The Stiles Farm Field Day scheduled June 20 will feature the latest innovations in corn, sorghum and cotton production using low and high input methods, plus presentations on herd bull selection and cattle marketing.

The field day is hosted by the Stiles Farm Foundation and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. There is no registration fee courtesy of the Williamson County Farm Bureau.

Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. with field tours beginning at 8:20 a.m. Lunch will be at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Taylor, and the field day will conclude at 2:30 p.m. Three hours of continuing education units for pesticide applicators will be offered: one general, one integrated pest management and one laws and regulations.

 “This year’s field day will feature many timely programs on topics and issues affecting many of our Blacklands farmers and cattle producers,” said Ryan Collett, farm manager and AgriLife Extension specialist. “We will have several demonstrations that will give producers a firsthand look at high versus low input farming and effects of planting population. We will also have a discussion on improving herd bull selection and getting a higher return through innovations on cattle marketing.

FIELD DAY TOPICS

Topics and speakers include:

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– Improve Your Bull Selection and Cattle Marketing Innovations, Dr. Ron Gill, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, College Station; Dr. Megan Ouseley, AGEX Cattle Marketing.

– Corn and Sorghum Population, High Input/Low Input Farming, Variable Rate Fertility, Nitrogen Stabilizer Management, Sugarcane Aphid Management, Dr. Ronnie Schnell, AgriLife Extension state cropping systems specialist, and Dr. Jake Mower, AgriLife Extension specialist-soil nutrient and water management, both from College Station.

– Cotton Insect Management and Bt Resistance, Dr. Gaylon Morgan, AgriLife Extension Service state cotton specialist, and Dr. David Kerns, AgriLife Extension entomologist, both from College Station.

– Laws and Regulations Update, Dr. Don Renchie, AgriLife Extension program coordinator for pesticide safety education, College Station.

– Presentation from FarmLogs team on scouting, record keeping and creating seasonal crop plans.

The noon meal and program will feature presentation of the 2017 Agriculturalist of the Year and Stiles Farm Foundation scholarships.

The Stiles Farm Foundation was established by the Stiles family at Thrall in Williamson County. According to the foundation, J.V. and H.A. Stiles wanted to commemorate their father, James E. Stiles, and the land he worked. They also wanted to help neighboring farmers and others throughout the Central Texas Blacklands learn new farming practices. In 1961, the Stiles Farm Foundation was established and became part of the Texas A&M University System.

The farm is used by AgriLife Extension and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, which conduct field experiments and use the facility as a teaching platform.