The Southern Agricultural Cover Crops Workshop– to be held July 24-25 at the Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center, 2840 South Caraway Road in Jonesboro, Ark. --is designed to help farmers successfully adopt a cover crop management system.

The workshop will provide a forum for farmers to exchange information, discuss opportunities for collaboration, and learn about new and successful practices related to cover crops.Case study presentations will identify and discuss strengths and pitfalls of real applications.

Specific sessions include soil management, water management, pest management, economics, cover crop management and no‐till. Speakers will include farmers, crop consultants, and university researchers who have extensive experience in cover crop management.

Cover crops enhance soil quality and keep nutrients in the fields.  Although cover crops can be effective under conventional tillage, they also improve soil quality and ease the transition to continuous no‐till.

“Southern farmers cannot simply rely on the tried and proven management techniques that the Midwest employs to manage cover crop mixes,” said John Lee, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service state agronomist inArkansas. “Conditions in the South are different, and we need to plan to manage crop mixes according to southern agricultural farming practices.”

Certified crop advisors can earn ten continuing education units for attending this workshop.

For more information or to register, contact Debbie Moreland, Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts program administrator, at (501) 682-2915. Registration packages are also available at www.aracd.org.