Crop Production Clinics

By John Wilson

John Wilson

From resistance management to financial management to precision agriculture, the 2014 UNL Extension Crop Production Clinics will cover timely topics for Nebraska farmers. Nine clinics will be held across the state in January to  provide valuable information to help crop producers and agribusiness professionals improve their profitability and sustainability.

The two closest clinics for local growers will be held on Wednesday, January 22, at the Lifelong Learning Center, on the Northeast Nebraska Community College campus in Norfolk and on Thursday, January 23, at the Agricultural Research and Development Center (ARDC) near Mead. Both programs will begin at 8:45 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m.

Featured in this year’s line-up of speakers is Bill Gordon, application and drift management consultant from New South Wales, Australia. A number of factors can affect pesticide performance, including sprayer application. Gordon will examine sprayer technologies and practices and how to assess and improve their performance.

“Understanding the factors that influence spray deposition, and how to identify these in the field can assist growers (and advisors) to recognize if there is a problem with the application technique. It is only when a problem is identified that it can be fixed,” Gordon writes in his CPC article.

Another speaker, Extension Precision Ag Engineer Joe Luck, will look at the benefits and limitations of pesticide application equipment, including automatic section control (ASC) technology on applicators. He’ll look at how to use ASC to avoid over-application and ensure more consistent coverage.

ASC systems combine global navigation satellite system (GNSS) with geographic information systems (GIS) to monitor field coverage in real-time and turn boom sections on or off automatically as they pass in or out of previously sprayed areas.

Also featured will be presentations on integrated pest management research and new products. Other presenters will cover these topics:

•    You saw the trials, now see the results. Several presentations will look at findings and yields from field trials conducted for the Soybean Management Field Days and Herbicide-Resistant Weed Field Days. Growers who viewed the research plots earlier this year can view final yields and learn what worked and what didn’t in the treatments studied.

•    A “Farmland Management Update” will feature information on land values and cash rent trends and expected future trends.

•    A “Crop Insurance Update” will look at how crop insurance will fit in with potential programs in the new farm bill. There were large insurance payouts for Nebraska wheat in 2013. For all crops in 2014, crop prices, revenue guarantees, and premiums should be lower.

•    Recertification for commercial and private pesticide applicators will be available.

Online pre-registration at the Crop Production Clinic website (http://cpc.unl.edu/) is strongly encouraged. The cost is $60 and includes a noon meal, refreshments, the “2014 Guide for Weed Management in Nebraska”, and the “2014 Crop Production Clinic Proceedings.” Cost for registering on-site the day of the event is $75.

Certified Crop Advisors may earn CEUs in the following categories: Integrated Pest Management, Soil and Water, Nutrient Management, Crop Production and Professional Development. Attendees can earn a maximum of six CEUs at a location. Certified Crop Advisors are required to bring their CCA number to apply for CEU credits.

For more information about a specific Crop Production Clinic program, contact your local extension office.