Attendees at the upcoming 2008 National Alfalfa Symposium will have access to premier hay production and marketing experts. Sponsored by Hay & Forage Grower and the Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association, it and will take place Feb. 4-5, just prior to the annual Mid-America Alfalfa Expo in Kearney, NE.

The symposium begins at 12:30 p.m. with a presentation by Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin extension forage agronomist, on manipulating hay swaths to speed drying. Then Michael Russelle, USDA-ARS, will talk about alfalfa's potential as a green biomass crop, and Joe Bouton, Noble Foundation, will discuss breeding tomorrow's alfalfa.

Concurrent alfalfa management sessions on the first day will address irrigation management and alfalfa as a grazing crop. The day concludes with a Roundup Ready alfalfa debate, with experts from both sides of the issue facing off. A reception and banquet will follow.

Results of an investigation into the accuracy of forage-test results will lead off the second day's program. Concurrent alfalfa production sessions will provide the latest information on fertility and pest control, and finally, a panel of innovative growers will share their hay marketing tips.

Following the conference, participants are encouraged to attend the Mid-America Alfalfa Expo at the nearby Buffalo County Fairgrounds.

For more details on the symposium schedule or to register at the early bird fee of $100/person, visit alfalfasymposium.com. For information on the expo, visit alfalfaexpo.com/.