Annual Field Day slated for Aug. 28

Each August, the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Clovis holds its annual Field Day. This year, it will be held on Aug. 28.

The event is designed to not only help producers become more productive and efficient through education, but to also inform community citizens not familiar with regional agricultural practices of some of the current issues we are facing in today’s challenging agricultural climate.

For example, one of the hot button issues these days is “green energy” or biofuels. Sangu Angadi, NMSU Crop Stress hysiologist, and I will discuss projects related to water efficient biodiesel and ethanol crops.

The extent to which this area of the U.S. will contribute to the national effort to produce large amounts of biofuels is still uncertain.

Current projects at the station are addressing the feasibility of fuel production from crops.

The large presence of the dairy industry in the region demands more water-use efficient silage cropping systems to feed large quantities of cows with declining water resources.  Research is being conducted to determine the best alternatives to traditional corn production for dairy feed.

Sultan Begna, NMSU Research Specialist, will discuss sorghum and legume intercropping systems aimed at providing high quality feed while utilizing fewer resources.  In addition, I will discuss some of the pros and cons of corn and sorghum silage production under limited water conditions.  Perhaps the most significant problems growers face are those related to weeds.  Stan Jones, Curry County Agricultural Agent, and Rachel Armstrong, Natural Resources Conservation Service District Conservationist, will present information on the newly implemented Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) Project in Curry Co. This project shows promise of reducing several of the noxious weeds in our area and is a major step forward in weed control efforts on roadways and farmland.  This discussion will be followed up by Dr. Jamshid Ashigh, NMSU Extension Weed Specialist, who will talk about some of the more common noxious weeds that we deal with in eastern New Mexico and how to control them. 

Other presentations include: Naveen Puppala, NMSU Peanut Breeder — Peanut Research Update; Robert Hagevoort, NMSU Extension Dairy Specialist — Dairy Extension/Research Program Update; and Jerry Hawkes, NMSU Agricultural Economist — Crop Cost of Production and Marketing Strategies.  For those interested in canola as a potential biofuel crop option, a follow-up canola production workshop will be held immediately after the field day by Sangu Angadi and Calvin Trostle, Texas AgriLife Extension Agronomist.   

Make plans to attend on Aug. 28. The event is open to the public and free to all.  Registration is from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m., and field tours will begin at 9:30 a.m.  Lunch will be provided at noon.  Featured speaker will be Waded Cruzado, Interim President, New Mexico State University.  A map to the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Clovis can be accessed at http://clovissc.nmsu.edu

NMDA Pesticide Applicator CEU’s and Certified Crop Adviser credits will be available. 

Mark Marsalis is Extension Agronomist at the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Clovis.  He can be contacted at (505) 985-2292 or marsalis@nmsu.edu.