DATE: 4/20/05

CONTACT: Dr. Jim Frederick, (843) 662-3526

WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343, ext. 241

Pee Dee REC to host Conservation Tillage Systems Conference in June

FLORENCE – South Carolina will host the 27th Annual Southern Conservation Tillage Systems Conference June 27-29 at Clemson University ’s Pee Dee Research and Education Center near Florence .

“The conference will present the latest information on technologies and practices associated with conservation tillage systems,” said Jim Frederick, Clemson Extension agronomist and member of the conference organizing committee.

“Participants will hear why conservation tillage is a win-win situation,” he said. “It is more environmentally friendly in many ways, and it is also more profitable the vast majority of the time.”

The conference will be open to scientists, educators, farmers and private industry professionals from all over the South. The program, still being developed, will include oral and poster presentations and field tours on topics such as precision farming, waste management, environmental issues, pest management, changes in soil quality and equipment demonstrations.

Innovative tractor guidance systems and new technologies related to soil management will be shown.

John Hassell, executive director for the Conservation Technology Information Center in Purdue , Ind. , will be the keynote speaker for the conference.

“Hassell is nationally recognized for his expertise on conservation issues related to water quality,” said Frederick .

Clemson University and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service are organizing the conference, with sponsorship to date from the S.C. Farm Bureau, Farm Credit, Pioneer Seed, the USDA-National Resource Conservation Service and the S.C. Cotton Board.

For more information on the program and registration, go to: http://agroecology.clemson.edu/conference.htm .

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