Recognizing weather conditions that could cause inversions is important when using certain herbicides in corn and soybeans. On Dec. 14, join a discussion about recognizing inversions, as well as ways to improve communication between farmers growing sensitive crops and pesticide applicators.

The Inversion and Drift Management Workshop, presented by the Ohio State University Extension Integrated Pest Management program, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 14. Farmers and pesticide applicators can attend the workshop in person at the Ohio Department of Agriculture, 8995 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, or attend virtually at go.osu.edu/IPM.

Leading off the workshop will be Aaron Wilson, a weather specialist and atmospheric scientist with OSU Extension and the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. Wilson will focus on weather conditions that cause inversions and provide useful measures and observation to help determine if inversions are happening. He will also look at average growing years and the days available for herbicide applications that avoided inversion or wind concerns.

Jared Shaffer, plant health inspector with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, will speak next and focus on FieldWatch, the sensitive crop registry available to Ohio farmers and used throughout the Midwest. Shaffer will showcase tools available for farmers with sensitive crops to communicate the location of their crops. Shaffer will also detail techniques available to applicators to find real-time information about crops in the area, and how this information can be used in their spray planning.

There is no cost for the workshop; however, preregistration is required to attend in person at the Reynoldsburg location, and it is limited to the first 75 registrants. Register online at go.osu.edu/ipm. Commercial and private applicator recertification credits for core will be available only at the Reynoldsburg location. No recertification credits are available for online participants.

For further information about the workshop, contact Cindy Folck at 614-247-7898 or [email protected]. The workshop is sponsored by the OSU Extension IPM Program and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Crop Protection and Pest Management Competitive Grants Program (Grant No. 2017-70006-27174).

Source: OSUE