The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, along with Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M, will host the joint meeting of the 41st North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference (NAAIC) and the 20th Trifolium Conference at the Embassy Suites Dallas-DFW Airport South hotel in Irving, Texas.

Held every two years, the NAAIC enters its 82nd year of promoting the development of improved alfalfa cultivars through education, communication and professional development of research scientists, educators and commercial representatives in North America and around the world.

The Trifolium Conference, which supports the research and advancement of clovers, holds its annual meeting in conjunction with the NAAIC. Both organizations focus their efforts on legumes, a family of plants that includes peanut and soybean.

"The NAAIC and Trifolium Conference are vital resources for scientists, educators and industry officials," said Joe Bouton, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Director of the Forage Improvement Division at the Noble Foundation. "Most people are unaware of how important legumes, such as alfalfa and clovers, are to agriculture and society. The National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance reported recently that alfalfa contributed more than $7.5 billion to the national economy."

The joint conference takes place from Sunday, June 1, to Wednesday, June 4, in Dallas with a special visit to the Noble Foundation's Ardmore campus planned for Tuesday, June 2.