A little bit of rain didn’t dampen the Greenley Research Center field day.

From left to right: Greenley Superintendent Dana Harder, CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert, Greenley advisory board chairman Jesse Schwanke.

The event, held on Tuesday, Aug. 7, featured 10 speakers, as well as political leaders, University of Missouri leadership and College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) administrators. This was the 41st field day at Greenley since the Center opened.

“Despite the rainy weather and the event being moved inside, we still had a good turnout,” said Greenley Superintendent Dana Harder. “Everyone was enjoying the rain given how dry we have been.”

Although guests weren’t loaded onto wagons for traditional tours, the day featured three separate presentation focuses.

The first group included three MU Division of Plant Sciences professors discussing integrated pest management topics. Professor Kevin Bradley gave an update on the dicamba situation facing farmers and producers. Kaitlyn Bissonnette, an assistant Extension professor, showed what pathogens to watch for and discussed fungicide resistance management. Assistant Professor Kevin Rice talked about emerging insect pests, including Japanese beetles.

University of Missouri System President Mun Choi was on hand during the Greenley field day, meeting with guests and presenting during the free lunch.

The agronomic management group included two graduate students – Renee Adler and Savannah Burnett. Adler gave a review of long-term tillage in a corn, soybean and wheat rotation. Burnett showcased the impacts of 4R (right source, right rate, right time, right place) nutrient management on crop production and nutrient loss. Kelly Nelson, professor in the Division of Plant Sciences, talked about a new nitrification inhibitor in corn.

The beef and forage management tour also featured three speakers – David Patterson, Eric Bailey and Zac Erwin. Patterson and Bailey, both state beef Extension specialists, talked about the Missouri Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program and management options to extend hay supply, respectively. Erwin, a livestock specialist, discussed the value of a producer’s hay supply.

John Travlos, AgEBB system administrator in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, closed the presentations with an overview of the Missouri Mesonet and the Horizon Point Site-Specific Weather System.

“We had a very good lineup of presentations that addressed some of the current key issues in agriculture,” Harder said. “The audience was definitely engaged and inquisitive despite the format being moved inside.”

Although guests weren’t loaded onto wagons for traditional tours because of the rain, the day featured three separate presentation focuses.

Along with a free breakfast, a free lunch was served at noon. There were numerous vendors on hand for guests to talk with as well.

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, UM System President Mun Choi, CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert, and Marshall Stewart, MU vice chancellor for Extension and engagement, spoke to guests during lunch.

Brian Munzlinger, Missouri Senator, 18th District; Nate Walker, Missouri House of Representatives, 3rd District; Craig Redmon, Missouri House of Representatives, 4th District; and Lindell Shumake, Missouri House of Representatives, 5th District, gave comments during lunch as well.

“We were pleased to have many political and University leaders in attendance,” Harder said. “It allows for a great opportunity for them to engage with local producers and to see firsthand some of the research taking place at the Center.”

Tuesday’s event also served as Harder’s last day as the superintendent of the Greenley Research Center. Harder joined MU in June 2014. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Mizzou before receiving his master’s in agronomy from Michigan State University. Harder grew up on his family farm next door to the Greenley Research Center.

For a closer look at the Greenley Research Center field day, visit: flickr.com/photos/cafnr/albums/72157696793823162.