MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Farmers and agricultural consultants across the region will converge on the Mississippi Delta in January to learn practical ways to the save energy costs during the 2006 production year.

“Every farmer in the nation felt the impact of higher fuel prices in 2005,” said Don Respess, Bolivar County Extension director and co-chair for the event. “We want to provide energy conservation solutions farmers can implement this year.”

The 33rd annual Delta Ag Expo will take place Jan. 17 and 18 at the Bolivar County Exposition Center on Highway 61 North in Cleveland. More than 1,000 visitors attend the free, regional event each year.

The Expo will include educational seminars on cotton, soybean, rice, corn and peanut production. Specific topics include a soybean rust update, rice fertility issues, insect threats and variety selections.

Mississippi State University’s Extension Service and the Delta Ag Expo Corp. sponsor the event, the state’s oldest regional farm show. More than 100 commercial exhibits representing row-crop and small-grain agriculture will be available beginning at 8:30 a.m. both days. Activities conclude at 4 p.m. the first day and at 3 p.m. the second day.

Joe Sims, president of the U.S. Oil and Gas Association, will be the keynote speaker at 11:30 on Jan. 17. He will provide a perspective on domestic and regional energy issues.

One energy saving topic related to rice production will address savings with intermittent plus multiple inlet irrigation. Additional energy saving solutions will be addressed the following morning. Discussion topics include irrigation and fuel costs, fuel savings by planting no-till cotton, cost reduction with skip-row cotton and a general agricultural financial outlook.

The keynote speaker at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 18 will be Charles Wax, state climatologist and professor of geosciences at MSU. He will address changing climate trends and cycles.

For more information on the Delta Ag Expo, contact the Bolivar County Extension Office at (662) 843-8361.