Purdue News
Purdue News
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May 20, 2004 Diagnostic workshops root out crop-ruining problemsWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - No farmer wants to see good crops go bad. To help producers keep fields growing on the up and up, Purdue University's Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center is offering a series of training workshops. The annual workshops provide farmers and agribusiness people the skills to identify and correct crop problems. This year's workshops are scheduled from late June through early September at Purdue's Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE). ACRE is located five miles west of Purdue's West Lafayette, Ind., campus on U.S. 52. "This season we have nine workshops," said Corey Gerber, director of the Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center. "They are geared for farmers, those in the chemical and seed industries, crop consultants, and crop scouts." Workshop topics address crop development from emergence through harvest. Much of the training will take place in the field, Gerber said. "We have a day dedicated to early-season training, where we'll diagnose problems often seen in May and June," he said. "We also have a training workshop that targets midseason pests and management practices. "A couple of training days are new and directed at certain audiences. We've planned a day on topics tied to nutrient management in corn, soybean and alfalfa crops. Another workshop will delve into basic concepts tied to agricultural pest management, for those individuals who may need to brush up on pest identification, herbicides or insecticide applications, etcetera. We'll also have an integrated problem-solving workshop. During that training day, we'll take participants to specific fields and identify specific problems." The workshop schedule includes: • June 24 - Early Season Training Day. • June 30 - Indiana Seed Trade Association Day. • July 7 - Nutrient Management Day. • July 8 - Basic Concepts of Agriculture/Pest Management. • July 9 - Integrated Problem Solving. • July 16 - Midseason Training Day. • Aug. 25 - Private Applicator Recertification Program (PARP). • Sept. 2 - Forage Management Day. • Sept. 8 - Grain Quality Day. Workshops run from 8:30 a.m. to about 4:30 p.m. EST for all but the Aug. 25 PARP day, which goes from 5-7:10 p.m. Workshop speakers include Purdue Extension specialists and agribusiness professionals. Certified Crop Advisors in attendance are eligible for continuing education units, while Commercial Pesticide Applicators can earn continuing certification hours. Registration is $100 per workshop. PARP day registration is $20. Fees include materials, lunch and a copy of the Purdue Corn and Soybean Field Guide or Purdue Forage Field Guide. Enrollment is limited to 60 people per workshop. Registration forms and workshop brochures are available online. Additional information also is available by contacting Gerber at (765) 496-3755 or gerberc@purdue.edu, or by calling Purdue's toll-free Extension hotline at (888) 398-4636 (EXT-INFO). 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 Related Web site:
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