The eighth annual Red River Crops Conference goes virtual Jan. 20-21. The event, offering crop production information focused on Southwest Oklahoma and the Texas Rolling Plains, is co-hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
This year’s goal is to provide the same high quality and relevant management information that will help agricultural producers on both sides of the Red River, in spite of the pandemic requirements that keep everyone from meeting in person, said co-hosts Dr. Emi Kimura, AgriLife Extension agronomist and state peanut specialist, Vernon, and Gary Strickland, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension agriculture educator-Jackson County and Southwest Research and Extension Center regional agronomist, Altus, Oklahoma.
Scheduling for this year’s event, which is typically two full days, is a little different because it will all be held online. Each day participants will be allowed entry into the online meeting beginning at 6:30 a.m., and the speakers will present from 7-10 a.m.
“We wanted our producers to be able to participate, but still have time to get other work done, since it will all be on their electronic devices,” Kimura said.
The fee is $25, and each participant will need to register in advance, after which a link to the meeting will be emailed.
Continuing education units will be offered, including six from the Texas Department of Agriculture – one integrated pest management and two general on Jan. 20, and three general on Jan. 21. Certified crop advisers will be able to earn 5.5 CEUs, and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry units are pending.
Cotton Day – Jan. 20
Topics and speakers will include:
• National Cotton Council Update, Jody Campiche, Ph.D., National Cotton Council director of economics and policy analysis, Memphis, Tennessee.
• Cotton Market Update, John Robinson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension cotton marketing economist, Bryan-College Station.
• Cotton Equipment Technology, John Long, Ph.D., Oklahoma Cooperative Extension agricultural engineer, Stillwater.
• Herbicide Program Updates, Peter Dotray, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research weed scientist, Lubbock.
• Cotton Plant Pathology Update, Tom Isakeit, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, Bryan-College Station.
• Cotton Area Program Update, Seth Byrd, Ph.D., Oklahoma Cooperative Extension cotton specialist, Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Kimura.
In-Season and Other Summer Crops Day – Jan. 21
Topics and speakers will include:
• Economic Comparison of Perennial and Annual Grazing Systems, Francisco Abello, AgriLife Extension farm management economist, Vernon.
• Current Wheat Crop Status and In-Season Management, Fernando Guillen-Portal, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension small grains and oil seed crops specialist, Bryan-College Station.
• Brush and Weed Control in Pasture Systems, Laura Goodman, Ph.D., Oklahoma Cooperative Extension range specialist, Stillwater.
• Grain and Livestock Markets, Trent Milacek, Ph.D., Oklahoma Cooperative Extension West District area agriculture economist, Enid, Oklahoma.
• Grain Sorghum Cropping Systems, Jason Warren, Ph.D., Oklahoma Cooperative Extension soil and water conservation management specialist, Stillwater, and Strickland.