2007 Agronomy Continuing Conference

Founders Boardroom, Buehler Alumni Center, UCD Campus

Friday, January 19, 2007 v 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

 AGENDA

The purpose of the 2007 Agronomy Continuing Conference is to facilitate communications between UCCE farm advisors, faculty specialists, and teaching faculty.  Specific issues to be address this year are:  1) needs for new positions; 2) the possibilities and prospects for future scientific work pertaining to energy crops.

7:30 a.m.         Continental breakfast

 

8:00 a.m.         Introductions

 

8:15 a.m.         Discussion – New Positions/Cross-Commodity Needs of Workgroups Pertaining to Agronomic Crops. Create a matrix with potential farm advisor positions which fill important and emerging needs.  Identify the most important emerging needs for agronomic sciences for CE and OR positions.

 

9:45 a.m.         Break

 

10:00 a.m.      Agronomic Crops as Energy/Biomass Crops.  This is an informal session with a combination of presentations and discussion to focus attention on the potential for agronomic crops and cropping systems in California for energy production.

 

                        Introduction to the Topic (Steve Kaffka).  What do we hope to accomplish today? Overview of Agronomic Issues.  Kaffka-2007 Agr Cont Conf Intro

                        California’s Needs for Biofuels and State Policies (Rob Williams) Williams State Fed Bioenergy Initiatives

 

I. Basic Research and Genetics

·        Cell Wall Research Impacting Bio-energy Crops (Labavitch) Labavitch-Making Fuel fr Pl Biomass

·        Salt and Drought Tolerance (Blumwald)

·        Genomics of Grain Crops for Energy (Dvorak) Dvorak-UC Davis -USDAARS Genome RC

 

II. Agronomic Crops

·        Cellulosic Materials for Energy Crops (Putnam)

·        Oilseeds, Sugar and Grain Crops as Energy Crops (Kaffka) Kaffka- Grain, Oilseed & Sugar Crps

III. Biofuels Systems

·        Reduced Tillage and Low Input Systems for Energy Crops (Mitchell)

·        Energy Crops & Saline Soils and Water (Kaffka)  Insert:   Kaffka-Grain, Oilseed and Sugar Crops-continuation

·        Modeling of Sustainability for Energy Crops (Johan Six)  Six-Sustain Eco Sound Cost-Energy Eff Biofuels

·        Tradeoffs and Criteria for Selection of Energy Crops (Putnam)

 

12:30 p.m.       LUNCH – (morning talks continued, as needed)

 

1:30 p.m.         Discussion – The Framework for Research on Bio-Energy. 

1.      Where are the grant opportunities? 

2.      How do we organize teaching faculty, CE specialists, and farm advisors?  

3.  Next steps for the Bio-energy Workgroup

4.  Proposal for workgroup funds

                  5.  Opening up the process – organizing a broader workgroup?

 

3:30 p.m.        Adjourn