PNW Update Newsletter

CONSERVATION FARMING UPDATE - December 1995

Approximately 30,000 acres of Pacific Northwest farmland in 1995 received applications of polyacrylamide, a chemical polymer known as PAM, in furrow irrigation water to reduce soil erosion and improve water infiltration. This is a phenomenal first-season acceptance of a new soil and water conservation technology that has just become commercially available for use in furrow irrigation. In addition to the rapid commercialization of PAM use in furrow irrigation, there has alsol been a dramatic increase in laboratory and field experiments on the use of PAM across the western U.S.

Anyone interested in PAM as a conservation and production management tool are invited to attend the first comprehensive conference on the use of PAM in irrigation. The May 6-8, 1996 Conference titled "Managing Irrigation-Induced Erosion and Infiltration with Polyacrylamide" is scheduled to be held at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Fall. It is sponsored by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Idaho and the National Association of Conservation Districts.

The Conference will focus on PAM's potential to: reduce erosion, improve return flow water quality, prevent surface sealing that reduces infiltration, enable new irrigation water management strategies and protect groundwater quality. The program will include invited presentations, volunteer oral and poster presentations and tours of field sites. A proceedings will be available at the Conference.

For more information contact Robert Sojka, USDA-ARS soil scientist, at 208-423-6562 (FAX: 208-423-6555).

Contact us: Hans Kok, (208)885-5971 | Accessibility | Copyright | Policies | WebStats | STEEP Acknowledgement
Hans Kok, WSU/UI Extension Conservation Tillage Specialist, UI Ag Science 231, PO Box 442339, Moscow, ID 83844 USA Redesigned by Leila Styer, CAHE Computer Resource Unit; Maintained by Debbie Marsh, Dept. of Crop & Soil Sciences, WSU