Don't wait until the field is overflowing to determine water management strategies. 

A lack of water drainage and soil conservation practices in agricultural operations can weigh heavily on overall farm profitability and sustainability over time if not managed. Management starts with understanding field conditions, options to fit specific field needs, and having resources to turn to when it is time to make change. 

Professionals from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois Extension are partnering up for an exclusive, two-day agriculture workshop, Integrated Water Management for Farmers and Landowners, on Nov. 6 and 7 at the Farm Credit Illinois Regional Office at 1100 Farm Credit Dr., Mahomet.

Workshop attendees will spend two days interacting with university researchers as well as Extension and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff, learning about the impacts of agricultural drainage on farmland productivity and the surrounding environment.

Presentation topics include the basics of integrated water management, soil drainage, conservation, nutrient loss reduction strategy, surface runoff, erosion, and more.

The cost to attend is $15 and includes lunch on both days for those who register by Nov. 1. There will be 10 Certified Crop Adviser CEUs available for this training.

Integrated Water Management Workshop Agenda

DAY 1: Nov. 6 | 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Theater Room, Central Office Building

9:00 a.m.   Opening Remarks
Presenters: Travis Burke, Extension program leader, agriculture and agribusiness, and Shibu Kar, Extension program leader, Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy

9:10 a.m.   Introduction to Integrated Water Management and Workshop Overview
Presenter: Bin Peng, assistant professor and Extension specialist, agricultural hydrology

9:30 a.m.   Understanding Your Field

• Soil properties and field hydrology.
• Within-field variability of soil condition, crop growth, and productivity.

Presenters: Bin Peng, assistant professor and Extension specialist, agricultural hydrology, and Talon Becker, Extension specialist, commercial agriculture

11:00  a.m.  Identifying the Problem and Weighing Your Options: Part 1

• Poor soil drainage.
• Surface runoff and erosion.

Presenters: Luciano Alves de Oliveira, assistant professor and Extension specialist, water management, Bin Peng, assistant professor and Extension specialist, agricultural hydrology, and Talon Becker, Extension specialist, commercial agriculture

Noon   Lunch

1:00 p.m.   Identifying the Problem and Weighing Your Options: Part 2

• Nutrient use efficiency.
• Questions to ask your contractor.

Presenter: Luciano Alves de Oliveira, assistant professor and Extension specialist, water management, Bin Peng, assistant professor and Extension specialist, agricultural hydrology, and Talon Becker, Extension specialist, commercial agriculture

2:30 p.m.   Improving Soil Drainage

• Basics of drainage design and plan implementation.
• Step-by-step process. 
• Open discussion.

Presenter: Richard Cooke, professor and Extension specialist, soil drainage management, and Luciano Alves de Oliveira, assistant professor and Extension specialist, water management

4:30 p.m.   Adjourn

DAY 2: Nov. 7 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tom Tracy Collaboration Room, Mahomet Regional Office Building

9:00 a.m.   Integrated Water Management for Sustainable Production and Environmental Quality 

• Why is integration and systems thinking important?
• Combining in-field and edge-of-field practices.
• Lesser-known edge-of-field water management practices.
• Open discussion.

Presenter: Joan Cox, Extension program manager, nutrient loss reduction strategy, Rachel Curry, Extension educator, nutrient loss reduction strategy, and Bin Peng, assistant professor and Extension specialist, agricultural hydrology

11:00 a.m.   Surface Runoff Management and Soil Erosion Control

• Available practices and their efficacy.
• Implementation timelines.
• Open discussion.

Presenter: Rabin Bhattarai, associate professor, erosion and sediment control, Luciano Alves de Oliveira, assistant professor and Extension specialist, water management, and Aaron Pryer, assistant state conservation engineer, USDA-NRCS

Noon   Lunch

1:00 p.m.   Nutrient Management for Better Nutrient Use Efficiency

• Nutrient cycling.
• Current recommendations, ongoing research, and decision-support tools.
• Open discussion.

Presenter: John Jones, assistant professor and Extension specialist, soil fertility, and Talon Becker, Extension specialist, commercial agriculture

3:00 p.m.   Workshop Summary and Discussion

3:30 p.m.   Adjourn