The 38th annual Greenley Memorial Research Center Field Day, set for Tuesday, Aug. 4, will offer a variety of topics, including a special look at cover crops.
Along with agronomy and beef tours, the Greenley Research Center has added a cover crops tour, which will focus on several areas of cover crop management.
“We’re really excited with the addition of the cover crop tour,” Greenley Superintendent Dana Harder said. “It’s something new and different. We received a lot of feedback from last year’s Field Day, and our surveys showed people wanted to see more research concerning cover crops.
“We feel that we have a lineup of topics that addresses the needs and questions of local producers.”
Kelly Nelson, a research agronomist at Greenley, will lead a discussion on cover crop management. Randy Miles, an associate professor of soil science, will present on how to manage for improved soil health.
Win Phippen, professor of plant breeding and genetics at Western Illinois University, will dig into field pennycress and its improvement as a potential cover crop.
“Phippen breeds field pennycress and has a lot of interesting background information and research,” Harder said. “Most farmers know it as a winter annual weed, but it is being genetically improved for use as an oil crop.”
Along with the tours, the Greenley Research Center will have a special dedication ceremony for Miss Hortense Greenley.
Miss Greenley passed away in December. Throughout her life, she played a vital part in the operations of the Greenley Research Center.
“She played such a key role in the leadership of this center,” Harder said. “She was a very generous benefactor. A lot of our capital improvement projects would not have been completed without her. We’re grateful for what she’s done.”
The Research Center recently constructed a new bridge, which will be officially dedicated in Miss Greenley’s honor during the Field Day.
Miss Hortense Greenley.Miss Greenley donated the land where the Greenley Research Center now sits when her parents passed away in the 1960s.
“Two farms have been dedicated in her parents honor, but nothing has been dedicated in Miss Greenley’s name,” Harder said. “It’s just the right thing to do.”
Registration for the Field Day begins at 7 a.m. on the east side of the white barn. Breakfast, sponsored by Macon Farm Credit Services, will be served from 7-8 a.m. Tours will run from 8 a.m. to noon. Lunch will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m.
During lunch, those in attendance will hear from representatives from the Missouri Soybean and Missouri Corn Growers Associations, who also helped sponsor the lunch. Janie Dunning, Missouri USDA rural development state director, will also speak during the lunch program and make a special presentation to the Center. Following the noon program, a presentation on managed drainage for crop production and improved water quality will be given.
“We want to thank our sponsors for helping us,” Harder said. “They play a critical role in making our Field Days possible.”
The Greenley Research Center is located in Novelty, Mo. For more information, call 660-739-4410 or email harderd@missouri.edu. You can also visit their website at http://greenley.cafnr.org/.
Schedule
Registration: 7 a.m. (On the east side of the white barn.)
Breakfast: 7-8 a.m.
Tours: 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Lunch Program: 12-1:30 p.m.
Agronomy Tour*
Input Decision Management Using EnCirca – Eric Galdi, DuPont Pioneer
Soybean Breeding Overview at Mizzou – Andrew Scaboo
Nitrous Oxide Fertilizer Loss – Frank Johnson
Deep Lime Placement Yield Update – Theo Blumenschein
Cover Crop Tour*
Cover Crop Management – Kelly Nelson
How to Manage for Improved Soil Health – Randy Miles
Field Pennycress Improvement as Potential Cover Crop – Win Phippen, Western Illinois University
Beef Tour*
Cattle Genetic Testing for Endophyte Tolerance – Monty Kerley
Antibiotic Labeling Changes: What to Expect – Craig Payne
EPDs (Expected Progeny Difference) and Indexes: What You Need to Know – Miranda Wilson
*Speakers are from the University of Missouri unless otherwise noted.