| |||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Uvalde Water Day showcases researchTexas More than 100 farmers, cattle producers and other agriculture and agribusiness professionals, agricultural researchers and experts, attended Water Day on Oct. 16 at Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Uvalde. "Water Day was an opportunity to showcase our water use and conservation efforts at the center," said Dr. Bill Holloway, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station resident director of research at the center. "It also gave us the opportunity to thank today's speaker, Congressman (Henry) Bonilla, for his interest in our Rio Grande Basin Initiative, precision irrigation efforts and other water conservation research efforts, as well as for his support of beef research." Increasing irrigation water-use efficiency in crop production is vital as urban centers demand more water resources and less becomes available for agriculture, Holloway said. Drought conditions have also led producers to seek more efficient irrigation methods and management practices. "Water conservation is one of the most pressing issues facing Texas and the Southwest," said U.S. Congressman Henry Bonilla, R-TX, chairman of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. "Projects like the Rio Grande Basin Initiative are important in addressing the growing demands of water users throughout the state." Supporting efforts such as the Rio Grande Basin initiative and water use and conservation research being done by the Uvalde center will continue to be a priority for him, Bonilla added. "The Rio Grande Basin Initiative is dedicated to water conservation in counties along the Rio Grande," said Dr. Bill Harris, project director. "The program creates higher efficiencies of crop irrigation to bring new water supplies to other rural and urban areas. For every gallon we save, there's a gallon available for beneficial use elsewhere." About 226,000 acre-feet of water loss--more than 73 million gallons--in the Rio Grande Basin area could be prevented through new water management practices and technology, he said. In the past five years, the initiative has researched subsurface drip irrigation, conservation tillage practices, and microjet or drip irrigation practices, he said. It also has partnered with the Precision Irrigators Network in Uvalde to increase irrigation efficiency among South Texas producers by 20 percent to 25 percent, and is experimenting with computer-based decision tools for irrigation. "We are also working to control invasive plant species such as saltcedar, hydrilla, giant cane and Russian olive," Harris said. "These plants use a lot of water and rob the Rio Grande Basin area of valuable resources that could be better applied toward agricultural or urban use." "We need to make sure we are doing everything we can through science to ensure we are protecting this precious natural resource," said Dr. Elsa Murano, vice chancellor, dean of agriculture and life sciences, and director of Texas Agricultural Experiment Station for Texas A&M University. "I believe the Rio Grande Basin Initiative will help us maximize the availability of this precious natural resource." Water Day speakers also thanked Bonilla for his support for beef research. "Texas' beef industry is the lifeblood of our state's aricultural economy," Bonilla said. "I'm proud to be able to secure federal funding for important research so ranchers in the Lone Star State will continue to be renowned worldwide." For information on the Rio Grande Basin Initiative, go to http://riogrande.tamu.edu. Date: 10/26/06
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2008. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
