Program

A pdf version of the agenda is also available.

Sunday, December 11

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Noon-7:30, Nevada Agricultural Tour

This tour will visit Two Hawk Ranch, in Sandy Valley, Nevada, and end with a barbeque dinner hosted by the local school district in this small desert town. We'll depart via buses from the Las Vegas Hilton at noon and travel through the Nevada desert to Sandy Valley, an agricultural region one hour south of Vegas. We plan to observe alfalfa production systems under pivot irrigation. Highlights will be demonstrations in the field of 1) Irrigation Management and nozzle designs, 2) Herbicide demonstration (comparison of Roundup Ready & Conventional), 3) Discussion of Forage Quality in Hay, 4) Alfalfa cubing operations, and 5) Fertilizer practices.

Tour Chair: Tim Hays, Wilbur Ellis, Lancaster, California

Instructors and Committee: Tim Hays, Lancaster, CA; Dan Putnam, UC Davis; Steve Orloff, UCCE, Yreka, CA;  Andre Biscaro, UCCE, Lancaster, CA; Mike Ottman, University of Arizona, Tucson; Earl Creech, Utah State University; Khaled Bali, UCCE, El Centro, CA; Jack (Butch) Moyle, Moyle Irrigation, Enterprise, UT

Need to bring: Good walking shoes, jackets and hats, as sometimes the weather is cold.  There will be bathroom facilities on the bus and port-a-potties at the Farm.

Fee includes bus transportation, lunch and a barbeque dinner at the end of the day. Tour is closed, contact us to be placed on the waiting list.

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.,  Exhibitor set up at the Las Vegas Hilton, Ballroom A & B

3-6 p.m., Early registration at the Las Vegas Hilton, Registration Area

Monday, December 12

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6:30 am Registration

7:00 am Exhibits Open, Ballroom A & B

8-12 MAIN SESSION, Ballroom C

8:00 Introductions - Dan Putnam, UC Davis, Conference Chair

Welcome - Karen Hinton, Dean Cooperative Extension, University of Nevada, Reno

Hay Industry Trends

Moderator: Earl Creech, Utah State University, Logan, Utah

8:05  Hay Markets in the Western States—Seth Hoyt, The Hoyt Report, Ione, California

8:30  Dairy Situation in the Western US—Bill Van Dam, Alliance of Western Milk Producers, Sacramento, California

8:55  Environmental Challenges and Solutions for Dairies—Deanne Meyer, California Dairy Quality Assurance Program, University of California, Davis, California

9:20 Producing the Best Alfalfa or Grass Hay for Horses—Bill Schurg, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

9:45  Discussion

10:00 Break, Ballroom A & B

World Issues and Trends and Markets

Moderator: Mike Ottman, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

10:30  European Alfalfa Dehydration Systems—Eric Guillemot, Secretary General, European Association of Dehydrators, Paris, France

10:55  World Fertilizer Demand and Supply—Don Horneck, Oregon State University, Hermiston, Oregon

11:20  Alfalfa in the Context of Global Price Prospects—Dan Sumner, Ag Issues Center, University of California, Davis, California

11:45  Discussion

12:00  Noon Banquet Lunch, Pavilion 1-2-3

Breakout Session I.  Corn and Small Grain Silage and Forage Crops (1:30 to 5:00), Ballroom C

Moderators: Carol Frate and Marsha Campbell Mathews, UC Cooperative Extension, Modesto and Tulare, California

1:30   Breeding and Managing the Ideal Corn Silage Hybrid—Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

1:50   Optimizing Agronomic Practices for Corn Silage—Jeremy Groeteke, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Johnstown, Iowa

2:10   The art and Science of Making Silage Crops—Richard Muck, USDA-ARS, Madison, Wisconsin

2:30   Analyzing Silage Crops for Quality: What is most important?—Ralph Ward, Cumberland Valley Analytical Services, Hagerstown, Maryland

2:50   Discussion

3:00   Break, Ballroom A & B

3:30   Advantages of Forage Sorghum for Silage in Limited Input Systems—Mark Marsalis, New Mexico State University, Clovis, New Mexico

3:50    Challenges and Benefits of Interseeding Legumes into Grass-dominated Pastures and Hayfields—Joe Brummer, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

4:10   What is the fate of N Fertilizer in Grass Pastures and Small Grain Forage?—Don Horneck, Oregon State University, Hermiston, Oregon

4:30   The Potential of Teff as an Alternative Forage Crop for Irrigated Regions—Jay Davison, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada

4:50   Discussion

5:00   Adjourn

Breakout Session II.   Pest Management (1:30 to 3:30 and 3:30 to 5:00), Ballroom D & E

Moderators: Rachael Long, UC Cooperative Extension, Woodland, California, Shannon Mueller, UC Cooperative Extension, Fresno, California

1:30 & 3:30  Developing an IPM Program for Controlling Pocket Gophers and Voles in Alfalfa—Roger Baldwin, UC Davis and Kearney Ag. Center, Parlier, California

1:50 & 3:50  Advances in Weed Management, is it Getting Better or Worse?—Mick Canevari, UCCE, Stockton, California

