Planning a field day to address topics of farmer interest can challenge the brightest of people, especially when projecting what timely topics might boost attendance at the event. Lining up interesting speakers, making sure subject titles are attention grabbers and locking in a good food source are all important ingredients to help guarantee a successful program.

When putting together the agenda for the July 18th Western ARS Agronomy Field Day, crop production potential looked outstanding, certainly above trendline yields in many areas of Ohio and other Corn Belt states. Harold Watters, Ohio State University Extension field agronomist, stated that a number of the day’s subjects targeted production issues anticipated at the time of the June planning session.  

The site of the field day, the Western Agricultural Research Station of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), hosts many experimentation and demonstration plots of OSU’s Research and Extension specialists. Located at 7721 South Charleston Pike, which is just south of Interstate 70 on St. Rt. 41, the Columbus, Ohio, facility is home to a wealth of information generating work of dedicated agronomists, entomologists, plant pathologists and others.

If you plan to attend the program, time your departure from home so you can arrive closer to 8:30 a.m. than 9 a.m., to partake in coffee, juice and donuts. Not only can you mingle with researchers and others at that point, your timely arrival will help the 9 a.m. to noon wagon tour of Agronomic Crop trials begin on time.  

Corn Specialist Peter Thomison kicks off  discussions with insight on the yield impacts of variable emergence. Plant pathologists Pierce Paul and Anne Dorrance creatively hit upon seedling germination and emergence issues from a disease perspective. Organic fertilizer expert Amanda Meddles will share ideas on utilizing more of your manure resources.  

Know of any ugly weed escapes in your fields or those of your neighbors? Straight talking Weed Specialist Mark Loux will share his observations on 2012 weed management issues, from pre-emergent management through post weed control, including glyphosate resistance.  

Dr. Laura Lindsey, Ohio’s recently appointed soybean and small grain specialist, will share the platform with Watters in maximizing soybean yields.

An hour long lunch, featuring the always popular box lunches from Rudy’s BBQ, precedes the 1 to 3 p.m. discussions with the specialist of your choice. These brain development opportunities are often back at the state specialist’s plots, allowing great interaction beneficial to both attendees and the experts. Sessions last about 50 minutes, so you have time to participate in two.

In addition to Paul, Dorrance and Loux, Extension Entomologists Andy Michel and Ron Hammond plan to be on hand to talk about refuge in a bag, seedling insect problems and western bean cutworm. Back to what was mentioned at the beginning of this column, topics originally planned for this field day have been updated to address ongoing drought concerns.  

Preregistration is required for the July 18 Western ARS Agronomy Field Day. The cost is $20 which includes lunch. Please register with Harold Watters:  watters.35@osu.edu, 937-292-4159 by July 16.

Readers with questions or comments for Roger Bender may write to him in care of this publication.