2005 Year in Review

Program Set for Agronomy Day 2005

Source: Steve Moose (217)244-6308; Author: Rob Wynstra

Agronomy Day 2005 at the University of Illinois is scheduled for Thursday, August 18. The event features four tours on the latest developments in agricultural research, as well as numerous tent displays. The theme for this year's Agronomy Day is "Local Discovery/Global Impact."

"Agronomy Day serves as an annual showcase in which our faculty have an opportunity to discuss their latest research findings with clientele from Illinois and neighboring states," said Steve Moose, associate professor in the Department of Crop Sciences and chairperson for Agronomy Day.

This 49th consecutive Agronomy Day is a partnership among several academic units in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at the U of I. The event will be held at the Crop Sciences Research and Education Center, which is located south of the main Urbana-Champaign campus off St. Mary’s Road on Wright Street extended.

One tour will focus on soybean cyst nematode races, potential for vegetable production in Illinois, soybean aphid resistance, sentinel plot system for soybean rust, and soybean seed treatments. A second tour will cover movement of western corn rootworms, management of soybean aphids, use of seed treatments and transgenic hybrids for controlling rootworms, spraying equipment for soybean rust, and genetic differences in nitrogen use by corn.

The stops on the third tour will cover preventing weed resistance to HPPD inhibitors, how weeds steal resources, southern weeds moving north, problem weeds, and agricultural applications for low-cost GPS. The presentations in the final tour will include costs and efficiencies of different combine sizes, impact of atmospheric ozone on soybean yields, decision-support system for grain harvesting systems, new regulations for livestock producers, and growing Miscanthus as an energy source.

“Along with presenting the latest in research for production agriculture, our program also includes numerous tour stops and tent displays that examine some of the hottest issues for the public from new crop disease and insect threats to the efforts to reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment,” Moose said.

Agronomy Day will begin at 7 a.m. Hour-long wagon tours around the research plots will repeat every half-hour as groups are available. The last tour will leave at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided at a nominal charge.

Additional information about Agronomy Day 2005 is available at Click Here www.cropsci.uiuc.edu/agronomyday or by contacting Sharon Conatser at (217)333-4256.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
July 19, 2005