2008 California Alfalfa & Forage Symposium
and Western Alfalfa Seed Conference
2-4 December 2008 | San Diego, CA
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PCA and CCA Credits Available
PCA Credits7 hours total: 1 hr Laws & Reg, 6 hrs Other
CCA Credits17 hours total: 8 hrs Day 1 (Tour), 6 hrs Day 2 (Full Day), 3 hrs Day 3 (Half Day)


Overview
  • Welcome:   This is the home of the 2008 California Alfalfa & Forage Symposium. Watch this site for exhibitor information, registration, and program information. This year, we are combining the California Alfalfa Symposium, a comprehensive alfalfa-forage informational meeting with the Western Alfalfa Seed Conference, which focuses on the special needs of seed production. The conference includes an agricultural tour of the Imperial Valley and a Trade Show with over 50 exhibitors.
  • Location:  Town and Country Resort and Hotel
  • 2008 California Alfalfa & Forage Symposium:   Now in its 38th year, this is a comprehensive alfalfa and forage production meeting. We also feature other forage crops, such as corn and sudangrass, which fit into the forage systems of the West. This is a meeting of relevance to all forage growers, with particular interest to the Southwest US.
  • Western Alfalfa Seed Conference:  This conference combines the Northwest Alfalfa Seed Growers' Winter Conference with the California Alfalfa Seed Symposium. Key issues pertaining to production and marketing of alfalfa seed, including biotechnology, pollination, irrigation, and pest management will be covered.
  • Expected Attendance:  600-800

Tuesday, Dec 2nd


Field Tour (Imperial Valley)
7:45 AM - 6 PM
Tour the phenomenally productive farmland of the Imperial Valley in the Low Desert of California. We are likely to see alfalfa seed conditioning facilities, alfalfa compressed hay for export, winter vegetable crop production, pest management techniques, alfalfa production on beds, deficit irrigation experiments, grower equipment, and discuss water transfer issues.

Lunch Included.

Meet at 7:45 am, depart at 8:00 am — Town & Country Hotel Convention Center, San Diego (West Side of hotel).

Return to San Diego approximately 6:00 pm.

Space Limited – sign up early!

Contact our Field Tour Chair – Khaled Bali for more information

 
Exhibitor Setup
1 - 6 PM
 
Registration
6 - 8 PM
Pick up registration packet
 
Alfalfa Workgroup Reception - Suites
6:30 - 7:30 PM
 

Wednesday, Dec 3rd


Registration
6:30 - Noon
 
Western Alfalfa Seed Growers Association and Research Council Board Meeting
6:30 - 8 AM
 
Morning Main Session
8 - Noon
Dairy and Forage Industry Trends
Moderator: Carol Frate, Farm Advisor, UCCE Tulare, CA
8:00 am Welcome
Dan Putnam & Rod Christensen
 
8:10 Hay Market Trends
Seth Hoyt, The Hoyt Report, Ione, CA
 
8:35 Dairy Industry Status and Trends
Eric Erba, California Dairies, Inc., Visalia, CA
 
9:00 The Changing Nature of Dairy Rations and how it affects forage demand
Jerry Higginbotham, Dairy Farm Advisor, UCCE Fresno Co., Fresno, CA
 
9:25 Upcoming Environmental Challenges – What are the implications for the Forage Industry?
Cynthia Cory, CA Farm Bureau Federation, Sacramento, CA
 
9:50 Discussion
 
10:00 BREAK
 
Seed Industry Trends and Biotech Crops
Moderator: Rod Christensen
10:30 Producing Quality Seed for the Forage Industry
Shannon Mueller, Farm Advisor, UCCE Fresno Co., Fresno, CA
 
10:50 Seed Industry Trends
Mark McCaslin, President, Forage Genetics International, Minneapolis, MN
 
11:10 Gene Flow and Stewardship of GE Alfalfa
Larry Teuber, Alfalfa Geneticist, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
11:30 Regulatory Review of Roundup Ready Alfalfa
Virgil Meier, Biotechnology Regulatory Services, USDA-APHIS, Riverdale, MD
 
11:50 Discussion
 
 
Banquet Lunch
Noon
Beth Nelson, NAFA; John Bonner, CAST
 
Simultaneous Afternoon Breakout Sessions (I-IV)
1:30 - 5 PM
Breakout Session I: Alfalfa Pest Management
Chairs: Eric Natwick, Mick Canevari, Rob Wilson, Barry Tickes
Moderators: Eric Natwick, Rob Wilson
1:30 Alfalfa Weed Control: Present and Future Opportunities
Barry Tickes, Farm Advisor, University of Arizona, Yuma, AZ
 
1:50 Summer Annual Grass Control Strategies
Mick Canevari, Farm Advisor, UCCE San Joaquin Co., Stockton, CA
 
2:10 Poisonous Weeds and Impacts on Animals
Birgit Puschner, University of California Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Davis, CA
 
2:30 Pest Quiz - Test your Pest IQ
Tulio Macedo, Farm Advisor, UCCE Madera and Merced Co's., Madera, CA
 
2:50 Discussion
 
3:00 Break
 
3:30 Controlling Alfalfa Weevil and Aphids in Alfalfa
Larry Godfrey, Extension Specialist, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
3:50 Alfalfa Nematodes: What can be done?
Becky Westerdahl, Extension Specialist, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
4:10 Controlling the Worm Complex in Alfalfa
Eric Natwick, Farm Advisor, UCCE Imperial Co., Holtville, CA
 
4:30 IPM in Timothy and Cool-Season Grasses
Dominic Reisig, Research Associate, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
4:50 Discussion
 
