STONEVILLE -- Row crop producers, landowners and others interested in the latest research findings and technologies related to water management can attend a one-day event in Stoneville.

State and regional experts will gather Dec. 10 in the Capps Center, located at the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center, for the Irrigation and Water Conservation Summit.

The event begins with a general session at 9:30 a.m. Eleven different topics, such as irrigation efficiency, surge valves and cover crops, will be offered repeatedly during a series of five breakout sessions before and after lunch. Another general session will be conducted during lunch.

Some breakout sessions feature producers who will discuss their experiences with different production methods and products, such as Delta Plastics’ irrigation management software, Pipe Planner, which is available at no cost to farmers.

Jason Krutz, irrigation specialist with the MSU Extension Service, said this event is an opportunity for producers to get the first glimpse at 2014 growing season results from the Row-crop Irrigation Science and Extension Research, or RISER, program.

“Using available technology is critically important to conserving our natural resources,” Krutz said. “This summit is just one opportunity to learn about irrigation. As in the past, the MSU Extension Service will deliver a series of irrigation workshops at the county level around the state in January and February to teach producers how to use Pipe Planner, soil moisture sensors and irrigation scheduling tools.”

Registration is not required to attend. The Delta Research and Extension Center is located at 82 Stoneville Road in Stoneville.

“MSU is very pleased to partner with so many of our colleagues for a summit on this important issue,” said Joe Street, Associate Director of the MSU Extension Service. “Our recent collaboration with the University of Arkansas and Delta Plastics to increase irrigation efficiency is just one part of MSU’s ongoing efforts to apply research-based practices to production agriculture.”

For more information about the summit, contact Sam Mabry with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality at 601-951-8833.

The Governor’s Delta Sustainable Water Resources Task Force is hosting the summit. Partners include the MSU Extension Service, the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, the University of Arkansas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Yazoo Mississippi Delta Joint Water Management District, Delta Plastics and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.