DATE:      12/21/98
CONTACT:   Jim Palmer, (864) 656-3519

"Prescriptions for Profits" is Theme of S.C. Ag EXPO

     COLUMBIA -- The 5th Annual South Carolina Ag EXPO will be
held January 12-13 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in
Columbia. 
     The theme for this year's meeting will be "Prescription for
Profit - Integrating Market Opportunity, Technology, and
Management."
     "Last year's EXPO was attended by over 500 people, with
almost half of those being farmers," said Clemson Extension
Agronomist Jim Palmer. "With the current situation with our
agriculture of high costs, low commodity prices and
weather-influenced low yields, I expect lots of interest from all
quarters in the programs to be presented at this year's EXPO."
     The meeting will start with a continental breakfast at 7:30
a.m. on Jan. 12, followed at 8 a.m. by concurrent morning
sessions on: fruits and vegetables; cotton production; and
changes in Clemson's methodology for measuring lime requirement.
After the break, there will be concurrent sessions on cotton
production; forage production; interpreting and evaluating crop
performance data; and a session on soil acidity and liming.
     The luncheon on the 12th will feature an update on
regulatory issues, followed by annual business meetings of the 
various organizations that are sponsoring EXPO, e.g., the S.C.
Fertilizer and Agrichemicals Association and the S.C. Soybean
Association.
     At 1:30 p.m., there will be concurrent sessions on peanut
production; farm and financial management; and how chemical
reactions of phosphorus in soil affect fertilization needs. 
After the break, the '99 Outlook Conference will be held, in
which economists, lenders, and others will give their predictions
of supply, demand, and price outlook for the state's major
agricultural commodities.
     At 5:30 p.m., one of the highlights of EXPO, the Trade Show
and reception, will take place featuring interesting educational
exhibits from over 50 agribusinesses and farm organizations. 
Margaret Owens, executive director of the S.C. Soybean
Association and EXPO chair, reports that the Trade Show sold out
very early this year, so she expects this year's show to be the
best ever.
     After the continental breakfast on Jan. 13, there will be
concurrent sessions on wheat and soybean production; tobacco
production; and best management practices for South Carolina
soils. After a break there will be a general session with the
theme, "Precision Agriculture - What's Available Now and What
Works". The luncheon will feature a presentation of awards. The
afternoon concurrent sessions will feature talks on innovative 
cropping systems, best management practices for SC soils,
advanced technology for weed management, and site evaluations for
waste management. The meeting will adjourn at 5 p.m.
     There will be both Certified Crop Advisor and pesticide
applicator recertification credits offered for attendance at most
EXPO sessions. Those attending and needing these credits should
be sure to sign the appropriate forms at the sessions.
     Preregistration for EXPO is $35 per person, if received by
January 8. At the door, it will be $50. Send a check made out to
the S.C. Soybean Association to Margaret Owens, PO Box 11280,
Columbia, SC 29211. Owens can be reached at (803) 734-1767. For
hotel reservations, call the Sheraton at (803) 731-0300.
     "The S.C. Ag EXPO is the state's best technology transfer
meeting," Palmer said. "There are more commodities discussed,
more agribusiness representatives in attendance, and more
government agencies and farm organizations represented than at
any other agricultural gathering in the state."
                              END