U of I Agronomy Day topics

From bioreactors to nitrogen loss, the 60th annual University of Illinois Agronomy Day agenda is packed with top-of-mind topics. The Department of Crop Sciences and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences will host the event on Aug. 17.

Attendees will rotate through four different tours. Agronomy Day 2017 topics and speakers include:

Tour A
Managing nitrogen for corn – Emerson Nafziger
Nitrogen on soybeans: Have we made progress yet? – Joshua Vonk
Illinois broomcorn: Breeding nature’s Swiffer – Jessica Bubert
What causes profitability differences across farms? – Gary Schnitkey
Searching for white mold resistance in soybeans’ wild relatives – Leslie Domier

Tour B
Corn and soybean pests: What’s #trending in 2017? – Kelly Estes
Patterns of Bt resistance in Illinois western corn rootworm populations – Joe Spencer
Preemergence herbicides in a POST resistance world – Dean Riechers
Do nematodes on corn matter? – Nate Schroeder
Soybean cyst nematode: Pest or pestilence – Kris Lambert

Tour C
How to turn a cone penetrometer into a soil eavesdropper – Tony Grift
Waste not, want not: Strategies for producing a water-use efficient line of corn – Tony Studer
Woodchip bioreactors: Chippin’ away at nitrate loss – Laura Christianson
Energy sorghum – Chris Kaiser
Drone data – Dennis Bowman

Tour D
The seven wonders of corn yield, revisited – Fred Below
How critical are soil phosphorus test values? – Tryston Beyrer
Knocking out the continuous corn yield penalty – Alison Vogel
Can narrow-row spacings be used to manage more corn plants? – Brad Bernhard

Agronomy Day will be held at 4202 South First St. in Savoy. For more information, follow Agronomy Day 2017 on Facebook, or visit the Agronomy Day website.

New water-quality testing location map

Wondering where to test tile, ditch or creek water samples from your farm?  Illinois Corn has revealed a new water-quality page on ilcorn.org. The updated page includes an interactive map that allows farmers to see all the water testing sites at a glance. Counties that host free water testing are highlighted in green. Check out the new map.

Jenner Ag scholarship applications due June 30

Illinois and Indiana high school seniors and college-level ag students are eligible for $2,000 in scholarships through Jenner Ag.

“With the right seeds to plant, young people can explore and find their niche toward a long future in the agriculture industry,” says Steve Jones, president of Jenner Ag.

This is the seventh year Jenner Ag has offered two $1,000 scholarship awards.

Applications are available online or through any Jenner Ag employee. Applications must be postmarked by June 30. Scholarships will be awarded by August.