The Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will co-sponsor the South Texas Irrigation Conference and Trade Show on Jan. 20 at the Medina County Fair Hall, Farm-to-Market Road 462 in Hondo.

The key activity at the conference is an irrigation training program to take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“At the conference, irrigation experts will provide information useful to growers in the region, including irrigation system technologies and how to operate and manage them,” said Dr. Guy Fipps, AgriLife Extension agricultural engineer and program coordinator. “The goal of the training is to help growers and others improve their overall irrigation management and efficiency, and reduce costs.”

In addition to efficient irrigation practices, the program will cover cropping systems, pumping plant efficiency, irrigation economics and water marketing, Fipps said. It also will include workshops on drip and pivot irrigation systems.

An optional session on pesticide laws and regulations will be presented from 3-4 p.m. for attendees seeking continuing education units.

Additional conference sponsors include regional groundwater conservation districts, the Edwards Aquifer Authority and the Irrigation Technology Center.

A trade show sponsored by the Texas Agricultural Irrigation Association is being held as part of the conference. Registration forms for the trade show are posted at http://itc.tamu.edu.

Conference registration is $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

For more information and to pre-register, contact the AgriLife Extension office for Medina County at 830-741-6180. For additional information on the Irrigation Training Program, visit http://twri.tamu.edu/project-info/ITP/.

The Hondo program is one of six irrigation training programs presented throughout the state by the institute and its partners as part of the collaborative Irrigation Training Program. Program participants include the institute, AgriLife Extension, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Funding for training is provided through the Texas Water Development Board.