January is a good time to make plans for the 2025 crop year and learn new practices, as well as consider what worked and didn’t work in the past year. The following are a couple of conferences that producers may want to attend.
Alabama Row Crops Short Course
Alabama producers can brush up on best management practices and prepare for the upcoming growing season at the 2025 Alabama Row Crops Short Course. The course will be held Jan. 21-22, 2025, at the Auburn University Research and Innovation Campus in Huntsville.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University’s College of Agriculture are partnering to bring producers an all-encompassing event geared toward understanding the current market conditions, improving farm practices and increasing profitability.
Eros Francisco, an Alabama Extension grain crops agronomist, says faculty, specialists and agents are working across production lines to equip farmers with relevant research and information.
“The 2025 Row Crops Short Course will bring highly qualified speakers to cover different hot topics that are of great interest to farmers,” Francisco says. “These include commodity prices, best management practices to manage risk, nutrient management, cotton and grain crops updates, deer damage management, economical pest control methods and much more.”
Registration is free through Jan. 12, after which registrants will pay a $40 registration fee. To register, visit www.aces.edu/go/RowCropsShortCourse.
The short course will open with a commodity market overview and financial recommendations for 2025. A panel discussion on diversification and risk management will follow. In the afternoon, the agenda will include sessions focused on grain crops, precision agriculture and weed management.
On Wednesday, the agenda includes cotton updates, variety selection, disease management, climate outlook, endangered species and regulations, new research opportunities and deer management.
The following Certified Crop Adviser continuing education units will be offered at the short course: Nutrient Management – 1.0 CEU; Soil and Water Management – 1.0 CEU; Integrated Pest Management — 2.0 CEUs; Crop Management – 2.5 CEUs.
2025 Spray Drone End-User Conference
The Spray Drone End-User Conference — the most informative and end-user-focused drone spraying event — is back for a third year. Hosted by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and Auburn University, this conference will discuss hot topics and industry trends and connect people in the spray-drone community from all over the world.
Several keynote presentations and 24 dynamic breakout sessions are planned to cover drone topics, such as regulations and compliance, business operations, finance, applied research and much more. There will also be many expert question-and-answer sessions to allow new users to ask questions regarding any aspects related to drones.
The conference is scheduled for March 23-26, at the Mobile Convention Center, 1 S. Water St., Mobile, AL 36602. Several registration options for both in-person and remote attendees are available as well as for early, regular and late registration. This year, there is also a discounted registration rate for academic professionals and students.
For more information on the 2025 Spray Drone End-User Conference, go to www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/2025-spray-drone-end-user-conference, or contact, Dr. Steve Li at steveli@auburn.edu.
