Western Agronomy Field Day

Growers who want to get an idea of what they can expect from their crops this year and how agronomic experts view yield potentials this season can do so at the Western Agronomy Field Day July 20 at the Western Agricultural Research Station, located in South Charleston.

The workshop will feature presentations by researchers and state specialists from Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

The event is designed to inform and educate farmers about the agricultural research advances made in the past year at the Western Agricultural Research Station, one of Ohio’s largest agronomic research stations, said Harold Watters, an OSU Extension agronomy field specialist and coordinator of the university’s Agronomic Crops Team.

“We’ll talk about what the season is looking like for farmers this year and what they likely can expect from yields this fall,” Watters said. “We’ll also talk about pest management and crop production.

“The hope is that growers can walk away with some good tips on farm management and planning and how they can still manage weeds and pests this year. Last month, we were worried about how dry the season was, but with the rains we’ve had in areas of the state, fungicide applications may be warranted. Any management tips are even more important this year. With the sudden downturn in corn prices, growers need to think about how to save money.”

The workshop will include the following topics:

• Season Outcomes for Corn: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
• Too Dry for Diseases? Try Again.
• Herbicide-Tolerant Crops.
• Insects Keep Creeping Up on Our Crops – What’s Here for 2016?
• Precision Agriculture, Including High-Speed Planters and Crop Sensors.

The workshop is from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the Western Agricultural Research Station, 7721 South Charleston Pike, in South Charleston. The event will also feature a wagon tour and a locally catered lunch.

The registration deadline is July 15, but participants can pay the $20 fee at the door. Register by email or phone by contacting Harold Watters, watters.35@osu.edu, 937-599-4227, or Joe Davlin, davlin.1@osu.edu, 937-462-8016.