January 28, 2005

Training days get soybean farmers in rust-fighting shape

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Soybean rust could be making its first trip to Indiana this coming crop season.

To prepare themselves for the fungal threat, producers can pick up the knowledge and training they need to control the disease during a series of soybean rust management workshops sponsored by Purdue University's Diagnostic Training and Research Center. The workshops take place in February and March at locations across Indiana.

"The workshops will provide pertinent information on the history and biology of soybean rust, and address management issues and their relationships with soybean development and growth," said center director Corey Gerber.

"The highlight of the workshops is a three and a half hour session covering aspects of sprayer and application technologies tied to fungicide use."

Workshop topics include "Foliar Fungicides for Soybean Rust Control," "Detection of Soybean Rust: What You Should Know," "Soybean Crop Response to Soybean Rust" and "Application Techniques to Maximize the Efficacy of Fungicides."

Workshops run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

• Feb. 28 - William H. Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center, West Lafayette.

• March 1 - Northeast-Purdue Agricultural Center, Columbia City.

• March 2 - Madison County 4-H Fairgrounds, Alexandria.

• March 3 - Southeast-Purdue Agricultural Center, Butlerville.

• March 4 - Southwest-Purdue Agricultural Center, Vincennes.

Certified Crop Advisers in attendance are eligible for continuing education units, while Commercial Pesticide Applicators can earn continuing certification hours.

Registration is $35 per workshop, and includes lunch. Preregistration is required.

A workshop brochure that includes a registration form is available online. Registration forms can be mailed to the Purdue Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center, Purdue University, Agronomy Department, 915 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054; or faxed to (765) 496-2926.

For more information, contact Gerber at (765) 496-3755, gerberc@purdue.edu; or Connie Foster at (888) 398-4636 (EXT INFO), cfoster@purdue.edu.

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, forbes@purdue.edu
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