On Jan. 11, the Environmental Protection Agency announced new seven-year registrations for Enlist and Enlist Duo herbicides for over-the-top use on herbicide-tolerant soybeans, corn and cotton. This reregistration is very timely, as both previous five-year registrations were set to expire in January 2022.
ASA President Brad Doyle (AR) voiced cautious optimism regarding EPA’s decision. “Enlist is a vital tool for soybean growers to protect their crops from damaging weeds and maintain important conservation practices,” Doyle said. “While we are cautious with reports of new restrictions on Enlist and will be carefully reviewing the registration in the days ahead to determine its impact on growers, a new registration for Enlist is a welcome announcement.”
While this news is positive for growers, the new registrations come with several new Endangered Species Act use restrictions aimed primarily at mitigating runoff and pollinator risks. The registration also includes prohibitions on using Enlist or Enlist Duo in certain counties where ESA risks are significant. For more information about this and other activities and initiatives of the American Soybean Association, go to soygrowers.com
The California Agricultural Irrigation Association dinner meeting was held at the Visalia Elk’s Lodge on Feb. 8 during the 2022 World Ag Expo in Tulare. It was well attended with more than 200 guests. The keynote presentation highlighted the importance of cybersecurity in the agricultural industry. Hosting the evening were the new CAIA Board members who welcomed the opportunity to greet CAIA members and guests alike. All those present enjoyed networking and catching up with one another on the latest happenings in the industry.
CAIA will once again hold its fall meeting at the SeaCrest Oceanfront Hotel in Pismo Beach, California. CAIA members, irrigation industry representatives and other interested parties are all encouraged to attend. When details are arranged, they will be available on the CAIA website at calirrigation.com.
The Family Farm Alliance members and guests gathered in person for the first time in two years at the organization’s 2022 annual convention in Reno, Nevada, Feb. 24-25.
Interior Department Assistant Secretary Tanya Trujillo delivered the opening keynote address, focusing on the Western drought, department plans to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Colorado River challenges, issues that were further expanded upon by all five Bureau of Reclamation regional directors.
USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie delivered the luncheon address virtually from his office in Washington, D.C., and outlined the Biden administration’s conservation and climate initiatives.
The 2022 conference was one of the best attended in recent memory. For more information, go to familyfarmalliance.org.
The IA and the Irrigation Innovation Consortium signed a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 9, 2021, during the Irrigation Show and Education Week. This agreement was made in recognition of the IA’s continued support of the IIC and the common interests, ideas and goals shared by both organizations.
Hosted at Colorado State University, the IIC is an alliance among the irrigation industry and university researchers to collaboratively address short-term and long-term research needs of the agriculture and landscape irrigation industries.
The IA was one of the founding organizations of the IIC in 2018, along with other academic and industry partners. For more information about the IIC, go to irrigationinnovation.org.
Make plans now to join us in Las Vegas for the 2022 Irrigation Show and Education Week Dec. 5-9. After a successful return to an in-person event in 2021, the Irrigation Association is even more excited to host the industry in Las Vegas while also co-locating with the National Ground Water Association for Groundwater Week. The show will showcase the best the industry has to offer, including the latest irrigation products and technologies to hit the market, IA University courses and unmatched networking opportunities.
Registration opens this summer with early bird discounts. For more information, go to irrigationshow.org.
The IA’s annual agriculture Faculty Academy is scheduled for June 8-10. This virtual two-day event is for veteran and new instructors wanting to further their education about irrigation concepts and technologies or be introduced to them. All high school and two- and four-year instructors are encouraged to join us for a series of free live webinars ranging from one to two hours in length.
Registration opens in late March. Further information and registration instructions can be found at irrigation.org/facultyacademy.
Smart Irrigation Month is our industry’s opportunity to come together during the month of July to promote the social, economic and environmental benefits of efficient irrigation. The IA invites the industry to join us for this important initiative.
For more information, tips and resources, visit smartirrigationmonth.org.
If you are curious what career pathways are avail-able in ag irrigation, visit irrigationcareers.org to learn about the sectors and positions available, as well as education needed and compensation.
The National Cotton Council continues to promote enrollment in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a sustainability initiative helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, soil loss, energy use and water use. Cotton producers are encouraged to enroll their 2021 crop in the Trust Protocol by the March 31, 2022, deadline to be eligible for any revenue sharing that may be available in 2022.
According to the inaugural Trust Protocol annual report at report.trustuscotton.org, some 950,000 cotton bales, representing 6% of U.S. cotton grown in 2020-21, were enrolled in the Trust Protocol. The goal is to bring on board three million bales of U.S. cotton for 2021-22 and enroll 50% of U.S.-grown cotton by 2025. More about this voluntary program, including how to enroll, is available at trustuscotton.org. Direct questions to the Grower Helpdesk at growers@trustuscotton.org.
A collaboration between the National Ground Water Association and Oklahoma State University aims to address a projected shortfall of geoscience workers and improve access to groundwater.
NGWA University powered by OSU is a new online learning platform featuring Drilling Basics Online. The program consists of five eight-hour learning modules, covering workplace safety, geology and ground-water, hydrogeology and fluid mechanics, rig types and well design, and drill rig safety.
The modules are designed for industry professionals, entry-level workers and college students and can lead to certifications and university degrees. The tools are ideal to help train new employees and improve the safety and skills of drilling industry workers. For more information, go to ngwa.org/drillingbasics.
Voices of the Valley, the ag-tech podcast from the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology, released a series of three podcasts focusing on water issues in agriculture. The first featured Domonic Rossini, team leader of agronomy in the West at Netafim, speaking on the “Interplay Between Water, Tech and Regulation.” The second podcast was “How to Become an Agtech Impact Rainmaker” with Ethy Levy, fund manager at Kinneret Impact Ventures, and the third was “Building Communities for Resuscitating Water Conservation” with groundwater expert Elisa Blanco.
Voices of the Valley is available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. For more information, go to wga.com.
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