More than a century ago, the Smith-Lever Act was signed to help extend university-based research and knowledge beyond the college campus. Now all 114 Missouri counties benefit from the research of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri through MU Extension. And since its inception in 1870, CAFNR has strived to provide the latest information for Missouri’s producers and the best way to connect with researchers is through annual Field Days at CAFNR’s local Agricultural Research Centers.
For those in northwest Missouri, plan to attend Graves-Chapple Research Center’s Field Day on Aug. 26. Registration and educational tours will start at 8 a.m., with the last tour departing at 11:30 a.m. A complimentary lunch, provided by Kent Fisher Insurance, will be served at noon.
“We listen to what farmers are dealing with out there so we have tailored this year’s Field Day around the questions they have and the issues that they need to know about now,” said Jim Crawford, superintendent of Graves-Chapple Research Center. “We are looking at also showcasing cutting-edge technology as well the best management strategies and how to deal with common policies of today.”
Tour topics will include cover crops, nitrogen management strategies, current and upcoming insect issues and weed management. Extension Professor Ray Massey will give an economic outlook for cost of production.
“We have been getting a lot of questions about tissue sampling for corn and soybean so we will have a talk specifically about the technique and how valuable these tests can be,” added Crawford. “This is another valuable tool we offer here at MU that many can take advantage of.”
A hotly debated topic at the national level is the use of drones. MU Natural Resource Engineering Specialist Kent Shannon will talk about the future of UAVs in agriculture and how they can be used for crop scouting, nitrogen control and other potential opportunities.
“Another can’t-miss piece of research is the work Senior Research Specialist Andrew Scaboo is doing with soybean breeding for northern Missouri,” said Crawford. “This is going to have a huge impact on the area with varieties that give us the best yields.”
Water is becoming another major concern in many agricultural production areas and with that, can come regulation. Extension Assistant Professor Bob Broz will share the latest updates and keep you informed on what is coming with water control.
To help conserve water, some farmers have been looking to alternative irrigation systems. One option is subsurface irrigation and Research Professor Kelly Nelson will talk about the use of these systems in row crop production.
The Field Day is an opportunity to connect with local producers, researchers that are doing world-class studies in your own backyard and those involved with making agriculture decisions for the state.
For more information about Graves-Chapple Research Center, contact Jim Crawford at 660-744-6231 or CrawfordJ@missouri.edu. Visit their new website at http://graveschapple.cafnr.org for other research and educational opportunities. The center is located at 29955 Outer Road, Fairfax 64446. From Interstate 29 take Exit 99 at Corning. Head north on Highway W and turn left onto the Outer Road. The center will be on the left.
Graves-Chapple is one of CAFNR’s Agricultural Research Centers located throughout Missouri that regularly host educational workshops. Visit http://cafnr.org/events/ for more events located across the Show-Me State.
To download press-quality photos from last year’s Field Day, visit CAFNR’s Flickr site at http://bit.ly/GCFieldDay13.
