By ANN ALLEN
Indiana Correspondent

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The July 22-25 Top Farmer Crop Workshop at Purdue University will include discussions about farmland leasing issues, utilization of on-farm data, efficient nitrogen management, managing herbicide resistant weeds and more than 50 other topics, according to Bruce Erickson of Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics.

The workshop will kick off July 22 with Carlos Mayer, a farmer from Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, as speaker. Mayer, who raises corn, soybeans and wheat, is looking to expand his operation in the United States. Also on the agenda - a discussion about how producing biomass crops might change the complexion of a farming operation.

“Looking down the road,” Erickson said, “we are not sure if cellulosic technology will have us growing biomass crops in the next few years, or if this is well over the horizon. Either way, we will examine what this means to farmers.”

On tap for Monday’s session will be Jill Nichols Euken and Niles Hushka.

Euken, assistant director of Iowa State’s Biorenewables Programs, is a partner in a western Iowa commercial crop and livestock operation and an investor in an Iowa ethanol plant. Hushka, a North Dakota farmer who is also CEO of KLJ Solutions, a firm of over 300 engineers and environmental scientists working with biodiesel and ethanol fuels, wind farms, commercial solar generation systems, will discuss taking a balanced approach to biofuels.

Other speakers include Scott Shearer of the University of Kentucky and Ken Rulon. Rulon believes part of his success is attributed to its ability to ramp up farms and quickly increase their productivity. All programs will be in the Deans Auditorium on the Purdue campus.

A list of all speakers as well as registration information is at www.agecon.purdue.edu/topfarmer/conference.asp