2025 Southwest Hay and Forage Conference to Address Growers’ Challenges, Potential Solutions

Nov 27, 2024

Forage growers in the Southwest face a number of challenges, including drought, pests and weeds, among other issues that threaten crops. The 2025 Southwest Hay and Forage Conference, hosted by New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the New Mexico Hay Association, will provide more information to address those challenges.

The conference will take place Jan. 22-24 at the Ruidoso Convention Center, 111 Sierra Blanca Drive, in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Among the topics to be presented at the conference include “Alfalfa and Drought: Mitigating Profit Losses,” “Alfalfa IPM and Pesticide Loss,” “Late Season Decline: A New Disease in Corn,” Sorghum Grass Herbicides and Other Technologies,” “Stem Nematode in New Mexico,” and “Economics of Good Soil Health: What it Costs Your Operation NOT to Test.” Additional topics include “Regenerative Agriculture: Separating Fact from Fiction,” and “Alfalfa-Corn Interseeding: Can it Work?” There will also be industry updates, and participants will have the opportunity to speak directly to consultants, industry representatives, researchers and specialists.

NMSU Extension forage specialist Mark Marsalis said pests in the form of insects, weeds and vertebrate pests cost New Mexico hay growers millions of dollars each year.

“This year’s conference will address some of those issues and provide updates on other problems growers are facing,” Marsalis said. “Overall, this conference is a great opportunity for growers to learn more about these issues and network with experts who may be able to provide potential solutions.”

Five New Mexico Pesticide Applicator Continuing Education Units, or CEUs, have been approved for the conference. Texas, Arizona and Certified Crop Adviser CEUs will be requested.

The conference will also feature a trade show and its popular Ace-in-the-Hole Casino Party and fundraiser following dinner Jan. 23, as well as the Paint Party with Peggy Krantz that afternoon.

Pre-registration is $150 per person before Dec. 31. Attendees may register after Dec. 31 or at the door for $175. Annual membership dues to the New Mexico Hay Association are $55.

Source : nmsu.edu

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.