Row Crop Grower Education Program

Lower Rio Grande Valley row crop growers have a chance to learn practical ways to maximize efficiency and productivity in furrow irrigated production at half-day education program Oct. 16 in Weslaco. The Texas Water Resources Institute, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and the Texas Water Development Board are co-hosting the program. Registration and coffee is at 7:30 a.m. at the Texas A&M Kingsville Citrus Center, 312 N. International Blvd. The event is free, but attendees are required to pre-register at http://twri.tamu.edu/irrigation by Oct. 10. Dr. Jason Krutz, director of the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute, will give the keynote on maximizing profitability and reducing water use in furrow irrigated fields using a combination of technology and management approaches proven effective in the Mississippi Delta. There is a common misconception that furrow irrigation is not efficient, but integrating new technologies into a furrow irrigation system has proven otherwise. A panel of local producers will discuss some unique factors impacting irrigation in the Valley and the challenges they pose when considering application of irrigation methods used in the southeast.