The tour wagons stayed packed throughout the Fisher Delta Research Center Field Day on Friday, Sept. 2, as attendees learned about the variety of research going on in Portageville, Mo.
More than 1,200 individuals attended the Fisher Delta breakfast and program. The program featured Senator Roy Blunt, Congressman Jason Smith, and Richard Fordyce, the Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, among others. Tom Payne, University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Vice Chancellor and Dean, was also honored during the event. Payne is retiring in December after 17 years of service to CAFNR.
“We have wonderful leadership at all levels of Missouri agriculture that were on full display at the Field Day,” Fisher Delta Research Center Director Trent Haggard said. “We appreciate everything they have and continue to do for the betterment of Bootheel agriculture and the research accomplished at the Center.”
Attendees had four tours to choose from: corn, soybean, cotton and rice. Each offered great information on the unique research taking place each day at Fisher Delta.
“The team at the Center works on so many different research projects,” Haggard said. “We chose a few to highlight, ones that we felt would be of the most interest. I have received numerous compliments about each and every speaker and the topics.”
The soybean tour focused on the new varieties being developed at Fisher Delta, using dicamba products responsibly and an IT platform for agriculture. Precision agriculture tools and improving water management were featured during the corn tour. The cotton tour showcased improving irrigation, the effects of herbicide treatments, and the effects of simulated dicamba drift at multiple growth stages in cotton. The rice tour included looks at variety trials, phone apps for managing nitrogen and irrigation in furrow irrigated rice, and using gypsum as a sulfur additive for crop management.
“We had a lot of fun seeing so many folks loading up on the wagons and arriving at the tour tents,” Haggard said. “The numerous producers, ag business persons and students were engaged and had good questions, too. We were also blessed with beautiful weather.”
The Field Day also included a free lunch. Fisher Delta hosted several local high school students as well, allowing them to check out the Research Center and learn more about agriculture.
“Our team also does a great job of organizing and executing all facets of our Field Day,” Haggard said. “This includes the program for the local FFA and 4-H chapters, where the team had great speakers who are of interest to young adults, who we hope will pursue a profession or college degree in an agricultural discipline.”
For a closer look at the Fisher Delta Research Center Field Day, visit flickr.com/photos/cafnr/albums/72157670305931944.