NRCS State Conservationist to Speak at Soil and Water Education Conference

Jan 20, 2015

Arkansas native and State Conservationist Mike Sullivan of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will be the luncheon speaker for Arkansas State University’s 17th annual Soil and Water Education Conference on Friday, Jan. 30, at the A-State Convocation Center, 217 Olympic Drive.

Mike Sullivan

Sullivan is one of a number of speakers slated to discuss topics that include soil health and fertility management, program updates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a National Weather Service review of 2014’s weather and the forecast for 2015, the state water plan’s implication on area row crops and irrigation water management.

"A-State’s College of Agriculture and Technology is pleased to participate in the Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference,” said Dr. Tim Burcham, dean of the college. “The conference serves the Mid-South region by providing outreach information/education offerings to the public, farmers, ranchers, educators and agribusiness professionals, and, of course, our students. It features nationally recognized soil and water professionals as well as farmers sharing their real-world experiences in implementing conservation practices. The continued growth of this conference highlights the need for wise use of our natural resources.”

Registration will begin at 8 a.m., followed by two morning sessions, with a mid-morning break included. The luncheon will include Sullivan’s presentation, and will also reveal the recipient of this year’s ‘Outstanding Conservation Award.” A third session will follow the luncheon, and should adjourn at 3 p.m.

During his 33-year career with NRCS, Sullivan has worked in Nebraska, Mississippi, Arizona and Arkansas, where he has served as state conservationist since 2009. He is a registered professional engineer, and earned degrees at the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University.

Registration for the daylong conference, including lunch, is $40. Certified Crop Adviser Soil and Water Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be awarded to those who attend. To register online, individuals should follow the conference link at AState.edu/SoilAndWater. For questions, contact Chris Jones at 870.972.2043 or by email chrisjones@AState.edu

Source:astate.edu

Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.