2026 Speakers and Presentations
(in order of presentation titles)

2026 Crop Market Outlook & Strategies

Dan O'Brien

Professor and Extension Agricultural Economist
K-State Northwest Research-Extension Center, Colby

Grain market prospects for 2026 depend how seasonal market supply and demand factors work out in the coming year – in particular whether large 2025 U.S. corn, soybean, wheat, sorghum and other crops and supply-demand balances continue in 2026. As of 12/19/2025, grain markets appear to be undervaluing the possibility of anything other than set of large U.S. crops and supply-demand balances in 2026, with a continuation of low prices into the coming year. A key grain market factor to consider in the western plains area is whether local crop usage will be strong enough to avoid the “weak grain basis” and “scarce selling opportunities” situation that occurred a year ago in November-May 2025.

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Considerations for Intensifying Crop Rotations

Lucas Haag

Associate Professor and Agronomist-In-Charge
K-State Southwest Research-Extension Center, Tribune

As we look at intensifying crop rotations, what factors should be considered? We’ll take a look at research results from the various long-term dryland trials at Tribune that give insight into this topic.

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Early Experiences with Targeted Herbicide Applications in Kansas

Sarah Lancaster

Assistant Professor & Extension Weed Science Specialist
K-State Department of Agronomy, Manhattan

This presentation will discuss the opportunities and obstacles of targeted herbicide applications. Observations of early-adopters in Kansas will be shared, as well as recent data from on-farm evaluations of weed control and crop injury following targeted herbicide applications.

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Explaining the Government Payment Alphabet Soup: OBBBA, ARC, PLC, ECAP, FBA, and SDRP

Robin Reid

Extension Farm Economist
K-State Department of Agriculture Economics, Manhattan

Robin Reid will break down today’s most pressing ag policy issues, including ad hoc payments and OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act), providing insights farmers can use to navigate the road ahead.

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How Are Crop Prices Affecting Lease Arrangements?

Mark Wood and Glenn Conover

Farm Management Association Economists
KS Farm Management Association, Colby

Using data from northwest Kansas farms, we take a look at profitability and how it factors into negotiating lease terms that are equitable to both the landlord and the tenant.

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Incorporating Forages Into Dryland Rotations

Augustine Obour

Professor and Cropping Systems Agronomist
K-State Southwest Research-Extension Center, Garden City

Growing annual forages in place of summer-fallow and integrating livestock has potential to intensify and diversify crop production, and offers great potential to improve soil health, suppress weeds, increase precipitation use efficiency, and enhance profitability of dryland farming operations. This presentation will discuss annual forage options for dryland, productivity, fertility management, impacts on subsequent crops and economics of annual forages in dryland cropping systems. We will also discuss the impacts of annual forage and livestock integration on soil health using over ten-years of data from K-State research in western Kansas.

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Meeting Crop Nutrient Needs In Lean Economic Times

Dorivar Ruiz-Diaz
Professor of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management
K-State Department of Agronomy, Manhattan

Producers face a multitude of choices in where to make investments in plant nutrients. With tight economic margins it makes sense to place those limited dollars into the fertilizer products and management techniques most likely to offer a positive ROI.

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Navigating the 2026 Crop Insurance Decision, with SCO and ECO options

Jennifer (Jenny) Ifft

Professor and Flinchbaugh Agricultural Policy Chair
K-State Department of Agriculture Economics, Manhattan

With tight crop profit margins, effective risk management is more important than ever. Recent policy changes have reduced the cost of high-coverage crop insurance endorsements such as the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO), but these area-based policies involve real tradeoffs. This presentation reviews those tradeoffs and provides practical examples of alternative crop insurance coverage strategies.

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Top 5 Legal Issues Farmers Don't Think About, but Should

Roger McEowen
Kansas Farm Bureau Professor of Agricultural Law and Taxation
Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, KS

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Weather Resources and 2026 Outlook

Chip Redmond
Mesonet Manager and Assistant Climatologist
K-State Department of Agronomy, Manhattan

Get a look at available weather tools and apps and understand where they forecast information originates from. Also, we will get a brief outlook for the forecast for the upcoming growing season.

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Weed Control Questions in Crop Rotations

Jeanne Falk Jones

Northwest Area Agronomist
K-State Northwest Research-Extension Center, Colby

Weed management consistently ranks as one of the biggest management challenges facing farmers on the High Plains. In this session we will discuss various management practices that can maximize the chances of successful weed control.