Field Crops Webinar Series to Highlight Harvest Considerations for Alfalfa

By Christine Charles

Field crop producers, consultants and agribusiness professionals are invited to participate in the 2025 Field Crops Webinar Series, a series of eight online meetings addressing field crop production and pest management offered by Michigan State University Extension. Participants will be able to access the expertise of agriculture specialists and educators from the comfort of their home or office.

Kim Cassida (MSU Associate Professor and Extension Specialist of Forages and Cover Crops) and Scott Newell (University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension Alfalfa Outreach Specialist) will cover the ins and outs of alfalfa harvest to enhance forage quality and yield in the upcoming webinar on the evening of February 24.

Though the series has already started, registration is still open. Upcoming sessions include topics related to tillage, new technologies and trends in weed control, grain marketing, and more. Each session will feature two speakers giving short presentations about the topic in an informal talk-show/podcast format with plenty of opportunity for interaction with the audience and a time for questions. The live webinars will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 8 p.m. beginning Feb. 3 and ending March 24, 2025.

The cost of registration is $20 per person for the entire series. This year, we have been approved for seven restricted use pesticide (RUP) applicator credits throughout the course of the program and 8 certified crop adviser (CCA) continuing education units (CEU). Those who attend the live webinars will be eligible to receive one CCA CEU per week and one RUP credit per week, apart from March 17. Those requesting RUP credits will receive them in Private Core (if private applicator) or choose between Commercial Core or category 1A (field crops) if they are a commercial applicator.

Webinars will be recorded and archived so participants may choose to view the recordings later. Credits are available only for participants in the live sessions.

Each Monday, registrants will receive an email reminding them of the webinar coming up that evening with the link to the webinar and any other pertinent reminders. The webinars may be accessed on a mobile device or a computer with a stable internet connection—no other equipment is necessary. Archived recordings from previous seasons are accessible for free at the MSU Extension Field Crops Webinar Series webpage.

For additional information or assistance, contact the Clinton County MSU Extension office at 989-224-5241 or walker628@msu.edu. Call to request accommodations for persons with disabilities. Requests will be fulfilled when possible.