Dear SA-netters:
I am forwarding for your information a copy of an ad that will appear in the
April issue of Agronony News. It is basically to announce Division A-8
(Integrated Agricultural Systems) program plans for the annual meetings in
Seattle (13-18 November). Let me know if you have any questions or are
interested in participating.
Best Wishes!
Steve O.
A-8 PROGRAM PLANS
Division A-8 (Integrated Agricultural Systems) is planning several sessions
for the annual meetings in Seattle that may be of interest to members of the
Tri-Societies. Those members interested in making oral, poster, or software
presentations that fit the proposed session themes or general mission of A-8
(see Division A-8 Mission Statement in this Agronomy News issue) should
send three copies of completed title-summary forms by May 9 to Steve Oberle,
Chair Division A-8, 214 National Soil Tilth Lab, Iowa State University, Ames
IA 50011; 515/294-2421, fax 515/294-8125.
Designing a Diverse Future Agriculture Symposium.
Invited and volunteer sessions to describe the value of biological diversity in
agricultural systems at different levels in the spatial hierarchy from soil micro-
and macro-organisms through bioregional food systems in broad ecologically
defined areas; to explore the importance of integration of farming activities
with other economic pursuits in rural communities, the potentials for value-
added enterprises on the farm and in the community, and the need for long-
term vision in planning the future; and to emphasize the role of women and
other under-represented groups (minorities, farm labor, Native
Americans, environmental activists, among others) in the planning process.
Co-sponsors for this session currently include Division A-6 and the Women in
Agronomy Committee (ACS 526).
Integrating Alternative Strategies into Weed Management Symposium.
Invited oral and volunteer poster sessions to describe alternative weed
management methods, to discuss adoption of alternative weed management
practices in farming systems, and to identify research direction and technology
needs relevant to developing effective and adaptable alternative weed
management systems. Co-sponsors for this session currently include A-4,
A-5, C-3, NCR-177, and WSSA.
Integrated Farming Systems Symposium and Resource Fair.
Volunteer presentations are solicited to identify and discuss on-going holistic
and integrated (systems) approaches used in agricultural research, information-
education programming, and technology development. Examples of topics
appropriate for this session include FSRE, integrated farming systems,
systems engineering, holistic resource management, integrated crop
management, nutrient-pest management, and whole-farm information systems.
This session will include a Resource Area for display of posters, information-
education materials, videos, and software demonstrations.
Sustainable Farming Systems Symposium.
Volunteer presentations are solicited to identify on-going research efforts and
information-education programs relevant to sustainable farming systems
development; and to discuss information, technology, economic and policy
constraints to developing sustainable farming systems.
Research and Technology Needs: Practitioner's Viewpoint Symposium.
Invited and volunteer presentations to discuss and prioritize the information
needs and technology requirements of agricultural practitioners and natural
resource conservationists, including farmers and those who provide agricultural
information, services, and products.
Statistical Methods for On-farm Research Symposium.
Invited and volunteer presentations to identify the various statistical approaches
used in on-farm research, to discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of
method used, and to synthesize on-farm research results.
Bridge Building Between On-farm and On-station Researchers
Symposium. Volunteer presentations are solicited to identify collaborative on-
farm and on-station research efforts, to discuss methods for integrating
research results at farming systems or other appropriate scales, and to discuss
knowledge gaps in on-farm and on-station research.
A-8 is also involved in joint sponsorship of several additional sessions on
Reinventing the College of Agriculture (A-1), Practical Approaches to
Achieving Technology Adoption (A-4), Sustainable Cropping Systems for the
Great Plains (S-6), and Research Database Needs for the Information Age
(S-6). Lead Divisions for these sessions are noted in parentheses.
.