THE 33RD NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL PLASTICS CONGRESS
November 2 to November 5, 2006 San Antonio, Texas

GUIDELINES FOR PRESENTERS

Congress organizers strive to offer the highest level of presentations by researchers, educators, and industry representatives. The Congress Proceedings are a reflection of that goal. All abstracts and complete research manuscripts are reviewed by an editorial committee and may be returned to the author for editorial changes before final copy is accepted.

In convening the Congress, ASP seeks to bring together the best authorities on the use of plastics in agriculture. Therefore, authors are required to present their own papers at the Congress. Presenters must have a fully paid registration for the Congress by the time the Proceedings are submitted for reproduction (Monday, October 2) or their papers will not be included.

Abstracts are required for all presentations, with the exception of Technical Shorts. An Abstract is a 150 to 250-word summary of the main points that will be presented in the research report or discussion session. All Abstracts will be will be printed and distributed at the Congress. The Congress Proceedings, including all Abstracts and any associated research papers, will be published electronicially and also will be distributed at the Congress.

The Society recognizes authors who are judged as having prepared the highest quality paper by the presentation of the Best Paper Award. To be eligible for the award a full research paper must be submitted by the deadline date. Selected by a committee of ASP Past Presidents, the award recipient receives a $250 check and a plaque acknowledging his/her achievement at the Congress Awards Ceremony.

GUIDELINES FOR NON-PRESENTED PAPERS

In recognition of the global nature of plasticulture research, manufacture, and use, and of the fact that travel may be difficult from many parts of the world, a special section of the Proceedings of the 33rd Congress will include papers of researchers who are unable to attend the Congress. Non-presenting authors must pay a fee of $420 USD for a paper of six pages or less. A surcharge of $15 USD will be added for each additional page. Non-presented papers will be separated in the Proceedings from presented work and will not be eligible for the Best Paper Award. All deadlines will apply to non-presented papers and payment must be made by the time that the Proceedings are submitted for reproduction (Monday, October 2) or the papers will not be included.

Complete instructions for the preparation of papers and abstracts and a sample of the correct format are on page 5.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Manuscripts for full research papers, whether presented or non-presented, are limited to six (6) pages, including tables and figures. Authors submitting longer papers will be charged $15 USD for each additional page.
• Abstracts are expected to be 150 to 250 words in length, summarizing the key points of the presentation. Shorter abstracts will be returned to the author for further expansion of the topic.
• Submit abstracts and research papers by email to the ASP office. Include a message noting the primary author’s name and the word processing program used to prepare the document.
• If there are problems with the electronic file of the document, we may call for a printed copy of the manuscript to be submitted to ASP via regular mail.
• Tables and figures or photos should be inserted into the text and not attached to the email.
• Microsoft Word for either PC’s or Mac’s, or Word Perfect for PC’s are the accepted word processing programs.