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IFCA will host dicamba training and testing on March 11. Plus: Explore ACES is set for March 8.

February 26, 2019

3 Min Read
College of Aces students
CLASS IN SESSION: Students from across the state are invited to Explore ACES on March 8. College of ACES

Explore ACES set for March 8

Tour greenhouses, stick your hand inside of a cow, simulate the aging process, explore invasive species of the Great Lakes, learn how ice cream arrives in your bowl and why popcorn pops at Explore ACES on March 8.

This one-day event occurs on the campus of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Through hands-on experiences and interactive exhibits led by current U of I students and faculty, middle and high school students will have a chance to discover opportunities available in the College of ACES.

“Explore ACES truly showcased how amazing the College of ACES is and helped me decide that I wanted to be a part of it,” says Hannah Spangler, a freshman in agricultural leadership and science education.   

For more information about the event or to register, visit exploreaces.org.

Free parking and free shuttle service to the ACES campus are provided at parking lot F-23, just south of Florida Avenue Residence Hall.

IFCA offers field crop training, testing on March 11

Members of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association have one more opportunity to get their applicators properly certified to apply dicamba to soybeans in 2019.

IFCA is offering a field crop training clinic at the Asmark Agricenter in Bloomington, Ill., on March 11. Bill Simmons, emeritus professor of crop sciences at the University of Illinois, will teach the class. 

The training will begin at 9 a.m., with lunch at noon. The Illinois Department of Agriculture will be on hand at 1 p.m. to offer testing in field crops, general standards and all other pesticide categories.

The cost to attend this training class is $60. This helps IFCA offset the cost of providing a trainer plus lunch. However, there is no charge to take any of the tests in the afternoon, so if applicators want to take an exam but not participate in the training, they can arrive at 1 p.m. to do so. 

Register online for the March 11 field crop clinic.

Feedback sought on pest degree day calculator upgrade

The Illinois Degree Day calculator has been available to Illinois producers since 2004. Hosted by the Illinois Climate Network (ICN), this pest management tool was developed to help aid producers in monitoring insect development throughout the growing season and aid in pest management decisions.

The calculator uses weather data from 19 network stations across Illinois to provide degree day accumulations and forecasts for 30 agricultural and invasive pests based on long-term averages. ICN is now looking to upgrade the calculator and is seeking input from users.

The main goal is to provide a calculator for priority pests for Illinois growers and deliver that information in way that is most useful and effective for them. During February and March, ICN is collecting feedback from a short survey. The information collected will be used to design new tools to better communicate with growers.

The current plan is to have the new tools available by the end of 2020. During this time, the pest degree day calculator will remain available at the WARM website.

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