Purdue Ag News Roundup
Purdue Ag News Roundup
The Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, the Indiana Land Improvement Contractors Association and conservation groups are sponsoring the event, which runs from July 31 through Aug. 2 on a farm near Shelbyville. The expo's hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and it includes land care displays, presentations and construction demonstrations. There is no admission charge for the event.
"This event is in the interest of homeowners and farmers -- anyone who plans on doing anything with their land. These ideas will make them glad they came," said Don Sisson, executive director of the Indiana Land Improvement Contractors Association.
According to Sisson, construction demonstrations at the farm will include farm ponds, an animal waste lagoon, and gardens and home orchards.
Several presentations cover topics related to the land improvement projects, Sisson said.
"We'll have a specialist there to discuss pond management. We'll talk about how to stock ponds with fish, how to control weeds and how to make it look good," he said. "Another specialist will talk about forest management -- how to go about harvesting and selling timber."
Other presentations include water management, tree planting, septic management, pesticide responsibilities and gardening.
The Land Care Expo will be at the farm of Jeff and Trisha Stevens. Take Interstate 74 to Exit 123, which is eight miles south of Shelbyville. The road loops back two miles to County Road 725 E. The farm is on the left side of this road
For more information, call the Indiana Land Improvement Contractors Association at (765) 349-1935.
CONTACT: Sisson, (765) 349-1935
The event, co-sponsored by the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and the Countrymark Co-op, will be Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Boswell.
The tour divides the two topics into hour-long programs. The ragweed presentation will be helpful for farmers who have problems with the plant, said Dan Childs, weed science Extension specialist at Purdue.
"Giant ragweed is a very serious weed in Indiana," he said. "It ranks as one of the most difficult weeds to control."
Specialists will take farmers to fields treated for ragweed control and explain the procedures and results of 27 different herbicide programs.
"This is a very good study that shows the differences in the programs," Childs said. "We'll even be able to show farmers a cost figure for each herbicide treatment."
The site-specific management program covers three areas, according to Jeff Nagel, a crop services agronomist with Countrymark Co-op: intensive soil testing, yield monitoring and variable rate technology.
With site-specific management, instead of applying fertilizer or pesticides to an entire field at a single rate, farmers test the soil and measure crop yields for small areas, and apply just the amount of chemicals that each area needs.
"We want everyone to gain information and decide how to use it to make better management decisions," Nagel said. "They need to ask, 'How do we assess variables and manage variability that can affect yields and farm profitability.?'"
Registration for the tour begins at 8:30 a.m., and the program begins at 9:15 a.m. There is no cost for lunch or registration, but visitors are asked to RSVP with either the Benton, Warren or Tippecanoe county Extension offices by Aug. 15.
CONTACTS: Childs, (765) 494-6474; e-mail, childs@btny.purdue.edu
Nagel, (765) 426-3914
Martyn was previously a professor of plant pathology and microbiology at Texas A&M University, where he was honored as that university's outstanding teacher. Martyn's research specialization is on the soil-borne diseases of cucurbits and other vegetables; he received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida, and his master's and bachelor's degrees from Florida Atlantic University.
According to Agriculture Dean Victor Lechtenberg, Martyn is prepared to lead the department as agriculture changes. "Professor Martyn has a vision of the changing world of agriculture," Lechtenberg said. "He understands that we must excel in each of our key areas -- undergraduate instruction, scientific research and extension education -- to be a leader in agricultural research and education."
Martyn replaces Ronald Coolbaugh, who had been the head of the department since 1987 and has returned to teaching and research.
CONTACT: Martyn, (765) 494-4614
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
