Preliminary Call for Paper and Poster Titles for the 2020 SWSS Meeting
You are invited to submit titles for papers and posters to be presented at the 2020 SWSS Annual Meeting of the Southern Weed Science Society. The meeting will be held at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, MS, January 27-30, 2020.
Submission of title and author information will open in Early October, or as soon as the updated online submission program is up and running properly.
We will be using the same software package to handle title submission, abstract collection, and PowerPoint files as the WSSA. We are hoping the glitches in the past will be corrected with the updated system.

Papers and posters may be submitted to one of the following sections:
Section I             Weed Management in Agronomic Crops
Section II            Weed Management in Turf
Section III           Weed Management in Pastures and Rangeland
Section IV           Weed Management in Horticultural Crops
Section V            Weed / Vegetation Management in Forestry
Section VI           Vegetation Management in Utilities, Railroads & Highway Rights-of-way; Industrial Sites
Section VII         Physiological and Biological Aspects of Weed Control
Section VIII        Educational Aspects of Weed Control
Section IX           Regulatory Aspects of Weed Control
Section X            Invasive Plant Species
Section XI           New Technologies
Section XII          Soil and Environmental Aspects of Weed Science
Section XIII         Weed Biology and Ecology
Section XIV        Weed Management in Aquatics
Section XV         Weed Management in Organic Production Systems
Section XVI        Posters

Paper sessions will consist of 15-minute presentations which includes time for questions. Workshop/Symposia presentations are by invitation and may be longer than 15 minutes allotted for volunteer papers. Periods for discussion will be interspersed in the sessions.
The Program will be printed exactly as submitted, other than format and font changes for uniformity; therefore, proofread your submission very carefully. Primary contact authors will receive an email indicating their title was received and a later email confirming the section/day/time when and where the paper will be presented.
Authors are encouraged to submit their best research and other results for presentation at the SWSS meeting. Each author is assured of one senior-author presentation, but multiple senior-author submissions will be accepted only as space and time is available. If you have several papers or posters you wish to present, please indicate which is highest priority by adding a note in the comments section on the title submission form, or by emailing Eric Webster at ewebster@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Participation in Symposia/Workshops will be by invitation and titles will be submitted separately from the other sections.
As in the past, there will be a Graduate Student contest for oral presentations and posters. If you are planning to enter the contest, students will not be allowed to enter the paper and poster contest concurrently in 2020.
Rules for the Student Contest can be found in the Manual of Operating Procedures (MOP) on the
SWSS website.
Paper Presentations
To ensure quality presentations and a smooth transition from presentation to presentation all presenters will be required to follow directions provided on the website.
The SWSS has adopted LCD projection for PowerPoint presentations as the standard and will be used exclusively during the annual meeting. LCD projectors and Windows PC laptop computers will be supplied and/or coordinated by section chairs and moderators.
Presenters will NOT be allowed to use their own computers in the sessions. If possible, computers will be located on the podium in each session. If this is not possible, an infrared remote providing forward and backward control of the PowerPoint presentation will be provided in each session. Screens, microphones, carts, and extension cords will continue to be supplied by AV services and paid for by the Society.  In order to make this process go as smoothly as possible, please follow the guidelines below.
All presentations MUST be in PowerPoint (Version 2007 or higher) for MS Windows (PC compatible). PowerPoint 2010 will be the software used. Macintosh (MAC) /Apple formats will NOT be supported. Your presentation must be saved as a PowerPoint show file (.PPSX). The section chairs have requested that ALL presentations be prepared and uploaded on the abstract submission site so that preloading prior to the meeting can be accomplished (see Submission of Presentations). Please coordinate with your section chair if you want to preview your presentation at the meeting to ensure that the formats/fonts are all as you intended them to be. Due to the limited time and equipment, last minute editing is highly discouraged. Submission of files at the time of the presentation or at any other time during the session will not be allowed.
No audio clips or sounds will be allowed. Video clips are discouraged unless absolutely necessary. PowerPoint animation is discouraged. Please contact the section chair or co-chair one week PRIOR to sending your presentation if you need to use a video clip. Limit fonts used in the presentation to basic fonts, as not all machines may have the same choice of fonts. Examples of standard fonts are Times, Arial, Courier, Tahoma, or similar equivalents. Section chairs and computer operators are not responsible for changes in fonts, bullets, and other formatting at the time of presentation. Use up-to-date virus protection software to avoid infecting the computers provided by the section chairs.
Further instructions will be provided in the December newsletter.

Poster Presentations
All contest posters are to be displayed before the first full day of the meeting to provide the judges appropriate time to assess all posters in a timely manner.
Content of Paper – Text, graphs, and tables must be easily read from a distance of 6 feet. Titles and headings should be larger and readable from a greater distance.
Poster contestants will not be required to accompany their poster during the judging period (usually during the first full day of meeting) but if a designated time period has been given for the student’s poster he or she can accompany their poster. Note that posters will only be judged on the content of the poster.
Because of cost and logistics, it will not be possible to provide electrical connections, video equipment, or other special equipment for any posters.

Student Information
During past submission process, some students failed to complete the submission form correctly, which caused them to not be entered into the desired contest. This caused numerous program changes after printing and some confusion before and during the conference.

Once the title submission site is activated please be certain to fill out the submission form completely and accurately. Students are eligible to participate in both the Student Paper Contest and Poster Contest multiple times during a M.S. program and a Ph.D. program; however, a student cannot participate in both contests concurrently during the 2020 meeting. A student can only win 1st place in the paper and poster contest once per degree program. All students presenting a paper or poster are eligible for any available student benefits whether or not they enter the contest. Specific questions pertaining to the Student Contest should be directed to Chair of the Student Contest: Kelly Backscheider (kelly.a.barnett@corteva.com).
If you have any questions about submitting a title for the 2020 meeting, please contact:

Eric Webster, 2020 Program Chair
Louisiana State University AgCenter, School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences
104 Sturgis Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Tel: (225) 281-9449
Email: ewebster@agcenter.lsu.edu