-specific depending on the context of the cropping system. Precision agriculture is focused on “getting it right” by incorporating as much local information as possible in the management decision-making process and employing the appropriate tools and technologies in the farming operation to get it done. The end result for both the 4Rs and precision agriculture is whole farm management of a sustainable agricultural system. This presentation will explain how the principles of precision agriculture are embedded in 4R Nutrient Stewardship.
4Rs in State Strategies for Non-Point Source (i.e. Farm) Nutrient Loss Fertilizer BMPs play a key role in addressing nutrient losses. As states debate approaches for agricultural non-point source nutrient loss reductions strategies, they must ensure agriculture retains the ability to make site specific decisions regarding fertilizer inputs. Productivity should be paramount, and these site-specific decisions must make economic sense in a grower’s operation and management scheme. The 4R framework provides a way for states to address site specific needs, and there is an increasing trend to utilize the 4Rs in state strategies to address nutrient losses from agricultural non-point sources, i.e. crop farms.
4R Advocate Panel Discussion The Fertilizer Institute has selected 10 grower-retailer pairs who are successfully implementing the 4Rs and precision agriculture on farming operations. In this panel, some of those Advocates will provide an overview of their operations and farming practices and discuss challenges and opportunities with precision nutrient management. The audience will then be invited to participate in a Q&A session to further engage and learn from these outstanding growers and retailers implementing 4Rs on the farm.
July 21 – 24: Soil Water Conservation Society Annual Meeting
The Fertilizer Institute will have a booth in the trade show area where attendees can stop by to learn more about opportunities for engagement on 4R efforts and available resource materials. A presentation on the recent 4R Survey of Agricultural Retailers and Conservation Districts will also be provided at the meeting.
August 13 – 15: Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Crop and Livestock Production Systems: Existing Technical, Economic, and Social Impediments and Future Opportunities
The International Plant Nutrition Institute and the Soil Science Society of America announce the August 13-15, 2013 Conference in Kansas City, MO: Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Crop and Livestock Production Systems: Existing Technical, Economic, and Social Impediments and Future Opportunities.
Despite increased crop production and progress toward improved environmental protection, nitrogen (N) losses to the atmosphere as nitrous oxide (N2O) nitrogen oxide (NO), and ammonia (NH3), and N losses to surface water and groundwater as nitrate (NO3) and dissolved organic N (DON) continue at levels that many scientists believe may pose serious environmental and human health concerns. The N use efficiency conference will bring together agronomists, biogeochemists, farmers, economists, sociologists, extension agents, educators, and policy experts from both public and private sectors to identify the major impediments to improved nutrient management and to make recommendations for overcoming those impediments.
The objectives of the conference are:
- Review the current suite of tools and knowledge used to optimize nitrogen management for crop and livestock production and promising new technologies under development
- Review case studies of successes and failures of policies and projects designed to encourage improved nutrient management
- Identify the major socio-economic and educational impediments to more widespread adoption of improved nutrient management practices
- Recommend existing opportunities for actions and policies to improve nutrient management using current knowledge and technology
- Identify and prioritize goals for additional agronomic or socio-economic research needed to overcome impediments to better nutrient management practices.
Members of the fertilizer N industry are encouraged to attend and participate. In the absence of good industry participation, recommendations could emerge for policies that may not adequately represent farmer’s economic interests and the industry’s viability.
More information on the program agenda, conference sponsors, registration, and housing may be found at: https://www.soils.org/meetings/specialized/nitrogen-use-efficiency