Producers who farm or ranch in the Red River region of Oklahoma and Texas are invited to attend the 2023 Red River Crops Conference, Jan. 18-19. Each year the conference rotates between the two states with this year's event being held in Texas at the Childress Event Center, 1100 7^th Street, Childress.

Specialists from Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension will address topics pertinent to cotton management and in-season and summer crop production.

"One of the chief goals of this conference is to provide timely and applicable information for producers in the southwest Oklahoma and Texas Rolling Plains areas," says Gary Strickland, OSU County Extension director. 

Cotton Program

Day 1 of the conference will focus primarily on cotton, including a market update by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Economist and Farm Press columnist John Robinson. "I will be discussing the price outlook for the 2023 cotton crop, which includes a tug of war between uncertain demand and a potentially very tight supply," says Robinson who writes the monthly column, "Cotton Spin."  My goal is to leave growers with more awareness of the many different influences on the price outcome, and some of the relevant information sources."

Agricultural businesses and organizations will have booths set up throughout the conference center. (Photo by Shelley E. Huguley)

Soil Scientist Katie Lewis, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas Tech University, will discuss optimizing cotton fertility in a yield-limiting environment. "With elevated fertilizer prices and less than favorable weather forecasts, I will discuss strategies to increase nutrient use efficiency and return on investment," Lewis says.

Agronomist and cotton specialist Emi Kimura, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, will provide a cotton update. "I will update the cotton variety trial results from 2022," says Kimura, who is also the state peanut specialist. "It was an extremely rough year for cotton growers in the Texas/Oklahoma region due to the prolonged drought. Although many of my trials did not survive due to the lack of moisture, there were some trials that we were able to harvest.  I hope to share the cultivar performance, yield, and lint quality during the drought year."

In Season & Summer Crops

Day 2, following presentations about grain and livestock markets and the status of the current wheat crop, Bart Fischer, co-director of the Texas A&M Agriculture Food Policy Center, will provide an update on the farm bill and the 2023 outlook.

"Producers will be on the cusp of having to make a number of farm safety net decisions for the spring," Fischer says, "especially against the backdrop of volatile commodity prices and elevated input costs. We will also spend time talking about what all of this means for reauthorization of the 2018 Farm Bill which is set to expire on September 30, 2023."

OSU Economist Amy Hagerman will address carbon contracts and markets. "Climate Smart Agriculture has experienced significant investments from USDA and from Congress," says Hagerman, Extension specialist for Agriculture and Food Policy. "In addition to public investments, private companies are approaching farmers about entering contracts to sequester carbon in their soils. While carbon markets have been around for a while, there is a great deal of new and conflicting information out there. My hope is to shine light on what we do and don’t know about carbon credits and carbon markets."

Grain and livestock markets, and the management of and status of the current wheat crop, will also be discussed on Day 2, followed with "Does the Potential to Graze Cover Crops Make them More Palatable?" with Soil Scientist Paul Delaune, Texas A&M AgriLife Research. OSU Nutrient Management Specialist Brian Arnall will feature new approaches to in-season nutrient management.

Registration

To register for the Red River Crops Conference or for more information, call (940) 937-23351. Attendees are encouraged to preregister but registration is also available at the door.