Crop Conference Sheds Light on 2024 Corn Issues

Farmers and crop advisers can expect to get an “earful” at the annual University of Missouri Crop Management Conference, Dec. 4-5 at a new location, the Columbia Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center.

MU Extension plant pathologist Mandy Bish will give an update on emerging corn diseases in Missouri. She will discuss corn stunt disease, which was found in Missouri for the first time this past season. Growers will learn how to identify it and what its spread beyond its initial discovery in southwestern Missouri means for next year’s crop.

Crops entomologist Iviar Valmorbida will show how to identify corn leafhopper insect, which transmits corn stunt disease, causing substantial yield loss.

Bish also will share strategies on tar spot, a growing concern in Missouri. She will have news for soybean growers on red crown rot disease, which was found in Missouri for the first time in 2024.

MU Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory also talk about how corn growers can manage nitrogen better and handle post-drought nutrient needs.

Another timely topic for corn growers is changes in the requirements for commercial and private pesticide application licenses. MU Extension agronomist Rusty Lee will explain changes set by the Environmental Protection Agency with the Department of Agriculture as the lead agency in Missouri.

The new rules set a national minimum age for certified applicators and those working under their direct supervision. Changes also require additional certification for specific application methods such as fumigation and aerial application.

Other university and industry experts will share information on government programs to implement drought-resilient conservation practices.

For details and registration, visit https://mizzou.us/CMC.