Purdue News
Purdue News
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August 27, 1999
Tours and speakers highlight Agronomy Field DayWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Discussions and demonstrations of Bt corn, control of major soybean diseases, remote sensing and potato leafhopper-resistant alfalfa highlight Purdue University's annual Agronomy Field Day on Thursday, Sept. 9.The free event, from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Agronomy Research Center, seven miles west of the Purdue campus at 4540 U.S. 52 W., also will feature numerous tours, speakers, exhibits and displays. The field day will cover five major areas of concern to Indiana farmers -- corn, soybeans, grain hauling and storage, site-specific farming, and forages -- said Ben Southard, Purdue agronomist. "We want to provide specific agronomic information to farmers in order to help them cut the costs of production and to better manage and produce crops," Southard said. Tours of the corn, soybean, grain and remote-sensing plots will run from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The tours will include speakers presenting and answering questions on topics such as economic positioning of Bt hybrids, understanding Bt corn/European corn borer refuge requirements for the year 2000, breeding for soybean cyst nematode resistance in soybeans, and new technology for drying food-grade corn. Speakers include Purdue professors and staff, plus Cooperative Extension Service educators, with expertise in agronomy, agricultural engineering, entomology, botany and agricultural economics. Del Hall, a grassland conservationist from the Indiana National Resources Conservation Service, will give a presentation on how to deliver water to paddocks within a pasture. The presentation will focus on pipeline considerations, types of pumps available, how to best access water sources, and sources of livestock water. Other events include a program at noon on weather and current markets as well as a forage tour from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. that will focus on fall dormancy in alfalfa, fertilizing alfalfa, brown midrib sorghum-sudangrass, and which forages are best for your farm. There also will be a special twilight tour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Lunch will be available at a nominal charge. Certified crop adviser programs and credits toward pesticide certification will also be available. For more information on Purdue's Agronomy Field Day, visit the Web site or contact Southard at (765) 494-4799, bsouthard@purdue.edu.
Source: Ben Southard, (765) 494-4799, bsouthar@purdue.edu Writer: Kelly Lucas, (765) 494-8402, news_students@aes.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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