Purdue News
Purdue News
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January 12, 2004 Pocket field guide packs wallet-expanding crop tipsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - For 16 consecutive crop seasons farmers have relied on a little yellow book to grow better corn and soybeans. The tradition continues with the 2004 edition of Purdue University's Corn and Soybean Field Guide. Commonly known as the "pocket guide," the handy resource contains information on crop production and management. The book is one of Purdue's best-selling Extension publications every year. The 2004 edition, also available in a CD-ROM version, sports a few more pages and a greater use of color, said Corey Gerber, director of Purdue's Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center and field guide project coordinator. "We've added more color photos," Gerber said. "There's also an update on insecticides and herbicides that are new on the market. The number of pages went up a few - because of the format changes - to approximately 210 pages. "The pocket guide primarily covers corn and soybean production in the Midwest. That comprises about a 12-state area, including Indiana and many of the states surrounding Indiana. Last year we sold just over 9,000 pocket guides. This year we're looking to sell about 15,000 books." Farmers will find the 2004 field guide loaded with the same helpful reference material they've come to expect each crop season, Gerber said. "The book covers topics in pest management and how they relate to insect problems, disease problems and weed problems," he said. "It provides information on soil deficiency symptoms, general soil fertility, herbicide injury issues and fungicides, herbicides and insecticides." Other features include: • Photographs of and suggested treatment options for the major corn and soybean insects and weeds. • Recommended phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and limestone rates. • Tables and charts on row spacing, projected yield, freeze dates, plant population, herbicide and soil pH interaction, and pesticide sprayer calibration. • Sections on diagnosing soil compaction and submitting samples to Purdue's Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory. • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency herbicide registration numbers. • Contact information for Purdue Extension specialists in the departments of agronomy, agricultural and biological engineering, botany and plant pathology, entomology, and soil and water quality. The CD-ROM version is identical to the printed field guide - with an added bonus: Internet links to full Extension publications listed throughout the book. Fourteen Extension specialists representing the departments listed above in Purdue's School of Agriculture contributed content and/or photographs for the field guide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services also contributed material. Although the 2004 field guide is an improvement on the 2003 edition, the price remains the same. The printed edition is available for $5, and the CD-ROM version is $15. To order, call the toll-free Purdue Extension hotline at (888) 398-4636 (EXT-INFO) and ask for the Media Distribution Center. The publication code for the printed edition is ID-179; the CD-ROM's publication code is CD-ID-179. An order form can be downloaded online. The Web page also contains a link for viewing sample pages from the 2004 field guide. Writer: Steve Leer, (765) 494-8415, sleer@purdue.edu Source: Corey Gerber, (765) 496-3755, gerberc@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu Related Web site:
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