SAN ANGELO – The seventh Concho Valley Cotton Conference is set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 21 in the San Angelo Convention Center.

"This year's program will look at some new areas of interest in the cotton industry that could well affect our area's producers," said Rick Minzenmayer, Texas Cooperative Extension entomologist for Runnels and Tom Green counties.

"One of those areas is how cotton fits into the ethanol picture and another is work being done on extremely drought-hardy cotton," he said. "We'll also have updates on some old problems such as cotton root rot and weed management."

The event will include a trade show that will remain open throughout the day.

The Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association will hold its annual meeting at 3:30 p.m.which will include reports from commodity groups, an update on Texas boll weevil eradication and election of officers. Other conference topics will include: harvest-aid challenges, the economics of early season insect control, reniform nematode/verticillium wilt, weed resistance and efficient fertilization.

The conference is sponsored by Extension's Runnels/Tom Green Integrated Pest Management Committee, the Tom Green and Runnels County Crops Committees, the Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association and the Runnels/Tom Green counties' Extension staffs.

Four Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered to those staying for the entire program.

Registration is free and includes a noon meal and snacks, but participants must pre-register by March 16. After March 16, individual registration is $10.

To pre-register, call the Extension office in Runnels County at 325-365-2219, the Minzenmayer's office at 325-365-5212 or the Extension office in Tom Green County at 325-659-6523.