COLUMBUS — The annual Ohio No-Till Conference will be held Dec. 6 in Plain City.
“This conference is a meeting of the minds of many people who do no-till,” said Jim Hoorman, assistant professor studying cover crops and water quality issues and an Ohio State University Extension educator in Mercer County.
The conference will be held at Der Dutchman restaurant from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Water quality
The focus on water quality, given ongoing discussions across Ohio about nutrient management issues around Lake Erie and Grand Lake St. Marys, is perhaps the biggest topic at this year’s gathering.
“Right now nutrient management experts are meeting to discuss changes in how we deal with phosphorus, not only in areas that impact Lake Erie, but for the rest of the state as well,” Hoorman said.
“We’re considering the ways we deal with phosphorus, including how much we apply broadcast, and what happens if we inject phosphorus into the soil, either using commercial fertilizer or manure.”
Phosphorus panel
He said event organizers, mindful of pending changes in phosphorus management recommendations, included a panel discussion on that topic, in addition to a presentation detailing lessons learned in Indiana on phosphorus management issues.
In addition, presenters will discuss the latest research and technological advancements in no-till and cover crops.
Several farmers, including leaders of the Ohio No-Till Council, will share their experiences improving yields and overall field conditions through cover crop use.
The final session of the day also deals with cover crops, but from an entirely different perspective. Hoorman said the session will discuss aerial seeding of cover crops, featuring discussions from farmers who actually planted cover crops via airplane because the ground was too soft to do so with traditional machinery.
Registration
More information on the conference is available online from the OSU Extension Agronomic Crops Team at http://agcrops.osu.edu/.
Registration is $30 before Dec. 2; $35 at the door. Send check (payable to Ohio No-Till Council) to: Mark Wilson, Land Stewards, 1122 Somerlot Hoffman Road East, Marion, OH 43302.
