Several topics will be discussed in depth at the 27th annual Graves-Chapple Research Center Field Day on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The Field Day will touch on nutrient management, pest management and crop management.

“We’re really excited,” Superintendent Jim Crawford said. “We have a lot of great topics and great speakers lined up. It’s also good to have several University of Missouri professors there to discuss their research. They reinforce the topics being discussed and it’s really educational for us, too.”

Tim Reinbott speaks during last year’s Graves-Chapple Research Center Field Day.

Tours begin at 8 a.m. with a lunch at noon. Kent Fisher Insurance will sponsor lunch. Ice cream will also be provided, sponsored by Mo Valley Ag. Atchison Holt REA will sponsor doughnuts and coffee in the morning.

Stopping pests and diseases from ravaging crops and land will be a big discussion topic. Wayne Bailey will look at current and future insect problems. Kevin Bradley will discuss marestail and resistant weed management and Laura Sweets will examine soybean diseases and how to manage them.

“It can be hard to identity pests or disease because you usually don’t know until you find the damage,” Crawford said. “These speakers will shed some light on how to battle pests and disease before it becomes too big of a problem. Pests and diseases are always changing, so it’s very important to stay on top of them.”

Getting fair value for farmland leases will also be an important topic of discussion at the Graves-Chapple Field Day.

“There are some real questions on this topic,” Crawford said. “Both sides want to make sure that they’re getting fair value. When that lease is up, you want to know what the fair value number is going to be.”

Andrew Scaboo discussed his soybean research during last year’s Graves-Chapple Research Center Field Day.

Using a cover crop can also be valuable for farmers. Crawford said the Field Day will feature some of the pros of using a cover crop.

“It has been a wet year,” he said. “A cover crop can help prevent erosion and improve soil health. The weather has been kind of a mixed blessing. While extra water isn’t ideal, it does give farmers an opportunity to improve the health of their soil.”

The Graves-Chapple Research Center is located in Rock Port, Mo. For more information, call 660-744-6231 or email CrawfordJ@missouri.edu. You can also visit their website at http://graveschapple.cafnr.org/.

Schedule

Tours begin: 8 a.m.

Last Tour Leaves: 11:30 a.m.

Lunch: 12 p.m.

Nutrient Management Tour

What is Soil Health? How Do We Assess It? – Randy Miles

Nitrogen Timing, Loss and Rescue Applications – Peter Scharf

Legumes for Fixing Nitrogen in Preventive Planted Fields – Wayne Flanary

Pest Management Tour

Current and Upcoming Insect Issues – Wayne Bailey

Preparing for Future Soybean Technologies and Management of Resistant Weeds – Kevin Bradley

Soybean Diseases and Their Management Including ILeVO for SDS – Laura Sweets

Crop Management Tour

Considerations for Late Planting of Soybeans – Bill Wiebold

2016 Cost of Production Management & Marking the 2015 Crop – Bob Kelly

Farmland Leases: Looking at Current and Future Leases – Ryan Milhollin