Attendees to the 2013 Mid-South Farm and Gin Show can participate in several special educational seminars. Among them, an Irrigation Technology Seminar set for March 1, at 1:15 p.m. at the Memphis Cook Convention Center, on the Mezzanine Level.

Irrigation is one of the most important, yet least understood aspects of modern crop production. Given the number of acres with irrigation capabilities throughout the Mid-South, proper management of water resources is critical. The seminar will cover how minimizing water inputs can help maximize crop production.

Three specialists will address irrigation issues:

Darrin Dodds, assistant Extension professor, Mississippi State University; Jason Krutz, Mississippi State University associate Extension/research professor; and Earl Vories, USDA-Agricultural Research Service at the University of Missouri Fisher Delta Research Center at Portageville.

Dodds will discuss the importance of proper irrigation management as well as results of on-farm irrigation studies on cotton conducted in the Mississippi Delta. He will also comment on current irrigation practices and potential areas through which these practices may be improved.

Krutz will provide an overview of issues associated with irrigation including aquifer depletion, potential restrictions on water use, scheduling programs, critical periods for irrigation for multiple crops, as well as his thoughts on ways to conserve water (Phaucet, tailwater recovery systems, etc.).

Vories will discuss pivot irrigation in the Mid-South. His presentation will address ways to obtain the best results with center pivot irrigation under Mid-South conditions. Topics include differences between furrow and center pivot irrigation, economics of pivot irrigation, considerations in system selection, keys to scheduling irrigation under a pivot, remote monitoring and control of pivot systems, and safety considerations.

Additional information is available at http.www.farmandginshow.com.