The 2015 Central Plains Irrigation Conference and Exposition will take place Feb. 17-18 at the City Limits Convention Center in Colby. The popular annual event focused solely on irrigation-related topics is hosted in Kansas every third year. Sponsors include Kansas State University, Colorado State University, the University of Nebraska, and the Central Plains Irrigation Association.
Session topics include the crop water budget, optimizing crop water productivity in a variable climate, sensor technologies for irrigation management, advancements in subsurface drip irrigation and center pivot irrigation, updates on groundwater issues, and crop options for deficit irrigation.
The overall theme for this event from a crop water standpoint, particularly for western Kansas, is management with limited water supply.. The information will be relevant to all irrigators, including those with full water or limited water capabilities.
Bob Gillen, head of tri-center operations for K-State Research and Extension’s Western Kansas Agricultural Research Centers, will present the first day general session on lessons from 100 years of agricultural research in northwest Kansas. Ajay Sharda, assistant professor in K-State’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, will lead a general session discussion about the potential of technology and precision agriculture on the second day of the event.
The conference includes a menu-driven program so participants can choose what to attend during the two days. The exposition side of the event will allow for industry representatives and irrigators to interact.
Producers can come in and see, touch, and talk about the new sprinkler options, soil sensors, plant health sensors, potentials for aerial sensors, and other items. It’s a chance to have one-on-one conversations with industry representatives, specialists and fellow irrigators.
Source:ksu.edu