Dec. 3, 2013

The 2013 Nebraska Soybean Day and Machinery Expo Dec. 19 will help soybean producers in planning for next year's growing season.

The expo, which begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 2:30 p.m., will be in the pavilion at the Saunders County Fairgrounds in Wahoo, said Keith Glewen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator.

The expo opens with coffee, doughnuts and the opportunity to view equipment and exhibitor booths. Speakers start at 9 a.m.

Presenters include UNL researchers and specialists, Nebraska Soybean Board representatives, soybean growers and private industry representatives.

This year's featured presentation is "5 Tips for Profitable Soybean Yields" with Marion Calmer, farmer and president of Calmer Research Center/Calmer Corn Heads, Alpha, Ill.

Improving profits and growing high yielding soybeans are a passion on Marion Calmer's farm in northwest Illinois. Populations, row spacing, residue management, fertility, and combine settings are all elements of his on-farm, research-based work to maximize profit.

Calmer started his farming operation of 80 acres of corn and 10 gilts in 1975. During his career, he has gone from conventional tillage to no-till, adopted the use of biotechnology, and has gone from growing corn and soybeans in 40-inch rows to growing both crops in 15-inch rows. He also strives to reduce input costs. Calmer has reduced the number of field passes that it takes to grow a crop from nine to three. Calmer is a researcher, inventor, business owner, and nationally recognized and sought out speaker.

Other program topics include:

• The World of Weather and Agriculture, Elwynn Taylor, climatologist, Iowa State University;
• Markets – The Soybean and Corn Complex, Darin Newsom, DTN senior analyst; and
• Research Report – No-till vs. Strip Till – Discovering Production Answers On Your Farm, Keith Glewen, UNL Extension educator with the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network.

The expo also will include an update on the Nebraska Soybean Checkoff and association.

Producers will be able to visit with representatives from seed, herbicide, fertilizer, and equipment companies and view new farm equipment during a 30-minute break at 9:45 a.m.

The Saunders County Soybean Growers Organization requests that each participant donate one or more cans of nonperishable food to the food pantry.

Soy doughnuts will be cooked on site, and noon lunch will be served.

Registration is available the day of the expo at the door. For more information about the program or exhibitor information, call 800-529-8030 or e-mail kglewen1@unl.edu.

This program is sponsored by UNL Extension in the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Nebraska Soybean Board, Saunders County Soybean Growers Organization and private industry. There is no registration fee.