5:00 Adjourn
 
Breakout Session II: Irrigation and Water Management, Manure, and Tillage
Chairs: Blake Sanden, Mike Ottman, Khaled Bali
Moderators: Blake Sanden, Mike Ottman
1:30 Water Management for Alfalfa Hay Production on Beds
Dean Currie, Imperial Irrigation District, El Centro, CA
 
1:50 Irrigation scheduling Program for Alfalfa
Rick Snyder, Extension Specialist, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
2:10 Salinity Tolerance and Management in Alfalfa
Blake Sanden, UCCE Kern Co., Bakersfield, CA
 
2:30 Potential Perched Water Contributions to Alfalfa ET
Jim Ayars, USDA, Parlier, CA
 
2:50 Discussion
 
3:00 Break
 
3:30 Phosphorus Runoff Management for Alfalfa in Desert Regions
Khaled Bali, UCCE Imperial Co., Holtville, CA
 
3:50 Flood vs. Pivot Irrigation for Forage Crops. What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Paul Brown, Extension Biometeorologist, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
 
4:10 Conservation Tillage, Triple Cropping and Forage Production
Jeff Mitchell, Extension Tillage Specialist, UC Davis, and Kearney Ag Center, Parlier, CA
 
4:30 Recycling Lagoon Water using Forage Crops
Marsha C. Mathews, UCCE Stanislaus Co., Modesto, CA
 
4:50 Discussion
 
5:00 Adjourn
 
Breakout Session III. Producing Quality Alfalfa Seed
Chairs: Shannon Mueller, Rod Christensen, Shane Johnson, and Kirk Rolfs
Moderators: Rod Christensen, Kirk Rolfs
1:30 Stewardship Practices that Facilitate Coexistence when Producing Alfalfa Seed Including GE Traits
Mike Moore, Manager of the Wyoming Seed Certification Service, University of Wyoming, Powell, WY
 
1:50 Breeding Alfalfa for Resistance to Lygus
Larry Teuber, Alfalfa Geneticist, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
2:10 Lygus Management in Seed Alfalfa
Eric Natwick, Farm Advisor, UCCE Imperial Co., Holtville, CA
 
2:30 Management of Other Insect Pests in Alfalfa Seed
Doug Walsh, Research Entomologist, Washington State University, Prosser, WA
 
2:50 Discussion
 
3:00 Break
 
3:30 Weed Management in Alfalfa Seed
Rick Boydston, Weed Scientist, USDA-ARS, Prosser, WA
 
3:50 ARS & Logan Bee Lab Update
Rosalind James, Director, Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Logan, UT
 
4:10 Honey Bee Update - Colony Collapse Disorder, Africanized Bees
Kirk Visscher, Professor, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA
 
4:30 Leafcutting Bees and Chalkbrood Management
Rosalind James, Director, Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Logan, UT
 
4:50 Discussion
 
5:00 ADJOURN
 
Breakout Session IV. Corn, Sorghum, Sudan and Tef as Forage Crops
Chairs: Marsha C. Mathews, Carol Frate
Moderator: Marsha C. Mathews
1:30 Future Trends in Corn Genetics and Biotechnology
Bill Curran, Research Scientist, Pioneer Hi-bred, Greeley, CO
 
1:50 Forage Sorghum and Silage Corn: Yield, Quality and Water Use
Brent Bean, Extension Agronomist, Texas A&M University, Amarillo, TX
 
2:10 Sudangrass Quality and Yield Traits: What to Look For
Juan Guerrero, Farm Advisor, UCCE Imperial Co., Holtville, CA
 
2:30 Tef as an Alternative Summer Forage
Don Miller, Director of Product Development, Producer’s Choice Seeds, Nampa, ID
 
2:50 Discussion
 
3:00 ADJOURN
 
 
Exhibitor's Reception
5 - 6 PM
 
Haygrower's Auction ( organized by CAFA )
5:30 - 7 PM
 
NAFA Board Meeting
7 - 10 PM
 

Thursday, Dec 4th


CAFA Breakfast ( See CAFA booth for ticket )
6:15 AM
 
Registration
7 - 10 AM
 
Morning Main Session
8 - Noon
Equipment Innovations and Forage Systems
Moderator: Shannon Mueller
8:00 Introductions
 
8:10 Innovations in Forage Equipment
Dan Undersander, Extension Forage Specialist, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
 
8:35 An Analysis of Custom Harvesting Costs
Karen Klonsky, Extension Economist, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
9:00 Alfalfa and Switchgrass as Cellulosic Biofuels
Dan Putnam, Extension Forage Specialist, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
9:25 Growing Crops for Biofuels: Implications for Water Resources
Mike Ottman, Forage Specialist, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
 
9:50 Discussion
 
10:00 BREAK
 
Water, Fertilizers, and Food Security
Moderator: Dan Putnam
10:30 How Much Water does Alfalfa Really Need?
Blaine Hanson, Irrigation Specialist, UC Davis, Davis, CA
 
10:55 Rising Fertilizer Prices - A Global Perspective
Rob Mikkelsen, Director, Western North America, International Plant Nutrition Institute, Merced, CA
 
11:20 Maximizing Fertilizer Efficiency through Tissue Testing and Improved Application Methods
Steve Orloff, Farm Advisor, UCCE Siskiyou Co., Yreka, CA
 
11:45 Security of Food Production — What does the Future Hold?
Bryan McDonald, Center for Unconventional Security Affairs, UC Irvine, Irvine, CA
 
12:10 Discussion
 
12:30 ADJOURN MEETING
 
 

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