URBANA, Ill. — Program details are public for the 2012 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics series, featuring a traveling panel of U of I agricultural experts offering their expertise to farmers interested in bettering their operations.

The format for the Classics will embrace crop production, pest management and economics, according to Aaron Hager, a weed specialist for the U of I.

“The upcoming meetings will mark the 15th iteration of the Classics, an educational program that provides our clientele the most timely information on crop production and pest management. All the planners have worked diligently to ensure that the 2012 Classics meet (producers’) needs,” said Hager, when announcing the locations and speakers for the caravan of crop experts.

“Market updates will be provided throughout the day, and communication between speakers and participants is encouraged. Question-and-answer sessions are scheduled for both morning and afternoon.”

Hager will present “Move Over Waterhemp – Make Way for Palmer Amaranth” during the series’ seven January stopovers across Illinois.

Other speakers and topics include Richard Cooke (“It’s Still About Yields: Developments in Drainage in Illinois”), Gary Schnitkey (“Evaluating Rotation and Other Factors that Impact Profitability and Risk”), Carl Bradley (“Wilts, Sport, Blights and Streaks: Old and Emerging”), Mike Gray (“Insect Surveys in Producers’ Corn And Soybean Fields: What Did We Learn?”), Fabian Fernandez (“Measuring Soil Fertility the Right Way”) and Emerson Nafziger (“Fixing What Ails Continuous Corn”).

“What we do is bring a collection of faculty members from primarily the Department of Crop Sciences and ask them to present to the audiences what they feel are the most current and relevant issues,” Hager said. “It’s a nice opportunity for the audience members to hear from a variety of speakers at one meeting, and not have to rearrange their schedules to attend four of five different meetings.”

Interaction among producers is a natural byproduct of the gathering, but Classics organizers have taken lengths to ensure there is plenty of one-on-one time between university experts and attendees, Hager explained.

“A facet of the program that we think is very important is the time we schedule for the speakers to take questions from the audience. We encourage the audience to interact with the speakers,” he said.

Palmer amaranth – the topic of Hager’s presentation – is a highly competitive, glyphosate-resistant member of the pigweed family which can develop taproots that may outstretch a soybean plant’s root system.

It also threatens field corn, cotton and peanut populations with its capability to grow several inches in length per day.

“We’re trying to get (farmers) here in the state to recognize what, unfortunately, might be becoming one of the more common weed species that we have,” Hager said. “Palmer amaranth has been causing a great deal of problems for farmers in the mid-South and the Southeast, and is working its way up north.”

Illinois farmers have dealt with Palmer amaranth for decades, but crop scientists have noticed an uptick in the plant’s presence in recent years, according to Hager. “Due to some recent discoveries that have been made in the state, we’re very concerned that this is a species that may encompass more and more acreage in the northern part of the state.

“It has changed the game, if you will. Waterhemp is our dominant amaranth here in Illinois, but Palmer can grow faster than waterhemp and be more competitive, indicating it can cause more of a yield loss effect on agronomic crops than what waterhemp can do.”

Hager will offer tips on identifying and managing Palmer amaranth during his presentations featured in the Classics.

The seven Illinois locations for the 2012 Corn and Soybean Classics include Mt. Vernon (Jan. 10), Springfield (Jan. 11), Champaign (Jan.12), Bloomington (Jan. 16), Malta (Jan. 17), Moline (Jan. 18) and Quincy (Jan. 19). All sessions will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude by 3 p.m. A lunch will be provided with paid registration.

Registration and further information is available at www.cropsci conferences.org or by phoning 800-321-1296.