An all-new cotton education program is scheduled for Dec. 5 at the Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show in Amarillo. Dubbed Cotton U, this half-day, farmer education event, presented by High Plains Journal, will bring industry knowledge and forward-thinking presentations to attendees.
Oklahoma State University Cotton Extension Specialist Seth Byrd will be a featured speaker. Byrd, formerly a cotton specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, now researches cotton production across the state of Oklahoma and the High Plains. He’ll present some of the latest findings from university trials in the Oklahoma Panhandle, as well as answer questions about how cotton fits in to existing crop rotations and other production concerns.
Jeff Miller with Fore Front Agronomy will also speak at Cotton U. Miller, a cooperating consultant with the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation in Lubbock, will present “2 Goals, 1 Drop: Irrigation for Profitability and Soil Health.” The presentation will touch on some of the latest results from a multi-year soil and water management study on cotton in the West Texas region and how farmers might adopt new practices to get similar results on their acres.
“Cotton production continues to grow in the High Plains, so we saw a need for this type of education,” said Jennifer Latzke, associate editor for High Plains Journal. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Texas produces about 45% of the total U.S. cotton crop annually. With the advancements in shorter-season cotton varieties in recent years, production is spreading across much of Oklahoma and into southern Kansas.”
Attendees are invited to participate in the half-day event and then visit the Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show in the afternoon.
“The Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show is the perfect event to host Cotton U,” said Niki Jones, marketing manager of IDEAg Group. “Our goal is to provide farmers and ranchers a place to network and learn through exhibits and educational opportunities. Our collaboration with High Plains Journal’s Cotton U helps fill a need for cotton education in the Panhandle.”
Cotton U registration is free but limited to the first 150 registrants. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register online at Cottonu.net or by calling 620.227.1834. On-site registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Central Dec. 5 in the Grand Plaza Ballroom at the Amarillo Civic Center. The event will conclude at 1:30 p.m. Central.
Cotton U is sponsored by High Plains Journal and the Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show.