The best I can do is to review the parts of the conference that stood out to me. Others who attended may note other things that stood out to them as impressive or important.

Two Center Pivot Irrigation Management Short Courses have been planned to enhancing the value of water through advanced irrigation management practices. Short courses have been planned for February 6, 2012, at the Monsanto Water Utilization Learning Center near Gothenburg and for February 8, 2012, at the Cornerstone Ag & Event Center on the York County Fairgrounds in York.  

Dave Young, NW Regional Manager for Cornell Pump, last week was named the Agriculture Chair for the 2013 Idaho Irrigation Equipment Show and Conference. Young will secure speakers, workshops and activities to support Idaho’s largest agriculture irrigation conference, hosted by the Idaho Irrigation Equipment Association (IIEA).

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) has revised its standard for agricultural baling twine. The revised ASABE standard ANSI/ASAE S315.4, Agricultural Baling Twine for Automatic Balers, reflects current increased twine strength for small and large square bales and also includes twine for round bales. The data for the newly incorporated values were provided and evaluated by a diverse committee of industry experts.

New York Farm Show is proud to announce that the Oxbo 4334 Self Propelled Merger will be on display, Feburary 23-25 at the New York State Fair Grounds. “We are proud to be a part of this introduction of new technology for the forage industry.  Oxbo has the leading edge in merging hay,” said Scott Grigor, New York Farm Show Manager.

A Feb. 24 half-day training at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton will offer pasture management information that producers are unlikely to find anywhere else, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service forage specialist. “We’ll have information on identifying weeds specific to East Texas and the most economical way to control them,” said Dr. Vanessa Corriher, AgriLife Extension forage specialist, Overton. Attendees will receive five continuing education units toward the renewal of their Texas Department of Agriculture private applicator licenses, one hour in laws and regulations, one in integrated pest management and three in the general category.

The 2012 Idaho Hay and Forage Conference will be held Thursday and Friday, March 1-2 in Burley at the Best Western Burley Inn. A number of educational seminars and workshops will be held throughout the two days to provide growers with the latest information in the industry.

Rick Waitley, IHFA Executive Director, highlighted a few of the special presentations. According to Waitley, the conference offers a variety of subjects.

USDA's National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently announced that the deadline for producer applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) has been extended to January 27, 2012. While CSP is a continuous sign-up program and producers can apply to enroll at any time of the year, NRCS applies a cut-off date for applications to be considered during a particular fiscal year.

A clearer picture of corn's biochemical responses to insect and fungal attacks is emerging, thanks to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) studies in Gainesville, Florida. On one front, researchers identified defensive compounds, known as zealexins and kauralexins, which rapidly accumulate at fungal infection sites, impeding the microbes' continued spread. On another front, the researchers discovered a new protein signal in corn, called ZmPep1, which alerts the plant to fungal intruders and helps mobilize a timely counterattack.

World Ag Expo will celebrate 45 years of excellence February 14-16, 2012, in Tulare, California. The largest annual agricultural exposition of its kind, World Ag Expo touts more than 1,400 exhibitors who display cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show grounds. An estimated average of 100,000 individuals from 70 countries attend the Expo each year to learn about the latest advances in agriculture.