11/29/05 Reduced tillage for irrigation workshop

Washington Ag November 29, 2005 Irrigated farmers struggling with increasing fuel, fertilizer and labor costs should consider attending next week's Washington State University Extension workshop, "Reduced Tillage Under Irrigation." The day long workshop will be held Wednesday, December 7th beginning at 9 a.m. at the ATEC Building at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake. WSU Grant/Adams County Extension is presenting the workshop and agricultural systems educator Andy McQuire highlights the program on reduced tillage for irrigated farms. McQuire: "We are bringing in some experience. Some guys who have doing it under irrigation. Then we are bringing in a no-till expert from Nebraska. And in Nebraska they have a lot of center pivot irrigated areas. They have high residue levels similar to ours here. So we think he will bring a lot of experience and information that farmers can use here under our conditions." McQuire says high residue levels and lack of equipment are the biggest challenges to reduced tillage for irrigated crops. He says a handful of farmers in the Columbia Basin are using a strip till system for sweet corn, field corn, beans, even alfalfa. Registration for the workshop is $25 and that includes lunch. For more information and to register contact the WSU Grant/Adams Extension office at 509-754-2011 extension 413. I'm Bob Hoff.