Producers in the Ogallala aquifer region are simultaneously facing serious challenges related to water and an explosion of new information available on efficient irrigation and crop management. In Kansas, Nebraska and Texas, popular outreach programs are helping producers make sense of it all, offering engaging opportunities that show producers new tools and techniques in action. These programs differ in their approach but share some common strengths such as producers sharing their experiences with their peers, research validation of management tools, and input from commercial and non-profit technology experts. Drs. Aguilar, Rudnick and West will share details and insights learned from their involvement in Kansas’s Water Technology Farms, Nebraska’s Testing Ag Performance Solutions Program, and the Texas Alliance for Water Conservation demonstration project.

Dr. Jonathan Aguilar (Kansas State University) works on technology development and management related to irrigated agriculture in western Kansas. Dr. Daran Rudnick (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) specializes in full and deficit irrigation management, soil water monitoring technologies, and water and nitrogen interactions. Dr. Chuck West (Texas Tech University) is an agronomist who leads a demonstration and research project on improving water use efficiency and profitability of row crops and forages.