2:10 & 4:10  Alfalfa Insect Management in the Southwest US—Eric Natwick, UCCE, El Centro, California

2:30 & 4:30  Rethinking the Standard Test for Alfalfa Stem Nematode—Tim Woodward, Columbia Basin College, Pasco, Washington

2:50 & 4:50 Discussion

3:00 & 5:00  Break

Breakout Session III.  Irrigation and Soils (1:30 to 3:30 and 3:30 to 5:00), Ballroom F

Moderators: Khaled Bali, UC Cooperative Extension, El Centro, CA, Earl Creech, Utah State University, Logan, UT

1:30 & 3:30  Managing Drip Irrigation in Alfalfa--Rob Thomas, Grower, Seeley, California

1:50 & 3:50  Maintaining Center Pivots Successfully--Jack Moyle, Moyle Irrigation, Enterprise, Utah

2:10 & 4:10  Comparing Costs and Efficiencies of different irrigation systems--Blake Sanden, UC Cooperative Extension, Bakersfield, California

2:30 & 4:30  Irrigation Cutoffs with Alfalfa-What are the Implications?—Mike Ottman, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

2:50 & 4:50  Discussion

3:00 & 5:00  Break

 

5:00-6:30 PM   Exhibitor’s Reception, Ballroom A & B

6:00 CAFA Raffle

6:30 CAFA Business Meeting, Ballroom C

Dinner (on your own)

Tuesday, December 13

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7:00 a.m. Registration

8-12 MAIN SESSION, Ballroom C

Producing Quality Forages for Different Markets
Moderator: Chanda Engel, Oregon State University, Klamath Falls, Oregon

8:05  What are the Five Most Important Things to Measure in Hay Crops?—Dave Mertens, Mertens Innovations, Belleville, Wisconsin

8:30  How do Forage Quality Measurements Translate to Value to the Dairy Farmer?—Normand St-Pierre, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Talk Sponsored by Monsanto Corporation

8:55  Linking Markets with Forage Quality—Dan Putnam, University of California, Davis, California

9:15  The Dynamic World of Hay Exports—Nick Gombos, ACX Pacific Northwest, Inc, Wilmington, CA

9:35  Discussion

9:40  Break

GMOs and Roundup Ready® Alfalfa

Moderator:  Dan Putnam, UC Davis

10:00  Roundup Ready® Alfalfa- What Have We Learned to Date?—Steve Orloff, UC Cooperative Extension, Yreka, California

10:20  What are the Available Tools for Co-Existence of GE and Non-GE Alfalfa?—Rod Christensen, Ag Management, Inc.

10:40  A Survey of Growers on GE Crops and Coexistence—Dan Putnam, University of California, Davis, California

10:40 What are the Key Methods to Implement Coexistence between GE and non-GE alfalfa?—Panel Discussion

• Bill Simon, Simon Farms, Inc., Fairfield, ID (organic hay grower)
• Phil Bowles, Bowles Farming, Inc., Los Banos, CA (Roundup-Ready and conventional hay grower, Chair, California Alfalfa & Forage Assoc.)
• Chep Gauntt, Pasco, WA (Hay grower and Exporter, former Chair, Washington State Haygrowers Association)
• Scott Emanuelli, Seed and Hay Grower, El Centro, CA (organic and conventional seed producer, and hay and seed exporter)
• Mark McCaslin, CEO, Forage Genetics Int’l, Minneapolis, MN (developer of RR alfalfa, participant in USDA Coexistence talks)
• Paul Frey, CEO, Cal West Seeds, Woodland, CA (Grower-owned Seed Production Cooperative, participant in USDA Coexistence talks)
• Chuck Benbrook, The Organic Center, Boulder CO  (organic advocate, participant in USDA Coexistence talks)

12:15  ADJOURN Western Alfalfa & Forage Conference

Tuesday, December 13 12:20 Banquet

Requires separate registration and includes registration in Biofuels workshop.

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Speaker: Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, Washington DC (invited)

Biofuels in the West Workshop

1:30 - 5:30 p.m., Ballroom C

Chairs:

Steve Fransen, Washington State University
Jay Davison, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada

Description: This Workshop will include presentation of current data,  Discussion of Economics, and Possibilities of biofuels for Western States and has as its objective to bring together biofuel experts from many western states.

Topics:

1:30 – 2:15 Don Wysocki, Oregon State University, Pendleton. Agronomics and potential of oil seed crops for biofuel grown dryland or irrigated in the Pacific Northwest.

2:15 – 3:00 Dan Putnam, University of California, Davis. Cellulosic biofuel potential from annual and perennial grasses in the Pacific Southwest.

3:00 – 3:20 Break

3:20 – 4:00 Steve Fransen, Washington State University, Prosser. Cellulosic biofuel potential from annual and perennial grasses in the Pacific Northwest.

4:00 – 4:40 Steve Kaffka, University of California, Davis. Sustainability, life cycle analysis and policy development of biofuel crops for the western region.

4:40 – 5:20 Kate Painter, University of Idaho, Moscow. Economics of biofuel crops for growers in the western region.

5:20 – 5:30 Wrap up and questions and answers

5:30 Adjourn