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No-till conference returns to Cincinnati
The movement toward profitable, environmentally sound no-tilling gains momentum as national awareness of energy concerns and soil losses increases. Many of the nation's leading no-till farmers and researchers will be on hand when the 16th annual National No-Tillage Conference returns to Cincinnati, Jan. 9 through 12, 2008 for the first time since 2005. The NNTC, widely regarded as the premier conservation-tillage conference, draws approximately 700 no-till farmers, agriculture officials and university researchers from around the country and the world for four days of presentations and discussions. This year's event, built around the theme "Gaining The No-Till Edge," will be held at the Cincinnati Hilton Hotel, a historic downtown landmark. Among the speakers scheduled to address the conference are: --Randall Reeder, an Ohio State University agricultural engineer, and prominent Ohio no-tiller and Extension Service specialist Allen Sundermeier: Understanding The Correlation Between Soil Compaction, Carbon And Other Components. --Steve Cubbage, owner and president of Record Harvest Enterprises, a no-tiller on his own farm and a precision technology expert. --Phil Needham, a no-till consultant and owner of Needham Ag Technologies: Streamlining Your No-Till Equipment For Effective Residue Management, and High-Tech No-Till Wheat Management. --Jill Clapperton, soil biologist and consultant: The Ins And Outs Of Soil Microbiology. --Roberto Pieretti, co-founder of the Argentinean No-Till Farmers Association: A Global Look At No-Till Production. --Dave Durum: Money-Making No-Till Planter Adjustments. Affirming the NNTC's focus on education, state regulatory agencies allowed no-tillers, custom applicators and crop consultants to earn more than 20 hours of continuing education credits for participating in previous conferences. Approval for a similar number of credits is expected for the upcoming NNTC. Despite its intense schedule, the NNTC keeps attendees moving and engaged in various educational formats, including: --No-Till general sessions: Ten large gatherings will feature highly respected no-tillers, researchers and educators presenting the latest ideas for more cost-effective no-tilling. Presented for all conference attendees, these sessions will also include panel discussions about the most critical issues that could help no-tillers function more profitably in 2008. --No-Till classrooms: A dozen in-depth "no-till classrooms" will zero in on critical no-tilling challenges being faced today and explore solutions that make sense in today's farming economy. Attendees will select three sessions to hear the latest thinking on timely no-till topics from outstanding farmers or researchers with plenty of practical experience. --No-Till roundtables: Choosing from among the topics for 60 no-till roundtable discussions, attendees will select four face-to-face, 60-minute sessions with other attendees facing the same issues. These interactive roundtables, in which everyone is welcome to contribute ideas on a specific topic, deliver highly practical information from one no-tiller to another. Many growers have called these sessions their most valuable learning experiences at past conferences. In no-till farming, crop stubble is left on the field after harvest and a new crop is planted into the residue the following spring with minimal disturbance to the soil. The stubble protects the soil from erosion by wind and rain while conserving soil moisture that would otherwise be lost to evaporation. The degrading stubble also replenishes the soil nutrients and organic matter while sequestering carbon in the ground that would otherwise enter the atmosphere as greenhouse gas. No-tilling also saves significant amounts of fuel because growers eliminate the many passes required to plow and smooth their fields in conventional-tillage farming. No-tilling is winning public attention as the nation becomes more aware of both its degrading soil and the need to conserve energy, particularly petroleum-based fuels. Private industry is buying so-called carbon credits from no-tillers on the Chicago Climate Exchange, and Pennsylvania recently enacted legislation giving farmers tax incentives that cut the cost of purchasing no-till equipment in half. NNTC registration is $247, with additional registrations from an individual farm or family available for $217 each. Registration includes a 1-year subscription to the monthly No-Till Farmer newsletter. To register, call 866-839-8455 (U.S. and Canada only) or 262-432-0388. Fax your registration to 262-786-5564, register online at www.no-tillfarmer.com/ff/NNTC or send your payment to: National No-Tillage Conference, P.O. Box 624, Brookfield, WI 53008-0624. 11-A Date: 12/7/07
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