Field day dates set for MU Ag Experiment Station,12 events offer variety of local research results
Field day dates set for MU Ag Experiment Station,12 events offer variety of local research results
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri field days provide new research results for Missouri farmers. That long tradition will continue and new events will be added, said Marc Linit, associate dean for research and extension at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
A dozen days are set aside for farm tours across the state at research centers that are part of the MU Agricultural Experiment Station.
“Superintendents at the centers and farms are diversifying their focus,” Linit said. “For example, Bradford Farm near Columbia has aquaculture, quail, tomato and native plant research in addition to the basics of corn, soybean and wheat.”
Date, place, event and contact person are:
· June 26 – Bradford Research and Extension Center, Columbia; Quail and Native Plant Field Day; Tim Reinbott, 573-884-7945
· June 27 – Bradford; Weed and Pest Management Field Day; Kevin Bradley, 573-882-4039
· Aug. 7 – Greenley Memorial Research Center, Novelty, Mo.; field day; Randall Smoot, 660-739-4410
· Aug. 26 – Graves-Chapple Farm, Corning, Mo.; field day; Jim Crawford, 660-744-6231
· Aug. 27 – Hundley-Whaley Farm, Albany, Mo.; field day; Bruce Burdick, 660-726-5610
· Sept. 2 – Delta Research Center, Portageville, Mo.; field day; Jake Fisher, 573-379-5431
· Sept. 4 – Bradford, Columbia; Tomato Festival; Reinbott
· Sept. 12 – Southwest Research Center, Mount Vernon, Mo.; field day; Richard Crawford, 417-466-2148
· Sept. 18 – South Farm, Columbia; Beef Production Field Day; Bob Weaber, 573-882-5479
· Sept. 27 – South Farm, Columbia; Showcase; John Poehlmann, 573-882-4450
· Oct. 3 – Wurdack Farm, Cook Station, Mo.; field day; Poehlmann
· Oct. 18 – Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC), New Franklin, Mo.; Missouri Chestnut Roast; Nancy Bishop, 660-848-2268
“There was high attendance and renewed interest in production agriculture at our winter meetings,” said Bill Wiebold, MU Extension agronomist. “Strong prices for crops have producers looking for ways to push their yields. I expect good attendance in the field days this summer.”
“I hope we see more people at the weed and pest management day,” said Kevin Bradley, MU weed scientist. “We will have a lot of new products and herbicide-tolerant crops on display.”
At the field days, producers go on wagon tours of research plots to see the crops growing under various treatments. MU researchers tell of new developments.
“Traditional corn and soybean research and livestock production will remain our focus,” Linit said. “We provide the research on new plant varieties, tillage practices and livestock feeding and grazing. There are always new methods to show.”
Energy research and demonstrations have been added at the Graves-Chapple Farm, Linit said.
At several centers, new buildings will be constructed with funding from the state’s Lewis and Clark Initiative. Those include Wurdack Farm, Southwest Center, Graves-Chapple Farm, Hundley-Whaley Farm, HARC and Greenley Center. The Delta Center will construct a new set of greenhouses.
“There may not be a hole in the ground to see, but ceremonial groundbreakings have been held at all of those locations. Most are in the architectural planning stage.”
The MU field days are free and open to the public.
