June 24, 2005

Weed day tackles unwanted plants, unveils herbicide advances

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue University Department of Botany and Plant Pathology will sponsor the 2005 Weed Day on June 28.

Manufacturers, dealers, distributors and consultants, as well as farmers and educators, attend the annual event at the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education to learn about advancements in herbicide products. Weed Day is designed to teach improvements in herbicide application and crop care, said Tom Bauman, a professor in the Purdue weed science program.

There are no scheduled workshops planned for event. This year, however, specialists will cover new issues such as lambsquarter control and winter weed interactions of soybean cyst nematode. About 60 herbicides will be looked at in row-by-row trials, which compare till and no-till systems with a variety of crops.

"Weed Day looks at corn and soybean management options," Bauman said. "We also look at multiple varieties of popcorn trials that demonstrate reactions to different herbicides."

Due to uncharacteristic weather this year, Weed Day will cover some of the current environmental conditions, such as dry and wet soils.

"We had a very dry spring. This allows us to see the performances of management systems that haven't been done in quite a few years," Bauman said.

Purdue Extension specialists will address these circumstances and give attendees advice on the proper management when special situations occur.

Weed Day is free and open to the public, and coffee and doughnuts will be provided. Attendees will receive a book containing all experiments and trial plots. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Buses will shuttle passengers from the Purdue ACRE, located 7 miles northwest of West Lafayette on U.S. 52 West, to the fields from 8:30-9 a.m. and return attendees after noon.

Those interested in attending Weed Day should register by contacting Amy Deitrich at (765) 494-9871.

Writer: Stephanie K. Miller, 765-494-8402, millersk@purdue.edu

Source: Tom Bauman, 765-494-4625, tbauman@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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