Pest and field crop management update meetings in February 2017

Eric Anderson<eander32@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - February 13, 2017

Field crop producers can learn about numerous topics important to crop production in 2017 by attending upcoming Pest and Crop Management Update meetings.

Field crop producers and agribusiness professionals are invited to attend a 2017 Pest and Crop Management Update Meeting series hosted by Michigan State University Extension. Two meeting locations will be in southern Michigan: Feb. 21 at Cabella’s 110 Cabelas Blvd. East, Dundee, MI 48131 in Monroe County, and Feb. 22 at the Dowagiac Conservation Club, 54551 M-51 North, Dowagiac, MI 49047 in Cass County. A third meeting in the Thumb will be Feb. 23 at the Sanilac Career Center, 175 E. Aitken Road, Peck, MI 48466 in Sanilac County.

These programs are designed to help producers learn about new pests in Michigan and changes in MSU Extension recommendations in field crop weed, insect and disease control and soil fertility to use for the 2017 growing season. Each meeting will feature presentations by several state specialists on a variety of topics important to agriculture, including:

Resurgence of Western Bean Cutworm, Cry 1F for Western Bean Cutworm Control, Cereal Leaf Beetle in Small Grains (Christina DiFonzo, MSU extension field crop entomologist)
Tar Spot—A New Corn Leaf Disease, ILeVO-VOTiVO Seed Treatments for Sudden Death Syndrome, Wheat Stripe Rust (Martin Chilvers, MSU Extension plant pathologist)
2016 SMaRT Soybean On-Farm Research Results (Mike Staton, MSU Extension soybean educator)
Market Outlook for 2017 (Jim Hilker, MSU Extension professor of economics)
Controlling Herbicide Resistant\Troublesome Weeds, Weed Control Guide Update (Christy Sprague, MSU Extension weed management specialist)
Corn N Timing, Choosing Wheat Inputs Wisely (Kurt Steinke, MSU soil fertility specialist)

Each meeting begins at 9 a.m. and ends by 4 p.m. The registration fee is $25 per person, which includes the cost of lunch, refreshments and the 2017 MSU Weed Control Guide for Field Crops and Forages. Attendees will be able to earn six pesticide applicator recertification credits and six Certified Crop Advisor credits (three IPM, one PD, 1.5 CM, 0.5 SW).

Register online at Pest and Crop Management Update Meeting. For more information, contact Bruce MacKellar (Dundee and Dowagiac meetings, 269-657-8213) or Martin Nagelkirk (Peck meeting, 810-648-2515).

For those not able to travel to one of these locations, the MSU Extension field crops team is also making this program available via a weekly online Field Crops Webinar Series. The webinar will run on Mondays from 7-8 p.m. from Feb. 13 through the end of March. Registration is $15 for the full series of seven webinars or $5 per individual webinar session. Register online at Field Crops Webinar Series 2017. You can also contact MSU Extension educator James DeDecker at 989-734-2168 or dedecke5@msu.edu for more information.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).