Southwest Kansas Forage Conference planned for Feb. 17 in Garden City

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Research and Extension and the Kansas Forage and Grassland Council, in collaboration with private forage industry supporters, will host the Southwest Kansas Forage Conference on Feb. 17, 2016 at the Southwest Research-Extension Center in Garden City, Kansas from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no charge to attend.

This conference was last held in 2005 and the organizers are excited to return this once successful program back to the region, said A.J. Foster, K-State southwest area crops and soils specialist in Garden City.

“Forage production is an important part of southwest Kansas agriculture,” he said.

Producers attending the conference will learn about non-traditional forage options, wheat grazing, summer annual forages, forage sorghum production with limited irrigation, forage quality, forage fertility management and gain insights about the past and future perspective of the hay market from a retired Kansas Department of Agriculture reporter.

Presentation topics and speakers include:

* Non-traditional forage options – Augustine Obour, soil scientist, KSU Agricultural Research Center-Hays;

* Forage sorghum under limited irrigation – Isaya Kisekka, irrigation engineer, Southwest Research-Extension Center;

* Understanding forage analysis – Justin Waggoner, beef system specialist, Southwest Research-Extension Center;

* Summer annual forages – John Holman, cropping systems agronomist, Southwest Research-Extension Center;

* Alfalfa production “Low lignin alfalfa” – Doo-Hong Min, forage agronomist, Manhattan

* Feed quality “Laboratory perspective” – Fred Vocasek, Servi-Tech, Inc.;

* Forage fertility management – A.J. Foster, agronomist, Southwest Research-Extension Center;

* Kansas Forage and Grazing Land Council update – Roger Black;

* Growing feed for a dairy/beef feedlot – feedlot manager/producer panel;

* Grazing wheat pastures – Romulo Lollato, wheat and forages specialist, Manhattan; and

* Hay market, past and future – Steve Hessman, Kansas Hay Market reporter, KDA

“This conference will provide a platform to keep producers up to date on new research and technology developments in the forage arena. It is an opportunity for producers to refresh basic principles and to learn new principles they can apply to their own situations,” Foster said.

Lunch will be provided courtesy of the private forage industry supporters.  Continuing education credits have been applied for and should be available.

Advance registration is required by Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. To preregister, contact Norma Cantu at 620-276-9164 or email cantu@ksu.edu.  Prior registration is important to ensure lunch will be available for attendees.

Source: Kansas State University