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PNW STEEP II EXTENSION
CONSERVATION FARMING
UPDATE - MAY1996
PNW STEEP III Conservation
Farming Conference January 7-8, 1997
The Pacific Northwest STEEP III Conservation Farming Conference will be
held January 7-8, 1997 at the Cavanaugh’s Inn at Columbia Center in Kennewick,
WA. Growers and Ag support personnel are encouraged to attend.
The STEEP III (Solutions
to Environmental and Economic Problems) program is a cooperative research
and technology transfer program on conservation farming systems. More
than 45 scientists from the University of Idaho, Oregon State University,
Washington State University, and USDA Agricultural Research Service, as
well as producer organizations, conservation districts and other Ag support
industries and agencies in the Pacific Northwest are involved in this
collaborative program. It is the primary PNW source of new technology
for profitable farming systems which conserve soil and protect water and
air quality.
The Conference will
features a series of in-depth panel discussions with growers, researchers
representatives from Ag industries and agencies on a variety of topics
on management strategies for conservation farming systems. A tentative
list of panel topics include: returning CRP land to crop production; a
series of panels on conservation farming systems under the new Farm Bill,
which will focus on producing and marketing alternate crops, new crop
rotation options and conservation compliance; and strategies for managing
downy brome and jointed goatgrass in conservation tillage systems.
Other program topics
include grass seed production without burning, managing root diseases
in conservation tillage, weed management in wheat-legume rotations, controlling
strawbreaker foot rot and Cephlosporium stripe in winter wheat, wheat
variety mixing for increased disease resistance and yield potential, and
spatially variable management systems for wheat production.
The five STEEP III
projects that are new in 1996 or ongoing from STEEP II through WSU, OSU
and UI will be described and preliminary results presented. These project
areas include: 1) management strategies for downy brome control in winter
wheat, 2) continuous and flexible spring cropping systems to replace summer
fallow- winter wheat rotations, 3) minimum tillage systems for food legume-winter
wheat rotations in annual cropping areas, 4) cover crop management systems
in wheat - potato rotations under irrigation, and 5) grower access to
integrated cropping systems technology through printed and electronic
publications, the World Wide Web and other media.
Participants will
receive a copy of the final report for 1991-96 STEEP II Program. A progress
report on new STEEP III projects will be included in the registration
packet.
Credits have been
requested for pesticide applicator recertification in the three states
and for Certified Crop Adviser continuing education. An extensive research
poster exhibition will feature about 30 exhibits including research summaries,
information resource displays and demonstrations on conservation farming
systems technology.
Contact Cavanaugh’s
Inn at Columbia Center at (509) 783-0611 or call toll free 1-800-THE-INNS
for room reservations at the special Conference rates of $40 for one bed
(1-2 persons) or $45 for two beds (2-4 persons), plus tax. The special
room rates may not be available after December 16. Conference programs
and preregistration forms are available at local county extension and
conservation districts, or call (509) 547-5538 for a copy. For more information
on the program, contact Dr. Donn Thill (208-885-6214) or Dr. Dwane Miller
(509-335-4056), Co-chairs of the STEEP II Technical Coordinating Committee.
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