TPPA's 33rd conference to focus on carbon market, soil health

Plans for the 33rd Texas Plant Protection Association Conference (TPPA) are underway. The theme of the two-day conference, Dec. 7-8, is "Current and Emerging Trends in Texas Agriculture."   

The conference is geared toward farmers and agriculture industry representatives. Hot topics will include the carbon market and soil health.  

"The focus of the General Session on Dec. 7th will be carbon credit/offset programs and the science behind them," says TPPA President Josh McGinty. "In the last few months, I’ve heard more about these programs than ever before, and we thought the conference would be a good opportunity to introduce our attendees to the idea of carbon offsets and how Texas farmers might approach participating in these programs." 

Carbon presentations include: 

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Carbon Crediting: Opportunities for Texas Producers 

2. Bayer Carbon Program 

3. How Cover Crops and Fertilizer help Build Carbon in the Soil 

4. Measuring Carbon 

5. Carbon Economics 

The 2021 conference will return to its in-person format in Bryan at the Brazos Center. A virtual option is also available for those who can't attend or prefer to participate online, says Bob Sasser, TPPA executive director.   

“After having a virtual-only conference last year, this year's in-person conference will give attendees the opportunity to interact with conference presenters and each other," Sasser says. "And of course, we will encourage all attendees to take the necessary safety precautions." 

For those attending online, TPPA is striving to make the virtual format as close to an in-person experience as possible. "We are working to make the virtual portion of the meeting just as interactive as if the attendee was in the room at the Brazos Center," McGinty says. 

Sessions 

Throughout the two-day conference, seven sessions will include 15-minute presentations on various related topics. The sessions include: 

1. Consultants 

2. Cotton 

3. Fertility Management 

4. Grain 

5. Horticulture/Turf 

6. Water and Irrigation Management 

7. Pasture and Rangeland 

CEUs will be available along with presenter abstracts and the poster contest for graduate and doctoral students. At the conclusion of the conference, TPPA will announce its award recipients, including the association's most prestigious award, the Norman Borlaug Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Conference registration and other information is available on the TPPA website: https://bit.ly/3kuI80M.