By Rebecca Vittetoe and Cody Schneider
Farmers and farm businesses in southeastern Iowa are invited to join Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association for the summer field day at Iowa State’s Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm on June 26.
The field day will feature the following topics:
- “Research Farm Update,” by Cody Schneider, farm superintendent.
- “Bioreactors, Edge-of-Field Practices, and the Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual,” by Kay Stefanik, associate director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center; Matt Helmers, professor and director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center; Allen Brush, West Fork Crooked Creek and Long Creek watershed coordinator; and Evan Brehm, conservation agronomist, Iowa Soybean Association.
- “Soybeans and Sulfur: On-Farm Trial Tips for Success,” by Richard Roth, extension nitrogen specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.
The field day will provide farmers, landowners and ag retailers the opportunity to hear and talk to several people who are experts in their fields, and who will focus on some of the current issues or topics of agriculture in Iowa.
“We are excited to be highlighting two new projects that will be taking place at the Southeast Research Farm this year at our summer field day,” said Rebecca Vittetoe, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach.
The first project will feature a new bioreactor being installed at the farm.
“We are very hopeful the installation will be taking place around our field day to showcase what this nutrient reduction edge-of-field practice looks like,” added Vittetoe.
The second project has two objectives – to demonstrate how farmers can use strip trials on their own farms and to also look at sulfur requirements for soybeans.
Check-in for the field day begins at 12:30 p.m. and the field day is planned to start at 1 p.m. with the research farm update. The afternoon field day is free and open to the public. Certified Crop Advisers can earn 1.0 soil and water management and 1.0 nutrient management CEUs.
An additional three soil and water management credits can be earned in the morning during the Certified Crop Adviser and Agronomy Professional Workshop, which will be from 9 a.m. until 12:15 p.m.. The workshop will begin with a classroom session providing an update on the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy and discussion on how to determine which nutrient reduction practices are a good fit for individuals. Following the classroom session, there will be a field session looking at different edge-of-field nutrient reduction practices including a wet land, filter strips and a bioreactor site.
The fee for the morning Certified Crop Adviser and Agronomy Professional Workshop is $50, which includes lunch. Register by 11:59 p.m. on June 21 for the morning Agronomy Workshop and CCA Training at https://go.iastate.edu/NTSQIE, or by calling the ISU Extension and Outreach Washington County office at 319-653-4811.
Farm location
The Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm is located at 3115 Louisa-Washington Road, Crawfordsville. To reach the farm, follow U.S. Highway 218 one- and three-quarters of a mile south of Crawfordsville, then two miles east on County Road G-62, then three-quarters of a mile north. Signs will be posted near the farm.
Source : iastate.edu