K-State Research and Extension will host the 21st annual Cover Your Acres Winter Conference for crop producers and consultants on January 16 and 17. The conference will take place in the traditional in-person format at the Gateway Civic Center in Oberlin, KS.
Cover Your Acres is a producer-driven meeting focused on new ideas and research-based updates in crop production in northwest Kansas and the Central High Plains region.
The conference, which typically draws more than 400 attendees from Kansas and other states, highlights the latest technology, methods, and conservation practices to improve crop production in the region. This year’s conference will feature university specialists and industry representatives discussing what’s driving profitability in northwest Kansas farms.
Session topics and speakers
- Current financial status of NW Kansas farms – Mark Wood and Glenn Conover
- Drought-driven insects and emerging pests – Anthony Zukoff
- Dryland rotation agronomics and economics – Lucas Haag
- Herbicide resistance update for the High Plains – Sarah Lancaster
- High Plain weather outlook for 2024 – Jesse Lundquist
- Keeping weeds on their toes – Jeanne Falk Jones
- Phosphorus management – Understanding the how, why, and when in crops and soils – Dorivar Ruiz Diaz
- Pivot priorities – A fresh look at sprinkler setup for maximizing effective irrigation – Joel Schneekloth
- Sprayer and planter technology advancements – Ajay Sharda
- Wheat industry innovation: New markets for wheat – Evan Backhus
- Panel discussion: Sorghum weed control and using new herbicide-tolerant sorghums – Agronomists and seed company representatives
The same programs will be offered on both days of the conference (Figure 1). Participants attending both days will find catching most or all programs easier. On Tuesday evening, the sessions are followed by a social where attendees can visit with industry representatives and conference speakers while enjoying refreshments.
Platinum sponsors for the 2024 conference include K-State Research and Extension, AKRS Equipment, LDI, SurePoint Ag Systems, 4G Farm and Sales, and Hoxie Implement.
Online registration is open. The fee is $55 for Tuesday, January 16, $60 for Wednesday, January 17, or $80 for both days. After January 10th, and for walk-ins, the cost is $80 per day. The conference fee includes lunch, morning and afternoon refreshments, and educational materials. The program will offer ten continuing education unit (CEU) credits for Certified Crop Advisors and three 1A for Commercial Applicators credit.
To view the conference details, lodging accommodations, and online registration, visit www.northwest.ksu.edu/coveryouracres. For questions, call 785-462-6281.
Figure 1. Conference agenda for 2024 Cover Your Acres.
Lucas Haag, Area Agronomist, Northwest Research-Extension Center, Colby
lhaag@ksu.edu
Tags: Cover Your Acres meetings