Workshops Jan. 24 and 26 to Focus on All Links in Oilseed Crop Supply Chain

Oilseed growers are reporting improved wheat yields with an oilseed in rotation.  The details of those reports as well as every aspect of oilseed crop production from seed supply to end use will be the focus of workshops at the Community Center in Odessa Jan. 24 and at Hill Ray Plaza in Colfax Jan. 26. The sessions are free and open to the public; registration information and workshop agendas are available at www.css.wsu.edu/biofuels. Pre-registration deadline is Jan. 20. Three Pesticide Continuing Education Unit credits are available at each workshop, and Certified Crop Advisor CEU credits will be announced when secured.

Mike Stamm, canola breeder in the Agronomy Department at Kansas State University, will be one of the featured presenters at both workshops. Stamm will discuss recent increases in winter canola production in the southern Great Plains over the past several years, as well as results from his canola research. His breeding program addresses many of the same agronomic challenges and opportunities Washington producers face such as stand establishment and winter hardiness, herbicide resistance and varieties tailored to dual-purpose use.

Other guest speakers include:

  • Tom Gehring, senior agronomist, Primeland Cooperatives, Cottonwood, Idaho
  • Jeff Scott, canola grower and president of Great Plains Canola Association, Pond Creek, Okla.
  • Heath Sanders, oilseed agronomist, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • George Weicker, feed mill operations manager, National Food Corp., Arlington, Wash.

Other workshop topics will include the rotational benefits and economics with an oilseed crop in rotation, recent WSU agronomic research findings,  and perspectives from experts involved in the entire oilseed supply chain from production to end use, including regional breeders and seed suppliers, crop consultants, oilseed processors, biodiesel consumers, and the livestock industry. Experienced regional oilseed and livestock producers, research and Extension faculty, and regional and national industry representatives will be sharing their expertise and perspectives.

The workshops are being sponsored and supported by Washington State University, USDA-ARS, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Washington Canola & Rapeseed Commission, U.S. Canola Association, Kansas State University, and local and regional agribusinesses.

 

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