MONTPELIER, Ohio — The 11th annual Tri-State Conservation Farming Expo will focus on fertilizer application and its effects on surface water, an organizer said. The expo is March 13 at the Veterans Memorial building, at the Williams County Fairgrounds.

“We’re very conscious that concern is present over the elevated levels of nutrients detected in surface water in the Maumee River and its impact on Lake Erie algae bloom,” said Greg Lake, director of the Allen County, Ind., Soil and Water Conservation District. “With the condition worsening in 2011, it’s very appropriate that this topic be a mainstay of this year’s conference.”

The expo’s theme is “Farming ‘4R’ Future – Right Rate, Right Time, Right Source, Right Place.”

“One of the messages we want to get out to producers is that their efforts on a voluntary basis may ward off any need for state and federal regulation,” Lake noted. “To ignore it may be the trigger that would bring forth more state and federal regulation.”

The keynote speaker will be Dale Minyo, an anchor with Ohio Ag Net, who will discuss sustaining the viability of agriculture in the Great Lakes states. Rick Unger of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Assoc. will talk about the economic impact of the algae to the lake and state.

Dave Baker, director emeritus with the National Center for Water Quality at Heidelberg University, will focus on trends in runoff to Lake Erie, and community impact. A representative from the Ohio Governor’s Task Force will talk about the possibility for agriculture regulation because of phosphorus found in surface water.

Other topics include cover crops, soil health and an update on nutrient management in the Grand Lake St. Marys region. Algae blooms have been found in the lake over the last couple of years.

Continuing education credits will be available during the expo for certified crop advisors. The expo is presented by the St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative. Supporters include the Allen, DeKalb and Steuben counties, Ind., and Williams County, Ohio, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, The Nature Conservancy and Purdue University and Ohio State University extensions. Last year, more than 250 attended.

The expo begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends about 3:30 p.m. Registration is $20 if paid by March 1 and $25 after; lunch is included. Exhibitors and table sponsors receive extra tickets for distribution to producers at no charge.

For more information, including a list of exhibitors, see the brochure and registration form at www.sjrwi.org or call 260-484-5848, ext. 3.